This Summer, English teacher Mrs. Kelley Kreiger and Spanish teachers Mrs. Victoria Smith and Mrs. Emily Zimdahl-McManus (Profe) are taking groups of students on separate tours to other countries. It’s an educational field trip and an opportunity for students to get away from home during the summer. 

For around two years now, eight teachers and two administrators have been in contact with the kids interested in going on the tours. They explained what they would be doing, when they would be going, and where they would be going.

“We chose Spain and France because we teach Spanish and French, but we also put Italy in there because we thought it would be a country a lot of kids would be interested in seeing,” Mrs. Smith said.

Mrs. Kreiger is taking a nine-day trip to Costa Rica and Panama. They will visit Rincon de la Vieja National Park, Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall, Panama City, Gatun Lake, and the Panama Canal. They also plan to visit hot springs, snorkel, zipline, and kayak to Monkey Island. 

“I chose this trip because of all of the outdoor excursion-type activities that were offered; I really enjoy the outdoors, and I thought that this would be a fun experience for me,” senior Isobel Herr said. 

Mrs. Smith and Profe are taking a fifteen-day trip to Italy, France, and Spain. They will visit the Colosseum in Italy, the Pont du Gard in France, and the Sagrada Familia in Spain. Government teacher Mrs. Allyson Durney is joining them as an additional chaperone. 

“I feel really lucky to be able to travel with our students and look forward to experiencing these amazing things with them,” Mrs. Durney said. 

After COVID, international trips unfortunately had to take a pause. This is the first time since they can travel again. 

“The district was very excited about the international travel again; they were very supportive,” Mrs. Smith said. 

These international tours offer more than just a change of scenery; they provide the opportunity to learn more about other cultures.