At the start of June, 53 LHS Spanish students and eight chaperones departed for Spain on a trip organized by the International Languages Department Supervisor and Spanish II teacher, Señora Jennifer Goettsche. Touring the country north to south, they experienced first-hand the cultural aspects, landmarks, and food of the country, and used their Spanish skills.
After learning that there had not been a Spanish trip to a Spanish-speaking country in around 20 years, Señora Goettsche worked with a travel company in order to find one for the students to go on. While the travel company took care of the flights, hotels, and events, this also posed a $3,500 cost for the students who wanted to go. In order to offset this, students were offered fundraising opportunities beginning in October and could pay for the trip over the course of eight months.
Other aspects of taking high school students abroad were also handled by Señora Goettsche and her team, Mrs. Amaya Peterson, International Languages Secretary, Ms. Michaela Kendzior, the Language Lab Coordinator, and Señorita Elaine Petricca, a Spanish I and Spanish III honors teacher. The students were registered through the Smart Traveller Enrollment Program, “a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate,” in order to inform them of adverse conditions and aid them in emergencies, according to its website, step.state.gov. In addition to this, the team sent the students information about packing for the trip, helped them update their passports, and kept track of important medical information and allergies.
“Honestly, packing wasn’t that different from flying to another U.S. state. I just packed twice as many clothes in a huge suitcase,” stated senior Gillian Filler.
In Spain, the students were able to make practical use of their knowledge for the first time: “We all really loved that we could see the students using the language, even just right from the get-go. I really think that it built their confidence in their language skills,” stated Señora Goettsche, who added that the trip was able to “bring alive what they were studying.”
It was because of this that Filler went on the trip: “I really wanted to be able to use my Spanish in another country and explore the culture,” she said.
In addition to getting to use Spanish on the trip, students were able to explore Spanish culture outside of the classroom. Students visited landmarks like Parc Guёll and la Sagrada Família in Barcelona and saw a Roman aqueduct in Segovia. They also visited the Mezquita in Córdoba and explored the Prado Museum, Royal Palace of Madrid, and the Plaza de España in Madrid.
Taking a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar, students even explored neighboring Morocco, where they rode camels and wandered the bazaar, or outdoor market, within the inner city walls of Marrakech.
“My favorite part of the trip was using Spanish and exploring the streets of Barcelona with my friends,” Filler said. “I learned more about Spanish culture and how to use the language more effectively. Also, Morocco opened my eyes and allowed me to experience a third-world country.”
