Members of the Hapnot Collegiate Travel Club shared their favourite experiences from a recent trip to Greece at Tuesday’s Flin Flon school board meeting.
Teachers Daniel Dillon and Sandra Garinger and student Myla Bridgeman-Forbes presented stories and photos to trustees.
“It was so wonderful to see the different perspectives the students saw,” said Dillon, explaining the Cluster app to which the students uploaded pictures.
The pictures were visible not only to teachers and students on the trip, but also family and friends at home.
Dillon and Garinger were two of seven adults on the trip with 21 students who spent 10 days touring Greece during spring break.
Bridgeman-Forbes, who previously visited France with the travel club, says she was more prepared for the Greece trip.
“I felt like I knew what I was doing,” the Grade 11 student told trustees. “I very much enjoyed it. It was overwhelming, but a good overwhelming.”
Bridgeman-Forbes says the trip was “surreal” and left too many memories to choose a favourite.
Perhaps more life-altering than the destinations were the friends she gained.
“I always had [the travel club members] as acquaintances outside of school, but I got to know everyone better and made connections,” she said. “I have perspectives I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
Dillon says one of the highlights of the trip came when the group listened to a speaker deliver an emotional and impactful message.
“The students were so focused on the speaker,” he said. “And it was students you might not have expected to be interested.
“It was beautiful to see through my lens as a teacher. It was incredible to see.”
Superintendent Blaine Veitch asked Bridgeman-Forbes what she most appreciated about Canada after returning from Greece.
“Just being able to walk down the street,” she said. “Greece is friendly, but there is no comparison.”
Following the presentation, Dillon asked the trustees to consider Holland as the travel club’s 2017 destination.
Both Garinger and Dillon have been to Holland and spoke of the engineering, agricultural, art and war-related sights to see.
“It’s expensive but great to see,” said Garinger.
Trustee Leslie Fernandes says traveling abroad is an experience of a lifetime, still remembering her own high school trip.
“It’s an experience you just don’t forget,” she said.
Highlights
Other highlights from Tuesday’s school board meeting:
• Veitch reported that the five half-days available for professional learning have been well received by staff.
“There has been positive feedback,” he told the trustees, noting the interesting topics and a “more productive” model have made a difference.
• It was noted that Hapnot’s Grade 10 students will be doing Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) testing on May 12, focusing on reading, math and science.
• It was further noted that Flin Flon School Division students will write the fourth edition of the Canadian Achievement Test (CAT IV) testing during the week of May 4 to 8.
• Veitch welcomed student teacher Rachel Wiggins-Smith from Brandon as she has worked in both the classroom and gym settings.
• It was noted that École McIsaac School and Ruth Betts Community School will have a spring musical on May 12 and 13, at each of the schools, for the Grade 4 and 5 classes.
