By Will Van Gelder ‘16

Sherwood gives students some great opportunities to travel abroad on numerous trips during the second semester. A few of the social studies department teachers are taking students to Athens and the Greek islands over spring break, and this year there was not one but two foreign exchange trips for students taking French. One was to Belgium in February and one was to France at the end of March.

This spring break I am attending a school-sponsored trip, through the company Education First (EF) to Italy, which is being chaperoned by three of Sherwood’s very own art teachers: Angela Praisner, Debra Bernhardt and Michele Spaingle. I chose to go on the trip to Italy for numerous reasons. I’ve never been there before and I’d like to experience more cultures. I also thought it was a cheap way to get a trip to Europe, and numerous friends of mine are going. I’ve been to Europe twice before with family, but I expect this trip to be different than the two preceding it. It will be interesting to explore a part of the world I’ve never been to before with friends and peers rather than with family.

I am extremely excited to arrive to Italy in two days, and to see such cities as Rome, Florence, Venice and Assisi. I just can’t wait to see such important landmarks as The Vatican and The Coliseum and, of course, the canals of Venice. I truly believe that students owe it to themselves to jump on a chance like this when it arises; it’s important to experience new cultures and if you do a trip with school, you’re starting young.