Next spring break, Spanish teachers Ms. East and Ms. Porembiak will be taking students on a trip to southern Spain for ten days. Ms. East admitted that she did not intend to start up a class trip, but later decided to plan one last excursion for RHS Spanish students.

“My students from last year encouraged me to plan [this trip],” she said. “When I started teaching about art and culture in Spain, they showed interest and I thought I’d do it.”

The trip will consist of sightseeing and touring in Granada, Córdoba, Seville, Gibraltar, and an optional excursion to Morocco. Each city consists of different historical sites where the students will be able to shop, eat, and learn more about the Spanish culture. Ms. East selected these cities for the trip because she believes the southern part of Spain is more intriguing compared to other parts of the country.

“I love the south of Spain,” she said. “It’s where I lived when I did my internship and I’ve spent several summers there, I know the south very well; it’s one of the best parts of Spain.”

Ms. East believes that students who are going on the Spain trip, or any people who travel outside of the U.S., greatly benefit from experiencing a different cultural lifestyle.

“[Students] learn so much outside of the classroom in just ten days,” she said. “To learn about another culture and step outside of the bubble of Rochester opens your eyes to a whole world that’s out there, especially for students who haven’t been anywhere.

“There are some students who are very well-traveled, and that just adds to their knowledge and experience of seeing the world. This will be huge for kids who haven’t left Rochester or Michigan or even the U.S. because it’s such a different way of life.

“There are so many little things that they’ll notice that are nothing like their country, and there are some things that are very similar. They really learn a lot about themselves and other people.”

The trip will last for the entirety of spring break, which begins on April 4th and ends on April 13th. It currently costs $3,350 per student with an additional $160 for the Morocco excursion. The program includes round-trip airfare, hotels, a tour director, breakfast and dinner, sightseeing, transportation, entrance fees, and emergency service.