“The group did so many wonderful things, from taking Spanish classes in the open air, to picking coffee on a mountain side, to watching an active volcano at night,” said Collier. “I have done a lot of traveling and I have to say, the Nicaraguan people are the nicest, kindest, most open and helpful people I have ever met, everyone from our Spanish teachers, to the cooks, the night watchman, and our host families. That alone made the trip more than worthwhile. And our students were great. They were adventurous, inquisitive, open, friendly, and caring. What happened then was that our students and the Nicaraguan people we met became fast friends.” The group visited and stayed at the Spanish language school, community outreach center, and eco-hotel, La Mariposa, which is located in the pueblo of San Juan de la Concepcion. Students also had a one-night homestay, which provided a great opportunity to experience life in the household of a Nicaraguan family. These students left their mark during this trip. They had a number of choices to work with the community, from working in a daycare center to tending a community garden that provides fresh produce to the village, and helping with renovation and clean-up of the cultural center. Thanks to the generosity of the Burpee Seed Company and a Solebury parent, students brought more than 150 vegetable seed packets to be incorporated into the organic garden. At El Nisperal, an organic coffee plantation and research center, students learned what happens before they can order their extra large coffee from their favorite barista at home as they picked mountain grown organic coffee. Earlier in the year, students raised nearly $1,000 through bake sales and flower sales, which they donated to the San Juan de la Concepcion Cultural Center to help build a bakery.
Fun and Learning at Quebec’s Winter Carnival Solebury’s bi-annual trip to Quebec, Canada for the Winter Carnival always proves to be fun and educational. This year, 18 students and three faculty members traveled to Quebec over the school’s mid-winter break in early February. According to French teacher Helen Matthews, it was a wonderful trip with many adventures, including racing along a dog-sledding course, speedily sliding down snow-tubing chutes, and marveling at the sharp teeth of the piranhas at the Montreal Bio-dome. Culinary highlights included a succulent crepe dinner, a traditional lumberjack feast, and an incredible amount of maple syrup with every meal.
Our students and French teachers traveled to Quebec, Canada to attend the annual Winter Carnival. The group included Alex Babicki ’17, Fiona Bauman ’17, Zoe Bellapigna ’14, Sophia Bridgers ’14, Lia D’Alessandro ’17, Jian Dempsey ’14, Ashley Fry ’13, Jacob Goodman ’18, Dean Linkroum ’13, Adriel Magidenko ’13, Lorenz Markhoff ’16, Tali Natan ’17, Cookie Pierce ’16, Nick Serdaru ’13, Hailey Tasch ’15, Quinn Webster ’17, Josh Weinstein ’13, Ilona Wilde ’15, Steve Benoit, Christine Le Gall, & Helen Matthews. (Photo shared by Steve Benoit)
“My decision to go to Quebec was motivated by a desire to improve my French language skills, to appreciate a different culture, and to share the experience with good friends,” said freshman Lia D’Alessandro. “Not only did I have a chance to practice speaking in French, but conversations with native speakers made me appreciate how much more there is to learn! Quebec is charming and the activities that introduced the culture were educational and fun. Although it’s hard to choose a favorite moment in such a fun-filled trip, I’d have to admit that dog sledding tops the list. Learning how to manage a sled was a great adventure–and, as an animal lover, I could not resist those adorable dogs!” ❖ Lia D’Alessandro ’17 plays with a puppy during the dogsledding expedition in Quebec. (Photo shared by Steve Benoit)
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