Spanish IV, Spanish Honors, Culture and Communication, and AP Spanish took a trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to watch a music and dance show called Latin American Spectacular.
“The students were allowed to hear music and live the cultural experiences,” said Spanish teacher Nikki Kirchway.
The first show was all about the kids learning Mexican and South American cultures. The show gave students a chance to learn the language from people who have been speaking it their entire life. After the show, students and faculty went to a restaurant to taste and indulge in food from Mexico.
“The food was amazing. That was, by far, my favorite part,” said Spanish student Anthony Johnson.
Students on this trip watched and soaked in the culture. The day was filled with learning about the Day of the Dead and how it was a big celebration rather than a sad event.
“My favorite part was the first show when two people from Argentina did a dance called Boleadoras. It’s a type of dance that involves movements with drums. It was fascinating to watch,” Kirchway said.
“It seemed like fun, and it was something that the Spanish classes offered,” Johnson said.
Foreign language classes take field trips off campus to get a better understanding of the culture.
French 3 Honors and AP French visited the Alliance Francaise de Chicago. This is a French school and cultural center, and they give an experience all in French. Students were able to communicate with native French speakers and learn about French firsthand.
“On the trip, we do two activities- we view a classic French film in a 150 seat theater with a discussion based on the film, then we cook a French lunch with a chef (who speaks all in French)- we made a salad, main course, and dessert. Some items we made were tarte flambee, tarte aux pommes, quinche and peche melba,” said French teacher Jennifer Welty.
To go on the trip in the future, students must be in French 3 or AP French and pay a minimal fee.