KINGSTON — Gordon Elementary School Options program ninth grader Anna Dillon has never left the United States. In fact, she’s never left Washington state.
Soon, she’ll not be able to make either claim, thanks in large part to the efforts of her teachers.
Dillon and five other ninth graders in the Gordon Options program, as well as one eighth grader, will be embarking on a journey that marks the culmination of their junior high school careers: a class trip to Europe.
Tours of England and Italy are already on the itinerary.
“It’s a whole new leap for us,” said student Hilary Groh. “High school next year is going to be totally different from junior high school. Going to Europe at the end of junior high is one big last step to our next big step.”
Along with Dillon and Groh, the other students making the “big step” are Jessica Jetter, Katie Gates, Dylan Peterson, Christian Simonson and Blythe Peterson.
The trip was made possible by their teacher, Nat Smith along with parent volunteers John Peterson, Isabel Gates and Amy Jetter. The four adults will also guide the kids as they explore the continent from March 24 to April 12.
Smith said she is most excited for his students to learn a new perspective, particularly, witnessing a much more established culture than that of the U.S.
“Old to us is 100 to 22 years,” he said. “Old in Europe is 2,000 to 3,000. The kids get a sense of the duration of human history.”
History for the kids is something they only see in textbooks, Smith said.
“But when you actually go there and see the history, it becomes a whole new ball game,” he added.
The trip will not just be a sight-seeing adventure. Each of the seven will take eight weeks of Italian under West Sound Academy teacher Ann Greeot. They are also preparing individual projects that will study one aspect of the trip before they embark. Projects range from Italian culture to history of Stonehenge.
The kids described their upcoming trip as a final achievement in their Options school careers.
“It’s a last experience to the program for us,” Groh said. “Its a big end and finale.”
The trip is also viewed as an “eye-opener” in many ways.
“It’s the ultimate experience to go to Europe,” Peterson said.
“We’ll be experiencing a whole new culture,” Jetter said.
Peterson added the trip takes the students out of their cultural comfort zone.
“It’s good to expand your mind so you don’t always have to focus on American culture, so you’re not based totally around that,” he said. “You can try other things.”
“We get to eat good food, too,” added Groh.
The trip will be paid for individually with the help of some fund-raising. The group has already raised $800 from a wreath sale in December.
Next up is a Valentine’s Day photo shoot, by parent volunteer Isabel Gates, Feb. 7-8 from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. each day at her Indianola studio. The shoot is $35 for a 15-minute session and one 8×10 photo. For more information, call (360) 265-2000.
