Foreign language students, parents and community members traveled to Europe June 1-12.
A total of 47 people--24 students and 23 adults experienced the culture and history of three countries.
The first stop of the trip was Madrid, where the travelers experienced Prado, a famous art museum, the Madrid Royal Palace, a place where the current royal family still holds functions. Continuing on in Spain, Barcelona provided the travelers a visit to Gaudi’s Gothic Cathedral. Travelers also soaked up sun on beaches and swam in the Mediterranean Sea.
After spending one and a half days in Barcelona, the travelers headed to France. There they toured Carcasonne, an ancient castle featured in the movie Robin Hood, and Pont Du Gard, an old Roman aquaduct. Stops in Nice and Cannes, famous for their beaches, provided relaxation for the tourists. A stop in Avignon, site of the Pope’s palace, rounded out the trip.
Then it was on to Italy, where local tourists stopped at the Pisa Bapistery, the Pisa Cathedral and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In Florence, the group took in an Italian restaurant, with singing and “awesome” pasta, said foreign language teacher and tour guide, Gina Halksworth. Then on the way to Rome, the group stopped at Assisi, the site of a basilica named for St. Francis. Next, the travelers moved onto Vatican City, where they toured the Sistine Chapel. They also caught a glimpse of the Pope. The stop in Italy ended with a tour of the Colosseum.
The trip was not without its glitches: 20 members of the group got stuck at O’Hare Airport in Chicago on the return trip. Halksworth saw a benefit in the delay.
“We got an extra day!”
One student, Jami Henrickson, shared her view of the
Large group from WaKeeney travels to Europe
European holiday
"It was fun traveling with all my friends and putting the language in to play.”
European vacationers included the following: Bernita, Darrell, Samantha, and Nicole Augustine; Seth Bailey; Elizabeth and Lauren Billinger; Kelsie Bliss; Mary and Sara Cunningham; Dana Diec; Kelly Ebbert; Sarah and Olivia Fabrizius; Myron, Karen and Casey Flax; Teran Frick; Kirk, Debra and Spencer Hemmert; Jami Hendrickson; Kelsey Heronemus; Tami and Cassie Herskowitz; Ernest, Karen and Stacy Littlechild; Marlin, Debra and Cameron Locke; Jordan Olson; Annabelle Oss; David Parks; Gayle, Lindsay, Ryan and Scott Pfannenstiel; Aubrey Riedel; Elaine and Whitney Riedell; Keva and Brooke Scheib; and Dylan Sherfick.
The foreign language classes plan, raise money, and organize a European trip every two years. Parents and community member are invited, at their expense.
Spanish and French students participate in spelling bee
--Stephanie Griffith
Spanish and French students participated in a spelling bee on September 25.
The spelling bee took place in the auditorium and was attended by the student body. Teacher Mrs. Gina Halksworth was the moderator for the event.
The spelling contestants were determined beforehand by a class spelling bee in which the top three went on to the school-wide spelling bee.
A total of 15 students participated in the Spanish spelling bee, with five making it to the second round.
The placers included Dona Diec, 1st, Natali M., 2nd, and Rubin Sherwood, 3rd.
Other participants included Casey Flax, Brooke S., Olivia Fabrizius, Erin R., Eli Sherwood, Alex Bird, Devin D., Brandon Katt, Derek Carr, Will Papes, Tori Mai, Jackie Albin.
In the French spelling bee, Teran Frick and Jonathon James were the two participants. Frick placed first and James placed second.
Lining up on the stage, Spanish spelling bee participants await for the event to begin in the auditoruim on September 25.
ABOVE LEFT:Spanish spelling bee winner Dona Diec and runner-up Natali M. pose for a picture after the event. The spelling bee took place during activity period on September 25. ABOVE RIGHT: Teran Frick, 1st, and Jon James ,2nd, show off their medals for the French spelling bee.
Participating in the Day of the Dead festivites, Spanish students Brennan Anderson and Steven Anderson share some laughs as they eat Mexican food. The Day of the Dead is observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries on November 2, although in some regions it is observed on November 1. In Spanish, it is known as El Día de los Muertos.It coincides with the All Souls' Day, a holiday of the Roman Catholic Church to commemorate the deceased so they might “rest in peace.” (Source: Encarta Encyclopedia)
