Earlier this month, nearly fifty students attended the Reading Initiative’s annual overnight trip. In previous years, the trip has taken students to places like Washington DC’s Library of Congress and literary locations in Salem, Massachusetts that inspired authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Arthur Miller. This year, students visited areas in Upstate New York and the Hudson River Valley of literary significance, with a focus on author Washington Irving and the town that inspired his famous short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Librarian Arlene Laverde and English teacher Brian Sweeney organized the trip. Mr. Sweeney said, “This year, [Ms. Laverde and I] chose upstate New York locations because there are a number of famous authors who have [either] lived in the Hudson River valley area or been inspired by it.” Mr. Sweeney said they selected one area (Staatsburgh State Historic Site) because of its reported inspiration to novelist Edith Wharton, and that they selected the Hudson River Valley area in general because of its fame for inspiring authors, poets, and painters.
Mr. Sweeney also said that he made sure to take feedback from the previous year into account, using it to make improvements in this year’s trip. He said, “Last year, the Six Flags part of our trip got cut short, so I made sure that the amusement park part of the trip this year was on the second day, which made sure that there was plenty of time for students there.”
Spots on the trip were available to all students, with priority given to those who actively participated in the challenge. The grand prize of the Reading Initiative’s year-long reading challenge is a free spot on the trip. Students can win the prize by being active independent readers and by being in the grade that leads the annual reading challenge that pits grade against grade when it comes to most minutes of independent reading logged per year. This year’s freshmen are currently in the lead, which ensured four freshmen won the trip prize: Lily Calleia, Nicole Chen, Samantha Ganter, and Amanda Ng.
In addition to visiting the Hudson River Valley, Staatsburgh State Historic Site, and Sleepy Hollow, students also had the chance to enjoy various amusement rides and attractions at American Dream Mall.
Many students said they found the trip to be exciting and saw it as a fun way to connect and interact with their peers.
Junior Daniel Dixon said, “I would encourage other people to go on this trip because it was very fun to be around with your friends.”
Freshman Alejandro Hernandez said, “A memorable experience for me was going on a roller coaster. It’s the biggest one I ever went on. I’m usually really scared of roller coasters, but I went on it three times. So I kind of conquered my fear.”
THHS teachers who were chaperones on the trip also discussed their experiences from the trip with The Classic.
Physical Education Teacher Diane Ramirez said, “I always have a great time getting to know students outside of the physical education world and seeing more of their personalities.”
Similarly, English/ISS Teacher Katherine Gelbman said, “I feel like students are so used to seeing their teachers in an academic setting and interacting in that way, so it’s really fun and nice to kind of be with students on a more personal level.”
Additionally, Ms. Gelbman emphasized the importance of trips like these, where students are able to make life long memories and have new experiences. She said, “Whether it’s trying a new food, or going to a new place, or learning, I hope that that’s something that [students] carry forward with them into their adult lives.”
Similar to Ms. Gelbman, freshman Nicole Chen discussed learning outside of the usual classroom setting. She said, “Being able to step away from academics for a few days to just enjoy new places, have fun, and learn outside the classroom was really refreshing.”
In terms of the obstacles that arose during the trip, Mr. Sweeney said that they had to alter some of the plans on the itinerary due to rainy weather. He said, “Everyone was a good sport, and we saw all the key places, but we would have gone into the Sleepy Hollow cemetery more if it was less rainy. We changed things up on the fly and students rolled with it all really well.”
Despite these challenges, Mr. Sweeney said that “[he and Ms. Laverde] are looking forward to next year’s trip.”
