DR Trip 2017, pt. 1

Get ready for the DR!

As the weeks go by, ninth graders turn their attention to the long-awaited service trip to the Dominican Republic. Just as the seventh graders and eighth graders had their week for service locally and in New York, ninth graders have the opportunity to teach English with the program Outreach360.

Photograph Courtesy of the Fay Photo Archive, taken from Ninth Grade Service Trip to Dominican Republic.

In past years, there has been a lot of excitement and preparation regarding the DR trip. Returning boarders can remember the morning the previous ninth grade class returned to campus after the long week: exhausted, tanned, but still with the slightest hint of a smile or a friendly memory lighting up their faces. They shared stories of the heat, humidity, and hardships, but they also shared with us the memories of spending time with their groupmates and newfound friends. It's no surprise that the DR trip takes a lot of preparation though - a large group of students, some of whom have never been out of the country before, travelling to a foreign country where you may not be familiar with the language, where the temperature is significantly warmer, and where there may be some unexpected obstacles.

But think of it in this way - it's similar to a slightly longer Merrowvista camping trip. We are away for a week with our friends, and in a new environment. And we don’t expect there to be a dull moment. In a different country, there's always places to go and things to see, and whatever schedule they may have in store for us is most certainly going to keep us on our toes. Not to mention the different cultures and languages that will be shared between the two communities - as we try to teach the children, I am certain they will teach us. “I’m excited to be close to nature,” says Matthew Weng ‘17. “I think it provides a new and refreshing experience instead of a constant crammed schedule.” So, all through the process of checking the packing list and making last-minute changes, students and teachers alike anticipate the long-awaited trip to the Dominican Republic.

Maddie ‘17