Seventy-two travelers will explore Italy for the first official trip

BY KEIRA KILKENNY, STAFF WRITER

SHS Abroad, a recently launched travel-abroad program for seniors at the high school, officially takes its first trip this February break. Seventy-two people – 49 students, 13 parents and 10 teacher/staff chaperones – will depart Saturday, Feb. 18, and return Sunday, Feb. 26, for an adventure of a lifetime.

The group will be visiting Venice, Florence, Assisi and Rome over the course of eight days. 

The first day of the trip will primarily be travel, but then the group will spend about two and a half days sightseeing in Venice. They plan to visit many landmarks such as Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal, watch a glassblowing demonstration and ride in the famous Venetian gondolas.

Days four and five will be spent in Florence. Students will visit sights like the Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria. An option for day five is to visit Pisa and the Leaning Tower or spend a free day in Florence.

On day six, students will stop in Assisi for a few hours on their way to Rome, visiting St. Francis’s Basilica. Day seven will be spent sightseeing all around Rome and the Vatican City.

The final day before departing, students will be allowed a free day in Rome or the option for an in-depth excursion to Pompeii. Finally, by day nine, students will board their flight to return home before February break is over.

In an article written by Azline Maurais, last month Kelly Foley (trip leader) and Cynthia Pattershall (head chaperone) traveled to Madrid, Spain to prepare for the double-bus tour. They went through two and a half days of training to review safety, group management, communication and more, along with on-the-ground training of how to manage large group sizes overseas.

Folks can stay up to date on SHS Abroad’s trips through its social media pages, Instagram (@SHS_Abroad) and Facebook (/SanfordAbroad), run by Ms. Foley, who will be documenting this trip for those at home.