Becton has officially gone global!
In a first-of-its-kind-trip organized by language teachers Mrs. Paola Bonanno and Mrs. Debbie Sanchez, around forty juniors and seniors that were enrolled in Becton’s language classes set off to Europe. They visited three countries and ten cities, accompanied by a tour guide that liaised with local establishments to ensure the excursion went as smoothly as possible.
Several chaperones also accompanied the Becton students on the trip that commenced from May 25 – June 3 and saw a chance to explore many historical and culturally significant sites including the Barcelona Cathedral in Spain, Vatican City, the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel in Italy, and the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, or “Gallery of the Academy of Florence” in France. Students stayed in double or triple rooms in hotels with classic architecture, gorgeous views and great breakfasts.
This week was the payoff of around two years of meticulous planning done to ensure the best experience possible for all involved. As Mr. Alexander Vargas, one of the chaperones, put it, “From the perspective of an educator, there were goals we needed to achieve in order to consider it a success.” He identified these goals as safety for all students and staff, to do justice to the spirits the trip was planned with, and to “be the pioneers that blazed the trail for other Becton generations to travel in the future” by providing an unforgettable and enriching experience.
When asked about why she initially came up with this trip, Mrs. Bonanno disclosed, “It has been in my head for a bit because when students learn a language, I think it’s so important to have something tangible of that language by visiting the country and immersing themselves in the culture.” To this end, Mr. Vargas further states, “Traveling to new places, meeting new people and learning about new cultures is an investment that will always keep returning dividends.”
Both Mrs. Bonanno and Mr. Vargas expressed their pleasure at seeing the students experience firsthand these foreign places that they had only previously heard or read about. Mrs. Bonanno describes the feelings of excitement she observed in the students’ reactions and remarked, “There is nothing we can teach them in class that could give them that feeling of amazement.” This is a sentiment that applies not only to the students who got to attend, but also to the team of chaperones that worked to keep them on track and safe. This trip served to broaden everyone’s horizons!
As fellow chaperone Ms. Angela Calasso explains, “My appreciation for art, architecture, history, culture and language grew tenfold during this trip. As a science teacher, these are topics I don’t explore as often so I am grateful for the opportunity.”
This trip has been a resounding success due to the combined efforts of the administrators, chaperones and teachers, as well as the continued decorum and respect of the students that have all come together to create a benchmark which will not only have effects on the people directly involved, but will set a foundation for Becton abroad. This means that this a repetition of this experience, and others like it, are almost certain to follow in the future.
As Mr. Vargas put it, “From connections to people personally, academically, and professionally, our students will continue to grow and benefit from this trip for the rest of their lives.”
