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Laconia Middle School students report on New York City Spanish‑culture trip
Summary
Students and staff described a June cultural trip to New York City that focused on Hispanic neighborhoods, music and immigration history; board members asked questions about participation and timing for future trips.
Laconia Middle School teachers and students presented highlights from a recent June trip to New York City focused on Hispanic culture and immigration history.
The presentation, introduced by Cortney Sears, described how the world language program is shifting from French to Spanish at the middle school and why the class chose a U.S. trip that emphasized Hispanic culture instead of a longtime Canada trip. "We are phasing out our French department, and Spanish is going to be the prevailing language at the middle school," Sears said.
The presenters said the group used Jump Street Tours and visited Harlem, the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center, Little Havana–style restaurants, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Students described drumming and dance workshops at the cultural center and said the ferry ride to Ellis Island was a highlight. Student Abby Day said the tour included interactive exhibits at Ellis Island that illustrated the immigration processing experience.
Students and staff also reviewed logistics and lessons learned: the trip included overnight hotel lodging in New Jersey, long bus rides (about 5½ to 6½ hours each way depending on traffic), and pre‑voted meal choices to manage allergies. Students reported about 27 students, 13 parents and three staff on the trip and said roughly five eligible eighth‑grade students did not attend for a mix of reasons including prior commitments and finances.
Board members and attendees asked whether the group had enough time at the Statue of Liberty, and students and staff said Ellis Island activities took more time than expected and that they would consider allocating more time to the statue on future itineraries. Sears and the student presenters noted interest in adding more Spanish‑language practice on future trips and discussed fundraising or adding another day to the itinerary as potential ways to expand the program while keeping costs manageable.
Board members did not take formal action during the presentation; the session was informational and included a question‑and‑answer period about participation rates and possible changes for future trips.
