Over the Presidents Week break, Pinewood offered three different trips to Puerto Rico, Hong Kong and Brazil.
Junior high students had the opportunity to explore Puerto Rico on a service-learning trip, led by Director of Student Life Kyle Riches. They learned about the history of the ancient Spanish Empire through touring sites such as San Juan, and they also visited El Yunque, the only tropical forest in the US National Forest System. Simultaneously, they contributed to the Hurricane Maria reconstruction project where they helped the communities that were devastated by the storm. Lastly, they viewed the white sand beaches, where the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” was filmed.
“I’m excited for this trip,” said eighth grader Lillian Ellis. “I will get to spend time with my friends and get service hours.”
On the other hand, the trip to Brazil was exclusively for high school students participating in choir. In the past, they have gone to other destinations such as New York and France. This year, they went sightseeing at the botanical gardens and famous beaches in Rio de Janeiro. Additionally, they learned how to dance samba, a traditional Brazilian dance, and play Brazilian carnival percussion.
“I really loved performing for the music school in Brazil and meeting the choir students there. I also enjoyed learning about the amazing culture, eating delicious food and hanging out with my friends.” junior Josephine Tu said.
Tu also explained that she has been looking forward to seeing Brazil.
Lastly, high school students had the opportunity to experience the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. Unlike the Puerto Rico and Brazil trips, this trip was more education-focused, as it was an immersion trip advertised towards students of Chinese descent, especially those who speak Mandarin. Led by Mandarin teacher Heidi Wang, they explored many different tourist attractions like Cheung Chau Island.
Freshman Aaron Xie said he chose this trip because they wanted to revisit China after a long period of time.
“[I most enjoyed] the food,” Xie said, “It’s nice to try something different from America.”
