2023年12月21日

This fall marked 20 years of the Class IX London Trip, and the Class of 2027 was one of the largestest classes to have ever made the journey: 71 students plus 15 chaperones.

Highlights of the trip included visits to the Royal Observatory and the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, 大英博物馆, 维多利亚 & 阿尔伯特博物馆, 汉普顿宫, 巴比肯, 沿着泰晤士河的生态之旅, 伦敦塔, 当然, 伦敦眼.

绘画项目, 这是伦敦之行的主要内容, allowed Class IX students to show-off their art history knowledge to their peers (and perhaps some intrigued onlookers). 大约在出发前一个月, each Class IX student is assigned a painting that resides in the National Gallery and they are to become the resident expert on this painting. Students work with the 图书馆 Department to complete their research, learning as much as possible about the piece of art, 回答诸如为什么画这幅画之类的问题, what the composition tells the viewer about the story, 场景中的玩家是谁, and what are the various interpretations of the painting's meaning.

They then turn to the English department to compile all of their research into a five minute presentation that they then share (without notes) in front of their painting at the National Gallery—typically in the middle of a very busy room. While they are only expected to address their peers in their travel group—typically eight or nine other students—it is not uncommon for fellow museum goers to make their way over to the presenter, eagerly taking in the details and knowledge put forth so confidently by Nightingale students.

While their nerves going into the presentations are often frayed, especially if it’s a particularly crowded day at the museum, most (if not all) students leave the National Gallery with an incredible sense of accomplishment and pride, often running back to get a photo of “their painting” to always remember.

回顾这段经历，克里斯蒂娜. '27 shared that was only ever excited going into the presentation. "I felt very supported by my teachers and classmates and was curious to learn more about my painting. Once it was over, there was relief, of course, that I no longer had to practice everyday. 然而, there was also a sense of having lost something special, kind of like when you open all your birthday presents and there’s none left. The painting project is a presentation I will never forget. I also appreciate that I got to see my painting in a different 和更多的 in-depth way than I ever would if I simply glossed over it in a museum. 你学得越多, the more you love and admire the painting - not just as a canvas with paint, 而是一个复杂而美丽的生命主题, 社会, 不管主题是什么.她说.

New to the itinerary this year, and a runaway favorite with the students, were visits to UK schools. These visits pushed Nightingale students to enhance their global literacy as they immersed themselves in a different 教育al environment, while connecting with peers from outside of the United States. School visits were organized by travel groups over the course of two days and spanned from Central London to Windsor to Kent and back again. 学生们有机会上课, 参加议会, and engage in spirited discussions about the differences between the United Kingdom and the United States with respect to the government, 教育, 社会习俗, 和更多的.

伊甸园J. '27 shared, "I had so much fun going to all these different schools while we were in London. In my travel group we went to many different classes, 比如拉丁语和艺术课, and were given tours of the school by different students. 所有的学生都很友好和热情. It was so great to talk to people who live in a completely different place, 学习他们是如何被教导的, and almost experience what it’s like to live and go to school in London. It was such a great experience and I know I’ll always remember it."