Written by Monica Wagenberg, Head of Lower School
Grade 4 really got to experience all of the Florida history they have been learning about since the start of the year...their St. Augustine trip began very early this past Monday morning. After the six-hour bus ride, we started the day touring the famous lighthouse and climbing all the way to the top (more than 219 steps!). We then continued to the Oldest House in Florida where the children got to see how people lived in Colonial times. The Government House, our next stop, is a hands-on museum that showcased what the children had already learned in the classroom: how Florida was discovered, how it became a working society and, of course, all the changes that have taken place through time. These changes were further explored by our students Tuesday when we went through the Historic Indian, Pioneer and Spanish villages. The students got to play with toys of that time period, were able to write with a quill and saw the many daily chores that people had to do in order to survive. They even got to see what happened when one didn't do the right thing...We toured the oldest jail! The highlight for most students was the Spanish Military Hospital. We saw how limbs were amputated in the mid 1800s. Did you know that they used a regular saw and no anesthesia? Another highlight was the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest Masonry Fort in the United States.
Typically seen as a rite of passage, our Grade 4 trip to St. Augustine is so much more than that. It is the first of many class-building trips to not only visit the sites of study, but also to bond as a group and solidify friendships with classmates and teachers. This trip teaches our students that they represent Scheck Hillel no matter where they go, and that they will often-times be the only representatives of the Jewish people. The experience of St. Augustine has proven that Scheck Hillel's Class of 2022 is a truly wonderful group: independent, respectful and eloquent. We are so very thankful to the teachers and parents who have partnered in molding this incredible group of individuals. Kol hakavod!