Today we visited a school in Chengdu called Dujiangyan yucai high school. We were welcomed by a banner hanging outside of their school and some students who were eagerly awaiting our arrival. The students we met were all juniors because the seniors had to study for their upcoming college entrance exams. After a tour...
Continue readingChina: The last steam train
Today, we ate breakfast at 7:30 and were on the bus by 8:00, headed towards BiaJiaoGou. At 12:30 we ate lunch in the mining village of JiaYang, before boarding the only remaining steam train in the world. The train took us through beautiful mountain landscapes and performed several shows for us. By 3:00 we...
Continue readingWorking on final projects …
Students are working in groups today to create final presentations. Summary of our IL: The Bayshore project was an overall success for the A.J. Mirwald and restoring the building. We started the week by taking a tour of the site, learning what we would later be doing on the ship. The boat didn’t...
Continue readingExploring Art: Barren Reflections
Today our Exploring Art group spent our time in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. After we arrived in the Pine Barrens and had a quick tour of the lake, students began working on their individual or group projects. Regardless of the 30 degree weather, we were able to get a lot of unique...
Continue readingOver 500 hours of community service in one week!
Today was our last day in Bivalve, so we were busy at work finishing projects. The AJ Meerwald went for a sail in the morning with the coastguards. We couldn’t go, so we stayed on the docks. Some people painted a part of the wood (the centerboard) from the ship while on the dock....
Continue readingWe finished our quilts!
Today was our last full day of quilting. We finished up the projects we were working on. We stitched our bindings to our quilts to finish them off. We also watched four movies. First we watched Frozen, which Rebecca sang every song to. Then we watched Grown Ups 2, Tangled, and Ella Enchanted. After...
Continue readingExploring Art: Synergies
Today everyone worked on completing a project for tomorrow’s trip to the Pine Barrens. These projects consisted of creating either an abstract or realism sculpture. Some people worked together, others chose to work alone. The students were offered various options on the type of sculpture they could create, or there was the option to...
Continue readingBuilding, painting, dancing …
By Wesley Our last full day in the village, however nostalgic, consisted of a morning of hard work and service followed by an afternoon and evening of engaging activities. Upon arriving at La Escuela de Coope San Juan in the morning, we finally completed the soccer field as a group. Once the soccer goals...
Continue readingOur Final Day in Paris: Au Revoir!
On our sixth and final day, we started off by going to a science museum. Our favorite exhibits were the planetarium and the optical illusions. After that, we traveled by Metro to the Montmartre. After walking up a copious amount of steps, we made it to the top. We were given time to explore...
Continue readingAppalachian Trail: Petals from our hikers
Monday’s Petals Bonding with everyone on the trail-Luke All of the farm animals that we saw during the drive up-Katherine Getting the chance to hang out with people that I don’t normally have the chance to see-Emily The scene along the way-Vivian Most, but not all, of the music played in the car ride...
Continue readingSouth Jersey Food Bank: Foxes Pack Boxes
Today, Service in Camden traveled to the South Jersey Food Bank to sort, pack, and ship food donated from a variety of sources. Here is what we did today:...
Continue readingHabitat for Humanity: The Warehouse Was Be-Squeegeed
Day Four Our day at the Habitat Warehouse began with Steven, Anthony and Peter taking down an office space by removing the windows and doors, preparing the area for demolition on Friday (hopefully by our group). While this was happening, a number of students, plus Mr. Thomson and Mr. Newman, started the long practice...
Continue readingChina: A Hot Pot Birthday
After a nice flight from Beijing to Chengdu, we checked into Sim’s Cozy Hostel. Once we checked in we went and got dinner, which was a classic Sichuan Hot Pot dinner. This meal uses boiled sauces and creates a “make your own” dinner approach. There are two sides to the pot. There was a...
Continue readingBoys Lacrosse: MFS vs. Desert Vista
Day Four The Foxes played a solid game against no. 1 ranked Desert Vista of Phoenix today. The Foxes lost against a very strong side, but played quite well in the desert heat and extreme conditions. Following the game, the team dined at In and Out Burger in Chandler, AZ. The boys finished the...
Continue readingNew Mexico: Hiking the Rio Grande Gorge
Day Two: The Hike The second day after we arrived in New Mexico, we were off to hike its rough terrain, the Rio Grande Gorge to be exact. Eight hundred feet of its beautiful landscape. We survived steep hills and rocky trails....
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