May 2019 | Spring Break Travel Notes

France 

High School French teachers Eileen Willis and Suzanne Genillier chaperoned a group 19 French students to Paris and Rouen, France over spring break. The group spent two days sightseeing in Paris and the balance of their trip in Rouen living with host families from our sister school, Lycée Gustave Flaubert. The SHHS students and teachers were treated to a very special trip—which was completely funded by Lycée Gustave Flaubert— to Le Mont-Saint-Michel. The Shaker Schools Foundation generously funded an additional side excursion to Versailles. The French Department takes this special trip every other year, with students from Lycée Gustave Flaubert coming to Shaker in the off years. 

A group of 16 SHHS students recently completed the High School’s fifth Spring Break service immersion trip, this time in Laos. The group, led by High School teachers Brian Berger and Yvonne Horstman, traveled from more than 40 hours to get to Luang Prabang, Laos, which included five airplane rides. Read more about their extraordinary trip. 

Some highlights from Ms. Ersek:

• While in Luang Prabang, we stayed on the banks of the Mekong River in traditional Loa style homes.  We hiked up Phou Si Mountain for a beautiful view, rode bicycles throughout this incredible city, visited Buddhist temples and a traditional arts center, learned about the US’s bombing campaign of Laos during the Vietnam War at the UXO Office run the United Nations, and conversed with local teenagers at a non-profit called “Big Brother Mouse,” which aims to improve literary and the English language across Laos. We shopped at the night markets and woke up early to the sounds of the gong, calling the Buddhist Monks each morning, as they head out for morning alms, which we delivered one morning.  

• We spent three nights living in a remote Lao village, just north of the small town of Nong Khiaw, along the Man Ou River. We took a thirty-minute boat ride from this small town to our village. During these four days, we engaged in a physical service project of mixing and laying cement and fortifying a walkway from the banks of this river up a hill and into the village. This walkway has and will continue to transform the lives of this village by increasing access to the river, a vital supply route to this village of 120.

• While staying in the village, we played games with the kids, swam together in the river, played soccer on the beach, and stayed in their houses. We took part in a traditional Baci ceremony and had many discussions with the people of this village.

• On our return to Luang Prabang, we visited the gorgeous Kuang Si Waterfalls and went swimming and hiking. We ended our trip by spending the day at the Manda Lao Elephant Center. Here, we got to hike through the jungle with elephants, caring for and feeding them. We visited a small, ethnic village of a Lao minority, experienced how they lived, and discussed with them local issues.  

• We learned to appreciate the history of Lao, how our lives intersected during the Vietnam War, and experienced the beauty of Lao’s rivers, rolling hills, and quiet countryside. We made friendships and connections that will last a lifetime, learned about Buddhism, and saw first hand how a communist nation is incorporating capitalism and quickly changing. It was truly a remarkable trip and impactful trip.