Spanish students visit pen pals

On Monday students in Spanish classes went on a field trip to Riley Elementary School. The students went there to visit their penpals and they read books, played games in the gym and also ate churros.

“The field trip was going to Riley elementary school and hanging out with our penpals and just having a good time. We did karaoke, and played fun games in their gym because we couldn’t play outside due to the rain. And we read books together in the library,” senior Matthew Derksen said.

The students were very excited to meet their pen pals since they had been writing to them for months.

“We met our pen pals earlier this year, but it was really great to see them again and feel like you’re making an impact in their life and their learning,” senior Samantha Henschel said.

Like Henschel, junior Abigail Amidzich also liked meeting her pen pal and had a good time.

“I loved meeting with my pen pal again because it was nice to put a name to a face and have a connection with someone that I’ve been talking to for months,” she said.

Going on the field trip the students we able to learn a lot of new things.

“I learn what it’s like to go to a bilingual school,” junior Ellen AbadSantos said.

Amidzich learn that not everyone is good at Spanish even if they go to a Spanish-speaking school.

“I learned that sometimes the students at Riley struggle with Spanish just as much as I do since many of them speak English very well so it was nice to feel that reassurance,” she said.

Like Amidzich, junior Maria Courchane learned something similar.

“I learned that the setting is different, and I learned that my penpal can help me to improve my Spanish because he encouraged me to only talk in Spanish,” she said.

Henschel also learned something new from her experience on the trip.

“I’d say the biggest thing I took out of our trip was that situations are different for different people and it’s really important to step into the shoes and really get to know them,” she said.