FAIRBORN — The 2017-2018 Senior Class at Fairborn High School will be continuing an annual tradition that has been established at the high school for the past 14 years.
The Fairborn City Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the seniors’ request to travel to New York City from March 22 through March 25. Senior class representatives, along with Senior Class Advisors Rebecca Zink and Kristen Drakeford, visited the school board meeting Sept. 7 and shared the details of their educational excursion plans, as well as asked for the board members’ approval of the trip.
The senior class is working closely with Junior Tours Travel Agency that has customized the trip for the students. The seniors are responsible for picking up the tab for the trip, which will cost each senior who is making the trip $650. This fee covers transportation to and from New York City, as well as transportation in Manhattan, lodging, meals, Broadway show tickets, river cruises and other activities.
According to one senior representative, the students have organized a number of fundraisers that will help cover travel expenses, including a car wash at Auto Zone and a spaghetti dinner at Giovanni’s Restaurant. The senior class is also planning other fundraisers and is asking local businesses and members of the community to donate various items that will help offset the costs.
The seniors are planning to meet up and take a group photo in the iconic center of Manhattan, Time Square, before setting out on a tour of the Big Apple. The students will then be divided up into family groups consisting of 10-to-12 students and at least two adult chaperones per family. Each student will be paired with a friend that he or she must be with at all times during the different tours and activities. The families will plan their own itinerary and see all the sights that the city has to offer, said one student representative.
The excursion will include a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center and a tour of art museums, the Museum of Natural History, Wall Street and Central Park which covers more than 850 acres.
The students will have the opportunity to experience different cultures by visiting Chinatown and Little Italy, where they will have the opportunity to walk along the narrow, cobblestone streets and get a unique glimpse of the turn-of-the-century tenements.
The seniors are also planning to attend the Broadway musical “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and experience the stunning views of the city’s skyline during sightseeing cruises on the Hudson and the East Rivers.
The students will visit a number of favorite landmarks in the city as well, including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island where more than 12 million immigrants passed through on their way to America.
“Our class is really excited about the possibility of visiting New York City and representing our community,” one senior said.
School Board Member Jerry Browning noted that the pictures the seniors shared from past New York trips were exciting to see and surely demonstrated what a good time the students had on their trips.
“The students obviously represented Fairborn well, and I trust this group will do the same thing,” Browning said. “The pictures of the 9/11 Memorial were awesome pictures, and I am glad that our students were able to see that.”
School Board Member Pat McCoart stated that he particularly enjoyed watching each senior class depart from the high school on their long bus trip to New York City.
“Everybody seems to be so excited and is all smiles in anticipation of what lies ahead. I am glad to support this, and I hope you have a great time. Please be safe too,” said McCoart.
School Board President Andrew Wilson echoed McCoart’s sentiments and asked the seniors to “be safe” as well.
“Follow your leaders and chaperones’ instructions,” he added.
Browning also expressed his appreciation to the senior class advisors who will accompany the seniors on their trip.
