New York Trip – RCA 5th Graders Visit the Big Apple
“Start Spreading the News” - 5th grade students from the Ron Clark Academy spent their spring break in New York City. The trip began with a magical evening on Broadway. Students, who had studied and knew the entire score for Phantom of the Opera, witnessed a phenomenal performance of the Broadway hit. It was an experience that drew many of them to tears. Other highlights from the trip included an all-day tour of Harlem, beginning with a history lesson and a visit to the historic Apollo theatre followed by lunch at Sylvia’s Soul Food restaurant and a stop inside one of Harlem’s oldest churches. Next on the agenda…a guided tour through The Metropolitan Museum of Art; the tour guides – our very own RCA students. For weeks prior to the trip, students studied and learned the names of artists, the names of their works, and during which periods in art history the artists and their work gained prominence. Thus, in a friendly-competition, students received points for locating and giving details about specific works of art throughout the museum. Not an easy task, since the Met’s building spans 2 million square feet and showcases more than 2 million pieces of artwork – whew! A few days into the trip, students participated in RCA’s first Amazing Race competition in which small groups of students were paired with a school chaperone and given a series of clues and instructions on how to navigate their way through the city. Included in the timed adventure were stops at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, and Chinatown. The winning team was declared when the first group completed all required tasks and was able to locate Mr. Clark who was hiding out at the Dave & Buster’s in Time Square. Speaking of Time Square…the surprise for this trip came on an evening when everyone was enjoying the bright lights of the city. Precisely at 11 pm, students looked up to find their names and pictures on the Panasonic Screen….high above the buildings. The loop video flashed each of their bright faces one at a time. It was a true-to-life “15 minutes of fame” that our students say they will remember forever. Visits to the Statue of Liberty, the top of the Empire State building, the American Museum of Natural History, and Blue Man Group were also part of the trip!
