Twenty-four PV sophomores are going to the Galapagos Islands over spring break. They will be spending their days at the Darwin Research Center to see Galapagos tortoise breeding, explore natural Galapagos wildlife such as iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and sea lions, and participate in other outdoor activities. This is just one of the three trips taking place this spring bringing Pascack Valley students across the globe.

The trip to the Galapagos Islands is headed by Ms. Michaela Fiaschi. Dr. Healey, Mr. Rawson, and Miss Macke—who teaches science at Pascack Hills— are also chaperoning the students on the trip. Leaving this Friday, April 3, they will spend a week in the Galapagos Islands.

“As a biology teacher, this is a great experience because it is where evolution was discovered. We will really get to see where Darwin’s theory first took place,” Ms. Fiaschi said.

Twenty-seven chamber choir students are traveling to Dublin, Ireland for an international choir festival and multiple performances. They leave on Wednesday, April 15, and return on Monday, April 20. Mr. DeMaio will be accompanying the choir on their travels in addition to Ms. Argine Safari, the choir teacher, who is leading the trip. The students going on the trip had the chance to vote on the place they wanted to go. They chose Dublin, which is exciting, especially since many of the students have Irish backgrounds.

“I have wanted to take the students on a trip abroad for some time and Dublin is something really different. Ireland is still part of Europe, but not the part people usually go to or think of,” Safari said.

While in Ireland, the students will perform at a festival where they will work with a local recording artist. They have performances scheduled in multiple churches, in the mayor’s house, and in other performances spaces. In addition, they will be participating in a friendship concert, where 2 schools come together in a performance, each bringing their own repertoire but singing the final song together.

Since many of the chamber choir students were involved in the play and take AP classes, it was important to find a time when the students could miss school. There were no opportunities to go on this type of trip over break, which may have been ideal.

Between April 2 and April 10, history teacher Ms. Leah Jerome and financial literacy/business teacher Mr. Matthew Schulien are bringing 15 seniors on a Holocaust Remembrance trip to Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

They will go to cities that reflect the rise of the Nazis and the horrible things did to so many people while in power. Visiting two concentration camps will solidify their understanding of the atrocities the Nazis committed against millions of people during the Holocaust.

“I really wanted to go somewhere that would have a lot of historical significance,” Jerome said.

The Smoke Signal will also be hosting a blog from the students going to Germany, so stay tuned to hear about the trip. Find the blog under the AP World Blog tab on Smoke Signal’s homepage.

The school is not funding any of the trips so each student has to pay their own way in order to attend. The choir has raised about $400 for each student going on the trip through various fundraisers.

Money has been raised for both the trips to the Galapagos and to Germany through successful iPad fundraisers. The students attending the Galapagos trip also hosted a bake sale, and to fund the trip to Germany, PV clothing was sold in addition to a fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen.