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QC03262015

18 The Queens Courier • kids & education • MARCH 26, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com s kids & education Honoring students of the month in Woodhaven Assemblyman Mike Miller recognized top students at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Academy earlier this month. The honorees, pictured with Miller and St. Thomas the Apostle Principal Joseph Carpenter, are Nayah Cardova, Ariana Rivera and Tayance Clark. Students from St. John’s Prep visited Paris for spring break BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Forty students and six faculty chaperones from St. John’s Prep visited the sites of Paris and northern France during their February break. The group arrived in Paris on Feb. 15 and headed straight for the Louvre where they were awed by the “Mona Lisa,” the Venus de Milo and the Medici galleries. While at the Louvre, the students and faculty members ran into some St. John’s Prep graduates who were taking part in the St. John’s University study abroad program, and the college students shared some practical advice for visiting Paris. During their visit, the group toured many of Paris’ famous sites such as Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysées, and took a Seine river cruise to view the monuments at night, capped off by the hourly light show that the Eiffel Tower offers. The group received a tour of the St. Vincent de Paul Shrine, prayed at the tomb of St. Vincent, and then spent a bit of time at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal. They then headed to Rouen to pray at the sight of the martyrdom of St. Joan of Arc. From Rouen it was on to Caen, and the cliffs and beaches of Étretat where the impressionist painter Monet captured the scenery in his paintings. The group then walked the D-Day beaches, offered prayers at the American Cemetery, visited the Caen War Memorial Museum, and had a tour of intact bunkers and shell holes high on the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc. “History came alive for me. Things from global studies and now from my A.P. European history class took on a new and deeper meaning. Travel is true education!” said senior Jennifer Enriquez. The walled medieval city of Saint- Malo and the amazing castle-like monastery of Mont Saint-Michel enchanted the group. “It was really amazing to walk through Mont Saint-Michel. I had learned about it in freshman religion class as a great spiritual spot. Its spiritual power and stark monastic beauty really was an inspiration,” said senior Maynard Santos. A bus tour then took the group across Normandy, back into the heart of France for an afternoon at one of the oldest cathedrals in the world, Chartres. From there it was back to Paris to explore Montmartre. The group was visited by the former campus minister, Cristina Variale, who is currently teaching in Europe. She shared her experience and helped them explore the twisting gallery filled streets of Montmartre and took them all to Sacre-Coeur Basilica. “France never ceases to amaze me,” said chaperone Michael Matthews. “This was my seventh visit and each time France is new, exciting, mysterious and filled with hidden history and wonders. And for me, Mont Saint- Michel and Chartres are two of the most spiritual places in the world.” The tour group arrived back in the United States after eight days of exploration and wonder, returning with memories they won’t soon forget. Photo courtesy St. John’s Prep The students and chaperons of St. John’s Prep enjoying their trip to Paris, France, during the February break.


QC03262015
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