Every year the seniors are given the chance to attend a spring break trip that is not sponsored by or affiliated with the school. Some years have consisted of traveling to Jamaica, however this year the spring break trip is to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. This trip is an opportunity to spend five days at an all-inclusive resort. Seniors travel and share rooms with friends. While this trip may seem worthwhile, controversy has arisen with the way the trip is planned and advertised to the seniors.
The trip includes students from Churchill. Since about a third of this school’s students went to Cabin John Middle School, where they met future Chucrchill students, they get to reconnect and vacation with old middle-school classmates who now attend Churchill.
Senior Sivan Gil worked with the advisor of the trip, travel agent Kelly Band, to send out emails, book flights, assign rooms, and collect payments. Gil spends one hour a week working with Band to ensure the trip is being planned smoothly.
Seniors going on the trip are looking forward to spending a final vacation with their friends before heading off to college. “My five friends and I are sharing a suite in Punta Cana. We are so excited for the all-inclusive aspects that come with it. We can’t wait to relax and spend every day at the beach and indulging in the all-you-can-eat buffets,” senior Matthew Repie said.
Parents are allowed to come and join in on the fun. “Both my parents and sister will be joining me on the trip. I find it great my family gets to join because I got to accompany my sister on her trip to Punta Cana,” senior Daniel Son said.
Although these seniors are excited for the trip, others are frustrated that not all seniors received the initial invitation to attend the trip. “I thought it was weird because there was a reason for some people to not get the invitation. It felt as though only some friend groups were invited. It hurt knowing that my friends and I weren’t going to be able to enjoy the last trip with school friends that other friend groups were going to be able to enjoy,” senior Alexa Ntchobo said.
Despite not getting the initial invitation, some seniors took the initiative to email Band to work out a new plan where they would get the opportunity to go. “I heard that an email went out regarding a spring break trip for the seniors. I was annoyed that a good amount of seniors did not receive the email. I emailed the advisor myself asking for details because the trip sounded really fun and it was something I wanted to enjoy with my friends. We ended up getting the chance to go at a lower price than what was originally listed,” senior Jadyn Welsh said.
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