Librarian Casey Penner plans second educational trip to Europe due to the success of the last. 

“Before we even got back home, students were asking where we were going next,” Penner said.  

Penner wanted to offer another trip for more students in 2024. This trip gives the opportunity for students who were not able to go on the last trip. Special Education teacher Steve Reichardt plans going on the 2024 trip due to the fact he has been to Rome, but he has not been to Florence nor Greece.

“It was a great experience getting to be with the students and to see their expressions for what they viewed for the first time,” Steve said. 

The trip Penner has chosen is through Passports educational group and includes travel to Greece and Italy. Travelers will fly into Athens and spend some time outside of Athens, then they will take a ferry across to Italy. The students and the chaperones will spend time in Florence and Rome. 

Math teacher Margaret Gonzales, history teacher Joan Reichardt, and Steve are planning on being chaperones for the trip. This will also depend on how many high school students enroll. The tour allows a free chaperone for every six students who pay for the trip. Joan and Gonzales went on the trip to Europe in 2022 with Penner, and they are experienced chaperones.  

Steve plans on crossing Florence off his bucket list.

“It was great to see the kids that really probably wouldn’t hang out together at school, but on the trip, they interacted.” Steve said. “The kids hung out in their own little groups, but still integrated and had dinner together.”