Grade 9 Travels in Costa Rica
From June 2 - 7, the final full week of school, Shore's ninth graders were on an immersive trip in rugged Costa Rica that included exploring the geology and wildlife of the area around the volcano Rincòn de la Vieja as well as partnering with locals for service learning in and around Nosara, on the Pacific coast. Head of Upper School Gustavo Carrera traveled with Grade 9 along with Spanish teacher and World Language Department Chair Pamela Torres and science teacher and Science Department Chair Oliver Hay.
According to Torres, "The ninth grade class was amazing in Costa Rica, each student pushing beyond their comfort zone while helping others and using the skills they have learned over their years at Shore. The students served the Earth by planting close to 300 trees on the beach in the sweltering heat with the Costas Verdes reforestation project, and they constructed a fence to protect the forest and its creatures, all while supporting each other, learning about the complicated relationship between humans and nature, and making the chaperones and our guides proud to be a part of this trip."
"I expanded my comfort zone by trying new and different food and drinks," said ninth grader Aidan Davie. "But the most difficult part of the trip for me was the work in the hot and humid weather. Working on the posts and fences, and then later on the beach was not easy work. Still, we all pushed through and made the best of it. When we all finished, I felt very accomplished that we had just planted hundreds of trees to make the environment better."
"The most difficult part of the trip was leaving my family for a week," added Camryn Georges. "Being away from home in a different country was a first for me, and at some points of the trip I felt ready to come home and resume my life here, but I realized that Costa Rica gave me the opportunity to learn more about my classmates and hang out with people I don't normally spend so much time with."
Audrey Zion also found it hard to be away from home, but discovered travel has its own rewards. "Having my friends by my side, and especially my sister, was a huge help to me throughout the trip. I became more independent while I was away, which was good preparation for boarding school next year. Back home, I feel grateful I got to go to Costa Rica, because I was able to become closer with more people in the grade. I even grew closer to nature."
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According to Torres, "The ninth grade class was amazing in Costa Rica, each student pushing beyond their comfort zone while helping others and using the skills they have learned over their years at Shore. The students served the Earth by planting close to 300 trees on the beach in the sweltering heat with the Costas Verdes reforestation project, and they constructed a fence to protect the forest and its creatures, all while supporting each other, learning about the complicated relationship between humans and nature, and making the chaperones and our guides proud to be a part of this trip."
"I expanded my comfort zone by trying new and different food and drinks," said ninth grader Aidan Davie. "But the most difficult part of the trip for me was the work in the hot and humid weather. Working on the posts and fences, and then later on the beach was not easy work. Still, we all pushed through and made the best of it. When we all finished, I felt very accomplished that we had just planted hundreds of trees to make the environment better."
"The most difficult part of the trip was leaving my family for a week," added Camryn Georges. "Being away from home in a different country was a first for me, and at some points of the trip I felt ready to come home and resume my life here, but I realized that Costa Rica gave me the opportunity to learn more about my classmates and hang out with people I don't normally spend so much time with."
Audrey Zion also found it hard to be away from home, but discovered travel has its own rewards. "Having my friends by my side, and especially my sister, was a huge help to me throughout the trip. I became more independent while I was away, which was good preparation for boarding school next year. Back home, I feel grateful I got to go to Costa Rica, because I was able to become closer with more people in the grade. I even grew closer to nature."
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