Field trip offers perspective, reverence on Jewish Holocaust 

The sophomore class is a buzz while students prepare for their trip to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The 10th-grade English classes have been studying the Jewish Holocaust and reading Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel’s “Night.” In an effort to further their understanding of the event, English teacher Andrea Donaghe decided to embark on a field trip. With the aid of of her husband Scott Donaghe and Brenda Warkentin, their party of 48 students will be departing Fresno Christian at 5:30 a.m., Friday, Oct. 20.

Donaghe shares the preparations students have gone through for the trip and what is to come after. Donaghe hopes that students will be able to enter the museum with an understanding of what occurred.

“I have done a lot of front-loading and the students themselves did an enormous amount of research through a presentation that was assigned prior to even beginning the reading of night,” Donaghe said. ”The students were to create a 12 slide PowerPoint presentation with a group of other students in the class.

“My hope and intent was that they have knowledge and respect going into the museum of what they’re seeing hearing and experiencing,” Donaghe continued. “However, they will be writing an end reflection piece because there’s no way you can leave this Museum without having felt something.”

Andrea Soravilla, ‘20, shares what she looks forward to most about the upcoming trip. Soravilla explains how she has found the current unit very interesting and looks forward to spending more time with her class.

“I’m really looking forward to the trip because I have enjoyed learning about the Holocaust,” Soravilla said. “I like how Mrs. Donaghe incorporates movies and reading and videos into her teaching strategies. Also, I look forward to bonding with my class since we have not had a trip since Calvin Crest.”

The trip comes at no cost to the students, however, they are advised to bring money for breakfast and lunch. The group will be stopping at Lavell Road for breakfast on the way to the museum and lunch at Westfield Valencia Mall on the way back. The charter bus will be arriving back on campus at 6 p.m.

This author can be reached via twitter @Jacob_Avedian and via email: Jacob Avedian.

For more articles, read COLUMN: Cabin leaders meditate on first Calvin Crest experience. For more articles, read PROMO: volleyball senior night, Oct. 19.