CBS cements links with school in U.S.
WEXFORD STUDENTS’ TRIP OF LIFETIME
LINKS between Wexford CBS and Iona Prep in New York were further strengthened when a group of students and staff from the Wexford school made a cultural exchange trip to the U.S. high school.
Eight Transition Year students and two teachers from Coláiste Éamonn Rís Wexford spent five days in New York visiting well-known attractions and experiencing first-hand life at the famous American school in New Rochelle.
The boys - David Dempsey, Chris Doyle, Sam Doyle, Mark Kavanagh, Ross Long, Dylan McDonald, Diarmuid O'Connor and Ben Thompson - stayed with families of Iona Prep students during their five- day trip. They were accompanied by teachers Ms. Scallan and Mr. Walsh.
Iona Prep rolled out the red carpet for their visitors from Ireland. After a seven-and-a-half-hour flight from Dublin to LaGuardia, the Wexford group were met by Kevin O'Mara, a teacher at Iona Prep who brought them to the school where they were introduced to their host families.
During the week the boys attended classes at the high school, sittiing beside their American counterparts. Both Iona Prep and Wexford CBS are Edmund Rice schools so there were some similarities but the boys say that overall the differences were huge.
The Wexford students were introduced to New York with a trip on the subway and lunch in Grand Central Station. Over the five days they visited many well-known NY landmarks, including the 9/11 Memorial, Times Square, St. Patricks Cathedral, The Rockafeller Centre, Chinatown and the U.N. Building.
In the MetLife Stadium, they witnessed the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins in a close game of American football. Among the highpoints of the trip were visits to the Empire State Building (where the views from floor 86 were incredible at night) and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum where exhibits include the Enterprise Space Shuttle, an A-12 Blackbird and Concorde. The New York adventure was the trip of a lifetime for the eight Wexford students. Completing the exchange, a group of Iona Prep students will arrive in Wexford in March when they’ll experience classes at Wexford CBS and visit some of the attractions the region has to offer.