On December 7th, Grade 6 Students and teachers of the Island Academy International School will take to the high seas on a voyage to Montserrat, for an exciting two-day field trip.
The group will set sail to and from Montserrat aboard two crewed 65ft yachts compliments of ‘On Deck’ on a journey that will take approximately five hours each way. The trip, which has become an annual event for the school, is the third of its kind.
The purpose of the trip is to educate students in a practical manner, allowing them to experience first-hand the diverse and rich geology and ecology of Montserrat. Deputy Headmaster, Primary, Gian Criscitiello, notes that, “The field trip will allow students to go beyond the text book and get a first-hand experience of some of the concepts they have learned in school – the forces of nature and the processes that form the earth that we live on”. While there, students will observe the Soufriere Hills Volcano and will also enjoy an interactive tour of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, where they will speak to the scientists, learn about the volcano and be apprised of the various methods used to track and record its activity at the Monitoring Station.
Over the course of their stay, the grade 6 students will also go hiking to study the topography of the island.
One of the highlights of the trip will be a visit to the Brades Public School where students of both institutions will have the opportunity to exchange gifts, make friends and simply get to know about each other.
The entire experience will be an enriching one that will leave an indelible in-print on the minds of the students for a long time to come. As Headmaster, Dr. Ronan Matthew says “This is a fantastic experience! Our students will travel by boat, view an active volcano and meet their Montserratian peers. It will broaden their horizons in an interesting way. It’s an experience they won’t ever forget”.
The group will sail back to Antigua on December 9th, 2011.