Thirteen gifted students from New Albany Middle School visited New York City earlier this month. New Albany Middle School Principal Lisa Mitchell and gifted teachers Julie Eaton and Kate Swords, along with seven other adults, accompanied the students on the four-day trip. The group flew out of Memphis and Worldstrides provided them with their tour guide while in New York.
One portion of the tour included a ferry ride to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty. President Lyndon Johnson declared Ellis Island part of the Statue of Liberty monument in 1965. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum stands as a constant reminder of our nation’s immigration history – the largest human migration in modern history. Between 1892 and 1954, 12-million immigrants were processed here. “Ellis Island was interesting because I got to learn all about my family in their research center,” said Reese Neely, a 7th grade student who participated in the trip.
Another stop for the students was the Empire State Building. Neely said, “The Empire State Building was cool because we went at dusk and the whole city was lit up! It was incredible!” Seventh grade student Logan Raines added, “I enjoyed seeing the top of the Empire State Building because looking over the city at night was beautiful. We were actually so high it was snowing when it was raining at ground level.”
The Empire State Building is the fourth tallest building in the world, standing 102 stories and 1,250-feet high, or 1,454-feet high at the top of the antenna on the roof. On a clear day, you can see over 50 miles from either observation deck on the 86th and 102nd floors and portions of four different states.
The students also visited The Today Show Plaza, the area outside the studio where the hosts talk with the audience. “We were able to speak with Ann Curry,” said Julie Eaton, the Gifted Art Teacher at NAMS who coordinated the trip. “She was very nice to our students and made suggestions about places to visit while in the area.”
The MET was also a stop on the tour that was especially meaningful to Eaton and her Artistically Gifted students. Eaton explained that art spanning more than 5,000 years of world culture can be found among the Met’s 3.3 million piece collection. The MET has 32 acres of floor space, is the largest art museum in the Western Hemisphere, and has about 5 million visitors each year.
“The trip was a great opportunity for our students to learn about art, music, history, and culture, “ Eaton said. Other sites on the tour included: Chinatown, Little Italy, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, NBC Studio, Times Square, Central Park, and Ground Zero. The group also attended the Broadway productions of The Lion King and Wicked.
Visiting with Ann Curry at the Today Show Plaza.
Group picture with George Washington statue at The Federal Hall National Memorial
Ice Skating Rink at Rockefeller Center
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