Last Day in Europe!

Today, we went to Euro Disney. 'Twas in fact a marvellous time. Everyone had smiles, so that made me happy. After Disneyland, the family went to the Eiffel Tower. We got some free time to walk around and look at sights and shops before we went up to the top. For me... Not fun. I don't like heights. I got some killer pictures though. For dinner we went on a dinner cruise and the food was fantastic. Closer to the end, we got to see the Eiffel Tower light up and sparkle in the night which was lovely. Some more killer pictures were taken. Today was definitely my favourite day because my outer and inner child got to see Disneyland again and I'm not going to lie... I freaked out, I'm still smiling because of this. I'm glad I shared this experience with everyone and I'm looking forward to bringing all the laughs, smiles, and positivity back to school. 

-Joey Gardner

Big Day in Paris

As we wake up in the city of love, we think about not only the romance that will be brought out in us this next few days, but the amazing history left behind in the roaring city of Paris. At the crack of dawn we are all semi-awake and ready for the long day filled with a lot of things we learn about in Social Studies. The Louvre was the place most people were excited about seeing; it was unreal to be standing and learning about the most famous paintings and sculptures of mankind. My personal favourite was the painting of Napoleon's coronation, because it wrapped up just how greedy and space headed he really was. After the Louvre, we had free time in which my small group climbed all 400 steps to the top of Notre Dame cathedral. The view was amazing and made every second of my feet hurting worth it. I'm happy to say that my first full day in the wonderful city of Paris was absolutely breathtaking and I know that I'm for sure coming back. 

-Carmen Farmer

Quick Update From Paris

It was a long and busy day for us in Paris - a visit to the Louvre, a French Revolution walking tour, followed by some free time in the Latin Quarter. Look for more student posts tomorrow, and be sure to check out the Instagram feed to see updated photos!

-Ms. Prest

Juno Beach

      Today the group traveled to Juno beach. According to Ms. Davidson we're pretty lucky kids because of the 20*c warm weather we experienced today. Out of the three times Ms. Davidson has been to the beach, it has been nothing but pouring rain. Although the weather was excellent, the ocean water was still a little bit to chilly to do any swimming in. 

       Durning D-Day in 1944, Canadian troops fought under British commanders. About five regiments came from came from Canada. Starting with the Scots (British Columbia) stretching all the way to the Newfoundlanders. Out of the 3000 troops that stormed Juno Beach, 259 Canadians didn't make it home. At the Juno Beach Centre, we were able to go inside one of German bunkers which was awesome. The centre recently recovered a network that runs along the beach. According to our guide, there are many thing still hidden under the sand at Juno Beach, but the structures are sinking further into the sand every year due to ocean tides and the soft sand. 

       Afterwards we headed to a Canadian cemetery. Over 2000 lay at rest. This last cemetery really hit home for some of us. After reading many head stones, you start really realizing what soldiers, families, and friends had to go through at that time. It also makes me so very grateful for the sacrifice they made for my life and my country.

- Madison Hillstead

Ypres

March, 26, 2014 Europe trip

This day we left Arras and travelled to the Essex farm cemetery. This is the location where John McCray is supposed to have wrote In Flanders Fields. The thing that amazed me the most  was the number of German graves. While there graves only numbered around ten this is a surprising number considering it is a Commonwealth graveyard. The German graves stood out since the weren't rounded at the tops and were slightly thicker the the rest. After went to Tyne Cot, this cemetery was massive and filled with some 12,000 soldiers. While the sea of graves was shocking the number of people buried there really it me after we started leaving flags at all the graves of Canadian soldiers. I had started with a hand full of flags and after walking down a single row I had none left. The next place we went to was a museum that had been set up at Hill 62. This to me remains on of the highlights of the trip because out side they had athentic WW1 trenches that we were free to travel around in, and unlike the trenches at Vimy Ridge these trenches had not been overgrown with grass at the bottom and instead still had mud, making it much easier to see what the war was like when walking around in them, and gave a felling of seeing what Europe was like during the war. The next place we travelled to was a monument for all the Canadian soldiers who had died in the war, this made it truly aparent how much we had contributed to the war effort. We then arrived in Ypres were we would travel the city, eat dinner and then witness a ceremony at the menin gate that has been held there every night in honour of the soldiers who died in the trenches out side of the city. I can't write to much of this part since I was unable to see most of the ceremony. We then returned to the hotel for the rest of the night.

- Kristian 

La Coupole and Dieppe

The journey from Belgium to Dieppe France was a long and trying journey. Along the way we we stopped at a site where the Nazis could have sent V-2 and V-1 rockets to explode in England. The only thing stoping these attacks from happening was the D-Day landings. After learning of these events we went back on the bus and talked about the things that happened there and about World War Two.  Some of us went back to sleep to get some much needed rest. After a short three hour drive, we arrived in Dieppe and saw the beach where the Canadians and few small forces of Americans and British fought together. During our vist we tried to run up the rocky beach and had a moment of silence for the fallen soldiers. After our short visit, we finally made our way to our destination of Caen. All in all it was an very educational and exciting day, filled with much travel. Our travels may have hindered our time in Dieppe, but it had the same impact of many cemeteries we had already been to, being that it brought us a sense of pride and sorrow. 

- Tyler and Davis

Around Ypres 26/03/14

Today we went to Ypres area in Belgium, our first day in Belgium. This day we went to a small plot of land with German trenches and tunnels still intact. It was a slightly rainy day, and that made the trenches much more authentic. The trenches were muddy, slippery and very cold, even though the rest of the area was not so. This gave a real feel of authenticity to the site, we could really feel how the trenches felt during the Great War. If it was a sunny and lovey day, the trenches would have been a delight, but it wouldn't feel as real as it did as they were muddy. After having some free time to explore the city of Ypres and after having a lovley dinner, we went to the Menin Gate ceremony, a ceremony that honoured all the commonwealth soldiers that fought and died fighting against the Germans in WWI. This ceremony has been going on everyday since the end of the war without fail, save one, the day Hitler invaded Belgium. This was a very touching ceremony, it wasn't horribly fancy, but it was touching to think that they had been doing this for almost 100 years. The gate was also a beautiful building as well, and it was adorned by all the names of the soldiers that had perished. It was made out of a very fine stone and it was obviously well maintained, which was touching in its own way as well. Over all the entire experience was very solemn, and to think that these people dedicate the time to do this everyday, rain or shine, holiday or not, they will remember the people who died to liberate their country.

-Nick Block