Pictured: Students from Seaford High School’s World Culture Club recently traveled to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration to explore the exhibits and look up their own ancestry.
Photos courtesy of the Seaford School District
Learning experiences for Seaford High School students go beyond their classroom walls. The World Culture Club recently took a trip to Ellis Island and the National Art Honor Society hosted a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Ellis Island trip featured 25 students, chaperoned by World Culture Club adviser and Spanish teacher Diana Arichabala, and guidance counselor Frank Stazzone. The ferry ride to Ellis Island, which featured an up-close view of the Statue of Liberty, was a highlight for the students.
Once they arrived at the National Museum of Immigration, students looked at the different exhibits and researched own genealogy. Students had different levels of success in finding their ancestors. Michael Villeck, vice president of World Culture Club, came across three possible relatives from Italy.
“I loved the experience,” said club Treasurer Adrianna LoBasso. “I was able to look back and see what years my family came to America. It was a great dive into the history of our country.”
Art students went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art during a field trip hosted by the National Art Honor Society.
Club Secretary Isabella Rizea liked exploring the museum and seeing the different artifacts, and President Autumn Feitzinger particularly enjoyed the exhibit of old political cartoons.
Ms. Arichabala said that while Seaford High School students hail from different countries, a commonality for many of them is that their ancestors passed through Ellis Island in the late 1800s or first half of the 1900s. They were able to send themselves digital copies of the records they found to share with their families.
The trip to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art featured 51 students. It was an annual excursion prior to the pandemic and the opportunity was brought back this year.
All members of the National Art Honor Society and any student enrolled in an art class this year were invited to attend. Honor Society Adviser Michael Kerr said that because the museum has such an extensive art collection, students were allowed to go around and see the exhibits that interested them, rather than take a guided tour.
“As a student who is dedicated to art, I got to see a lot of examples of the types of projects I have been doing throughout high school,” junior Lilli Dobbin said. She added that her favorite exhibits were the sculpture garden and Renaissance-era religious paintings.
Students took the ferry to Ellis Island and got to see the Statue of Liberty along the way.
Senior Isabella Buran liked viewing the oil paintings and teapots.
“It was nice that you could see what interests you personally as an artist,” she said. “Seeing professional work in this museum is very cool and inspiring.”
Junior Ava Caruso marveled at the Egyptian temple, and also like seeing the European realism paintings. What struck her most, she said, was seeing artists at work throughout the museum trying to replicate different pieces.
“It was really great,” Ava said. “The coolest thing was seeing works of art that we’ve talked about in class.”
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