Day 2 - What A Day!

The 6th and 7th graders had the most amazing New York City experience today. The students woke up bright and early and after meeting for breakfast in the hotel lobby, were on their way to lower Manhattan through Battery Park  - where the high was 21 degrees! Students saw some of the damages caused by Hurricane Sandy as we drove along the Hudson River.  Once we arrived to Battery Park, we boarded a ferry to Liberty Island where we had up close views of The Statue of Liberty. From there we traveled to Ellis Island.  At Ellis Island there was great learning about what it meant for immigrants to travel across the Atlantic and through the process of joining a new culture and society. We all learned about the sacrifices and suffering endured so that these generations could offer their children a chance to a better life. One of our students even found a picture of his grandfather in the Ellis Island Museum!

From the Statue of Liberty, and Battery Park, the entire group walked through the Wall Street District and enjoyed lunch before heading to the 9/11 Memorial. Walking toward the 9/11 Memorial was a solemn experience for the entire group.  The children learned of the Freedom Tower, the tallest building in North America standing at 1776 feet tall.  They also saw several construction sites around the World Trade Center site and learned about the future Museum plans at the site. The most memorable part of the Memorial was at the location of where the twin towers once stood  - the footprints are now amazing man-made water falls - the largest of their kind.

Followed by the 9/11 Memorial we headed to the Eldridge Street Synagogue in the heart of China Town. Once there, the museum docent spoke of the transformations in the neighborhood - from having been a heavily Jewish immigrant population to one which today is basically Chinese. We encourage you to learn more about the amazing community at the Eldridge Street Synagogue and its recent restoration project by visiting www.eldridgestreet.org. 

The day was then wrapped up by an amazing dinner at Mr. Broadway,  followed by time in Times Square. 

Wow what a day!  We all look forward to tomorrow for more!