Five Exchange Students from The Perse School Visit Sewickley Academy

By: Kate Lukaszewicz, Middle School History Teacher

For the last seven years, Sewickley Academy has organized an exchange trip with The Perse School in Cambridge, England. 

Five Sewickley freshmen and their families hosted five Perse students for the first two weeks of April; in June, the Sewickley students will fly to England to spend two weeks with their host families. Ms. Helen Large, the games and conditioning coach at The Perse School, chaperoned the students to Pittsburgh.
 
The Perse students have been warmly welcomed by the community. Their visit to Pittsburgh began with a welcome dinner shortly after their arrival on March 31. The very next day, the Perse students jumped right into life at Sewickley Academy, joining their exchange partners for classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Ms. Large ably and generously co-taught P.E. and helped with sports practices.
 
Aside from having plenty of fun with their exchange partners, students are developing their global and historical awareness. Ms. Large and Ms. Lukaszewicz escorted the Perse students to Washington D.C., where they saw the cherry blossom trees in full bloom as we visited the National Museum of American History, the Lincoln Memorial, and the World War II Memorial, the last of which shows our countries' long commitments to each other's successes. We also spent a day in Philadelphia, touring the National Constitution Center and The President's House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation exhibit near Independence Hall. The Perse Students also toured the Strip District and the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, where they learned about the French and Indian War and its relationship to the Revolutionary War.
 
While in England, Sewickley students will sightsee in Cambridge and London, giving them the opportunity to learn about common law, Shakespeare, and World War II. One of the perks of the Perse Exchange is that students from both schools can more deeply understand our shared history and our nations' interconnectedness.
 
The Perse Exchange is open to Sewickley Academy freshmen; anyone interested in participating in this marvelous learning opportunity in 2020 should see Mr. Ken Goleski.

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