Freshmen take over Shawnee Mountain

The freshmen on the bus anxiously await their arrival at Shawnee Mountain.

BY NATALIE GOLDBERG

The freshman class took a trip to Shawnee Mountain for a fun-filled day of snow-tubing on March 1. Daniel Duran, who attended the trip, said, ‘’The staff was really nice to us, and I can proudly share it was a perfect trip.”

The freshman class advisors, Mrs. Todaro and Mrs. Mondano, organized this trip and made it available for the entire freshman class. ‘’It was really important for Mrs. Mondano and myself to get them out again and just let them have fun and be kids,’’ said Todaro.

The students who attended the trip clearly agreed and appreciated the opportunity. Jenna Rae Mondano shared, “We had a great time! It was nice to get out of school for a day, especially after two years of not going on trips.”

Robert Ramos-Caizaguano and Shane Hlava hold their tubes as they wait to go snowtubing.

Duran was amused by the activities. ‘’I personally think every aspect of the trip was amazing, but the main reason for the trip was the snowtubing, and it was amazing to finally go on a trip since quarantine.’’

The freshman had the opportunity for a school trip to replace not having one last year. Todaro shared, ‘’They missed their 8^th grade opportunities and trips because of this covid pandemic.”

Over 100 students went on the trip and some teachers attended as chaperones. Mrs. Toth, one of the chaperones, commented, ‘’I had a great time tubing with the students, raced with a few students down, and some of the students and I created tube chains, linking tubes together and went all down the hill at one time!”

In the beginning of the school year, the freshman class got a list of options to pick from for the class trip. The majority of students chose snow tubing at Shawnee Mountain. Todaro said, ‘’We ran with that option as a winter activity to do.’’

The whole trip went smoothly, and the students made the most of their time on the mountain. Mareena Panjabi said, “I don’t know how long we actually snowtubed for but the line wasn’t that long because it took only a couple of seconds to go down the mountain.”

In preparation for the trip, an after-school meeting got held for students to receive more information regarding the trip. The class advisors made sure everyone had what they needed. ‘’Mrs. Mondano and I made them little snack/trip packs with water, a snack, and hand warmers to help them stay warm,” Todaro shared.

Izabella Porowski, Skyler Conklin and Mrs. Toth pose for a picture after linking their tubes together for a trip down the mountain.

Alongside the pizza party, students also had an opportunity to learn. Sasha Meerzon shared, ‘’It was a short lesson on how snow was made artificially. Basically, how temperature controls it and needs to stay cool to stay in the snow form.”

Overall, the students enjoyed the trip as they spent time with their friends and chaperones. Each student got to experience a free day from school and to have fun while creating magical memories. Hailey Cosentino said, ‘’It was a very fun experience and going with friends was just amazing.”

Posted on 3/22/22

Photos provided by Mrs. Mondano, Mrs. Todaro and Idalis Sanchez, Hailey Cosentino, and Daniel Duran

The entire group of freshmen who attended the trip pose for a picture in front of the Shawnee Mountain facilities.
Steven LaBarbara and Jordan Martino smile brightly as they tube down the hill.
Jenna-Rae Mondano cruises to a stop at the bottom of the hill.
Mrs. Todaro and Hailey Cosentino smile and pose for a picture at the bottom of the hill.