Eighth-grade class trip haunted by world events and bad timing gets a revamped schedule.
PERU – Just to get away from school for a few days, Peru School eighth-graders have suffered a rollercoaster ride of emotions this year.
Thanks to heightened terrorism fears, their much-anticipated class trip to New York City on June 3, 4 and 5 was canceled in February by the School Committee. Forced to pick another destination in March, they chose Acadia to ride a trolley, go whale watching, enjoy a night out at a dinner theater, then frolic at Fun Town in Saco on the way back.
But those plans went awry, too.
At Thursday night’s emergency School Committee meeting, their class trip advisor reported yet another revision to the youngsters’ plans, albeit one that no one foresaw, said Committee Chairman Tammi Lyons.
“They had planned another trip to Acadia, but when the travel agent booked a lot of their activities, we just learned they’re not available in June,” Lyons said Friday. “So the trolley ride was canceled, the whale watch was canceled – there are no whales in the area at that time of the year – and the dinner theater was not available.”
Neither was Fun Town, which opens Saturday, June 7.
“So they really lost quite a bit. This poor class has really had a time, especially with the state of the world at this point. They were very disappointed about their trip to New York, then devastated when it was canceled, but they understood it,” Lyons said.
She said due to the third revision – spending a day taking a ride on The Cat to Nova Scotia and back – the Committee had to conduct an emergency meeting to approve and finalize the plans before the trip could occur.
The Cat is the fastest car ferry in North America, and hence, the quickest way to get to and from Nova Scotia from Bar Harbor.
“It’s going to be a very interesting trip. The Cat can carry 900 passengers, 240 cars and 14 tour buses or motor homes at highway speeds. The board thought that would be more educational than Fun Town. In fact, in March, the board asked them to look at something other than Fun Town,” Lyons said.
After three revisions, the class trip appeared to be set after directors voted 4-1 to make it so. But ultimately, it depends on world events between now and early June, Lyons added.
“f something happens, and they can,t go into Nova Scotia, then the trip will be cut short,” she said.
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