Why I love our NYC Trip

Dear 25th Anniversary HST Families,
Due to my broken ankle, surgery, and slow recovery, I haven’t really “pitched” our NYC Anniversary Trip. Yes, we sent out the facts a month ago, but I didn’t tell families why this trip is so special. In my better-late-than-never philosophy, I’m going to share these thoughts now in the hopes that we’ll have enough additional interest to fill the bus! (You must email by Monday).
– NYC is magical at Christmas time. There is always high-energy on NYC streets, but during the holidays it is electric! The city does an awesome job of decorating and of course the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center is iconic. – Bryant Park is a mini-Christmas village with Ice Skating in the center and little shops/restaurants all around. * It is located directly behind the amazing NYC Public Library*. Both are possible stops along our path, providing charming ambiance in the park and breath-taking awe at the sheer magnitude of the library. – The animated Christmas windows in many of NYC stores (including Macy’s) are both nostalgic and amazing. NYC is one of the few cities that holds onto this wonderful tradition. The stores that participate start planning their Christmas windows on Jan. 2, spending a full year with top notch artists and/or technical gurus to provide these unique treasures. (HST provides a walking tour map to show where these windows are located so you can enjoy all of them as you walk to your final destination of Radio City Music Hall.) – Radio City Music Hall is a theater that everyone should tour and attend at some point in their lives. The tour provides amazing insight into it’s massive back-stage/under-stage, as well as the hydraulic lifts that bring the stage floor up from below (technology this theater pioneered even before the US Navy used for it for its air craft carriers!). This theater has a very rich history and is stunning in it’s full glory. It’s one of the best tours I’ve ever been on (plus you’ll get to meet some Rockettes!) – The Rockettes are a precision dance company that every dancer should see live. Their performances set the standard for perfect synchronization. No matter how many times I get to watch them, I am always amazed. – The Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular Show is truly “spectacular. ” It uses amazing technology (their 3D images that fly above the audiences’ heads are awesome!), as well as retells the classic Christmas story of Baby Jesus’s birth (complete with live animals!). *HST’s seats are side-orchestra seats to ensure you soak in every amazing detail. * – New Year’s Even in Times Square is something the entire world watches. Being in Times Square on the 30th is way to participate in this world-famous celebration without dealing with a million other people! We will be able to see them test drop of “the ball” at noon,a s well as see them setting up the stages & barriers. – New York pizza is the best (my opinion) and it is awesome to finish our day on the bus with this classic treat.
Finally, my personal favorite reason for cherishing this trip is that it is an opportunity to teach the next generation of young adults that they CAN navigate a new situation. They do not do this alone. They do it by supporting each other as a team. Students are asked to use part of their travel time to NYC to answer a questionnaire about their goals for the day. Then, they are asked to work with their small group to come up with a group plan for the day. They will find themselves faced with the challenge of compromising in order to come up with a realistic plan for where their group will stop, how long they can spend at each stop, and what/when they will eat (the small groups are not allowed to split up). In the end, this day trip will teach students more about leadership and team-work than most curriculum could teach in a year!
So, if you haven’t thought about this trip for your student (or yourself!), you might want to take a minute to discuss it. In the past, some students have asked for this trip to be their one Christmas present. If your students is so inclined, you can be assured that it will be a gift they’ll never forget!
Blessings, Marilyn
PS – Details, cost, and forms are in a previously sent email.