By Jennifer Russo

It has been a tradition for the seventh-grade students at Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School to go on a field trip as a class to Quebec City in April. Taking classes in the French language during their tenure at the school, students are given the opportunity to be immersed in a French speaking culture and learn more about its history. Unfortunately, when the COVID epidemic broke out in 2020, there was a pause put on the travel. 

BFCCPS 7th grade students learn about how maple syrup is made from Jean-Paul Tardif, whose family has been in the business for 12 generations.

For the first time since then, the school was able to bring back the trip, with about 80 students, loaded onto two tour buses to make the 4-day journey to Quebec recently, along with some of the teachers, nurses, and volunteer parent chaperones.

All attendees on the trip were treated to a wonderfully organized tour through Jumpstreet, that included walking tours, where guides told the students about major historical events and buildings. They went on a visit to Montmorency Falls and crossed the bridge at its peak, had an immersive learning about the battles on the Plains of Abraham, walked along the beautiful exterior of the Parliament Building, and went to the top of an observatory, where they had an entire view of the city. 

There were visits to the Civilization Museum, the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, the indigenous reservation of Wendake and the Village Huron, and a traditional Sugar Shack where they enjoyed a 17th century meal and made their own maple butter and candy. They took a ferry ride across the Saint Lawrence River, competed in a scavenger hunt, and had time to explore Old Quebec for lunch and souvenirs.

 “It was amazing to watch our students venture outside of their comfort zone to embrace the unique opportunities a trip to a foreign country provides,” shared Christopher Heater, Director of Co-Curricular Education.

While the seventh graders took this trip, the eighth graders also ventured to Washington D.C. to learn more about American History.

To learn more about Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School, visit their website at www.bfccps.org