This half term 34 students and 5 teachers went on the trip of a lifetime, crossing three time zones and travelling over thousands of miles, our destination: New York City!

Before reaching ‘The Big Apple’, however, there was a slight detour to Dallas that proved to be a great adventure, with a foot of snow to liven things up (so much for cowboy boots in the sunshine – we must have taken the weather with us!).

Hitting ‘The City That Never Sleeps’ quite late upon our arrival, we were greeted with the dazzling lights of Times Square, proving its namesake! As any good tourist would, we set off to see the sights, riding the world famous subway on our way down to Liberty Island. After a chilly ferry ride, we stood beneath America’s crowning glory – The Statue of Liberty – and then travelled to Ellis Island, experiencing a true arrival to America. We also saw impressive architecture such as the Brooklyn Bridge and were left awe-struck by the magnitude of the city’s skyline from the renowned Empire State Building.

Some of us, with our impeccable timing, managed to catch Chinese New Year in full swing, with dragons dancing and streamers swooping, in Chinatown. Against all odds and popular opinion the group, headed by Mr Joe, walked right through Manhattan, getting a true taste of New York in Little Italy, Soho, Noho and Greenwich Village. To top off this fantastic day we managed to get a snap of us displayed upon a billboard in Times Square, no less (see photo below); what an amazing souvenir. No amount of pretzels could top that!

We could go on (honestly!), listing our adventures at NBC Studios in Radio City, how we managed to end the recession with our spending in 5th Avenue and Macy’s, and horse and carriage rides through the picturesque, snow-dusted Central Park, but what we really need to do is thank our wonderful teachers, without whom this unforgettable trip would not have been possible: Miss Taylor, Miss Ramsden, Miss Ampong, Mr Baker, and a special mention to Mr Joe for his enthusiasm and giving us this opportunity.

We love NY!                                                                                                                                                                                             Sam Johnson and Becky McCormick