LENOX, Mass. — Principal Jeremiah Ames shared that 11 Lenox Memorial Middle High School students recently spent 10 days in Italy, as part of the latest round of an international exchange program that brought 11 Italian students to Lenox in September.

 

During February break, the 11 LMMHS students traveled to Gubbio, Italy to experience Italian school life at IIS Cassata Gattapone, a technical school that aims to prepare their students for a variety of careers.

 

The Lenox students who participated in the trip were seniors Ben Ames, Jackson Frederick, Alex Fuster, Teagan Maxymillian, Chris Sohl, Kate Thompson, and  Holland Tuck, juniors Sam Geller and Cat Kowalski, and sophomores Owen Kamienski and Aiden Tran. 

 

While in Gubbio, the students stayed with host families, immersing themselves in Italian family life. At school, students shadowed their Italian peers and had the chance to see an educational model that was very different from LMMHS.

 

Students experienced hands-on learning and facilities that included lathes for metalworking, brewing equipment, and a full-service coffee bar. Lenox students also attended a chemistry workshop during which they made a batch of lemon-scented hand cream that they got to bring home.

 

The students were able to explore towns surrounding Gubbio, during which they saw various cultural treasures. In Florence, students visited the Uffizi Galleries, one of the world's greatest art museums. In Assisi, they saw the stunning frescoes in the Basilica of St. Francis and also went into the buried remains of two ancient Roman houses; they also explored Perugia, a thriving university town with architectural marvels ranging from the ancient Etruscan period to the modern day.

 

After saying goodbye to their hosts in Gubbio, students spent two and a half days in Rome, where they engaged in walking tours of various ancient Roman sites, the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums, as well as St. Peter's Basilica. 

 

Lenox students were accompanied on the trip by LMMHS Teacher Brooke Kamienski and Latin Teacher, Dr. Christopher Lovell. 

 

"We couldn't imagine a more hospitable welcome, and we know that when we return to Gubbio we will have plenty of people who will be happy to welcome us back! This trip gave our students the chance to see archaeological sites, art, and architecture that they had studied in Latin classes. The awe and joy on their faces as they saw the art in Florence, Assisi, and the Sistine Chapel was amazing to witness. It's one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had as a teacher," said Dr. Lovell. "I'm very happy that we're continuing this almost three-decade-old tradition, and I hope that there are many more Italy trips to come." 

 

LMMHS has been participating in this exchange program with IIS Cassata Gattapone since the late '90s, which was started by a former LMMHS Latin teacher, Jamie Keller. This program — along with several other exchange programs at LMMHS — aims to provide students with once-in-a-lifetime experiences that broaden their horizons and allow them to explore different cultures around the world.