Byram Hills High School students embarked on an educational and recreational three-night trip to Walt Disney World, where they enjoyed the rides, shows and fireworks that lit the night sky, in addition to student participation in performances.
Sixty-eight students went on the March trip with their musical ensemble and eight participated through the Language, Communication and Careers program. Both groups had a fantastic time.
The Music Department
Students in grades nine through 12 attended the Disney Imagination Campus
with their musical ensemble: Concert Choir, String Orchestra or Symphonic Winds. Students in each ensemble performed for the public in Disney Springs and attended a workshop with professional Disney musicians.
“Our students had a great time musically, a great time as an ensemble and a great time building community with their friends,” Fine Arts Director Marc Beja said.
The public performances offered new experiences for the students as they played at an unfamiliar outdoor venue for hundreds of people, a marked change from the controlled environment at school where they play for family and friends. Their strong performances won over the audience members, who were dancing and cheering them on.
“Their performances were fantastic,” Mr. Beja said. “It’s great for them to perform for new audiences.”
In the workshops, the students in each ensemble worked with Disney music professionals to learn, rehearse and record new music, and the recordings were set to animation. The workshops, about 90 minutes long, also included aspects of music technology.
“The music literacy and sight reading skills that students learned in class were put to the test and they rose to the challenge and quickly learned brand new music,” Mr. Beja said. “They performed it really well, the final product was great and they had a great time doing it.”
When they weren’t working with their ensembles, the students explored the theme parks and had fun with their friends.
“The trip to Disney World was a really cool experience, because we didn't only get to enjoy the incredible parks, but we also got to work with professional Disney performers,” said senior Aidan Lebowitz, a member of the choir.
Junior Alexandra Zodda, a member of the string orchestra, said her first trip to Disney was a blast.
“It was the first time I got to publicly perform somewhere like Disney, and it was a lot of fun,” she said. “I think we performed well, which made it a lot better. The workshop was very informative and I learned a lot of sight reading skills from it. I also gained a lot of respect and admiration for the musicians at Disney and all the hard work they do to bring these songs to life. Overall, 10/10 experience and would do it again.”
Ninth grader Madelyn Gish, also from the string orchestra, said the trip was a great bonding experience.
“At first I was intimidated at the speed we were expected to play/sight read at the workshop, but it pushed me out of my comfort zone and added to my skills as a player,” Madelyn said. “I enjoyed playing in public because it inspired me to play better - and to represent my school well.”
“Overall this trip was nothing but a wonderful experience that I am so proud and lucky to have been a part of,” she added.
Language, Communication and Careers Program
After much preparation, the eight students in the Language, Communication and Careers program went to Walt Disney World as an opportunity to put their classroom learning into practice while having fun.
At school, the students had practiced the skills they would need while away from home and school: daily living activities, communication, packing, budgeting, and mapping skills. The students read about the rides and experiences at Disney to help them plan their days.
“We wanted them to have an opportunity to put everything into practice, away from their comfort zone,” teacher Kourtney DeRosa said.
The practice paid off. The students problem-solved and were flexible, even when they hit a bump in the road. While some may have started off nervous, they were happy and appreciative, thankful and positive as the trip went on. “We had full confidence that they would rise to the occasion and do an amazing job and they exceeded our expectations,” Ms. DeRosa said.
The trip brought out the best in the students. “I saw things in them I didn’t even know existed,” Ms. DeRosa added. “It was an incredible experience that really put a spotlight on their strengths and this idea that we should never doubt what they're capable of,” she said. “There’s no ceiling on their level of success and independence.”
The shared experience helped the students develop stronger bonds with each other. “They were encouraging one another to take risks and try different experiences,” Ms. DeRosa said.
One student noted that his parents helped him pack his clothing and snacks, but on the trip, “I did everything myself.” And for that, he felt proud. “It was a great experience without my parents,” said the student, who liked a speedway ride and boat ride that left him soaked.
The successful trip seemed to have sparked the students’ love of travel.
“The students all felt that it was an amazing trip and in the end they asked, ‘Where are we going next?’” Ms. DeRosa said. “It was the most incredible experience. It was magical.”
