Over the course of spring recess, students from Upper St. Clair High School visited cities throughout the country and throughout the world. Spring recess, a break from classes that falls during the week prior to Easter, lasted from Saturday, March 28, through Monday, April 6. This tradition gives students time to relax with their loved ones and to broaden their knowledge outside of the community.

According to a survey distributed to the whole student body, 44% of the 277 respondents traveled during spring recess. Some of the students stayed within Pennsylvania but visited cities such as Lancaster and Philadelphia. Other students ventured outside of Pennsylvanian borders to states from the East Coast to the West Coast, including California, Florida, Louisiana, New York, and Texas.

Brooke Ball, a senior and one of many students who went to Florida during spring recess, visited Walt Disney World and Orlando Studios with two of her best friends. She described her trip as “wonderful” and says one of her favorite parts was “going to all of the different countries in Epcot.” Even though they were thousands of miles from their traditional classroom setting, Brooke and her friends had fun together learning about different cultures.

Upperclassmen also participated in educational pursuits during their break by visiting colleges, such as Boston University, Columbia University, and Princeton University.

The students who responded to the survey collectively traveled to over 20 states as well as the District of Columbia. The farthest state from Pittsburgh that students visited was California.

In addition to traveling throughout the country, students also traveled throughout the world. Carly DeCock, a sophomore who went to the Dominican Republic, says, “I met so many wonderful people from all over the world; I made a bunch of friends, and I am still keeping in touch with them.” She noted that she loved meeting new people because many of them were bilingual, and she enjoyed listening to them speak in their native tongues.

Emma Wagner, a senior who went to Ireland, described her trip as “amazing.” When detailing her family’s schedule, she says, “During our trip, we stayed in Dublin in a hotel for the first two days, and then for the rest of the week, we went to Galway, which is a small town on the west coast of Ireland. We [went on] day trips to different historical sites and spectacular natural locations.” She continues, “It was just amazing.” Wagner loved exploring the cultural attractions so much that she hopes to study abroad in Ireland during college.

Community members also visited Belize, Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and various tropical islands south of the United States.

While hundreds of students in the school district traveled during spring recess, hundreds of others relaxed at home. 80.5% of survey respondents spent time with their family and their friends, and 70% of them caught up on lost sleep.

Tia Watts, a sophomore, says, “I slept a lot, I read a lot, and I watched a lot of movies [because] I want to stay culturally aware.”

Moreover, students who stayed in Pittsburgh played sports games, worked, and participated in various recreational activities, including exercising and watching Netflix.

Whether they stayed in town or journeyed to foreign cities, Upper St. Clair High School students enjoyed their week spent without hours of schoolwork.