We were so excited to welcome our students back for the 2022-23 school year on Tuesday, Aug. 16. Some of our students took some exciting trips to places like Spain, France and The Dominican Republic over the summer. Here are some of the highlights from some of our schools.

DSST: Conservatory Green High School - France

Seventeen students and three teachers from DSST: Conservatory Green were able to deeply explore and love France for almost two weeks, starting and ending in Paris - a major center of French politics, art, history and philosophy. We were able to observe works like the Eiffel Tower and the overwhelming quantity within the Louvre, inspiring us to think and create even more critically. In Normandy and Brittany, we explored another region of France, learning even more about the diverse cultures within the country. Truly, a beautiful and incredible opportunity it always is to travel with talented and bright minds.

Here are what some of the students had to say:

“This trip made my childhood dreams come true. The people with whom I traveled were amazing, and they made it 10 times better. I’ll never forget this experience. Forever grateful”.

"This trip not only allowed me to see amazing landmarks and be among different cultures, but it also gave me a newfound sense of confidence that let me experience the world in a different light."

“Going to France is a gift but seeing as much as we saw, doing as much as we did, and the people we were with made it something 10,000x more amazing. Like they say in France, ‘les chèvres mangent des pneus'.” (Goats eat tires).

DSST: Montview High School - Spain

A group of high schoolers from DSST: Montview had the opportunity to visit several places in Spain and learn about the rich history behind some iconic places. The kids visited Basque Country and Madrid, and they loved getting to explore and learn about a different culture.

Here is what one student had to say:

"My favorite part of the Spain trip was probably the first few days since we got to walk around Madrid and just get to know the city overall, my favorite spot was for sure Plaza Opera. I 100% recommend traveling to other students, it is an amazing way to expand your knowledge and to have fun. It was an amazing experience getting to tour around Spain and ill definitely have to go back sometime." - Leshly Noriega

"San Sebastian was my favorite part of the trip because the day we went it was gloomy and it was slightly raining and the beach and the sights were just breathing taking. It was a wonderful experience." - Jomaira Collazo

DSST: Byers Middle School -  The Dominican Republic

The adventures aren't just for our high school students. We also had a group of eighth graders from DSST: Byers take a trip to The Dominican Republic. They were excited to visit this Caribbean country and see some awesome historic sites and landmarks.