Field trips are a hallmark of the MICDS student experience, and recently our Upper School world language students explored a few local spots in St. Louis. Students got a first-hand look at what it’s like to study language beyond high school, and others were introduced to exciting elements of Spanish and Chinese culture.
Spanish 550 Celebrates the Class of 2023
Upper School World Language Teacher Sarah Elliott was eager to celebrate the seniors in her Spanish class for their years of hard work and dedication, so she planned a fun off-campus experience to get them thinking about the next step. “I really want to send them off excited and ready for studying Spanish after MICDS, reinforce their successes so far, and mentally prepare them for the next step,” she said.
They journeyed to Washington University, where they connected with a student ambassador in the study abroad program and spent time with Dr. Joe Barcroft, Director of Undergraduate Studies in Spanish. They attended a content-based Spanish class, the highest level of Spanish that incoming first-year students can test into. To prepare for the class discussion, MICDS students had the same homework as the WashU students to view the 2010 film, También la lluvia.
After the WashU visit, the class enjoyed a delicious Peruvian lunch in the Central West End at Cocina Latina, even trying dishes they had recently learned about in their Peru unit. Their final stop was a block away at Club Viva, where they enjoyed private salsa and bachata lessons. Let’s face it; no proper celebration is complete without dancing!
Madolyn Mackin ’23 enjoyed seeing the language and culture outside the classroom. She said, “Because we were given this opportunity to go the college class, the restaurant, and being able to learn Spanish-style dances, it really has urged me to take Spanish classes going into college. I hope to be able to study abroad and be able to meet other people I otherwise would not be able to ever meet!”
Kendall Curry ’23 enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a higher-level Spanish course at WashU. “This specific class was based on a movie that we had watched in our class prior, and it focused on conversational skills. The entire period, our class was paired with the WashU students, and we had prompts that we would use to help us start a conversation about larger themes in the movie and connect it to the history of Spain which we had learned earlier in the year. We were able to piece all of our past units together and participate in deeper discussions instead of just talking about the plot of the movie. I plan to continue Spanish at some level in college, so I was grateful for the opportunity to get to see what a college-level course could look like. The class was very fast-paced and challenging, but the MICDS Spanish department has provided me with everything that I would need to be successful and thrive as I continue my study of Spanish,” she said.
Chinese 550 and AP Students Learn About Chinese Medicine
Students in both upper-level Chinese classes recently finished a unit on health and well-being, so Upper School World Language Teacher Lily Childs took her students on a field trip to Wellife, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) wellness and acupuncture practice. They learned about natural methods for improving health and optimizing wellness and gained insight into the philosophy of TCM from Dr. Alex Chen, who runs the practice. He explained the differences and similarities between the Western medical approach and TCM, including traditional ways of diagnosis via observing one’s complexion, pulse, and tongue.
Childs said, “We are grateful to Dr. Chen for sharing his knowledge. Also, many thanks to MICDS Chief Financial and Operating Officer [and trip chaperone] Beth Miller, who volunteered to experience acupuncture and cupping as the demonstration.”
Miller said, “I had a great time and loved getting to experience acupuncture and cupping. I was considering it due to some aches I was having, so I was grateful to Lily for asking me to chaperone. I’ve been thinking about some of Dr. Chen’s advice and how to incorporate it into my daily routine.”
The students weighed in on their experience at the medical practice.
“Our field trip was a blast. We learned the origins of Traditional Chinese Medicine and how it has evolved over time. We then looked at the benefits of TCM and the differences between TCM and Western medicine. To top it all off, we got to watch acupuncture!” –Brin Lewis ’23
“As a class, we visited Wellife Healing and learned about Chinese medicine. While there, we learned about how traditional Chinese medicine has a different philosophy towards healing than Western medicine. Also, we saw a demonstration of cupping and acupuncture, which was really interesting since it was something that I’d never seen before. Overall, it was a fun experience.” –Eliza Dorf ’23
“The field trip was very fun and interesting. We also learned how traditional Chinese medicine differs from Western medicine and how the two practices complement each other. Overall, I enjoyed the field trip a lot, and I learned new things about medicine I have never even heard about before.” – Jeffrey Ge ’24
“I learned more about the natural healing process of traditional Chinese medicine. Dr. Chen professionally performed acupuncture and cupping for us to see, and I was very interested to see how it’s done and what the potential benefits of receiving these treatments.” – Eric Feng ’24
What an enlightening way for students to expand their knowledge of languages and cultures!