With the end of the school year in sight, many students’ are looking forward to their summer plans. Whether it is leaving the country, going to sleepaway camp, or having a staycation at home, everyone has their idea of what summer fun should be. This year, students at Benjamin have some pretty cool things planned for their summer, and as we approach the end of May, people are getting more and more excited.

“My family and I plan to go up to Tennessee for an R.V. trip,” said seventh grader Catherine Schenk. “We will be stopping through St. Augustine, Georgia, and into Tennessee, [and] we plan on spending Fourth of July there. I am very excited for summer to come because I get to spend time with my family and friends, and I get to relax and not stress about school.”

Sixth grader Darian Salehi said that he is “travelling to Iran to see my family,” which he does every summer. “When I go there we usually play soccer, ping pong, and many other games. I like how all of the food is different than food in the United States. It is very fun!”

However, student aren’t the only ones with big plans this summer. Some of the middle school teachers will be traveling as well.

“I have big summer travel plans: Playa del Carmen [in] Mexico for a chefs’ convention for 10 days [because] my husband is a professional chef, then a month in France to visit my husband’s family and to travel around a bit,” said World Language Department Chair and French Teacher Mrs. Marci York. “In August, I will probably return to my hometown of Farmland, Indiana for a quick visit to see my parents.”

Although the eighth graders are anxious for summer to get here, some aren’t looking forward to their friends moving on to different schools.

“Even though I’m ready for summer, I am a little sad because I will miss a lot of my friends,” said eighth grader Molly Fried, “especially because some of them are switching schools next year.”
Before school starts up in August, though, there are 12 glorious weeks of summer to enjoy, and many TBS students are going to make the most of it.

“The day school gets out, I am going on a plane to Amsterdam, and from there, I am going on a cruise with my mom to Germany,” said eighth grader Alex Kahn. “I am also doing a leadership program at Harvard, which I am very excited about. Next year, I am [definitely] looking forward to getting more freedom and experiencing new things with my friends at the Upper School.”