Day 9 - Visit to Tenafly High School
Oct 25, 2024
At 8:15, everyone was in the living room, tired but ready for an exciting day at Tenafly High School in New Jersey. We took the metro uptown, then walked across the George Washington Bridge, enjoying the morning view. When we arrived at the high school, we were warmly greeted by the principal, David—better known to the students as Mr. D. He gave us a quick tour of the school, and we visited various classes, including French, where we joined a Kahoot quiz, calculus, and some other subjects.
Afterward, we received a free lunch pass, but the food wasn’t really tasty. We met some members of the German Club, who joined us at the lunch table in the library. The library was quite impressive, especially with its range of broadcasting equipment like cameras and lights. Before our afternoon presentation, they also showed us more of the high school facilities, including the auditorium with its stage for theater performances.
Back in the library, a few curious students gathered to see our presentation. We introduced them to programming, and the cybersecurity team organized some interactive activities where students could win chocolate. We had different questions about Switzerland and our jobs, making the interaction a lot of fun. We also gave a brief presentation on the Swiss apprenticeship system, after which the students returned to their classes. A few students invited us to join their creative writing class, where we were warmly welcomed. They presented some of their writing, which was both impressive and amusing. We continued hanging out with them, and they invited us to join them for pizza and frozen yogurt. I went to get pizza and frozen yogurt with them, while the others took a more extensive tour of the high school, visiting the sports arena and after-school club rooms.
We later met up at the frozen yogurt store, enjoying each other’s company. Some of us went to a diner, while others relaxed in a park nearby. Since the NHL was that evening, those who joined the event met up and went there. The others, including me, took the bus back toward the bridge. The bus ride itself was quite an adventure since we weren’t entirely sure we were on the right one! Two locals helped us out, letting us know where to transfer. One lady expressed her disappointment, saying young people should know how to navigate public transit better.
During the transfer, we grabbed some bubble tea and continued our journey to Fort Lee, where the bridge connects. We decided to jog across the bridge to take in the beautiful nighttime view. Finally, we took the metro to Bareburger, a spot recommended by some of the high school students. The burger was decent, though the sides were delicious, and soon after, it was time to head back.
