Estarreja Secondary School in Portugal sent 11 students to Mineola High School as part of the annual student exchange program.
One of the celebrated parts of Mineola High School’s cultural tradition, the foreign student exchange, was once again front and center in the Mineola school community. Months of preparation led by Paul Pereira, a member of the high school Social Studies Department, culminated in back-to-back week-long visits by 11 students and two teachers from each school.
The Mineola contingent visited Portugal from March 26 through April 2, while the Portuguese students visited Mineola from April 8 through April 15. Mineola High School’s exchange programs with schools in Portugal date back to 1997.
The seventh incarnation of the exchange, this year’s event was unique in that it was completed with the high school in Pereira’s hometown in Portugal. On the evening of Wednesday, March 25, the 11 Mineola High School students, accompanied by Pereira and Julia Montgomery, departed for the week-long exchange trip to Estarreja, a municipality in the Aveiro district in central coastal Portugal. The population is approximately 27,000 residents and spans 42 square miles.
The students were housed with Portuguese students. Over the next seven days, both Portuguese and American students participated in a variety of activities and excursions. The group visited the “Ria” (Aveiro Lagoon), traversing it on a traditional “moliceiro” (kelp) boat, and also enjoyed a leisurely bike ride along the marshes and rice paddies of Estarreja. Although much of the winter had been a rainy one in Portugal, there was nothing but sunshine and 70-degree temperatures to greet the students. The students also visited Aveiro, the “Venice of Portugal”, and Oporto.
Students were impressed by the contrast of Portugal’s centuries-old architecture and ultra-modern sprawling shopping malls. In Aveiro, the highlight was a visit to the tallest lighthouse in Portugal in Barra. On the tour of Oporto, the group visited many of the iconic sites of Portugal’s “Second City,” such as Palacio da Bolsa, Torre dos Clerigos, and a Port wine cellar.
The Mineola students and their hosts were treated to a gourmet farewell dinner prepared exclusively by the Estarreja students in the school’s impressive culinary arts program. After a tearful and emotional goodbye at the school, the 11 Americans were on a train to Lisbon, where they spend the next two days. During the two-hour train ride aboard the “Alfa Pendular,” the students reflected on how warm and welcoming their hosts had been in Estarreja. They spoke of friends that they made and lifelong memories that they created.
Arriving in Lisbon in the early afternoon, the group checked into their accommodations. The group visited Chiado, Baixa, and Parque das Nações, among other Lisbon neighborhoods.
The students, and chaperones, arrived back safely in the United States on the night of April 2 a bit tired but with incredible memories of friendships made and culture experienced. The students from Estarreja touched down at Newark Liberty International Airport on April 8 for the second leg of the exchange program.
Over the course of the week, these students experienced the wonder and beauty of Long Island and New York City in the spring. The exchange got off to a fabulous start with a visit to Central Park and some Midtown sights along 5th Avenue, providing visitors with their first taste of the “Big Apple.” This was followed up on day 2 with a breathtaking experience at The Edge outdoor sky deck in Hudson Yards and a walk along the High Line and the Hudson River. The last visit to NYC was a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and a somber visit to Ground Zero.
Source: LI Press
