Portsmouth High School to Travel to Sister School in Japan

Olivia Sirles, PaperClip Staff/Writer

In April 2018, students from PHS (Portsmouth High School) will travel to Japan to visit their sister school, Nichinan-Gakuen Jr/Sr High School. Students and staff will leave on April 19th and return on April 28th (2018). The trip costs between $2,800 and $3,000, but about $2,000 is solely to pay for transportation. The upfront cost of the trip covers everything including food, hotels, and spending money.

Ms. LaVallee is a teacher at Portsmouth High School. She’s worked at PHS for seven years and has been teaching for 15 years overall. She lived in Japan for four years and has gone on the school trip before. She over-nighted her PHS application from Japan and did a skype interview from Hawaii in order to work here on the coast. She loves Japan and has several connections with the country.

“Students get to see three very different parts of Japan,” says LaVallee. The trip will allow students to explore more than one part of Japan. Some of the amazing things students will get to see are the former capital, old temples, shrines, the historical part of Japan, and modern day Japan. LaVallee says that visitors will leave Japan having a good sense of the culture and of the people there.

A few years ago, a student from PHS went on the trip and since then has gone back to live there. Japan is “life changing” and is a “culture shock” according to LaVallee. She says that you will come back a changed person and that while you’re there “You feel like a celebrity” and the people will treat you with “love, kindness, and generosity”. All students are welcome to go on the trip. Talk to Ms. LaVallee (Room 205) if you’re interested. This might change your life in ways that you never imagined.