To cap off their time as lower schoolers at Harrells Christian Academy, the 5th grade traveled as a class to Winston-Salem for a two-day exploration of Wake Forest University and Old Salem Museums and Gardens.
Jessica Sawvel, 4th and 5th grade language arts teacher, says, “This trip not only afforded our students a glimpse into the world of college athletics, a world many of them dream of one day becoming a part of, it also brought to life the customs and lifestyles of one of North Carolina’s earliest settlement communities, the Moravians.”
On Tuesday, the group started their visit to Wake Forest with a tour of the Arnold Palmer Golf Complex, where they met Women’s Golf Coach Dianne Dailey and her puppy Mulligan and watched the WFU mens golf team practicing. Following a stop at Wait Chapel, the students toured the University’s indoor football practice facility and watched football players at work in the new Sutton Sports Performance Center.
That night, some of the students attended the WFU baseball game against the 2016 National Champs, Coastal Carolina.
Leaving Wake Forest, the traveling Crusaders made their way to Old Salem. They walked over the Heritage Bridge, explored the Frank L Horton Museum Center, and toured the gunsmith shop, market-fire engine house, bakery, the St. Phillips African Moravian Church, and the graveyard. A group of students also met the CEO and President of Old Salem, Franklin Vagnone. Mr. Vagnone is well-known for his practice of staying overnight in famous historic buildings, then writing about the experiences in his blog.
“I’ll never forget catching a ball at the Wake Forest baseball game,” Landon Coats, fifth grader, said. “Another thing I’ll always remember is the African-American Moravian church. It was so cool to see that people are still worshiping as an active church in this old, old building.”
Asked why he thinks overnight field trips are valuable, he says, “You never know what life will bring in the future. It’s great to make these special memories with my friends.”
