NORTH WEBSTER - Williamsburg, Va., is "the world's largest living museum," according to Wawasee High School student Jason Fisher.

Tuesday, Fisher and three of his fellow advanced placement U.S. history class students and their teacher, Kathy Myers, presented a request before the Wawasee School Board to allow the class to take a short trip to Williamsburg from May 15-18.

The board unanimously approved the trip.

According to Fisher, the trip was decided upon as a class project and as a way for the students to have an outside-the-classroom educational experience.

Once they get off the bus at Williamsburg, Fisher said, the students will become engaged in colonial times. They have a very detailed plan for the trip and it will bring the history they learned about in the classroom alive.

Sara Kuhn, WHS student, said the trip there is 11 to 12 hours one way. They will head east toward Washington, D.C., and then southeast toward Virginia, bypassing the mountains. They will stay at War Hill Bed and Breakfast, an inn that is representative of a colonial house.

Another student, Joey Doherty, said cost for the students will include gas, Williamsburg passes, staying at the Inn, lunches, dinner and whatever else the students want to purchase for an estimated cost of $210.

"Basically," Doherty said, "it's the students paying, students and parents."

Shaina Bauman said they are going to see history "as it was." They will see such things as public punishment, different shops and homes. There are seven students in the classroom; Myers and two other chaperones are going on the trip.

"I think it's a great opportunity," said board secretary Marion Acton. He said he was impressed with the trip, and the board has talked previously about providing juniors and seniors opportunities to learn outside the classroom.

He said he would like to hear a report from the students after they return.

In other business, the school board:

• Heard a presentation from Janet Perzee on the Reading Recovery program, which began at Wawasee in fall 1997.

"If we didn't have Reading Recovery, you'd see a big difference," she said.

• Approved a $1,000 donation from the Dewart Lake Community Friends Church. The money is to be used for students in the school corporation who have health-related needs and exhibit a financial hardship.

• Approved a resolution on the school corporation's 401(a) amendments to make the plans comparable to changes in IRS regulations.

• Approved a resolution authorizing director of finance Jim Evans and superintendent Dr. Mark Stock to accept pension liability.

• Heard from Stock that the school improvement plans as required by Public Law 221 are due on his desk March 1.

• Heard from administrative assistant Joy Swartzentruber the fall ISTEP scores for grades three, six and eight are due next week, according to an e-mail from the state. They will be different from years past and cannot be compared to previous years, she said.

• Approved the next school board meetings to be March 11 at Syracuse Elementary School; April 15, Wawasee Middle School; and May 13, Milford School.

Members of the Wawasee School Board are president Brian Dawes, vice president Dallas Winchester, secretary Marion Acton, Jeff Wells and Mary Louise Dixon. [[In-content Ad]]