Welcome to
Sacred Heart School of Theology's
English as a Second Language Program
The ESL Times / Summer, 2003
An ESL Field Trip at Pettit Ice Center
Can you run on an iced lake like a polar bear? It was a real “bear” to
do it, but we, the ESL Program, tried; and the experience was amazing. Where
could we try running on ice in the middle of the summer? At the Pettit National
Ice Center in Milwaukee! On the 31st of July, a laughing group of Indiana
Jones’ wannabes organized an exciting adventure.
The first step was to be able to balance on the ice skates while we tied our shoelaces. The first to fall down was Manuel, followed by Denny and then Octavio. Only Michael, our teacher, was able to remain balanced with charm, almost as if to say: “I’m a veteran ice skater”, and it was true, because he skated very comfortably. The most courageous of us followed him trying to protect ourselves from falling down. The less courageous students had decided to just stand still and stay in one place and to laugh looking at the “cattle” skating around. It was really funny to see everyone falling down, and we laughed a lot!
One of our teachers, Liz, after looking at Giuseppe, asked him: “Do you mind if I help you?” almost as if to say: “It would actually be a good idea to fasten your shoelaces, if you don’t want to break your neck”. She helped him tie his laces, and she helped him get on the ice. Fr. Jan continued to skate for one hour. He was very good although he did fall down twice, but every time he stood up without saying anything, smiling to whoever was looking at him. Fr. Gabriel, also from Poland, was a good skater too, but when he fell down, he broke his glasses, so not everything was perfect.
I think though, that everyone really did enjoy themselves, and I feel that the smile was the real protagonist of the field trip. People were continuously laughing and smiling…Running, falling down, and trying to stand up on the slippery ice were also very common activities. It was really “A smiling comedy” – especially for those of us who were watching, and not participating!!! After the skating, the next big step was to change the shoes and untie the shoelaces again. The majority of us could not bend down to untie our own shoes: perhaps in the future the geriatric hospital will need to relocate to the Pettit National Ice Center!!!
By the way, the purpose of the field trip should not be forgotten: it was to smile - for joy!
Priests of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart School of Theology
P.O. Box 429
Hales Corners, WI 53130-0429
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