Junior Hannah Ongman spent her spring break visiting cathedrals, eating French bread, and sailing through the English Channel.  Ongman, along with the rest of the Viking Choir, spent seven days singing her way across Europe. 

“We had incredible opportunities to see some of the most amazing places in the world, and also to share the gift of music with others while there,” Ongman said.

The choir toured England and France this year with the help of parents and chaperones. 

They even had the opportunity to sing at the Palm Sunday mass in Calais, France and received two standing ovations. Art teacher Gregory Petecki was the head chaperone. He enjoyed spending time with the students and helping them share their music.

“My own personal love of travel mixed with my love of teaching seems to be one of the key elements to being a successful chaperone,” Petecki said.

The choir raised roughly $35,000 to go on the trip.  It took a lot of fund raising, including a murder mystery dinner and a silent auction, but Ongman said it was worth it.  Not only did they have a wonderful time, but it was also a bonding experience.

“I think that even though we have the Red and White choir competition coming up, we’ll continue to become closer as a group,” Ongman said.

Petecki believes that going abroad is definitely worth the money.  The best part though was sharing this experience with the students and the people he met.

“Not only is it fun to see new things, it builds character, confidence, and tolerance,” Petecki said.