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CSN Students Relive WWII (Naples, FL) (Aug. 15, 2023) Four students from Community School of Naples traveled to Normandy, France in June as participants in the Charles F. Kenney Legacy Trip. They were among 14 students from three schools invited to attend. This program allows students to walk in the footsteps of the heroes of WWII who fought on D-Day, June 6, 1944. It honors former Brown University alumnus and USMC First Lieutenant, Charlie Kenney of Bethesda, Maryland, who died on a tour of duty in 2012. Founded by Charlie’s family, the trip seeks to instill reverence for Americans' military service and sacrifice. CSN became involved with the trip through the guidance and generosity of former CSN Trustee, Randall Byrnes. The trip is designed as a meaningful opportunity to learn history’s lessons by visiting the historical beaches, which is exactly what CSN senior Anya Brenner discovered: “War had always been a foreign idea until my feet connected with the ground where so many soldiers had walked.” The trip, organized by Military Historical Tours of Virginia, started each morning with a lesson about the history and military strategy of each site. Then the students spent the day exploring the battle fronts, museums, and villages affected by the battles of Omaha, Gold, Utah, Juno, and Sword beaches. They also learned of the different Airborne Divisions involved in the battle and witnessed first-hand the innovation and flexibility of the U.S. Army during the pivotal years of 1944-45, from the landing at Normandy to the liberation of France (two months later in 1944), to the defeat of Germany in 1945. In addition to military history, the students experienced other cultural sites, visiting William the Conqueror’s castle, ancient cathedrals, Monet’s Garden, Napoleon’s tomb, the first WWI flight-training airfield, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc De Triomphe in Paris. “From walking the streets of Paris,” said Sohum Thakkar ’24, “to exploring the city of Caen, [the trip] was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” Rho Kappa (History Honor Society) President, Madison Skloff ’24, recognized the daunting history: “I do not know if I would have had the courage to keep pushing into enemy territory, not knowing what lied on the other side of the cliff or hedgerow.” Like the others, San Vo ‘24 was impressed by the landmarks and history, but his experience embodied the essence of global education: "While the landmarks and renowned sites were undoubtedly magnificent, it was the adventures born from the unexpected detours that, to me, were what made the trip memorable.” This semester, these four, along with other Rho Kappa students, will participate in CSN’s World War II Memorial Project. They will curate artifacts, conduct interviews at the local VFW, and create an interactive WWII experience fashioned after the excellent museums they visited on the trip. As advocates for this project, they will be speaking to CSN students, creating curriculum tasks for teachers, and enlisting CSN classes K-12 to engage with the history lessons they have encountered on this life-changing trip. Community School of Naples, the largest PreK-12 independent school in Collier County, was established in 1982. CSN offers a rigorous college preparatory program, and 100 percent of its seniors attend select four-year colleges and universities. The school is located on a 77-acre campus in North Naples.
CSN Students Relive WWII
(Naples, FL) (Aug. 15, 2023) Four students from Community School of Naples traveled to Normandy, France in June as participants in the Charles F. Kenney Legacy Trip. They were among 14 students from three schools invited to attend. This program allows students to walk in the footsteps of the heroes of WWII who fought on D-Day, June 6, 1944. It honors former Brown University alumnus and USMC First Lieutenant, Charlie Kenney of Bethesda, Maryland, who died on a tour of duty in 2012. Founded by Charlie’s family, the trip seeks to instill reverence for Americans' military service and sacrifice. CSN became involved with the trip through the guidance and generosity of former CSN Trustee, Randall Byrnes. The trip is designed as a meaningful opportunity to learn history’s lessons by visiting the historical beaches, which is exactly what CSN senior Anya Brenner discovered: “War had always been a foreign idea until my feet connected with the ground where so many soldiers had walked.”
The trip, organized by Military Historical Tours of Virginia, started each morning with a lesson about the history and military strategy of each site. Then the students spent the day exploring the battle fronts, museums, and villages affected by the battles of Omaha, Gold, Utah, Juno, and Sword beaches. They also learned of the different Airborne Divisions involved in the battle and witnessed first-hand the innovation and flexibility of the U.S. Army during the pivotal years of 1944-45, from the landing at Normandy to the liberation of France (two months later in 1944), to the defeat of Germany in 1945.
In addition to military history, the students experienced other cultural sites, visiting William the Conqueror’s castle, ancient cathedrals, Monet’s Garden, Napoleon’s tomb, the first WWI flight-training airfield, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc De Triomphe in Paris. “From walking the streets of Paris,” said Sohum Thakkar ’24, “to exploring the city of Caen, [the trip] was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Rho Kappa (History Honor Society) President, Madison Skloff ’24, recognized the daunting history: “I do not know if I would have had the courage to keep pushing into enemy territory, not knowing what lied on the other side of the cliff or hedgerow.” Like the others, San Vo ‘24 was impressed by the landmarks and history, but his experience embodied the essence of global education: "While the landmarks and renowned sites were undoubtedly magnificent, it was the adventures born from the unexpected detours that, to me, were what made the trip memorable.”
This semester, these four, along with other Rho Kappa students, will participate in CSN’s World War II Memorial Project. They will curate artifacts, conduct interviews at the local VFW, and create an interactive WWII experience fashioned after the excellent museums they visited on the trip. As advocates for this project, they will be speaking to CSN students, creating curriculum tasks for teachers, and enlisting CSN classes K-12 to engage with the history lessons they have encountered on this life-changing trip.
Community School of Naples, the largest PreK-12 independent school in Collier County, was established in 1982. CSN offers a rigorous college preparatory program, and 100 percent of its seniors attend select four-year colleges and universities. The school is located on a 77-acre campus in North Naples.