West Tisbury 5th Graders Set Sail on the Shenandoah

The fifth grade Shenandoah trip has been a tradition on Martha's Vineyard since 1993. All fifth graders are invited to participate on the trip. Because it is an unforgettable experience that everyone wants to have, students hold fundraisers to raise money to make sure that everyone is able to go.

This week, the fifth graders were excited for an adventure.

"I'm really excited to learn how to work on the ship. I can't wait to see where we end up sailing to," said Katie Morse.

Karen Russillo said that all of her kids have participated in the fifth grade trip. "My 27 and 22 year old talked talked Talon into going. It's just such a good experience. I ran into my friend's daughter who's 15 now and she said the trip on the Shenandoah is the best thing she's ever done."

Captain Robert Douglas built the Shenandoah in 1964. "She's never set sail without Captain Bob," said ship mate Bear Harding. "It's a really great thing we do with the fifth graders. We like to show the kids what it would be like to live on the sea 150 years ago."

Before the crew set sail, parents and families memebers were invited to tour the ship and take pictures with the kids. Some kids were nervous about being on the boat for a week, but as soon as they got on the Shenandoah, everyone started exploring the ship and getting excited for a week long adventure.