Students from East and North high schools visited Spain and Paris over Spring Break.

Closer to home, Lincoln High students earned Silver Cord points by volunteering at several community organizations, including the South Suburban YMCA.

Student-athletes from all five high schools competed at the Iowa State High School Classic on Monday and Tuesday, one of the largest indoor track meets in the nation.

No classes all this week at Des Moines Public Schools during Spring Break, but DMPS wasn’t entirely idle. While many students and staff took the opportunity to enjoy vacations and staycations, many also participated in edu-cations during a week away from school

Highlights of the some of the many travels and activities of students this Spring Break include:

• Turnaround Arts students from the Northside feeder schools traveled to Washington, DC to perform at the Kennedy Center as part of a TA talent show.
• Hoover High teachers Fabian Ruiz and Karina Suarez Luna took a delegation of students on a trip to the Dominican Republic where the itinerary included a visit to the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
• The Central Campus Culinary Arts program embarked on the ultimate field trip in their field – to Paris. It was bon appetit, as well as a fitting bon voyage to Central’s Chef John Andres as he readies for a new teaching adventure.
• Meanwhile, the Central Campus Marine Biology student-scientists were doing their annual spring break field research – this year in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia – led by teacher Dr. Greg Barord.
• Groups from Central Academy scattered around the globe, from England to Italy to Greece to Japan.
• Invest in my Future high school students visited HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) in Georgia and Florida.
• The GEAR UP Iowa coach at North High, Amalia Riordan, took 44 sophomores to Omaha to tour Clarkson College and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
• North High Spanish teacher Julia Learned, along with East High French teacher Claire Orlando and Instructional Coach/Spanish teacher Jessica Temple, escorted a group of Polar Bears and Scarlets on a whirlwind tour of France and Spain.
• Here at home, Lincoln High School students earned community service points toward their graduation Silver Cords by volunteering at Meals from the Heartland, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and the South Suburban YMCA.
• Finally, track and field student-athletes from all of the district’s comprehensive high schools got their seasons underway at the 25th annual Iowa State High School Indoor Classic in Ames. Granted, that’s not exactly globetrotting, but they were on foot after all – at one of the nation’s largest and longest-standing meets for preps.

On your marks, get set and…GO, for the sprint to the finish line of the 2017-18 school year.

Spring has broken!