In the upcoming 2026 semester, there will be a new history class for 12th graders hosted by Ms. Justianna. This class will also be attending an end-of-year trip to Puerto Rico to fully embrace the experience.

“I lived in Puerto Rico for 10 years and in that time I don’t know if I appreciated it enough, it definitely felt different from my childhood in Brooklyn,” said Ms. Justianna. ”And I thought, wouldn’t it be great for students at our school to see the island and just see where a lot of our cultures and traditions come from when it comes to Puerto Rico.”

This class and trip will focus on deeply exploring those historical Puerto Rican cultures and traditions and current traditions, while also giving students a hands-on experience as well.

For anyone worrying about the hardships of traveling, Ms. Justianna also stated, “I also feel like we’ve been going on a few international trips, but kids who don’t have passports or who have trouble traveling internationally can’t have access to those trips, but Puerto Rico is a part of the United States so we can go there and it wouldn’t be difficult for kids to just bring an ID.”

As Ms. Justiana plans out her class, the 12th graders are already getting excited to take it. Here’s what 12th grader Elijah Ramos has to say about his thoughts so far:

“I want to join this class because I’m Puerto Rican myself so I would like to know a little more about my homeland,” said Ramos, “This class can benefit me because I can learn more about my family by learning more about my culture.”

This new class is a chance to bring new perspectives and viewpoints on this culture that can be seen as unfamiliar to someone else.