Daria Opanasenko-Davydova believes that visiting other countries and experiencing other cultures is a great way of learning about the world we live in.
She teaches English Language Learners at Platte Purchase Middle School and recently decided to organize a trip to Italy with EF Educational Tours to introduce some students to the country’s rich and historic culture.
“Eight amazing Platte County graduates and some of their friends joined this wonderful opportunity of visiting Italy and its amazing historical sights,” Opanasenko-Davydova said. “For all of us it was our first time visiting this country and experiencing its amazing culture, history, hospitality, and climate.”
Their tour began in Venice with a gondola ride through the Grand Canal and a glass-blowing demonstration on Murano Island. They then visited Florence, the birthplace of the Italian language and the Renaissance.
The students enjoyed strolling through the city, viewing classical statues at the Piazza della Signoria and admiring the Grande Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral.
“We absolutely loved a guided tour in Vatican Museums in Rome,” Opanasenko-Davydova said. “Seeing Raphael’s tapestries, Michelangelo’s frescoes, The Sistine Chapel and experiencing its breathtaking, domed ceiling made an unforgettable impression on us.”
This is Opanasenko-Davydova’s third year of teaching English Language Learners at Platte Purchase Middle School and Platte City Middle School. She had been teaching English as a foreign language for 11 years in her hometown, Yalta, in Ukraine, prior to moving to the U.S. with her children. She was a substitute teacher for several years and worked as a paraprofessional at Platte County while taking classes to get her Missouri Teaching Certificate.
During the Italy adventure, the most memorable moment for Opanasenko-Davydova was seeing her students’ faces and eyes when they entered the Colosseum and saw how immense it was.
“Being there was incredible after they had learned about it in their Social Studies and History classes,” she said. “Walking through 1,000-year-old Forum streets was an incredible experience in itself.”
They also visited Assisi, Saint Francis’ hometown, and the Ruins of Pompeii.
Their final two days of the tour was spent on the Sorrento coast and the Island of Capri, where they enjoyed a boat ride and swimming in the warm Tyrrhenian Sea. “The magnificent rock formation of Capri and its vegetation was breathtaking,” Opanasenko-Davydova said.
She finds teaching English Language Learners extremely rewarding, and she said that seeing her students grow and acquire stronger English language skills is one of the best parts of her job, along with learning about her students’ backgrounds, languages, and cultures.
She has a strong connection to the Platte County R-3 School District as both of her daughters graduated from PCHS and are now college students.
“Here in Platte County we are fortunate to welcome students and their families from all over the world: Azerbaijan, Chile, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam to name a few,” Opanasenko-Davydova said.. “I am happy I have the opportunity to do what I love, as I myself am a lifelong English learner due to English being my third language.”
Seeing her EL Learners become successful students and making new friends is the most rewarding thing about her job. “I am so grateful I get to teach my students and explore the world with them while being supported by Platte County R-3 School District administrators and amazing teachers,” she said.
For Opanasenko-Davydova, the trip to Italy was a valuable way for the students to learn a great deal about themselves, while stepping out of their comfort zone.
The group tried a variety of traditional Italian food, including: Roman pastas, Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe, Prosciutto meats, Lasagna and Gelato. “Italian Espresso and Tiramisu were Opanasenko-Davydova’s personal favorites.
“By the end of the trip, I was happy to see students having small talks with our amazing bus driver who spoke only Italian,” Opanasenko-Davydova said. “I believe this trip made our students more eager to visit and appreciate more cultures and countries. Currently, we are in the process of preparing for our next adventures - Japan, France, and England.”