Eighth grade students visit Russian community

SPARTA — Recently, the Sparta Middle School Eighth grade Russian language students took their annual trip to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

Brighton Beach is only 65 miles from Sparta, but feels across the world. Russian is the primary language spoken and written in local businesses. In fact, it is hard to find an English speaking clerk or resident.

Suzanne Jouravlev, teacher of Russian for the Sparta Middle School, finds it the perfect place to give her students a taste of Russia.

The students werea ccompanied by parent chaperones and mentoring high school senior Russian language students.

While there, they were encouraged to eat the traditional local Russian fare and speak to the business owners and patrons.

Students were also given an assignment to complete and for extra credit, they could videotape a Russian conversation, with permission from the persons in the video.

Jouravlev was a student of Russian language in the class she now teaches. After 22 years of teaching the language, she finds that during these culminating study years, this Russian experience is vital to helping the students understand firsthand the culture.

She said she hopes it encourages the students to continue their studying Russian through high school.

Sparta High School has the highest number of students learning the Russian language in New Jersey.

The other foreign languages offered at the high school are Chinese, French, German, and Spanish.

Jouravlev said the students had wonderful stories from their trip and that it is a little glimpse of the high school seniors’ 9-day trip to the country of Russia.