Tam's class on the Capitol Steps
This summer, I took a group of 24 fifth graders to Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. As you may remember, I worked the entire school year to raise the money needed to fund the trip for the kids. In a collaborative effort between teachers, students, families and the community, we raised about $40,000 to make the trip happen. Thanks to the AREC family, we contributed $700 when we had the Sweethearts’ Relay last February. Kevin Murphy’s company matched our donation. Thank you, Kevin! So the $1,400 we raised, basically paid for one student! Many of you also donated items you no longer needed for my school’s yard sale. Every little bit counts and made a difference. Thank you to all of you for your contributions!
The trip was a great success! We left on a Sunday evening, July 27th. There were 35 of us in all—24 kids and 11 adult chaperones. We took a red-eye flight to D.C. We landed at 6 am and the trip began. We started with a few mishaps—a kid left his backpack at the gate where we landed (the teachers were busy getting Starbucks coffee!) and we had to go back to get it. A student who was in my group, started her cycle (yes, menstrual cycle) for the very first time ever!!! So I had to play mom, too! So that’s how we started our trip at 6 am on a Monday morning after a night of flying. But after that, we experienced no major problems!
Tam's class on the Capitol Steps
We went straight to the Capitol Building. In D.C. we saw everything from the White House to the Smithsonian Museums to the pandas at the National Zoo. We went to Arlington Cemetery and saw the changing of the guard. We even got to see a wreath ceremony to honor a survivor of the attack on Hiroshima. One of my favorites was the World War II monument. It has a spectacular view of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial since it sits half way between the two. By far, my favorite visit was when we went to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. The hard part about a tour is there is never enough time to visit a place!
After three days in D.C., we went to Philadelphia. On our way, we stopped at Amish Country in Lancaster, PA. Wow, what an experience! I learned a lot about the Amish and the kids did too. I was so proud of how respectful they were when we went to an Amish Farmer’s Market and an Amish Homestead. I figured they’d snicker and laugh but they were so well-behaved. They even liked the Amish dinner we had! The Amish really know how to cook—fried chicken, mashed potatoes, dumplings—the works!
Philly was great! We ran up the “Rocky steps”, visited Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed) and saw the Liberty Bell. I personally would love to go back and experience more of Philly. It’s a wonderful place to visit!
Yes, the trip was more work than fun which is why I say I’d like to visit these places again! I came home after the week and slept for two days! But to see the delight on the kids’ faces was priceless. They got homesick and we had to teach them a lot (like how to not stand in front of a monument so that everyone can see it and take photos or how to not spend all of your money at the first gift shop!) but all in all, it was a wonderful experience for them and the chaperones. I know this trip is one they will never forget. I hope that they walked away with an appreciation for the history of our nation, the experience of traveling and the work it takes to make a trip like this happen.
Thank you to all of you for supporting my students’ trip and for making a difference in the lives of kids. You’re the best!