Eighth Grade Visits Washington, D.C.

Bleary-eyed but excited, eighth grade students and Shorecrest faculty and staff gathered at the airport at 4:30am last Tuesday morning before heading off to Washington, D. C. Their first day in the city was spent in the Smithsonian museums along the National Mall, where they marveled at the Hope Diamond, measured themselves against a full tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, paid their respects to Emmett Till, sat at the Greensboro lunch counter, took selfies with the Batmobile, and viewed the original Star Spangled Banner. Whew! In the evening, they visited the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial; students were curious and respectful as they learned about the design of the memorial and the events of that terrible day.

Eighth graders began Day Two with sore feet, a gentle snowfall, and an almost-empty capital city. Pelting their teachers and each other with snowballs, students watched the Vice President’s motorcade enter White House grounds and learned about the West Wing and the Treasury Building. Much of the day was dedicated to a once-in-a-lifetime tour of outdoor memorials in the snow. Afterward, students were treated to a night of fun and games at Dave and Buster’s arcade.

It was almost twice as warm the next day, with the sun providing a counterpoint to our impactful tours of the National Holocaust Memorial and the Newseum. After lunch, they enjoyed a guided tour of the Capitol Building and group photo, popped into the Library of Congress, and and made an evening visit to the Museum of the American Indian. That night, students experienced one of the highlights of the trip: ice-skating in the sculpture garden of the National Gallery of Art! Mr. Dionne wowed everyone with his skills on skates.

On their final day, the Chargers got an inside look at the historic Ford’s Theatre, where students asked excellent questions and watched stagehands build the set for an upcoming production. They capped off the trip and this day of remembrance with an informative walking tour of Arlington National Cemetery, where they silently watched the changing of the guard and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Everyone arrived home late that night, exhausted but crammed full of experiences and information that they will remember for years to come.