8th Grade Washington DC Trip Fall 2023

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 (scroll for pictures)

                                                                                                  🎂 HAPPY BIRHTDAY MRS. DAVIS!! 🎂

Hey Eagle Fans!

It is hard to believe our time in DC has come to an end. Though sad to see our trip come to an end, we had reason to celebrate, too!  Friday was Mrs. Davis' birthday! What a rockstar to spend her birthday in DC with us!

We had our final breakfast at our hotel, and loaded the bus for our adventures. We started at the incredible Museum of the Bible! We walked through the streets of Bethlehem and gazed across the Sea of Galilee.  We interacted with stories of the Old Testament in a really fun way (ask an 8th grader to tell you about this experience)! The Old Testament seemed to come to life! We saw a working printing press, and read about so many important religious leaders and saints.  A few of our students even got to work the press--so cool! Learning about how religion has shaped our country and our world was really a great capstone to our trip. We also got a chance to see how connected we are through the Word of God!

After the Museum of the Bible it was off to the historic plantation of George Washington--Mount Vernon. We enjoyed a tasty lunch and then spent the afternoon exploring.  It is no wonder George Washington loved this place so much with the sloping hills, view of the Potomac, and comfortable house! We explored the working farm, visited his burial site, enjoyed the interactive museum (it even snows on you in one of the videos!) and visited his historic home. There is nothing quite like walking in the footsteps of George Washington!  The banister in the mansion is original!  As one of the students said, "It is like holding hands with a Founding Father!" 

In what felt like a blink (though our shoes would tell a different story)--it was time to return home. We made it back to the airport (although DC traffic is no joke), through security, and on our plane without too much incident!  Due to traffic and the requirement from the airline to check our bags, dinner had to be short order and to-go!  We boarded on-time and enjoyed dinner in the air.  We were perhaps a bit messier than we would have been otherwise, but we all made it safely aboard and mostly well-fed!  Finally, it was time to soar home to share our experiences with those we love most.  

A HUGE shout out to parents and families for being on-time for pick up at the airport!  We had a great week!  Thank you for entrusting your student to our care.  I hope they have shared their learning and experiences with you!

Thank you for following along on our blog this week and for all the support you have given us from home. Our Eagles will likely sleep well this weekend, but they have memories to cherish and many stories to make them smile. We are grateful to God for all the special moments, for His grace, for His guidance, and for His protection. As I type this--my heart is at peace. Thank you, Lord, for another successful, educational, and safe trip to Washington DC. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 (scroll for pictures)

What an incredible day! We took it easier on ourselves today with our walking, but still made the most of our time.  Our bodies may be a bit sore, but our hearts and minds are full of knowledge and memories! We put about 7 miles on our shoes, and have some amazing stories to share!

Our day started early with a 6:30 wake up call and though our troops were sleepy, they rallied brilliantly ready to honor God and spend some time with Him. We metroed to the National Basilica without too much trouble.  We *might* have had two rogue chaperones for about 4 minutes, but they recovered quickly and rejoined the team!  Moving 53 people through the metro line takes coordination and these two chaperones stayed behind to ensure all students made it off the metro car first--we teased them--but we love them!  We are grateful for all our chaperones for putting the students first.

After weaving our way through the DC metro, we were in awe of the beautiful basilica. The students got a huge surprise while we were visiting the National Shrine------FATHER GRIES took a quick pause from his sabbatical and joined us for the day! It was fun to watch the look of shock play across their faces along with whispered "It's Father!" pass through the crew. We are very blessed to have such an involved shepherd for our flock here at Holy Family. 

With smiles on our faces after our wonderful surprise, we headed into the basilica for a tour, lunch, and Mass.  The National Basilia is the largest Catholic church in North America.  It also houses the most religious art on the continent. Scatterred throughout the Basilica are chapels dedicated to the blessed mother donated by countries around the world. It is truly a special place to visit and worship. It is nestled in the same neighborhood is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and The Catholic University of America (which we walked through from our metro ride!  Perhaps we will some day have graduates from this class from CUA)!

We had an incredibly knowledgeable docent for our 10am basilica tour.  We explored the incredibly beautiful chapels and learned about the different ways countries around the world honor our Mother Mary. Mosaic tiles danced in our minds as we were dazzled by the reverence of this holy place. 

We took a break for lunch and gift shop visiting before celebrating Mass in the Crypt church. Father Gries was a co-celebrant for the noon Mass--so cool!

Following Mass each tour group selected their favorite chapel and returned to pray a rosary together. Our school year theme: Mission: Sainthood was put into practice here in DC.  It was awesome to experience the spiritual leadership so many of our students displayed leading these rosary prayers.

After a beautiful morning and early afternoon spent at the National Basilica, we ventured over to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to explore, learn, and honor those people and families impacted by the tragic events of WWII and the great atrocities of the Holocaust.

It was a sobering afternoon and museum visit. While difficult for students and chaperones alike--the insight into this time and dedication to never allowing such an event to be repeated was sealed in our hearts.   Students really took time to absorb this memorial museum.  We are so proud of the way they respectfully experienced this portion of our trip.  We are united in our humanity and have a renewed sense of love for the God we find in each other.  

We said so long to Father Gries and he headed back to the airport.  We are so lucky to have gotten this special time with him.

Refueling usually helps bring up our spirits, and today was no exception. We made a quick stop at the Washington Monument for a few pictures.  We even took a chaperone picture (the kids really had fun taking these photos and "coaching" us as we have been coaching them all week--haha).  We then metro-ed over to the Pentagon City Mall (we are experts now!) for a food court dinner.  Students leaned into the "DC swag" and really have some creative looks going! Check out those rockin' hats, sunglasses, and sweatshirts! 

Our evening finished with a metro ride back at the hotel for a fun game night!  Mrs. Davis and I hosted Boy vs. Girl Charade Night:  DC Edition!  It was a fun evening remembering funny moments and sites of our trip.  Both teams did very well, but the ladies did walk away with the WIN!  After our game students returned to their rooms to pack their bags and get a good night's sleep (and shower!).  Tomorrow we vacate our comfy hotel home for the last time and head off for our very last day of DC adventures!

We are so pleased with our trip, the students, and our chaperones.  What a wonderful memory we get to share!  Truly this experience has helped us all feel closer. God has blessed us with incredible weather and keeps finding ways to remind us He is with us. Our Eagles are also using their words and actions to share God's love with each other and those around them--we are so proud of them! We miss our family and friends at home--thank you for your prayers and support!  Only one more day until we soar home!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 (scroll for pictures)

Hey There Eagle Fans!

This blog comes to you tonight from a pretty tired but inspired group of Eagles. Miles walked today--around 12 to add to our 10 from yesterday. Thank goodness for good shoes! Sights and experiences--amazing. God gave us a beautiful day and we put it to good use!

Our morning started with breakfast at the hotel and a metro departure for the US Capitol Building. We followed our guide Mr. John to the metro (a first for many) and found our way into the city without a problem. Our class trip to Washington just wouldn't be complete without a class picture in front of the Grant Memorial and Capitol, so we did that first! Check out our photos in a few weeks for a surprise! Hint* Reid W seems to be able to be in two places at once!

It was time, then, to learn the meaning of the phrase "Capitol Hill"! Our valiant Eagles climbed "The Hill" for some stunning views of our Capitol. It sure seemed to captivate us all! The sun peaked out over the top of the dome and statue "Freedom". We spent our morning touring the Capitol building and learning about the foundations of our American government! We were blessed, too, for a chance to see the Library of Congress and Supreme Court Buildings! We learned about the triumphs and challenges our country has navigated in our history and left with civic inspiration. Check out a few cool things we saw below.

Lunch at the Capitol couldn't have come fast enough. We had some hungry Eagles on our hands! Once refueled, we were ready for a bit more exploring.

After lunch we descended "The Hill" and enjoyed all that the National Mall had to offer! We started at the National Archives to witness, in person, some of the foundational documents of our country: The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. We also took a brief look at the Magna Carta. We just learned about this in class!!

From there, students split off with their tour groups to choose their own adventures with some impressive Smithsonian Museum options: the American History Museum, the Natural History Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the Sculpture Garden, the Museum of the American Indian, the Air and Space Museum, and a few others. Tour groups had a chance to explore it all! Check out what our Eagles discovered below!  Gus B even made a fun Smithsonian purchase--I bet you'll be able to spot him in our group photos a bit easier now!

We met up after spending the afternoon with our tour groups and headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for a tasty dinner. Our hungry Eagles enjoyed a "rock star" dinner together! We finished dinner and headed out once more for our final night of night tours.

Tonight we spent time exploring and learning about the White House, the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. Before the trip students completed research projects over the many memorials in Washington DC. Students, then, shared on our trip standing in front of the memorial some things they had learned! Mrs. Davis and I are so proud of these Eagles! It is really a treat to see their eyes light up when we get to "their memorial".

We are tired, but inspired! I think the Eagles will sleep well tonight!

As I sit here writing this tonight I am overcome with a great sense of pride in our students. I am also feeling immense gratitude for the chance to be here with these students and chaperones to experience this. The awe of their faces gazing up at the Capitol dome, the silliness throughout the day, the excited cheer from a chaperone for a caffeinated drink, and the excitement of a student sharing a particulary inspired photo have sprinkled this trip with joy.

As alwyas, thank you for your prayers and for your well wishes--we appreciate the love and are praying for you too. We feel God present with us here! 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 (scroll for pictures)

Hello Eagle fans!

"Oh Say Can You See"....today, we saw so much! 

Thank you for joining us for a week of hands-on learning with our 8th grade Eagles in Washington DC! We soared early this morning--5:20AM at the airport! Even though there were many sleepy faces the excitement for the trip was evident. Students groups made it through security, enjoyed a light breakfast, and settled into their seats on our Southwest plane eager for the long awaited DC experience!

Your Eagles handled the plane ride with ease and we landed safely in Baltimore. Our forecast for the week shows mostly beautiful weather and agreeable temperatures (even a bit on the chilly side!) with a few pesky rainclouds expected. We are grateful for safe travels so far and are hopeful the rain will stay away!

Once we arrived in Baltimore, we found our trusty coach and driver, Mr. Mike, for the day and it was off for our adventures! The first stop on our agenda was in Baltimore--Historic Fort McHenry! This fort helped protect the city of Baltimore from the British attack in the War of 1812. It was here at the Battle of Baltimore that Francis Scott Key penned "The Star Spangled Banner"! A flag does yet wave, and we walked many of the ramparts (fort walls)!

Your hungry Eagles enjoyed a tasty lunch, and then it was off to Arlington National Cemetery for a tour and wreath laying ceremony. I am incredibly proud (and not at all surprised) to report the respectful disposition our students showed while touring the cemetery with our guide, Mr. Eric. This revered and holy ground is one of the most anticipated portions of the trip. Our group was also given the great honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Students participated in a competition prior to our trip and four students were selected to participate in this special ceremony. You should be so proud of your Eagles! Our Honor guard (Olivia K, Kaleb G, Lexi S, and Annabelle K) exuded confidence, honor and respect. It was truly a special moment to be an Eagle.

Dinner came next at the Pentagon City Mall food court. Students enjoyed the variety and a chance to rest their legs.  Even on this chilly day, ice cream was on many of their minds!

We boarded the coach for our final activity of the evening: night tours! We explored the Air Force Memorial, Marine Corps Memorial, Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, MLK Memorial, FDR Memorial, George Mason Memorial, and finally the Jefferson Memorial. Students enjoyed seeing these iconic structures and learning the history behind so many of our nations influential people!  

Before our trip students researched and completed a memorial project over many of the different memorials in Washington DC.  While we visit each of the memorials our experts give us a little background!  They are doing a great job and love hearing "this is my memorial".  Mr. Eric is keeping us "WALKING" and keeping "students up front" and we are laughing at "lets go team!"  Our night tours got even a little more exciting this year when we saw a local fisherman pull out a giant catfish out of the Tidal Basin!!  There is a lot to see here in Washington!  One of my favorite quotes from today, "Look at that blinged out golf cart--now that's how you travel!"  These students are keeping us laughing and chaperones are doing a phenomenal job!

After a very full day and just about 12 miles walked, our crew headed to the hotel for showers and sleep. I sit here typing this now listening to the blissful sound of silence as 33 eighth graders ignore the fact they are on an extended sleepover with their good buddies and have gone straight to sleep (right?! 😉).

With dreams of the Capitol building and Smithsonian Museums to keep us company in our sleep, I wish you all a wonderful night. We are grateful to God for our smooth trip thus far and have thought of you often. You are in our daily prayers. These Eagles are soaring and really making us proud!