Thursday and Friday

THURSDAY

I apologize for missing Thursday’s and Friday’s posts; we got to the Williamsburg hotel late in the evening, and I forgot to get my laptop off the bus!  Then on Friday I had no Internet connection.

Thursday was a busy, busy day.  We left very early to ensure our on-time arrival at Arlington National Cemetery. 

Prior to our trip, we had around ten students compose essays explaining why they would like to help present the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Our staff had the hardest time ever deciding which four essays were the best.  Ultimately, the staff selected essays by Eli L., Gabrielle S., Paige M., and Rachel C.  These four students ran ahead with Mr. Glanzer to get to the top of the hill for their appointment time.  The rest of us walked up at a more moderate pace.  The Laying of the Wreath was a very reverent ceremony, and I was incredibly proud of how respectful our St. Luke’s kids were once again. 

After watching the changing of the guards and the wreath laying, Mr. Glanzer gave a talk about the cemetery, then led them past the Arlington House and down to Kennedy’s gravesite where they saw the Eternal Flame.  One chaperone took her group to see her father’s marker, so it was a meaningful day, indeed.

Our wonderful bus drivers then took us to the Air and Space Museum.  Students saw the Spirit of St. Louis, the Wright Brothers’ plane, and moon rocks, just to name a few of the highlights.  After Air and Space, we made the trek up Capitol Hill once again.  (Our legs were getting sore!)

We had a wonderful tour of the U.S. Capitol Building and were informed that we’re the last group of tourists who will get pictures without scaffolding in the background: the building is about to go under a two-year refurbishment project.

After the tour, we met Congressman John L. Mica on the east steps.  He spent a good deal of time talking with the students about our government, what he does as our representative, and his ties to Oviedo.  (His ancestors emigrated from Slovakia and settled in the area.)  We had a photo with Rep. Mica, walked back down to the Air and Space Museum for some last-minute shopping, and then loaded the bus once again.

Many of the students and chaperones were excited by our impromptu visit to the Marine Corps Memorial—the depiction of six soldiers raising the U.S. flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima.  Afterwards we had supper at the Pentagon City Mall and made the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Williamsburg, VA. 

FRIDAY

After breakfast Friday, we packed up the bus and drove to the Jamestown Settlement.  Students walked through a recreation of the original colony and fort, walked aboard a replica of one of the three boats that brought the first Jamestown colonists ashore, and engaged in some daily activities of the Powhatan Tribe.

We ate lunch at the Visitor Center then boarded the bus for our last destination of historical significance:  Colonial Williamsburg.  Here students visited the Governor’s Mansion, where they learned proper bow and courtesy form.  (Coincidentally, on the way up Capitol Hill the day before, one student quipped, “Hashtag: Jefferson’s Calves!”)  In Colonial Williamsburg, students also sat in the House of Burgesses, conducted a mock vote and mock trial, and saw a variety of other era-specific places and activities—some visited the jail, some went to a gunsmith, and some walked through a landscaped maze.

The ride home entailed some gluttony at the Golden Corral and a whole lot of snoring--it was a great trip!

Wednesday

The weather started off a little overcast as we made our way to the White House, and we were worried when Mrs. Phillips felt a few drops of rain over at the Jefferson Memorial.  The students were still able to stay focused on Mr. Glanzer's history lesson about Thomas Jefferson, and the only problem any of the students really faced was a broken shoe.  (We're still not exactly sure how the shoe broke, but it will undoubtedly make for a great story later.)

After the Jefferson Memorial, we walked to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, where students took photos of their favorite quotes and took some time to appreciate the eloquence of his writing and the nobleness of his cause.

After MLK, it was FDR.  Mr. Glanzer explained to students the symbolism of the four "rooms" of the memorial, each room representing a term of office.  The groups did a great job getting from place to place on time, so we were able to get to lunch at the Pentagon City Mall right on schedule.

After lunch, we went to the National Zoo.  The students saw the famous pandas, heard a lion roar, and some even saw the elusive "Sand Cat."  It was a great, relaxing walk through the zoo.  The best part was that the sky cleared up, and we had beautiful weather for our time there!

We then went to the Evensong Service at the National Cathedral.  The students loved the exquisite stained glass and towering architecture of the building.  Many noted how beautiful the service itself was.  We were lucky to once again sit with the choir for the service, and hearing those lovely trained voices reverberate throughout the space was a truly unique experience.  (Parents, be sure to ask your children about the peculiar gargoyle that perches on one of the corners of the Cathedral.)

After a drive down Embassy Row, we made our way to Bucca di Beppo for a delicious (almost gluttonous) meal!  Bus 2 became "Party Bus 2014," as our driver, Cynthia played some classic songs, such as "Hakuna Matata," (after which one student said he was living his childhood again--imagine that: nostalgia at age 14), to recent jams like "Happy" by Pharrell Williams.  The kids sang all the way back to the hotel!

Tuesday

Phew!  This was a busy day!

Chaperones and students were up bright and early in their Sunday best...on Tuesday.  They really looked nice.  (Thank you, parents, for helping the kids pack such dapper duds!)

The group experienced the famous walk up Capitol Hill and went on a lovely tour of the Library of Congress.  One student even told me that, while he thought it would be boring and "just a bunch of books," he REALLY ENJOYED it!

On our way down the Hill, the final member of our little DC family joined us--Sra. Brinson.  Our group is now complete!  She managed to arrive just in time for our picture in front of the Capitol Building.  (A nice panoramic photo should arrive in a few weeks for each student.)


We were blessed to stay on schedule in the mid-morning, so the students had plenty of time to explore the National Gallery of Art.  Many of them eagerly sought out works by famous Hispanic artists that Sra. Ford had suggested for extra credit.  Ask your kids what they thought of Salvador Dali's The Last Supper.  It is definitely unique.  After a tasty meal at the Gallery's "Cascade Cafe," some of the students indulged in a little gelato before heading over to the Newseum.

The Newseum features a portion of the Berlin Wall, part of the World Trade Center Tower, and a whole slew of exhibits and activities focusing on media coverage of recent American history.  Many of the students enjoyed a 4-D film, imagined themselves as news anchors in front of a green screen, and found themselves moved by a short film about the tragedy on September 11.

From the Newseum, we walked to the Museum of Crime and Punishment where the students participated in a forensics lab while the parents took a much-needed break on some benches.  Then we all went through the museum's exhibits which ran the gamut from 17th century torture devices to current unsolved crimes.

The bus picked us up and took us to dinner at Union Station, and then picked us right back up to take us to the evening memorial visits:  the Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Korean War Memorial.  As a part of their English curriculum, the students had already researched a soldier whose name appears on the wall of the Vietnam Memorial and wrote a letter of tribute to that soldier.  Tonight, the students were able to find their soldiers on the wall, get a rubbing of the name, and lay their letters at the Memorial.

As always, the view from the Lincoln Memorial was beautiful, with the illuminated Washington Monument mirrored in the reflecting pool.  Another student told me the Lincoln Memorial was definitely his favorite thing so far in D.C.

The students then walked over to the Korean Memorial, where they saw how much thought went into the symbolism of its design.  Chaperones, teachers, and students, all eagerly loaded the bus to head back to the hotel.

It was a tiring, but GREAT day, so I'm confident they will fall asleep quickly tonight.

Until tomorrow...

Monday

Most of the students seemed able to get some sleep the night before, despite arriving to the hotel so late.  They were up and rearing to go right after breakfast, even before the bus drivers were able to take us off the hotel property.

Traffic delayed us a bit on our way to the Museum of Natural History.  This is where our Varsity Basketball Boys and chaperones joined us.  After lunch, we had a chaperone swap, now that our numbers had increased, and walked to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

I think the best word to describe the students' experience is POWERFUL.  Our 8th graders really seemed to "get" the need for the museum, and I was extremely proud of the respect and compassion our kids demonstrated there.

After we were able to collect our thoughts, we left the Holocaust Museum and walked over to the National Archives.  Students were able to see the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and a number of other historical documents on view at the Archives.  Some of the groups managed to work their way through the Archives quickly enough to make time for a treat at an ice cream truck they spotted on the way into the building.

We then had a short visit at the National Museum of American History.  A few of the boys mentioned seeing cool cars, others talked about seeing the flag that inspired our National Anthem, and I'm sure some enjoyed seeing Kermit the Frog.  (I know I felt old when, upon discussing the display of Archie Bunker's chair, a student asked, "Who's Archie Bunker?")


The day ended with a very entertaining and interactive mystery dinner theatre.  Parents, the next time you speak to your children on the phone, be sure to ask them "Whodunnit?"  While you're on the phone, please also encourage them to DRINK WATER!  We've already had a couple of kids become a little dehydrated on this trip.  We quickly supplied water, pain medication, snack, and TLC.  However, they really need to try to prevent dehydration by drinking water.  We keep reminding them this, but if you could encourage them individually, it would help us out a lot!

We have another busy day tomorrow, so this little blogger will say good night!

Sunday, March 30-EARLY Monday, March 31:

All the students and parents seemed excited to pack up the bus this morning, and Mr. Hoffschneider led us in an appropriate devotion entitled “Are We There Yet?”  The driver of Bus 2 joked that he had an auto-eject button for any passenger who uttered that fateful question.  HA!

After watching a few movies, we stopped for a quick lunch at the Georgia Welcome Center, and some of the kids realized that it is a bit chilly—perhaps shorts were not the best wardrobe choice…

Dinner in North Carolina was even colder!  Our Florida kids are getting a taste of the Great North.  Then again, depending on where they’re seated on Bus 1, they may feel like they’re in the tropics.  (There’s been a bit of an issue with regulating temperature.)  Regardless, the kids all seem to be in good spirits and the chaperones good sports!

We arrived at the Fairfield Inn around 1:30, and everyone was eager to get to their room and get to bed.

We’ll have breakfast at 8:45 and then load the bus to head into D.C.  Our day will begin with the Museum of Natural History!

Posting Photos to Picasa

Chaperones,

If you'd like to send pictures you take throughout the day to our Picasa album, just attach them to an e-mail to the following address:  stlukesoviedo.photos@picasaweb.com

We will then sort through what's been uploaded and post the best pics to the public album.

Thanks!

Allergies

Parents, please be sure to read the e-mail the 8th grade teachers sent out regarding snacks on the bus.

Thanks!

We can't wait!

Hello!  This is Mrs. Hakimipour, 8th grade English and literature teacher.  Sra. Brinson and I will be updating the log for the 8th graders' trip to Washington, D.C.  So I'm just testing things out.

We are looking forward to loading the bus Sunday morning and heading north!

Friday at Sea Camp

We were able to get on the boats for a little while. We ate a quick breakfast and headed out to snorkel. After about 2 hours we headed in to camp just in time before a little storm. We are now headed home and will return tonight between 9-10. I will try to post more photos but I am have issues. We will be compiling all the photos taken by all the chaperons and sending a DVD home before the end if the year.

Thursday con't

Well, we were not able to go on the boat trip we had planned. We had to stay safe inside away from the storm that came our way. The children played a simulation type game about coral reefs. After that it kept raining so we stayed busy dancing, doing skits , watching crabs race , and doing the limbo!!! It was a very entertaining afternoon. The good news is that it stopped raining around 5pm so the kids were able to explore and have free time. After dinner we had an algae party!!! Any creatures were found in the algae like brittle stars, crabs, worms and fish. We are tucked in for the night and hope we can get on the boats in the morning. Hope all is well back home

Update on Sea Camp

We enjoyed our trip to the tide pools at Bahia Honda. The students found vase sponges, crabs, small fish, Portuguese man o' war, mermaid wine glass, brain coral and more!!! After our trip we returned to camp for a swim with the sharks!!!! That was followed by a little shopping at the camp store and then lunch. We are now in the dining hall enjoying an island simulation while we wait out a storm. We are praying the skies will clear so we can go snorkeling. All us well and the kids are having fun!!!

Good morning

Day 2. All is well. We had quite the storm last night but it was good sleeping music!! Breakfast is done and we are headed to the tide pools. We will be making the very best of our day until the storms come. The children are having a great time and already have stories to tell. The boys have been fishing and a few have made the biggest catch 'ever'.

Squid Lab

We arrived safely and have already started our first class. The kids are dissecting the squids now. It's lightly raining so we will be doing snorkel lab later on.

Lunch time

We just finished lunch at Jacob's Aquatic Center in Key Largo. Almost there. We should arrive at camp around 1:15

Sea Camp 2013

We are off!!! It's 5:20am and we are on the road to the Keys. Check back later for photos and updates.

We are home

We made it back to Oviedo safe and sound. We have so much to be thankful for: learning about our country, safe travel, new memories, new friends, excellent behavior, healthy travel, and the opportunity to go on this trip. God is good and certainly had his hand on this trip. So glad to be home.

Photos are up

Pictures

I am having a hard time uploading photos. I am so sorry. I will keep trying through the evening.

Friday #2

Both of our stops were interesting. We learned about the first people who settled in Jamestown. We saw a replica of the ship the Godspeed and saw the poor conditions the English had on their journey. We saw an indigenous Indian village and an English settlement. After that we went to Williamsburg and saw the governor's house, the House of Burgess, the holding cell that Blackbeard and his men were held, and saw weaving and blacksmith shops. We are on our way to the Golden Coral in North Carolina. The boys are very excited!!!! We will be heading home after that.

It's Friday!!!

We are getting ready to go to Jamestown and then we will visit Colonial Williamsburg. The weather is looking rainy but we can't complain because we have enjoyed beautiful weather this week. The kids are looking forward to heading home this evening.