What began as a 3rd grade class lesson has turned into nearly 200 people attending a class field trip to Washington DC. In 2002 when Mrs. Leonardi’s 3rd grade class began a section learning about our nation’s capital, the idea came up to take a trip there when they were 8th graders. In 2007, that class of over 20 students and as many parents ventured east and spent four days and three nights experiencing the history Washington DC has to offer.
Within the span of 8 years and 5 trips by every class since, students and parents alike have shaken hands with Former Senator now Governor Sam Brownback and from the rafters of the Senate Chambers, watched as then Senator, and former President Barak Obama led the Senate in a lively debate of political issues.
This bi-annual trip consists of touring the White House, numerous Smithsonian Museums, viewing Washington D.C. from the top of the Washington Monument, seeking the mistake written in the inscription of our 16th President’s 2nd inaugural address from the top of the Lincoln Memorial and sketching names of fallen relatives who have given their all, their lives, during war time at the Vietnam Wall.
The four day trip gives participants the opportunity to see first-hand, the Magna Carte, the signed Declaration of Independence and over 50 other sites, too numerous to mention. Since the first trip in 2007, students have formed a bond with experiences they’ve had during this exciting and informative field trip.