Bateman's 2019 Class trip to Washington, D.C

Relive the journey with our students as they made wonderful memories on their class trip to Washington, D.C 

Tuesday, May 28th

We left Bateman on time at 6:00 A.M.
We had a great time on the bus, visiting with friends and watching movies. There were plenty of cows and horses to see in Indiana. Before we knew it, we were enjoying lunch at a food court in Ohio. Then, we had “school on the bus” to learn more about the history behind the sites in Washington, D.C. We had dinner at a food court in Pennsylvania. Next, we drove through the Appalachian Mountains. After traveling through Maryland and Virginia, we crossed the Potomac River and entered Washington, D.C. at sunset. We scampered up the stairs at the Lincoln Memorial to see the giant statue of Abraham Lincoln and read the Gettysburg Address. On our way back down the stairs, we stood at the very spot where Dr. Martin delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech.   Lastly, we checked into our hotel for a good night’s sleep.

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Wednesday, May 29th 

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we traveled to Arlington National Cemetery. There, we saw the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown (Soldier), the Eternal Flame where President John F. Kennedy is buried, and the tombstone of heavyweight boxing champion, Joe Louis. Later, we saw the Marine Corps (Iwo Jima) Memorial, and the memorial for victims of the 9/11 attack at the Pentagon. 

For lunch, we stopped at the food court at the Newseum. This museum honors Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, and other constitutional rights. We saw pieces of the Berlin Wall and a broadcast antenna from the World Trade Center. The students got to use a microphone in front of a camera and deliver part of a tv. newscast. From there, we went shopping at Souvenir City and the mall at Union Station.

That evening, we had a delicious pizza dinner. Then, we had a nighttime walk, stopping for guided tours at the memorials for Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We walked along the edge of the Tidal Basin, enjoying views of the city’s skyline. ​

Thursday, May 30th​
This morning, pandemonium reigned as we started our day watching pandas devour bamboo at the National Zoo. Next, we went to the American History Museum. There, we saw the original Star Spangled Banner flag, the ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz, and many other historic objects. Later, we dined with members of Congress in the cafeteria in the U.S. capitol. Afterward, we enjoyed a guided tour of the capitol. We then enjoyed a performance of the comedy murder-mystery, Shear Madness, at the Kennedy Center. Completing our day was dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe!

Friday, May 31st

We began our day at George Washington’s remarkable estate, Mount Vernon. We saw the mansion, slave quarters, and George and Martha Washington’s tomb. The students learned a lot from a period actress, acting in the role of a plantation slave. 

After lunch, we went to the National Archives to see original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Our next stop was the National Museum of African American history and Culture. There we saw exhibits ranging from hip-hop to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Next, we took a walking tour of the Vietnam Memorial wall, the Korean War Memorial, and the World War II Memorial. At the wall, we learned about a Bateman family’s connection to Vietnam. At the WW II Memorial we met two ducks in the fountain. Then, we headed off for one last round of souvenir shopping. Our last stop was at Bertucci’s, where we enjoyed pizza, pasta, and salad.

Our final statistics for steps on our Fit-bits and Mobile Phones are:

Tuesday: 12,000 steps
Wednesday: 31,000 steps
Thursday: 27,000 steps
Friday: 22,000 steps

We would like to thank our students’ families for financial support that made this remarkable experience possible. The students will remember this trip for the rest of their lives.
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