Washington DC Trip 2016

Awesome and meaningful experience! After Memorial Day, 42 students traveled to Washington, D.C. for the trip of a lifetime. The workings of the federal government came to life during tours of the U.S. Capitol and the floor of the House of Representatives. The sacrifice of members of our military was recognized at the military memorials and Arlington National Cemetery. At the Vietnam Wall, they found the name of a family member of three Bateman students. They sat on the back porch of George Washington’s mansion at Mount Vernon, looking at the Potomac River below. Students listened in awe as an actress described her life as a slave. The ability of images to transform history was evident in the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs at the Newseum. Highlights of our trip to the Smithsonian included the Wright Flyer, the world’s first airplane, and the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

    The adventures in Washington also included cultural experiences. At an area dinner theater, our students watched pirates clash with Native Americans in the musical, “Peter Pan.” They shopped for souvenirs in Chinatown and showed off our dance moves at the Hard Rock Cafe. Bei Bei, a panda cub, wowed them with his tremendous appetite for bamboo branches. After four glorious days and nights, the students returned home wiser and more worldly.