So Much Learning!

Student on the bus ride home . . .

3.31.2014: This is how Ryan's drawing (which became a painting!) turned out.

Everyone,

Thanks for a GREAT week. You were unbelievably great. You essentially lived for a week on a bus with people you didn't really know very well (now you do! HA!), and you did that most successfully. We dragged you all around D.C. -- most of the week in the freezing cold, and you listened and learned. You learned all kinds of things -- academic things like significant historical events, and the value in memorializing those events. And you learned about other things too, like what to do if you forget toothpaste or clog your toilet and your parents aren't around. Look at what else you learned . . .

Beginning of the week . . .
                                                                                   End of the week . . .

We are really appreciative of your efforts.

Sincerely,

Your teachers, aides, instructors, administrator, nurse, custodian, officer, and firefighter . . .

P.S. Please remember to thank Ms. Sheehan, Ms. Dunn, and Mr. Tully, as a crazy amount of preparation went into this trip. Also, please thank your parents, as they made it possible for you to go. Lastly, please thank your chaperons. We had a great week with you, but, like you, we are also really happy to be home.

Bus 2: Pentagon Memorial

From Ms. Matthews: This is out of order, but I asked Nilos if he wouldn't mind still sharing. Of course we missed other events and venues, but we did our best to convey with limited time and poor WiFi. Thanks to all of the students who contributed -- from all the teams! Thanks to Ms. Bayne for sharing lots of her amazing photographs of students for this blog. Thank you!

From Google Images: Pentagon on 9.11

The Pentagon Memorial honors the casualties of the 9/11 hijacked plane that crashed into the Pentagon with a bench representing each person who died. The direction the benches face represent where they were when they died. The benches pointing to the Pentagon are for those who were in the Pentagon during the crash, and those pointing away are for those who were on the plane. All in all, 125 people represented by 125 steel one-legged benches ordered chronologically by birth date were honored in the Pentagon Memorial.

-- Nilos






                                                                                Student Photo of Memorial

Bus 2: World War II Memorial

          On Thursday we visited the World War II Memorial. When we visited we were lucky enough to be able to see the fountains, which weren't on the day before. Surrounding the impressive water feature were many pillars labeled with U.S. states and territories. On either side of the water were two structures that towered over the other pillars. One was labeled "Pacific," and the other "Atlantic." They were labeled this because we fought the war on these two fronts. There were a select few quotes engraved throughout the memorial, including a quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President at the time of WWII. The memorial honored those who died by placing gold stars representing the dead on a wall in the back. This open air memorial dedicated to World War II is most definitely a must-see while visiting Washington D.C.

-- Morgan

Bus 8: Ford's Theater

   At Ford's Theater we learned that John Wilkes Booth didn't kill Lincoln on impulses. He originally had a plan with other accomplices to kidnap Lincoln. However, Lincoln didn't show up to the spot of the kidnap. The men then planned the assassination at the theater. Other executives were supposed to die that night: the Vice President and the Secretary of State. Those assassinations obviously failed.

-- Andy

*O.k., we borrowed this picture from http://www.fordstheatre.org/home/performances-events We are so tired, and we couldn't find anyone who remembered to take a picture.

Bus 2: Iwo Jima

          One of the worst battles of WWII was the battle on the island of Iwo Jima. There were six men who climbed atop Mount Surabachi and raised a flag. This flag represented the struggle, hardship, and determination of the US soldiers. Many fought and 7000 died, but all for a cause. This battle was a tide-turning victory that led us to win the war.
-- Jack

This is John and Phil, who is a retired Marine. John is wearing Phil's uniform.

Bus ?: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

          The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington DC represents King being the rock of hope coming out of the mountain of despair. One unique fact about this statue is that it's 24 feet tall and is the tallest statue in Washington DC. This is unique because the statue of freedom was 19.5 feet and no other statue exceeded that height at the time. 
          When MLK was living, blacks and whites couldn't do anything together, so MLK wanted to change that. He wanted to make every man equal. After he gave his speech at Lincoln's Memorial he succeeded, and blacks and whites could share the same things. The MLK memorial is a very important memorial that encourages visitors to remember King, as well as the importance of fairness and equality.
-- Wills

Bus ?: FDR Memorial

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial was a part of the evening tour that, to the best of my knowledge, everyone went to. The memorial is divided into four sections or rooms -- each dedicated to a term FDR served as President. Each one has a couple of quotes from FDR or someone famous from his time period, such as "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." It truly was a great memorial to a great President. He was also probably one of the most deserving Presidents to receive a memorial. He led us out of the Great Depression and through World War II. Truly one of the best presidents. 

-- Jack

Bus 1: Jefferson Memorial

          Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States, the first Secretary of State, and the second Vice President.  The statue of Jefferson is 19 feet tall, made of bronze, and weighs 10,000 pounds.   On the inside of the memorial are four walls with parts of The Declaration of Independence.  Thomas Jefferson is most known for writing this piece which helped the US gain independence. This memorial was dedicated on his birthday April 14th, 1943, and was built during the presidency of FDR.  FDR believed in everything that Jefferson did and wanted a memorial for him.  In order to see the monument from the White House, FDR had Cherry Blossoms and trees removed. It is located on the Tidal Basin and was designed by John Russell Pope.

-- Christopher

Bus 2: Arlington National Cemetery

  One of the places we visited on our trip to Washington DC was the Arlington National Cemetery. Some of us went on Wednesday, and some of us went on Thursday. The property was originally owned by George Washington Parke Custis, but was sold to Congress in 1883 and has been used as a burial site for highly ranking military officers, Presidents, etc. While visiting Arlington, we saw the Challenger Memorial, the Columbia Memorial, the Kennedy burial site, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we watched the Changing of the Guard Ceremony and at the Kennedy burial site, we watched the eternal flame burning, even in the cold weather that our group witnessed on Wednesday. Colleen, our tour guide, lead us through the fields of white headstones and provided the history of the memorials and burial sites at Arlington.

Waiting for the changing of the guard. We stood for the actual ceremony.

-- Shannon

 

Bus 3: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

   
       
          Today (Thursday) we visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.  We arrived at about noon time, and ate lunch at McDonald's. After we finished our lunch we could explore the famous and historic aircraft and spacecraft. Hundreds of aircraft line the ceiling and floor. As soon as we walked downstairs, we were greeted with the world's fastest plane. One of the highlights of the museum was the space shuttle called Discovery.

Discovery flew a total of 39 Earth orbit missions, and was used from 1981 to 2011.
          This museum was very interesting, and was a great experience for everyone.
-- Matt

Bus 2: Crime and Punishment Museum (with all other students from other buses)

         

          After splitting up with the cruise group, we headed to a pleasant Italian restaurant called Bucca di Beppo.  They served delicious family-styled bowls of salad, pasta and chicken, including a slice of cheesecake for each of us.

           The Crime and Punishment museum itself showcased some of the most infamous criminals, controversial police cases, different types of crimes and prisons, as well as a section on the police force and its academia. However, for us the main highlight was the two different simulators based off of necessary things that the police had to do. There was a driving simulator, and the ever popular two person shooting simulator. After going through the museum, the group participated in a CSI activity, which explained and taught the skills that forensic scientists use to reconstruct crime scenes and catch murderers. The informative and interactive museum was well enjoyed by all who attended, students and chaperones alike - an underrated must-see in DC. - Nilos

The former set of America's Most Wanted, where we did the CSI Lab.

Bus 1: Zoo

     Today the buses took a quick stop at the Washington D.C. Zoo where students practically had to jog through the zoo to see the animals in the half-hour that was given. The Zoo was having a special pathway featuring Asian animals such as the panda, the red fox, elephants, and some others. However, most of these animals were indoors due to the cold weather. The panda bear got it's own showing room inside, so baby pandas and adult pandas could be researched. Visitors got to watch the pandas sleep and eat bamboo in their indoor habitats. At the Zoo researchers were sitting in a room where televisions showed all camera angles of the pandas to study them. Also at the Zoo there were other animals such as cheetahs, birds, and zebras around the Zoo. The short, but exciting adventure in the Zoo ended with one of the students on Bus 1 giving the bus driver, Winston, a stuffed animal panda bear who is now the new bus mascot, named Wynk.
- Tara

Bus 6: Capitol

This morning we went to the Capitol building. It was pretty cool to see the center of the government of our whole country. My group had an awesome tour guide who showed us the amazing statues and architecture of the building while making it interesting. The Capitol has so much history it is impossible not to be awed. It was one of the best tours that we had the whole trip. It is impossible to go to DC and not go to this building.

Ms. Matthews' P.S.:

Waiting for the movie outside.

Waiting for the movie inside!

Under the rotunda . . .

From the MCAS . . . HA! : )

Bus: 8 Air and Space Museum

Today we visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. We read about a short range missile launcher called "Little John." It is a ground to ground launcher developed in 1959. It never saw action until 1961 and only served for a few years. The missile could be equipped with a conventional or nuclear warhead. -- Andy and Adrian

Bus 2 : Vietnam Memorial

On the way from the Korean War Memorial, we went to see the Vietnam War Memorial. This was the least liked war because many Americans died, and many hadn’t wanted to go to war in the first place. This was the first war filmed on the television, so people finally saw what war really was like. They saw women and children killed, and they saw Americans do terrible things that they didn’t want to do. Many of the soldiers were conscripts, people forced to go to war by the government, and also very young. We also stopped to see the nurse memorial dedicated to all the nurses who helped with the war effort. Those of us who had loved ones pass paid their respects, and those of us who didn’t looked on in silence.

-Tucker

Francis J. Muraco's name on the Vietnam War Memorial

Bus 2: Korean War Memorial

          As we approached Day 3 on our adventure, we found ourselves in front of the Korean War Memorial, a memorial commemorating war which was fought overseas, against people we didn't know. Many deaths occurred on the battlefield. Yet, even with America's help and the many American lives sacrificed on the battlefield, people still say it was a controversial war. We paid our respects to the loved ones who have passed and continued about our day, knowing what the men and woman of America sacrificed.

-Tyler H.

Bus 1: Luray Caverns

          At the early time of 5:30 AM, we were all awoken to go to the Luray Caverns, because it was a rather far ride, of two hours.

          As we entered the caves, we encountered the beautiful landscape before us (pictured left). There were a series of pathways that we were taken on by our tour guide, Stephanie. Stephanie thoroughly explained each land mass we stopped at, and allowed us to take pictures, but not to touch. That's because we have a special trait in our skin that stunts growth in the calcite. As we continued through the caverns, we came across several stalagmites, stalactites, and columns - all mentioned in our science curriculum, so it was kind of cool to see them up close. 

          One of the things we observed was the Giant Robo Tree (pictured right). The Giant Robo Tree is the oldest and largest creations in Luray, at an ancient seven million years old. To the everyday visitors, it's called the Giant Robo Tree. But to the staff, it is referred to as the Big Shaggy Dog, due to its looks (the head, not pictured, on the left, and the body following). There were several masses that depicted some sort of animal, or human.
          The largest land mass to fall in the caverns, fell close to seven thousand years ago (pictured left) due to fatal earth movements. You can notice it's flat bottom on the left, indicating some sort of base.
          At the end of our trip, we were directed towards the Dream Lake (pictured right). At 6 feet deep, it stands as the deepest lake in the caverns. It has clear water, but it's enhanced by appearance lights on the bottom of the lake. Coins are suggested to be thrown in the lake, and the lake is drained at the end of the year, and the money is donated to a different charity every year. Above the lake, is a chart of the money donated to each charity, and the total amount donated to date, which is close to a whopping $900,000.

     I truly loved my experience of the Luray Caverns, and it's rich history.

Bus 6: Caves

Caves Review:

          Today we went to the famous Luray Caverns in Virginia! The caves have a high rate of humidity. The educational  tour created an interest in the column or pillar structures in the caves from top to bottom!  The historical stories put imagery in all our minds! 
          Mr. Perenick said, "I thought it was unbelievable! It was amazing, and I can't believe it was turned in to an underground exhibit! I was impressed with the of the age of the structures! Also how the organ contributed to the sound waves throughout the caves!" 
          Ava stated, "I thought the caves were pretty interesting. Although it was a bit repetitive, I still had fun seeing all the different formations like the fried egg, liberty bell, cave snake, etc . . ." 
          The caves are a memorable experience  of science and history combined!                    -Jaclyn

Bus 2: Karaoke

          Now that we are three days together, bus rides have become more communal experiences. : ) People are less attached to their own screens, as now we sometimes share screens! 

          For some reason this sounded really good on the bus. Not-so-much here! But gives one an appreciation for our bus drivers? 

Bus 3: Smokey Glen Farm

          Tonight we were taken to the Smokey [see first picture!] Glen Farm for a BBQ dinner and other fun activities. We were served an option of salad, fruits, bread, chicken, and ribs; for dessert we were given some yummy pie!

         

          The activities consisted of basketball, football, dancing, and frisbee. Although it was chilly outside, people were having a great time playing basketball, football, and frisbee. Everyone, even the chaperons, looked like they had a great time!