Washington, D.C. 2010

Well, this will likely be my last post of the trip. Tomorrow night I will be reunited with my own child and you with yours. I have thoroughly enjoyed narrating the daily adventures we’ve had and hope you’ve enjoyed reading them as well. It has definitely been a week full of memories. Though I have to say I was quite disappointed to be in school last Thursday and Friday, many things have worked in our favor because of the delay, including being the first OMMS group to see a full honor guard wreath laying, an empty Washington, D.C. that allowed for lots of traveling/sightseeing without lines and waiting, and snow that has made all “down time” World War III and quite a sight to see. But, what you really want to know is what happened today. So, here it goes:

The day began with a 2 hour drive to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. You will be pleased to know that this time was designated as homework time, and many of your children said they finished all of their make up work. When we arrived, we were greeted with  600 acres of snow-covered mountains and a historic home that overlooked the flowing rivers, barren trees, and rolling hills that were no doubt filled with playing children much like our own a few hundred years ago. Though we were very strictly instructed not to touch anything or breath too hard for fear of damaging something priceless, our tour was informative and really neat to experience such historical significance. The kids were GREAT! The tour guides stopped each of us to tell us how great our group was – duh!!! Then, we played in snow. We hiked down to Jefferson’s gravesite and then down a little more to our buses. Since we were all exhausted from our Denney-style workout, we felt it appropriate to head to town for lunch. Today was the infamous Michie’s Tavern. The waitresses commented that we must be from the South because our kids did not seem to be strangers to fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn bread, black-eyed peas, or peach cobbler. Alex S. certainly was no stranger to the 7 pieces of fried chicken, 5 biscuits, or 2 helpings of peach cobbler!

From our delicious meal we visited the gift shop and headed back towards Williamsburg to see historic Jamestown. We were amazed at the only recent discoveries of the exact location of the first fort, the church where Sacajawea was married, and the remains of the very first person to die in the New World. Of course, walking around made us hungry again. So, we headed off to William and Mary College for amusement as seventh grade boys tried to hit on college girls, and, of course, dinner.

Then, the real fun began. As the kids put on every layer of clothing they found on the bus, we headed to Williamsburg for our Ghost Walking Tour. We “met” Emma, a 115 year-old girl who was run over by a carriage, Crazy Lucy, Grandma Peachy, Thomas Jefferson, and a few others. Since the chaperones were not entirely impressed with the scariness of the evening, we, led by Mr. Denney, decided to concoct a ghost story of our own. We conveniently found a narrow row of very tall bushes to make our way through since our bus drivers were “lost” on the wrong side of town, and the tale began. By the end of it, the sheer surroundings, coupled with a few screams from the adults, made the evening entirely enjoyable for everyone. We retired to the hotel for our earliest night yet and are now in bed for the evening and preparing to pack for tomorrow’s departure.

We are looking forward to seeing you all again and are thankful for safe travels thus far. Keep us in your thoughts as we make our way home. When picking up tomorrow night, please meet us either on the other side of security on the second floor or in baggage claim on the first floor. If you sent extra money that should be returned to you, please see Mr. Supri at the airport. If you sent extra medicine, please see Mrs. Denney at the airport. Our flight is scheduled to arrive in Birmingham at 8:25 p.m. Please ensure you arrive in time to be IN the airport 10 minutes before this time.

Until tomorrow…good night all!

Our group on Thomas Jefferson's back porch

Katie took down Alexander for surprising her with a snowball!

Ranger Water talks to the students in front of the remaining portion of the oldest church in America.

On your mark, get set, GO! I feel like I just ran a marathon today – cross country, to be exact. The day began with getting 78 EXHAUSTED 12 and 13 year-olds to pack and clean their rooms and get their suitcases on the buses by 7 AM. In case you missed that, I will repeat. We had 78 seventh graders packed and luggage loaded at SEVEN O’ CLOCK in the MORNING! We ate a big breakfast and hit the road for an adventure, to say the least.

We traveled to Arlington National Cemetary where four of our students had the honor of participating in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. But, all of our students were the first in OMMS history to witness a full honor guard wreath laying as we were fortunate to have the Minister of Defense for Peru on hand with all of his dignitaries and security in tow to lay a wreath in honor of President’s Day. (He was supposed to have been there yesterday, but the weather forced the cemetary to close.) We were able to see the five branches represented with each of their honor guards, the flag bearing, the playing of Taps, and the military march by the honor band. It was quite a site to see, and I and the other chaperones were extremely proud of our students’ behavior despite having to stand quite a while longer than expected. Following the ceremony, some of the students visited President Kennedy’s gravesite. Mr. Denney and I had the honor of escorting Courtney F. to visit the site of her great uncle. It was quite an adventure to get there, and we had to hitch a ride back with one of the work trucks, but I believe it is something she will remember for quite a while. She also placed one of our red scarfs around his head stone as a token of rememberance from OMMS.

From Arlington, we went to the Smithsonian American History Museum for some sightseeing and lunch. The hike up to the Tomb made for some very hungry students and chaperones. We then walked down a block to the Natural History Museum, where we saw lots of bones and stuffed animals (the once living kind, not the cute and furry kind).

We ran from the Natural History Museum to the National Archives. We went through the room in National Treasure, the Rotunda, and saw the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, the Bill of Rights, and the Magna Carta. These would be the original documents, not copies!

From the National Archives, we visited the Washington Monument and played in the snow. From there, we hopped aboard our white chariots and rode to Thomas Jefferson’s Memorial. He was one tall man!

After the mad dash across Washington, we did finally reach the finish line – a 3 hour bus ride to Williamsburg where we are for the remainder of the trip. The kids were totally quiet the entire time (allowing for a little chaperone R&R) as they watched National Treasure and Transformers. We ate a very big dinner at Golden Corral, checked into our hotels, and we are now in for the night.

Tomorrow will be another busy day as we explore our new home for the next 2 days with a visit to Monticello, the College of William and Mary, Michie’s Tavern for lunch, and historic Jamestown.

While I will post a few pictures tonight, I must say that the majority of today was done with a video camera to capture the emotion of listening to a 21 gun salute, watching the changing of the guard, and seeing a student visit a lost family member for the first time. If your child was involved in any of these, I will send copies of video I took of him/her to you on Monday when I return to school. For everyone else, this will be included on the picture DVD you get following the trip. In addition, many places, like the National Archives, don’t allow flash photography.

Again, thanks for all of the positive comments on the blog. Until next time…good night all!

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PARENTS: Unless you tell us otherwise, envelopes marked “emergency money” will be returned to you at the airport by Mr. Supri. If you would like your child to have some/all of this money to spend, please call or text Mr. Denney.

Jefferson is a big name in history, but his statue is REALLY big!

Walking up to the Jefferson Memorial

The Washington Monument - standing 550 feet tall

Where to begin? I can’t even count as high as the number of times that I said, “That is the coolest thing EVER!” Yes, I teach English/Literature and have a fairly developed vocabulary. However, I was truly one of the kids today walking through all of these places. First, we began our day in the Rotunda of the Capitol where presidents, Rosa Parks, and other notables have lain in state. We proceeded to the very spot that John Quincy Adams sat and pretended to be asleep as he listened to the bills being proposed by his fellow lawmakers and formulated his arguments to either support or refute them. We saw the fresca painting on the ceiling that is 4,600 square feet in size and painted by a 70 year-old man lying on scaffolding. We visited Washington’s Tomb, which you should know from yesterday’s post is empty. In general, it was just very neat to see all of these infamous pieces of art and history that have survived more than a century.

From the Capitol, we proceeded to THE library – the Literature teacher prevailed, and all of your students got a little reading time in on the trip! Apparently, the Reading Room at THE library is only open ONE day a year. This is the room in which the famous scene from National Treasure was shot. Guess what – today was that day! In addition to being one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture I have experienced, I ran across something while I was searching through their directory. It appears that I know someone famous. It appears that Mr. Denney happens to be a published, copy-righted author of many songs (see the photo below). He, as can all authors in the world, can be searched for in the Library’s database to find the printed lyrics.

From the Library, we went to the Newseum. As a former journalist and a teacher of writing, I have to yet again say, “This is the coolest thing EVER!” I saw the original Gutenburg Bible from the very first printing press. Mrs. Polizos and I acted like kids with the original front pages of newspapers from around the world from every major incident in history dating back to Thomas Paine’s Common Sense publication – Kennedy’s assassination, the Challenger explosion, Nixon’s resignation, Armstrong’s walk on the moon, Jackie Robinson’s first game, the Stock Market crash, the Hindenburg disaster, and on, and on, and on. I was truly in journalist heaven! The kids enjoyed seeing some of the memorabilia from their time with the three story 9/11 exhibit. They were also treated to a 4D movie about major events in history and the journalists that covered them. What an experience!

We also went to Ford’s Theater and saw the actual location Lincoln was shot, heard the story of the night, and experienced one of the most significant moments in U.S. history from our Park Ranger. He was not the most talented speaker of all time, but his tale was quite educational.

From there, we proceeded to the White House. The street was closed. So, we were able to go right up to the gate on the North side. The policemen joked with our group. We managed to get a few photos, and, again, played in the snow. We also met the “lady in the box,” who has resided in a box on the other side of the road since the Vietnam War, which she first came there to protest. You can Google her if you want to know more, but the kids got the story too. Ask them about her.

We next went on another night monument exhibition. Tonight we saw Vietnam. The kids got to learn a little about the artist/designer of this particular monument, the 58,000 names listed, and were able to pay their respects to the veterans who lost their lives. My husband actually found his cousin’s name on the wall. I won’t say this was cool, obviously an inappropriate adjective. But, it was definitely an educational experience for us all.

After such a busy day, we headed on to the Pentagon Mall for some shopping and dinner. We are now back at the hotel. The kids are in for the night and packing up to head out early in the morning for our busiest day yet, but it should really be another exciting day! Tomorrow we will begin with the wreath laying ceremony at Arlington, a tour of some of its more famous residents, and then move on to visit the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Natural History Museum, the American History Museum, the National Archives, and then drive over the Williamsburg for the remainder of our trip.

Tomorrow will definitely be a late night due to the decision to see a little more of D.C. So, expect a very late post. We are having a great time, and I certainly appreciate all the praise. I am enjoying reflecting on the day each night.

Until tomorrow…good night all!

Group 1 is astounded by the Rotunda in the Capitol.

Mr. Denney's listing

Funny moment of the day: Miller forgot his tobbogan so he had to wear the "fluffy" hat. He was thrilled!

OMMS on the North side of the White House

It is very tough to decide what the most important/exciting/interesting (choose the adjective you like) activity of the day is for me. I can tell you that Mr. Denney, Mr. Buckner, and certainly Mr. Supri enjoyed their all-meat dinner tonight at Malibu Grill. I can tell you that snow fights were yet again on the day’s agenda (see pictures below).

But, based on the title of this post, I’m going to have to say that seeing 78 students walk/slide/skate the ENTIRE length of the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial wins for the day. That’s right. Your darlings walked on water this evening and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Don’t worry, it is only a few feet deep if the water were to break, BUT the extreme cold ensured that it was frozen solid! Mr. Denney even took a head first slide across the length of it (intentionally if you can believe that).

Though the night was memorable seeing the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Korean War monument, the day began with excitement as well. Walking in three feet of snow, they were very well-behaved as they visited the home of our first president, George Washington. Mount Vernon could not have been more beautiful in the snow. I can’t imagine that anything could be prettier than enjoying a cup of hot tea on his porch and looking out over the Potomac (that would be pronounced Pot-o-mack to our kids). We toured the grounds, visited his grave, and learned lots of interesting facts. Did you know the home was actually owned by Martha Washington and built by George’s half-brother, who had courted Martha prior to George? This was followed by lunch in the food court at Washington’s home (he apparently liked Pizza Hut). 

We took a serious few hours this afternoon to visit the Holocaust Museum. It was neat to hear all the questions the kids asked as they seemed genuinely interested in how such a thing could happen. They were again very well-behaved and seemed to get a really good idea of just what terrors happened in this tragic time in human history.  

As I wrap up and move to the picture portion of this post, I will tell you that yet again your children are tucked in their beds safely and WARMLY! We have an early morning tomorrow with wake-up at 6:30. We will begin our Capitol tour at 9 a.m. with another busy day. We look forward to sharing more. We hear there may be some snow in the future for you at home too. Maybe you’ll get a very small taste of our fun!

Good night all!

Mount Vernon and just a little of the snow we have seen

George Washington had 9 bedrooms because he had so many visitors. I wonder if any of them ever had snowball fights!

Seena apparently missed that this isn't MOUNT Vernon.

We just arrived at the WWII Memorial.

We threatened being late to dinner and managed to get all 78 of them in a picture rather quickly!

When we told them they could climb in the snow, it really wasn't hard to get them all together for this picture!

Moms, your children are behaving well. They have been on time everywhere we have asked them to be. They listen when we speak, etc. The chaperones are blessed with a great group!

I’ve included only a few pictures tonight because it was a very long day and an even longer night, but I assure you the photos will be abundant tomorrow as we head to Mount Vernon and visit the monuments tomorrow night. Thank you again for trusting us with your children. We are really looking forward to delving into this adventure together!

Good night!

Thanks for the spending money - we purchased these cool hats!

So tired after a snowball fight and a good meal!

 

More information will be sent soon, BUT:

If you are sending/have sent medicine for your child on this trip, Mrs. Stone (our nurse) requests that you send in an extra 2 or 3 days worth of dosage in the (hopefully unlikely) event that we get delayed on our return trip home.

If you can bring the medicine today that would be ideal, since snow is in our forecast, and you never know about school closings. Today would also help us get it organized earlier instead of scrambling tomorrow. Of course, if bringing it today is impossible, then just bring it in tomorrow. 

Thanks!

We have rescheduled the trip for Saturday 2/13 through Thursday 2/18. Mr. Denney will email the parents the exact times of departure and arrival when he has that information. If this makes the trip not possible for any student, he/she may submit a request for refund through insurance but it will require a doctor’s note since we are rescheduling.

Students should approach the teachers to ask about any changes in makeup work. The responsibility is solely on the student for this.

We apologize for the inconvenience this is causing, but the credit goes to our travel agents, Barbara and Peter Alfinito, (Barbsgetaway@aol.com ) for reworking this entire trip and negotiating with the airlines and hotels for a change of 90 people in just a few hours.

PLEASE NOTE: There will most definitely still be snow on the ground. Parents should double check suitcases/carry-ons packed to ENSURE your child has warm clothes to wear on this trip! Please refer to Mr. Denney’s earlier email regarding suggestions from our travel agents. Students should be prepared to immediately begin touring upon arrival to Washington, D.C. Jackets, gloves, etc. should be in the carry-on, NOT packed in luggage that will be under the bus! Thanks for working with us and being such a great group. WE ARE STILL VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS TRIP!

We are watching the weather and checking in with our travel agent, who is scheduled to arrive ahead of us to keep an eye on the white stuff. We will not know flight status until we are within 24 hours of departure. We will keep you updated as we know more.

Despite the “snowmaggedon” in the capital this weekend, we are still a green light for Thursday morning. Baltimore is experiencing delays Monday only, but flights show on time after approximately 12 p.m. today. Businesses are closed there today, but only to give workers time to clear the streets and prepare for the rest of the week. We should not have problems with flying on Thursday or reaching our destinations. HOWEVER, you should pack warmly as snow will most likely still be on the ground. I’ve heard Mr. Denney likes snowball fights.

We are looking forward to it!!!

Eighty students and at least 80 parents attended the meeting last night! We got 100% of the insurance forms we needed. We are still missing contact information for a few. So, if you did not see Mrs. Polizos to give her your child’s cell phone number, please email her this information as soon as possible. We are really looking forward to next Thursday. Please review the packet and the checklist to make sure your student has all that he/she needs. If you have questions, email one of us or post to the blog.

Again, we are really looking forward to an amazing group having an amazing time! Only 9 more days!!!