Washington D.C. Field Trip: April 19-20
We are very excited to take our 8th graders on a 2-day trip to Washington D.C. Students on the trip will have the opportunity to see many different sites within the greater D.C. area, including Arlington National Cemetery, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Smithsonian Museums, and Presidential and War Memorials.
The $225 fee includes lodging, transportation, tour guides, admission to various sights, and meals with the exception of a bag lunch the students should bring for the bus ride to D.C.
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Thursday, April 19th, 2018
7:00 am- Buses arrive and begin loading at 6:30 am; buses depart school
11:30 am- Eat bag lunch (brought from home) before entering Washington
12:30 pm- Smithsonian Museum Tour-
Museum of American History
Air and Space Museum
Natural History Museum
Holocaust Museum (optional)
2:00 pm- African American Museum (requested)
5:30 pm- Dinner at Pentagon City Mall food courts (meal voucher included)
7:00 pm- Visit Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
8:30 pm- Check into hotel: Ramada Quantico: 4316 Inn Street, Triangle, VA, 22172 (Phone: 703-221-1181, website: https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/ramada/triangle-virginia/ramada-quantico/overview)
Friday, April 20th, 2018
6:00 am- Continental breakfast in hotel dining room; board buses at 7:30 am
8:15 am- Visit Memorials: Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson
10:15 am- Visit Memorials: Abraham Lincoln, Vietnam Wall, Korean War
11:30 am- Boxed lunches (included) from Harriet's Restaurant (436 11th Street NW) to be eaten en route to Arlington
12:00 pm- Tour Arlington National Cemetery:
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Changing of the Guards
John F. Kennedy Grave Site and Eternal Flame
Wreath laying (requested)
2:30 pm- Depart Washington, D.C.; fast food dinner en route ($5.00 cash included)
9:30 pm- approximate arrival at Rolesville Middle
Guidelines:
Big Ideas:
- We are going to Washington to LEARN and HAVE FUN!
- We represent ourselves and our school.
- We will show RESPECT for each other and the adults we interact with.
Do's:
- Pack ONE suitcase, ONE carry-on bag and ONE pillow/sleeping bag (optional)
- Pack personal hygiene items, like deodorant, shampoo/shower gel, toothbrush, toothpaste, and hair care products
- pack layers (hoodie, light rain jacket, etc.) to respond to the weather (sunglasses, a hat and a small umbrella might also be good to pack)
- Bring a camera or phone to take pictures
- Bring a little spending money to get souvenirs
- Wear comfortable shoes for LOTS of walking
- Bring G or PG-rated movies to watch on the bus ride
- Pay attention to the time and arrive at meet-up locations at the designated time
- Behave appropriately for each location (bus, memorials, museums, cemetery)
- Complete text message-based activities at each stage of the trip
- Bring snacks in resealable containers
Don'ts:
- Bring drinks on the bus that cannot be resealed
- Bring laptop computers or console video game systems
- Forget to pack chargers for electronics
- Bring clothes that violate WCPSS dress code
- Wear headphones/earbuds when off the bus, or when adults are speaking to you
- Run around or talk loudly in locations that require solemn and respectful behavior, like Arlington National Cemetery
- Let yourself get bored. Look at the sights around you and find interesting things to remember, photograph, and/or write about
- Whine or complain
Frequently Asked Questions:
Will I be rooming with my child?
Students will be sleeping in quad occupancy rooms (4 to a room), while adults will be sharing a room with just one other adult. Adult rooms will be located near the student rooms for supervision, but adults and students will not be sharing the same rooms. For a "private room surcharge" of $75, adults can reserve a room without an adult roommate.
Can I drive my own vehicle and follow the buses?
One of the most important responsibilities of chaperones is to help monitor students on the bus ride at our various stops. Additionally, car parking in the capital city is very limited and our itinerary may change unexpectedly, leading to many logistical issues with traveling in separate vehicles. As a result, we cannot accommodate requests for chaperones to drive their own vehicles.
Will this be an important learning experience, or just fun?
We are going to great lengths to ensure that students come away from this trip having learned a lot about U.S. history and science. Students will have tasks and activities to do at most locations, as well as a reflection assignment to complete when they return from the trip. Our tour company is providing professional DC tour guides that will narrate many of our walking tours and answer questions.
Will this trip be all strictly scheduled, or will we have some free time?
While we know that it is important to keep our entire group together (for safety and to ensure that everyone gets the same great learning experience), we also recognize how important it is for students and chaperones to get to make some choices. So, we have built in an open period of time when chaperone-led groups will be able to explore the museums along the National Mall at their own pace.
Will students be allowed to bring electronic devices?
Cell phones can be an important communication tool, and student devices will also be part of the tasks that they will complete during the trip. Student use of devices, however, will be prohibited during guided tours and at times when an adult is addressing the group. Neither Rolesville Middle School nor Holbrook Field Trips will be responsible for any loss or damage to electronic devices that occur during the trip. Students (and adults) will need to be responsible for their own devices.
Who will be monitoring students in the hotel at night?
A security guard will be present throughout the night hours to ensure the safety of students and adults. The cost of this additional security is included in the trip price.
What do students need to bring on the trip?
We will discuss the specifics as we get closer to the trip dates, but here is a general idea. The only meal that students need to bring with them is a lunch for the first day of the trip. They also need to pack the clothes and personal items needed for an overnight stay. Comfortable walking shoes are necessary, since we will walk 6-10 miles over the course of the two days in DC.
We are very excited to take our 8th graders on a 2-day trip to Washington D.C. Students on the trip will have the opportunity to see many different sites within the greater D.C. area, including Arlington National Cemetery, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Smithsonian Museums, and Presidential and War Memorials.
The $225 fee includes lodging, transportation, tour guides, admission to various sights, and meals with the exception of a bag lunch the students should bring for the bus ride to D.C.
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Thursday, April 19th, 2018
7:00 am- Buses arrive and begin loading at 6:30 am; buses depart school
11:30 am- Eat bag lunch (brought from home) before entering Washington
12:30 pm- Smithsonian Museum Tour-
Museum of American History
Air and Space Museum
Natural History Museum
Holocaust Museum (optional)
2:00 pm- African American Museum (requested)
5:30 pm- Dinner at Pentagon City Mall food courts (meal voucher included)
7:00 pm- Visit Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
8:30 pm- Check into hotel: Ramada Quantico: 4316 Inn Street, Triangle, VA, 22172 (Phone: 703-221-1181, website: https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/ramada/triangle-virginia/ramada-quantico/overview)
Friday, April 20th, 2018
6:00 am- Continental breakfast in hotel dining room; board buses at 7:30 am
8:15 am- Visit Memorials: Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson
10:15 am- Visit Memorials: Abraham Lincoln, Vietnam Wall, Korean War
11:30 am- Boxed lunches (included) from Harriet's Restaurant (436 11th Street NW) to be eaten en route to Arlington
12:00 pm- Tour Arlington National Cemetery:
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Changing of the Guards
John F. Kennedy Grave Site and Eternal Flame
Wreath laying (requested)
2:30 pm- Depart Washington, D.C.; fast food dinner en route ($5.00 cash included)
9:30 pm- approximate arrival at Rolesville Middle
Guidelines:
Big Ideas:
- We are going to Washington to LEARN and HAVE FUN!
- We represent ourselves and our school.
- We will show RESPECT for each other and the adults we interact with.
Do's:
- Pack ONE suitcase, ONE carry-on bag and ONE pillow/sleeping bag (optional)
- Pack personal hygiene items, like deodorant, shampoo/shower gel, toothbrush, toothpaste, and hair care products
- pack layers (hoodie, light rain jacket, etc.) to respond to the weather (sunglasses, a hat and a small umbrella might also be good to pack)
- Bring a camera or phone to take pictures
- Bring a little spending money to get souvenirs
- Wear comfortable shoes for LOTS of walking
- Bring G or PG-rated movies to watch on the bus ride
- Pay attention to the time and arrive at meet-up locations at the designated time
- Behave appropriately for each location (bus, memorials, museums, cemetery)
- Complete text message-based activities at each stage of the trip
- Bring snacks in resealable containers
Don'ts:
- Bring drinks on the bus that cannot be resealed
- Bring laptop computers or console video game systems
- Forget to pack chargers for electronics
- Bring clothes that violate WCPSS dress code
- Wear headphones/earbuds when off the bus, or when adults are speaking to you
- Run around or talk loudly in locations that require solemn and respectful behavior, like Arlington National Cemetery
- Let yourself get bored. Look at the sights around you and find interesting things to remember, photograph, and/or write about
- Whine or complain
Frequently Asked Questions:
Will I be rooming with my child?
Students will be sleeping in quad occupancy rooms (4 to a room), while adults will be sharing a room with just one other adult. Adult rooms will be located near the student rooms for supervision, but adults and students will not be sharing the same rooms. For a "private room surcharge" of $75, adults can reserve a room without an adult roommate.
Can I drive my own vehicle and follow the buses?
One of the most important responsibilities of chaperones is to help monitor students on the bus ride at our various stops. Additionally, car parking in the capital city is very limited and our itinerary may change unexpectedly, leading to many logistical issues with traveling in separate vehicles. As a result, we cannot accommodate requests for chaperones to drive their own vehicles.
Will this be an important learning experience, or just fun?
We are going to great lengths to ensure that students come away from this trip having learned a lot about U.S. history and science. Students will have tasks and activities to do at most locations, as well as a reflection assignment to complete when they return from the trip. Our tour company is providing professional DC tour guides that will narrate many of our walking tours and answer questions.
Will this trip be all strictly scheduled, or will we have some free time?
While we know that it is important to keep our entire group together (for safety and to ensure that everyone gets the same great learning experience), we also recognize how important it is for students and chaperones to get to make some choices. So, we have built in an open period of time when chaperone-led groups will be able to explore the museums along the National Mall at their own pace.
Will students be allowed to bring electronic devices?
Cell phones can be an important communication tool, and student devices will also be part of the tasks that they will complete during the trip. Student use of devices, however, will be prohibited during guided tours and at times when an adult is addressing the group. Neither Rolesville Middle School nor Holbrook Field Trips will be responsible for any loss or damage to electronic devices that occur during the trip. Students (and adults) will need to be responsible for their own devices.
Who will be monitoring students in the hotel at night?
A security guard will be present throughout the night hours to ensure the safety of students and adults. The cost of this additional security is included in the trip price.
What do students need to bring on the trip?
We will discuss the specifics as we get closer to the trip dates, but here is a general idea. The only meal that students need to bring with them is a lunch for the first day of the trip. They also need to pack the clothes and personal items needed for an overnight stay. Comfortable walking shoes are necessary, since we will walk 6-10 miles over the course of the two days in DC.