By Alyssa McMillan
As the school year was coming to a close, Schoolcraft students were preparing to go on field trips to zoos and museums, depending on their grade level. In their eighth-grade year, it was the biggest of them all – to Washington, D.C.
This year’s trip, organized as in the past seven years by their school’s administrative assistant, Shannon McDonald, takes place over the course of a week. Early on a Monday morning toward the beginning of May, eighth grade students—alongside their parents and the teachers chaperoning them—meet up at Schoolcraft’s 7-12 campus to board a tour bus and begin the long journey to the nation’s capital. Once the students arrive in D.C., they begin visiting some of America’s most important and popular sites. Over the years, students have ventured to the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, Arlington National Cemetery and even the White House.
A lot goes into preparing for a trip like this. “We have to make sure that there are fundraising opportunities for our kids so that money isn’t a problem, and everyone is able to go. We have to get kids assigned to hotel rooms, we assign bus seats, and we provide some snacks and make sure all our kids have bottled water. . .” McDonald said. “It takes a full year to organize.”
With all of that to accomplish on top of all the other tasks McDonald has throughout the school year, there is a lot for her to do. Why does the district organize it?
“We do this trip to get our students out of the classroom and allow them to experience the things they have been learning in U.S. history throughout the year and see them all in person.”
The trip to Washington, D.C. is more than educational. “A lot of the kids enjoy seeing things that they might have seen in movies, or they were taught in class,” said McDonald. “The teachers enjoy the trip—especially our social studies teacher this year, Mr. Schook. He loved seeing the kids experience the things he’s been teaching. Sometimes I think the parents enjoy it more than the kids. They get to make memories with their kids—which they love—and see things that they may not have been able to see before.”
This year was especially exciting for the students. Schoolcraft was selected for the honor of placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery.
To students, teachers, and parents who have the chance to experience the trip in the future, McDonald advises, “Definitely take advantage of it . . . I told this year’s eighth graders how much walking we would be doing and ‘no matter how tired you are, take a few minutes to rest, but push through, because you are never going to get to experience this with your friends again, or your parents with your group of friends. Just take it all in and absorb it, every second of it.’”
