A Journey to Remember
Students Share Memories of Field Trip to Washington, D.C.
EASTFORD — Over the span of four days in May, Eastford Elementary School seventh- and eighth-graders experienced the culmination of years of fundraising — a field trip to Washington, D.C., that will leave memories that will last a lifetime.
From Tuesday, May 19, to Friday, May 22, students and chaperones embarked on the annual trip to national landmarks and museums, giving students valuable insight into the nation’s history. After the trip, EES teacher James Salsich had his students reflect on the trip, and those reflections were kindly shared with the Communicator!
The trip began with the long bus ride from Eastford to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, May 19. Upon arrival, the group shared dinner and rested up before the trip began in earnest on Wednesday, May 20. The morning of May 20 was spent at Arlington National Cemetery. There, the group learned about the property’s history and the notable figures buried there, including President John F. Kennedy. The group also visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“I really liked [the cemetery] because we got to respect and remember people who died in the Army or Air Force, and I really appreciate that we got to go there,” said seventh grader Mackenzie Lathrop.
In the afternoon, the group headed to the International Spy Museum, which explores the country’s history through the lens of espionage and intelligence.
For seventh grader Aiyana Reed, this attraction was the highlight of the trip.
“[The Spy Museum] was the best out of all of them we went to,” Reed said. “When we got to the Spy Museum, they gave us a card, and it worked like a badge for a secret mission.”
After the Spy Museum, the group toured several monuments, including the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial.
Seventh-grader Macy Haynes was particularly impressed by the beauty of the plants at the various memorials.
“One thing that shaped my D.C. experience was the plants it held and the beauty they brought to the monuments,” Haynes said. “One of the plants that we saw was the poinsettia. These plants are full of color and brightened up Washington. I mostly saw them planted or found around the monuments. I do not know whether they were placed there next to the monument to symbolize something or just to draw attention to it. I think it showcases how beautiful Washington is and how large the monuments are.”
On Thursday, May 21, the group spent the day first at the National Air and Space Museum, then at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Seventh grader Jillian Norman believed the Museum of Natural History was a highlight.
“One of my favorite parts about this trip was going to see the gemstones at the Natural History Museum,” Norman said. “I love looking at shiny things like gems, and they literally bedazzled me. The first thing we saw was the Hope Diamond. The actual stone was a deep blue and huge — the size of my palm. The chain was made of silver and clear, well-sized diamonds. The Hope Diamond sat on a pedestal inside a glass case, spinning to show every side, yet occasionally stopping so people could take pictures. There were more amazing gemstones as well, rings and necklaces studded with huge stones. Finally, in the last and biggest section, all the different types of gems and crystals were on display. Some were massive, the largest one being almost as big as me, and some were super tiny, but still gorgeous. I noticed one of the cases held so many different-looking gems, except they were all made of calcite. This was the most gems I had seen in my life, and all of a sudden, I wanted my own collection of tiny, sparkling gems.”
After spending the day at museums, the group headed to a Major League Baseball game at Nationals Stadium, where the Washington Nationals hosted the New York Mets in a 2-1 victory for the visiting Mets.
Seventh-grader Jacob Waddicor enjoyed the game.
“The game was exciting, and I got popcorn in a big bucket too,” Waddicor said.
Wrapping up the trip on Friday, May 21, the group spent the morning at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park before heading home. This zoo is known particularly as being one of only two zoos in the United States (San Diego is the other) that houses pandas — a fact that several students were excited for, including Chloe Minor.
“My favorite part of this trip was seeing the pandas,” Minor said. “I was very excited for this trip for almost six years because I knew that we were going to see them.”
After lunch, it was time to head back to Eastford, bringing the field trip to a close. After a day of travel, the bus arrived back at Eastford Elementary School at around 10 p.m. on Friday, May 22.
The EES Annual Goods and Services Auction is the key fundraiser in making the annual Washington D.C. trip possible for EES students. To get involved, or for more information, call (860) 971-1130, or e-mail [email protected].
The seventh and eighth-grade classes at Eastford Elementary School traveled to Washington, D.C., from Tuesday, May 19, to Friday, May 22. The group is pictured here on Wednesday, May 20, at the World War II Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background. Courtesy photos
