Sisters students explore U.S. history

On May, 10 the eighth-grade students of Sisters Christian Academy, along with a selection of teachers (Ms. Halsten and Mrs. Commins) and chaperones (Scout and Kristi Miller, Carla Schneider, Eden and Kevin Miller), embarked on the trip of a lifetime: a 10-day trip to visit famous landmarks, museums, and the U.S. Capitol.

The students arrived in Richmond, Virginia, after an exhausting red-eye flight and then proceeded to visit the National Cathedral, a gorgeous monolith of stone and stained-glass. It is hallowed ground, where all denominations and religions are free to worship. The students spent the rest of the day at the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, where they stared in awe at the Discovery space shuttle, retired to the museum only weeks before.

Saturday morning was spent at Ford's Theatre, where President Abraham Lincoln was shot only five days after the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, and at the National Archives, which holds our nation's most precious documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

Next, they visited the Smithsonian Museums of Natural and American History, where they saw Egyptian mummies, the Hope Diamond, dinosaurs, Benjamin Franklin's cane, and Dorothy's ruby slippers, among many other treasures.

Sunday the group walked the National Mall and visited the Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Korean War Memorial, and newly constructed Martin Luther King Jr. Monument. It was Mother's Day, and to commemorate this, someone had left a copy of a letter at the World War II Monument: a letter home from a young soldier to his mother.

"We were all deeply touched by this letter, and while the letter was lighthearted, reading it was bittersweet, because they had left the letter on the wall of stars, which commemorates those who died in combat," said teacher Deborah Halsten.

"Soon after this heart-wrenching letter we visited Arlington National Cemetery, where they were spectators at the changing of the guard, a ceremony that takes place on the half-hour in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier."

The most sobering three hours of the trip were spent in the Holocaust Memorial Museum, a museum and memorial to those who were killed by the Nazis.

Monday was the group's last day in the capitol. They spent the morning touring the Library of Congress (one of the most beautiful buildings in D.C.), the Capitol building, and the Supreme Court Building. The teachers and chaperones, as a special surprise for the eighth-graders, took them to the zoo for the rest of the day, where they saw lions, tigers, pandas, and gorillas. They then returned to the monuments one last time for a nighttime tour.

Tuesday the group left D.C. and headed into Virginia, where they visited Mt. Vernon, the peaceful home and sprawling farmland of George Washington. While there, the students watched a video on Washington's greatest victories in the Revolutionary War.

"During battle scenes, the floor shook, and at the section on Valley Forge, it actually snowed in the theatre!" Halsten said.

On Wednesday, the morning was spent at the recreation of Jamestown and the historic Jamestown site, and the afternoon was filled with a guided tour of Yorktown, where the students were enlightened about the time period by excellent guides and interpreters. The next day the group visited the stately house, gardens, and farmland of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, and the sleepy southern town of Appomattox, where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. The group was greatly enthralled with an interpreter portraying a Federal soldier who told of being there that fateful day.

Friday was spent at Colonial Williamsburg, the largest living history museum in the world, where the students met Patrick Henry, booed Benedict Arnold, and saluted Lafayette (all portrayed by actors and interpreters).

The very last day of the trip was spent at Busch Gardens, a little treat for the eighth-graders, where they had the chance to ride the famous Griffin, a roller-coaster with a 205-foot drop which catapults its riders straight down at an incredible speed. Some adults skipped the amusement park for a second day at Colonial Williamsburg which celebrated Armed Forces Day with fife and drum bands from across the country, a torchlight parade and fireworks.

The trip was organized by parent volunteer Carla Schneider, the third tour she has planned for Sisters Christian Academy.