Black Butte students working their way to D.C.

Black Butte School's seven eighth-graders and two seventh-graders are working hard to raise funds for their spring trip to Washington, D.C., May 2-9.

This is the first school trip to D.C. in many years, and upper-grade teacher Ethan Barrons wants it to be more than special. Their focus this year is American history, and Mr. B. says "this is not just about rewarding the kids, this is to create a lasting firsthand experience of our nation's history, and of course to have fun."

He adds that this is a great group of kids to take, they work really well together and he's excited to share it with them. After the students' PowerPoint presentation to the Black Butte School Board, the students were granted approval along with the board's commitment to pay one-quarter of their costs. That still leaves a hefty sum of $10,350 for the kids to raise to cover all their costs of flights, lodging, meals, ground transportation and tours.

Places they are making plans for include the White House, Capitol building, Library of Congress, U.S. Supreme Court, The Kennedy Center, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Smithsonian museums, botanical gardens, Arlington National Cemetery, Teddy Roosevelt Island, The Spy Museum and many monuments along the Mall. They also hope to see a Nationals baseball game.

For some of the students, just going to D.C. is exciting, Abbie Busick, an 8th-grader, says, "I hope this trip will be not only informational but very memorable too." Evan Palmer, a 7th-grader, adds, "This will also bring new experiences to us about the country we live in and our capitol."

A few students have been to D.C. before and are equally excited to go back; John Banks, Taz and Jackson Rheuben, and Kincaid Smeltzer all want to spend time in the Smithsonian museums and explore new sights.

Mr. Barrons and two parents will accompany as chaperones, but the kids need to do a lot to earn enough money before they can go and are already working at it: doing yard work, raking needles, stacking wood, and they are available for yard work after school or on weekends. They would greatly appreciate your support in helping them earn their way to D.C.

Contact Ethan Barrons at [email protected] or Peggy Rheuben at [email protected] for more information. Contact Wendy von Kalinowski at [email protected] to schedule a work party in your yard.