Back in Boston

We have arrived!  Finally, we have reached Logan Airport in Boston after three long, tiring days in Washington, DC.  We did so many things during these days!  From walking around museums to taking pictures in front of monuments, we were always moving. The murder mystery, Shear Madness, 4D movies found in some of the many museums we went to, and walks around DC describing the stories of the many Presidents that have come and gone through the White House, will soon become memories. But these are not just any memories. These are memories that will last for a lifetime, memories that we know I we'll never forget. 

Even though we have had a great time in Washington, DC, we are excited to go home and see our families again, sleep in our own bed, and soon see our DC friends again at Walter Parker Middle School.

By Jane K.

Home Sweet Home

"Three days already? But we just got here!" Is the question that swims through everyone's mind. We have all had such a wonderful trip here in Washington DC and no one wants it to end. But at the same time everyone wants to go home and sleep in for as long as they can. Everyone is tired after our packed schedule during the last three days but everyone is having so much fun that they want to stay. But here we are, about to go back home to Reading, Massachusetts. 

The eighth graders fill the busses either half asleep or going crazy. A long drive to the airport awaits us and we all charge up our phones so we have a full battery for the airport. Almost everyone has used all of there data from the lack of wifi on the busses. Just about everyone is wearing some sort of Washington DC apparel or has some souvenir. There was even an explosion of candy.  

We finally arrive at the airport and check our bags and go through security. It took a lot longer than expected so we were a while behind schedule. Miraculously we made it to our flight on time after stopping at a store for snacks. We all waited to board our flight. It took a while to get our luggage but it extended our fun in the airport. After that was over, we went on the buses and it was time to go back to Parker for our parents to come pick us up. Finally, it's time to go home and sleep after our very tiring, long, exciting trip. Good bye DC!

By Emily C.

I Love Airports, But...

I love airports but today I hate them. After two awesome days of having fun and exploring new places, being in a airport is the most boring thing in the world. We got there on time and everything was going well. The lines were very long and annoying, but as long as we got to go home and see our family's it was worth it.

But then we got to security and all my friends got to go through the non-scary detective thing, and I had to go through the scary one that's meant for people who are suspicious. Then we got to the gate we had 15 minutes to get food and everyone was rushed. The teachers made us get our dinners from this random store, but we all got on the plane and that's all that mattered.

By Abigail C.

Peaceful and Respectful

This is a picture of the World War II Memorial. All of the columns represent a state in the U.S. during World War II, and the two fountains on each side represent the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It's very pretty the way everything is set up, and I'm glad that this picture captures almost everything in the memorial. 

I like how peaceful everything is. It was very respectful to everyone in the war. Also, we saw many photographers there, so we assumed that it was a very popular tourist spot. This memorial is one of my favorites that we've seen all day, and I highly recommend visiting. 

By Kailey F.

Life on an 8th Grade Bus

Obnoxious. Crazy. Fun. Bothersome. Snapchat. Long. Loud. Cool. Energetic. Exciting. Hectic. Relaxing. Squad. Smelly. Strange. Anti-social. Educational. Chill. Monotonous. Bumpy. Exciting. Wild. Chaotic. Scary. 

These are the words students participating in the trip have used to describe the bus rides we have been taking to get from destination to destination. Clearly, students have mixed reactions towards the recurring bus rides. Some students enjoy them, while others are unamused when it comes to commuting between places. 

What exactly does happen in the bus? Honestly, phones have been the number one way to pass the time. Whether it's using Snapchat, Instagram, playing a game, texting, or listening to music, kids are constantly on their phones. Otherwise, students have been passing the time on the bus by munching on candy or talking with their friends. 

In the end, no matter how students felt, the buses are a key part to our trip. Already, I have walked about 16,300 steps on Wednesday, 21,800 yesterday, and, so far, 15,838 today. If we had needed to take too many more steps than that in order to avoid the buses, it would have been impossible for our group to get as much done as we did. 

By Alyssa P. 

At the FDR Memorial

Entering the memorial, there were many quotes. "No country, however rich, can afford the waste of it's human resources. Demoralization caused by vast unemployment is our greatest extravagance. Morally is is the greatest menace to our social order," reads one. There are four rooms, each representing a different era of his presidency in America.

The stone walls and stone floors make the memorial simple but powerful. There were many places and statues for photo-ops with friends, and filtering through, concentrating on the memorial, were fun times with friends. The weather was sunny and not too warm, allowing everyone to be in a happy mood. We all looked around at the quotes and artistic touches, and payed respect to our former President.

By Sarah P

Vietnam Wall Memorial

We went to a lot of memorials today, one of which was the Vietnam Memorial.  These men are looking at the panelled walls that have carved names of the fallen US soldiers that fought in the Vietnam War.  There was a statue of men that are three men of different races that are looking at the engraved walls.  They were the original memorial.  

   

We had to get a name that was on the wall and had to find it like a scavenger hunt.  There were two walls.  Where they intersected was 1959.  The names went in order of their date of death.  Each panel is ten years.  Our name was Robert E. Putnee.  We found his name and moved on to the next memorial.

-Abby N

-Photo by Olivia B

Beautiful Remenbrance

After are delicious lunch we got to pay our respects to the people that died on September 11th, 2001, onboard the flight that crashed into the Pentagon as well as those that died within the Pentagon at a memorial today. 

While most of the students were born in 2002 after the attacks took place we could all feel a special connection and could really understand the pain and broken hearts that we left after the attacks. This was a truly beautiful memorial with a great design that honored every victim in the attacks. 

-Daisy C. 

WWII Memorial

The World War 2 Memorial honors those who took action in the war. The beautiful construction of the memorial really shows the importance of veterans, and the states of our country. Around the memorial, there are columns, each having the name of a US state. Between each column, there are chains the represent how the states came together to help fight their enemies.  

On a wall, there are 4,000 gold stars, each one representing 100 people who have died because of the war.  During the war, families would hang blue stars in their windows to indicate that one of their families in their house was in the war. Sadly, that blue star would be traded in for a gold star if the family member was killed in action. 

By Anthony D.

Celebrity Congressional Sightings

We always tell the students that "you never know who you'll run into in Washington, DC." Of course, they always think we're joking - that it's some teacher invented ploy to make sure they're paying attention. Well, it just so happens that we mean it.

Today we ran into Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) WA. She's also the Chairman of the House Republican Conference which makes her the fourth highest ranking Republican in the House.

If that wasn't a big enough deal, yesterday at the US Capitol, our tour was interrupted as House Speaker John Boehner walked right through the middle of us, splitting our group in two. It must have been minutes after he addressed the Congress to deliver his tearful farewell before stepping aside for new Speaker Paul Ryan. He said "Good afternoon" to all of us, and the Parker students clapped as he exited the rotunda. 

It was quick enough that no one had time to get a picture, but today we were more prepared when we bumped into Representative McMorris Rodgers. As we said, "You never know..."

Freedom Is Not Free

At the Korean War Memorial, there are many sights to be seen. There are 19 statues, shown in extreme detail, representing a platoon from the Korean War. After that, a black marble "wall" that bares the words "Freedom Is Not Free." There is also a pool, filled with coins, and another black marble wall with many faces on it. We toured the whole area, on the stone walkway circling around the whole area, looking at every part of the memorial. Lining some of the walkways were more black marble, showing words, phrases, and quotes, all relating to the Korean War. It was very interesting to see, and I hope to see it again in the future.

By Jack F.

Lincoln

The Lincoln Memorial has 13 columns for the 13 states that where here when Lincoln was President. The thirteen columns are around the outside. Also Martin Luther King made his speech here. He stood at the top, and in pictures you can see that people went all the way down to the end of the water on the other side. 

We found the Hawaii and Alaska plaque in there. On the left side you can see the writing that talks about the value of this country and how you have to work hard. We had about 15 minutes to look around and see the cool things and to take pictures.

By Jess L.

At the Lincoln Memorial

We are at the Lincoln Memorial There are a lot of people here to honor Lincoln as a President and pay respect to his death.

On the right side of his face you can see him smiling and on the other side you can see him with a serious look on his face.

By Ryan B.

Good Morning!

Good morning! The past two days, we've had a breakfast buffet of all different kinds of food, and it's been fun having the first meal of the day with all my friends. There's everything from cereal to eggs, and we're all sad to be leaving today. 

Beginning our day with each other and end it with each other has been a great experience the past three days. We're all so upset that it's over because every single one of us has had so much fun, even though we had to wake up at 6am to eat breakfast. We'll miss you DC, and your breakfast. 

By Kailey F.

Pats Win!

The Patriots were a big part of our Thursday night. The Pats beat the Dolphins...by a lot. After the Football game, we played on snapchat, and talked.

During the day we went to the Newseum, and my favorite part of the night was Sheer Madness. This was a very funny play, and it involved the audience a lot. 

Back to the hotel, we watched the post-game show, and after that, we even watched the game highlights, since we missed the first half and much of the third quarter. Overall, this is a good ending to the second day in D.C. 

By Jack F.

The White House

At night the White House in Washington, D.C. looks different. You can see the lights in the sides. Also the lady said they had people with guns in the top.  During this picture we where looking at the White House and talking pictures in front.

When the White House was built, it was supposed to be like a normal house. That is why it is not as big as a king's house. You could walk up to the gate and look through and see the lights shine through the windows.

By Jess L

A Night at the Theater

Our last stop tonight on day two of DC is the play Sheer Madness! Pre-play all the buses are filled with excitement as we drive from The White House to the famous Kennedy Center. 

Suspense filled the theater during the whole show. After meeting the four subjects and two police officers. We were full of questions that would soon all be answered by the subjects themselves. Everyone found the show both hilarious and suspenseful. The best part of the show was that we got to chose who's guilty. Whatever we say they act! 

-Daisy C.

Touring the Capital's Capitol

At 2:15 today, the whole grade was just about ready to collapse from all the walking we had just done. When we first arrived at the Capitol Building, it seemed like we would never get a chance to sit down. After taking a large group picture in front of the building, we walked inside the visitor center, where we were escorted into a theater. We were all relieved to fall into those comfy chairs and learn a bit about the background behind our country's Congress and Capitol Building.  

The Capitol Building's dome is made to look like stone, but it is really made out of cast iron. This prevents the dome from caving in from the weight. Unfortunately, cast iron rusts, so it has become unsafe. This is why the Capitol Building's dome is now under renovation. Although it is not complete, the building was still quite cool looking. 

Our tour around the building was great. Our tour guide was funny and entertained us between informational tidbits. Did you know that each state has two statues of well-known figures  in the Capitol Building? Or that Pennsylvania passed a law saying that one of those figures had to be German-American, while the other had to be Irish-American? Our tour guide's language skills were quite impressive as well, seeing as he speaks 61 languages, being fluent in seven of them. All in all, I would say that visiting the Capitol Building turned out to be quite fun. 

By Alyssa P.

Wishing We Spotted Barack

Cameras flashing, kids yelling they see Obama and laughter all around. Can you guess where we are? The White House!! The minute they parked the bus, we ran for the White House, phones ready, with the chaperones trailing behind us. 

Shouts of kids yelling for their friends, and laughter fill the air as kids smile and the flash goes off. In between photo shoots, we looked for the president and his secret service, hoping to spot Barack. We had no such luck, but it was still just as fun!! 

By Bridget H.

Jammin' Out After a Long Day of Fun

After hours of sightseeing, walking, riding on the bus and having the time of our lives, we finally got to sit and enjoy a Hard Rock Cafe burger meal. Chatter of our amazing day fills the room, as music cheers our spirits. Drinks were served and hunger for a yummy meal began. 

After a few minutes, the smell of burgers, pasta, and chicken sandwiches filled the upper level of the Hard Rock Cafe. The up lifting chatter paused as we all dig into our meals. As meals were finished and plates were cleared the anticipation for another day of fun began.

By Bridget H.

Rest at the Hard Rock

After a long day of walking around, nothing is better than the Hard Rock Cafe. A fun relaxing place to eat and talk with friends. It is a very spacious restaurant with good service. 

It's a lot of fun to be able to settle down and socialize with people after a day of learning and walking. Everyone is having a lot of fun here. Hopefully the rest of the trip is as good as this resturant.

By Christian T.

A Wreath Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery

We just returned from our walk around Arlington National Cemetery.  We saw the thousands of graves where people were buried. It was an amazing and horrifying sight to see the rows of perfectly lined up graves, each engraved with a name, a person lost. We also saw the Arlington House, where Confederate General Robert E. Lee used to live before Ulysses S. Grant took over the property. 

The second part of the trip to the Arlington Cemetery was to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where four students did the laying of the wreath. Before that ceremony, we watched the changing of the guards. This was almost scary to watch because each guard was completely synchronized in each part of the ceremony. It was also amazing the way they handled the guns and walked in complete unison. This was a great experience to add to our trip to Washington. 

By Rebecca A.

Lunch at the National Gallery

Today we are eating at the National Gallery of Art. This is the second day of our trip and every kid is having a blast. The teachers are also seeing the kids have fun. Although there is a lot of walking during the day, kids love to hear about the city and see all the monuments in DC.  The food here is great and is filling up everyone to get ready for the next stop. All the kids are enjoying the food and the options of food. Can't wait to see all the rest of the museums and monuments. 

By Pat H.

Capture the Moment

This is a picture of the antennae on one of the twin towers.   It was recovered from the tragic explosion on September 11th, 2001.  This is one of the many very important artifacts that were in the Newseum.  In the Newseum, there was a running 4D movie as well.  It told stories of the past.  In one of these skits, there was the story of a man who fought against the redcoats. You could feel the gunshots as your seat vibrated, and smell the gunpowder as shots were fired. 

In another one of these skits, there was the story of a girl named Nellie Bly, who wished to become a news reporter.  In order to do so, she had to report on an asylum for mentally insane women.  Nellie had to pretend to be insane so that she would be put at this asylum and could report on what it was like. For ten horrible days she endured physical and mental pain, but it payed off in the end because she went on to become the reporter she wanted to be.  The newseum was a very cool place to experience here in Washington, DC!

By Jane K.

Buffet of Goodness

Breakfast had finally come.  Everyone woke up and hungry and was itching to come out of the room.  As we got closer to the breakfast area, there was a amazing aroma, as we could smell the bacon all over the 4th floor.  

Breakfast was a buffet that included bacon, eggs and cereal.  Although it was a nice buffet, many kids wished there was waffles, pancakes, or French toast.  The favorite of many people was the chocolate croissants .  Overall, there was plenty of food a breakfast and we are all filled to the brim.

By Chris S.

Thank You, Sheraton

Thank you Sheraton Hotel for all of the rooms. Thank you for the rooms for us to sleep in. We thank you for a place to rest our sleepy heads at the end of the day. At the end of the day we are very tired. We thank you for being able to put up with  us all these days and nights.
The rooms are great. Very big and spacious two queen bed. We have a big TV. We have some chairs. The bathroom is big.

By Sean C.