February February 2017
www.MoonValleyTattler.com
VOL 37 No. 2
Students take Trip of a Lifetime “Learning about the architecture and history of the buildings was sensational. I felt the trip was a tremendous team bonding experience as well.” – Bianca Meza “The opportunity to travel to D.C. with my peers was truly something I will never forget. This was a trip full of learning and gaining personal experience, as well as bonding with my classmates.” – Quinn Unrein “Considering I’ve never traveled anywhere far, this was an unforgettable.” – Tommy Tran "I never expected to be so emotionalmoved by the amount of courage people had to stand for what they believed in. The trip definitely opened my eyes." – Sarafina Botros
Four years ago I took Student Council students to Washington D.C. for Barak Obama’s second Presidential Inauguration. After such an amazing experience, I knew I would take the students to the next Inauguration. Those who went the first time learned so much about America’s history, and were greatly impacted by the trip. Many told me before they graduated that going to Washington D. C. was their top memory of high school. How could I not take another group of kids to have a similar experience? Planning began in May of 2016, and really kicked into high gear when school began in August. Going to Washington D. C. is not cheap, and I wanted to make sure every student council student could have the opportunity to go. Each student paid for part of the trip and then collectively we needed to raise approximately $20,000. Through many fundraising efforts, we met our goal just before we left. Each student attending was in charge of planning a fundraiser. We did restaurant nights, a car wash, video game tournaments after school, gained sponsorships through an online campaign, ran the concession stand at football games, planned a movie night and a kickball tournament. Day One (Thursday, 1/19) - The day started with seeing the setup for the Inauguration at the National Mall. We took a group picture with the U.S. Capital in the background. The rest of the day was spent visiting the Smithsonian of Natural History and the Smithsonian of American History. The students enjoyed both Smithsonians, and wished we had time to visit all six of them! We then had dinner at Dave and Busters with other students in town for the Inauguration. Day Two (Friday, 1/20) Inauguration day started off early. We headed to downtown D.C. around 5am. The lines to get into the Inauguration Ceremony are very long, so we needed that early start. It rained on and off, but that didn’t dampen the excitement of the day. Although there was a lot of walking, and super long lines, the day turned out to be memorable by attending the historic event. That evening, EF Travel planned an Inaugural Ball for all the students across the nation traveling with them for the Inauguration. The students had a great time! They had dinner, and danced for hours on the dance floor. They enjoyed meeting kids from so many different states. Day Three (Saturday, 1/21) - This was a very busy day. We visited the Washington Monument, along with the World War Il, Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean War Memorials. We also visited the Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials. The Women’s March on Washington was happening in this area during this time, so
BY MELISSA ZIMMERMAN
the students were able to see the first amendment in action. Day Four (Sunday, 1/22) - On our last day, we went to Arlington National Cemetery. This really affected the students to see how many brave men and women are buried at this special place. We then went to the U. S. Capital, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress for photo opportunities. We ate lunch at Union Station and then headed to the airport. We arrived back in Phoenix late Sunday evening.
I have to add that I was so impressed with all of the students who went on the trip. The level of respect they had for everyone we encountered (from flight attendants to wait staff to each other) was amazing. They did a great job of following instructions, and truly made the trip a lot less stressful than it could’ve been. Taking thirty teenagers across the country can be chaotic; traveling with that many people is a feat upon itself. But they were so awesome that I never had any concerns. I am so grateful to be able to have had this experience with my students. I am thankful that they gained new knowledge about our country and made memories that will last a lifetime. No matter how much I teach about the government in my classroom, it isn’t as impactful as being in the nation’s capital and learning about our country firsthand. I know all the students learned A LOT from our trip, and appreciate the opportunity to be by their side as they did.