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Ray students in Washington, DC, pose in front of the country’s most famous House. Jennifer Cude | Submitted
Did you know that our nation’s first president, George Washington, never lived in the White House? Did you know that the designer of the Vietnam War Memorial, Maya Lin, was only 21 when she designed the monument?
Students from Ray Junior Senior High School learned these interesting facts, plus many more on their trip to Washington, D.C. last week. Accompanied by junior high social studies teacher, Jennifer Cude, 19 students and 4 parents traveled to D.C. for 5 days and took in a rigorous itinerary of historic monuments, museums and government buildings.
Upon arriving in D.C., students went directly to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and finished out the day at the ‘big three’ monuments, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. On day two, the students went to Arlington National Cemetery, where they encountered among many beautiful sites, a statue dedicated to the memory of General Steven Watts Kearny, and of course took a picture with him! Next they headed to the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, the National Cathedral, which was awe-inspiring, and National Zoo, for a quick look at the pandas. Students rounded out the evening with a very unique U.S. Military pass and review performance at Fort Myer called “Twilight Tattoo,” which was a tribute to the U.S. military from the Revolutionary War to present day.
Day three included even more excellent experiences for Ray students. Ford’s Theater was the first stop on the itinerary. It was here that President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. Students also got to see the bed and room in which Lincoln died. After a photo stop in front of the White House, the next stop was the National Archives, where the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are housed. It was particularly moving to see such important documents in person! From there students headed to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Some highlights of that stop were the First Ladies’ inaugural dresses and the WWII exhibit. The tour ended with the Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial – all very beautiful and meaningful structures.
Day four was no less packed with the first stop being Mt. Vernon, Washington’s home in Virginia – this is where he lived while he was president, because there was no White House at that time in history. It was a truly beautiful place to tour. After the morning spent there, students continued on to the U.S. Capitol for a tour, which was fascinating, and students were able to remember many facts about our nation’s government from school. Next they stopped by the Supreme Court for a photo opportunity, and the World War II monument, before heading on to a ride to the top of the Washington Monument – that was breath-taking. Students were amazed at what 555ft in the air feels like!
The final day of the tour was inspiring. Students started with a visit to the Library of Congress, which contains Thomas Jefferson’s personal library and the Gutenberg Bible, which was printed in the 1450s in Europe. The next stop was the Holocaust Museum – an incredibly sobering look at the atrocities committed against European Jews. The day of touring was finished by a quick visit to the National Air and Space Museum before they headed to the airport for the trip home.
The students from Ray, the parents who went along and Mrs. Cude had an excellent time and agreed that this experience would benefit our students both academically as well as personally. Everyone hopes to visit Washington, D.C. again someday and all the travelers want to express their thanks and appreciation to the businesses, parents and individuals of the Kearny area who donated money, gifts and time to making this amazing trip possible.
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