Post Trip Reflections

Every year I teach, coach and take students on the D.C. Trip I’m reminded more and more that my purpose in being there is far more than American history, football and some sights in the D.C. area. Those may be the reason these students come to me but my ultimate goal is to help them become better people and eventually the adults they would strive to be.  

It’s true that the annual Washington D.C. trip is far more than simply sightseeing. To quote one of our chaperones from last year, this is a ‘Lil’ trip. (LIL=Lessons in Life.) I like to think that one of the things the trip does is gives students a new lens with which to see the world. They begin to see there is far more to the world than their immediate community, day to day routines, school and we can’t forget their cellular device. Year after year I’m extremely proud of how well Oakview students step up to the challenges this trip provides. The simple fact of going sleep deprived is enough to tackle most adults but our students handle this remarkably well. There are many things about our itinerary which force students out of their comfort zones and year after year Oakview students not only take on the challenge but show great joy in the process. To see the looks on students’ faces and hear some of the comments during the trip leave no doubt that we’re doing something truly special. 

We were blessed with an amazing group of adults this year. We had more parents go this year than since we used to go during school. These parents took time out of their very busy lives and and paid to go. They were phenomenal and added a wealth of positive energy to the experience. I would be remiss if I did not share one such story. We did have a student who woke up Sunday morning with a high fever and one of the parents who was a friend of a friend of this student’s parents was able to take this student to the urgent care and make sure this student was safely in the care of this student’s family friends who lived on the east coast. This allowed the rest of the group to continue on our normal itinerary while making sure the needs of the student were ensured. That’s the energy that makes this trip so great and makes Oakview such a great community. 

A very special thanks to the Oakview staff members who were on this trip this year. Seventh grade math teacher Jackie Moses, Jackie’s student teacher Alison Winiarski and Mrs. Fuller’s student teacher Tiffany Smetnik were a fantastic addition. Their knowledge of the students adds in keeping things in balance. One person who has helped make this trip better and better each year is seventh grade social studies teacher Dan Steakley. Dan is truly my co-pilot in this endeavor. I know he’s doing a great job when I never have to think about bus 2. His excellent leadership and educational instincts allow me to devote virtually all of my energy to my bus and this is one thing that make the trip go so well. 

On our way home

We hit the road for home at 7:15. Chances are that we’ll be back to Oakview some time between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM. This has been a great group!!!

For those who look at this after the trip, we arrived back at Oakview at 6:03 A.M. I just looked at last year's blog and noticed we got home at around the same time. It's a wonder how well things go when we don't have to endure winter weather; however, even the group who had to stay one more night and didn't arrive back to Oakview until 7:00 P.M. and the other group who took 18 hours to get home and didn't arrive back until about noon have equally fond memories of the trip. Despite the year and the weather conditions we've either endured or been blessed with, I've always felt safe. Here's a very special shout out to Lakefront Lines for delivering us safely year after year!!!

Monday Afternoon

We spent Monday afternoon at Arlington Cemetery. After watching the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown soldiers, four of our students layed a wreath.

Monday Lunch

Today we went to the fish market by the Wharf on the Potomac River. The kids seemed to like it.







 

Monday Morning

We started themorning by seeing the World Wat 2 Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial and Lincoln Memorial.