Just as our country prepares
for a presidential transition, in what has proven to be an extraordinarily
"lively" election year, our students are preparing to visit our
nation's capitol. Excitement is building because this Thursday, 43 ninth and
tenth graders will head south on an 8-hour bus ride to Washington D.C. Our
itinerary is jam-packed with activities to maximize our four-day visit. Some
planned highlights are listed below:
- Students are looking forward to visiting one of the oldest zoos in the country, the National Zoological Park, where we can view animals from all over the world. We are all particularly excited to check out many of the endangered Great Cats, the Great Apes, Amazonia, and of course the Giant Panda Bears that are on loan from China. Our National Zoo is part of the worlds' largest museum complex, the Smithsonian Institute.
- We will visit several other Smithsonian Museums including the National Museum of American History, the Air and Space Museum, the Holocaust Museum, and more.
- Our school is honored to have four of our students participate in the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Students will participate in much the same way that President Obama participated this past Friday for Veterans' Day.
- Students will also have the opportunity to tour the Capitol, visit Ford's Theater, travel to Mount Vernon (the residence of George Washington), and capture some photos of the White House.
- Demonstrating respect, gratitude, and humility, we will visit several locations honoring heroes in our nation's history including Arlington National Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and numerous war memorials.
- Finally, when visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, our students will locate the name of Paul Joseph Surette PFC. Paul Surette was a member of Holbrook's Class of 1964. He left for Vietnam on April 6, 1966, died just a few months later on June 29, 1966, and posthumously received a Bronze Star. As this memorial acknowledges, we honor his "courage, sacrifice, and devotion to duty and country." Ms. Gallagher has reached out to PFC Surette's sister, Alice, who has generously shared photos of her brother seen in this post.
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