Science Olympaid Visits DC: Day 1

Thanks to the generosity of colleagues, friends and family as well as several community partners we were able to bring this trip to fruition. Thirteen students were able to embark on this amazing trip. Not only did students help with fundraisers we held at school, but each student contributed to the total cost as well as took ownership of the trip. This ownership was enacted through researching the various sites to see in Washington, DC and then planning the itinerary. As were walking from place to place today, John said to me “You know my dad told me I am very lucky to be able to go on this trip? He said this is a once in a lifetime experience and you know he is right. I’ve never been out of Georgia before. Today was my first time in an airport.”

Here I will attempt to convey our adventures of Day One in Washington, DC. Most of us, teachers and students alike, were so excited that we got very little sleep. Alarms went off as early as 4 a.m. today so that we could do last minute packing and eat breakfast before meeting up at the school at 5:45 a.m. Once everyone arrived at school, we headed to Hartsfield Jackson International Airport to catch our flight to Washington, DC.

We made it through security at the airport without a hitch. Only the adults had to remove their shoes as we passed through security because kids age 12 and under are allowed to keep on their shoes. Once we made it to our terminal and subsequent gate, we went in shifts to grab some hot breakfast from Chick-fil-A. While all of the adults have previously flown, this trip to Washington, DC was the first time for most of our students to leave the state as well as their first time flying.

Hanging at the Atlanta airport … so excited to fly!

Is it time to board our plane yet?

Our flight into DC was on time. We had a great experience working with AirTran. Not only were they very helpful and accommodating of our school group, but they enabled us to smoothly check in, board in an earlier section so that we could get the group settled. The service aboard the flight was impeccable. As we were deplaning, the flight attendances complimented our group on their good behavior.

After deplaning we wound our way through the airport to the metro station so that we could head to the hotel. We had originally planned to drop our luggage at the hotel and head out, but when we arrived at the Embassy Suites Hotel, we found that our rooms were ready. This enabled us to put our luggage in our rooms, take a quick bathroom break and regroup before we headed out to see the sites. The hotel rooms are beautiful and have great have great views of DC from the windows. It is conveniently local by the metro station and has a complimentary, healthy breakfast.  

The Smithsonian National Zoo was our first official stop in DC. Like many of the sites in DC, the Zoo was free. They were excited to see the giant pandas, Asian elephants, and a spectacular peacock. They loved the zoo and spent so much time there that our pedometers showed we walked around five miles!

Here is the entire FO crew at the pedestrian entrance to the Smithsonian National Zoo!

Checking out the birds …

This is how we kept cool at the Smithsonian National Zoo by standing under the mists. It felt GREAT in the 90 degree weather!

Lunch snuck up on us quickly, so we stopped as planned at the Panda Overlook Café at the Smithsonain National Zoo. The kids were excited because lunch is the one meal a day that they can have soda. However, we were pleasantly surprised that many of the kids opted for bottled water, PowerAde or to just simply use the water they carried in their reusable water bottles.

Everyone has a budget of $10 to spend for lunch and dinner each day. Students are responsible for ordering and paying for their lunches and dinners.

Our second official stop of the day was the National Muesum of American History. Mr. Roper talked to the kids about the Emancipation Proclamation which is the document that freed slaves in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Then we discussed the sit-ins that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement. Perhaps the most inspiring part of the exhibit was the actual Woolworth counter where a group of African Americans held a sit in, which aided in the fight for desegregation. We then checked out an exhibition about the First Ladies and their fashion. The display included dresses from Jackie Kennedy and Mary Todd Lincoln. It was interesting to see how both the wardrobes and roles of the first ladies have changed throughout history. In addition to this, we learned about the history of the Star Spangled Banner and had the chance to see the flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814 during the War of 1812. This was the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner, which was originated as a poem. We learned that it was put to the tune of a British pub song in the late 1800s after Scott Key passed away.

Entering the American History Museum …

Here are the students after we went through the Star Spangled Banner exhibit. Photography was prohibited in much of the museum so we have very few pictures of the inside of the museum.

Here is Mr. Roper teaching about the sit-ins that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement. This is an actual counter that was used during the Greensboro lunch counter student sit-in.

We had intended to visit several memorials near the National Mall after the National Museum of American History, but we spent more time than anticipated at the Zoo and Museum. Therefore, we postponed the memorials until tomorrow morning in favor of feeding the hungry masses.

For dinner we headed to the Union Station Food Court where everyone had the chance to choose from a variety of food vendors. Everything from Subway and Burger King to sushi and Taco Bell was represented within the food court.

Upon arriving back at the hotel the students began to call their parents to fill them in on the happenings of the day. During the trip we have the rule that the group members need to be “unplugged” so that they can enjoy the sights, sounds and people around them while visiting DC. After the phone calls home, they rotated through showers and spent time writing in their journals. The journaling has provided the kids with an opportunity to reflect upon their DC experiences.

We are looking forward to visiting The Air and Space Museum and all of the major memorials tomorrow.

Many thanks to all of you who have helped make this trip possible! Parents, thank you all for sharing your children with us!

Until tomorrow…