Day 3

Girls
Today was the best day of the trip, so far! Mount Vernon was huge, beautiful, and interesting. We spent two hours there and could have spent two more! The historical furniture, buildings, and gardens made us feel like we were living in 1796. They even let the baby sheep run free across the grounds! The caretakers said that the babies always came home at mealtime. :>) The museum was neat because the items really belonged to George and Martha Washington. George’s teeth were not made of wood; they were made of an lead base with human and animal teeth inserted. We realized today that we have been visiting three states plus DC in this trip—Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. Each day we move from one to the other quickly and easily. On our way back to DC, we passed the Pentagon and saw the repaired section and memorial to the victims of 9/11. The memorial consists of one silver wing embedded tip up in the ground for each of the people who died on the plane or in the building itself. It was very moving.
We went to the National Cathedral next, and we learned about its history, famous visitors, and creative artwork. The gargoyles and grotesques were created by a team of artists over five years, and they are modeled after things they saw during that time—someone’s dog, Dumbo, Darth Vader, and many fantasy creatures. We also learned about flying buttresses, limestone construction (from Indiana), and the three private schools on the cathedral grounds. From there we went to Ford’s Theatre to see where President Lincoln was shot, and we learned all about what happened that night and why. We then visited the Natural History museum and spent an hour on the mall, enjoying the sunshine, having balloon-sword fights, and people watching. It was very sunny and warm today—a perfect day in DC!
We finished our great day with a trip to the Kennedy Center theater lab for a production of Shear Madness. It was a hilarious murder mystery, where the audience gets to help question the suspects and make the final decision on who done it. It was AWESOME, and we think everyone should see it. We can’t wait to go to the White House tomorrow! We have looked at it on every side from the bus, but we haven’t gotten really close yet.
Mrs. Medesi’s group finally decided on a name—Medesi’s DC Dazzlers! Everyone has done a great job of finding their chaperones, keeping track of each other, and staying together. That must be because we are Simply the Best!
--Samantha L., Rikki S., Hayley P., Katie C.

Boys
Today was a blast! Mount Vernon was a great place to get outside and learn about history. We were able to see the farm where George and Martha lived. We visited the wharf where he kept his boats for the Potomac. The museum was good because they had his teeth and hair. The Ford Theatre was next, and it was very interesting to learn why Lincoln was shot and how it happened. John Wilkes Booth had an open pass to the theatre because he was a famous actor of the time. He even got his mail at Ford’s Theatre.
We ate lunch at the Old Post Office building, which has been turned into a visitor’s center. The food court there was different because they gave free desert with the meals. The prehistoric animals at the Natural History museum were really interesting, and relaxing on the mall was fun. We have been doing as Mrs. Matzat suggested and doing nice things for people, like holding doors, picking up messes, and being friendly in the lines. It pays to be nice because Ryan F., Dustin M., Jesse T., and Jason G. received a big kindness in return. During the time on the mall, we walked to the Washington monument one last time. The tour did not include tickets to go up because they can only take small groups, but while we were taking pictures a man handed us four free tickets that he wasn’t going to use. It was AWESOME because we saw the best view of the city, for FREE! People are nice.
The day ended with the greatest play at the Kennedy Center. Ben C., Alli T., and Hayley F. were able to speak to one of the actors during intermission, and he drew a signed-picture of North Judson as he understood it from their explanation (we will post it later). They mentioned our school in the play as the school where the police detective learned all he knows. It was great to be in the play. Tomorrow is a long day with a long ride home at the end. We can’t wait to see the Holocaust museum and the White House. Don’t worry Mr. Lee, we haven’t lost Mr. Ransom yet, and Mrs. Matzat, the boys did not drop anything from the Washington Monument. LOL :>)
--Ben C., Dustin M., Jesse T., Jason G.

Hershman’s Daily Trivia—yesterday’s answer: 21 (as in 21 gun salute, 21 steps, 21 seconds, etc.) Day 3
Where did they take President Lincoln after he was shot, and why did they take him there?

Day 2

Girls
The day started early at 5:00 a.m. with a trip to a great breakfast buffet and Arlington National Cemetery. At this giant cemetery we walked for miles, uphill and down, saw a monument to the Challenger Space Shuttle, and watched the changing of the guard, twice. The wreath-laying ceremony was done by Lena G. and Ashlee M. because they had on all the “proper clothes.” It was a very moving experience because a hundred people were totally quiet and very serious while it was going on. The guards were super formal and did everything together—EVERYTHING! We watched the ceremony twice because it was so unbelievable. The cemetery was a huge garden with beautiful flowers, perfectly-trimmed trees, and almost absolute quiet. It was gorgeous.
We visited three Smithsonian Institutions—Air and Space Museum, American Indian Museum, and American History Museum. We walked from one to the other, through the mall (not stores, remember.) It was very far but warm and sunny. We ate dinner at a huge mall, with stores. :>)
Today’s clumsy moments go to Mrs. Dowell, Emma A., and Rikki S. because Rikki walked right into a large mud puddle on the mall—no stores, Emma walked right into an extra-tall, traffic cone, TWICE, as she was busy trying to talk, walk, and take pictures, and Mrs. Dowell fell in her closet! We all are pretty tired.
We got back to the hotel early (8:00 p.m.) because tonight is the only night we get to swim—no time on other nights! Having an AWESOME time. (Don’t worry Mr. Lee; we remembered your free stuff!)
--Rachel A., Jordann F., Hayley F., Alli T.

Boys
Breakfast was great! We had to get up really early to go to Arlington National Cemetery. We saw tons and tons of white gravestones that were lined-up in perfect lines no matter which direction you look. The eternal flame monument at J.F. Kennedy’s grave was sacred but smaller than we thought. The changing of the guard was pretty amazing because the guys don’t change their facial expression, no matter what! They guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in every type of weather! It was so serious that even Levi B. stayed quiet! LOL :>) After the cemetery, we went to the Iwo Jima Memorial, which is the six soldiers standing a flag into the ground. It was a lot larger than we thought, and when you drive around it, it looks like the flag pole is really being stood up—optical illusion.
We rode the subway into downtown DC, and the escalator going underground was the steepest and tallest anyone has ever seen—even Mrs. Hershman was scared and hung on to Hayley and Emma for dear life! We found out it is the third tallest in the western hemisphere. The subway was super fast, and going under the Potomac River was AWESOME! The subway was perfectly clean, not like you see on TV. The three museums had so many things to see that we could only see parts of them. The American History museum was our favorite because we saw the original Star-Spangled Banner, which is enclosed in special glass and gas so it won’t rot away. It is 30 x 34 feet now but was 30 x 42 feet originally. Some people cut off pieces for souvenirs long before it was saved for museum display. We also saw a bunch of stuff on Abe Lincoln. We even saw the masks and irons that John Wilkes Booth’s eight conspirators (new vocab word) had to wear until they died or were executed. They were never able to see anything or show their faces the whole time they were in prison, and one was a woman!
Our last stop was the shopping mall, and it had some great stores. With our food vouchers, we got coupons for the stores at the Pentagon City Mall. Brendan H. was quick to point out the maternity store for Mrs. Marsh, Arianna B. and Jessica H. bought mini pink and blue tutus, and Ben C. got a really great shirt with the presidents listening to iPods. :>)
--Ryan F., Brian Y., Ben C., Levi B.

Hershman's Daily Trivia--Answer for yesterday: Robert Schrapnel
Day 2:

The Honor Guard Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery use the same number for everything they do: steps they walk in one pass of the tomb, seconds they wait before each turn, and seconds they wait before walking again. What is that number? Hint: It is used in other military rituals.

Day 1

Girls
The bus was crazy and loud, but we had a good time. Levi fell off his seat twice when the bus went around sharp curves in the mountains, and Hayley slept with her feet in the air and kicking people in the face. Gettysburg was beautiful, and the size was overwhelming. It’s hard to believe that the stream ran red with blood and bodies covered that pretty ground. The Devil’s Den is a valley of boulders where the rebels hid with snakes. One of our first sights in DC was from behind a road block for the president’s motorcade to pull into the White House. First, there were twelve motorcycle cops, two limousines, four SUVs, and two large vans. It was AWESOME, and Mrs. Zupin thought that maybe Bo was coming back from the groomer!?! LOL ;>)
We saw street performers on the streets and pretty flowers on the trees. We finally figured out that the National Mall does not have stores. It has a lot of grass and some great military memorials. We liked the Lincoln Memorial and Thomas Jefferson Memorials the best because they are huge, unique, and explained the best things about each president. Our busy day ended with each group inventing a crazy name like the Marshmallows, Hershman’s Peeps, Zupin’s Gangstas, Ransom’s Raiders, and Dowell’s DC Darlings. Singing, while walking to the bus in the dark, was a great ending to our night.
--Samantha L., Ashley M., Lexi M., Kacie Jo S.

Boys
The bus ride was long and lasted forever, but it was okay because we ate snacks, talked to our friends, and built a tent in the back. We watched Remember the Titans and Evan Almighty. Quiet time started at 11:00 p.m., but most of us didn’t go to sleep until hours later. We stopped at Gettysburg first and visited many of the battle monuments, including the monument honoring the Pennsylvania troops. We were able to climb to the top of it and see all the battle sites from a distance. Later that day, when we were in Washington, DC, we survived the crazy crowds at Union Station food court, and watched tons of tourists rush to eat and shop in 45 minutes.
We met our tour guide, Bob, who carries a Spongebob Squarepants umbrella so we can find him, and who tells wild jokes. We saw the actual Declaration of Independence (from National Treasure), the Constitution, and the Louisiana Purchase document. We forgot to get Mr. Lee’s free stuff so we need to work on that tomorrow. Everyone took so many pictures that we have to buy new batteries and charge our cameras. Levi led two great songs on the bus as we ended our day at the awesome five-star hotel.
--Levi B., Jason G., Jesse T., and Brendan H.

Hershman's Daily Trivia--Cannisters, not cannon balls, were often launched from the cannons to cause more damage. Who invented the cannisters that were launched from the cannons at Gettysburg? (tune in tomorrow for the answer)

North Judson-San Pierre Middle School DC Bound!

Close the history books!  It's time to get out and discover more about the people, places, and events that have shaped our lives.  We're heading to Washington, DC.  

Forty-Seven students and six chaperones will depart from NJ-SP Middle School parking at 6:30 PM this evening.  We will arrive in Gettysburg Wednesday morning at 6:30 for breakfast.  After breakfast we will tour the battlefield and then head to Washington, DC for a full day of touring.  Places we will visit in DC on Wednesday include Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean Memorial, WWII Memorial, FDR Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial.

How will our students feel after 12 hours on a bus and a full day of touring?  How will our students look after 12 hours on a bus and a full day of touring?  What will be our favorite parts of the Day 1?  Check out our Blog on Thursday to find out.  We hope to have pictures and entries for your entertainment and information.