Poland eighth-graders visit D.C.

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Neighbors | Submitted.Poland Middle School eighth graders visited Washington D.C. in March for three days.

A group of Poland Middle School eighth-grade students recently visited our nation’s capital during their annual Washington D.C. field trip.

The trip began with an early departure on March 21 from the high school, allowing students three days to see all of the historical sites.

On the first day, students arrived at Union Station, followed by a trip to the Grant Memorial to take the traditional eighth-grade photo. Other highlights included touring the Capital Building and exploring the National Archives, where documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are displayed.

Students also paid homage to the Lincoln, Vietnam and Korean Memorials before enjoying an evening tour of the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial.

The second day began with a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, so students could honor all those who lost their lives fighting for our country. After witnessing the Changing of the Guard, eighth-grade students Taylor Slattery, Abby Lea, Jillian Miller and Nicole Ruse laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These students won an essay contest on the topic of “What the Arlington Cemetery Means to Me and Why Being Chosen as One of This Year’s Wreath Bearers would be so Important to Me” Jennifer Mullally was the alternate wreath bearer.

Students also viewed the Eternal Flame at John F. Kennedy’s grave site and visited the Challenger Memorial. Later that afternoon, students visited the Pentagon, toured the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and had a photo opportunity at the White House. In the evening, the students rode the Odyssey Cruise Ship for an elegant dinner cruise down the Potomac River.

On their final day, students toured Mount Vernon and explored the grounds of George Washington’s home, visited the World War II and FDR Memorials, and made their final stop at Washington’s National Cathedral.