Islip Middle School eighth graders embarked on April 30 for a three-day trip to the nation’s capital. While in Washington D.C., the students visited Pres. Kennedy’s grave and experienced the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, to further understand the depth of sacrifice that exists in America’s history. The eighth graders also excitedly explored national monuments such as the Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
“The Lincoln Memorial is always a favorite for the students,” social studies teacher Christine Cabanas said. “The students also seemed to connect to the Vietnam Memorial because of its simple, yet extremely personal design, and many students have relatives that served.”
“I was so surprised at how much I liked the Lincoln Memorial and just how much bigger it was than I had expected,” eighth grader Jamie Uceda said.
“Visiting the Vietnam Memorial was really powerful,” student Jocelyn Covelli said. “Seeing all those names really put the Vietnam War into perspective.”
The Islip group also toured the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the National Archives and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. At the latter annex, they viewed thousands of aviation and space artifacts including NASA space shuttle Discovery, Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the Enola Gay, the Concorde and a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.
“Our students were in awe of the size of the space shuttle,” Cabanas said. “The massive size of the museum allowed everyone to find their favorite aircraft.”
Touring the U.S. Capitol Building was a special treat for the Islip middle schoolers.
“The powerful center of our nation’s government offered something for everyone,” Cabanas said. “The architecture, history and artwork impressed everyone as they walked through.
“Going inside the Capitol was definitely a big highlight of our trip," student Mia Oliveri said.
Another huge highlight for most of the students was watching the New York Yankees defeat the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards baseball stadium. It was a perfect night for baseball, and student Erik Kristiansen, who celebrated his birthday on the trip, enjoyed seeing his name pop up on the stadium’s Jumbotron.
“The trip was a true success and Islip students will hold these memories for a lifetime,” Cabanas said.”
Date Added: 6/5/2024