An important element of our educational program occurs through field trips that extend classroom instruction. Our close proximity to our nation's capitol and to important historical and cultural locations, enables us to offer a variety of exceptional field trip experiences. Examples of those trips include:
- Performing arts field trips include trips to the Smithsonian, Discovery Theater, National Symphony Orchestra, National Gallery of Art, The Kennedy Center, etc.
- Second grade expedition to the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the National Zoo
- Pre-K fishing trip to Izaak Walton League Pond
- Eighth grade tour of Colonial Williamsburg
- Kindergarten studies agriculture at Temple Hall Farm
- Fourth grade trip to Mount Vernon
- Hands-on scientific expeditions to the Chesapeake Bay
- Fourth Grade trip to Philadelphia
- Third Grade reenacts a day at the Second Street School in Waterford
- First grade visits Skyline Caverns
- Fifth grades spends the day at the Challenger Learning Center in Washington, DC
- Sixth grade overnight trip to Baltimore for harbor excursions and museums
- Seventh grade studies US government by visiting the capitol and Senator's office
A detailed view of a recent field trip:
On February 7-8, the 8th grade visited Richmond for an English/History field trip. They visited the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to look at works of art and respond to them by writing similes, sensory descriptions, and haiku. An hour of bowling worked out the kinks from the long bus ride, and after dinner the students attended an "improv" show at ComedySportz. Actors improvised routines based on input from the class. This was followed by an improv workshop where students and faculty participated in improvisational acting games. The next day they visited the American Civil War center and participated in an activity with reproduction artifacts used by women, slaves, and children during the Civil War. The last stop was the Tredegar Iron Works, which produced artillery for the Confederate army. There, students role-played the duties of an eight-member artillery crew, learning how to prep and fire a Civil War cannon.
