This October, I led a trip with STA that was one of the best I have had. I love being able to attend this wonderful trip with the students and see them experience it.

 

 

One of the things I love about the trip is seeing the friendships built. The students are able to interact with each other in ways they cannot at school and bring those friendships back to school. They create a special bond with each other that is not replaceable and not soon forgotten.

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite stops on our trip is Arlington National Cemetery, where students have the opportunity to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Our students have the opportunity to see some of the results of war in our country and see others model the importance of paying respect to those who have served our country

 

This year, our students were able to observe an honor flight laying the wreath after us. The impact on my students was amazing. The look of respect on their faces for the people who had served, and the questions students asked the adults, were irreplaceable.

 

 

 

After returning from the trip, the students spoke with those who were unable to attend. I knew the students learned things on the trip, but I had no idea how much learning actually took place. As the students retold their experiences and told of things they had not learned in class. Hearing about the things they learned may not have been the things I would have pointed out to them. One example of this was when we were at the FDR memorial, the girls showed interest in learning about Eleanor and her contributions to helping FDR. This even carried over from the trip, with students wanting to search out more details about some of the things they had seen.

 

This trip allows students to see and experience what they have learned in their textbooks. It plants seeds to help the love of our country continue to grow!