8th Grade East Coast Tour (by Mrs. Janette Mattoon)

OH Say can you see… the Panthers in DC… 

St. Paul’s Lutheran School offers an amazing touring field trip to the East Coast, including Washington DC, Gettysburg, and New York. This trip brings to life the Social Studies standards in 8th grade. We travel with students and parents on the red-eye flight arriving in Dulles and we travel to breakfast and begin our first day. Sights include, but are not limited to, Mount Vernon, the White House, the Capitol building, Arlington Cemetery, Gettysburg Battlefield, the Smithsonian, National Monuments (possible 911 Museum, and a Broadway show in NYC) just to name a few. With Covid restrictions we made adjustments last year, but with so many outdoor monuments to see the days were filled with history and laughter and the addition of a stop in Philadelphia. 

Students and parents are engaged in an exciting week together that includes fun and fellowship daily, along with a running narrative from our amazing tour guide from American Edventures. Students also have opportunities to collaborate and solve problems with one another on this travel experience. They practice being flexible and taking responsibility, learning important life skills along with U.S. history. 

While this field trip is not free, it is worth every penny paid to participate as we learn more about our nation’s history through a Christian perspective. Our tour guide daily speaks of “the hand of God”. I highly recommend our tour company; they are not only knowledgeable, but they also meet the needs of our students, whatever they may be. This is a once in a lifetime educational field trip that should not be missed!