8th Grade Washington, DC trip 2013!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

PRESIDENT OBAMA is coming to University of Hartford this Monday!

I suppose President Barack Obama was a little bent out of shape that we didn't get to visit him while we were in Washington, DC, because he is coming to CONNECTICUT this Monday April 8th. Not only will he be in Connecticut, but he will be coming to the University at which I study, University of Hartford.

Here is the scoop. Not many details have been released, but I am sure they will spill shortly.
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Article found at Patch.com:

President Obama speaks on Gun Control

A University of Hartford official confirmed that President Obama will speak there on Monday, April 8.

By Jessie Sawyer (Editor), 26 minutes ago

President Barack Obama will speak at the University of Hartford on Monday.

This article was posted by Jessie Sawyer. It was reported and written by Ronni Newton.

President Barack Obama will make an appearance in West Hartford next Monday, speaking about gun violence at theUniversity of Hartford.

"He will continue asking the American people to join him in calling on Congress to pass measures to reduce gun violence," read a statement on the University's website. The event was confirmed by a University of Hartford spokesperson on Tuesday afternoon, and posted on the school's Facebook page.

According to the Huffington Post, the visit is part of President Obama's effort to pressure a "reluctant Congress" to pass gun control legislation.

Additional details regarding the time of the speech and ticket availability will be released no sooner than Thursday, April 4, according to the University of Hartford. However, the Huffington Post is reporting that families of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown last December will be invited to attend.

Check back with Patch for further details.

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..Interesting choice of timing, Obama!

Day Four: The Zoo!

After our last breakfast in the hotel, we made our way to the National Zoo for one last hurrah before beginning our journey back home. Each chaperone lead their group around to see all of the lovely animals, and watched the students light up as these majestic creatures went about their daily routines. What kind of animals did we see? Here, take a look for yourself!

Ali and Breannie pose with a picture of "Olivia and Savannah" next to these exotic birds.

These guys are clearly getting pumped to work on their habitat assignments! Each student chose an animal to study, and will work on a project to be turned in once we return from spring break! Even the Zoo can be aligned to our studies!

After the zoo, we trekked home with our bus drivers, stopping a couple times for sustenance and hydration. I'd say it was a pretty fantastic trip overall! Lots of memories made, and some hearty learning squeezed in too. Want to know more about the trip? Ask your 8th grader today!

NOTE: Make sure to check out the assignments page on the right hand side of the blog, if you'd like to stay updated on DC-related-assignments. Details will be available shortly.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

DAY THREE

Parents, Guardians and friends!
Today's DC Digest is ghost-written by our own, Grace Hinkley, with some additional perspective from Ali Nitowski.

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"Today we started with breakfast, which was originally was supposed to be at 8:00, but was actually at 7:00. Not too happy 'bout that. It meant one less hour of sleep, which we are all in dire need of; But that was soon remedied by a nice lounge in the morning sun, while waiting to be let in to the National Archives. It was gorgeous out, with just a slight breeze every now and then. After a while we passed through security (successfully) and headed for the boeing learning center. There, we viewed this gallery committed to capturing the American experience and printed a primary document to analyze. After this,

Pictures in front of the chilly Capitol!

we moved on to the rotunda, which houses the Magna Carta, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. It was amazing to see these legendary writings, less than a foot away. Learning the archives we continued to go on to a chaotic adventure at union station in search of some needed nourishment. After we had lunch we had our picture taken in front of the Capitol

building. Lets just say there's a reason most school groups don't come in March. When taking the picture without jackets these are some common symptoms: teeth chattering, goose bumps, chills, and being blown away by mother

The students do their best 'Diva' pose.

nature. Literally. When we bundled and unfroze we proceeded on our way to the Jefferson, Roosevelt and MLK monuments. Then came my favorite part of the day! Dinner at Medieval times. This dinner has had me excited since the moment I found out about it. I love the king arthur legends (sword fights, duels, jousts, etc) I couldn't wait! I was going to be a part of these ancient ways for a night. To top it all off, my team won and the red and yellow night chose me to be the queen of love and beauty!

Queen of Love and Beauty

AHH I was so excited.
I was given a tiara and a sash bearing my title, and a picture with the knight and princess catalina.

What a way to spend my last night in DC. I will never forget this trip. The amazing breath taking sights, matching sweatshirts, but most of all, the Kinsella family that I got to share my 8th grade trip with."
--Grace

"We have a queen. We don't need a president. We have Queen Grace, Queen of Love and Beaty. Grace was glowing when the red and yellow knight, at Medieval Times, handed her a tiara and sash. I was so ecstatic when she was pronounced with the title of Queen. A smile grew so large on her face that it was contagious, and I smiled as big as Grace. When he walked up after the battle I knew it was going to be Grace. He asked her, "What's your name?" and that was it. Grace long lives in all our hearts. This night could not have been any more perfect. Laughs were shared all night. Grace is kind, very pretty, and overall a wonderful and good Queen. Grace, Queen of Love and Beaty, shall reign forevermore."
--Ali

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It was another action packed day! Lots of laughs, and lots of "AHA" moments. We will be sad to go home tomorrow, but also eagerly anticipate the Zoo!!

Until tomorrow.

-Ms. A

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NATIONAL ARCHIVES:

Waiting to enter the National Archives.

Just a couple 'o friends

Samaj is hard at work on her guided note packet!

Gabe works on filling out his guided notes for the National Archives. The assignment was: Choose a primary source document and think critically about its format, appearance, and more. The students got their hands on some pretty incredible documents, from the constitution, to John Kennedy's high school transcript (he got a D in history but he sure contributed to it in the end.