A Big Thanks to our Guardian Angels

One neat aspect of this trip was the tangible guardian support for us and the kids while on the trip. Some of you sent positive comments via text, or email, or commented on the site. Others sent those words of encouragement through your kids.

I'm sure I'll forget someone significant, but offhand two families stand out for their contributions. The first is Andrew's mom, who took the time to home-bake dozens of cookies and prepackaged bags of homemade chex mix for everybody. At first, it seemed we'd neglected to properly appreciate the gift, as we forgot to dispense on the bus traveling east. But in retrospect, that meant we had nourishment and connections to home just when we most needed them. We handed out the cookies on Thursday, soon after resolving the wallet-stolen-by-Holocaust-Museum-employee ordeal. It was the perfect time for comfort food! And the chex mix may have prevented a student mutiny when they'd walked for several hours in and out, around and back-around, the 4th of July security fences as we toured the memorials around the reflecting pool. The kids were quite rightly hungry, hot and tired, and they needed to walk another few blocks for lunch. Just then we whipped out the chex mix and that gave them the needed fuel to keep going. Kathy, thanks very much from each of us!

The other guardian support that comes to mind offhand is samuel's parents, who sent along enough ponchos for all of us. Boy did we end up needing them. Once I get caught up on uploading pics and vids, you'll see just what I mean.

Till next time...

What A Difference A Day Makes.

I wonder if we should have a contest to see who slept the most once back at home? If we did, I think I've got good chances of winning: In the 24 hours from 7AM yesterday till 7AM this morning, I slept about 19 or 20 hours. And man did it feel good.

Now I'm working on the regular post-trip stuff: laundry, unpacking, etc. I started sorting through pics today and hope to put a bunch more up on flickr tomorrow morning. I also plan in the upcoming days to post more complete descriptions of the last couple days and upload more video to YouTube.

Tomorrow would also be a handy time for me to deliver the many unclaimed items off the bus. I've got a bag of souvenirs that belongs to Paige, a soccer ball of Nina's, a sweatshirt of Alexis' and a plastic gun with electrical tape of Eric's. But there are other items that I don't know who they belong to: A pillow with red/burgundy cover, a number of mp3 headphones, a pair of sunglasses and more. Email me at acowells@yahoo.com or call me if you think I have something of yours.

Short Saturday Morning Update

1. We made it back safe and sound to the hotel last night at close to midnight.
2. At this point, I've been unable to work out with the bus company a way to arrive later tomorrow at CJHS, so unless you hear otherwise today we need you to be at CJHS by 6AM.
   
3. Who knows what I'll be able to throw up on the blog today; I'll see what I can do. Thanks to those of you who sent words of support and appreciation. For those of you who were expecting more, all I can say is that we've done a far better job of keeping posting pics and videos to the web during the trip than either of the past two years. Keep an eye out for updates in the next week or two. We've got hundreds of pics and plenty more video footage to sift through and post.

What a week it's been! I look forward to reflecting and posting more about it. Right now, though, I've got to get my room cleaned up so I can supervise as the kids pack for the ride home.

Stay tuned...

Quick July 4 mid-day update

4PM: This day is always unpredictable, but despite the unexpected hurdles that we've encountered along the way it's unfolding nicely thus far. We'd planned to let the kids sleep in today; that was a good choice -- they needed it. And then we ran 'em hard. Vietnam Memorial, then Lincoln, then Korea, then W. W. II Memorial. What would normally have been a lot of walk was on this holiday a killer amount of walking because of all the extra security fences that we had to walk around. And we're lugging around tarps and blankets for tonight. But the kids have been troopers.

The rain is holding off, for now at least. But the clouds look ominous. Not sure how it's gonna play out but rain hasn't hurt our experience the last two years, so we're crossing our fingers. The kids are finishing a late, late lunch and now re-gathering around the camp we've set up.

Weatherholt has done a magnificent job of collecting video reflections from students along the way. They should be embedded as a playlist below, but just in case that doesn't load for you, here's the link.

Thursday Highlights

1. Starting by taking the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument, which is tends to be a part of the trip the kids enjoy.
2. Then headed over to the Holocaust Museum. Certainly not what I'd call super enjoyable for the kids, but that's the point, isn't it? At this age I think we're still mostly planting seeds; perhaps a few were able to absorb a decent amount of the horror, but most got just a taste of it and that's fine by me. They still have plenty of time to realize just how bad humans can be; and we were impressed and appreciative of how well behaved they were.
3. Just as we were leaving, the day took a turn into the surreal: One of our students had his wallet stolen by -- of all people -- an employee of the museum. It's a long story and in the end the details don't matter as the museum supervisors and security were terrifically helpful and apologetic and in the end were able get our young man his wallet back. But the bizarreness of the situation came through in a couple ways:
   

sorry, ran out of time (really, didn't intend to leave you hanging. if it weren't for all the kids on the trip, i'd have plenty of time to keep a splendid blog). i uploaded a bunch of pics from the washington monument here. To see the most recent pics, click on pages 4 and 5 down near the bottom of the page.

Wednesday Summary in Quick Fragments

7:45 = Departed hotel, headed for Arlington
8:30- 11:20 = Laying of wreath at Tomb of the Unknown, then split into two groups. Weathholt & Meagher & 30 kids visit many sites, including Challenger Memorial, Audey Murphy gravesite & JFK grave site. Jones & Cowells and rest of kids see JFK grave site, President/Chief Justice of SCOTUS Taft's grave, and visit Mrs. Schoenherr's grandparents' grave site where kids kids lay flowers.
11:20 = kids hot and tired of walking.
11:30 = bus won't start.
11:45 = bus jumped and starting
12:10 = lunch at Union Station
1PM = designated time to leave for Capitol Building tour. Where are Sam H & Preston M? Weatherholt stays behind to scoop them up, rest of teachers hurry with kids for scheduled tours.
1:20, 1:25 = divided into two groups to tour Capitol. Sam, Preston & Weatherholt run and just barely make it. Cowells promises to deal with the boys later.
1:20-3PM = Tour of Capitol Building. Always before were led by congressional staffers, this time had to take Red Coat tour. It's okay. Do have gallery tickets, though - teachers happy to show kids where State of the Union speech is given and so much important legislation is passed or voted down. Kids keep asking, "Why are we looking at this big empty room?"
Chaperones growl. Kids growl back.
3PM = All assembled on west side of Capitol Building ( where new pres. will take inaugural oath in January). All are hot. And thirsty. Kids keep hinting, "Are we going back to the hotel now?"
3:05PM = Chaperones huddle. Consider giving the kids a refreshing afternoon at hotel pool, but realize that hot days are still to come this week and the kids can't think we'll head back every afternoon. Veto hotel idea.
3:20PM = Cowells makes Preston M. and Sam H. stand on a sidewalk line in the sun. Kyle B & Brodie K say Cowells is softie. Cowells growls.
3:15PM = Offer kids a quick trip back to Union Station for cold drink break. All happy, and soon all are refreshing at Union Station.
4:30PM = Time to hurry from Union Station to Supreme Court building. Cowells psyches kids out on the way by saying they have to hurry for (non-existent) formal lecutre. Kids groan, but move with good speed.
5PM = Cowells makes "deal" with kids -- if they'll pay attention, we'll "skip the formal lecture" and instead he'll give quick lecture in shade. Kids take deal, pay attention. All happy.
5:20PM. Group tries to re-connect with bus to get ride over to FDR Memorial. Much of downtown DC fenced and blocked off for 4th of July fireworks. Some walking in circles. Some groaning. But soon everybody boards bus.
Traffic over to FDR Memorial is slow. Cowells growls that they could've walked the 2 1/2 miles faster. Kids groan, except Kyle B & Brodie K who again call Cowells a softie.
5:45-6:30PM = Relaxed tour of FDR Memorial. Kids like shade and waterfalls. Most happy. Kevin B. asks if they can stay longer. But soon growling stomachs reign supreme and all board bus for ride to neighborhood called Dupont Circle for dinner and Gandhi statue and bocce ball with Cowells' bro-in-law and sister.
7:10PM = Arrive Dupont Circle, everybody scatters for dinner.
8-9PM = Most start drifting back in the circle, all enjoying themselves.Meals for adults take FOREVER. Eventually, decide to abandon meals to continue evening plans. All enjoying fun people-watching in Dupont Circle.
9:45PM = Adults decide to push back rendezvous time to 10PM; after all, bus ride back to hotel will be short this late at night. Cowells' cell dies.
All happy. Several kids say they want to move to Washington, DC.
10PM = Back on bus for return to hotel.
10:15PM = Stopped in standstill traffic. Kids still happy. Chaperones tired; start transferring pics from cameras to laptops.
10:45PM = Get through traffic jam.
11:20PM = Arrive back hotel. Kids pretty good about getting settled down.
11:45PM = Chaperones work upload over 100 pics to photo set here, realize that some kids have done terrific job of hiding from the camera. Wonder how many angry parent emails will arrive tomorrow. Go to bed, promising to capture those kids on film tomorrow.
12:20AM = Shayne, Sam, Brodie & Preston M knock on adjoining wall to Cowells' room.
Cowells growls.

All happy.

Link to pics

I'm not usually the kind of person who says things like "I love to sleep!" Most of the time, I'd rather be getting something accomplished. But, man oh man, do I feel better after a few hours sleep in a bed.
Quick word before we head out to Arlington: I noticed that some of the pics I thought I'd uploaded on the blog yesterday aren't showing up today -- no clue what's going on there. But it's besides the point, as I won't have time to put them all on the blog, anyway. Perhaps you've noticed the slideshow coming through (hopefully) on the left of your screen? You can go directly to that cache of DC08 photos on my flickr account, here. Here's a sample of yesterday's shots.

9:10PM. All safe...

... here at the Comfort Inn, though not exactly quiet, yet, despite my most diligent efforts. It's amazing to me how the same phenomenon happens every year: Thanks to the lack of sleep on the bus, all day the kids are dragging and weary. One told me today that if he had to take another step his feet would fall off. I'm afraid my reaction disappointed him -- I said that would be interesting. Anyway, no matter how exhausted they are throughout the day, and no matter how sincere their intentions to sleep tonight, once their feet hit the hotel carpet it's like throwing a bunch of jumping beans into a jar. I've been trying to keep the lid on that jar the last couple hours. I think maybe things have finally settled down, but I don't want to jinx it by actually relaxing. Not yet, anyway.


This morning they seemed especially tired compared to prior years; I'm not sure if we actually got that much less sleep or if I was simply imagining the difference. For the most part, they fought off the fatigue and managed pretty well at Gettysburg. The first hour was a too-much-info-too-fast and that was especially hard as we all struggled to stay focused and awake. The second hour provided for some fun exploring of some of the memorials and battlegrounds.

Then we drove into DC. Our lunch today was one of the (regrettable, in my opinion) times when we were scheduled to eat in a shopping mall. Maybe I was mistaken, but it seemed to me that the kids did a better job than past years of controlling their spending when they walked around after eating.

After that we drove to the National Cathedral, where we split into three groups because we chaperones thought that would allow for more meaningful and interactive touring. It worked pretty well, until I got a serious dressing down by one of the staffers for breaking the rules (we hadn't meant to do so, though in retrospect I see why they were upset that we weren't going through as one big group).

Following the Cathedral, we spent the next couple of hours in various smaller groups of the kids' choosing. Some opted to skip the National Zoo and headed straight for the neighborhood of Adams Morgan, where they chose from a number of different dinner venues. Other groups chose first to spend some time at the zoo, then they headed out for supper. We four chaperones stayed spread out in the two areas, trying to be as accessible and helpful as possible. Cell phones sure are handy (until mine died, anyway). According to some of the kids, my skills as a cartographer are a bit limited. I contend that it's their map reading skills (and text reading skills) that were lacking. Anyway, whereas I had typed "go downhill," they had instead headed uphill, ending up on the opposite side of the zoo, but between our cell conversations and some competent re-routing on their side, they managed to find an alternate route and soon joined the rest of us in Adams Morgan. It was neat to see a number of kids try to stretch their boundaries beyond national chains when eating dinner. I don't recall offhand who all ate where, but I do know that Collin, Samuel, Nikki and Nikohl all tried falafel (and I think all liked it). We'd seen the same adventuresome spirit today at lunch when Josh, Kyle, Rob and Jim tried sushi.

I know that the other chaperones and I got some great pictures and videos today. I'm too tired to upload them now, but will do so tomorrow or as soon as possible. Tomorrow is our earliest day of the week -- we'll leave the hotel by 7:45AM and head to Arlington Nat'l Cemetary. In the afternoon we'll tour the Capitol building and hit some memorials before spending the evening in Dupont Circle, playing outdoor games like bocce ball. One of the draws for us to Dupont Circle is the statue of Gandhi just a couple blocks away. Since that was a pretty meaningful part of the curriculum for a number of the kids when they were in seventh grade, I'm looking forward to spending some time with them there.

Hopefully we'll get pics up soon. Right now I'm going to cross my fingers than the quiet will last a while and start getting ready for bed.

Till next time...

Time for the first big stop

We got to Gettysburg about 7AM. It was not a sleep-filled night, except for a few remarkable souls like Andrew N. who were able to curl up and sleep. The rest of us kept complaining about the pain of trying to get comfortable in those seats (or on the floor, where several ended up). I promised them suffering on this trip, and we delivered pretty quickly.

The photos I managed to snap here and there didn't come out very well -- I think in my sleepiness I was using some bizarre settings. My bad.

We sang Happy Birthday to Preston J. when he turned 15 last night at 9PM.

In a little while we'll start our tour of Gettysburg. I was happy to see that we're scheduled to have Kavin as our tour guide -- we had him two years ago and he was really engaging.

Till next time.

Somewhere in Ohio...

... and we've stopped for a 15 minute break. I'd put up some pics, but the kids and I all left our USB cords on the bus. Sorry. But so far so good. The kids are kids. My $50 headphones that were guaranteed to "block-out-70%-of-the-noise" most definitely don't -- I wonder if I shoulda sprung for the $100 set? The kids keep saying, "Mr. Cowells, you look tired."

Ignore my woeful tone. We're off to a good start.

DC08 News, June 30: T-minus 23.5 hours

This will probably be the last email update from me. For those of you who haven't been on my list to receive prior email updates, I've posted the last two updates on the blog. Once the trip starts, I'll do my best to update it as often as possible. Last year I barely had time to update it. The prior year I did a decent job. Who knows what this year will bring?

Some final thoughts:
1. How much money should you bring? That's a tough one to answer. A minimum of $35 would probably be enough for the several meals you're responsible to pay for (most of your meals are covered in the pre-paid total, but there are a few that aren't). Add in some for a souvenir or two and you're looking at a number more than $50. We will be in some malls, but, for pete's sake, the point of this trip isn't shopping in a mall, so I don't think guardians should feel any pressure to provide shopping money.

As far as souvenirs go, I actually think photos are probably the best and most significant souvenir, especially if we can get the kids to take pictures of each other, rather than simply clicking away every time they see a marble building or statue.

2) It's perfectly fine to carry a small backpack or knapsack during the days. That might be a good way to lug around water, sunscreen, money, cell phone, etc. Feel free to wear a fanny-pack, ala Mrs. Richline. (-:

3) We'll be staying in the same hotel all week. Its contact info is here.

4) Those of you kids who enjoy jogging/running/serious walking should bring along shorts and a shirt designated for such sweaty endeavors. Fingers crossed, I'm hoping we'll be able to get in a couple jogs at least -- hopefully one significant one that includes the Capitol Building, Washington Monument, several of the famous memorials, and the White House.

5) Remember, you won't have access to your luggage underneath the bus until late Tuesday. Bring a carry-on with toiletries (tooth brush & deoderant! -- that bus is gonna be close quarters), and maybe a simple change of clothing.

6) Speaking of close quarters... the good news is that we're taking you to Washington, D.C. The bad news is that we're gonna be stuffed on that bus like sevies in the office on the first day of school, asking for help with their lockers. Not only will every one of you have to share a two-seat section with someone, but (worse, from my perspective) is that one of you has to share with one of us. And lucky me, I drew the short stick (remember learning about karma in 7th grade? Evidently I've got lousy karma...). Let's be honest: I'm keen on personal space, which means Hanes is safe; I'm gonna pick whichever of you hasn't been lucky enough to hit your growth spurt yet, allowing me maximum space (guess at least one of you has bad karma, too).

7) When you arrive at CJHS at 7:15PM tomorrow night, drive around to the back. One of us will be there to take attendance, and another will direct you where to stack your "underneath-the-bus" luggage. Keep your carry-on bag with you. Go into the cafetorium and sit with your guardians -- the first one of you that I gotta yell at to settle down will be punished by being designated my seat-partner for the first part of the trip. Well, if he/she isn't too big. (-:

8) It's a good idea to bring a pillow and light blanket for the bus.

Well, it sure seems like I've rattled off enough last minute info, but if I missed something email me back at acowells@yahoo.com or call me at 574-333-4673.

Mr. C

For a preview of DC08...

... check out the photos in the slideshow on the left (minus the roller-coasters). And maybe the videos will work, too. Sorry I don't have pics of more of you. Evidently the same kids sat in the back of the bus on both trips.

Where we'll sleep; where we'll explore

If I could put this trip together in the most ideal way, I'd be taking a small enough group that we could stay in my sister and bro-in-law's row house, which would allow us to get a more authentic DC experience (including metroing and walking our way around town, rather than in the isolation of the bus). But life is full of compromises, and that means in this case we have to stay at a hotel that's outside of DC, and isn't easily accessible to the Metro.

Our hotel is the Comfort Inn -- University Center. But we'll spend most of our days on or not far from the Nat'l Mall. Here's a map showing the distance between:

View Larger Map

June 28, DC08 News

Please note that it's most likely that updates from now on will be coming from acowells@yahoo.com. You might want to add that address to your email address book, to help prevent it from ending up in a spam folder.

We're gettin' close, and I can tell by the number of kids contacting me excitedly, even as my own sense of "what-was-I-thinking?" predictably rises as well. (-;

Several points:

Please arrive promptly on Monday at 7:15PM in the back of the junior high. We'll have someone designated for you to check-in with, and a spot picked out for luggage that will be going underneath the bus. Kids, remember you won't have access to that underneath luggage for about 24 hours, so keep basic toiletries and perhaps a simple change of clothes in your carry-on bag. Guardians, please keep your kid with you during the meeting; they're going to be so hyped-up we'll need your help in getting them to at least partially focus.

As you pack, keep in mind:
The weather is looking fairly good for DC -- it looks like we'll avoid the typical DC sweltering mix of heat and humidity, but it will be pretty warm most days (up to low 90's) and some storms are forecast. The Hanes family has graciously offered to send rain ponchos for all the kids, so no need to pack rain gear.

Unless you've got a pair of well-broken-in flip-flops that you know you can walk in for miles at a time without soreness, I suggest you bring some walking/running/tennis shoes. You can always switch back to flip-flops when we aren't walking so far.

Of course we caution that bringing valuables like cell phones, iPods, digital cameras, etc is risky; we also know that a number of you will bring such items in addition to your wallet. If there's some way you could label all of these and your wallet with contact info, I'd advise you to do so.

Also as you pack those electronic items, remember to include chargers and/or extra batteries. And, if bringing a digital cam, a usb cord so we can download straight to our teacher laptops.

If you are bringing disposable cameras, I'd suggest you purchase an extra or two -- kids tend to burn through those quite quickly.

We will have a number of times with free time on the grass. Soccer balls, frisbees, footballs and volleyballs would be a wise addition, but, again, label your item -- not just with your name but with a contact # as well. If your luggage is too full, bring the item separately and we'll put it in a crate underneath the bus.

I'll probably put out at least one more update before Monday, and -- since a number of kids are asking -- I'll try to offer some advice about how much money to bring.

If you (or your kid) is planning to bring a cell, and hasn't yet sent me a text with your name, do so. 574-333-4673.

June 1, DC08 News

Last Friday we met with the kids and handed out a flyer to help prepare them for the trip. Just in case the flyer didn't make it home to you, I've pasted the text below.

Bring…

Ø Sunscreen and/or a cap

Ø Enough money for three meals on Tuesday & lunch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, plus any extra that you might want for souvenirs, snacks and drinks (staying hydrated will be important, but you could reuse a water bottle rather than buying another new expensive one every time you need a drink).

Ø CDs/DVDs/Books for bus – but remember that you risk losing valuable processions, so think twice as you decide what to bring.

Ø Film and a Camera – You might want to think about buying disposable cameras for the trip so you do not lose or break an expensive camera. Buy film or cameras here in order to avoid being overcharged in DC.

Ø Only one suitcase, plus one small carry-on – You will want to separate your luggage because you will not be able to get to your suitcase for the first 24 hours. Therefore, packing a change of clothes and toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) in your carry-on would be appropriate!

Ø Pillow for bus

Read….

Ø Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Ø Night by Elie Wiesel

Watch…

Ø National Treasure & National Treasure II (rated PG – not completely accurate, but they’re okay for adventure films)

And with your parents’ permission:

Ø The Patriot (rated R – and also not completely accurate)

Ø Schindler’s List (rated R for disturbing and sometimes graphic material. Widely regarded as the definitive Holocaust film)

Remember…

Ø To prepare for unpredictable weather (example: jackets & raincoats, though usually DC in July is hot and humid)

Ø Comfortable walking shoes (A MUST! We will be doing quite a bit of walking. Even though flip flops are stylish and you think that they are comfortable…your feet might regret you wearing them!)

Ø Swim suit – The hotel has a pool!

Ø School-appropriate clothing

Begin asking your family…

If you have any connections to Washington DC or the battle of Gettysburg . For example, did any of your ancestors serve in the US military – we’ll be stopping at the W.W II Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial, and we could incorporate other visits if doing so would make the trip more meaningful to you. Email Mr. C. with any connections that you discover.

Special Opportunities…

We will be taking part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery on Tuesday, July 2^nd. We are looking for four students to participate in the laying of the wreath. This is a very solemn ceremony and requires students to act appropriately. The four students will be required to wear dress clothes (nice slacks and a button up shirt for boys and a dress or skirt for girls) and appropriate shoes (absolutely no sandals, flip flops or tennis shoes) If you are interested in being part of this special ceremony please contact Mrs. Weatherholt or Mr. Cowells.

Also while at Arlington , we are planning to take a few of you who have stronger connections to Mrs. Schoenherr (probably if you were in drama) to place flowers on the gravesite of her grandfather and grandmother. If you would like to join this group, let one of us know.

Guardian Meeting…

There will be a meeting with the travelers and their guardians on Monday, June 30^th at 7:15 pm in the CJHS cafetorium. At that time we’ll hand out the finalized itineraries and cover any other last minute details. Then we’ll board the bus and head out by 8PM.

If you have any questions please feel free to email us at:

kweather@concord.k12.in.us, acowells@yahoo.com, or acowells@concord.k12.in.us or you can reach Mr. C. by cell at 574-333-4673.