Bobcats in DC!
Donation protected
We're headed back to Washington, DC from April 21-24, 2016! Last year's trip was an immense success and we are building on that this year. See the bottom of this description for some feedback about the trip from some of our students last year.
Our students have again been working diligently to gain knowledge, make connections, and become better people.
Students are teaching mini-lessons. See a few standouts below! The bar is always rising, and the students must rely on feedback from each other in order to plan more engaging experiences and speak with more clarity and confidence.
Students visited universities and museums, such as North Carolina A&T and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
Students wrote essays on complex issues, as shown below with our Media Center Coordinator, Mrs. Macklin. They collaborate in research.
Students read and annotated the Constitution from beginning to end. By the end, they were exhausted but proud of their effort!
Students participate in rigorous discussion.
Students have blown us away with their preparation and performance in debates and competitive discussions (like the first one below, based on ESPN's Around the Horn.)
And...8th Grade won the spirit stick at our first pep rally and first place at field day!
Students have expressed their desire to see a lot of what they're learning about come to life in Washington, DC. They're excited to see another way of life outside of Burlington, NC. Some can't wait to ride the train or see Union Station. Below, you'll see a detailed explanation of what we'll be doing while in Washington, DC and how much the trip costs.
FUNDING
This year, because of the increase in students coming and the challenge of fundraising, we are asking that all students' families pay half the cost of the trip. We are aiming to fundraise the rest! Below is the breakdown of the cost per student.
Hotel: $225 (4 kids/room, 3 nights at $300/night)
Amtrak Ticket: $149 (round trip)
Metro Ticket: $36
Breakfasts: $15
Lunches: $30
Dinners: $40
Surprise Event: $25
Smithsonians/Monuments/Memorials/National Archives/Ford Theater/Arlington National Cemetery/African-American Civil War Museum/Holocaust Museum/Government Buildings: Free
Total: $520
Students' families pay: $260 each
We need to fundraise: $260 x 68 students = $17,680
-prior donation of $1,880
Total needed for trip: $15,800
We are planning several fundraisers throughout the year to fully fund the trip, so we are estimating that we need to bring in roughly $9,000 through this GoFundMe account.
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
Just like last year, we have serious academic requirements for all students attending the trip. These are set in place for a few reasons: the Social Studies requirements are so that students will have a working knowledge of much of what we will see--so they can make connections and the trip will be illuminating for them. The rest of the academic requirements are put in place so that students are serious about earning the trip and to promote a respect of the amount of effort and discipline a trip like this requires.
Social Studies
Master a chronological list of the Presidents of the United States, along with major events with half of them.
Master a map of the United States.
Read and annotate the entire Constitution.
Math
Be proficient or show significant growth in:
The use and interpretation of functions (linear, quadratic, and exponential)
The use, interpretation, and solving of equations (incl. system of equations)
The use, interpretation, and representation of inequalities
Science
Be proficient or show significant growth in:
Identifying and describing elements, mixtures, and compounds.
Using the periodic table of the elements to describe individual and groups of elements.
Comparing physical changes and chemical changes in elements, compounds, and mixtures.
Balancing chemical equations to support the law of conservation of mass.
Language Arts
Write, appropriately using all of the 8th grade writing standards, a report on three of the places we will visit.
Be proficient or show significant growth in:
Finding the central idea or theme of a text and the details that support it.
FEEDBACK FROM LAST YEAR
"My favorite academic event we went on was probably the tour of the Capitol Building... It taught me lots of inside information I never thought I'd know." - DiMari F.
"Our reflections on all of the trip. While thinking back upon what we had seen and done I did some comparisons ... it amazed me how all of this info in the world is kept secret just waiting for you to discover it." - Hector C.
"My favorite academic thing was seeing the statue of George Washington that I had seen in Mr. Hohm's book, I was soo excited! Another thing was seeing the capitol's ceiling, I was totally looking forward to that, also going to the Lincoln Memorial and rereading the Gettysburg address." - Angela V.
"One of my favorite things we did had to be Ford Theater. I learned a lot about Lincoln's assassination. I learned details about it and also that there was a long part of planning and it didn't just involve John Wilkes Booth. My other one was walking around the Martin Luther King memorial. My two favorite things I read was "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." and "I have the audacity to believe that people can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits."" - Porsha P.
"Everything I wanted to get out of the trip was a success because I wanted to connect to history class and everything I saw was a connection. It was a big eye opener to see everything we learned about was right in front of us." - Jose L.
Our students have again been working diligently to gain knowledge, make connections, and become better people.
Students are teaching mini-lessons. See a few standouts below! The bar is always rising, and the students must rely on feedback from each other in order to plan more engaging experiences and speak with more clarity and confidence.
Students visited universities and museums, such as North Carolina A&T and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
Students wrote essays on complex issues, as shown below with our Media Center Coordinator, Mrs. Macklin. They collaborate in research.
Students read and annotated the Constitution from beginning to end. By the end, they were exhausted but proud of their effort!
Students participate in rigorous discussion.
Students have blown us away with their preparation and performance in debates and competitive discussions (like the first one below, based on ESPN's Around the Horn.)
And...8th Grade won the spirit stick at our first pep rally and first place at field day!
Students have expressed their desire to see a lot of what they're learning about come to life in Washington, DC. They're excited to see another way of life outside of Burlington, NC. Some can't wait to ride the train or see Union Station. Below, you'll see a detailed explanation of what we'll be doing while in Washington, DC and how much the trip costs.
FUNDING
This year, because of the increase in students coming and the challenge of fundraising, we are asking that all students' families pay half the cost of the trip. We are aiming to fundraise the rest! Below is the breakdown of the cost per student.
Hotel: $225 (4 kids/room, 3 nights at $300/night)
Amtrak Ticket: $149 (round trip)
Metro Ticket: $36
Breakfasts: $15
Lunches: $30
Dinners: $40
Surprise Event: $25
Smithsonians/Monuments/Memorials/National Archives/Ford Theater/Arlington National Cemetery/African-American Civil War Museum/Holocaust Museum/Government Buildings: Free
Total: $520
Students' families pay: $260 each
We need to fundraise: $260 x 68 students = $17,680
-prior donation of $1,880
Total needed for trip: $15,800
We are planning several fundraisers throughout the year to fully fund the trip, so we are estimating that we need to bring in roughly $9,000 through this GoFundMe account.
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
Just like last year, we have serious academic requirements for all students attending the trip. These are set in place for a few reasons: the Social Studies requirements are so that students will have a working knowledge of much of what we will see--so they can make connections and the trip will be illuminating for them. The rest of the academic requirements are put in place so that students are serious about earning the trip and to promote a respect of the amount of effort and discipline a trip like this requires.
Social Studies
Master a chronological list of the Presidents of the United States, along with major events with half of them.
Master a map of the United States.
Read and annotate the entire Constitution.
Math
Be proficient or show significant growth in:
The use and interpretation of functions (linear, quadratic, and exponential)
The use, interpretation, and solving of equations (incl. system of equations)
The use, interpretation, and representation of inequalities
Science
Be proficient or show significant growth in:
Identifying and describing elements, mixtures, and compounds.
Using the periodic table of the elements to describe individual and groups of elements.
Comparing physical changes and chemical changes in elements, compounds, and mixtures.
Balancing chemical equations to support the law of conservation of mass.
Language Arts
Write, appropriately using all of the 8th grade writing standards, a report on three of the places we will visit.
Be proficient or show significant growth in:
Finding the central idea or theme of a text and the details that support it.
FEEDBACK FROM LAST YEAR
"My favorite academic event we went on was probably the tour of the Capitol Building... It taught me lots of inside information I never thought I'd know." - DiMari F.
"Our reflections on all of the trip. While thinking back upon what we had seen and done I did some comparisons ... it amazed me how all of this info in the world is kept secret just waiting for you to discover it." - Hector C.
"My favorite academic thing was seeing the statue of George Washington that I had seen in Mr. Hohm's book, I was soo excited! Another thing was seeing the capitol's ceiling, I was totally looking forward to that, also going to the Lincoln Memorial and rereading the Gettysburg address." - Angela V.
"One of my favorite things we did had to be Ford Theater. I learned a lot about Lincoln's assassination. I learned details about it and also that there was a long part of planning and it didn't just involve John Wilkes Booth. My other one was walking around the Martin Luther King memorial. My two favorite things I read was "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." and "I have the audacity to believe that people can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits."" - Porsha P.
"Everything I wanted to get out of the trip was a success because I wanted to connect to history class and everything I saw was a connection. It was a big eye opener to see everything we learned about was right in front of us." - Jose L.
Organizer
Jordan Hohm
Organizer
Burlington, NC
