RHMS 8th Grade Class Seattle Trip

Our middle school children bear the invisible scars of the pandemic. They’ve had to make sense of the last two years of global turmoil as conversations about race, freedom, health, war, and loss wage on - adding complexity to the most formative and challenging periods of their cognitive, physical and social development. All this, at a time when they are experiencing profound hormonal and physical changes, and grappling with deep questions about who they are and what their place is in the world around them.

Driving us into isolation, the pandemic took away so many moments of social connection, face-to-face interactions, and the school events, traditions and learning opportunities critical to the middle school learning experience. We want to give the 8th graders at Roseway Heights Middle School a moment of normalcy in the form of a traditional educational travel experience - a time to bond and learn through an immersive educational tour of Seattle. During this trip, they will experience such cultural sites as Chinatown and the Wing Luke Museum, play together at Green Lake Park and the Great Wheel and envision themselves on a college campus at the University of Washington. They will go to Seattle’s Space Needle at night and descend beneath the streets on Seattle’s Underground Tour all in a supported and structured environment that allows them some independence and opportunity for exploration.

We intentionally chose this location as a destination so that it would be more financially accessible for our student’s families. This trip will cost $1200 per child versus $3100 per child to go to DC and New York City. This trip must be one that any student who wants can attend. That is why we are asking you to help us make this trip available to more students through a donation. We are hoping to offer at minimum 5 full scholarships to students that would not otherwise be able to attend this trip.

Whether a field trip to a local museum or a nearby city, for many, the best school memories were made on class trips. The sense of freedom and connection has the power to open hearts and minds to learning and travel. School trips also play a critical role in social development, as they facilitate team building and bonding between classmates. Often new friendships are developed during school trips, as students from different groups interact and mix. They can also allow teachers to know their students better, their interests and personalities, in a more informal context and relaxed environment; and gain their trust.

Please support the Roseway Heights Middle School 8th grade educational travel fundraiser, so we can give back the precious opportunities that the pandemic took away from our middle school children. By supporting an immersive travel experience, you’re giving them a chance to have this formative and memorable middle school bonding and learning experience, acknowledging their triumphs in middle school and preparing them for the adventure that lies ahead in high school.