On September 7-10, 2022, students in 9th, 10th, and 12th grade embarked on two exciting academic trips.
A recap of the 12th grade trip to Arizona from Mr. Slonaker:
The Class of 2023 enjoyed their 4-day adventure to Arizona last week. We climbed the rock formations at Papago Park to catch a view of Phoenix, explored the beautiful Red Rock State Park in Sedona, hiked the trails to see the Native American cliff dwellings at Walnut Canyon National Monument, and culminated our trip with a visit to Grand Canyon National Park.
Students enjoyed their time hanging out with each other at the restaurants, hotels, and bus rides. We were blessed with both a fantastic tour guide, Courtland, and bus driver, Frank, both of whom said that they would love to be on tour with our students again!
A recap of the 9th and 10th grade trip to Washington, D.C. from Mr. Pettit:
This year, we took a group of 9th and 10th graders to Washington, DC. We visited Gettysburg, the World War II memorial, the Natural History Smithsonian Museum, the American History Smithsonian Museum, the National Archives (where the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the original Bill of Rights are displayed), Mount Vernon (George Washington's estate), the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, the FDR memorial, the Jefferson memorial, the Capital building, Arlington National Cemetery (including a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider), the Vietnam memorial, Korean War memorial, the Lincoln memorial, the Museum of the Bible, and had our pictures taken outside the Supreme Court and White House.
At each site, our tour guide, Tim, led us in reflections on humility, courage, perseverance, self-sacrifice, and other virtues demonstrated by the people commemorated there. Students were encouraged to think about what our ancestors sacrificed in order to make our freedom possible and the significance of God's involvement it all. It was a whirlwind tour and we did a lot of walking, but we had fun, learned a lot, bonded, and made some great memories. We also received several compliments about how well-behaved and respectful the students were, which made us proud. Thank you to each of the students and chaperones for making this a great trip!
These trips allow students to explore new fields, acquire knowledge, and grow in fellowship with their peers. Most importantly, these trips are designed to strengthen students’ faith, as they learn to better perceive what is true, good, and beautiful in the eyes of our Lord.