Pack mentality

Plans for D.C. trip already taking shape

ANNA A. and FRANCESCA B.

“It is never too early to start planning for Washington!” said Sam Morris.

Morris, the trip’s planner, and other Watertown Middle School staff members are getting ready for the exciting trip that the eighth-graders make each year in the middle of June for more than 40 years.

According to Mrs. Morris, the trip usually goes pretty well.

“Kids behave surprisingly well,’’ she said. “We have had very few behavior problems, partly because the kids are mature. It is a real treat for the teachers because we get to see the other side of students that we don’t see in school.”

The other WMS staff member planning the trip is James Duffy, the eighth-grade academic assistance teacher.

Since this trip to the nation’s capital has been going on for 40 years, the trip keeps improving. The planning starts by getting a hotel and a bus. The planners picked a different hotel this year. They said it is hard to find a nice, but affordable, hotel.

Some of the sites that the eight-graders are going to see this year are a few Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo, Arlington National Cemetery, and a tour of the National Mall. They will also take a boat cruise on the Potomac River.

Some of the sites are so popular and hard to get into, such as the Holocaust Memorial, plans have to be made about one year in advance.

The organizers are also considering a trip to a baseball game, but that depends on the schedule.

–Jan. 27, 2010–