Deerfield High School - Washington, D.C. / Baltimore - March 15-20, 2016
Teacher List
Amanda Lange, Choir Director
Karen Frey, Special Ed Teacher
Deb Kohlwey, English Teacher
Ryan Petersen, Band Director
Meg Kaster, English Teacher
Click on the following for information about the trip
Make a payment with credit card - CLICK HERE to go to the School's E-Funds site
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Washington, D.C. Trip – Day 1 – Wednesday
We finally made it to DC this morning at about 11:00 a.m.. While the 16-hour bus ride was long, it was uneventful and safe. Right when we left we learned that the entire DC Metro subway system was going to be shut down Wednesday for emergency repairs. I was worried that it was going to make traffic getting in to town difficult, but we got in to DC around 10:30 with no problems. Today was a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures in the low 70s, and a lot less windy than we hear it was back home! The flowers are out, the Magnolia and cherry trees are blooming; spring is definitely in the air!
With the Metro being shut down, we had to flip our itinerary slightly because the Smithsonian museums were closed until noon. So, we got off the bus and went right to our group photo at the base of the US Capitol. We hung out by the reflecting pool and then walked up Capitol Hill to the Visitor Center. We got to see the Library of Congress and the US Supreme Court Building along the way. We then ate lunch at the Capitol and visited the new Capitol Visitor Center.
We then split up into two groups and got detailed guided tours of the Capitol building, including descriptions and history of the Rotunda, the Hall of Statues (the old House of Representatives), and the Crypt under the dome. As you’ll see in our pictures, the Capitol dome is going through some major renovations/restorations/reconstructions – on the inside and out.
After our visit at the center of our Legislative Branch, we got to spend a little time at the Smithsonians. Half of the group went to explore the Air and Space Museum, while the other half went to see some of the great art works in the National Gallery of Art. We then made our way to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to watch a performance of the comedy “Shear Madness,” – a hilarious audience participation murder who-done-it where the audience gets to interact with the cast to figure out who did the killing. Our students had some very good contributions to the hilarity. After the show, we had dinner at the Kennedy Center and got to watch evening fall over the city from the roof-top Terrace.
After dinner, we made it back to the hotel to check-in, unpack, and get ready for some nice sleep (anything not on a bus is good right now!). The kids are all pretty exhausted, so we’re having a very early night tonight – as someone said on my bus – “horizontal is good!”
Tomorrow is a busy day. We start by meeting and visiting with Senator Tammy Baldwin at the US Capitol, then off to one of Mr. Petersen’s favorite “local’s secret” spot – the C&O Canal and the Great Falls of the Potomac. Then we head back to the Mall for a good chunk of time to explore the many Smithsonian museums. More about that tomorrow night!
Please enjoy a small selection of pictures below.
Mr. Petersen
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DC Recap Day 1 |
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Arriving in our Lamers Bus |
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Setting Up for Group Picture |
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Front of Capitol - House side |
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At National Gallery of Art |
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Washington, D.C. Trip – Day 2 – Thursday
Today was another beautiful, and busy day for us DC. The weather was up to the upper 60s and the trees and flowers are blooming all around town. It was a day of a lot of walking – most people who had on fitbits were logging 12-15 miles today!!
This morning started early, as we were down on Capitol Hill by 8:30 in order to meet and talk to Senator Tammy Baldwin. She was able to talk to us about her recent work in the Senate, how the Senate is different from her experience in the House, and also answer questions from some of the students. Then after some group pictures we headed back down Capitol Hill to meet our buses.
We then headed to one of my personal favorite places, and a place that’s mostly known by “locals,” – the C&O Canal National Historic Park and the Great Falls of the Potomac. The C&O Canal was a mule-pulled canal built in the early 19th Century. At Great Falls, the Potomac River drops a couple hundred feet and narrows through a rocky ravine. This creates some amazing water falls and rapids. The students really enjoyed the natural beauty and the dichotomy of being less than 15 miles from the Capitol. (you’ll see in some of the pictures how ranging the water and rapids were!)
We then headed back to the Mall to spend the afternoon at the Museums. This morning we were finally able to get tickets to the US Holocaust Museum. This is a solemn, powerful place that moved our students and teachers. While it was a somber way to start our afternoon, many kids said that it truly reminded them the importance of freedom. We then had a few hours to explore the various Smithsonian Museums, include that American History Museum, Natural History Music, and the Air and Space Museum.
We then walked up to have dinner at Union Station, once the largest train station in the world. Everyone had choices of food from many of the restaurants at the station.
After dinner, we did a nighttime tour of some of our nation’s monuments and important sights. We walked to the White House, and then to the Lincoln Memorial, and also the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials. At nighttime, these are all stunningly beautiful!
We got back to the hotel shortly before 11:00, and everyone is looking forward to a little extra sleep. Tomorrow starts a little later for us, and starts with our band and choir performances at the US Soldiers and Airmen’s Home.
Please enjoy some of the pictures below!
Mr. Petersen
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Washington DC Recap – Day 3 – Friday
Another beautiful Day in DC. Today was performance Day! The day started with 60+ students in concert gowns and tuxedos easting breakfast at the hotel. Boy, that got a bunch of looks from the other guests! We then went into town to the US Soldiers and Airmen’s Home, a retirement community of the V.A. which has about 500 residents.
The Concert Choir and Concert Band both performed for about an hour and a quarter to a very appreciative crowd of residents. Our kids performed a combination of traditional/classical, popular, and patriotic selections for a rather larger crowd. After the performance, the USSAH provided some snacks and we were able to meet and talk to many of the residents. The students really enjoyed talk to and hearing some of their amazing stories. They were very appreciative of our time and gave us many compliments about how well the kids performed.
We then headed for lunch, and a little shopping, back at Union Station. After and lunch, we continued our military/veterans theme for the day and headed over to Arlington National Cemetery for a private tour. We saw the grave site of the Kennedy family, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Changing of the Guard. All of this was a very austere experience. This was followed by a trip to the nearby Marine Memorial, depicting the raising of the flam at Iwo Jima.
After a family style Italian dinner at Buca di Beppo, we took an evening/night-time tour of the rest of the monuments around downtown. We first went to the new (2006) Air Force Memorial, then we headed back to the Mall to view a beautiful sunset at the World War II Monument. Then we walked over to the brand-new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and then continued along the tidal basin to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Monument, and the Jefferson Monument. The Japanese Cherry Blossoms along the tidal basin are so close to being in bloom – we’re probably missing it by just a few days.
After enjoying a couple last great views of downtown and all the landmarks, we got back to the hotel around 10:00 to relax for a little and start packing – tomorrow we head for Annapolis, Baltimore, and then home!
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UPDATED TRIP INITERARY (as of 3/9/2016) - Click Here to Download
- Includes detailed contact information
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Click here to download the RULES PRESENTATION (from 3/4 meeting)
Click here to download an extra Pre-Excused Abesnce/Advanced Make-Up form (handed out to students on 3/4)
INFORMATION MAILED HOME 2/25/16
Click on the following to download the information that was mailed home.
- A Medical Form for your child. Please complete this and return it to your child’s Trip Teacher by Friday, March 4th. This online version is fillable.
- An updated, detailed literary for the trip, including emergency contact information and numbers for most of the places we will be visiting.
- A DC Trip Packet. Please look this over with your child as it contains information about rules, packing requirements/suggestions, and other useful information about the trip.
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INFORMATION E-MAILED 12/11/15
Hello DC Trip Families -
I wanted to give you some important update on the DC Trip:
* First, good news - the trip cost is DOWN! The final trip cost will be $715 per person. (This will only change if the number of participants changes.)
* Payments:
** If you selected the “suggested payment plan” you should have turned in $475 by now ($175 deposit, $150 November payment, $150 December payment). Please keep up with your payments. A January payment of $100 is due by January 8th, and a final payment of $140 is due no later than February 5th.
** All trips need to be paid in full ($715) no later than February 5th.
** Reminder: there is the option to pay for part or all of the trip with a credit card through the school’s E-Funds site (there is a surcharge for this service).
** Next week we will send everyone a Trip Statement with updates with how much you have paid so far and how much is still due.
* Fundraisers:
** If you participated in any of the fall fundraisers, we will include on your trip statement how much money has been raised in your child’s music account. Please contact Mr. Petersen or Mrs. Lange about applying all/some of that money towards the trip.
** Shortly after the new year, we will start our final fundraiser - featuring Cookie Dough, Pizzas, and other frozen foods. Stay tuned for more information!
** SEE BELOW about a great fundraising opportunity over winter break with FANTASY IN LIGHTS
We are working at finalizing our itinerary, and will share that shortly after break. I will try to keep the trip website up-to-date with the most current information. If you have any questions about the trip, please don’t hesitate to ask me or any of the other Trip Teachers.
Ryan Petersen
FANTASY IN LIGHTS FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY
Dear HS DC Trip Families:
Thanks to Jeff Moerke we have the opportunity to make $1,000 by tending two Fantasy in Lights booths over holiday break (12/27/15-1/3/16 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m.).
Sign-up will begin this Monday (12/14) at Noon. Go to ???????http://www.deerfield.k12.wi.us/faculty/petersenr/2016dctrip.cfm and look for the Volunteer Spot link to sign up.
There will be 28 booth/shifts (4:15 to 7:15 and 7-10 each day). It is important that you ONLY sign-up for the shifts you can cover. If you end up having a conflict you HAVE TO find your own replacement and let the organizer (Michelle Moe) know who that replacement is and how they can be reached. If we do not cover all shifts we not only forfeit the entire $1,000 but we risk the ability for Jeff Moerke to give this opportunity to Deerfield students in the future.
The $1,000 will be split evenly per booth/shift. It is recommended that you have two people in every booth for every shift however you can get by with one adult. Young children have to work with adults. There are propane heaters in the booths but you still want to dress warm. You will be speaking to every car as they exit the Olin Park Fantasy in Lights drive, offering candy canes, and assist them in dropping off donations. It is fun work during the holidays! Please sign up.
Money will be applied directly to your trip registration for covering a booth during Fantasy in Lights. If you have any questions please ask Michelle Moe or Elizabeth Tebon-Moerke
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INFORMATION SENT HOME: (Click to download)
Parent Information Letter #1 - Mailed 9/10/15
Draft Itinerary
Sign-up Form
Conduct Agreement
Optional Trip Insurance
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To ALL DHS Students and Parents,
Welcome back to a brand new school year! We would like to announce that this year’s DHS Cross-Curricular trip will be to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore and will take place from March 15th -20th. This trip is open to any DHS student. The trip planning committee would like to invite your child to participate in this amazing opportunity to visit our Nation’s Capitol! The history, culture, and performance opportunities will make this a fantastic trip.
The School Board approved this trip at its May meeting. We are currently working on finalizing the itinerary, but for planning purposes, we are looking at a total cost of approximately $750.00 per person, depending on the total number of travelers. This includes all transportation, lodging, tickets, fees, private nighttime security at the hotel, and two meals a day while we are in DC. Students will be responsible for one meal (lunch) out of pocket on the days we are in DC/Maryland as well as all meals while we are traveling. Total cost does not cover any souvenirs or snacks. The estimated price could change depending on how many students participate in this trip. There is also an opportunity for you to purchase trip insurance at an additional cost (see enclosed). A copy of the preliminary itinerary is also enclosed. This will change but it will give you an idea of some of the main things we will be doing while in our Nation’s Capitol.
Sites we plan to visit and trip highlights include:
* Performances by DHS Band and Choirs
* Smithsonian Museums / U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
* Performance of Shear Madness / United States Capitol / Group Photo / Union Station
* Great Falls Park / Arlington National Cemetery / Private Tram / Wreath Laying Ceremony
* Baltimore Inner Harbor / Harborplace / National Aquarium
As in the past, we will allow students/families the opportunity to pay for this trip in payments throughout the course of the year OR you can choose to pay for the trip in full. Due to School Board policy, all travelers must be paid in full BEFORE the trip departure date. Below is the payment schedule that we would like to suggest:
October 2 - $175 required non-refundable deposit
November 6 - $150
December 4 - $150
January 8 - $100
February 5 – Remainder
All checks should be made out to “Deerfield Schools”
Please return the enclosed form with your trip deposit and let us know if you will be paying in full or choose to do the payment schedule by checking the appropriate line on the return form with your deposit. You will also find a space to make a note if you would like to pay on a different schedule. We will do our very best to accommodate you with payments and keep you updated on your child’s account balance. Please note if you are paying in full the $175.00 deposit remains due on October 2nd. We promise to have a confirmed cost as soon as possible for those of you that would like to take care of this expense in a timely manner. ALL trips must be paid in full by February 5th.
Music students are welcome to use money already in their band/choir accounts to pay for some or all of their trips. If/when you would like to use money out of a music account, please send Mr. Petersen or Mrs. Lange something in writing or shoot us an email.
New for this trip: you will have the option to pay for all/part of the trip with a credit card through the school’s E-Funds Payment site. This is the same link that you may use to pay for lunch or other school fees. Simply select “HS Washington DC Trip” when you pay (there is an extra surcharge for this service).
We will be offering fundraisers during the course of the year to help students raise money. This September we are doing our annual catalog (wrapping paper, chocolate, gifts, etc) and Bucky Book sale; in October we are planning a Cheesecake and Butter Braid sale; in January we are planning a cookie dough sale. All money raised in these sales will go directly in your student’s trip account.
The School Board also requires all students participating in overnight out-of-state trips to sign and follow the Deerfield Co-Curricular Code. Enclosed is a Conduct Agreement that will have to be signed as well. This is even more “strict” than the Co-Curricular Code. Students who break the Co-Curricular Code and/or the Conduct Agreement will not be allowed to go on the trip and will forfeit all money that is non-refundable (which could be the entire cost of the trip pending on date of infraction). The final commitment date is December 18th, 2015. After this date, all students who are participating in the trip are fully responsible for the complete cost. Students must also remain academically eligible during the entire third quarter. We will not take students on extended field trips if they are not passing their classes. Students will be responsible for all missed work while we travel.
If you are interested in participating in this trip, please return the Conduct Agreement, the Sign-Up and Payment Sheet and the $175 deposit (and trip insurance form) to any of the participating teachers by Monday, October 2nd.
We are also looking for parent chaperones for this trip. We have traditionally had a great set of parents help us out on past trips and our chaperones play a vital role in the success of the trip. We will send more information out about this when we know the number of students traveling.
We are excited to provide this opportunity for all of our High School Students. Washington, D.C. is a beautiful, culturally rich city that is sure to offer our students many amazing and memorable experiences. Thank you for your continued support in making DHS a school that offers our students a vast amount of opportunities!
Sincerely,
Ryan Petersen, Amanda Lange, Deb Kohlwey, Karen Frey and Meg Kaster
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