2009 Middle School Trips

Every year, students at the Middle School look forward to the month of May for two reasons. One, it’s only 31 days till summer; and two, the infamous middle school trips take place. Each grade gets its own special trip where, for 3 days, education and fun mix together. 6th grade travels down to Huntsville, Alabama, home of Space Camp; 7th grade goes to Lake Erie where they visit Put-in-Bay, Great Wolf Lodge, the Great Lakes Science Museum in Cleveland, and the Mather Ship Museum. Finally, 8th grade travels to our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.

The trip to Space Camp is one of the most anticipated trips of the year. There, students get a first-hand look at what it’s like to go into space and learn its techniques. Also, students got time to do what becomes a highlight of the trip: swimming! Instead of using the pool at the hotel where the students stay, coordinator and WCMS social studies and science teacher Ruth Beschta explains that “this year we rented an Olympic-size swimming pool.”

One of the most memorable parts of the trip is the Space Shot, a ride that lifts you 140 ft up in the air in 2.5 seconds; and for 2-3 seconds students are able to experience what it feels like to be weightless. “By the end of the trip, everyone went on the ride” notes Mrs. Beschta.

Though Space Camp is filled with many wonderful and valuable memories, Mrs. Beschta mentions what she believes is the most valuable part: “All the kids bonding on the trip. They spend a lot of time on the bus and it’s a good experience for them.”
Both the 7th and 8th grade trips are fairly new to the agenda: both trips started only 5 years ago. 7th grade travels to Lake Erie where they learn about water life. They also get to travel to Cleveland where they visit The Great Lakes Science Museum and Mather Ship Museum.

WCMS principle Dick Dray, who has gone on the trip every year, comments on his experience on the trip: “Seeing kids who have never gone on the waterfront or have never experienced Cleveland get to do those things was great. At the Science Museum, they did an extra demonstration for us; it was on electricity and some of the teachers participated in it.”

The final trip middle school students get to attend is the journey to Washington, D.C. There, students get a taste of the sights and experiences of the Capital. WCMS history teacher Mike O’Neil comments on his experience: “It’s a highlight trip, but we’ve been able to add extra sites to our list like the Holocaust Museum.”

The trip to Washington this year was full of memorable moments. “This year, on the steps of the Capital Building, we met Pat Tiberi and got to pray with him,” notes Mr. O’Neil; “I was also able to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider in honor of my father.”
When asked about the lasting impression that the trip has had on his students, Mr. O’Neil says “I hope they get to see how fortunate they are to get to go to the capital and allowed to see all the historical sights. Some countries don’t allow that and sometimes we can take things like this for granted.”