About the Author: Alex Schuster is the Dean of Students at Mother Teresa Catholic School in Liberty Township, Ohio. Alex previously taught social studies at St. John’s College High School in Washington DC, and at Chaminade Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio. He and his wife Angela, also a teacher, live in Dayton, Ohio.
I have had the privilege of taking several groups of students to Washington DC over the years and can say without a doubt that the trip we took in May 2013 was the best one yet! Our tour guide was spectacular! She was knowledgeable about the city and its history, open to trying new things and places to visit, got along great with the other chaperones, and most importantly, took the time to get to know all of the kids in our group.
As for the visit to DC itself, we were able to visit more things than we ever have in the past. We were able to see just about every monument in DC (WW2, Vietnam, Lincoln, Jefferson, Korean War, 9/11 Pentagon memorial, FDR, Roosevelt Island, Marine Corps Memorial, and the new MLK memorial). We were also able to visit several museums as well (Holocaust, Newseum, National Portrait Gallery, Spy Museum). We did all of this while also fitting in a Capitol tour, the Library of Congress, Mount Vernon, the White House, a trip to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and even an evening riverboat cruise of the Potomac!
It was clear that our students were able to learn so much and truly came to appreciate the many things that DC has to offer. The team at Scholastica does such a wonderful job of accommodating our requests and needs for our trip each and every year. We look forward to working with them for many years to come!
