Greenville's Fifth Graders Visit Washington DC

This month, Greenville's fifth graders will once again head for our nation's capitol on their annual May field trip. Under the supervision of the trip's director and 5th grade teacher, Paul Solomon, and 9 other chaperones, the fifth graders will set off for Washington DC on Tuesday, May 24th aboard two charter buses for a three-day action packed trip. The kids have been eagerly anticipating this trip since the first day of fifth grade in September. The trip is actually considered a rite of passage at Greenville since it was started in the 1980's by Mr. Solomon.

The trip features visits to the nation's Capitol Building, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial. They also visit Ford’s Theater where President Lincoln was shot and the home across the street where he was taken and eventually died. And no trip to DC is complete without a visit to Arlington Cemetery in Virginia where the group observes the honored changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While at Arlington, they also see the graves of Presidents Kennedy and Taft as well as the memorials to the victims of the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.

The students are traditionally greeted with a welcome to DC from Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who represents parts of Westchester and Rockland counties (New York's 18th District). For years, Congresswoman Lowey has made time in her busy schedule to speak to the 5th graders when they visit DC. Some years the grade has also visited and toured the White House. Another highlight of the trip is a visit to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum where the students view the history of flight from the original Wright Brothers airplanes as well as the first space shuttle orbiter, "the Enterprise."

One of the highlights of the trip is the traditional panoramic grade photo taken in front of the Capitol steps. All the students and chaperones wear their official Greenville/DC trip t-shirts and it is a treasured keepsake of the trip for everyone. The picture is used the following year as the yearbook foldout page when the kids graduate or "move-up" from Greenville to the Edgemont junior high school. A curious note about the panoramic picture is that Mr. Solomon appears twice in the picture at opposite ends of the top row of students and teachers! How he manages to do this is a Greenville secret only known to the fifth graders on the trip! He even appears at one end of the picture wearing sunglasses and a dark vest and at the other end without them!

Every year, the trip is slightly different but the one thing that remains the same is that everyone has a great time and the trip is remembered vividly for years to come. The students and chaperones come home extremely tired but with great memories of a trip that will never be forgotten. Ask any Edgemont High School senior that went on the trip about DC and they will immediately break into a grin and tell you a good story.

Caroline Tzelios is a "stay at home" mom of three kids who never stays at home. She has spent the past twelve years volunteering in the Edgemont Schools and recently completed her two year term as PTSA co-president of Edgemont High School and is the current co-chair of Edgemont's PISA Theater Committee.