2020 Washington D.C. Trip

Dear 8th Grade Parent/Guardian,

We are excited to have our 8th grade students return to Washington D.C. this year. The trip will take place May 19th to May 22nd 2020. We had an outstanding trip last year!

We will be continuing our partnership with Close Up (www.closeup.org), a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that since 1971 has provided hands-on educational programs for over 850,000 students and teachers from across the country. 

Using the nation’s capital as a living classroom, students will get a ‘close up’ view of American history, government, and democracy in action that will bring connect to the 8th grade curriculum particularly in the areas of civics, the Holocaust, and human rights. Miles River teachers will be developing the program along with Close Up staff. Close Up trains its own staff of full-time teaching fellows to deliver an engaging and exciting curriculum that helps students connect what they are seeing and experiencing in D.C. to what they have learned in school.

During our time in Washington, students will have the opportunity to visit many of the key institutions and historic sites of Washington D.C. —highlights include:

• Famous monuments and memorials

• World-renowned Smithsonian Museums

• Mock Congress -- an in-depth simulation of the legislative process

• Opportunity to meet with members of Congress or staff on Capitol Hill

• Discussions about current issues facing our community and country

 Safety is Close Up’s #1 priority – Close Up provides 24-hour supervision on program, including night monitors on every hotel hallway, one instructor per twenty students, a program leader and a dedicated Close Up representative for our school.  Close Up is a full-service provider -- the all-inclusive tuition cost of $995 per participant includes the round-trip coach bus transportation, quality hotel accommodations, all meals in D.C., entrance fees, program logistics and planning. 

 We invite all interested families to hear more about this coming year’s Washington, DC trip at a meeting that will be held in the Miles River Multipurpose room on Tuesday October 22nd at 7:00pm. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please feel free to contact me at c.hovey@hwschools.net. We hope your student joins us for this once in a lifetime experience!

Sincerely,

Craig Hovey

Principal