Our Upper School curriculum is highlighted by annual 5-day or 6-day class trips that reach from coast to coast.
6th Grade – Northern Arizona
7th Grade – Catalina Island, CA
In the Seventh grade, students travel to the coast of California for 5 days and 4 nights. Traveling in a charter bus, the first destination is the Aquarium of the Pacific on the coast of Los Angeles. Students have a behind-the-scenes, hands-on experience learning about marine life and ‘camping out’ among the tanks of fish, sharks, and otters. In the morning, they depart for the ferry that will take them across the water to Catalina Island. There, Mountain & Sea Educational Adventures on Emerald Bay engage the students for 4 days in many hands-on activities and learning opportunities surrounding nearby marine life. Activities include snorkeling, kayaking, classroom instruction, and team-building challenges. After each adventure-filled day, students and chaperones rest up in cabins for the next round of exciting activities.
8th Grade – Washington D.C.
The eighth grade takes a trip to Washington, D.C. for 6 days and 5 nights. We visit the major Smithsonian Museums, the Holocaust Museum, the International Spy Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and all of the major monuments. We attend a Mass at the National Cathedral and we visit Arlington National Cemetery where our students participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also visit the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, the Capitol, Mount Vernon, and the White House. For many years, the tradition of meeting our current local congressional representative has been a highlight for our students. In the evening, we attend plays at the Kennedy Center, Shakespeare Theater, and Ford’s Theater. We have also gone on a colonial ghost tour, and finish our trip with a dinner dance cruise on the Potomac River.