Tuesday Morning
For the 11th time, Oakview students have returned from a successful trip to Washington, D.C. As we know, Mother Nature has given the eastern U.S. two of the most brutal winters in history so our February D.C. trip has been affected both years. This year we were affected more in D.C. whereas last year we were affected on the way home. I preferred this year even though we didn't get to do a couple things on our itinerary. The main loss was the dinner cruise on the Potomac River. The high winds and frigid temperatures quite literally froze the river which would have been the main reason for the cancellation. Sometimes in life, nature slows you down for a reason. The night before, we didn't check into our rooms until after 1:00 A.M.; therefore, our Sunday dinner at Bucca del Beppo was that lower-key evening that we all needed. We all had a nice dinner and were able to get back to the hotel at a much more reasonable time. What makes D.C. so great is that there will always be many more things we can’t get to do so if we lose something, there are dozens of more things that can take its place. From a lack of crowd perspective, February is an ideal time to go but I plan to meet with the Waldon D.C. teachers next week to discuss if February is truly the best option considering we can only go when school is not in session.
The success of this trip is never a coincidence and is
attributed to far more than just luck. As in the past, we were blessed with
having seven paying parents come along who could be seven more sets of eyes.
This year’s parents handled themselves with the utmost professionalism every
step of the way and for that I’m eternally thankful. It’s my fellow staff
members, however, who are truly the lifeblood of this experience because all
are veterans of the trip and/or D.C. and utilize that experience to its fullest
potential. This year’s staff members were Carl Z., Dan Steakley, Joyce Falls, Bill
Hitchcock (one of our eighth grade football coaches) and me. All staff members
were great for a variety of reasons but most notably their flexibility, high
level of professionalism with students and ability to see problems way before
they could ever be problems. The weather, in particular, could have caused many
issues but the proactive nature of the adults on this trip made things go
seamlessly. We had a special bonus addition on this year’s trip which was Bill’s
son Brennan who is an Oakview alum but currently a 10th grader at
the International Academy. Though we did not expect any supervision duties of
him, he was able to explain some of what we were seeing to students in a way
that we adults would not be able to do and for that we’re all very thankful.
I also owe a very special thanks to the students who, once
again, were abnormal. Normal for some
eighth grade groups that we see in D.C. is acting irresponsible, being rude and
having a negative attitude. As usual, we didn't have that issue so I’m proud of
our abnormal group. I would also like to thank all of the parents who spent a
considerable amount of money to send their child (and in three cases two
children) on this trip. Thank you for entrusting me with your most precious possessions.
I hope we delivered even more than we promised despite the weather.
Another successful year means I’m enthusiastic to get next
year’s trip up and running. If you had a good experience, please spread the
word.
-Jim Maxfield
