Twenty-two students from Seeley Lake Elementary and Swan Valley School along with four chaperones spent five days touring Washington D.C. this June.
Klayton Kovatch and his mother Karen Kovatch pose in front of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, more commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial. Karen also serves on the SLE School Board.
The group of sixth, seventh and eight graders stopped for a group shot at the Mount Vernon and George Washington's home.
Cierra Hinchey and Trista Wendel visiting the Pentagon Memorial just southwest of The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. It honors the 184 people who died as victims in the building and on American Airlines Flight 77 during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Cullen Bertsch with Arlington National Cemetery behind him.
SEELEY LAKE- Students from Seeley Lake recently returned from a trip to Washington D.C. as part of an ongoing effort in the community to help students engage with their government and be more civically minded.
The trip, which was only five days long, packed in visits to national monuments, memorials and museums.
Sawyer Shelmerdine and his mom, Megan who went on the trip as a chaperone, said that the most impactful sights they visited were the various memorials around Washington D.C. Sawyer said that if he ever got a chance to visit again, he would go to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial again.
Seth Richardson, another student who joined the group from Swan Valley Elementary, also enjoyed visiting the memorial sites.
"My favorite thing was the Lincoln Memorial," he said. "Because you can look out from the steps and see the Washington Monument, too."
Other memorial sites the group visited included the Arlington cemetery, The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial (more commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial), the National World War II Memorial and the Pentagon Memorial.
"Another powerful memorial was the 9/11 one at the Pentagon," Megan said. "We saw that at night so it kind of had a different feeling and it was kind of eerie, with the planes coming out of Ronald Reagan Airport."
The group also toured the Air and Space, American History and Natural History branches of Smithsonian Institution.
"At the Air and Space museum, we did a flight simulator," Seth said. "It was shaped like the front of a plane and it flings you upside down and goes everywhere."
The groups also met with Sen. Steve Daines, R-MT, on the steps of the capitol, where he discussed forest management legislation he was working on in the aftermath of last year's Rice Ridge fire and took a selfie with the students.
"This trip allows students to experience the strength of a government run by We the People, while recognizing the sacrifices required to maintain our freedoms as a republic," said teacher Duane Schlabach, who helped organize the trip.
The trip was also an opportunity for the students to experience things outside of Seeley Lake. For example, Sawyer's first plane flight was on the trip and Seth attended his first baseball game.
"Another thing that was really different was the amount of people we were always surrounded by," Seth said. "There were a lot more people there, but it wasn't too bad."
Both Schlabach and Megan said the students on the trip were well-behaved and represented Seeley Lake with class.
"Our group represented Montana with class and style as we received a lot of accolades on the behavior and respect shown by the students ranging from airline personnel to an Army Captain at the 9-11 Pentagon Memorial who was visiting with his family," Schlabach said. "These students are the future and I want to thank all who helped make this trip possible as it helps ensure a bright tomorrow."
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