Twenty-eight Westville Middle School students have traveled the trip of a lifetime. In three days, we covered twenty-five miles on foot and made memories that will not only never be forgotten, but have made an impression on people as far as California and made a name for Westville that has let people know what Westville kids are made of.

I could write about what the kids saw on their trip. They saw all the highlights of Washington D.C. such as Ford’s Theater, the Capitol Building, the White House, the National Archives, the Washington Monument, Mt. Vernon, and all of the memorials. They also did a remarkable job of laying a wreath at Arlington Cemetery. We also toured the Kennedy Center and saw a hilarious play. But, what you need to know is the remarkable impression of what the students and the name of Westville Schools actually denotes.

It started out on our very first day when we stopped for dinner. Our students were so well behaved at the restaurant, that the manager asked me to pull our kids together in a circle when dinner was finished.  He thanked our students for their impeccable manners and demeanor.  He thanked them for being polite and waiting their turn at the buffet. He thanked them for living up to our expectations.

Everywhere we went, we were thanked for doing the right thing.

Our bus driver wrote the students a thank you note for keeping the bus so clean, and for being ‘’so gracious and respectful to him as a driver”.  “Your behavior and positive choices were outstanding!”

The most remarkable and lasting impression on not only to the students but also to others, was at the World War ll Memorial. We were so fortunate that three buses of Honor Flight Veterans were there at the same time. Our students went out of their way to thank these Veterans for their sacrifices and for their service. It touched us as teachers and chaperones. It also caught the attention of a social studies teacher from California. She went out of her way to find the name and phone number of our Middle School/High School Principal, Alissa Schnick. I received this email from Mrs. Schnick today:

"I received a phone call today from a social studies teacher from California who sought my name and phone number out after searching the Internet. She wanted to locate me and tell me that she observed our students at Washington D.C. and they were the some of the nicest students she had ever seen. She explained to me she works with a program called Honor Flight. The program honors veterans and takes them to D.C. to visit various monuments. The teacher was there with a 90-year-old World War II veteran, Barbra, who started to get emotional as she stood at the monument. She said our students went up to Barbra and hugged her, thanked her for her time, and told her how much they appreciated what she did. The teacher couldn't even finish complementing our students without beginning to cry herself. She said to me "your school must be doing something right." She was beyond appreciative for the way our students acted. I thought it was important to recognize our students and staff for such a job well done. What I appreciate most about this story besides the fact that someone took the time to get ahold of me all the way across the country is that our students acted this way out of their good nature, and not to be recognized. I commend the staff that took them, the students, and the parents for such a job well done. Nothing makes me more proud to be a Blackhawk!"

Did the kids have a great time touring Washington D.C. with their friends? Absolutely. I am sure they did. Would they have remembered this trip anyway? Yes. I am sure they would have. But what I think is most important, is how these Westville students will be remembered by Washington D.C.