Dear SMS 7th and 8th Grade Families,
We have been exploring the idea of a tour of Washington D.C. for our 7th and 8th grade students as part of their capstone experience at SMS. We have been in discussion with our friends and St. Thomas More and St. Bernadette about the possibility of joining them on a trip that they have done yearly. They have a system in place with a tour guide and a solid itinerary.
We would leave by bus on Monday, April 20 and return Friday, April 24, 2026. These are some of the sites on the itinerary:
National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Including Mass)
Holocaust Museum
Washington Monument
Ford's Theater
Bureau of Engraving
Vietnam Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Capitol Hill
Smithsonian Museum
Pentagon
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
White House
WW II Memorial
Jefferson Memorial
Mother Seton House and Seminary Chapel (1st Catholic School and Seminary in US)
Flag Raising at Fort McHenry
Key Bridge
We are proposing that we will take our 7th and 8th grade every other year (so 2026, 2028, etc). The anticipated cost per person is $1,100-$1,200. Parents are are also allowed to go as well as long as they pay their way, the cost would be the same as students. Although not cheap, we believe it is a good deal for all that is included. I would like to provide our students an opportunity to raise money to help offset the cost of their trip over the course of the school year. It could not get in the way of our current fundraisers, but I have some ideas, and if you have any ideas to help I think it would be a great opportunity for our students to learn responsibility and work ethic to earn money for the trip.
We are in the early stages of planning this, but I do think it is an exciting opportunity, and something our students would remember for the rest of their lives. This is what I need right now for planning purposes: Please respond to me with an email if you are interested in this for your 7th or 8th grade student. Please also let me know if you would also like to pay to go as a chaperone. I would like to get some numbers together relatively soon as our friends at St. Bernadette and St. Thomas More have already begun planning the trip.
Please respond to me via email (andy.arn@stmichaelripley.com) either way no later than July 18, or feel free to email any questions that you have, keeping in mind, we are still in the early stages of planning.