Washougal eighth-graders travel to the East Coast for U.S. history trip

History, up close

By Danielle Frost

July 10, 2012 12:00 am

Life

Teens from Jemtegaard and Canyon Creek middle schools had the opportunity to retire the flag at Fort McHenry. The location was the inspiration for the writing of "The Star Spangled Banner."

Matthew Rotundo poses in the stocks at Colonial Williamsburg.

The national 9/11 Memorial bears witness to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Here, the North Tower Fountain lists the names of the people killed in the attacks.

Taylor Billups, Courteney Webb and Matthew Rotundo pose for the camera in New York City.

Courteney Webb and Taylor Billups pose at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City. They and other students from Jemtegaard and Canyon Creek middle schools toured the East Coast last month with Jemtegaard history teacher Scott Rainey.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness…charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”This Mark Twain quote is a favorite of Jemtegaard Middle School U.S. history teacher Scott Rainey. It is also his personal credo whenever he does what few of us could imagine doing: Taking a large group of eighth-graders to a staggering number of historically significant sites on the East Coast, all while ensuring they have as much fun as possible.

Rainey has been leading the trip since 2003, when he was encouraged to do so by then Vice-Principal Doug Bright.

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