Middle School Field Experiences Connect with History
Source/Author: Raffi Darrow, Shorecrest News Editor
March 05, 2026
Shorecrest Middle School students recently traveled beyond the classroom for memorable grade-level trips filled with discovery, laughter and hands-on learning.
Seventh graders traveled to St. Augustine, where the Florida history they have been studying all year came to life through visits to several of the city’s well-known landmarks. Students climbed the St. Augustine Lighthouse, toured the Old Jail, and explored the storied Castillo de San Marcos. They also visited the Pirate Museum and Colonial Quarter before continuing on to the Spanish Military Hospital and the Shipwreck Museum. At the Shipwreck Museum, the owner allowed several Chargers to try on a dazzling $40,000 replica of the famous “Heart of the Ocean” necklace worn by Kate Winslet in the film Titanic.
The visit also included a meaningful stop at Fort Mose Historic State Park, the site of the first free African American community in North America. On their final morning, students toured Flagler College, exploring the former Ponce de Leon Hotel and learning more about the vision of developer Henry Flagler.
Eighth graders headed to Washington, D.C. for several days of exploring the nation’s capital. Their busy itinerary included a visit to the United States Capitol, where students stepped inside the historic Old Senate Chamber—once home to the Supreme Court and still used today for ceremonial occasions. The group also paid their respects at Arlington National Cemetery, watching the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visiting the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy.
Students spent time at several Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which two out of three students surveyed named as their favorite stop of the trip. They also visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the International Spy Museum, and many of the city’s iconic memorials, including the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
On their first night in the city, temperatures dropped to 22 degrees, and students bundled up and headed out to go ice skating on the National Mall. During an evening ghost tour of Arlington, a few students even claimed they spotted the bell tower ghost.
From meaningful historical sites to moments of fun with classmates, the trips gave students a chance to learn, explore and share experiences they will remember long after returning to campus.
