Our March break trip began on Sunday, March 10th, 2013. We woke up early and met Peter, our bus driver. Peter drove us across the United States border and five hours later we were in Boston, Massachusetts. Our tour didn't stop there. Two days later we went to New York City and after that we spent a couple of days in Washington D.C.   

By the time we arrived in Boston, our tour guide Nathalie Phan was there waiting for us. We ate dinner at a restaurant downtown before walking to the Prudential tower, which is a skyscraper in Boston. We went to the observation deck and saw Boston's skyline to end the day. 

Monday, March 11th was a busy day. Shortly after eating breakfast we toured Boston College, the Massachusetts institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Café and had a chance to shop at a local market.   

We left Boston on Tuesday morning and arrived in New York City that afternoon. It was raining, so we spent the afternoon shopping at the Manhattan mall. After eating dinner at a Deli restaurant Peter drove us to the Empire State Building. The weather had cleared up just enough so that we had a great view of the sprawling metropolis.

Wednesday, March 13th was another busy day. We took a ferry to Liberty Island and saw the Statue of Liberty. After lunch we went to the September 11th memorial and saw the Freedom Tower that is still under construction. Peter met us just outside of the memorial and drove us to 5th Avenue so that we would have a chance to go shopping. Peter picked us up at the Rockefeller Center near 5th Avenue and took us to Time Square for dinner. After dinner we went to a musical called Mamma Mia on Broadway. There was a live orchestra which was very entertaining. The actors and actresses returned to the stage for an encore presentation and many people in the audience left their seats so that they could dance to the music.   

We left New York City on Thursday morning and arrived in Washington D.C. that afternoon. Our tour guide Nathalie Phan lives in Washington so she knew the city well. Our bus driver Peter drove us to the Pentagon City Mall where we were given three hours to go shopping. Peter picked us up at the Pentagon City Mall and drove us to the Lincoln Memorial. On the way there we saw the Washington monument in the distance. Peter picked us up at the Lincoln Memorial and took us out for dinner. After dinner Nathalie Phan took us to the White House.   

Friday, March 15th was probably the busiest day we had all week. First we toured the Capitol building and watched a short video on American history. Afterwards Peter picked us up and drove us to Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon is famous because George Washington lived there. We were able to go inside his mansion. He is also buried in Mount Vernon so we visited his grave. Peter picked us up and drove us to a restaurant in Washington after dinner we went on a guided ghost tour of the Capital.

Our last day was on Saturday, March 16th; the first thing that we did was go to the Arlington National Cemetery where John F. Kennedy is buried. We watched the changing of the guard, which is an American ceremony that honours unidentified soldiers. After the ceremony Peter drove us to the Holocaust museum. There were four floors filled with many historical exhibits. We ate lunch at the Smithsonian Institution and saw the world's first airplane, which was designed by the Wright brothers at the beginning of the 20th century.   

 Mark Raby - Residential Advisor 

On Wednesday March 27th, staff and students participated in the Jump Rope for Heart which is a fundraising event for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Students were divided into their four houses and participated in five jumping activities which included jumping for distance, jumping for height, team skipping, skipping for speed and skipping for as long as possible. All students took part in these activities and they had a lot of fun too. All of the houses did well but the overall winner was the Green House.

More photos of the students participating in the Jump Rope for Heart is available online. 

This Easter weekend, we learned about man's struggle to fly at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. The tour demonstrated the progression of aviation, starting with the pioneer era (where we got to see some of the very first flying prototypes) and finishing in the modern aircraft exhibit.  

Some of the neatest planes that we saw were the early 'bush planes' used to access northern Canada. Airplanes from both World Wars - including both Allies and Axis - were on display. Our guide told us that the museum houses the only surviving WW2 Nazi bomber still in existence (a war trophy). It was amazing to be up close to some of the machinery that played a key role in Canadian as well as world history.  Visit our Facebook Page for more photos from the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum.