E pluribus unum – "Out of many, one". This phrase greeted us as we sat down in a grand theatre in the US Capitol at the start of our tour.

Although the United States is made up of many towns, cities and states, and despite many differences, the country is One.

The same can be said about a school: there are many different voices but we act as one community.

Our first field trip took us to the seat of American Government. We disembarked from the school bus at the back of the Capitol building. Whatever angle you view the building from, it is a site to behold. 

After a quick bite to eat in the Capitol cafe, we joined our tour guide, Rachel. Rachel led us around several points of interest in the Capitol. We began in the Crypt where the central white marble "compass stone" in the floor marks the center of the U.S. Capitol and is the point where the city is divided into quadrants (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest).

We were incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to sit in the viewing gallery of the House of Representatives although we weren't able to take any photos as security was very tight. Congress, however, was not in session.

Afterwards, we walked through a tunnel to the Library of Congress, which was a stunning building. Old and new shared the same magnificent space, from Thomas Jefferson's library to modern photography.

It was nearly time to get back on the bus but not before we took a photo opportunity outside of the Supreme Court.

Back on the bus, we headed to the mall for dinner and shopping. 

We had organized the students into three groups supervized by a member of sraff. We asked the students to watch out for each on the excursion, which they did amazingly well. We were many in the group, but we acted as one.