Compass Montessori Junior High -
On Tuesday, October 22nd our class took our annual trip to Detroit. We stayed in Hostel Detroit for the week. The first day consisted of visiting The Detroit Institute of Arts and getting groceries at Meijer. The Detroit Institute of Arts came with many cool experiences. We split into van groups to tour the museum with our guides. One exhibit we got to enjoy was the Ofrenda exhibit. The beautiful altars pay tribute to loved ones who have passed away. Currently, we are learning about the Day of the Dead in Spanish.
On day two, we headed to the Zekelman Holocaust Center. We learned about the tragic history of the Holocaust. We heard from Holocaust survivors about their heart-wrenching stories and experiences. We also got the chance to view Anne Frank's tree. During World War II Anne Frank went into hiding and she wrote in her journal about this special tree that stood outside her window. This horse chestnut tree gave Anne Frank hope about the future. Scientists found this very tree and created saplings. The saplings were given to many museums around the country. The Zekelman Center was given one and we got an incredible view of this tree. After this museum, we explored the Children’s Science Museum. We explored all the different levels of this amazing museum. We got the opportunity to view a dinosaur exhibit. This exhibit showed us what dinosaurs looked like many years ago as well as interactive displays. During the museum, we watched a documentary on the life of whales. To wrap up day two, Jessica Sullivan kindly got us tickets for the Pistons basketball game. The Detroit Pistons played the Indiana Pacers. The Pistons sadly fell to the Pacers 115 to 109. But it sure was a great game! We enjoyed pizza and got to shoot free throws after the game ended. Our class was also featured on the Jumbotron. This was definitely the highlight of the night for most people.
On day three, we got to catch up on sleep with a late start to our day. Our first activity was at 11:00 when we drove to Historic Fort Wayne. Historic Fort Wayne was a five point star fort where the army would fire their weapons at the Canadian shore. It is also a sacred Native American burial ground which was very sad to see. After the tour we enjoyed a packed lunch and some recess. Once we had finished at the park we decided to walk around downtown Detroit. It was so fun to see all the buildings and sights. Before dinner, we made one last stop which was an old building and we learned all about the architecture. Dinner was at Detroit Shipping Co. It was so good and we had so much fun. We played bags, Connect 4, and of course we couldn't leave without getting the whole class to sing karaoke on two microphones. That was definitely an experience none of us will forget. Before the night ended we went to this pop-up shop called the Pink Flamingo where we bought treats like lemonade and cookies. This night and the game were definitely unforgettable.
On day four, (our last day in Detroit) we woke up very early to pack up. After spending the whole morning packing suitcases, washing sheets and checking everything we headed home. Before fully leaving we made one last stop to the state capital in Lansing. We heard from Betsy Coffia’s legislative director, Ashley. We heard all about how she got into politics and her life. After we heard from her we got a tour of the state capitol. It was very cool. We even got to see Governor Whitmer's office! After the tour, we drove the three hours back to Traverse City.
We would like to thank our guides and chaperones for the opportunity to take this amazing trip. We would also like to thank all of the tour guides that showed us the ropes during many of the museums! Thank you!
Written by Gwennie Goodreau and Ava Hagerty