After three days in our nation’s capital, the “Safety Patrol” students of Sippican School have returned with tales of monuments, museums and even a sighting of the First Dog.

Led by enrichment teacher Stacey Soucy and ten other chaperones, 24 students of the school’s Safety Patrol left for Washington D.C. on April 19.

The Safety Patrol students help with the arrival and dismissal of students by holding open doors and by directing them where they should go.

For Soucy, the months of fundraising for the trip were time well spent.

“Every aspect of the trip was perfect,” Soucy said.

“The weather was beautiful and there was not one single complaint. From the chaperones to the kids, everyone had a great time.”

The most exciting part of the trip, Soucy said, was a tour of the White House.

“The tour was so great,” she said. “We even saw Bo, the Obama’s dog, playing in the yard. It was really exciting for us.”

The group used Smithsonian Student Travel in planning the trip, whose guides helped organize activities in addition to tours throughout the city.

“The tour guides made it such a great trip,” Soucy said. “They kept us safe, told us where to go and we didn’t have to wait in line.”

Other stops on the trip included Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, the Jefferson Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Soucy said she would like to be able to take the students to Washington D.C. every two years or so.

“For schools, it is perfectly designed to bring a group of kids,” she said. “Everything runs like clockwork.”

While the kids are already talking about where to go next year, Soucy said she is considering Williamsburg, Pennsylvania.

Until then, the students will focus on fundraising.