September 18, 2022

Dear Class of 2027 Families,

Preparations are well underway for the eighth grade trip this fall to Washington, D.C., and we are so excited to be able to make this special event happen once again! The trip, which is built into the eighth grade curriculum and an integral part of the middle school experience, is scheduled for October 25-28. The tour will include a variety of sites ranging from the Capitol Building and Mount Vernon to Arlington National Cemetery and the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

Arrangements for the trip are being made through Prodigy Student Travel, a respected student travel company whose owner, Kerry Wimsatt, is a former Academy parent who has led many of our class trips. Prodigy serves schools throughout Central Ohio and is a fully licensed, insured and bonded company based in Columbus. Also, all chaperones are faculty and staff members of Columbus Academy.

The trip package, priced at $750 per student, includes the following: transportation, hotel accommodations, most meals, admission fees, tour guides, hotel security and all gratuities. This amount will be billed to each student's account, and we encourage all students to attend. If the cost is a hardship, please contact Middle School Head Shaka Arnold at arnolds@columbusacademy.org. Should an emergency arise that precludes your child from going, we will return any portion of the cost we receive from Prodigy.

We will send additional information such as a packing list and itinerary overview in the next week or so. We will also host a Grade 8 Parent Coffee at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 5, when we can answer any questions you may have. In the meantime, if you have any immediate questions or concerns, please contact me at rheee@columbusacademy.org. We’re looking forward to another wonderful trip!

Best,

Ed Rhee ’93

Associate Head of Middle School