8600 Bloomington Ave. S.Bloomington, MN 55425,Phone: 952.426.6000/Fax: 952.426.6020,

Dear Parents and Guardians of 8th Grade Students,

Planning for this year’s second annual 8th Grade Capstone Trip to Washington, D.C., continues to progress well.

We are grateful to the members of the Planning Committee for volunteering their time, energy and talent to ensure this exciting and important educational experience is a success, and we are pleased to share with you the following information from our presentation as well as reminders and updates from our last meeting.

Please continue to visit our website, read the newsletter, and attend any planning meetings you can—the next will be held in Rm. 302 from 5:30–6:30 p.m. on Monday, January 14th—to stay informed and involved.

Trip Overview: 44 students and 10 chaperones (6 parents, 4 staff) will depart by bus for Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, May 28th, and return to Beacon Prep on Monday, June 3rd, driving straight through both ways.

  • Itinerary:Tour sites include a stop at Gettysburg/Monticello on the way to and from Washington, D.C., and sites within Washington, D.C., include, but are not limited to: Capitol Building, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Museums, Supreme Court, American History Museum, Arlington National Cemetery, and the White House.
  • Transportation: We have contracted with Richfield Bus Company, which has conducted similar school trips to our nation’s capital. Richfield Bus Co. will supply two drivers who will alternate driving shifts to and from the destination and will provide daily transportation when necessary.
  • Food/Accommodations:Accommodations have been reserved at George Washington University, which provides dormitory-style rooms and box lunches in a secure campus setting located near the Capitol Mall. Breakfast snacks will be brought along and dinners will take place at various locations around the Mall.
  • Fundraising:Five more fundraisers are planned for which we need your participation: Papa Murphy’s cards in January; a Read-a-Thon in February; a Pizza Pick-up in March; a Rummage Sale in April; and a Carwash in April. Watch for more details on each of these events.
  • Budget:We’ve set our total trip budget at just over $25,000 and have raised $5,000 this fall so far. $9,100 will come from student and chaperone fees.
  • Additional:The trip costs $465/person and we are asking students to pay $150 of their trip fee: we will provide financial assistance as necessary in exchange for volunteer support. Parent chaperones will contribute at least $250 of their trip fee and be expected to fund-raise the remaining amount.

**Please send a $150 check made payable to Beacon Preparatory School by February 8th; if you require financial assistance in the form of a payment plan or reduced trip fee, please contact Carl Schlueter by email at or by phone at 952.426.6039 to discuss payment and the possibility of other ways in which you and your child can support the success of this trip.

Thank you for your participation and support for the Capstone Trip: we want this to bean 8th Grade community effortto which everyone contributes—and we continue to need your help to make it a success!

The 8th Grade Capstone Trip Planning Committee