Postcards from AIS: Students Hit the Road on Winter Field Trips 

Agnes Irwin students have been on the move this winter. In preparation for painting their own self-portraits this spring, our 1st graders toured the portraits at The Barnes Foundation. “Agnes Irwin 1st graders have been painting self-portraits now for at least 22 years,” says LS art teacher Trish Siembora. The girls also viewed the special exhibit, “Water, Wind, Breath: Southwest Native Art in Community.” Current students and alumnae, do you know where your AIS self-portrait is? 

Our 7th and 8th graders hit the slopes at Shawnee Mountain for a day of snow tubing. “The purpose of the trip was class bonding and to celebrate the end of the 2nd trimester,” said 7th and 8th grade dean Corey Willingham. “It was such a fun day.” Highlights included a “snow tube caravan,” fajita bar at lunch, and a very spirited High School Musical 2 sing-along on the return trip home. 

The Upper School African American History class and members of the Black Student Union got at least 10,000 steps in on their visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. where they explored as many of its 10 floors and 400,000 square feet of collections as possible. The girls reflected on African American influence in history, community, and culture. “This trip was the realization of a student initiative conceived by the Black Student Union a few years ago but did not happen due to COVID,” said Upper School history teacher Jake Greenberg. “It was great that we could do it.” They topped the day off with pit stops at the amazing food trucks lining Constitution Avenue. 

A few days later, the Juniors also made their way to D.C. for some much-deserved off-campus fun. Split up into their eight advisory groups, the students spread out over the city visiting the Hirshhorn Museum of modern and contemporary art, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Air and Space Museum, among others. Every group made a sightseeing stop including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. At the end of the day, the students came together for dinner and bowling. “We clocked eight miles that day!” said Upper School Dean of Students Sarah Leonard. 

Lastly, as part of their reading unit on the American Revolution, the 4th graders visited the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. They have been learning to research like an historian, consider perspective, and understand primary and secondary sources. One of the highlights of the day was the preparedness of the students who dove right into the tour guides’ programming. A special thank you to Peggy Pace Duckett, grandmother to Maggie Duckett ‘30 and Museum of the American Revolution Board of Directors member, who helped arrange the visit.