BJH Climbs to the Top of the Dome
by Francine Haverkamp
May 20, 2008
On Friday, April 4, 2008, the Bern 7th and 8th grade classes traveled to Topeka to visit the state capitol. While there, they met Governor Kathleen Sebelius, talked with Representative Steve Lukert, visited the legislative houses, toured the historic capitol building, and climbed all the way to the top and outside of the dome! The students were accompanied by teachers, Rick Schnacker and Francine Haverkamp and parent, Jana Strahm in conjunction with their studies in US History and Kansas History classes.
Highlights were recognizing the murals in the state capitol as the same photos in their books, seeing names of the abolitionists who worked to make Kansas a free state when we entered the union, sitting in the galleries of the Senate and House of Representatives, walking on the glass floor in the State Library, taking a picture and meeting with the Governor and Representative Lukert, seeing other students working as pages for their representatives, and most of all, climbing 307 feet to stand outside the dome. What a thrill!
Unfortunately, the students had to go home after their trip to the capitol instead of the planned scavenger hunt at the Kansas Museum of History. We just didn’t have enough time to complete it. We would like to thank the district, though, for allowing us to go on a fun-filled, busy, and educational trip.
