
Lessons from a school sabbatical —
Kristin Hussey's family is about to begin the last leg of a school sabbatical that has taken them on learning adventures in Florida, Washington, D.C., and next in the western United States. Here, Hussey's son examined historical documents at the National Archives during a visit to Washington, D.C. The Archives' Learning Center and free family programs were among several kid-friendly programs the family discovered in unexpected places.

Lessons from a school sabbatical —
During the sabbatical, Hussey's sons used library books and blog entries for reading and writing work. In math, the boys used the same textbooks as their classmates back home.

Lessons from a school sabbatical —
Hussey's sons scanned names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during their visit to Washington, D.C. They were searching for John B. Sherman, a college friend of their grandfather's who died during the conflict. "We tried to make everything into a lesson," Hussey said. "We're trying to bring the history to life."

Lessons from a school sabbatical —
One of the goals behind the school sabbatical was to enable Hussey's children, who live in Connecticut, to spend more time with their grandparents in Florida. Hussey and her children stayed in the same building as her parents, Michael and Donna Hussey, and they often joined in the family's adventures.

Lessons from a school sabbatical —
Hussey's aunt, retired biology teacher Diane Doyle, spent two weeks visiting Florida and leading science projects for Hussey's children. When their experiments were complete, they held a small science fair to show off their work.

Lessons from a school sabbatical —
Hussey's daughter will enter kindergarten in the fall, but she took part in many of her older brothers' learning experiences. Here, she worked on identifying birds at Everglades National Park in Florida.

Lessons from a school sabbatical —
Hussey's family spent a night camping at the remote Dry Tortugas National Park, about 68 miles off the coast of Key West. While visiting, Hussey's children learned that conspirators in Abraham Lincoln's death were imprisoned there in the Civil War-era Fort Jefferson. Later in their sabbatical, they visited Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was shot. Both visits prompted discussions about the Civil War and Lincoln's presidency.

Lessons from a school sabbatical —
Hussey's husband's parents visited the family in Florida and in Washington during the sabbatical, and both sets of grandparents expect to join in the last leg of the family's journey out West.


