Congressman Frelinghuysen Visits The Peck School

Each spring, Peck 7th grade students embark on an extended field trip to Washington, D.C., visiting such historic and political centers as the Capitol building, several Smithsonian museums, and the National Mall.  The trip ties together curricular themes on American government and civics, world history, ethics and current events, as well as providing a valuable, robust, (and fun) bonding experience for these young adult learners as they look towards their graduating year of middle school.

Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, a Peck alumnus (Class of 1960), graciously visits with each class in advance of their trip, and then looks forward to spending significant time in Washington, D.C., giving the students a behind-the-scenes perspective on life inside the Beltway.

Following a warm and enthusiastic welcome, the 7th grade eagerly listened to Congressman Frelinghuysen tell the story of his life and his role in politics.  As the elected representative of some 700,000 people, a large part of the Congressman’s job is to get to know and be accessible to all people in his constituency, kids included.  He described what he does, and why he does it; adding that although he has always wanted to enter politics, his initial inspiration was his father—who became a Congressman from New Jersey in 1953.  He said, “I wanted to, even when I was a child, do what my father did.”  The Congressman added, “motivation can come from different sources—a good teacher, a parish priest, a minister, or a parent.”

No shortage of questions peppered the talk, as students asked (for both information and the Congressman’s opinions) about topics as varied as the Occupy Wall Street movement, conflict in African countries, global trade, current partisan politics, and the most interesting place Mr. Frelinghuysen has visited (the South Pole).

The Frelinghuysen family has long had family ties to The Peck School, beginning with the Congressman’s great-aunt, Matilda Frelinghuysen, who was one of the original six students of Miss Sutphen’s School for Girls which eventually became The Peck School of today.

For more information about The Peck School or to see the full photo gallery, please visit www.peckschool.org.