On Mar. 8 - 14, 165 students, 27 directors and chaperones, and 60 band family members set out for a trip to Hawaii. The Churchill High School Band has been planning this trip for more than two years. The trip included a scavenger hunt in the Waikiki area near the hotel and students learned about the Hawaiian history and culture that made this area famous.

The band was divided into teams in order to experience a team building exercise and future leaders’ talents and creative skills were quickly discovered. They also sailed on a catamaran cruise up the Honolulu Coast and learned about the marine life and tropical fish that make this part of the Pacific their home.

"Probably our most favorite day next to the beach was our visit to Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona, and the USS Missouri," said Debbie Riley, band parent and booster co-president. The Charger Band performed three patriotic songs and drum majors raised a flag over the USS Missouri. Hundreds of tourist stopped their touring of the ship to listen to the performance.

"Our tour guides told us we were the finest band they had ever heard perform this venue and they’ve heard hundreds," said Riley. "Our students learned first hand about that fateful day at Pearl Harbor." The students listened to a retired veteran recount the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and then watched actual movie footage filmed by American and Japanese service men.  The band was presented with the flag that flew over the same ship during the performance and Albert Lo, band director, has presented this memento to the school to commemorate the trip.