By Shay Sinnott

The 6th grade class and chaperones ride the duck tours at Sydney Joseph of Randolph has a turn to drive!

On May 5th, the sixth grade class at St. Mary of the Hills School was treated to a special Duck Tour field trip for the second year in a row. The class earned the field trip after classmate, Xavier Welch of Milton, won first place in the annual Duck Tours Writing Contest early this year. Welch’s essay, titled, The Stamp Act Crisis: Fuel of the Rebellion, was chosen as a first place winner. The prize for the contest consists of a free Duck Tour of Boston for the entire grade, plus a tour of the Old State House. The Duck Tour ride was led by “Commonwealth Cowgirl” who has been working for the Boston Duck Tours for 11 years. She informed the students about interesting Boston History facts throughout the tour, and students who remembered the information were lucky enough to drive the boat once it hit the Charles! Bobby O’Grady of Milton was the first to drive, followed by Sydnee Bridges (Brockton), Sydney Joseph (Randolph) and Maureen Shea (Hyde Park).

L to R: Aidan Keyes (Milton), Emmanuel Felleke (Randolph), Daniel Clarke (Randolph), Kahlil Copper (Milton), Xavier Welch and his mother, Bethany Bonner, await to board the Duck Tours!

The 6th graders were excited to return to the boats and the historical landmark once again, as Xavier Welch won the contest last year as well.  However, this time the Old State House had a new addition!  Last October a 100 year old time capsule was discovered inside the old lion statue on top of the Old State House. The state then created a new time capsule for 2014, which included Xavier’s first award winning essay. The capsule will not be opened again for another hundred years.