Student Submission: Jerling's Night at the Museum

The below article was written by a Jerling Jr High student.

You might have watched the movie, ‘Night at the Museum,’ but did you know that Jerling had its very own Night at the Museum? On Wednesday, March 12th kids were able to create slime, use 3D doodle pens, view different exhibits and so much more right at Jerling Junior High! Assistant Principal of Jerling Junior High Lindsay Fredin says, "When the diverse talents of our School Improvement Team collaborate, we don't just plan an event; we curate an experience. In order to bring 'A Night at the Museum' to life; our amazing staff members, students, and community members weaved together threads of creativity, dedication, and a shared vision to transform a simple evening into a memory etched in the hearts of our Jerling family forever.’ This event was a great opportunity that allowed students to express their creativity and learn new knowledge throughout the night.

President of NJHS, Ainslee Beaty, said about Jerling’s Night at the Museum, “We had so many different things to do, like paper circuits, and fossil donations.” NJHS worked with the community and other schools so that they could share information about the event with as many people as possible. Additionally, throughout the event, you might have heard kids talking about the most popular attraction: a LIVE sloth! Not only was a sloth there but there also was a bat you could touch and a large bird you were able to hold. The live animals fascinated attendees greatly and definitely drew large crowds during the event! The museum also featured a skull dinosaur head named Norman, with many visitors taking photos and learning more about him throughout the night.

Not only were students involved, but teachers worked hard behind the scenes to perfect this fun experience. School librarian Ms. Poniatowski explains the journey of bringing Norman the dinosaur skull to Jerling Junior High. Once it was decided that “Norman” would be at the event JJH staff had to figure out a way to get him to Jerling! Ms. Poniotowski said that even though she knew Norman would be a perfect attraction for the event, it would be a challenge to get him to the school since “He’s clearly not going to fit in a normal car or van. [Assistant principal Lindsay Fredin and I] went [downtown] on Saturday and packed up a U-Haul truck with him and all the other supplies for the event.” This was definitely a challenging experience as Mrs. Poniotowski mentions “The wheels on the ramp (for Norman) are exactly 24 inches apart, and the width of the U-Haul ramp was 25 inches, so there was not a lot of wiggle room, and [Norman is] also about 250 pounds!” Was it worth it? You bet! The long line to see the exciting dinosaur stood in the middle of the gym, open for everyone to see.

We can conclude that Jerling’s first Night at the Museum was a big success, not only for Jerling students, but for everyone who got to experience it as well. This was an unforgettable Night at the Museum that not only brought history to life with knowledge and attractions, but also reminded us that things that happen in the movies can also happen in real life!