Few classroom moments capture authentic engagement quite like the sight of penguins on the move. During Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Penczarski’s visit to Gurney Elementary, second graders watched with fascination as penguins waddled across the Antarctic ice, an experience that deepened their understanding of their recent unit on penguins and habitats.
“Our second graders had just finished their penguin unit when I learned that Dr. Penczarski had traveled to Antarctica,” said Mrs. Jones, second grade teacher. “The timing couldn’t have been better. The students were already so curious, and hearing from someone who had seen penguins in their natural environment made everything we’d studied come alive. They were absolutely fascinated.”
Dr. Penczarski shared photos and videos from her recent expedition to Antarctica, where she observed King, Chinstrap, Gentoo, and Magellanic penguins in their natural environments. The images of vast ice fields, floating bergs, and colonies huddled together under an open sky transformed the library into a window to the southern hemisphere. Students leaned forward as she described how to spot penguins in the wild. Together they tried watching for small dark shapes on icebergs or subtle movement in the water near the edge of the ice in Dr. Penczarski’s videos.
The presentation was a true exchange of learning. Students eagerly shared facts they had learned in class, how Emperor penguins are the tallest species, how they live on the ice so they can be near the ocean to eat and how they take turns keeping eggs warm. Their observations reflected both knowledge and wonder, connecting textbook study to lived experience.
“Being in classrooms with our students is one of my favorite parts of this job,” Dr. Penczarski said. “Their curiosity is contagious, they’re eager to learn and love sharing what they know.”
Throughout the visit, Dr. Penczarski emphasized curiosity and observation, the foundations of scientific discovery. Her firsthand accounts invited students to think about what it means to study animals ethically and to appreciate the delicate balance of life in extreme environments. Moments like these, where classroom learning meets real-world experience, remind students that curiosity can take them anywhere.
