Picture a Trojan horse made of pretzels, a lab setup to extract DNA from a strawberry and a starfish sculpture. It’s all part of “Night at the Museum” at St. Mark School in Vienna May 21.
Science experiments, historical dioramas, artwork and more allowed students to show off their schoolwork to parents and friends and see what their classmates had been working on all year.
The exhibits included decorative renditions of da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” reimagined covers of popular books and reports on countries of the world, and numerous other themed rooms. Interactive exhibits gave attendees the chance to play musical instruments or extract strawberry DNA in the lab. In between the many informative displays, patrons could see performances from the school band, choir and a baton dancer.
While each grade had their work on display, the eighth graders organized the event. Some have been St. Mark students since preschool.
“I’ve been here 10 years, so it’s a very nice way to show that I can give back to the school in all the ways it has given to me,” said eighth grade organizer Sofia Foreso. “This is my second home and I love it.”
The eighth graders started planning in March, said fellow organizer Carter Tennant, and worked during the night to guide visitors through the exhibits. “I enjoyed working with all my friends,” said Tennant. “This is a good way to get together and have fun.” The eighth graders also ran a museum cafe, which raised funds for Porto Charities, an organization that supports people with disabilities in the diocese.
Vanessa Lewis and her son Bryce Lewis were two of the museum attendees. Bryce contributed a great white shark habitat and a starfish sculpture to the museum. He said he most enjoyed visiting the saints display. Fifth grade teacher Alana Brooks-Murphy liked the art room and the performances. “I get to see all the work my students do but it’s so beautiful to get to see all the other grades as well,” she said.
Maraist is a freelancer from Reston.
