Photo Gallery: A Day at the Sicomac Museum

Sicomac students learned everything from how to properly exhibit good table manners to how to achieve inner peace through yoga at an interactive theme day on Friday.

Parents and teachers put on a full-day of activities with the students, built around "A Night at the Museum" motif. Seemingly overnight, elementary classrooms were transformed into fun and educational workshop stations, where visitors as diverse as an Army reservist and representatives from the Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge led the little ones through lessons built around the district's theme this year: "A World of Respect Begins With Me."

Accordingly, each workshop was designed to show the kids different ways to show respect for themselves, others and the environment.

Mayor Rudy Boonstra and Committeeman Chris DePhillips offered the kids a lesson in representative democracy, with the children later voting on which of their favorite charities should receive support. An Army reservist offered lessons on discipline and teamwork, and the children would learn about the plight of animals without a home, courtesy of the no-kill shelter in Oakland. Staff from BR Holistic Healing taught the children the importance of exercise and proper diet, while teachers showed the students the value of proper etiquette and pleasant manners.

The day opened with an exhibit in the gym presented by Dinosaurs Rock featuring actual dinosaur fossils. The youngsters got to explore the school later in the day on a scavenger hunt to find the "missing dinosaur eggs."

The theme day was the result of months of planning between the school's staff and dozens of parents who volunteered their time to make the Sicomac Museum a success.