Rockville Students Spend Afternoon At 'Museum'

Elle Moxley / StateImpact Indiana

Younger students walk through the halls of Rockville Elementary School as fifth graders portray famous historical figures. The students can't talk or interact with their parents or peers while part of the Tableau Museum.

You’re in fifth grade. It’s the day before school lets out for winter break. You’re excited about the holidays, the forecasted winter storm and no homework for two weeks.

But before you can go, your teacher makes you stand in the hallway — perfectly still, perfectly silent — while your peers file past. Sound like a tall order? Welcome to the annual Rockville Elementary School Tableau Museum.

We spent a lot of time covering policy here at StateImpact. I was in Rockville Thursday looking at the state’s A-F letter grade system. But when Principal Jeff Eslinger asked if I’d stay another hour “to see something special,” well, you can’t say no to that.

So for a bit of light-hearted fun, I’ll let fifth grader Kennett Taylor explain his class’ history project. 

• Tableau Museum: 'You Stand Like A Statue'Kennett Taylor walks us through the finer points of participating in a tableau museum. Taylor, a fifth grader at Rockville Elementary School, wrote his report about John Hancock.Download

For the record, I told Taylor he did a great job explaining the project. He didn’t break character.

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