Jeanne Roppolo shows pictures of her trip to Antarctica in her grandson's second grade class at Arbury Hills School in Mokena. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media

Jeanne Roppolo smiles while showing pictures of seals from her trip to Antartica at her grandsons second grade class at Arbury Hills School in Mokena, Illinois, Friday, May 4, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media

Danny Roppolo, 8, holds the Flat Stanley his grandmother Jeanne Roppolo took on her trip to Antartica in his second grade class at Arbury Hills School in Mokena, Illinois, Friday, May 4, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media

Jeanne Roppolo lets students get a close up look at a volcanic crystal from Mount Erebus in Antartica at her grandsons second grade class at Arbury Hills School in Mokena, Illinois, Friday, May 4, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media

Jeanne Roppolo talks about the different places she took Flat Stanley (pictured behind) on her trip to Antartica in her grandsons second grade class at Arbury Hills School in Mokena, Illinois, Friday, May 4, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media

Jeanne Roppolo talks about the living conditions and weather while looking through a scrap book from her trip to Antartica in her grandsons second grade class at Arbury Hills School in Mokena, Illinois, Friday, May 4, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media

Jeanne Roppolo talks about the living conditions and weather while looking through a scrap book from her trip to Antartica in her grandsons second grade class at Arbury Hills School in Mokena, Illinois, Friday, May 4, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media

We had to 'profile' a crack in the ice in order to determiine if it was safe to cross when ice fishing. Supplied photo

Jeanne Roppolo, during a research stint at the South Pole sitting on the edge of a cliff with seals sunning themselves below. Supplied photo