SUQUAMISH — Suquamish Elementary School first-grade teacher Peggy Williams knows there’s something missing in the North End — the Poulsbo Marine Science Center.

As ongoing efforts continue to reopen the center, which closed its doors to the public in March 2005, Bob Neault spent this past week teaching Suquamish students about marine science in a classroom setting.

Neault’s instruction was part of the outreach program for the PMSC funded by a $250,000 grant from the Washington State Legislature, which also helped start the process of reopening the center.

“I really miss the Marine Science Center,” Williams said. “I’m very excited about it reopening.”

Through the center, teachers were able to provide students with hands-on experiences they can’t get out of a book, she said.

“One of the mandates we have in first grade is to learn about life cycles, and this ties in with that,” she said as her students viewed the incremental stages of a salmon’s development.

Through the emphasis is on science, she said her students have also incorporated writing, math and language skills into their lessons.

“Everything fits together nicely,” Williams said.

For six-year-olds Healy Reinhold and Josh Knowles, the hour spent with Neault was a welcomed respite from their normal school days.

“I like looking at the salmon and telling you what it is,” Reinhold said. “I would love to learn more.”

As an aspiring fisherman herself, Reinhold said she has caught several dogfish and even a salmon or two.

And although she can’t recall visiting the center previously to its closure, Reinhold said she wants to go when it reopens.

“I’d love to be the first in line,” Knowles said. “I remember going there.”

For now, Knowles said the most interesting part of Thursday’s lesson was looking at the different shapes and sizes of the salmon growth cycle.

“That’s my favorite,” Knowles said pointing to the salmonoid at the 90-day stage with its eyes emerging.

For Knowles mother, Shirley Knowles, the center’s closure created a huge void not only in the recreational sphere of the city, but in the educational arena as well.

“I think it would be fun to go with kids on a field trip and see what they learn from an instructor,” she said.

Seeing how much the students learned from just one hour of hands-on teaching with the salmon life cycle and actual salmon, Knowles said she can only imagine how much could be learned with even more marine hands-on opportunities.

“I think it would be wonderful,” she said.

As he prepared to finish his final day of teaching at Suquamish Elementary Thursday, Neault said he can sense the excitement building around the center’s reopening.

“Every one of these classes has something to take home and go back and share with someone older in their household,” he said.

That should allow parents, older siblings, grandparents and others to see what the students are learning and how the science incorporates nearly all of the basic scholastic skills, he said.

“We get a lot of questions about when we’re opening, and I think we’re going to be very busy Viking Fest weekend,” Neault said, hinting at the center’s schedule.