Teacher Susan Tate holds a plush toy penguin which will go with her in the Polar Plunge this Friday, and is next to a Christmas tree, decorated with penguin ornaments, she raffled off to raise money for a trip to the Antarctic.

This Friday (Dec. 21) Susan Tate will be plunging into the frigid waters of White Lake as a promise to students who helped raise $1,000 toward another polar experience.

That one is a two-week trip to the Antarctic, the location of the South Pole.

Tate, a 15-year veteran teacher in Whitehall schools who has taken several scientific trips in North and Central America to bring back knowledge to share with students through the curriculum, is taking her biggest adventure in late February when she takes part in this year’s 2041 Antarctic Expedition. She will be one of 70 selected people on the expedition Feb. 28-March 13 which includes seven teachers. She is the only teacher from the United States.

The Friday plunge will occur at 12:21 near Goodrich Park, and will be witnessed by eighth grade students from Whitehall Middle School where Tate teaches. She will be assisted by the White Lake Fire Authority.