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NORTHWOOD — First-year teacher Dakota Hansen was greeted by an unexpected visitor in her classroom Thursday morning. Hansen, a fourth grade teacher at Northwood-Kensett Elementary School, was decorating her classroom and preparing for the upcoming school year when a deer jumped through a glass window and started walking around the room. 

“I was right along the wall next to the window, hanging up posters,” Hansen said. “I heard the crash, and I thought the ceiling was caving in. Then I turned around and there was a deer in the room with me.”

Hansen said the deer was between her and the doorway preventing her from being able to exit the room. However, after a few moments the deer ran to the corner of the room, allowing Hansen to make a quick exit.

Once safely into the hallway, Hansen was greeted by many teachers from other classrooms who heard the crashing glass and ran to see what was going on. Out of the classroom, Hanson said another teacher shut the door, spooking the deer and causing it to jump out a different window. Hansen said the deer was in the classroom for a total of about five minutes. 

Aside from the broken windows, Hansen said there wasn’t much damage to anything else. The deer left some hair and was dripping blood from a wound suffered in the jump. However, Hansen said the janitorial staff at the school was quick to respond and had the carpets shampooed and classroom cleaned soon after the incident. 

“I was just glad there were no students in there,” Hansen said. “My initial reaction was, ‘Thank God school hasn’t started yet.’ I’m glad we still have a week to get things put back together before parents are in the building for conferences and students are in the building for school.”

Northwood-Kensett is slated to begin school Aug. 24.