Schools savor stellar sight
Months of anticipation and weeks of educational preparation culminated Monday as students, teachers, school personnel and members of the community gathered on campuses throughout Garland County to enjoy the country’s first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in 38 years.
Several schools purchased special solar eclipse glasses to enable all or significant portions of their student bodies to view the event outside. Individual teachers at some campuses obtained glasses for their own classes.
“This is what teaching middle school is all about,” said Cory Cox, a sixth-grade science teacher at Lakeside Middle School.
Hot Springs Junior Academy invited community organizations and students’ families to campus for an outdoor celebration and observation of the eclipse. Any student in the middle school was provided with glasses to watch the eclipse outside, provided their parents gave the school permission.
“We looked into all of NASA’s education materials and their slogan was ‘No child left inside,’” said Madeline Bull, a Junior Academy math teacher. “We wanted to accomplish that and give them a real-world experience.
“Even though there will be another one in seven years, this is something none of these kids have ever seen. We wanted the excitement they have had about an eclipse. It’s just contagious.”
Partial coverage of the sun by the passing moon became visible after 11:30 a.m. Maximum coverage occurred at approximately 1:15 p.m. as central Arkansas was expected to see between 88-92 percent coverage.
“I didn’t expect it to be so dark and quiet,” said Abi Steele, a sixth-grade student at Lakeside Middle School. “It was really cool.”
Full 100 percent coverage was only visible within a 70-mile wide band from Oregon to South Carolina. Many students studied the science of eclipses and how coverage varied based on geography.
“I liked how we what we learned in class actually happened,” said Ben Hollis, a seventh-grade student at Lakeside. “It was really cool.”
“I have probably answered more questions than in any other lesson I have ever taught,”
Bull said. “Even as a science teacher, they asked questions when we taught that lesson in that unit that includes eclipses. They asked a few questions, but now knowing they were going to participate in one, they have had a ton of questions.”
Bull said students were more engaged in class discussions on the topic, supplementary materials and other information they found on television and online. The Junior Academy held activities and gave away prizes during Monday’s celebration to reward students for their knowledge of the subject.
Safety remained paramount for school leaders. Some campuses and classes canceled their plans to view the eclipse outside due to concerns of their glasses.
“We are canceling the solar eclipse live viewing today because the company we purchased the glasses from will not guarantee the glasses,” said Cutter Morning Star Superintendent Nancy Anderson. “Cutter Morning Star School District’s No. 1 concern is the safety of our students and staff.
“The students will have the benefit of livestreaming in their classroom. We apologize for the late notice but we were trying to contact the company for verification of their product. By 7:30 a.m. this morning, we had not received that verification.”
A shorter wait is in store for the nation’s next two total solar eclipses and Arkansas will be prime viewing territory for both. The next total solar eclipse will take place on April 8, 2024, will 100 percent coverage viewable from Texas through Arkansas and northeast to Maine.
Another total solar eclipse will occur in March of 2033, but only residents in northern Alaska will be able to view it. Arkansas will be among 13 states from California to Florida for total coverage of an eclipse on August 12, 2045.