Solar Eclipse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not see the eclipse. Wondering if all the hype was worth it for our area that was not in direct line of sight?

I saw the total eclipse in 2017 - this was nothing like it, but still interesting. It took a lot longer for the moon to cover most of the sun, but it did get noticeably cooler at peak coverage. If schools had taken kids outside for this, they would have been waiting a long time for the full experience. I just popped outside every 15 minutes to check on the progress, but it took a good 1 1/2 hrs.

Still fun, but nothing like experiencing totality.

[Anonymous]

Our elementary school in FCPS had all the kids make eclipse glasses and they went outside and watched it. They had a blast.

[Anonymous]

It was phenomenal! We attended the Burke Lake festival and they out-did themselves even from 2017. Tons of activities for kids and adults and lots of smart assistants at every table explaining and adding to the fun. We casted shadows through colanders, Cheerios box pinholes, and foiled index cards. There was a tripod setup with a mirror that bounced its shadow image on to another easel for a very creative selfie. Also they had a sun spotter to adjust as time changed the angle of the shadow. They got everyone to use the most amazing solar app for outstanding clear photos. In addition, you could borrow their filters. Then there was another table where you could simulate the sun where a marble was set a top a yard stick with a styrofoam earth placed at the other end at a 1:30 scale. Here you had to experiment to find the perfect alignment to cast the ‘moon’s’ shadow on to the ‘earth’. This really highlighted to the kids how special this alignment of sun-moon-earth was at that moment. Another station taught about the sun’s corona and kids did a chalk drawing of it complete with its own solar flares. Still yet, another area was creating an experiment with UV beads and SPF spray. The color of the UV beads changed when the sun was masked by the moon, too. So cool. Lastly, there were a few more tables were you could create a scrap book page and/or perform a themed word-search puzzle while you basked in the sun on your blanket. We were in a big open field and blankets and camp chairs were everywhere. People chatted and shared in the splendor of another amazing phenomenon! The excitement was palpable from 2:40-3:40pm. Beautiful clear blue skies!

[Anonymous]

It was great at our ES school. Kids went out all around the campus. Our dismissal is at 3:30, so lots of parents showed up and joined in. We had extra glasses and passed them out. Kids were amazed by the moon crossing the Sun. The weather could not have been more perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was great at our ES school. Kids went out all around the campus. Our dismissal is at 3:30, so lots of parents showed up and joined in. We had extra glasses and passed them out. Kids were amazed by the moon crossing the Sun. The weather could not have been more perfect.

Meant to say that we all went out at around 3pm.

[Anonymous]

It was a nothingburger as expected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was a nothingburger as expected.

Loser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was phenomenal! We attended the Burke Lake festival and they out-did themselves even from 2017. Tons of activities for kids and adults and lots of smart assistants at every table explaining and adding to the fun. We casted shadows through colanders, Cheerios box pinholes, and foiled index cards. There was a tripod setup with a mirror that bounced its shadow image on to another easel for a very creative selfie. Also they had a sun spotter to adjust as time changed the angle of the shadow. They got everyone to use the most amazing solar app for outstanding clear photos. In addition, you could borrow their filters. Then there was another table where you could simulate the sun where a marble was set a top a yard stick with a styrofoam earth placed at the other end at a 1:30 scale. Here you had to experiment to find the perfect alignment to cast the ‘moon’s’ shadow on to the ‘earth’. This really highlighted to the kids how special this alignment of sun-moon-earth was at that moment. Another station taught about the sun’s corona and kids did a chalk drawing of it complete with its own solar flares. Still yet, another area was creating an experiment with UV beads and SPF spray. The color of the UV beads changed when the sun was masked by the moon, too. So cool. Lastly, there were a few more tables were you could create a scrap book page and/or perform a themed word-search puzzle while you basked in the sun on your blanket. We were in a big open field and blankets and camp chairs were everywhere. People chatted and shared in the splendor of another amazing phenomenon! The excitement was palpable from 2:40-3:40pm. Beautiful clear blue skies!

That sounds amazing! I wish I had known about that.

[Anonymous]

What an amazing show in D.C.! That moon slowly devoured the sun! Adults and kids loved it. You could tell that it noticeably was darker at 3:20pm. Just like a shadow was cast all around. It was chillier. Then as the moon started to uncover the sun and reveal it, we just sat and watched and watched. The moon just looked like a flat disk almost. Loved, loved loved it.

[Anonymous]

FCPS totally dropped the ball on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS totally dropped the ball on this.

Not according to what I’m seeing on IG. So many schools posting great photos of kids outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS totally dropped the ball on this.

Not according to what I’m seeing on IG. So many schools posting great photos of kids outside.

The problem is not every school was able to purchase glasses. So there were many that had to stay inside and literally 80 percent of the kids left. It was a cluster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS totally dropped the ball on this.

Not according to what I’m seeing on IG. So many schools posting great photos of kids outside.

The problem is not every school was able to purchase glasses. So there were many that had to stay inside and literally 80 percent of the kids left. It was a cluster.

There was no equity in this one. Haha

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS totally dropped the ball on this.

Not according to what I’m seeing on IG. So many schools posting great photos of kids outside.

Once again a school by school decision. Tell me again why we can’t break up this behemoth school district into better managed parts?

No ill intent against FCPS for their decisions; I prepared weeks ago and bought glasses. I picked up my kids—along with about 60-70% of the school based on the sheets and sheets of sign out papers the office staff prepared for parents to use—and watched it comfortably at home. Older kid said they had a lesson and talked about the eclipse; younger kid said it wasn’t even mentioned, which was really odd. (They are a very reliable source.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS totally dropped the ball on this.

Not according to what I’m seeing on IG. So many schools posting great photos of kids outside.

Once again a school by school decision. Tell me again why we can’t break up this behemoth school district into better managed parts?

No ill intent against FCPS for their decisions; I prepared weeks ago and bought glasses. I picked up my kids—along with about 60-70% of the school based on the sheets and sheets of sign out papers the office staff prepared for parents to use—and watched it comfortably at home. Older kid said they had a lesson and talked about the eclipse; younger kid said it wasn’t even mentioned, which was really odd. (They are a very reliable source.)

State law.