Please note that the plans discussed are not fully finalized and are subject to change.

What will the school day look like on the day of the eclipse?

Toon: ‘We’re going to have an extended passing period. We’ll have all the four classes in the morning and then lunch will be split within the last class. So, some students will be going from lunch out to the stadium and some will be going from a class. We will get some groups from building 2 to go out from the athletic entrance, the gym area, and the cafeteria area to the stadium. The groups in building 1 will either come out through the front door or courtyard door and we’ll have staff lined up along the way [to help] filter into [the stadium].”

Once at the stadium, will there be a pep rally or are there other activities planned?

Toon: “We actually decided not to do a pep rally because we have a lot of students whose parents have chosen to keep them home. They have family plans for the Eclipse; it’s a once in a lifetime experience, which we totally understand. So, we don’t think that we’re going to have enough of anybody in any one program to do a full assembly. We’re thinking about music and we’ll let students bring blankets and go out on the field. I don’t know that we’ll have enough room on the field for everybody, so we’ll have the stands open as well.”

Why has our school opted to not cancel school for that day?

Toon: “We asked the district about that. They’ve explained their thoughts on how it’s such an amazing learning opportunity for students. They want to make sure that we have that open for everybody. I think that there are pros and cons to it. I know that everybody would love to have the day off and to do that with family but they can still do that. And this way we have an opportunity for students to come to campus and get an opportunity to see it. We’re going to provide free glasses and make sure everyone’s doing it safely, so it allows for the best of both worlds.”

Can students opt out of participating in the eclipse viewing?

 Toon: “There’s also going to be an opt out or for families who don’t want their kids to go out in the stadium during the solar eclipse”
ViperByte: “Students whose parents complete the google form will not be permitted outdoors during the eclipse unless in case of an emergency”

How can students let the attendance office know if they will be absent due to family plans?

Toon: “We’re going to be sending out a link to families if they’re choosing to keep their child home or do something as a family. We’ve had a few emails from parents just letting us know or asking questions that some of them have planned events or have plans to go out of town, some of these plans people have been making for over a year. There’s going to be a [form] that parents can fill out instead of sending notes because that way [the attendance office] is not going through a million notices.”

Will eclipse-related absences be excused?

Toon: “The district is allowing us to excuse [the absence], so anyone that fills out that form will have an excused absence. That absence does count towards hours. So if somebody is at the threshold where they’re going to be owing hours, then it would count as hours towards their account.”