Solar Eclipse 2017: Fulton Schools Prepare For Historic Event

On Monday, Aug. 21, Fulton County students will have an opportunity to experience an extremely rare and awe-inspiring event: a near total eclipse. Using the event as a real-time “teachable moment” to increase students’ understanding of science, schools are busy preparing their lessons for that day, with some opting to conduct controlled, adult-supervised outdoor viewing activities.

Others are choosing to use indoor technology resources available to them, such as the NASA website or other STEM-related materials, to watch the moon pass by the sun.

Although Atlanta will not experience a total eclipse, the event will be significant and the darkest part of the eclipse is scheduled to occur during the dismissal process of elementary school students. As a result, Fulton County Schools is delaying the release of elementary school students to 3:05 p.m. For most elementary schools, this is a 45-minute delay.

Middle and high school buses also will experience delays due to the change in elementary dismissal. Middle and high school walkers, car riders, and drivers will dismiss according to their normal schedules (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

NASA, as well as several public health organizations, have published safety precautions related to the solar eclipse, and the dismissal delay will provide greater opportunity for oversight of students during the peak of the solar event. To maximize safety, Fulton County Schools also has put in place special protocols, such as eclipse glasses and additional adult chaperones for outdoor activities, as well as special attendance/check-out procedures for that day. All student absences and/or early check-outs on this day will be counted as excused.

Parents who wish to pick up their students are requested to do so before 12:30 p.m. so that there is ample time to get safely home or to an eclipse viewing location. From start to finish, the event is expected to last approximately three hours, with the actual eclipse occurring around 2:35 p.m., which is the reason for the 12:30 p.m. check-out time.

For more information on Fulton County Schools’ preparation for the eclipse, visit the school system’s website www.fultonschools.org.

Image via NASA