Local school districts preparing for eclipse

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Bryan ISD and College Station ISD will still have school on April 8 during the total solar eclipse, but they have an exciting day planned for students.

The total solar eclipse will travel through a section of the U.S. including most of the Brazos Valley.

Some school districts in Texas will be closing during the eclipse but Bryan and College Station ISD will have regular school hours.

“We will open our doors at 7:15 a.m. as usual and we will release at 3:05 p.m. as usual. All of our schedules as far as when students receive lunch and recess and their specials and activities and things like that will occur as normal,” said Heather Sherman, the Principal at River Bend Elementary, CSISD.

Both districts say this is the perfect learning opportunity for their students.

Bryan and College Station ISD have plans for their students including providing eclipse-safe glasses to wear the day of. Both districts say fun, hands-on learning activities will be incorporated in and out of the classroom during the solar eclipse.

Teachers at Bowen Elementary in Bryan say they have been teaching their students about the eclipse.

“Lots of different activities, lots of different ideas, anything from easy like a video to watch to a really easy activity like using an Oreo cookie and kind of using the icing in the middle to illustrate what’s going to happen with the solar eclipse,” said Stephanie Pope, 4th grade Science and Social Studies teacher at Bowen Elementary School, Bryan ISD.

In College Station, River Bend Elementary is hosting its spring enrichment day on the same day as the eclipse.

“This year when we realized we were having two eclipses, one in the fall and one in the spring, we decided to choose one of those days to celebrate that and we are going to do all kinds of things with the eclipse on the eighth,” said Karin Romero, the Enrichment Specialist at River Bend Elementary.

Both River Bend and Bowen Elementary schools will pause and look at the eclipse outside when it takes place.

“We have a mobile planetarium coming that our students will get to visit throughout the day so each classroom will get to go visit that and experience that. Also, we are embracing the theme blackout where all of our students will go through learning experiences throughout the day that do not involve technology and may involve limited lighting,” said Heather Sherman, the Principal at River Bend Elementary, CSISD.

Students say they are excited for the experience.

“Getting the chance to just do this on a school day is always more fun for students and teachers cause you still get to learn but it feels more fun,” said 4th grade student at River Bend Elementary, James Hogan.