(Photo via Unsplash).
The day of the solar eclipse is quickly approaching, and school districts have detailed their plans for the special day.
The solar eclipse will take place on Monday, April 8. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun, according to NASA.
A total solar eclipse will pass over North America, including Mexico, the United States and Canada. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk, according to NASA.
NASA provided further details on the upcoming solar eclipse, which can be found here.
Below is what each school district within the county has planned for the day of the solar eclipse:
Cortland Enlarged City School District
The school district will hold an “EclipseFest” on April 8 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Cortland high school stadium.
The free-of-charge event will include free solar eclipse glasses (while supplies last), activities for students, food, prizes and music from the high schools’ modern band class. Those activities, including science balloon launching tents, will go from 2:15 to 3 p.m.
The stadium will open at 2:15 p.m., and the viewing of the total darkness from the solar eclipse takes place from 3 to 3:30 p.m.
The school district also announced that early dismissal for Barry/Smith elementary schools and Randall middle school are set for 12:45 p.m. The junior/senior high school will be dismissed at 2:15 p.m.
Homer Central School District
Homer superintendent Tom Turck announced that schools within the district will be closed on April 8.
Turck also mentioned that the school district will be conducting lessons on the solar eclipse up until the day of the event. The school district will also be giving out eclipse viewing glasses to each student and staff member by the end of Friday (April 5).
Cincinnatus Central Schools
Superintendent Todd Freeman stated that science teachers within the school district are hosting a solar eclipse viewing party on the athletic fields on April 8. Any student from seventh grade or younger must be accompanied by an adult.
Early dismissal is set for 11:30 a.m., and students and families are invited to return at 2:30 p.m. to view the solar eclipse. The school district will hand out specialized glasses for all who attend the event at school.
The meet-up for the event will be at the outdoor entrance of the Wilbur auditorium at 2:30 p.m. Planned activities include creating models of the earth-moon-sun, making a model of the surface of the sun, observing solar images and light, creating eclipse masks to work with the eclipse glasses and making pinhole projectors.
McGraw Central School District
Early dismissal for students within the school district on April 8 is slated for 11:50 a.m.
Marathon Central School District
Appleby elementary school will have an early dismissal at noon, while the high school will dismiss at 12:15 p.m. on April 8.
St. Mary’s School
The school in the city of Cortland is holding a solar eclipse viewing and science fair from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on April 8.
The science fair will be open until 3:15 p.m. Early dismissal for the school is 12:30 p.m.
