North Dallas Schools Plan For April 8 Eclipse

A rare solar eclipse is happening over Dallas on April 8, 2024, where the moon comes between the Earth and the sun, covering the sun from certain parts of the Earth for a short amount of time.

Many schools in North Dallas will be safely viewing the eclipse with glasses, hosting activities for students, and studying the science behind what causes eclipses in the classroom. 

In Dallas, the partial eclipse will be from 12:23 p.m. until 3:02 p.m., and the total eclipse will be from 1:40 p.m. until 1:44 p.m.; the peak will begin at 1:42 p.m. 

Following are the plans for some Preston Hollow-area schools:

Parish Episcopal School – The sySTEMs Booster Club is giving out customized glasses to the Parish students at the Hillcrest and Midway campuses and having a viewing picnic with lower school students and parents. The students will have the chance to read about space, make solar eclipse models, and participate in other solar eclipse related activities. 

Greenhill School – The fine arts department plans to have a themed display to showcase the students’ work representing the eclipse, stars, moon, sun, and celestial movements. Students will be provided ISO-certified eclipse glasses and sun-filtered telescopes as they observe what happens to the environment. There will be researchers from Bucknell University’s physics department involving students with telescopes and other instruments to measure the sun’s corona. 

Alcuin – Out of the 612 students, 95 upper school students plan on giving lively presentations regarding the solar eclipse for the younger grades. Glasses will be given to students, and the younger grades will create viewfinders for a safe viewing on the soccer field. 

Dallas Lutheran School – Students will learn about how to safely view the eclipse before using their glasses. There will be different activities and rotating stations including pinhole boxes, leaves/trees, phone pictures, telescopes, and more. Mike Zimmerman, the school’s robotics sponsor, and his team will be putting together pinhole viewers and donating the money to the robotics team. The students will go outside to watch the solar eclipse and return to class to discuss their findings.

Good Shepherd Episcopal School – During the morning of April 8, the planetarium will be available for viewing, as classrooms will be coming through every 20 minutes. Their SuperDads are bringing lunch before the all-school programming. Teachers will hand out activities to the middle and lower school students in pairs, such as learning about glass safety, creating pinhole projectors, and studying their observations. During the eclipse, the students can use their pinhole projectors, make shadow art, enjoy a themed eclipse snack, and view the sky using their glasses.

Shelton – The school received NASA’s N3 Solar Curriculum from NASA Neurodiversity Network to review before the solar eclipse. Included are guides and interactive activities for students to learn STEM concepts, specifically heliophysics, in advance to the solar eclipse. A Shelton grandparent and optometrist Dr. Arnold Stokol donated eclipse glasses to the students and staff to safely watch the eclipse unfold. On April 8, the students will be guided as each phase happens while they view the sky from the Shelton football field. Lower school students will learn the cause of an eclipse, how something small can cover something smaller, and how to view the sky safely. Middle School students will use 3D and 2D models to explore what causes an eclipse, put together pinhole viewers, and some classes will create sundials to study the magnetic properties between the sun and the earth. 

The 12th grade Earth and Space Science, 12th grade Physics II, and 11th grade Physics classes will learn in class about how the Earth, moon, and sun create a solar eclipse, utilizing what NASA had provided, including videos, apps, and studying physical qualities of the sun. 

The Winston School – The Solar Physics Academy students will be preparing a campus party for the students and possibly their parents to attend. This gathering will be focusing on the team’s new car being constructed for the Solar Car Challenge in the summer. 

Ursuline Academy – The science classes will be teaching the students about eclipses for a few days the week before, and on April 8, the school will view the sky and gather together afterward with the science department. 

Trinity Christian Academy – The upper school astronomy class is organizing going to an out-of-town viewing spot, while bringing solar telescopes to observe the sky. The school will give solar glasses to the upper school students, faculty, and staff to safely view the eclipse. 

Dallas ISD:

Thomas Jefferson High School – The science teachers and principal have been preparing lessons for the students to be taught before and after the eclipse. On April 8, the school’s population will be outside to watch the sky. 

Arthur Kramer Elementary School – The school plans to have taught lessons to students about the eclipse in advance and gather outside to observe on the day. 

George Bannerman Dealey Montessori Academy – Pre-K and kindergarten will learn about what a solar eclipse is, study silhouettes formed by nature, and make shadows with sieves and colanders. The children will have the chance to make movable paper eclipse trackers to explore the changes in the sky. 

Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy – The students will have been taught lessons before the eclipse and there will be a watch party hosted by the school outside.