Dear Parents,
 

Are you ready for August 21st and the 2017 Solar Eclipse?  At Snellville Middle, we are excited about the Solar Eclipse.  As you know, Gwinnett County Public Schools(GCPS) has extended the school day by one hour and we will dismiss at 5:00 p.m.  I have listed below several important items about Monday.

 

General Information:

• Students received permission slips to view the eclipse outside and were due back to their HR teacher on Thursday. If your child has not returned his/her signed permission form, he /she will remain in the building and watch the NASA stream of the eclipse.

• Students with signed permission slips will go outside at approximately 2:00 p.m. and return to the building around 2:50 p.m.

• Students are allowed to bring towels to sit on and water bottles outside.

• Students will exit the building with their heads tilted slightly downward to their outside seating area to view the eclipse.

• Students will view the eclipse with a partner through a direct (solar glasses) viewer and an indirect (BYOD/cell phone) viewer.  Once seated in their assigned area, as the eclipse approaches students will take turns experiencing the eclipse through both types of viewers.

• It is important that students follow all the safety rules shared in class about viewing the eclipse. Please remind your son or daughter about the importance of following all safety measures and remind them to only look at the sun when wearing the solar glasses (direct viewer).  

• All content areas will present lessons based on the eclipse during class on Friday and Monday.

 

Schedule:

• Dismissal will begin at 5:00 p.m. Some of our buses will not load until 5:20 or 5:30 p.m.

• We will close checkout of students from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. There will be no checkouts during this time.

• Check-outs will open again at 2:45 to 4:30 p.m.

• Please allow extra time as there may be many people checking out students. You may have some wait time.

• Students will only be released to the designated people in our student data record.

• Be sure to have your picture ID when you come to check out your child.

• Due to the fact that it will be dark outside during the eclipse and students will be sitting in various locations outside, we will close off the parking lots and front driveway areas during the viewing. This will allow us to move the students safely from the building to the designated outside areas and ensure no movement of cars while the students are outside.

 

Monday will be a historical day for all of us! Thank you for assisting us with these guidelines on Monday as we all enjoy the eclipse!