Wiscasset School Eclipse Trip Press Release
Submitted by Becky Hallowell
After months of planning, students from Wiscasset Middle High School and Wiscasset
Elementary School drove to the Opal Myrick School in East Millinocket to experience the total
solar eclipse. Fourth through fifth-grade students prepared for this trip by learning the science
and mythology behind eclipses, as well as the geography of the path of totality. The students
boarded a bus from Northeast Charters and minibusses early on Monday, April 8 for the journey
that would create lifelong memories.
Students knew they were close to their destination when they saw snow-covered Mount
Katahdin. When they arrived at the Opal Myrick School they engaged in eclipse trivia games
and activities as they awaited the beginning of the eclipse. Once the eclipse began everyone
created similes about what they were witnessing. Excitement grew as totality approached and
the countdown began. A roar of cheering began as the diamond ring effect marked the arrival of
totality. The students jumped and danced, overjoyed as they witnessed this once in a lifetime
phenomenon. They ran up to teachers to show their goosebumps from the drop in the
temperature and admired how the sky had changed. As totality ended and the sky brightened
once more, everyone began sharing their reactions to this amazing experience.
Fourth and fifth grade students returned to school a bit tired but excited the following day and
immediately began working on posters to summarize all they had learned building up to and one
the day of the eclipse. Their learning spread throughout the curricular areas as they used math
and geography to plan the trip, science to understand what was happening, and literacy and
history to explore how people interpreted causes of eclipses in the past. The students look
forward to sharing their learning at the next school board meeting.
