The Husky Huddle
This is the 'Husky Huddle,' the podcast that brings you closer to the heart of Olean City School education. Whether you're a parent, student, teacher, or a proud member of our community, this podcast is dedicated to providing insightful conversations, expert advice, and a closer look at what makes our district truly exceptional.
The Husky Huddle
Embracing the Total Eclipse: A Guide with OCSD Director of Special Programs Jen Mahar
Prepare for an astronomical spectacle as Jen Mahar, director of special programs at Olean City Schools, shares her wealth of knowledge on the upcoming total eclipse. In our latest Husky Huddle podcast, Jen, with over two decades of educational expertise, outlines how the community and schools are buzzing with preparations for this rare event. She discusses the expected timeline of the eclipse, vital safety measures to protect our eyes, and the educational opportunities that will bring science to life for students.
As the moon prepares to perform its grand celestial dance on April 8th, our schools are aligning with early dismissal times, ensuring all students are equipped with safety glasses and informed on how to use them. Jen lays out the logistical framework for accommodating this extraordinary day, from traffic considerations to partnerships with local organizations like the YMCA for extended care. This episode is your go-to guide for experiencing the eclipse safely and making it a memorable educational moment for the whole family. Join us and transform this cosmic event into a communal celebration with Jen's insightful tips.
Welcome to our newest episode of the Husky Huddle, where we talk about all the awesome stuff that is happening in Olean, new York, and our public school system. I have the pleasure of joining me today, jen Maher, who's going to talk about the eclipse that we're going to experience on April 8th. So, jen, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:Good afternoon. I am Jen. I have been with the Olean City Schools for over 20 years. I began with the district as a pre-K teacher and have been working in grant programs, and I'm currently the director of special programs in our district.
Speaker 1:Fantastic. Thank you so much so you wanted to come on here to inform our families and our staff about the eclipse on April 8th, so let us know what's important to know about the eclipse.
Speaker 2:Sure. So first and basics. On April 8th we'll experience a total eclipse in our area and it's expected to draw crowds from all over the country to Western New York. In our area, the total eclipse will be where the moon is passing between the sun and the earth and it will be completely blocking the face of the sun for a short time. In the areas just to the northwest of us, the National Weather Service predicts that there will be a partial eclipse in the Olean area, which will begin around 2.04 pm, with the eclipse at 3.18, lasting about three minutes and concluding at 4.45.
Speaker 2:So important things for us to know, for the school district, is that this experience is something that's very uncommon for us to have in our area, and we want to make sure that families are aware of some important factors in terms of being safe and making plans so that they can experience it with proper eye protection and enjoying the other experiences that may come from the eclipse, as they're viewing it with families and loved ones. Because of this event, we do have early dismissal planned for this day, where students will be leaving just before the lunchtime, so at school they'll receive breakfast, we'll send them with a packed lunch and during that time we'll also be distributing the safety glasses for students to be able to view the event safely. So dismissals for April 8th are Eastview and Washington West elementaries at 11 am, the intermediate middle school at 11.25 am and the only in high school at 11.20 am. Also noted if there's any after school activities, such as sports, those will not begin until after 5 pm in order to make sure that the event has concluded. Any traffic or travel that people may be making has subsided.
Speaker 2:It's important to make a plan, so one of the things that we want to be able to do is, as families go home and have students with them, that they have eye protection for all members of the family. Whether you're traveling to where the total path of totality may be or experiencing it in only in, there's important safety considerations for your eyes to make sure that you're not looking directly at the sun during any point of the partial eclipse. We're also working with the YMCA for families who may need that extended care after the half day, and so those families will be letting us know if they are needing care during that time so that we can help plan accordingly. Most importantly, this is planning ahead.
Speaker 2:So not only the eye safety, but getting to your location where you'll be viewing the eclipse. We want to make sure that, again, all phases partial phases of the eclipse have eye protection. In addition to the glasses that we'll be sending home for families, there are some glasses available throughout the community and for purchase, and there's also ways to make safe viewing glasses or viewers that have links available online. So we're going to put a bunch of these together and be able to have those available through Parent Square as we lead up to the eclipse, so that families can get more information, including the full path, the map of exactly where the eclipse will be most completely in totality, and that travel planning and activities that may help families plan for where they want to view the eclipse.
Speaker 1:Are we going to be able to support students in learning how to use the eye wear?
Speaker 2:Yes. So one of the things that we've done is we have glasses again that are safety protection certified so that students can use those during the partial eclipse. They are important. It is important to have those on during that whole time unless they're in the middle of totality. So some of those key considerations we want students to be able to practice and to learn about through their lessons at school.
Speaker 2:One of the cool things we have planned is a couple of our science teachers, mr Freeman and Mr Woliband, and some high school students, along with a STEM coordinator, kelly Gorowski from CA-Bosies, will be helping to do some simulation experiences with our kindergarten through sixth grade students using a star lab or an inflatable planetarium, which will be very cool because they'll get to simulate the eclipse itself and talk about what might be some of the things that will experience, whether it's the temperature change, certainly the lighting effects, when and where to put on your glasses, and then other environmental changes that may occur as well. So they'll be traveling to Eastview, washington West and the intermediate middle school to be doing the planetarium experiences, as well as some hands-on activities to help them think about what the eclipse means and what that will experience will be like.
Speaker 1:That's a little great opportunity and it's great that we're showing students just how to use that safely before the eclipse and not just giving it to them in the morning and hoping that they'll figure it out. It's great to kind of build up that excitement and learn a little bit more about the eclipse. So that's great.
Speaker 2:There are a ton of great resources out there, so we'll be posting those out on Parrot Square in the weeks to come, everything from the Enchanted Mountains sites to the only on public libraries events happening. The New York State I Love New York site lots of different places that help you see, as well as national places like the NASA site and others that will let you real in an exactly see, not only the path right down to the street map, but also a simulation and other information about how to be safe when you're experiencing an eclipse.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. Is there anything else our community or our families need to know about the eclipse?
Speaker 2:state. I think it's important to make your plan on where you're going to view early so that you can get there safely. There is reported to be lots of plans for travel in our area or through our area to observe the eclipse. So planning where you'll be viewing in advance and making sure everyone that is in your family or your friend groups are able to work on that plan, and having the proper eyewear, those are the most important pieces.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for joining me and telling us all about the eclipse and all the things that we have planned and all the ways to stay safe, and I really appreciate you coming on and I can't wait to have you on again Absolutely Thank you Thank you Thanks so much.