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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To let my children go to school late so they can watch the eclipse tomorrow?

120 replies

DragonmotherKhaleesi · 09/06/2021 19:37

I have 3dc.
I home educate one of them and the others attend school. I have purchased some glasses and planned to do our work around the eclipse tomorrow.
My other children have asked if they can stay home to watch it, and take them school at lunch when it's over.

My 14 year old DS had a week off last month due to surgery so I'm a little worried about his attendance.

AIBU to let them have the morning off?

OP posts:
moofolk · 09/06/2021 23:10

I kept my kids off school for the morning to see an eclipse and told school what I was doing (it was only about 9:30 am so they just went in late).

They're at home isolating this week so I'm very glad I've just found out, will be in the garden with the colander!

Keep them off. You know the schools your kids are at and whether it's better to tell them the truth or lie.

But if your kids are into it then it's well worth it.

Original poster
DragonmotherKhaleesi · 09/06/2021 23:10

@Maireas

We offer GCSE Astronomy where I teach. I have come across it in schools before.
That's fab! There's nowhere here that does it. Do many children do it?
OP posts:
Maireas · 09/06/2021 23:14

Yes, there's a good uptake. It was available in a previous school as well (both non selective state schools, high numbers of EAL). It depends if there is a teacher happy to do the course.

moofolk · 09/06/2021 23:14

GCSE astronomy sounds ace

Original poster
DragonmotherKhaleesi · 09/06/2021 23:17

@AlmostSummer21
Thank you. It's just typical of the weather!
If it's cloudy we can put the live stream on for my home Ed child and still enjoy it live that way and do the science behind it.,
Older DS will at least be able to watch it that way when he gets home.

OP posts:
MellyFluous · 09/06/2021 23:17

Dementedswan...The 1999 one was fab, eerie but in a spectacular way. The darkness and the bird falling silent etc

I remember that one - as well as the birds falling silent, as the light dimmed they all flew off towards the west and then returned as the light came back.

Original poster
DragonmotherKhaleesi · 09/06/2021 23:18

@moofolk

GCSE astronomy sounds ace
Doesn't it? Wish I'd had that chance at school!
OP posts:
Ariela · 09/06/2021 23:18

The best & safest coverage will be on the TV news

BogRollBOGOF · 09/06/2021 23:18

The school I worked in all went out for about 30 mins for the 2015 eclipse. It was pretty good. Not as much as 1999, but it did have much of the eerie atmosphere despite the presence of 1500 teenagers Grin

Original poster
DragonmotherKhaleesi · 09/06/2021 23:18

@Maireas

Yes, there's a good uptake. It was available in a previous school as well (both non selective state schools, high numbers of EAL). It depends if there is a teacher happy to do the course.
That's fantastic.
OP posts:
TotallyObsessed4 · 09/06/2021 23:19

At my school we where not allowed to watch the 2015 one at all and all the blinds were down for the whole day so we wouldn’t get distracted by it. The schools reasoning was that It is something we could see on tv later at home. School also banned y11 shirt signing as it would put off the year 10 maths mock (wasn’t happening for another two days)!

mongoosebaby · 09/06/2021 23:22

I took my year 2 class outside for the 2015 one! Cloud cover ruined it, so we rushed back to the classroom to watch it live streamed from another part of the world. They were all fascinated!

MyOtherProfile · 09/06/2021 23:23

If it was a total eclipse and you were in the path is keep them off. I've experienced that once Ms the light to dark to light was amazinlf

A partial eclipse is something or nothing.

loginfail · 09/06/2021 23:23

@Maireas

We offer GCSE Astronomy where I teach. I have come across it in schools before.
Poster suddenly feels very old as they read previous posts and remember astronomy being available as an O-Level (for external candidates), way back in the days just after telescopes had been invented Grin

www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-navigation/article/abs/elements-of-astronomy-astronomy-for-o-level-patrick-moore-216-pages-many-diagrams-papercovered-hardback-7-5-in-gerald-duckworth-co-ltd-1970-60p/7B5AE5DAA04C97BE72755DE54AC3C485

Original poster
DragonmotherKhaleesi · 09/06/2021 23:24

@mongoosebaby

I took my year 2 class outside for the 2015 one! Cloud cover ruined it, so we rushed back to the classroom to watch it live streamed from another part of the world. They were all fascinated!
That's great to hear! The live stream will be my plan B too. Or we might have the live stream on so we can see the 'ring of fire' whilst popping in and out to view the 30% (ish) .
OP posts:
Original poster
DragonmotherKhaleesi · 09/06/2021 23:28

@MyOtherProfile

If it was a total eclipse and you were in the path is keep them off. I've experienced that once Ms the light to dark to light was amazinlf

A partial eclipse is something or nothing.

To you.

DS will be fascinated though. ( if the weather is kind, which is looking unlikely )

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 09/06/2021 23:36

Oh I remember the 1999 one - I was at the midwife , I was pregnant with my DS and heard his heartbeat with the Doppler for the first time .

My GP (who being a Dr should've known better) went out into the carpark with his naked eyes to see the eclipse

Chaotica · 09/06/2021 23:43

I kept my primary age children off for the 2015 one. It was a good job I did because the school did nothing at all and all the children who were in there missed it. The teachers were fine about us keeping DC off. (They put it down as 'educated off site'). But that was better than the one tomorrow.

PleaseReferToMeAsBritneySpears · 09/06/2021 23:52

How the fuck did I not know about this? I even checked to see if it was a zombie thread 😂

I kept DS (8 at the time) off for the 2015 one. DD (18 at the time) went to school thinking they'd be allowed out and they weren't so she was really pissed off.

Thanks for the heads up!

AlmostSummer21 · 10/06/2021 06:12

@TotallyObsessed4

At my school we where not allowed to watch the 2015 one at all and all the blinds were down for the whole day so we wouldn’t get distracted by it. The schools reasoning was that It is something we could see on tv later at home. School also banned y11 shirt signing as it would put off the year 10 maths mock (wasn’t happening for another two days)!
Sounds like a fabulous school.

🙄🙄🙄

HOkieCOkie · 10/06/2021 06:14

They need to be in school. I’m sure their teacher will talk about it etc.

PracticingPerson · 10/06/2021 06:21

@Hallyup6

You need to send them to school, I think. No child is that interested in a partial eclipse that they need to stay at home, but they won't tell you that, of course.
Oh wow, talk about projecting! My kids were very into physics, they loved this sort of thing. I was the one who had to feign interest.
Sunbelievable · 10/06/2021 06:36

Their education is your responsibility not school, but you know that anyway 😉

Sunbelievable · 10/06/2021 06:46

And urggh, we look to have too much cloud cover too 😔

pilates · 10/06/2021 07:35

Yes YABU