Staff at the School of St. Mary in Lake Forest turned the experience of viewing the solar eclipse into an opportunity to learn more about science.

“We thought that with this rare event that it would be a great opportunity to get the kids outside and turn the outside into a lab for the kids,” said Mark Stanwood, who teaches science to seventh  and eighth  grade students.

The students went into a small park next to the church to perform experiments during the eclipse, including measuring the amount of light at different times, measuring the changes in temperature and humidity and recording the eclipse’s effects on plants and animals.

Earlier in the day, the seventh and eighth grade students competed in a solar model car race. The winning team earned a dress-down day.

Fourth through sixth grade students joined the older students in the park and conducted their own experiments. Students reported their findings afterward.

“I think it looks really cool,” eighth grader Jeffrey Chang said. “This will be a lot of people’s first time seeing an eclipse. It’s pretty fun.”

“It’s a rare thing you don’t get to see every day,” said eighth grader William Melsheimer. “I didn’t think it would look like this. I thought it would just be like the sun. It’s an amazing experience.”

Eighth grader Leah Schreiber said she appreciated being able to take in the eclipse.

“I think it’s really cool that we get to experience the eclipse at school and we get to see that it’s dark outside and all the animal changes and how the wind moves and stuff like that,” she said.

Principal Kathy Thompson said she hoped the students would remember experiencing the eclipse for their whole lives. The eclipse also made for a great teaching moment.

“They need to learn things hands-on. Reading about an eclipse in a book is not like seeing it,” she said. “It’s so dramatic seeing it.”