Students marched out to the playground with their eyes on their shoes as they had been instructed to not look up until they had taken their seats and put on their viewing glasses.
Once students had taken their seats, it was all eyes to the sky at Fort Leonard Wood's Partridge Elementary School for Monday's solar eclipse.
Maj. Gen. Kent Savre, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general; his wife, Mary Beth; and Command Sgt. Maj. Jon Stanley, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood command sergeant major, joined students and staff for the celestial event.
Students started learning about the science behind the eclipse the week prior by watching videos and doing class projects said Michell Thomas, fourth-grade teacher at Partridge.
For many students, this was their first time getting to view a solar eclipse.
"I didn't know what to expect," said Chaiyana Boler, a student in Thomas' class. "I liked it; it looked like a banana. I would like to see one again."
For Melissa Vernon, Partridge Elementary principal, it was an easy decision to let children have time to view the eclipse.
"What a great opportunity for our students," she said. "We hope our students will remember this day as they grow."
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