Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
A couple hours into their school day Monday, April 8, Fontana students watched as the bright sunshine that greeted them that morning was muted a bit.
Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Cristina Reyes, a fifth grade teacher at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana, shows students how to wear solar glasses before the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The moon’s shadow is cast down from a sunspotter device during the solar eclipse at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The solar eclipse reaches its maximum coverage in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Cristina Reyes, a fifth grade teacher at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana, passes out solar glasses to students Monday, April 8, 2024, before the solar eclipse. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The solar eclipse is seen in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The moon’s shadow is cast down from a sunspotter device during the solar eclipse at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The solar eclipse begins in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Third grade students at Fontana’s Shadow Hills Elementary School Melody Velasco, Corinna Chavez and Giancarlo Hernandez Herrera, all 9, cast the moon’s shadow onto paper using a solar pinhole viewing card as they watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
A student at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana points towards the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The solar eclipse begins to wane in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The solar eclipse begins in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The solar eclipse begins in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Just after 10 a.m., the moon began crossing between the sun and the Earth, and students in Fontana joined a massive watch party for the solar eclipse that was visible for most of North America.
At the aptly-named Shadow Hills Elementary School, students safely checked out what caused the darkened sky with solar eclipse viewing kits provided by the Fontana Unified School District.
“This is definitely a special day; something that doesn’t happen all the time,” Shadow Hills Elementary Principal Leonard Fisher said. “There is a vibe in the air, and we are all excited.”
In Fontana and the Inland Empire, viewers saw about 50% of the eclipse Monday. To the east, the “path of totality,” the band where the sun is completely blocked from view, passed over 13 U.S. states between Texas and Maine.
“This was a great opportunity for students to personally view a natural phenomenon, connect it with what they’re learning about science in the classroom,” Fisher said. “We had to take advantage of this time; hopefully our students take away some curiosity and a love of science after today.”
