Standing in front of the newly-remodeled Frank McCoppin Elementary School on the first day of school are (left to right) PTO co-chair Hannah Wright, Principal Bennett Lee, PTO treasurer Brielle Neilson and parent-volunteer Breana Wheeler.
Story and photos by Thomas K. Pendergast
While most people across the country obsessed about the solar eclipse traveling from coast to coast on Aug. 21, students at Frank McCoppin Elementary School lined up for their first day of school under a grey, overcast sky.
Principal Bennett Lee stood before the students in a blue suit and tie to begin the new school year. Holding a microphone, he addressed the school community through a pair of portable loudspeakers.
“I don’t believe we will see a solar eclipse,” he said. “Here’s a solution. Teachers, if you have a laptop, or you’re able to get online and hook it up to your screen, watch it from National Geographic.com. That will give you a nice idea of what an eclipse looks like. It doesn’t come along often, so we don’t want to miss the opportunity.
“We are going to have a wonderful day. boys and girls. Enjoy your first day. Close your eyes for a second. Pretend you’re a camera. Take a picture of this. Remember this for the rest of your lives,” Lee said.
And there was plenty of new stuff for the youth to remember, like a freshly remodeled and modernized campus. Throughout the summer, construction crews had taken out the portable temporary classrooms that lined the Seventh Avenue side of the school and completely renovated the permanent buildings.
The $10.1 million project was funded by the $531 million Proposition A bond measure that voters passed in 2011, and featured the complete elimination of asphalt blacktop in play areas, which was replaced by a more forgiving acrylic surface.
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