Call and ask to reschedule. No reason for anyone to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

That is really poor planning on their part. My dd is in 1st grade and will be in her first full week of school. We are in the path of totality, and at first I told her I would keep her home. The school newsletter yesterday said every grade will have day long eclipse activities and will be provided with glasses to go out and watch.

The teachers should be in their classrooms the day before the "meet the teacher", take your daughter then. Lots of kids do miss the meet up day because of vacations and other work schedules and it all turns out OK.

Call the school. The school makes the schedules way in advance and obviously the eclipse was not on their radar. Things happen.

You want to share this experience with your daughter, and I think she will remember this more than her "meet the teacher" meeting.

I find that schools never think of anyone but themselves. When they schedule things, they never check a calendar to see what else might be happening. Obviously, this school did not check and it's probably the day (the third Monday) that they always do the "Meet the Teacher" day.

I already asked the school. There is no alternate time. The district is deliberately starting school a day late this year to allow for people to see the eclipse, it is just that her school scheduled this event anyway.

If they didn't have it at all I wouldn't care (not all the schools my kids have gone to do this), but they do have it and I know dd would like to go and put her supplies away and so on. We moved here mid-year last year and she still feels a little like an outsider sometimes so I am a bit more sensitive to having her do what everyone else gets to. Nonetheless, I'm inclined to have her skip it so we can all get to the path of totality.

Skip, and inform the school politely that their appointment does not fit into your schedule. No reasons given. You probably won't be the only one. Suppose you had medical appointments, etc? Yes, your daughter would like to go but the other event is once-in-a-lifetime. There will be other days to meet her teacher.

I would imagine your daughter will not be the only one whose family opt for the eclipse over the meet and greet.

I would skip it. In the big picture, she will remember seeing the eclipse with your family. She'll see the teacher every day of the school year.

I'm currently trying to get through to my kid's school (apparently they are all enjoying their last bit of vacation) about their extended orientation planned for that day for all the incoming junior high school kids. I might have to be super embarrassing and pull my kid out for a few minutes to view.

Oh...that's a good job for her other parent, isn't it? :)

We skip most meet and greets. They are really just a formality and unless your daughter is very anxious they really should be second to any very special event. I taught and found them silly after kindergarten.

DD's school does a switch day the second to last day of school where they spend the day with their new teacher. They also do a meet and greet but it's like saying hello again.

Thanks for the commiseration.

Side story: At our local high school, there is a senior skip the day of school. of course, it is unofficial, the kids go to the beach etc, nothing drastic, all in fun.

When a child is going to be absent, you are supposed to call in. They were swamped with parents calling in, saying their child would not be there but not giving an explanation. The guidance office sent a tongue in cheek email about it.

Crl, now that you have explained it, this is a hard decision. I would see if any of her friends in her class are also skipping it. This could help her daughter see that "Eld, Iowacommunte and Rorah" are all missing the teacher day to go to the eclipse. So that she would not be the only one missing the event. Kids want to blend in, especially the new kids.

Chances are the teachers are there all day for three to five days the week before school. Having a personal time to meet/greet outside of THE SCHEDULED time is done all the time. It will be more efficient if you schedule a time with the teacher, email her, the office will have no idea when he/she will be around. Teachers are expected to check their email once a week at a minimum all summer. The time of schools dictating/influencing how families spend their vacation time disappeared years ago. I have already heard of several of my students who will miss the first week of school due to family vacations.

We are on a 98% path of totality for the eclipse. Our freshman convocation was supposed to be at 2 p.m. so they have moved it to 3:30. That isn't a whole lot better. We still will need to be at school.

By contract I have 3 days of professional development the week before school opens. It would be a challenge to meet with parents then (you probably aren't the only one to request this.) However, I do go in for a couple of days prior to that week to get my classroom ready. I would gladly meet with parents then. I teach high school so the parent requests are rare. Given your daughter's situation I understand the need to soften the transition. Email the teacher and ask if it's possible to meet prior to the scheduled date, but let the teacher know that you understand if it's not possible. Then you have done your best.

Thanks everyone. I don't know her teacher's name yet. I'm told they mail it at the last minute (I'm sure to avoid people trying to get changes). I really do appreciate the commiseration. Given that people have had campsites and hotel rooms booked for the eclipse for years, I'm sure we won't be the only people to skip.

I'm a teacher. Don't make a big deal out of this around your daughter or that's what she'll remember. Skip the intro day. Meet the teacher beforehand. (We are all in the room the week or two before school, getting the classroom ready, and are used to this). Go see the eclipse and enjoy it. Make sure the viewing glasses are not fake! There are a lot of those around now. Do the research and buy from a bona fide dealer. Some libraries have free ones to give out.

I remember going cross country skiing with my family when we were on the path of an eclipse (1979 maybe?). My mom must have pulled us out of school to do it. Very cool. Your daughter will likely remember it for the rest of her life.

Im a teacher, too and I always have one or two visits I need to reschedule and I dont mind. I do know that it is crazy scheduling these things (often a year in advance) and am glad I'm not in administration and don't have to deal with it as there are always a thousand things to schedule around. That being said, some administrators do seem more concerned with sticking to the plan rather than accommodating. I'm at a private school so we do lots of accommodating to keep parents happy.

I wanted to give you my opinion before I read any replies. I can't believe a teacher would schedule the meet and greet on the day of the eclipse! Unless she didn't know about it which is a real possibility.

You and your whole family should view this together and none of you miss the eclipse. Call the teacher and explain and ask if your daughter can have a meet and greet after school, or if there's another opening to meet her.

Teachers do not set the meet and greet day.

I also was going to say the teacher might be just as unhappy as you (if not more unhappy) about the meet and greet scheduling :-(

I suspect there is a fair chance the meet and greet day might be changed.

Good luck and enjoy the eclipse!

Yes, the meet and greet was scheduled by the school. All children and all teachers at this school have the same time. The response I got when I asked if there was any alternative time (explaining that we have out of state family coming for the eclipse) was that there is no other time available due to other scheduling.

I would think many of the teachers would be unhappy to be missing the eclipse, though I guess they may be contractually obligated to be present on this day regardless. Even so, I would think that most teachers would like to have their students see the eclipse but also would be disappointed to have fewer students coming in to meet them because of the poor scheduling.

One other thought from this recently retired teacher-the open house just isn't that important. Over 30 years, I worked in several different schools and districts. I never met a teacher who really cared about who came and who did not. We love meeting our new students and parents, but honestly, it was not a big deal one way or another. Enjoy the eclipse. The first day of school will come soon enough. :-)

Just an FYI: our school schedule is developed in January, approved in February..I would bet $10,000 the School Board and any powers that be had NO IDEA there was a solar eclipse, back then. How long have you been planning this trip? By the time it became a known thing the schedule was SET. Once set--there is no going back. Too many HUNDREDS of people are impacted by that schedule. They concern themselves with the number of required days, holidays families expect, starting and ending with in a certain window. Here in MN by law they cannot start until after Labor Day. High Schools have athletic tournaments they work with other schools on. No one wants the State Football tournament scheduled on Thanksgiving etc. As a parent you are COMPLETELY free to decide your family's holidays, the schools always post these as "family/excused" absences. BUT when you do this, yep your child will miss SOMETHING., and YOU will be responsible for the make up of what ever that is. That is part of YOUR decision. No way could a school system accommodate every families personal demands. It would NEVER work. This is a huge deal FOR YOU. The Superbowl will be a HUGE deal for many families here this year, but that is not the school system's responsibility to accomodate. Life is choices. You made yours, GREAT; but no way the world can stop turning just because it didn't work FOR YOU. This will be a great lesson. When we say yes to one fantastic thing we will often miss a different perfectly wonderful thing.

You could send the school a card addressed to your kid's TBA teacher. You could include a picture of your kiddo with a description/excitement for the year and explain the situation with the eclipse. That may endear her with the teacher. Maybe you could ask for a note back to give your DD a little piece of mind.

Arcy-GW, I take your bet; arrange to pay up now. And a quick Google search would have told you that you are completely wrong: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/science/2017/07/28/solar-eclipse-2017-why-class-canceled-many-south/520578001/

People have been making solar eclipse plans for our state for years--that's years not months. Campgrounds report taking reservations starting over five years ago. (Here's a national news article from 2015 on making plans for the eclipse: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2015/10/17/pick-perfect-spot-view-2017-solar-eclipse/74061326/). Our State has declared a state of emergency for the day. This is a very very big deal. And our district--and many in the state--starts on a Tuesday this year, because of the eclipse. They definitely took it into account when they scheduled. I have no idea why you would think you know more about our local school district and the circumstances in my locale than I do.

I asked the school once politely if there is an alternative. Then I came here and asked, specifically, for commiseration. I did not say I plan to make a stink. I did not say I am super important and special and the world should revolve around me. And I certainly did not ask to be lectured by someone who is competely wrong about the facts.

Message me your contact information so we can arrange for you to pay me $10,000.

(You are also completely ignorant of how school absences are handled in various schools. My children have attended public schools where family holidays are not excused absences and after three unexcused tardies or absences in one school year the family is referred for a truancy process to start.)

You really should try to know what you are talking about before you go on an unprovoked rant. You just make yourself look foolish.