VALLEJO, Calif. - Our strategic plan strongly emphasizes cultivating a dynamic culture centered on teaching and learning, consistently evident in our district's classrooms. Here's a prime illustration of educational excellence that integrated a recent global event.

A few weekends ago, Mrs. Holbert and Ms. Roter's fifth-grade students from Steffan Manor seized the chance to integrate their classroom learning with a rare solar eclipse. Through collaborative efforts, experimentation, and scientific trials, these young scholars crafted pinhole cameras that functioned as miniature lenses. These ingenious devices allowed sunlight to pass through a tiny aperture, concentrate its rays, and project a clear image of the celestial event occurring when the moon passed between the Earth and the sun. This innovative approach provided a safe means for human observers to witness the eclipse without risking harm to their eyes.