WINFIELD - As soon as Erika Klose counted to three, a sea of middle school students turned their eyes to the sky and let out a resounding "ooooh."
Klose, a seventh-grade science teacher at Winfield Middle School, led an effort Monday to show more than 600 students the partial solar eclipse.
Schools throughout the region held special eclipse viewing events. Many schools provided students with protective eye-wear to view the partial eclipse - turning a special event into an educational moment.
Other schools encouraged teachers to allow students to watch the eclipse on television or online live feeds.
None of West Virginia was in the pathway of a total eclipse, but several regions could see as much as a 90-percent eclipse.
The eclipse began in Putnam County shortly after 1 p.m. The county saw a 90-percent eclipse just after 2:30 p.m.
From 1 to 3 p.m., smaller groups of students and faculty came outside behind the school to view the eclipse with protective eyewear. Scientists urged those wanting to witness the eclipse to do so with protective glasses, being sure not to burn their retinas.
Klose said 300 pairs of protective glasses were donated to the school from the West Virginia University Planetarium, and the remainder of the glasses were purchased by another teacher or were donated to the school from other groups.
"I feel like this is the best opportunity that kids have to see something that's really related to astronomy," she said. "It's like the best free field trip because it comes to us and we get to see it."
As the moon began to block the sun, it started to get darker and cooler outside of the school. Students were instructed to look at the eclipse for only 10 seconds out of precaution.
Klose also brought a colander and a slotted spatula to show the students how the eclipse also affected shadows. Rather than shadows of the circular slots on her spatula, the shadows cast during the eclipse were crescent-shaped - reflective of the eclipse.
Parents were asked to fill out a permission slip before students were allowed to participate in the viewing.
Klose had students "balance" their eyes by looking down toward the ground with their glasses on. Then, on her count, she instructed students to look up toward the sun to see the eclipse.
Each time, students would yell out "ooooh," or "That's awesome."
One student shouted, "It looks like cheese," causing the entire group to laugh.
"Their oooohs were priceless. Those oooohs were awesome," Klose said. "That's why we do this."
Putnam County Schools operated on a normal schedule Monday.
A spokeswoman previously said "parents have the right to sign students out at any time, and Putnam County Schools honors that policy."
Kanawha County schools also operated on a normal schedule Monday. However, parents or guardians were allowed to pick their students up from school at 12:30 p.m. as an excused absence.
Reach Carlee Lammers at Carlee.Lammers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1230 or follow @CarleeLammers on Twitter.