Scheduling

"Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
- Sarah Williams (1837-1868)

Visit the Sandburg Sky Poetry Web page, including CSMS student-authored sky poems.

Sandburg Center for Sky Awareness
A Fairfax County Public Schools Planetarium

Sandburg Planetarium
Scheduling
Site Visits & Planetarium Visits

COMMUNICATION

Communication between the Sandburg Planetarium Teacher and the principals and teachers at those schools that we serve is critical to a successful planetarium learning experience for students. My preference is to communicate via e-mail, since this virtually eliminates "phone tag" and helps to preserve a written record of our communication. My e-mail address is: wsanford@wsanford.com

The best time to call is before 9:30 a.m. If you are unable to reach me, then please leave a message (name, phone number, purpose of call) and I will return your call as soon as possible. My office phone number is 703-799-6169; my cellular phone number is 703-967-0187.

SCHEDULING SITE VISITS & PLANETARIUM VISITS

To accommodate all classes in the Sandburg Planetarium service area, it may be necessary to combine two or more classes for both site visits (SVs) and planetarium visits (PVs). Site visits to FCPS elementary schools and visits to the Sandburg Planetarium will be scheduled as follows:

Grade Level 4 October, November, December

Grade Level 5 January, February, March

Grade Level 6 April, May, June

Both site visits and planetarium visits will last approximately one to one-and-a-half hours.

Approximately one week after the classroom visit, your class will be scheduled to visit the planetarium. There are two programs daily:

Morning Program 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Afternoon Program 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

LOGISTICS

Classroom teachers are responsible for making field trip arrangements, including transportation. Be advised that FCPS busses must be reserved at least three weeks in advance of the trip date. Please be sure to schedule busses to arrive at your school approximately 20-30 minutes before the program starting time so that your class will arrive on time! Complete a Field Trip Request form and submit it to the FCPS Transportation Office (the funding code is: 730-503-1522). Remember to put the field trip date on your school calendar. Have parents sign and return Field Trip Permission forms. It is strongly recommended that parents be invited to participate as field trip chaperones (at a ratio of one parent for every 10 students).

SCHEDULE REMINDERS

For both site visits and planetarium visits, I will try to send out schedule reminders, however this is a courtesy--ultimately, it is the responsibility of the classroom teacher to follow the schedule. In the event of an emergency or cancellation, please contact the Planetarium Teacher ASAP.

COMMUNITY GROUPS