Teacher Fulfills 50-Year-Old Eclipse Party Promise.
Retired high school science teacher Patrick Moriarty kept his word by hosting a gathering to watch the 2024 solar eclipse with his former students.
Back in 1978, Moriarty, a young earth science teacher at Spry Junior High School in Webster, New York, noticed Rochester would be in the path of totality for the 2024 eclipse. He told his students to mark their calendars and join him to watch it together.
Over the years, Moriarty invited each new class to join him, eventually using social media to organize the event. More than 100 former students, some from far away, showed up at his home for the reunion.
Despite time passing, Moriarty’s care for his students was clear as they shared memories and watched the eclipse.
Moriarty thanked everyone for coming, saying the event was about more than just the eclipse—it was about the connections formed through education. Reflecting on the gathering, attendees like Kendra Denson saw it as more than just watching an eclipse—it was a chance for different classes to come together.
For Moriarty, the event was a reminder of the power of teaching and the bonds it creates between educators and students.