Hello OCRS families,
As you are probably aware, a solar eclipse is taking place this Monday, April 8th. We will have a regular school day, however the timing of the eclipse in our area means that the eclipse will be taking place during the school day, including during dismissal. The eclipse will start around 2:15 PM and end around 4:38 PM. In Rhode Island, we will not be experiencing a total eclipse, but we will have a partial eclipse with just over 90% coverage of the sun during the peak at 3:29 PM, https://eclipse-explorer.smce.nasa.gov/.
Solar Eclipse Safety
A solar eclipse is an exciting learning opportunity that also brings with it some safety concerns. Exposing your eyes to the sun during a solar eclipse without proper eye protection can cause retinal burns (solar retinopathy). The retina has no sensitivity to pain, and since the effects of retinal damage may not appear for hours, there is no warning that an injury to your eye has occurred. Please discuss and reinforce this information with your child. NASA has information about eclipse safety at https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/.
To keep students and staff safe at school, we will not be going outside during the time that the eclipse is scheduled to take place. Here are some additional safety precautions we will be taking at school during the partial solar eclipse:
- We will talk with students about the eclipse, why it can be dangerous, and how students can stay safe by not looking at the sun or the eclipse itself
- During bus dismissal, we will pull buses up to the side door of the school to minimize the time that students are outside and can look up at the eclipse. As always, we will have staff present during bus dismissal
- During parent pickup, we will pull cars up to the front door to minimize the time that students are outside and can look up at the eclipse. As always, we will have staff present during parent pickup
If any family is concerned about your child being safe during the partial eclipse, during dismissal, or while riding the bus, you are welcome to pick them up from school for early dismissal. As always, families need to call the school to notify us of an early dismissal so that we can account for all students and keep them safe.
Solar Eclipse Learning Resources
A solar eclipse is an exciting learning opportunity and here are some excellent resources that families can review together to learn more. Because the peak of the partial eclipse is taking place at 3:29 PM, families can even plan to view the eclipse together after school.
Solar Eclipse 101 from the National Geographic, https://youtu.be/cxrLRbkOwKs?si=fiw1KtlProWzIQSc
View the eclipse streamed live on NASA’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@NASA
How to Safely View a Solar Eclipse, https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/how-to-view-eclipse
How to Make a Pinhole Camera, https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/
Thank you,
Mr. Barrette