It’s an event that doesn’t happen all too often and has been widely talked about over the last week — the upcoming solar eclipse.
CityNews spoke to both of Edmonton’s school boards which indicated that they are prioritizing student eye safety during Monday’s partial solar eclipse.
Both school boards — Edmonton Public Schools and Edmonton Catholic Schools — say they are advising all their schools to keep students inside for the duration of the partial eclipse — 11:54 a.m. and 1:39 p.m.
Catholic school students will be kept inside for lunch and recess, and families who normally allow students to come home for lunch are being advised to pack a lunch on Monday.
As for public school students, staff are being asked to advise students leaving campus during the lunch hour to not look at the sun without proper eye protection.
“It is never safe to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection, people are more likely to do so in an attempt to view the partial solar eclipse,” said Edmonton Catholic Schools in a statement.
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Field trips and other day-to-day activities will proceed as normal.
Safety tips have also been provided to schools in and around Edmonton, as looking at the sun, even during an eclipse, can have devastating affects on your eyes.
- Never look directly at the sun without proper protection.
- Use properly made solar viewers, as known as ‘eclipse glasses’. They will be made with a special-purpose solar filter that allows you to safely view the sun through them.
- Be sure to inspect your solar filter before use; discard the item if you notice any scratches or damage.
- Make sure to supervise children using solar filters.
- Do not remove your solar filter while looking at the sun. Turn your face away, then remove the solar filter from your face.
- Do not view the sun through a camera, binoculars, or any other device — the concentrated solar rays will damage your eyes and could cause serious injury.
