A total solar eclipse makes its way across North America on Monday, April 8, but local Catholic students won’t see a thing because they’ll be kept inside to protect their health.
Holy Trinity Catholic School Division sent a letter to parents and guardians on April 5, informing them that the eclipse would slowly make its way over Mexico, the United States and Canada on April 8. While the path of totality in Canada occurred in southern Ontario and Nova Scotia, a partial solar eclipse would be visible on the Prairies.
In Saskatchewan, the astronomical event will be roughly visible between 11:40 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Due to the risks of looking directly at the sun without proper eye protection during an eclipse, and since the division cannot ensure that students are appropriately using proper protection, Holy Trinity has decided that schools will:
- Keep pupils inside during that time when the partial solar eclipse may be visible in Moose Jaw
- Not schedule outdoor physical education classes, recess, or activities for any students during that time
“Please speak with your student about the risks of looking directly at the sun during the solar eclipse,” the division said.
“School staff will remind students that it is not safe to look directly at the sun and will direct students not to look at the solar eclipse during school hours. School staff are not able to supervise students as they travel home from school or leave the school for lunch.”
During the partial solar eclipse on Monday, Holy Trinity invited all students to remain at school during the lunch break, while it encouraged parents to send a lunch with their children.
However, if children typically leave the school for lunch and parents decide that their kids will leave for lunch on Monday, then they should discuss with them not to look at the sun to protect their eyes from damage by the solar eclipse, the division said.
The letter added that parents should visit this website or this website for more information about solar eclipses and safety guidelines around the celestial phenomena.
