Republic School District would like to share important information with employees and families regarding the solar eclipse that will take place on Monday, April 8. Although this is an incredibly exciting event that we look forward to sharing with our students, there are a few items that are important to share for safety reasons. Specifically, we are NOT in the path of totality, so there will NOT be a safe time for anyone to remove their viewing glasses and view the sun. We are working to ensure that everyone is educated about how to view this event so that we can all safely experience the eclipse!
It will take several hours for the eclipse to take place on April 8, and the best viewing time is still being determined as different sources are currently providing varying times. We expect it to be in the late afternoon, during the school day.
As communicated with families on March 20, certified viewing glasses will be distributed to K-12 students (EC students will view the eclipse from inside using an approved live feed) and all employees, which will provide everyone the opportunity to view the eclipse at school. In addition, educators across the district will be teaching lessons about the upcoming eclipse leading up to the event to prepare students for what they will experience.
A signed permission slip is required for K-12 students to participate in the outdoor eclipse viewing. Employees do not have to complete the permission slip. Students without signed permission slips turned in by Monday, April 1 (one week BEFORE the eclipse) will be viewing the eclipse inside through the live feed.
Paper permission slips will be sent home with students in grades K-12 by the end of the school day on March 22. A copy is also available here. In order for students to participate in the viewing outside, signed slips must be returned to school by Monday, April 1. Setting this deadline in advance of the event gives each school time to finalize viewing plans for students and staff. Should you have questions, families are asked to please contact the office of the school in which their child attends.
We are dedicated to making this a fun and exciting experience for our students through responsible and safe viewing practices. Our employees have been given this safety information to become familiar with eclipse viewing safety. Their learning will be shared with students as well. We invite families to also review this information and share with their student(s).
We are looking forward to this exciting learning opportunity on April 8!