WRDSB won’t move PA Day for solar eclipse
A group of children join hundreds of people gathered at Western University to view the partial solar eclipse, in London, Ont. on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley)
Schools with the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) will be open as usual on April 8 as a solar eclipse darkens the sky.
The board made the announcement Wednesday afternoon. It comes after several others across the province, including the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, decided to move one of their PA days to coincide with the eclipse out of fear students could damage their eyes by looking directly at the sun.
MORE: How to experience April’s 'once-in-a-lifetime' eclipse
In a message posted to social media, WRDSB said its students will take part in “once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunities during the total solar eclipse, with appropriate safety measures.”
While the sun is no more powerful than usual during a solar eclipse, you might be tempted to stare directly at it during the rare celestial event. Doing so can cause serious problems such as partial or complete loss of eyesight.
To watch a solar eclipse safely, you can use solar viewers – known as eclipse glasses – or create a simple pinhole projector using a box.
How to build your own eclipse projector (Canadian Space Agency).
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, blocking the sun’s light from reaching part of the earth.
During the April 8 eclipse, the moon will block out around 99 per cent of the sun in Kitchener and Guelph. Online eclipse simulators give an idea of how it will look.
In southern Ontario, the moon will begin moving across the sun, appearing to cast a shadow on its surface at around 2 p.m., before reaching maximum coverage at 3:18 p.m. By 4:30 the eclipse will be over.
Other local school boards that have moved their PA Days so students will be off on the day of the eclipse include:
- Waterloo Catholic District School Board
- Avon Maitland District School Board
- Upper Grand District School Board
- Wellington Catholic District School Board
- Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board
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