District Solar Eclipse Viewing Plan
On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will experience an eclipse of the sun. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks any part of the sun. This is the first time since 1918 that a solar eclipse will be visible on a path across the United States. We won’t see another one again until April 8, 2024.
The eclipse will occur in our area beginning around 1:00 p.m. and ending around 4:00 p.m. In the Cincinnati area, about 91% of the sun will be covered at 2:28 p.m. With this being said, it is going to be very tempting to look up to the sky.
Kings has plans in place, by building, to ensure safe viewing of this amazing event. Today, you will be receiving a letter from your child’s building principal with information specific to that building on how they will be viewing the eclipse, which will include opt out forms, if applicable. Safety during the eclipse viewing is our top priority. Each school has purchased NASA approved solar eclipse viewing glasses and plans have been made to make sure the experience is safe and educational for our students.
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Kings High School will host an after school viewing party complete with eclipse themed snacks. Students will witness the eclipse wearing NASA approved eclipse glasses. Click here to RSVP to the KHS Eclipse Party 2017.
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Kings Junior High School students will go outside in supervised groups to witness the eclipse wearing NASA approved eclipse glasses. Students will be dismissed at normal time. Families who wish to opt out of having their child view the solar eclipse should complete an opt out form.
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Columbia Intermediate School students will participate in supervised eclipsed viewing outdoors with their teacher in a classroom group utilizing NASA approved eclipse glasses. Students who Opt Out will have the opportunity to participate in eclipse viewing indoors on the NASA live stream website. There will be no outdoor recess in the afternoon that day. Families who wish to opt out of having their child view the solar eclipse should complete an opt out form.
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JFB, KME, & SLE second, third and fourth-grade students will have the opportunity to participate in supervised eclipsed viewing outdoors with their teacher in a classroom group utilizing NASA approved eclipse glasses. Students in kindergarten and first grade will have the opportunity to participate in eclipsed viewing indoors with their teacher on a NASA live streaming website. There will be no outside recess that afternoon. Families of second, third, and fourth-grade students who wish to opt out of having their child view the solar eclipse should complete an opt out form.
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Kings Preschool and Childcare students will remain indoors with large motor play during the afternoon.
Students will be taught important safety lessons during the eclipse that include:
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Never look directly at the sun during a solar eclipse. Looking directly at the sun can cause permanent damage to your eyes.
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Wear protective eclipse glasses the entire time they are outside. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun.
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Do not look at the eclipse for longer than 3 minutes without looking away for a second or two.
We also ask that you please speak with your child(ren) prior to Monday to reinforce the importance of NOT viewing the sun during the eclipse period without properly wearing their safety glasses. Failure to adhere to proper precautionary measures can result in permanent ocular damage and vision loss. This is especially a concern on the bus, as students will be traveling home during the peak portion of the eclipse.
Some school buildings will not be providing glasses for every single student. Therefore, parents/guardians should work with their children to have a safety plan (the plan can be as simple as DO NOT look at the sun/moon, just look where you’re walking).
REMEMBER: The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers. Regular, even very dark, sunglasses are not safe. For more information, NASA has created a TOTAL ECLIPSE website complete with safety, science, education, and additional resources.