Edwardsville Board of Education reschedules classes day of solar eclipse

EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville School District 7 Board of Education made a move to reschedule classes on Monday, Aug. 21, the day of a solar eclipse visible across all North America.

The board approved an amendment to the 2017-18 school calendar Monday night to make Aug. 21 a day of non-attendance and add the day to the end of the school year (May 18, 2018). On Aug. 21, 2017, a solar eclipse will be visible across all of North America when the moon completely blocks the sun for up to 2 minutes 40 seconds beginning at 1:18 p.m.

However, the duration of the solar eclipse in the Southern Illinois area will last from 11:52 a.m. – 2:47 p.m. Scientists indicate that this period of time will be the most dangerous and that safety glasses must be used when viewing the sun.

"Similar to other environmental hazards such as snow, ice, and dangerously low temperatures that cause the District to use emergency days, the solar eclipse presents a hazard to students if they cannot be kept indoors during the entire time of exposure of almost three hours," Edwardsville Superintendent Dr. Lynda Andre said in a release. "Since the district cannot safely dismiss all students at any time during the solar eclipse on August 21, the District 7 Board of Education approved an amendment to the 2017-18 school calendar to make August 21 a day of non-attendance and add the day to the end of the school year (May 18, 2018).

"The district will also postpone all athletic and band practices until 4 p.m. on August 21, 2017," Andre said.

These are general safety information tips from NASA regarding the solar eclipse:

• Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun.
• 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. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun.
• Experts suggest that one widely available filter for safe solar viewing is number 14 welder's glass. It is imperative that the welding hood houses a #14 or darker filter. Do not view through any welding glass if you do not know or cannot discern its shade number. Inexpensive eclipse glasses have special safety filters that appear similar to sunglasses, but these do permit safe viewing.
• Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device. Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.
• Eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers should meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard to ensure safe viewing of the eclipse.

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