Fayette County School released a statement via ParentSquare March 29, regarding the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, the day students return from spring break.
As we approach the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, we want to let you know about safety assurances the school system is taking in preparation for this unique celestial event.
According to NASA’s maps, Georgia will not be in the direct path of a full solar eclipse, but a partial eclipse may be visible beginning around 1:45 p.m. with the peak around 3:04 p.m. and ending about 4:21 p.m.
We will have normal school operations since the partial eclipse will not start until late afternoon.
The partial eclipse will be at its peak during dismissal for many of our schools, so we are providing approved solar glasses (ISO 12312-2 standard) to all students and staff. These glasses meet safety standards, providing protection for observing the eclipse without risk to vision.
Please talk to your child(ren) about the importance of wearing solar glasses if they want to look at the eclipse; this includes indoors through a window or on the bus. Even though we will only see a sliver of the sun, we still need to take precautions for our eyes. Severe eye injury can happen if you look directly at the sun without proper protection. Ordinary sunglasses are not enough to protect eyes from damage.
For additional information on eye protection during the solar eclipse, visit the following links from the Prevent Blindness Georgia website:
These images show what we can expect to see in our area during the time of the eclipse.
This is an exciting educational opportunity. We encourage you to embrace this memorable and enriching experience with your child(ren).
Thank you for your cooperation and support.
