Martin County School District releases solar eclipse safety advisory

Stuart, FL – The Martin County School District will release the following safety advisory to parents and students regarding the solar eclipse taking place on August 21.

Safety Advisory for Parents and Students

On Monday, August 21, 2017, Martin County will experience a partial solar eclipse. A partial solar eclipse is when the moon transverses between the Earth and the sun. The partial solar eclipse will begin approximately at 1:15 p.m. It will last until 4:30 p.m. Maximum coverage being reached at 2:57 p.m.

Schools will be operating regular hours. Dismissal times will not be affected.
We are asking parents to use an abundance of caution while driving during the time of the eclipse. Please be especially careful in the parent pickup area at school to avoid distracted drivers, students and pedestrians.

To maximize student safety:

ALL outdoor activities between the hours of 1:00 and 4:30 p.m. (physical education classes, recess, safety patrol, athletic practice, band practice, Extended Day, etc.) at ALL schools, will be moved indoors. Outdoor activities can resume after 5:00 p.m.
We are offering parents of elementary students the option of attending Extended Day so their students may remain on campus indoors until picked up by parents no later than 6 p.m. Details to follow.

Teachers are being provided curriculum with virtual viewing only. Note: Solar eclipse glasses or pinhole cameras are not allowed.

Before Monday, August 21, 2017, we ask that ALL PARENTS communicate with their children about the eclipse and dangers of looking directly at the sun and the potential damage this can cause to their eyes.
MCSD will excuse absences for students whose parents keep them out of school.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology warns that ordinary sunglasses do not provide sufficient eye protection to directly view the sun during an eclipse.

Resources:

Viewing Safety:https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety

Instructional Resources: The NASA pagehttps://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/ contains many links with interactive maps, live streaming and other useful tools for instruction.
Live Stream: Eclipse LIVE Stream