Safely Learn from the Solar Eclipse

Springdale will experience a near-total solar eclipse Monday, April 8, when 98.5% of the sun will be covered by the moon.

Springdale Schools has partnered with Explore Scientific and the Arkansas STEM Coalition to provide solar viewing glasses for all district students and staff members, which will allow participants to safely experience the eclipse.

Glasses will be delivered to all district buildings prior to the eclipse.

Looking directly at the sun without wearing solar glasses is dangerous. The partial eclipse allows the pupils to dilate, allowing damaging light to enter the eye unimpeded.

To directly observe the sun safely and easily, use eclipse glasses made of colored paperboard with Mylar lenses that allow only about 0.0003% of the sun’s light to pass through. The glasses the district partnered with Explore Scientific and the Arkansas STEM Coalition to provide have been tested and meet all ISO federal regulations.

Parents: The district won't require permission slips for students to view the eclipse. Parents who DO NOT wish for their child to view the eclipse must coordinate contingency plans with the student's school to accommodate their needs during the eclipse.

District Staff: Staff must make certain all viewing directions are understood and followed by students. This will require constant monitoring of students with zero tolerance for disregarding the directions for properly using solar safety glasses.

The solar eclipse will begin in Springdale at 12:33 p.m. on Monday, April 8, with maximum coverage at 1:51 p.m. The eclipse will end at 3:09 p.m.

It's encouraged to have students view the eclipse at different phases to allow them to observe changes to the sun.

Observable differences will also include changes in air temperature, wind and sound. These are natural phenomena that change along with stages of the eclipse.

Students and staff can also view the eclipse via the NASA Livestream for views from 12 sites around the country.

The district has curated curriculum resources designed to help you enhance the eclipse experience with your students. Elementary and secondary resources are provided as quick references for grade-level activities. The general information is accessible by almost every grade level.

Observing and experiencing the full impact of a natural phenomena such as the eclipse has the power to engage students through the wonder of science. We hope you and your students have a safe and powerful learning experience.

Thank you to Jake Beers, Julie Crane and Leslie Pitman of Springdale Public Schools

for compiling district eclipse information and learning resources!

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | YOUTUBE

Email: communications@sdale.org
Website: https://www.sdale.org/
Location: PO Box 8 Springdale Ar 72764
Phone: 479-750-8800