Total eclipse is April 8
Next Monday, April 8, everyone in the Arlington ISD will have their eyes on the sky as we’re right in the middle of the path of the total solar eclipse.
But how does everyone get ready for this once-in-a-lifetime event? Here are some tips for viewing the eclipse.
1. Have proper eye safety
The Arlington ISD was fortunate that the Perot Museum of Nature and Science donated enough glasses that every student and teacher has proper eyewear to watch the eclipse. You need to wear the glasses anytime the sun is out to avoid the possibility of damaging your eyes. Don’t watch the eclipse with regular sunglasses or try and take pictures through your phone. We know most kids have phones, but please stress to them how important it is not to take pictures of the eclipse with their phones.
2. Watch your skin, too
Lots of our students and staff will be outside to watch the eclipse. And we hope it’s a sunny day without a cloud in the sky. But just because the total eclipse begins at 1:40, the eclipse starts more than an hour before that. If it’s sunny, make sure you send your student to school with sunscreen.
3. Careful on the roads
The good news is that the Arlington ISD has more than three minutes of the total eclipse because of where we’re located in the area of totality. The bad news is that everyone wants to be in the area of totality. And while our bus drivers and parents know their way around the city, not everyone does. So please exercise some caution when you’re driving.
4. Study up
The best thing about an eclipse happening during school hours is that it’s going to be a great learning tool for our students. Teachers throughout the district are using the eclipse as part of their lesson plan. And why wouldn’t you? The next time we’ll have an eclipse like this is in 300 years. You can also learn cool details about the eclipse from NASA here.
5. Be there
We know you’ve heard that there are some districts in smaller Texas towns that are closing schools next Monday. That’s not the case in the Arlington ISD. It’s a regular school day, and we want your students to be there.