P.E.I.'s French schools prepare kids and staff to safely enjoy Monday's solar eclipse
Education department has shared presentations and resources with teachers, as schools set to close early
In preparation for Monday's solar eclipse, students at P.E.I.'s six French-language schools are learning about the science behind the celestial event — as well as how to view it safely.
The provincial education department has shared several presentations, resources and websites with teachers since last November to help them incorporate the eclipse in their curriculum.
"We really do hope that families will be able to engage in the observation of the eclipse with their children at home," said Jaclyn Reid, director of French education programs and services at the department. "We've tried to share as much as we can."
Students on the Island won't actually be at school during Monday's eclipse — which will last from roughly 3:25 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. AT — because P.E.I. schools are set to close two hours early, allowing students to get home and watch the rare event with their families.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, darkening the sky and making it seem, briefly, like nighttime.
Two of the French-language presentations shared with teachers are also publicly available on a national astronomy education website titled À la découverte de l'univers ("Discovering the Universe").
They include an introduction to the basics of solar eclipses, and a second module on "how to safely observe and teach an eclipse in the classroom," Reid explained.
She said the department has also provided other resources to educators from national organizations including the Canadian Space Agency and Let's Talk Science.
It was really important, she added, to ensure any resources shared with teachers were from national and reputable organizations.
Education officials decided to end classes early on Monday for safety reasons, said Ghislain Bernard, superintendent of P.E.I.'s French-language school board.
'Staying safe'
Looking directly at the sun during an eclipse can cause blindness, unless viewers wear specialized, solar-filtering glasses. Even watching through a camera lens, sunglasses or binoculars can cause irreversible eye damage.
Keeping children safe during the event is essential, Bernard said.
"It's one thing to tell them, 'Don't look directly at the sun and make sure you're wearing your [safety] glasses,'" he said. "It's another thing to monitor and make sure they're doing that and staying safe."
In addition to keeping students safe, Bernard said officials decided to close school early to protect staff as well — including after-school bus drivers.
"If we have an eclipse and you're on a bus and you're driving, there's some concerns about what that looks like for the driver," he said.
Schools will be 'abuzz' Tuesday
The education department has provided both French and English school boards, as well as public libraries, with nearly 28,000 eclipse-watching glasses — certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) — to be distributed to all students on the Island Monday.
The educational opportunities will continue at schools on Tuesday, said Reid, as students return to their classes with stories from watching the eclipse.
"No doubt the day after the eclipse will be abuzz," she said. "It'd be nice to be a fly on the wall in the schools the next day, to see and to hear all of the things that students will have to say."
With files from Gabrielle Drumond and Shane Ross