Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Dear Families,
We are writing to inform you of an important change to our school year calendar regarding an upcoming Professional Activity (PA) Day.
The PA Day originally scheduled for Friday, April 19, 2024, has been rescheduled to Monday, April 8, 2024.
This change is due to a total solar eclipse occurring on Monday, April 8th. The eclipse is expected to begin at approximately 2:00 p.m. and end around 4:30 p.m., coinciding with student dismissal times.
Elementary families, since your classrooms follow a 5-day cycle, we are simply moving ‘Day 2’ from April 8 to April 19, 2024. For a downloadable version of the updated 5-day calendar, visit the Board’s website.
This decision was made to ensure that students will not be outdoors during the total solar eclipse. As noted on the Government of Canada’s website, there are risks associated with viewing a solar eclipse. Directly looking at the sun, even during an eclipse, without appropriate protection can lead to severe eye damage or loss of eyesight.
We understand that this change might cause some inconvenience; however, this decision is in the best interest of the safety of our community.
Child Care centres and PA Day camps are permitted to run as they would normally, with safety measures in place. For information on these measures, please consult with your local provider.
LIVESTREAM VIEWING: The solar eclipse can be watched online through the NASA Exploratorium livestream
The following resources contain safety information that you can review and share with your children:
- This Resource from the Canadian Association of Optometrists offers some helpful tips on how to watch the eclipse safely.
- Here is another Resource from NASA that describes the path of the eclipse, as well as additional details on safety.
- Government of Canada – Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024
As always, the health and safety of our students is our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Rick Petrella, Chair of the Board and Mike McDonald, Director of Education
Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic School Board
