Solar Eclipse 2024

April 4, 2024

Dear Skokie73.5 Families & Staff,

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America and pass over Skokie. The sky will temporarily darken as if it were dawn or dusk. This is a rare event that will not occur again until September 2099.

Kindergarten and preschool students will remain indoors during the eclipse. Middleton and McCracken students will have the opportunity to watch the eclipse outdoors. The district has purchased solar eclipse safety glasses for students and staff to view the event. The glasses meet International Organization for Standardization (ISO) safety standards and are designed for ages 6 and older.

All Middleton and McCracken students must have parent/guardian permission to view the eclipse outdoors. If you DO NOT want your child(ren) to view the eclipse outdoors, please sign the attached OPT-OUT FORM and return it to the school office no later than arrival time on the morning of Monday, April 8th.

Students who do not go outdoors to view the eclipse will be able to view a live broadcast of the event from inside the school building.

Below is a timeline* of the solar eclipse over Skokie:

• Partial eclipse begins at 12:51 p.m.
• Maximum/total eclipse is at 2:07 p.m.
• At 2:30 p.m., sky conditions will begin returning to normal
• At 3:00 p.m., one-fifth of the Sun will be covered by the Moon
• Partial eclipse ends at 3:21 p.m.
  *Source: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/@4911600?iso=20240408

At dismissal, Middleton and McCracken students will wear their eclipse classes while exiting the building, boarding buses, and in the pick-up lane.

At Meyer, kindergarten bus riders will wear glasses while exiting the building and boarding the bus. Staff will escort students under umbrellas to shield the students from the natural light. The Meyer playground will be closed during dismissal to help our preschool and pick-up students exit the building safely and leave immediately.

The following websites have information about the eclipse and links to live broadcasts:

• TimeAndDate.com features a detailed view of the April 8th eclipse path over Skokie and a list of future eclipse events.
• The NASA website includes general information about the solar eclipse, safety information in multiple languages, and a live broadcast of the event.
• NBC News will broadcast live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning at 1:00 p.m. Skokie time.
• The National Solar Observatory website features an interactive map of the solar eclipse path and a livestream.

We are excited to participate in this very special event with our students and staff!

Sincerely,

Skokie School District 73.5

Attachment: Solar Eclipse 2024 Opt-Out Form (multiple languages)