Eclipse concerns

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The majority of my K-3 kiddos will be on the bus home when the eclipse peaks in our area. We are at about 85% totality. We can tell kids till we're blue in the face to not look at it, but we all know some will try. Principal wants me to come up with something for parents. Has anyone seen good, age appropriate resources? Or have you sent something similar to your families? Or any tips?

Specializes in Med-surg, school nursing..

Yes, I am in an area where there will be 95-96% eclipse. Some schools in our area have cancelled school, but not our district. Honestly I feel we should have let out half day. I know kids are going to take their glasses (our district provided glasses for all staff and student) off and look, no matter how much you tell them not to. And I know in our sue-happy world, there will be parents blaming the school when their snowflake has blurry vision. "You made my kid go out and watch it, blah, blah, blah". We should let out early to get rid of any liability. But I don't get to make those decisions. :)

Why not make it an activity? Force the teachers to make those "cereal box" viewfinders for looking at the eclipse as an art project that day, and then they will be so excited they will want to use them to look at it...

I've seen tons of those online.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

I still remember way back in the 80's there was an eclipse and we had an assembly about it the day before. Our head of school, as well as one of the science teachers told us we would "burn our eyeballs out of the backs of our heads" if we looked at it. We all looked at it anyway...don't think there is anything else to do now that you have told them.

This statement made me stop and think. So I did some quick googling. I saw a lot of "ancient" astronomers warning of all kinds of evil and bad and scary stuff associated with eclipses but nothing about looking at it would harm your vision; not to say that it isn't there if I dug long and deep enough. I'm wondering, however, if these 4th century warnings were given, how that information was spread to...say Native Americans, or the Masai of Africa, or even the Australian Aboriginal peoples...hmmm.

drums carrier pigeons runners

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
drums carrier pigeons runners

Exactly!

I haven't kept up with this.. But silly question.

What is the difference of looking at the sun on a typical day compared looking at the sun on eclipse day?

I haven't kept up with this.. But silly question.

What is the difference of looking at the sun on a typical day compared looking at the sun on eclipse day?

During the eclipse (especially in areas with a full eclipse) you can actually keep your eyes open and look at it longer due to the shading of the brightness of the sun, but the damaging rays still hit the back of the eye since it is still not 100% covered.

I am sorry, if you are told to not look at the sun, warned about it, told the dangers of it, then go an look at it, that is on you.

Just no self responsibility today. My kids know not to look at it directly unprotected. The middle school is letting the kids out to look at it with glasses or pinhole camera's (even though it is only like 70% here), the high school is not. Not sure about elementary, since my kids are not in it.

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

My husband works for NASA and he turned me to this web sight.

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/Science%20%26%20Children%20-%20Mar2017%20-%20%20Preparing%20for%20the%20Eclipse.pdf

He also said I should mention that many of the eclipse glasses sold on the internet are fake and should not be used so he suggested a handout that shows how we did it in the old days before modern technology. It works and is a fun DIY project for younger kids.

How to build a DIY pinhole projector to safely view the eclipse - The Verge

Happy Viewing

Hppy

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Not that anyone cares, but here are my thought on the eclipse:

1) My Facebook is FLOODED with dire warning that your cat/ dog will be blinded if they so much as 'look up' during the eclipse. Where are the millions of blinded wild and farm animals from other eclipses on other continents?

2) Took my youngest back to school in Evansville, IN this weekend They are in the 98% zone. Signs all along US41 warning people not to stop on the roadside during the eclipse.

3) We are having our siding replaced on our house. The two guys doing the work speak barely any English. They work extremely hard and are doing a good job. They are clearly immigrants from Mexico or Central America. Their foreman sheepishly called my this afternoon and asked if the guys could work tomorrow (Sunday) as they are both refusing to work Monday because of the eclipse.

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

We just got the "official" email from our district about the eclipse. No outside activity will be allowed during this time. The children's vision has been saved for them to see another day!!

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Well, I couldn't help myself...I had to go look at the eclipse; while the rest of the community hunkered inside waiting for the danger to subside. It looked just like looking into the sun on any other day here in the sunny south Texas heat. I wanted to run in here and post this before my vision is gone or so badly damaged I can't see the keyboard or computer screen.

Specializes in Home Health,Dialysis, MDS, School Nurse.

Just had a kid come in saying his head hurt from watching the eclipse. Its so cloudy here you'd never know anything was happening. :banghead:

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