On April 8, 2024, the Great American Eclipse will make its way across the entire continental United States. With such a monumental event occurring during the school day, East Porter County School Corporation will be conducting a viewing of the event for students, faculty, and staff members who wish to participate. Safety is our top priority, and we would like you and your student to be aware of the precautionary steps we are putting in place.
Homemade or ordinary sunglasses are not sufficient ways to view an eclipse, as the reflectivity and polarization are not high enough for viewing safely. To ensure that each participant is safe, East Porter will be supplying those who wish to participate with a pair of glasses specifically designed for eclipse viewing. These glasses conform to the transmission requirements of ISO 12312-2, which are filters specifically designed for direct observation of the sun. We will be viewing a partial solar eclipse (at its greatest point will be approximately 96% obscuration.) This means that glasses must be kept on at all times during viewing. Students should never look at the sun without special eye protection, and removing glasses, even temporarily, may have severe effects on your eyes.
Because of these safety concerns, a parent or guardian signature is required for students to participate in the event using the eclipse glasses. Students who do not complete this form will not be able to participate. For more information relating to overall safety viewing during an eclipse, visit https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety/
Washington Township M/HS students who return parent permission slips will join their classmates and teachers outside on April 8 to view the eclipse. An alternate activity will be available to those who do not participate. Permission slips will be distributed in your child's 7th period class today and must be returned to their 7th period teacher prior to April 8. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Fields.