Monday's Solar Eclipse
Dear St M Families,
Next Monday afternoon, April 8, a total eclipse of the sun will cross over a dozen states as it traverses from Texas to Maine. Virginia isn't in the path of totality (when the moon entirely blocks the sun), and the Richmond area (pending weather conditions) will see roughly 83% coverage at 3:18 p.m., according to NASA's eclipse explorer tool. The partial eclipse will commence at 2 p.m. and last until about 4 p.m.
St. Michael's plans to dismiss at our normal 3 p.m. dismissal time, utilizing an indoor carpool routine (as we do during inclement weather). Staff will utilize umbrellas to walk younger children to their cars. Older students will be given guidance to not look at the sun as they swiftly go to their cars.
Extended Day will delay any outdoor recess until after its 4:30 p.m. dismissal.
Afternoon sports (track and boys' lacrosse) will remain indoors until 3:45 p.m. and dismiss at 4:45 p.m. Please note that these sports practices have been extended by 15 minutes.
From an educational standpoint, NASA has launched a website specifically for Monday's eclipse with great information and links allowing you to view the eclipse safely from a computer.
Sincerely,
Bob Gregg
Head of School
