Important Message from Woodland D50
Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024
Solar Eclipse: April 8, 2024
Dear Woodland Families,
As we look forward to the week ahead, I just wanted to send a quick reminder to review eclipse safety information with your students ahead of tomorrow's eclipse.
Below you will see the message sent out from the district last week. The district message includes links to important safety information from NASA. This is a great resource to learn more about this rare event. Each school principal also followed up with additional information specific to observations and safety protocols at the school level. Here are the links just in case you missed it! If you have any questions, please contact your child's principal.
Looking forward to a great week at Woodland,
Dr. Robert Machak, Superintendent
Woodland D50
The following message was sent on April 3, 2024:
April 3, 2024
Dear Woodland Families,
There is a great deal of excitement about the solar eclipse expected to be visible in our area on Monday, April 8, 2024. While some places south of us will experience a “total” solar eclipse, in northern Illinois experts predict about 90 - 95% of the sun will be covered by 2 p.m. in the afternoon.
Due to the timing of this admittedly historic event, there will be no specific district-wide eclipse observation plans at Woodland. During the eclipse, some of our schools will be dismissing students and loading buses, while other students may be completing IAR testing depending on their schedules. Each school in the district will be providing age-appropriate lessons about the solar eclipse, instructing students about eclipse safety, and all classrooms are invited to view a live stream of the eclipse from NASA as it makes its way across North America.
With the awe and excitement of such an interesting celestial event also comes the concern for the safety of the students. The district has purchased safety glasses for all students, and everyone will be instructed not to attempt to view the eclipse without protective eyewear when exiting the school. These are not regular sunglasses: the glasses we purchased are much darker than typical sunglasses and comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.
Each school will also have extra staff on hand for supervising students as they are leaving the school to remind students to be extra cautious and to use their safety glasses. Please talk with your children about the importance of these safety precautions at home. We appreciate your partnership in ensuring the well-being of our students.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the upcoming solar eclipse or the safety measures in place, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child’s school principal. We appreciate your support in helping all of our students experience this event in a safe and educational manner.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert Machak, Superintendent
Woodland D50
