Both the Avon Maitland and Huron Perth Catholic District School Boards Re-schedule PA Day to Avoid Solar Eclipse

by Bob Montgomery

Both the Avon Maitland and Huron Perth Catholic District School Boards have moved a PA Day scheduled for April 19th to April 8th.

The reason for the change is a rare total solar eclipse that will be occurring on Monday April 8th at a time that could coincide with the dismissal and transportation of students at the end of the day. Because of that, the PA Day has been moved from April 19th to April 8th so the students will be home on the day of the eclipse.

According to Huron Perth Public Health, while Huron and Perth are not in the Path of Totality, residents in the area will experience a partial eclipse starting around two in the afternoon and ending after 4:30. HPPH explains that there are two significant concerns for this event:
● Individual damage to vision – It is not safe to look directly at the sun during a total or partial solar eclipse.
Health impacts include retinal burns, blurred vision and loss of eyesight (immediate or delayed onset). Be aware that there are no nerve endings in the retina, so people looking at the sun will not experience pain as a deterrent and may not be aware that damage is occurring.
● Mass gatherings - residents gatherings, distracted motorists, etc.

Due to the timing of this event and the possible risk to student and staff eye safety, both boards believe that rescheduling the PA Day from April 19 to April 8 will significantly reduce this risk. They are making this decision out of an abundance of caution and have consulted with their Huron Perth Public Health partners. They understand that this change does have implications for their families but they hope that providing ample time to make arrangements for child care, etc. will help. Local daycare providers and other community partners who are providing PA Day camps and activities are being notified. Any other community organizations who are impacted by this change will need to be aware.