North Allegheny schools could close for eclipse

The decision to move to a flexible instructional day at North Allegheny School District regarding the solar eclipse on April 8 will be weather-dependent.

A March 19 email to families from Superintendent Brendan Hyland announced that the district may cancel in-person education that day because the eclipse will happen between approximately 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the Pittsburgh area, with the peak occurring 3:15 to 3:20.

That is the timing of school dismissal and transportation home for many students.

“The safety and well-being of our students will always remain our top priority,” Hyland said. “As you already know, looking directly at the sun without proper eye protection and supervision can lead to permanent eye damage. Furthermore, without proper supervision, students may act irresponsibly as they attempt to observe this rare event.”

The decision will be made by April 5, after district officials review the weather pattern expected for the following Monday. If in-person classes are canceled, a flexible instructional day from home will be held.

North Allegheny will hold extracurricular activities that begin at 5:30, regardless.

Other local school districts and private schools are closing.

Robert Reese, principal at Blessed Seelos Academy in Pine, said the school is following the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s directive to hold a flexible instruction day on April 8. Pine-Richland School District is closed. Shaler Area and North Hills school districts are having an early dismissal, as of March 21, per each school’s website.

The path of the eclipse will cross through a portion of northwestern Pennsylvania, including Erie, Crawford, Warren and Mercer counties, according to the state Department of Natural Resources website.

However, DNR reports that most of the state lies within the 90 percent coverage range, so the eclipse can be viewed across Pennsylvania. The department also provides for state parks that lie within the totality path including: Presque Isle, Erie Bluffs, Pymatuning, and Maurice K. Goddard state parks, all in Erie County.

Some observers are planning to travel to a prime viewing spot, like BSA Troop 329 and Troop 9329, based in McCandless. The group is planning an overnight camping weekend to Camp Beaumont in Cleveland.

“Given the hype and lack of accommodations in northern Ohio, going on a trip with the Scouts to Beaumont Scout reservation made perfect sense where we have lots of space,” said Dr. Christopher Koman, committee secretary for the troop.

NASA has provided safety tips on viewing the total solar eclipse, recommending eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer. The eclipse can be viewed directly without eye protection only when the moon is in totality or is completely blocking the sun, according to www.science.nasa.gov. But eyewear must be put back on as soon as the sun starts to show.

The site provides alternatives to glasses such as making a viewing device with a box or pinhole projector.

The American Astronomical Society at eclipse.aas.org suggests a pasta colander, straw hat or anything else with a lot of small holes in it can be used as a pinhole projector. However, do not look at the sun through the pinholes. The sun should be at your back.

This is literally a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most. While a total solar eclipse happens somewhere on earth each year or two, every given point on earth experiences a total solar eclipse once every 400 years, according to education.nationalgeographic.org. And the totality, or total covering of the sun, lasts almost three minutes.