To tell DD's school that if they won't let her watch the solar eclipse, I'll keep her home until its over?

[listsandbudgets]

I asked today what they were doing about it and the head said they were just carrying on as normal.

I want DD to see it. DD is desperate to see it. Its 90% here so worth seeing. We can easily make a pin hole projector though I will try to get some eye protection.

AIBU?

melanie I must have imagined all those effects from the partial eclipse in 1999, then. And the coverage was much less than I am going to see next week.

vicar normally you simply cannot look at the sun long enough to cause damage, your reflexes protect you. But during an eclipse you can.

geeky - re the Darwin award really happening - shocked, but sadly not surprised given the level of scientific ignorance that seems acceptable.

can you look at the eclipse by holding up your i-phone/ipad with your back to the eclipse but you're camera pointing at it IYSWIM? That would be OK because i's not concentrating the rays isn't it?

The 1999 one we photographed via a colander...acted like a pinhole camera lol!

I'm guessing that DS2's class is going to do something about it because he pointed to the sun peeking through the clouds and told me what it was, yesterday, as a new addition to his finally emerging language :o

Cute you know how if you accidentally look at alight bulb, you temporarily get its image in your field of view? Looking directly at the sun during an eclipse, when it's quite dark, so your pupils are very dilated can damage your retina so you have that image permanently etched there.

Weeks ago, I asked our leadership team at school if I could organise it but they won't allow me due to health and effing safety.

I'm just wondering how I'm going to keep a class quiet and inside, trying to teach them, when they want to go outside and experience it.

Jealous of everyone who will be able to go and enjoy it.

Result! I emailed the school asking what their plan was and suggesting that it might spook some of the younger DCs. They have since sent out a letter saying that they are watching it online in class but if they want to watch it outside we can take them in a bit later and they will do the register after it's over. Sensible decision I think.

amy that sounds a perfect common-sense compromise.

could it catch on?

A useful leaflet by the Royal Astronomical Society on how to view the eclipse safely www.ras.org.uk/images/solar_eclipse_leaflet.pdf

wow, my flight is meant to take off exactly at the same time, so we should be above the clouds to see it. Cool stuff!

This has made me randomly remember an eclipse when I was at junior school, some time in the sixties. We were all shepherded into the playground and given bits of black glass to look through. I wonder if age-related sight problems will ever turn out to be connected with kids having stared at dangerously bright things with inadequate protection in the past?

I thoroughly enjoyed the 1999 one. It was a really bright day in London, everyone was outside, and the newspapers did give viewing glasses away. At half past eight on a Midlands March morning, I'm not optimistic - I'll watch it on the telly later!

Oh, lucky you, Merinda :)

I think it's unreasonable to keep your child off for this. The next one is in two years time- hardly a once in a lifetime opportunity!!

is the next one anywhere near 90% (as this one is?) If not then it's not the same thing at all IMO.

I think either way it's not a valid reason for a day off school.

The next one is not in two years time, it's in ten years time.

In the next 90 years there are to be 3 partial eclipses (including Friday's one) and one total.

Unless you move out of the uk to view one, it really is a very rare thing to see.

next partial eclipse visible in the UK (unless you are in Orkney) is 2021 which is more than two years away by my reckoning. Another good one (90% or so) in 2026. Next total in the UK is 2090 so I don't think anyone on here will see that.

and it is not a whole day off, it will be over by 10am.

August 12th 2026 partial in the UK
August 2nd 2027 partial in the UK
September 23rd 2090 total in the UK

Ooh! I missed the annular eclipse in 2021!

Got the last copy of Sky at Night from WH Smith and bought another pair from ebay. No information from school but DD1 says if they bring in glasses they'll be allowed to watch it. Fingers crossed for good weather.

I've seen two, the total eclipse in Cornwall where even though it was cloudy and raining it was still creepy when all the streetlights went on. I also saw a partial in Oxford a few years before that on a sunny weekend afternoon, DH and I were standing looking at it with lots of people milling around us paying no attention!

Would someone mind helping me with the wording to an email to the school? They have said they will be keeping the children indoors at playtime because of the eclipse. (The reception class has early play)

I really want them to experience it!

trouble is that without glasses, every single one of them has to be kept facing away from the sun. That may be a management challenge for the school. Perhaps take them out in small groups and show them the shadows?

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie, lurking a bit (honestly can't remember how I stumbled on here...!), now I'm making my first post. I wish there was a "reply" (to OP) button, not sure if my comment will be attached to hers...something to consider for Mumsnet PTB.

ANYWAY!!! I just want to really stress that we are not "Looking AT the eclipse". Not to insult anyone's intelligence, but many are unaware about WHY we can't look at the Sun, even in eclipse ("What's the problem? It was totally dim!"), even for "only a second."

We had a 60% (ish) eclipse here (Sunny California!) a few years ago and did a pinhole projector (as OP says to) and it was SO neat! The size of the "image" was about 3-5" across, so it was very easy to see what was going on. We actually were standing near a shade tree, so our big white board "screen" showed a hundred images all at once, as the sun shone thru each gap in the leaves. The best thing about the projected image is that you can watch the progression of the event from start to finish, and not harm your eyes. I don't get that excited about much, but watching the eclipse PROJECTED was truly memorable.

Finally (sorry so long; way to make a good first impression, eh?), I think the school SHOULD make this a learning experience. Surely a bunch of parent volunteers could help AND THEN LEAVE so minimal disruption to the day.

We are currently working on a risk assessment trying to identify how we can guarantee the eye safety of 30 children per class when many only have one adult (the class teacher) to support them. You can brief the children until the cows come home, but they don't always follow those safety instructions without an adult right next to them.

Those of you trying to persuade your school to allow the children outside to see it might stand a better chance if you all volunteer to help. We want ratios of at least 1:2 in the youngest classes and at least 1:5 higher up the school.

I bought four pairs of glasses from eBay and then came across four editions of the sky at night with the glasses so am looking to sell on the eBay ones for what I paid for them. Pm me if interested