New Frontiers schools off for the eclipse

On March 12, the New Frontiers School Board announced that elementary and high schools in its territory will be closed on Monday, April 8 because of the total solar eclipse.

Translation Amanda Bennett

The school board has made this decision because the eclipse will take place when students are due to return home. “This is the time when most students will be released and we cannot ensure full supervision when they return home or when they take the bus,” it said in a Facebook post.

The April 8 pedagogical day will replace the conditional pedagogical day scheduled for May 10. Daycare services will be open on April 8, says the New Frontiers school board.

The Centre de services scolaire Vallée-des-Tisserands and Grandes-Seigneuries have not yet taken a position on the matter. Montreal schools will also be on holiday.

On April 8, there will be a total solar eclipse in Quebec, the first in 50 years. While the whole of Quebec will observe a partial eclipse, the totality of the experience will only be visible in a strip about 200 km wide across southern Quebec. The total eclipse is scheduled to take place at around 3:25 p.m.–3:30 p.m., depending on the exact geographical position.

Looking directly at the sun during the eclipse, without appropriate protection, can cause serious problems, such as partial or total loss of sight.