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Students in Windsor’s public and Catholic school systems will get to cut classes early this spring due to a rare celestial event.
On the afternoon of April 8, a total eclipse of the sun will unfold and temporary darkness will sweep across portions of Canada, the United States and Mexico as the moon aligns perfectly between planet Earth and the sun.
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The last full solar eclipse visible from Canada occurred more than four decades ago, on Feb. 26, 1979.
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In a joint news release, the Greater Essex County District School Board and Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board said the region will experience some of the “most intense” effects of the eclipse between 1:57 and 3:17 p.m. — which coincides with the usual time students are dismissed.
Due to safety concerns, all students will be dismissed at 1 p.m. that afternoon.
While buses will run at their standard time in the morning, the boards said student transportation will not be available in the middle of the day. Parents and guardians are asked to make their own arrangements.
The school boards said members did explore the option of making April 8 a professional activity (PA) day, but it was not feasible due to contractual obligations, pre-existing commitments and shared transportation challenges.
They are working with child care providers to develop programming for that day. Families are encouraged to contact their child care provider for more information.
mmazak@postmedia.com
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