We have been educating and planning for a few weeks.”

Thomas Kenworthy, Portsmouth superintendent of schools

PORTSMOUTH — The last solar eclipse in the United States until 2045 is coming our way Monday, April 8, and its timing has put local schools on alert.

The R.I. Department of Education (RIDE) has been sending out warnings to local districts because the eclipse will last from 2:25 to 4:38 p.m. — right around the time schools typically dismiss students. The maximum eclipse for our area, when about 92 percent of the sun will be blocked, will be at 3:29 p.m.

“We have been educating and planning for a few weeks,” Superintendent Thomas Kenworthy said in an e-mail to The Portsmouth Times. 

Kenworthy sent out an e-mail blast to the school community on Tuesday. 

“Please note that it is unsafe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing,” Kenworthy stated. “In the (Portsmouth school district), we will be providing special eclipse glasses to our elementary and middle school students whose dismissal times will occur during the peak eclipse period. We will also be taking precautions with outdoor practices and games.”

Kenworthy shared several links in his e-mail, including one from the R.I. Department of Health, which warned residents not to view the eclipse without wearing special glasses. 

The health department also urged parents to supervise children who may not understand the potential damage viewing a partial solar eclipse can cause, and advised the use of sunscreen outdoors on Monday even if it isn’t warm.

The superintendent thanked district science teachers and school administrators, as well as K-8 science coordinator Margie Brennan, for leading the educational efforts around the event.

Throughout Rhode Island, some public and private schools are considering early dismissal on Monday, or installing blackout shades in rooms that face the sun at that time of day.

Special glasses available

Carolyn Magnus, director of the Portsmouth Free Public Library, said the library isn’t hosting a formal viewing of the solar eclipse this year. The library, however, started distributing eclipse glasses on Monday. They’re available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last, and there’s a limit of two per household. 

Francine Jackson, a staff astronomer at the Ladd Observatory at Brown University, recently spoke about the upcoming eclipse at the Brownell Library in Little Compton and at the Tiverton Public Library.

Jackson said certified eclipse glasses — for example, those labeled with an ISO number — are necessities to avoid damage to the eyes. They can be acquired online and at some area retailers.

Ruth Rasmussen also contributed to this story.