Picture it. February. 1976. A badly dressed in floral browns grade 4 student attends class. She sits in the far right row, second from the back. Their classroom design is actually 3 classrooms together with only half walls and a high vaulted ceiling with, you guessed it, a large circular window at the stop.
Half the class isn't there. Parents kept their children at home, terrified that they would be sent out for morning recess and blinded for life.
At 10 something in the morning the teacher instructs us to put our heads down on our desks. She puts an 'audio book' on the record player and we are taken away to the magical life of the Lollypop Dragon.
We reach a point where the teacher says "no peeking" and we can hear her footsteps up and down the carpeted aisle, making sure.
We didn't burst into flames, but we definitely didn't look up, let alone, go outside for recess.
And that's what I remember from my first Solar Eclipse.
Not Much Working Out Monday
2 hours ago
8 comments:
WOW! I think I was in 2nd grade - maybe 3rd. We went to recess early and our teachers did a pin hole thing with paper. The eclipse was not fully there, but the moon was getting close.
Amazingly, not one child's eyes burned. Not a single one.
I will be taking my kids out today, but we have glasses.
By any chance, did you go to school in Regina? Sounds like my old school! X Chy
That's a really detailed memory! I must've been in Grade Three or Four (I was 9, I don't know what Grade that makes it) and I do recall we went outside and had some fancy pinhole cameras, but that's about all I remember. It's a bit overcast here and I think we're only getting a partial, about 6:20 this evening. Whether we'll see anything I don't know, but I suppose we'll see a slight dimming. Enjoy it properly this time if you can! x
Chy - no I am a few hours north of Regina. It was a really interesting shaped structure. Think almost TeePee design. How those three teachers managed to keep us focused with no real walls is beyond me. You could hear everything.
NLA - Depends what month your bday is in. I was 9 and a sept birthday. I am heading to the school to prep. Didn't get proper glasses so probably won't be gazing too much at it.
I remember, mom kept us inside. But allowed to look outside, but not the sun. We had a smoked galss to look at the sun. Don't remember using it though.
That is sad!
Great memory! I can't remember any other eclipse experiences. I am older than you so likely we were kept inside too.
There certainly was no 'let's explore this safely through glasses' mentality.
A little bit of 'the sky is falling' :-)
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