Return to School Guidelines & Documentation
Posted on Friday, February 26, 2021Dear Parent/Guardian,
We are delighted to welcome back our Junior Infants, Senior Infants, 1st Class, 2nd class and 3rd class next Monday. A Return to Education Form is required to be completed by you every time your child returns from an absence. Click here
You need to read through Section 5 of the updated Response Plan. I have it linked here
See letter from DCMO Ronan Glynn at very bottom of this post.
I would also like to draw your attention to wellbeing resources for parents and pupils here
Pupils will find that school is the same as when they left in December.
Ms McGrath's class will enter the school as usual at the main front door. We are very fortunate to have Ms Kennedy in the Junior room also on her teaching placement until Easter. The extra adult should be a great support to Ms McGrath.
Mr Barrett's class will enter the school at the back door.
Entry and Exit of School
- Pupils should not enter the school grounds before 09.15 (earliest). School doors open at 09.20. Pupils are not supervised before 09.20.
- Pupils exit at the same doors and gates as before. Parents should arrange pickup location with their child and the child walks to the car or parent.
- Infant parents had a good habit of standing at their car for their child to see. Please continue this practice.
- There can be no congregating at the gates or at cars at any time.
- Junior/Senior infants will be at the gate at 2pm
- 1st class will be at the gate at 2.55pm
- 2nd & 3rd class will be at their gate at 3pm
- Should be by phone 090 9675362 or [email protected]
- Teachers can be contacted by email also within hours of 9am-4pm
- Principal is also available by phone or [email protected] for any queries
The school response plan is being updated to include the new Section 5. We have all protocols in place including:
- Teachers wearing medical grade masks.
- 20 Hand sanitising stations in the school.
- Regular supervised handwashing.
- Windows open to ensure adequate ventilation.
- Children seated in groups with minimal mixing and movement in the classroom.
- Minimal sharing of resources and any resources shared kept within that group and sanitised regularly.
- Daily cleaning of school (3 hours).
- Staff completing training and staying up to date on current guidelines and best practice.
Video for parents on return to school Video for children on return to school
We are all excited to return. However, first of all you have to be absolutely sure that your child and your family are free from any covid contacts or symptoms. If in any doubt whatsover please err on the side of caution. Here is the link to HSE Information
- Clean out the school bag today.
- Wipe down all books.
- Re-pack the school bag neatly to help your child. Put their Maths copy into their Maths book etc.
- Don't send back in unnecessary books like their Christmas Annuals.
- Put their pencil, eraser, red pen, ruler and topper in to one pencil case (clear pencil case would be great).
- Pack their colouring pencils/markers into a seperate pencil case.
- Check that they can open and close their lunch box and only pack a lunch that they will eat. Peel or cut up fruit for them. Avoid yogurt or frubes as they find them hard to finish and often spill.
- The windows will be open all day. "Skins" or an extra layer under their uniform would be beneficial. Rest assured we will be monitoring the children and allowing them to wear coats if necessary.
Make sure to fill out the Return to Education Form for each of your children who are returning on Monday.
Kind regards,
Éilis Treacy
Principal
Dr Ronan Glynn,
Deputy Chief Medical Officer,
Department of Health,
Miesian Plaza,
50 – 58 Lower Baggot Street,
Dublin 2.
26 February 2021
To parents and guardians,
Through your hard work and willingness to buy in to public health guidance over the past two months, we have made real progress in suppressing the most recent wave of COVID-19. This
progress has meant that primary and post-primary schools and the wider provision of childcare can now commence on a phased basis.
The importance of schools for the overall health and wellbeing of children cannot be overstated, and the risk of COVID-19 has been carefully weighed against the very real harm that can be caused by sustained school closures. Schools are at the heart of our communities and they play a fundamental role in the social lives and wellbeing of our children; this is particularly true for children who have special educational needs, are disadvantaged or who may have been disproportionately impacted by school closures over the last year.
Our priority is to ensure a safe return to schools for students, their families and school staff, which is why we have recommended a phased return to in-school learning.
In making this recommendation, the NPHET’s most significant concern is that it will be taken as a signal by parents and wider society that other forms of household mixing, and mobility are now
acceptable.
We cannot afford for this to happen at this time. Despite the progress we have made, COVID-19 is still circulating at high levels in our communities. We must do all we can individually and collectively to ensure that the reopening of schools results in the minimum possible upward pressure on the reproduction number.
Please avoid congregating at school gates over the coming weeks. Please do not have play dates or organise after school activities which involve household mixing. And please continue to work from home unless essential. It is only through your continued buy-in to these measures that we can ensure that our children will get back to school and then stay back in school.
I know these are difficult requests. We all – adults and children alike – want to meet up with our friends and neighbours and get back to our old routines. And we will get there.
We now have three very effective vaccines with, hopefully, three more on the way. Over the coming weeks, older people, and those at high or very high risk of severe disease will be vaccinated and we will see substantial increases in supply from April onwards. And we are already seeing the very positive impact of vaccines in our nursing homes and among our healthcare workers. If we can combine this rollout with a continued suppression of the disease through March and April, we will have many more options in terms of easing of measures and should be able to provide much greater levels of certainty to people about the months ahead.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all you have done to keep your family and our communities safe over the last year. I also want to thank all teachers, principals and school staff who have worked so hard to ensure measures have been put in place to limit the risk of spread of COVID-19 in schools. It has been this kind of work, done quietly and by the majority, which has underpinned our national response to COVID-19 and which, ultimately, will see us through to brighter days ahead.
Kind regards
Dr. Ronan Glynn,
Deputy Chief Medical Officer,
Department of Health.
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