Covid 19

Dear parent/s, guardian/s and pupils,

I write to inform you of some of the arrangements regarding Covid-19. Please take the time to read the content of this letter fully and carefully.

The arrangements are subject to change. We cannot foresee everything. Any changes that are necessary will be communicated to you in a timely manner.

This letter outlines practical steps which are being taken in our school to minimise the risk of the introduction of COVID-19 into the school.

Our key challenge is to balance the need for a practical and sensible level of caution with the need to provide a supportive and nurturing environment for teaching and learning.

The overriding objective is to protect the health of pupils and staff while promoting the educational and developmental needs of the pupils in the school.

The assistance and cooperation of all pupils, parents and staff is critical to the success of the plan.

Public health advice for schools is evolving for most the most recent advice from Public Health advice contact www.hse.ie .

At home please ensure you check your child each morning for any symptoms of Covid 19.

This list is the updated symptoms for Covid19.

A child displaying any of the following symptoms, should not be sent to school;

- A fever (high temperature - 38 degrees Celsius or above)

- A new cough - this can be any kind of cough, not just dry

- Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties

- Loss or change in your sense of smell or taste

- Cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

- Fatigue

- Aches and Pains

- Sore throat

- Headaches

- Runny or stuffy noses

- Feeling sick or vomiting

-If you child is displaying any (even one) of these symptoms on any school morning follow HSE guidance.

Ensure that washing her/his hands is the last thing your child does every school morning before leaving home.

• Arrival:

In order to ease congestion at the school gate and to maintain physical distancing, you may drop your child anytime between 9:15a.m. and 9.30a.m. Pupils arriving before 9:15a.m. will not be allowed to enter the school and must stay in their car/bus until 9:15a.m.

Each pupil will sanitise or wash their hands as soon as they enter their classroom.

• In class:

Pupils will wash their hands regularly throughout the day:

• before and after eating
• after coughing or sneezing
• after using the toilet
• where hands are dirty
• after touching potentially contaminated surfaces
• if in contact with someone displaying any COVID-19 symptoms

Sanitiser will be provided at locations around the school. Pupils may bring their own small bottle of sanitiser with them to school if necessary. Please talk to your children about safely using sanitiser.

• Lunch times:

Please ensure that your child has a lunchbox and bottle that s/he can open and close       with no help from a staff member. Spend time teaching your child to manage all items in his/her lunchbox. e.g. if your child has a banana, teach them to peel a banana.

• Break times:

During break times all the windows and doors will be opened to ventilate the classroom.

Back to School Times

School Drop Off – Straight to Classroom – 9:15am to 9:20am

Morning Breaks

Junior Classes: 10:45am – 10:55am

Senior Classes:  11:15am – 11:25am

Lunch Breaks:

Junior Classes: 12:15pm - 12:45pm

Senior Classes:  1pm -1:30pm

Classes will exit on a class by class basis. Children on the school bus will be let out before this.

• First Aid:

If your child requires First Aid, it will be administered by a member of staff.

Physical Education:

PE will take place as usual.

• Uniforms:

Pupils must wear full school uniform.

-Pupils who have not yet learned to tie laces should wear Velcro shoes only.

       -Ensure your child does not have unnecessary items in their school bag e.g. toys

-Choose school bags, pencil cases, lunch boxes that are easy to wipe and clean.

• Visitors:

Visitors should seek prior approval of the Principal, Mrs Keeve or in her absence, the Deputy Principal, Mrs Mc Gahern.

 

• School cleaning:

The school will be thoroughly cleaned.

All classrooms and common areas will be cleaned every day after school. Particular attention will be given to toilets and shared commonly touched items and surfaces e.g. door handles.

• Signage/Posters:

These will remind pupils, parents and staff of COVID-19 symptoms and will be displayed in each classroom, throughout the school and on the parents’ notice board. In addition, posters will be displayed to remind everyone of the importance of hand washing, sneezing and coughing etiquette. The content of these posters will be taught and retaught to all pupils on an ongoing basis.

 

• Process for dealing with a suspected case of COVID 19:

A designated isolation room will be used for any pupil or staff member who begins to show symptoms of COVID-19 during the school day. In the case of a pupil showing symptoms, parents will be contacted and will be asked to collect their child as soon as possible.

Please contact me at steunansprincipal@gmail.com if you have any concerns or questions.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Anita Keeve