Return to school during Covid 19
Key Information for Parents/Guardians and Students
The Covid-19 pandemic presents a real challenge for everyone. In the year ahead all members of the school community will have a significant role to play in reducing the risk of contracting and spreading the virus.
A range of essential control measures will be implemented to reduce the risk of introduction and the spread of the Covid-19 virus. These measures, which will result in significant changes to school routines, are designed to protect the safety, health and welfare of all members of the school community as far as possible within the school. It is critical therefore that everyone is aware of the control measures and cooperates fully with all health and safety requirements.
The following is an overview of key information for Parents/Guardians and students on the return to school changes during Covid 19.
Parents/Guardians and students are advised to read the document below in full
Special Amendments to the positive behaviour policy during covid-19
Further information on the reopening from the DES can be found below:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/aac74c-guidance-on-safe-use-of-face-coverings/
Please note this information is subject to change at short notice.
Key Information for Students
Entry/Exit
- Where possible students should walk or cycle to school
- Students will have specific entry and exits points from the school building i.e. not all students will be using the same exits and entrances.
- Sanitising stations have been placed at exit and entry points to the school and throughout the school building.
- Students must not congregate in groups while on school grounds.
- Students must not congregate before or after school outside school gates, outside local shops or as far as practicable, at public transport stops. Students should go straight home. Students must endeavour to observe two metre distancing in these situations and to be mindful of our neighbours and our local community.
Classrooms
- Students will be in base classrooms with assigned seats (with the exception of some options subjects) i.e. teachers will move
- Windows will be open for ventilation
Moving Around the Building
- There will be a sign posted system on the floor and walls for students moving around the building to maintain social distancing.
- Students must not congregate in groups
Lunch/Break Time
- Students will spend break and lunchtimes outdoors and as such must ensure that they have appropriate clothing for outdoor weather i.e. water proof jackets, hats, gloves etc…
- Students will not be permitted to eat in the building.
- Students should bring their own food and drink.
- Student must not share food or drink.
- The canteen will be open on a trial basis depending on students compliance with maintaining social distancing in the queues.
- Students should stay with their class group or Year Group during lunch. Students from different year groups should not mix.
- Students must not congregate in large groups. Students must try to stick to a small group of friends.
- Students may not leave the school grounds during lunch time.
Lockers and Equipment
- Student lockers will not be used this year. Students are responsible for bringing the correct equipment for each school day.
- Students must have their own equipment as per the equipment lists.
- Students are not allowed to share equipment.
- Subject teachers will not be allowed to provide equipment for student use, with the exception of some practical subjects.
- Subject teachers will inform students of any further equipment they need to buy as a result of current Covid 19 restrictions. An initial list is provided below.
Student Equipment List:
- iPad fully charged
- Wipe-able pencil case
- Pens
- ruler, pencil, rubber, pencil sharpener, colours
- copies, hardbacks, notebooks as per equipment list
- hand sanitiser (small pocket size)
- tissues
- water bottle (this cannot be refilled in school)
- food for break and lunchtime
- appropriate outdoor clothing for break and lunch times
- Reusable face mask or several disposable masks
- Plastic zip lock bag for face covering to be placed in once removed
- We encourage students to download the Tracker app (parental consent required)
Assembly’s
- Whole school assembly will not take place until further notice.
Health & Hygiene
- Students will receive induction on correct Health and Hygiene practices including sneezing, coughing, use of tissues and their disposal, hand washing and sanitising, wearing face masks and cleaning procedures for classrooms and equipment
Masks
Students and staff will be required to wear a face mask as per current Covid 19 guidelines unless they are able to maintain a 2 metre distance from other students and staff.
* (for full details on the wearing of face masks please refer to the Special Amendments to the positive behaviour policy during covid-19 and Information on the proper use, removal, and washing of cloth face coverings https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/aac74c-guidance-on-safe-use-of-face-coverings)
- Cloth face coverings are intended to prevent transmission of the virus from the wearer (who may not know that they are infected) to those with whom they come into close contact.
- All students on the post primary transport scheme (school bus) should wear face coverings unless there is a good reason not to do so.
- Use of clear visors may be considered for students:
- with difficulty breathing
- unable to remove the face-covering without assistance
- with special needs who may feel upset or very uncomfortable wearing the face covering
Gloves
Gloves are not recommended for student use under the current guidelines. They do not offer the wearer protection from the virus. The correct hand hygiene i.e. hand washing and sanitisation, provides the best protection from the virus.
Key Information for Parents/Guardians
- Please read, in full, the
- Parents/Guardians must be available to collect their student(s) during the school day if the student is showing any symptoms of Covid 19
Return dates
- Please familiarise yourself with the return to school dates and times for your student(s) – students will not be permitted in the building outside of these times.
- Normal times will resume following the initial induction period. (this is subject to change if guidance changes)
Contact with The School
- Contact with the school:
- contact with the school will be primarily through phone, e-mail, VsWare and the iClass app
- please ensure you have the app downloaded and are logged in with your notifications turned on (see the school website for instructions on downloading and logging in to the app)
- please ensure you are able to login to VsWare
- check the school app (iClass) and the school website regularly for the latest news – bremoreetss.ie
- In person contact with, the school secretary or members of staff is restricted.
- Parents/Guardians will not be given access to the school building or foyer/reception area
- Please do not come to the school building without an appointment
- Parents/Guardians will not be permitted to wait in the foyer/reception area if collecting students during the school day for appointments or due to student illness.
- When a student arrives to be collected, or taken home, parents/guardians sign students out using the intercom system
- If a Parent/Guardian is invited to school building for any purpose they must comply with all Health and Safety guidelines as they relate to Covid 19 – hand sanitising, wearing a face covering etc…
- Parents/Guardians must not bring student equipment to school i.e. iPads, food/drink, money, equipment etc…
- The school will not take responsibility for any student equipment left for student pick up
- There will be an emergency Drop Off box in the foyer – parents/guardians must use the hand sanitiser provided and wear a face covering. The use of this box is discouraged, and it is only for real emergency
- the drop off box is not secure and will not be monitored
- do not leave any valuables in the box i.e. iPads, money
- parents/guardians must contact students to inform them to collect material/equipment from the box
- the students name and class must be clearly labelled on the item
- School staff will not be involved in the collection of items from the box.
Contact Details
- Please ensure that your contact details are up to date.
- Please ensure that you have downloaded the Iclass App and that you are receiving emails and texts.
- Please make sure that you have an additional person listed on your contact form who can be contacted quickly in the case of an emergency.
Students Independence and organisational Skills
- Please make sure your child is prepared for school with all their equipment, lunch and are ready to learn. Students need to learn organisation skills for the future, it will be good practice.
Attendance
We look forward to welcoming all our children back to school. However, it is important that the safety and health of all our school community is respected and that this is the responsibility of us all. Consequently, it is very important that the following protocols are observed;
Children who have travelled from countries not on the Green List should not attend school during the 14 day isolation period.
- If your child has a health condition that puts them in a high risk category, please contact the school so that we can discuss what arrangements are needed to be put in place.
Pupils presenting with symptoms of Covid 19 at school
A clear procedure has been agreed by the Department of Education and schools and we will follow these guidelines when dealing with a suspected case during school time:
The steps we will take if a pupil presents with COVID-19 symptoms:
- The parents/guardians of the child will be contacted immediately.
- The pupil will be taken to the designated isolation area, via the isolation route, with an accompanying member of staff keeping at least 2 metres distance away from the symptomatic person at all times.
- A mask will be provided for the pupil presenting with symptoms.
- He/she will wear the mask if in a common area with other people or while exiting the school.
- If the child is well enough to go home, they should be collected as soon as possible by a family member who will be advised to inform their general practitioner by phone of the child’s symptoms.
- The child will remain supervised in the isolation area if they cannot immediately go home.
- The child should avoid touching people, surfaces and objects.
- Advice will be given to the child presenting with symptoms to cover their mouth and nose with the disposable tissue provided when they cough or sneeze and put the tissue in the waste bag provided.
- If the child is too unwell to go home or if parents or other members of their family cannot be contacted, the school will contact 999 or 112 and inform them that the sick child is a Covid-19 suspect.
- An assessment of the incident by the school will form part of determining follow-up actions and recovery.
- Appropriate cleaning of the isolation area and work areas involved will be arranged without delay.
- The HSE will inform any staff/parents of students who have come into close contact with a diagnosed case via the contact tracing process.
- The HSE will contact all relevant persons where a diagnosis of COVID-19 is made. The instructions of the HSE should be followed and staff / student confidentiality is essential at all times
Physical Education
- As far as possible, PE will be taught as normal to all year groups. Some interventions/restrictions may apply, in line with current guidance around use of the Sports facilities. Students will not be allowed to use shower facilities. Students must wear PE gear to come to school, if they have PE that day.
After-school activities/extracurricular/Supervised Evening Study
After-school/ extracurricular/Supervised Evening Study activities will not begin until core school activities are running smoothly. We envisage outside extracurricular activities as being most likely first enabled. Students will be asked to sign up for activities and only those on the attendance list can attend. More details to follow. Students should note that re-entry to school buildings after extracurricular activities will no longer be possible.
Water Fountains
For both hygiene and anti-congregating reasons water fountains will not be in use. Students will need to bring their own drinking water to school. Where a student wishes to use a water bottle, they will need to fill the bottle at home before coming to school.
Parents Council
Parents are encouraged to get involved in the Parents Council. Meetings will be held online to ensure social distancing. The Parents Council operate the School Facebook Page. We need more parents to get involved as this supports our students Education. We welcome feedback, questions and ideas, the Parents Council is a great place to start.
Positivity
- It is important that parents communicate a positive message about their child’s return to school. Children should be encouraged to follow all hygiene and social distancing guidelines, but this should not be done in a fearful manner.
- All members of the staff are looking forward to seeing our pupils again and we will endeavour to do our very best to ensure that school will be a safe and happy place to come to each day.