Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope that you and all in your family are keeping safe and well. I know that many members of our community are experiencing unprecedented and challenging consequences of this pandemic. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost family and friends and are grieving. I would also like to take this opportunity to again thank all of you who are frontline workers and have been working hard to keep us all safe.
We are looking forward to welcoming all our pupils back to school on Thursday 27th August but know that it will be very different and challenging. The Department of Education and Skills has issued a return to school roadmap entitled “Safe and Sustainable Reopening of Primary Schools”, and we will ensure that everything possible is done to provide our students and staff with a safe environment in which to work and play.
We are in uncharted waters in terms of a full re-opening of the school for students, so we will adopt the highest level of preventative measures. These measures will be regularly reviewed. There are many vulnerable members of our community and each of us has an immense responsibility to do everything we can to protect them from transmission of the virus.
We have prepared a Covid – 19 Policy Statement and Response Plan, ratified by The Board of Management this evening. Both of these documents can be viewed on our website shortly along with photographs to help explain these new measures.
Some Key points from the Response Plan are listed below.
- All classrooms have been de-cluttered and where necessary reconfigured to support physical distancing.
- In order to reduce the risk of infection pupils and their teachers will form Class Bubbles (i.e. a class grouping which stays apart from other classes as much as possible) There will be 10 distinct Class Bubbles: (i.) Junior Infants (ii) Senior Infants (iii) 1st Class (iv)2nd Class.(v) 3rd Class. (vi) 4th Class. (vii) 5th Class A (viii) 5th Class B (ix) 6th Class A (x) 6th Class B
- Access to the school in the morning will be through 3 areas from 8.50am.until 9:10am. Parents are to keep their children in their cars until the children can safely enter the school. All children must use the Pedestrian Crossing unless dropped in the Set Down Area. Parents are encouraged to remain in their cars. Walking/cycling to school is encouraged as much as possible. Bicycles are to be locked to the bicycle stands located in the car park. This is a change from last year to minimise cross over within the school. Pupils will proceed straight to their classrooms – class teachers will be in the room.
Double Gates(Beside PE Container) : 1s t class 3rd class 5th class B
Middle Door (Usual Access Door): 2nd class 5th class A 6th class B
Front Door: Jnr Infants Snr Infants 4th class 6th class A
For clarity photos of these access points will be on the website.
Junior Infants, Senior Infants, 1st Class, 2nd Class and 3rd class will be in the same locations as last year.
4th Class will be in the first classroom inside the front door on the left – it was 6th class last year.
The two 5th classes will be where the 4th classes were last year, at the back of the hall. Ms Hickey’s class will be where Ms Goonan was last year.
Ms McLoughlin’s/ Ms Brannigan’s 6th will be where Ms Mc Loughlin was last year. Ms Carolan’s 6th will be where she taught last year.
- At 1.40pm Snr Infants will be collected from the Double Gates and Junior Infants from the Front Door
- Departure for all other classes at 2.40pm will be through the Middle Doors as normal, one class at a time, in order ie. 1st then 2nd the 3rd ….. Class teachers will accompany their class. We hope this arrangement will run smoothly and quickly. Parents are encouraged to remain in their cars or standing at their car door. Parents who walk home with their children are encouraged to observe all Physical Distancing directives at all times. Congregating in or at the school grounds is to be avoided.
- Break times will be staggered as follows:
Morning Break: 10:50 – 11:05 and Lunch: 12:20 – 12:45
Jnr Infants, Snr Infants, 3rd 6th A&B
Morning Break: 11:10 – 11:25 and Lunch: 12:50 – 1:15
1st 2nd, 4th, 5th A&B
Children will remain in their Class Bubbles while on yard with the exception of fifth and sixth classes who may play together provided physical distancing guidelines are followed.
There will be minimal amount of books going home for the first few weeks.
Fully stocked Pencil Cases will remain in school. You will require additional pencils/pens at home. Please ensure all your child’s belongings are individually labelled.
Parents and Guardians are reminded of their responsibility to help keep Covid out of schools it is vital that they play their part. Vital assistance will include but is not limited to:
1.Ensure that your child does not have a temperature or show any symptoms of the COVID-19 virus prior to coming to school
2. Ensure children wash and sanatise their hands before coming to school
3.Only the staff , pupils and authorised personnel are allowed access to the school building
4.In a case of emergency the school can be contacted by phone at 0419825458
5.If members of their family have travelled to restricted areas due to the COVID-19 virus, within the last 14 days that the principal be informed before sending their child to school
6.Encourage their child to cycle or walk to school if possible to do so safely
7.Provide the school with updated emergency contact numbers
8.Observe and adhere to COVID-19 signage outside the school and avoid any congregation in the school car park
9.Drop off and collect children on time
10.All track suit tops,coats,caps,scarves,gloves etc. be labelled with their child’s name
11.That their child has a second fully equipped pencil case, with all items labelled, for school use only
12.Ensure that your child has a mask in their school bag in a ziplock bag for First Aid usage should it be required.
All these measures and those in our Response Plan will be monitored and reviewed as necessary.
If students or any member of their family have Covid-19 like symptoms, they should not attend school, and inform us of this immediately.
Reminder to anyone attending school who has travelled abroad:
Government policy, which is based on official public health advice, continues to advise against non-essential travel overseas for everyone.
It is a requirement for anyone coming into Ireland, from locations other than those with a rating of ‘normal precautions’ (“green”), to restrict their movements for 14 days, and this includes school staff, parents and children or other students coming from abroad to attend school in Ireland. Restricting your movements means staying indoors in one location and avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as possible
If you have any concerns, you can contact us by email kentstownschool@gmail.com In particular, it would be important for parents to identify students to us that are in a high risk category.
The pandemic forces us to face challenges, make sacrifices, and work like never before as a community, where every individual behaves unselfishly for the greater good of society. As a school community, we will endeavour to ensure your children’s education is in a safe and happy environment and look forward to working with you to safeguard the school remaining open in these challenging times.
In the meantime, we hope you all continue to be well, look out for one another and get an opportunity to enjoy the remainder of the holidays.
Le gach dea ghuí,
Kieran Watters
Príomhoide.