This is a fluid plan that can be altered and updated according to HSE guidelines and as the need arises .
Underlying Principles
• The school has a responsibility to make every effort to ensure the safety, health and well-being of all members of our school community – children, parents and staff. This plan has been formulated to better ensure that the school can exercise that duty of care.
• Assuming it is in keeping with public health advice and guidelines issued by the Department of Education and Skills, it is preferable for all children to return to school for all five days of the school week and for a full school day. This plan has been formulated to achieve that aim.
• It is not possible to eliminate the risk of infection. However, with the co-operation of all members of our school community, it is possible to minimise the risk of the virus being introduced to school and the consequent risk of its spread.
• The DES guidelines recognise that a common-sense approach is needed in our Primary schools. To that end, every effort will be made to limit interaction within classrooms, to limit contact between class groups and to limit the sharing of common facilities.As well as co-operation, the flexibility and goodwill of all will be required to ensure the plan can be implemented.
Introduction:
Bubbles
School will work in a bubble system. A Class Bubble is a grouping which stays apart from other classes as much as possible. The aim of the system within the school is that class groupings mix only with their own class from arrival at school in the morning until the children go home at the end of the school day.
Classes Bubbles:
Ms Hayden - Junior and Senior Infants
Ms. Finnan- 1st and 2nd
Ms. Lennon- 3rd
Ms. Walsh - 4th
Ms. Balfe and Ms Finn -5th
Ms. Hughes- 6th
The school is split into two bubbles, junior bubble and senior bubble each having different break times and lunch.
Junior Bubble - Junior Infants- Second
Senior Bubble- 3rd -6th
Family bubbles will be used when entering the school- families will walk as a family bubble from the gate to the main entrance.
Arrival at school
PLEASE VISIT ENTRY/EXIT PAGE.
No pupils should be on the campus before 9.00am.School building will open at 9.00am.
All families coming off the bus will come in as a family ‘bubble’ through the main gate and come straight to the main entrance.
All families will enter the school as a 'family bubble' through the main school gate or the yard gate and come straight to the main entrance.
Formal instruction begins at 9.20am ,
Message for teachers can be left via phone, Aladdin app or Seesaw or through the school journal.
No adults other than staff members should enter the building.
Bus
Bus will run with Bus Eireann/Farrellys Coaches. Guidelines/Instructions will be given to pupils travelling on bus by the driver.
Children who should not attend school
Below are the common and uncommon symptoms of Covid-19.
If your child has any new onset symptoms and feels unwell or seems off form, do not send them to school and contact your GP for advice, if necessary:
- A temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more
- A new cough
- Loss or changed sense of taste or smell
- Shortness of breath or an existing breathing condition that has become worse
- Fatigue
- Aches or pains
- Sore throats
- Headaches
- Diarrhoea
- Runny or stuffed nose
- Feeling sick or vomiting
- For more, see:
spread/child-returning-to-school-or-childcare/
Cleaning
Thorough cleaning of communal areas, classrooms and frequently touched surfaces shall be conducted on a daily basis.
- All staff will have access to cleaning products and will be required to maintain cleanliness of their own work area. Staff should thoroughly clean and disinfect their work area before and after use each day. Classrooms are fogged each evening.
- Children to take home their lunch packaging and food waste each day
- Children will be encouraged to keep their area clean. They will have access to wipes throughout the day for their belongings and area as they are needed/desired.
Coats
Pupils will hang coats on the back of their chairs on arrival at school.
Collection of children during the school day
If an adult has to collect a child during the course of the day, the following arrangements will apply:
When the adult arrives at the school, they should use the buzzer /bell at the front door of the school to alert the secretary that they have arrived. They will wait outside the door and the child will come to the front door to meet them.
Dealing with a suspected case of Covid 19
Pupils should not attend school if they are displaying any symptoms of Covid 19. If a pupil displays symptoms of Covid 19 while in the building, the following procedures will be implemented:
- The pupil will be accompanied to the isolation area. A distance of 2 meters will be maintained. If this is not possible, the person accompanying the child must wear a face covering.
- If a pupil has a suspected case, parents/guardians will be contacted immediately by telephone. To help us in this regard, parents are asked to make sure that their contact details are kept up to date at all times.
- Staff members who are symptomatic should immediately inform the Principal/Deputy Principal and go to the isolation area.
- A face covering will be provided to the staff member/child who is symptomatic.
- The staff member or child who is symptomatic should avoid touching people, surfaces and objects.
- If the staff member/child is well enough to go home, arrangements will be made for them to be transported home by a family member, as soon as possible.
- Anyone who is symptomatic is advised to inform their general practitioner by phone of their symptoms. Public transport of any kind should not be used to travel home.
- If the staff member/child is too unwell to go home or advice is required, the school will contact 999 or 112 and inform them that the sick person is a Covid-19 suspect.
- The isolation area and work areas will be thoroughly cleaned in line with the guidelines.
- The HSE will inform any staff/parents 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 and pupil confidentiality is essential at all times.
Exits/ Home time
PLEASE VISIT ENTRY EXIT PAGE FOR MORE DETAILS.
Infants 1.50pm
Mr Donlon will escort the children to the main gate and they will got to the adult who is there to collect them.
1st-6th class 2.35pm- 2.50pm
Teachers will escort the pupils in each class to their exit point at the main gate where they will go straight to adult who is there to collect them.
It is very important that children and parents leave IMMEDIATELY and do not delay after school.
Extra-Curricular Activities
The possibility of facilitating extracurricular is more likely this year and we await further guidance from Department of Education .
Hand Sanitising
Hand sanitiser will be available at all entry points of the building and in all class and support rooms.
Homework
Small homework activities will be assigned for the month of September to ensure focus can be given to re-engaging the pupils and introducing them to the new routines.
Impact of a Suspected or Confirmed Case of Covid 19 in a class
From Monday September 27th children who do not have symptoms of COVID-19 and may have been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in schools, childcare facilities, sports, and social settings, will not have to restrict their movements or get a COVID 19 test.
Special Education Support
In keeping with our Special Education Policy , learning support will be provide by a blended approach of in-class support and withdrawal. The provision of support will be organised to ensure our support teachers will work within the confines of a bubble as much as possible. All pupils will sanitise hands going to and from the support room.
Lunchboxes
Children will store their lunchboxes in their bag and any unwanted food or packaging or wrappers will be brought back home in lunchbox.
Masks
Medical Grade face masks will be avaiable for all staff.
PE
Physical Education will take place at a scheduled time for each class. Particular emphasis on hand hygiene before and after use of equipment.
Personal Boxes :
3rd-6th class will use baskets/boxes to store their books and personal items. These will be stored under the desk. Other books that are not used on a daily basis can be shelved. Junior Bubble will store books as normal or as the teacher requires.
Personal Equipment
The sharing of personal equipment will not be allowed between pupils.
PPE
While it is not envisaged that full PPE will be worn by staff in general, face masks will be worn at all times by staff .Staff who are attending to particular care needs, administering first aid or will wear appropriate PPE including gloves and face masks as required.Staff who are working on tasks that require close proximity to others will use a face covering as required.Each teacher will use a portable screen protector when working with pupils to ensure further protection.
Shared Equipment
By necessity, some classroom equipment needs to be shared including our tablets, laptops and equipment for structured play in junior rooms. Cleaning of such shared equipment with wipes or other cleaning products will take place after use by each pod/ each classroom before they are re-shared with other pupils.
Slippers/Indoor Shoes
Slippers/indoor shoes will no longer be required in the school.
Social Distancing
The children and their teachers will work in Class Bubbles. A Class Bubble is a grouping which stays apart from other classes as much as possible. The aim of the system within the school is that class groupings mix only with their own class from arrival at school in the morning until the children go home at the end of the school day.
• From 3rd- 6th class, the children will be further divided into pods, of a table group of a minimum of 4-6 with a minimum distance of 1 metre being maintained between pods, where is practically possible.
Supporting the Learning of Children who cannot attend school
If a child is not able to attend school for an extended period, the class teacher and/or the learning support teacher, where relevant) will provide suggested activities to support the child’s learning at home.
Yard
Each class bubble will have access to the yard and will play with members of their own class in a designated zone during yard time. Yard supervised by 2 teachers and SNA.
Uniforms
Regular school uniform will be worn and needs to be laundered regularly.
Ventilation
Classroom windows will be open wide before school and during break times. They will be left ajar while pupils are in the classroom. C02 monitors are now available in school and are alternated between rooms regularly to check air quality.