Dear Parents,
Pupils from 3rd to 6th class return to school on Monday 15th March. We look forward to welcoming them back. The questionnaire below must be completed by parents or guardians in advance of their child/children returning to school.
For parents/guardians with more than one child returning on Monday, you must fill it out for each child individually. We ask that the answers provided are accurate for the safety and well-being of all children and staff in our school.
Click on the following link to access the questionnaire: https://forms.gle/uKQgk8Zpqpzdx6Sg9
To facilitate a staggered closing time classes (other than infants) will alternate between leaving at 2:50 and 3pm. This will alternate every week. From Monday 15th March to Friday 19th March inclusive the following classes will leave at 2:50pm: Ms Kelly, Ms Shiels, Ms Cooney, Ms Keating and Ms Fitzpatrick (5th). All other classes will leave at 3pm. The following week (22nd -26th March) the classes will alternate and leave at the opposite time.
We have published our updated Covid-19 School Response Plan in the Policies section of our website. You will also find the Covid-19 Policy Statement for Killeshin N.S here and a Covid-19 risk assessment. The details below contain essential information for parents and pupils about our school re-opening. Please look often at our school website and watch out for text messages via Text-a-parent from us as there may be further information or changes.
What you could continue to do to help us;
Children MUST NOT attend school with ANY cold or flu symptoms.
Please take your child’s temperature and wash their hands before school each morning.
Please let us know if your contact details or emergency contact details have to be updated.
Talk to your child and let them know that their return to school is going to be safe and happy. Be positive about this return.
Start to practise regular handwashing and how to cough and sneeze safely.
As always, everything should be labelled. Due to Covid-19 this is essential. There will be no sharing of anything. Label everything clearly with your child’s name - coats, shoes, lunch boxes, school bags, uniform, books, copies, pens, eraser, pencil sharpener etc.
Every child should have a lunch box and drink bottle. It is very important that these items are washed in soapy water every day at home. It is important that the lunchbox and drink bottle are made of a material that can be disinfected.
Measures in place in the school;
· The school has hand sanitiser pumps at all entrance/exits. Everyone who enters the school is asked to sanitise their hands. If you look at our Facebook page you can see some of the physical changes we have made to protect against the spread of Covid-19.
· Hand sanitiser pumps are in all classrooms and children wash their hands regularly during the day especially after playing outside and before eating.
· There are floor signs to facilitate safe passing in the corridor.
· Each room and all surfaces are disinfected and cleaned every day.
· Staff wear face masks in situations where they cannot maintain a 2 metre distance.
· Each class is in a bubble and will not mix with any other class bubbles. Within the class bubble children are in small groups (pods). There is a distance of at least 1 metre between all pods.
· We operate a staggered yard time with reduced numbers on the yard to ensure children only interact with those in their class bubble.
· To facilitate a staggered drop off in the morning children can be dropped off from 9am. They are to go straight into the school and to their classroom once they arrive. Teachers will be in their classrooms to supervise from 9am. Our school day still begins at 9:20am.
· Parents should not park but simply drop children off and go.
· Parents should not come down to the yard.
· We ask parents to remain in their cars, away from the school entrance when collecting children at the end of the day to allow children to leave the school safely and quickly.
· Senior Infants will be collected from the school yard and Junior Infants will be collected from the Infant door at 2pm. Parents are asked to socially distance and wear a mask when collecting children.
· Parents are not permitted to enter the school building unless arranged by prior appointment. You can contact teachers through their school email address which have been provided or by ringing the school.
· If a child has to be picked up early during the school day to attend an appointment, we ask parents to ring the school when they are parked outside. We will walk out with your child to your car. Please do not enter the school building. Similarly, if your child is returning from an appointment during the day please ring the school and we will meet you outside (059-9147852).
Thank you for your support and understanding as we work together to ensure the safety of all our school community.
Conor Denieffe,
Principal