Cadamstown National School
Moyvalley, Co. Kildare Tel: 046-9551308 E-Mail: cadamstown@gmail.com
21st August 2020
Dear Parents / Guardians,
The Board of Management & Staff in Cadamstown NS have been working on the changes necessary to meet the Governments guidelines & protocols that will help prevent the introduction & spread of Covid 19 in our school community.
The assistance, cooperation & patience of all staff, pupils & parents is critical to the success of the schools COVID – 19 Response Plan for the safe & sustainable reopening of our school
The following will form part of our school’s Response Plan (not in any particular order).
· Covid 19 Policy Document to be adopted.
· Covid 19 Risk Assessment Policy prepared & completed.
· Covid 19 signage erected throughout the school building.
· Covid 19 Induction & Training Programme for all staff.
· Deep cleaning of the school is ongoing & will be completed before children return.
· The school will be deep cleaned every evening when students and staff leave.
· Removal of unnecessary clutter from classrooms & halls
· Necessary changes made to classroom layout to support physical distancing.
· All corridor areas will have markings to promote physical distancing.
· Hand sanitizers in all classrooms, corridors & toilets.
· Wash hand basins, hot & cold water & liquid soaps in all toilets and classrooms.
Arriving and leaving the school
School commences at 9.20am
The school doors will open at 9.10am. Children should not arrive to school before this time. On arrival children should walk straight in through their designated classroom external door and in to their classroom seat. There is to be no gathering in groups in the corridors. The teachers will be on the yard the first day to show the children the door to use.
Home time will be staggered as follows:
Junior and Senior Infants will go home at the normal 2pm time. Children will line up in designated slots just inside the gate for collection.
1st / 2nd & 3rd class will leave the school building at 3pm and wait in their assembly line on the yard until the teacher tells them to walk to the gate for collection.
4th, 5th & 6th class will leave the school building at 3.10pm and wait in their assembly line until the teacher tells them to walk to the gate for collection.
Children must be collected promptly to prevent class bubbles from mixing.
If it’s raining we will have to line up outside as we can’t be socially distant lining up inside the school building. Please ensure your child has a coat with a hood at all times.
Illness
Teachers will have distant thermometers to check temperatures of children if necessary.
Designated Isolation room provided to accommodate pupils presenting with Covid 19 symptoms while waiting for parent/guardian collection.
If your child is presenting at home with any Covid 19 symptoms, he/she should be kept at home always. If in doubt do not send them to school. We all have a responsibility to each other to keep safe.
You should make arrangements for the collection of your child in an emergency if you are not available.
It is not advised that children under 13 wear masks. If you want your child to wear a mask at school, you must put that in writing to the principal, stating where you wish they wear their mask.
Any pupils holidaying outside Ireland (apart from green zone countries) must quarantine for 2 weeks before returning to school
Wednesday will be non-uniform day, in order to give parents time to wash school uniform, tracksuit or t shirt. (If needed)
Sanitising & Hygiene
Within each class bubble, each pod will be given designated time slots to go to designated toilets to wash and sanitise their hands before they eat their lunches at each lunch break.
Decreasing Interaction. This will be achieved by decreasing the potential for children from different bubbles to interact. Each classroom (bubble) will have a separate entry and exit door. Each classroom will have a separate playground area. Each class will have designated lines of assembly clearly marked with social distancing of 1 metre maintained at all times.
We do not need to stagger lunch breaks as each classroom will be separated into their own playground area. We are fortunate to have this space outside.
Visitors
All meetings with staff will be by appointment only. These meetings will be conducted by telephone.
Essential visitors only will be allowed into school with appointment.
If your child is late for school, please ring the front doorbell for access as the doors will be locked at all times.
All essential visitors must complete ‘Contact tracing Log’ before being allowed entry.
Parents keep child’s school bag, clean & clutter free. Only essentials. Lunch boxes must be washed thoroughly every evening.
All of us, staff, parents & pupils have an obligation to take reasonable care for our own health and the health & safety of our community. The cooperation & support of all is essential to reduce the risk of spreading Covid 19. All of us have a role to play, be patient as change takes times & understanding.
We recognize that many of us staff, pupils & parents may be nervous or anxious about returning to school. Cadamstown NS will listen and support you in any way we can.
We will endeavour to create a sensible balance of caution with the need to provide a supporting environment for teaching & learning.
Working together, we can make the transition to the new normal easier while keeping our school community safe from Covid 19.
le meas,
D. O Sullivan
Chairperson BOM
M. Lynch
Principal
M. Malone & A. Bell
Class Teachers