Reminders for first day back

Post date: Aug 27, 2020 6:46:42 PM

Dear Parents

The Board of Management and School Staff are looking forward to welcoming all our pupils and parents/guardians back to school for the 2020/2021 school year on Friday 28th of August.

We are satisfied that we have control measures in place to ensure that this will be a safe re-opening.  It will take some time for all of us to get used to the “new circumstances” as we become familiar with the new routines and procedures designed to keep everyone safe and to prevent the spread of the virus.  There will, undoubtedly, be some unforeseen challenges and we will deal with these as they arise. Please familiarise yourselves with our School Plan for Reopening and go through the changes with the children so that they will be prepared. Children are extremely resilient and most will adapt quickly. Everything will run smoothly when everyone is informed. The Plan for Reopening was emailed to all parents last week and is also available on our school website.

We would like to thank you for your co-operation in making preparations to date and look forward to working with you as we assist the children adapt to the necessary changes.  We are also conscious of the fact that our pupils have not been in school since March and that they are looking forward to coming back to school to meet their friends again.  We are aware that our new pupils are beginning a school year at a challenging time and have made plans to ensure that their first day will be as memorable and enjoyable as possible.

Mr. Breslin has uploaded a short video to our website which demonstrates the different entrance and exit points. You can find it here http://www.killeighns.ie/school-news/backtoschoolvideo

Reminders for the 1st Day

Payments

All payments must be made via our school online payment system. This is now open to receive Art and Craft, Digital Subscription and Insurance (€8 per child) Teachers will not be handling payments made in cash. Please call or email the office if you have any difficulty with making online payments. We ask that all payments are made in full before the end of September

In accordance with the DES guidelines, the school will be thoroughly cleaned. All school staff will be vigilant in ensuring that frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, tables, chairs etc. are sanitised and disinfected at regular intervals throughout the school day and our cleaning and caretaking staff have increased hours each day to allow for additional cleaning.

If you need to Collect your child from school early, you will need to contact the school office and inform the class teacher in advance. Parents will wait at the main door and your child will meet you there.

If you need to speak with a teacher, you will need to contact them via the school email or by contacting the school office and the teacher will call you back. It is not possible to just turn up at reception or stop a staff member in the yard. Meeting a staff member face to face will only be possible in extreme situations. The health and safety of pupils, staff and your family is the most important thing.

We love to see all of our children at school every day. However, under the current circumstances, parents/guardians must keep children at home if they display any Covid-19 Symptoms. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/symptoms.html Pupils must not attend school if they display any symptoms.

Please familiarise yourselves with the signs and symptoms of Covid 19 and go through our school’s plan for dealing with a pupil who may be displaying symptoms.

We are looking forward to welcoming our children back and helping them to re-engage with school life. I am sure the children are excited and looking forward to seeing their friends and teachers again. I am also aware that many may be feeling anxious an unsure about returning to school and this is also a perfectly normal response at a time of transition and change. Most will settle in over time, as they reconnect with friends and get used to the new school safety routines.  Our school will be prioritising and focusing on wellbeing as it is a vital element in creating a positive learning environment for all.

If you still have any questions, please contact me by email at sandra.sheeran@scoilshinchill.com or by phoning the school at 057 9344349

Yours sincerely,

Sandra Sheeran

Principal