Dear Parents/Guardians
Following on from the letter issued to you in July outlining our planned return to school, I can now confirm that the proposals at that time will remain in place with some minor adjustments.
The arrangements planned for other schools and the multiple press releases from Ministers may have created some confusion. Each school is different in size, space, resources and staffing. We all have our unique features and specific concerns as to how our schools can best manage the current or any future situation.
We will have a phased return to school which will facilitate the management of establishing workable routines, to ultimately accommodate all of our children safely returning to school.
Your child/children, has/have been assigned to a group and your children will all attend on the same days. We plan to have all pupils back for the full 5 days, by Monday 14th September.
The timetable for return is as follows:
Week beginning: 17th of August
During this week staff are in school preparing Class Rooms/Resources etc.
Our P7 of last year, (2019/2020), have Practices for their upcoming Confirmation Services.
Some incoming P1 Pupils will have their Transition Meetings with their teacher. Induction is an opportunity for P1 Parents and Children to meet their Teacher and Classroom Assistant(s). If you haven’t been contacted about your allocated time for either Nursery or P1 Induction please contact the school.
Week beginning: 24th August
Pupils begin returning to school on a reduced timetable to help them settle into learning after the prolonged break.
Induction Week for Nursery and those Primary 1 pupils who have not already had their Induction Meeting.
Mon 24th + Tues 25th of August
Group 1 pupils from P2 to P7
Wed. 26th August
Staff preparation day
Thurs 27th + Fri 28th of August
Group 2 pupils from P2 to P7
Week beginning: 31st August
School will be closed on Monday 31st August due to the Bank Holiday.
Tue 1st + Wed 2nd of September
Group 1+ Group 3 pupils from Nursery to P7
Thurs 3rd + Fri 4th of September
Group 2 + Group 4 pupils from Nursery to P7
Week beginning: 7th September
Mon 7th + Tues 8th September
Group 1, Group 3 + Group 5 pupils from Nursery to P7
Wed 9th September – Staff preparation
Thurs 10th + Fri 11th September
Group 2, Group 4 pupils + Group 6 pupils from Nursery to P7
Week beginning 14th September-
All pupils in attendance for 5 days.
School Day
In an attempt to reduce congestion/gatherings in the morning and afternoons we will have four drop-off and pick-up points as follows:
- Nursery car park for a Nursery child and their older siblings
- Front of the school for P1 & P 2 children and their older siblings
- Main school car park for P3 & P4 children and their older siblings
- Ti Chulainn car park from where children can enter the school grounds via gate at the green house for P5, 6 and 7 children and older siblings.
As a consequence of Pupils walking through School Yards, cars are not permitted to enter, drop off must take place along the pavement.
A flexible starting time is in place for all pupils to ease congestion/gatherings this will be between 8.45 am and 9.30 am. This should allow children to filter into school without congregating in groups around hand washing facilities.
Classes will operate in Social/Class bubbles as far as possible. Dinner times will remain as normal. Only those taking school dinners will eat in the Dining Hall. Pupils will be seated in their “Social/class bubbles”. Normal procedures for Nursery dinners will remain in place, where Nursery pupils will be served in their own Classroom.
Break times and lunchtimes will be arranged to ensure that classes remain together in their Social/class Bubbles in the playground. Each class will be assigned a separate play area.
We will continue to insist that children wash their hands at key times in the school day: when they come in each morning, before/after break and lunchtimes, before leaving school at home-time, as well as on any other occasion deemed necessary by staff.
We will be working within the current 1 Metre Social Distancing or “Best Spacing” advice between pupils and 2 Metre between children and adults, though with children being children this will be very hard to maintain.
If necessary we will use other areas of the school, including the Assembly Hall for teaching. We may also need to use part of the Ti Chulainn complex which has been kindly offered to us. All classrooms will be well ventilated.
Again to ease congestion/social gatherings, home times will be staggered as follows:
(Pick up Yard will be based on Youngest Family member)
Nursery:
From 1- 1.30 pm Nursery car park for a Nursery child and their older siblings.
P1 + P2
From 1.30 to 1.45 for P 1 & P 2 children and any older siblings
From 1.45 to 2.00 any P1 or P2 child with no older siblings
P3 +P4
From 1.30 to 1.45 pm, for P3 & P4 children and any older siblings
From 1.45 to 2.00 pm any P3 or P4 child with no older siblings
P5, P6 + P7
From 1.30 to 1.45 pm- P5, P6 children and P7 pupils and any older siblings
From 1.45- 2.00 pm and P5, P6 or P7 pupil with no siblings.
We will maintain the above routine for pick-ups until we can safely move to a more normal school day.
- Uniform
Pupils may attend in either full uniform or PE kit to facilitate a daily change.
- School Bags-
Pupils should not bring school bags. Books, materials etc cannot be carried to and from school on a daily basis.
We are asking everyone on their first day back to bring a pencil case which will then remain in school. We suggest the following items are included for personal use only; pencil(s), rubber, sharpener, colourings, Pritt Stick, white board marker, KS2 pupils should also have a red pen. Pupils cannot share their equipment with others.
- Break/Lunch
Pupils should bring in breaks/packed lunches in a small bag. All waste will be disposed of in school. Water fountains will not be in use but pupils can bring their own filled water bottle. Kitchen and dinner supervisory staff will be wearing visors.
- Homework
At this time our emphasis is on establishing safe routines and we will be focusing on the well- being of pupils returning after such a long break to a school with vastly different rules and procedures in place. Therefore there will be no homework issued during the month of September.
- Cash handling in school
We were planning a move towards a cashless school over the next months, further details will follow. In the meantime, any payments should be placed in a sealed envelope and submitted to their class teacher by your child. Parents/Guardians cannot enter the Office to make payments.
- Visitors/parents to the school
There will be no visitors/Parents permitted into the school until further notice.
- School dinner
School dinner must be taken for the whole week for those who decide to avail of this provision. We need to be able to manage consistent numbers in the Dining Hall at this time. All payments should be made on the first day of the week to assist Office Staff.
- Afterschool Clubs and Activities
There will be no afterschool activities or games until further notice.
- Supervision
We may be in a position to offer supervision to a limited number of pupils/families after school to help working parents, this will run from 2-4 pm daily. Please contact the Office if you need this provision.
- School buses
Buses will be running from the beginning of September with a number of conditions which will impact on pupils, as stated by Peter Weir, Minister for Education. Please see the attached document from the Minister for further details.
Pupils arriving to school via bus must enter the school through the Assembly Hall side door where they will be able to access a hand sanitizer, before moving on to their classes.
Thank you in advance for your co-operation, a safe and happy transition for everyone back to school remains our ultimate aim.
With best wishes for the year ahead,
Yours sincerely
Peter McDonnell
Principal
Link below to Information re School Buses- See Section 3- Pgs 37-43