Return to School Plan September 2021

Underlying Principles

• The school has a responsibility to make 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.
• 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.
• As well as co-operation, the flexibility and goodwill of all will be required to ensure the plan can be implemented.

Assumptions

• All children return to school and classes operate within a bubble system
• The school is split into 5 groups with each group having designated starting times, break times, lunch times and finishing times.
• The day will include 2 x 20 minute breaks
• Within each class from 3^rd to 6^th, the children will be further divided into pods, with a minimum distance of 1 metre being maintained between pods
• Hand sanitiser will be available at all entry points and in all class and support rooms

Entrance & Exit Points for Specific Classes

Key to Entrances & Exits

Arrival at School:

Ms Tully’s class to be dropped to school between 9:00 and 9:10- Classes begin for Ms Tully’s room at 9:10 am. Ms Tully or Ms Reilly will meet the children at their entrance point 3, (parents cannot enter the school building. Junior & Senior Infant parents must enter through side carpark entrance and exit through front gates.

Senior Infants (Ms Braithwaite) to Sixth Class children to be dropped between 9:10 and 9:30. We will have a designated time for each family to drop off & collect which will be communicated to you closer to our start date. Classes commence at 9:30.

No children to be on School yard until their appointed times.

There will be a designated entry point to the school building for each class and teachers and staff will meet children there.

We ask for co-operation with these times as it will mean that the numbers congregating on school grounds at any one time will be minimised.

No adults, other than staff members, should enter the building.

Messages for teachers can be sent by email, homework diary or by phoning the school office.

The school gates will be locked at 9:30 and opened only at pick up times, there will be a drop off box for any lunches, gear etc that students may have forgotten to bring to school.

Junior Infant Collection (12:20):

For the first two weeks Junior Infants will be collected at 12:20 (up to September 10^th) from designated area (which will be inside front gates with socially distanced markings). Junior infant parents must enter through side carpark entrance and exit through front gates.

Senior Infant (Ms Tully) Collections (1:50pm) (from September 13^th):

Parents are asked to comply with social distancing when waiting to collect their children as they leave from designated exit points. Areas for parents waiting from each room will be assigned.

Senior Infant (Ms Braithwaite) Collections (2pm):

Parents are asked to comply with social distancing when waiting to collect their children as they leave from designated exit points. Areas for parents waiting from each room will be assigned.

First to Sixth Class Collections: (Families will be allocated a collection time between 2:50 & 3:10)

Children will leave from designated exit points accompanied by Class teachers and Staff. Parents are asked to comply with social distancing when waiting to collect their children.

Break:

10:40- 11:00       Ms Tully/Ms Braithwaite/Ms Boner Class

11:10-11:30       Ms Mullins & Mr Glynns Class

Lunch:

12:20- 12:40       Ms Tully/Ms Braithwaite/Ms Boner Class

12:40 – 1:00        Ms Mullins & Mr Glynns Class

• Messages for teachers can be sent by email, class dojo or by phoning the school office.

Collection of Children during the School Day

If an adult has to collect a child during the course of the school day, the following arrangements will apply

• When the adult arrives at the school, they should either phone the office or use the intercom at the front door of the school to alert the office that they have arrived
• The child will be brought from their class to the adult by a member of staff
• The adult who is collecting will be asked to sign the child out
• No adult should enter the school building, unless invited to do so

Dealing with a suspected case of Covid-19

Pupils should not attend school if displaying any symptoms of Covid-19. If a pupil displays symptoms of Covid-19 while in the building, the following are the procedures will be implemented:

• Parents/guardians will be contacted immediately
• The child will be accompanied to the designated isolation area via the isolation route by a member of staff. The staff member will remain at least 2 metres away from the symptomatic child and will also make sure that others maintain a distance of at least 2 metres from the symptomatic child at all times
• A mask will be provided for the child presenting with symptoms, if one is available. He/she should wear the mask if in a common area with other people or while exiting the premises
• An assessment will be made as to whether the child who is displaying symptoms can immediately be brought home by parents and call their doctor and continue self-isolation at home
• The school will facilitate the child presenting with symptoms to remain in isolation, if they cannot immediately go home, and will assist them by calling their GP.
• The child presenting with symptoms should be advised to cover their mouth and nose with the disposable tissue provided when they cough or sneeze and to put the tissue in the waste bag provided
• If the child is well enough to go home, the school will arrange for them to be transported home by a family member, as soon as possible, and advise them to inform their GP by phone of their symptoms. Public transport of any kind should not be used
• If they are too unwell to go home or advice is required, the school will contact 999 or 112 and inform them that the sick child is a Covid-19 suspect.
• Arrangements will be made for appropriate cleaning of the isolation area and work areas involved.

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.

Children who should not attend school

If your child is in one of the following categories, they should not attend school –

• Children who have been diagnosed with Covid-19
• Children who have been in close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with Covid-19
• Children who have a suspected case of Covid-19 and the outcome of the test is pending
• Children who have been in contact with a person who has a suspected case of Covid-19 and the outcome of the test is pending
• Children with underlying health conditions who have been directed by a medical professional not to attend school
• Children who have returned home after travelling abroad and must self-isolate for a period of 14 days
• Children who are generally unwell

Supporting the Learning of Children who cannot attend school

If a child is not able to attend school for an extended period of time, the class teacher (and/or the learning support teacher, where relevant) suggested activities to support the child’s learning at home will be shared with parents.

Impact of a Suspected or Confirmed Case of Covid-19 in a Class

If the school is notified that a person in your child’s class has a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19

• The parents of all children in the class will be notified
• Public health advice will be sought and followed

School Uniform

Students will need to wear a clean set of clothes each day, to help with this we suggest buying at least two uniforms and washing after each use. We suggest wear one on Monday, the second on Tuesday, PE gear on Wednesday (to give time for washing of uniforms) freshly washed uniform on Thursday and the second freshly washed uniform on Friday.

Personal Equipment

• In so far as possible, it is requested that children from 1^st to 6^th Class will bring their own pens, pencils, colours, rubbers, etc., to school in their own pencil case to avoid the sharing of equipment.
• It is further requested that all items have the child’s name on them for ease of identification.
• For children in Junior and Senior Infants, the school will provide a pouch or container which will hold each child’s pencils, crayons, etc., and which will be labelled with their name.
• All children should bring a hand towel/flannel to school for the drying of hands after handwashing.
• Each child will need their own hand sanitiser, packet of baby wipes (for cleaning work areas) & packet of tissues.

Shared Equipment

By necessity, some classroom equipment needs to be shared including tablets, laptops and the equipment used for structured activities and play in Infant classrooms. Cleaning of such shared equipment with wipes or other cleaning products will take place at regular intervals to minimise the risk of the spread of infection.

Yards

Each class will be given a designated area of the yard at break times, each group will have their own set of equipment which will be wiped down after each break.

Yards will be supervised by class teachers, learning support teachers and SNA’s working within those classes.

Learning Support

In keeping with our Special Education policy, learning support will be provided 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.

• Where a support teacher is working alongside a class teacher in a classroom, both teachers must be mindful of maintaining social distance from one another.
• Where children from 3^rd to 6^th Class receive support in one of the SET rooms, social distancing of 1 metre will be maintained between each child in the group.
• The tables and chairs in SET rooms will be wiped clean in between different groups attending

PPE

Staff will wear PPE as advised by Dept of Health, staff who are attending to particular care needs or who are administering first aid will wear appropriate PPE including gloves and face masks.

Teacher Absence and Substitution

In the event that teacher is unable to attend school, every effort will be made to secure a substitute teacher for the class. If a substitute teacher is not available, it is not appropriate for the class to be divided into groups and accommodated in other classes. In such circumstances, it may not be possible for the class to attend on that day. If that is the case, as much notice as possible will be given to parents.

PE

PE will take place on a wed, where possible, PE should take place outdoors and use of equipment should be confined to the sets that have been distributed to class groupings.

Extra-curricular Activities

The possibility of facilitating extra-curricular activities will be explored. However, it would not be recommended that children from different classes would participate in extra-curricular activities at the same time. The staggered finishing times will also make the scheduling of after-school activities problematic. Further updates will be provided in September.

Managing the risk of spread of COVID-19 (PRACTICE THE GUIDANCE BELOW WITH YOUR CHILD(REN) BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL).

1. Wash your Hands Frequently

Regular hand washing with soap and water is effective for the removal of COVID-19. Follow the HSE guidelines on handwashing: For advice from HSE on how to wash your hands the following link will be helpful: https://www2.hse.ie/wellbeing/how-to-wash-your-hands.html

1. Hand Hygiene and Hand Sanitisers

Hand hygiene can also be achieved by the use of a hand sanitisers (when hands are clean). Hand sanitisers are more readily deployed in school settings to avoid disruption to teaching and learning and to avoid congestion of staff and pupils waiting to use hand washing facilities. They will be available at entry and exit points and in each classroom.

1. Avoid Touching Eyes, Nose and Mouth Why?

Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth.

1. Physical Distancing (NOT APPLICABLE FOR JUNIOR INFANTS TO 2^ND CLASS)

Physical distancing (1M) is recommended to reduce the spread of infection in the workplace. Note: Guidance on the physical distancing requirements will be informed by public health advice for schools and will be updated over the summer period.

1. Practice respiratory hygiene

Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or your bent elbow when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. By following good respiratory hygiene, you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and Covid-19. Good hygiene practices and washing your hands properly and regularly can help stop the spread of the virus. It is, therefore, crucial that all staff adhere to this advice and adopt the following practices as strictly as possible.

1. Do

• Wash your hands properly and often
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze
• Put used tissues into a bin and wash your hands
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

1. Do Not

• Touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
• Share objects that touch your mouth – for example, bottles, cups, cutlery, etc.

Reopening Kilglass NS September 2021

Reopening Kilglass NS September 2021