Return to School

Dear Parent,

I hope that this letter finds you and the children well.  As always, it is lovely to talk to you.  I can now confirm what we endeavour to do with regard to school re-opening.  I had earlier informed you that due to social distancing measures that we planned to place P.6. and P.7. into Cavanacarragh Hall.  However, the Minister for Education made an announcement within the last couple of weeks that social distancing would be relaxed for primary children.  Social distancing will remain at a distance of 2 Metres between child and adult, as it currently does between adults.  Therefore, the Cavanacarragh plans do not need to be implemented.  All children will return to the school on a full time basis. I would like to thank the committee of Cavanacarragh Hall for their generosity in lending us the Hall.  I have also asked the Chairperson, Brian McCaffrey, to keep the offer open should the need arise.

All P.7 children will return to school next week, Monday 24th August. There will be no school dinners for P.7. next week.  Therefore, they need to bring a packed lunch.   There will be no public transport for P.7. next week.  P.7. should enter via the side doors beside the large playground at 9:15am and be collected at 3:10pm also from these doors.  All other children will return to school on Tuesday Sept. 1st. However,Mrs. Quinn and Mrs. Toal are planning to stagger entry for P.1. and P.2. They will be in touch with the relevant parents separately.

As I am still concerned about social distancing, I will avail of school space to its maximum.  Therefore, P.1. will be extended between P.1. and the Infants’ Resource Area, P.2. will be extended between P.2. and P.3. rooms, P.3. will be in the Assembly Hall.  All other classes will be in their usual designated classrooms.  Each year group will not mix with any other year group.  The class will be termed as a ‘protective bubble’.  There will be staggered start and home times.  No class will mix in the playgrounds due to staggered break and lunch times.  

Drop Off in the Morning:  In terms of the drop off in the morning, classroom assistants will be placed outside the school to greet and direct the children.  All children will walk to their designated door.  P.1. children‘s parents will place their little one into the care of the class teacher outside the P.1. ‘exterior’ class door.  The entry points for the children are:

P.1. – P.1. exterior class door

P.2.- P.1. exterior class door (not P.2/3/ door)

P.3. Assembly Hall door

P.4.- P.4. back fire door

P.5. door at back where P.5. and P.6. enter playground

P.6. same door as P.5. (different entry and exit times)

P.7. side door at large playground.

*As I stated, classroom assistants will direct the children to their entry points.

Parents: I said to you in the previous letter that you, as parents, are not permitted in the building. I am compromised in saying this as in normal times you are so welcome. However, I hope you understand that under no circumstance can you enter the school building.  If you need to speak to a teacher or myself, please contact the school by telephone and we will be happy to speak to you.

Entry Times:  

P.1. & P.5. 8:45am

P.2. & P.4. 9am

P.3. ,P.6. & P.7. 9.15am

** (If you have more than one child in your family to drop off, the classroom assistant will direct the child to his/her entry door where he/she will be met by their class teacher.  I would advise that you arrive at the earlier time slot for your children.  For example, if you have a P.1. and a P.6. child, the P.1. child arrives at 8:45am and the slot for P.6. is 9am.  With this arrangement, send both children in at 8:45am.  Your older child will be directed by the classroom assistant to his/her entry door).

On entry to the school all children’s hands will be initially sanitised.  When all children are safely inside the class, they must then wash their hands as directed by the class teacher.

Home Times:  

P.1. leaves at 1:45pm via P.1. exterior door

P.2. leaves at 2pm collected from gate outside P.1. door(supported by classroom assistant)  

P.3. collected from Assembly Hall door at 2:45pm

P.4. collected from P.4. back fire door at 3pm

P.5. collected from P.5./6 back door at 2:45pm

P.6. collected from P.5/6 back door at 3pm

P.7. collected at 3:10pm from the side door at the large playground  

Before leaving school all children will again wash their hands.

Buses: Both yellow school buses and blue public buses will be operational.  Children will be greeted by a classroom assistant on disembarking and directed to their relevant outside entry door.  The children will also be guided onto the buses in the evening as is the normal practice.  If your child travels on a blue bus he/she must wear a face mask and adhere to the 2M distancing as far as possible.  With regard to yellow buses, children are advised to wear a mask and there is no social distancing.  However, we will attempt to ensure that siblings sit beside each other and where this is not possible,children from the same class bubble will be seated beside each other.  As is always the case, but critical now, children are not permitted to change from the seats to which they have been allocated.  

Face Coverings:  Children may wear face coverings if they wish during the school day.  However, if your child does wear a face covering he/she must be taught how to wear it properly:putting on and taking off face masks can cause more hygiene problems if not used properly.  If your child wears a mask on a bus, disposable masks need to be binned.  The classroom assistant greeting your child will have a bin close by for this purpose.  If your child wears a reusable mask the classroom assistant will provide your child with a plastic bag so that the child can retain it.  However, regardless of whether it is a reusable or a disposable mask your child will require at least 2 masks to school each day if you decide that he/she is going wear one.  

Equipment:  Children are not permitted to bring anything into school.  This includes a school bag, stationery, or any other equipment.  Children will all be provided with their own stationery at school which will remain as their property on a permanent basis.  

Homework: For the month of September, a homework pack will be sent home with your child at the start of term.  Your child will complete the homework under your supervision but will not return it the next day.  Instead, the class teacher will have a replica of the materials issued and will mark the homeworks with the class the next day.  In the course of September, you will be informed about the ICT package Microsoft Teams.  Some of the homeworks will eventually be marked using this package towards the end of September.  This will be done electronically and remotely by the class teacher. However, not all homeworks can be managed this way, so the pack and your overseeing of this process will be essential.

Reading Books:  Many of the older children use novels so there will be no need for the text to be returned to school on a daily basis.  The teachers will set reading activities that can be monitored without the text needing to be present as the teacher will have a copy of the novel.  However, for younger classes, teachers will send home weekly reading books. These must not be returned until Friday of each week.  A new pack will then be re-issued on the following Monday.  The teachers will direct you how to use the reading books.  

Money:  During the term, we plan to introduce a ‘pay app’.  In the meantime, it would be preferable for dinner money to come in a month in advance in one amount.  This needs to be placed into an envelope and sent with your child on a Monday only, with the amount and child’s name clearly written.  (The child can keep this in his/her pocket coat before passing it to the class teacher.)  If you cannot pay a month in advance, a weekly payment will suffice.  If it is possible, a cheque would be preferable, made payable to St. Patrick’s Primary School Mullanaskea.

Snack:  You may send a snack with the children as usual.  There will be no shared snack as was the normal practice for P.1. and P.2. in the past.   However, just send your own snack instead.  

Dinners:  As you probably know, Holy Trinity Kitchens prepare the school dinners.  There will be a warm dinner provided in disposable containers.  There will be no choice available.  However, you will be issued with a weekly menu and it will be communicated via the school website.  The dinners will be eaten in the classrooms along with anyone taking a packed lunch.  

Milk:  Milk will be available as normal.  We will inform you about payment at a later point.

Lunchboxes:  If your child needs a lunch box it must be made from a washable material and it must be washed each evening before entry into the school the next day.  

Uniform:  It is preferable that the children have a change of clothing each day.  If you have not got enough uniforms, the child can wear his/her plain clothes instead.  On P.E. days, the children can wear their P.E. uniform to school.  You will be informed about the details later.  

Coats: All children must wear a coat to school each day.  This year, we will attempt to have the children outside as much as possible, so please ensure that they all have a coat.  

Car Parks:  The staff will now park in the parents’ car park,and you, the parents, can drop the children off in the former staff car park directly in front of the school.  We understand that for some families, you may have to collect more than one child in the afternoons and that they are all exiting at different times.  Please park and wait until the other child is ready for collection, as we cannot release families due to minimising adult contact at the exit doors.

Sickness:

• If your child is unwell please do not send him/her to school.  

• If your child has symptoms of COVID 19 he /she must not come to school.

Symptoms:

• a temperature i.e. over 37.4 degrees/ a continuous cough/ anosmia loss of smell & sometimes taste

• If your child displays any of these symptoms you must seek medical advice/attention.  In the event of your child or someone in your household having a positive test for COVID 19, you must communicate the result to the school.  Your child must not come to school and must follow the guidance on self-isolation.

•  If a COVID 19 case is confirmed in the school, this means that the child’s class bubble would have to self-isolate for a given period and the area in which he/she resided within the school would require a deep clean.  You would be kept informed throughout.  

• *My strong advice is to take your child’s indoor temperature each morning prior to going to school.  I must stress again that a sick or symptomatic child should not come to school.

• In the event of your child becoming sick at school, there is a designated isolation room identified for your child to wait until you can collect your child. (Room at back of Assembly Hall known as the Science Store -collect child from fire exit door which is beside the large playground).Please ensure that the telephone numbers that you provide to us are accurate and that you give an immediate response to us when we alert you of the sickness.  A member of staff will support your child while we await your arrival.  Your child will also be given access to a toilet that will be cordoned off for everyone else in the event of sickness.

I hope that you understand that these measures are all in place to keep your children as well as possible.  We need to also ensure staff’s safety.  In addition, we all have a wider responsibility to ensure that society is kept as safe as possible.  I understand that for some parents/families these arrangements may be difficult: please understand that in order to comply with the regulations set out by that Department of Education that these plans are the best that we can determine.  The plans that I have established will be reviewed at Hallowe’en. Indeed, if the virus stability changes I may have to adjust these plans earlier.  

I urge you not to congregate in groups outside the school.  We are told that adult interactions are the most dangerous and will cause infection spread more so than any other age group.  Please refrain from group meetings for the safety of all.

The school will be cleaned throughout the day and also after school.  Children’s hands will be regularly washed and sanitised in the course of the school day.    

We need your support. It is great to get everyone back to school but life will be somewhat different. In spite of all these restrictions, we have planned the curriculum with its usual breadth and depth.  We will find new creative ways of doing things.  As I said to the staff during our planning, a child does not get another attempt to repeat that vital time in his/her life.  Their time at school is precious and cannot be defined by COVID 19. This does not mean that we will compromise safety in any way but we will make the most out of the opportunities and situations that we have.  We are really looking forward to seeing the children. A school is for them and about them. There will always be situations that are difficult to navigate through.  However, this community has seen its fair share of difficulties over the years and has overcome them with strength and unity.  Together, we can do this one too.  Let’s get the children back, keep everyone safe and hope for a better day soon.  

Please see attached letter and guidance for parents from the Minister of Education

https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/education-restart-frequently-asked-questions-parents-and-carers-13-august-2020

https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/education-restart-letter-parents-and-carers-minister-education

My Very Best Wishes to You All,

Ms. O’Neill