Return To School Updates

ADVICE FOR PARENTS ON COVID-19

Updated 28.02.2021

Dear Parent/Guardian,

School will open on March 1st for Junior Infants, Senior Infants, 1st and 2nd class as directed by the Government.

Junior Infants and Senior Infants will begin school at 8.25pm and finish school at 2.05pm. First and Second Class pupils will being school at 8.40pm and finsigh school at. 2.20pm.

The children will line up in the same place in the infant yard as in first term. Public health guidelines clearly state that parents/guardians are not to congregate or delay while dropping off or collecting their children. We are requesting you to leave school area as soon as a child is dropped or collected.

Please see school app for additional information

Kind Regards,
John Tuohy
Principal

Updated 08.09.2020

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The following are the new school staggered times for each class which will commence from Monday 14th September 2020.

Next week (from Monday, Sept 14th) we will make one last change to our opening and closing times. We are very conscious that many families have 2,3,4 children etc to bring to school. With this in mind, but also prioritising a safe entry for all children and staff to school we will have two start times/finish times. We will review these times at mid-term but we hope to keep them in place for the 1st term.

The only change will be for Juniors, Seniors, 5th and 6th Classes.

Kind Regards,
John Tuohy
Principal

Updated 02.09.2020

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The following are the new school staggered times for each class which will commence from Monday 7th September 2020.

Kind Regards,
John Tuohy
Principal

PARENTS CORONAVIRUS NOTICE

Dear Parent,

If you are returning to Ireland from a country NOT on the Green List, can you please email Marion at stpaulsdooradoyle@gmail.com advising of the date in which you arrived in Ireland.

Click on the following link for current information:-
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/8868e-view-the-covid-19-travel-advice-list/

Thanking you.
John Tuohy
Principal

Updated 28.08.2020

Dear Parents,

The following short video will give you an idea of how our school looks and will operate from next Monday 31st of August.

Important Notes:-

• We would ask that all arrive on time for school.
• We would ask all parents to drop children promptly and please not to congregate outside school.
• Please wear face coverings while dropping or collecting children from school.
• We would ask you to provide hand sanitiser and tissues/wipes for your child.
• Hand sanitiser is also provided throughout the school.
• Children will be encouraged to wash their hands frequently during the day.

We look forward to seeing you all on Monday.

Have a lovely weekend,

Le gach dea ghui,

Kind Regards,
John Tuohy
Principal

Updated 26.08.2020

Dear Parents,

I would just like to update you on a few matters relating to school opening etc…

You have received staggered times for your children to attend school.

• These will remain in place over the first 2 weeks.
• We will review them at that time and try to reduce the staggered start and finish times of each standard entering and exiting the school if possible.

As you will appreciate the children will need time to become familiar with the new routines.

Juniors/Seniors ,1st and 2nd classes will enter and exit through Gate 1 into the yard at the top of school at Infants classroom.

3rd,4th,5th, and 6th classes will enter and exit at Gate 2 into the school yard.

No adults will be allowed into the yard(s) at any time and no children will be allowed into their yard(s) before their allotted times.

The only exception to this rule is the New Junior Infant parents who will be allowed into the school the first 2 mornings with their child. We are asking that only 1 parent per family accompanies the child and that you stay for no longer than 5/10 minutes to get them settled.

Mornings:-
• Each child will be admitted through their gate at their allotted times.
• Once through they will be directed by a teacher/staff member at the gate towards their class teacher.
• They will then be guided to their classes in a socially distanced manner with the help of other staff members.
• Please be punctual to allow us to operate efficiently and keep all safe.

Afternoons:-
• Children will be brought from their class by their teacher to the yard at their designated finish times in a safe manner.
• Children will then exit through the gate.

If you wish to collect a child early from school please ring the school first as all doors will be closed.

Note:
• We would ask you to provide stationary…pencils, pens, colouring pencils etc for your child in their own pencil case. Please impress upon your child that they will not be sharing these with friends etc.
• We will be asking children to leave their books in school and there will be no homework for the month of September.
• There will be 3 staggered breaks in morning and afternoon where all children and staff will have the opportunity to get fresh air.
• Please ensure your child’s lunchbox is washed out thoroughly each day.
• On the booklist list we asked that each child bring a COVID-19 Hygiene pack consisting of hand gel and wipes. Please ensure that you mark your child’s name on the pack.

Teachers will make children aware of the proper hygiene procedures regarding hand washing and etiquette relating to sneezing, coughing or spitting. We would be grateful if you could also emphasise safe behaviour in this regard to your children at home as part of the preparation for returning to school.

Also, we are asking parents/guardians to wear masks outside whilst waiting for their children to enter and leave school each day and to please disperse promptly once collected.

As soon as the school is set up, I will post a video to show you and the children how the school looks and will operate!

To follow please find a letter from the Minister of Education, Norma Foley on the school reopening process.

We are really looking forward to seeing all our pupils again,

God bless and take care,
John Tuohy
Principal

Updated 21.08.2020

Dear Parent/Guardian,

St. Paul’s N.S. is committed to the safe return of all our students and staff.

Part of the commitment is to communicate key aspects of our COVID-19 response plan to the entire school community.

Everything we do in St. Paul’s is aimed at minimising the risk of the introduction of COVID-19 into our school community.

This communication outlines our initiatives in a number of key areas. Further correspondence will be issued shortly on other important aspects of our plans.

School Staff:
We have appointed a COVID-19 Response Team comprising of Senior Management and two Lead Worker Representatives. This team has overall responsibility for the implementation of our COVID-19 Response Plan. This plan is under constant review and subject to change. Our COVID-19 policy statement will be available very shortly on our school website.

• All Staff will have completed mandatory COVID-19 induction training prior to return.
• All Staff will complete a ‘Back to Work’ forms confirming their fitness to work.

Supporting & Promoting Hand Hygiene
• All students will receive training around hand washing, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.
• 70 hand sanitisers units have been installed in the school to include all classrooms, offices, corridors as well as entrances/exits.

Enhanced Cleaning Regime in Our School
• Our full time cleaner has been appointed with specific COVID responsibility.
• Two extra part-time cleaners have also been appointed.
• New cleaning equipment has been purchased.
• Each classroom will be equipped with supplies of cleaning wipes, paper towels and detergents.
• Each classroom will have two metal bins for COVID-19 related materials.
• Each student will be provided with cleaning materials to clean his/her chair and desk during the day.
• Practical classes will have teacher led protocols for cleaning shared equipment and tools.
• All classrooms will have Perspex guards installed at the front of the teachers’ desks and 3rd to 6th class desks will also have Perspex guards.

Maintaining Physical Distancing in our School
• All classrooms have been reconfigured so that a minimum distance of 1 metre is maintained between students.
• Morning breaks and lunchtimes will be staggered, again, reducing the volume of students on the corridors at any given time.
• A signage company has been engaged by St. Paul’s School to put signage both internally and externally throughout the building. This should be in place early next week.

Other relevant issues
• A fogger has been purchased and will be used daily to sanitise classrooms, corridors and all equipment used within the school.
• Early next week I will post a video which will show you the changes made.

We trust you appreciate that there is considerable work involved in getting our school COVID safe ready to open.

To follow are the staggered times for each class. Please note your time.

NEW JUNIOR INFANTS ONLY

For the first 2 weeks (Monday August 31st to Friday, Sept 12th inclusive) our new Junior Infants school hours will be 9am to 11.30am.

As outlined by the HSE under Covid-19 a Junior Infant parent can enter the classroom for a very limited time but we would prefer you could refrain from doing so. Social distancing must be adhered to and masks must be worn by all parents and hand sanitiser must be used

Updated 17.08.2020

Dear Parent/Guardian,

We are currently working on upgrading our procedures and routines within our school to ensure that there is as much physical distancing as is possible in our building. We will apply physical distancing in a practical and sensible way.

Physical Distancing will be organised in two ways:-

Increasing Separation: This will be achieved by re-configuring the classrooms to maximise physical distancing. Each class will be referred to as a bubble and we will ensure that there is as little contact as possible between children in different bubbles. Within the bubbles, as per guidance, children from 3rd class upwards will be organised into pods. A pod is a small group of children who will sit together and who will stay in their pod while in the bubble, or classroom. Classes from Junior Infants to Second class will be seated in groups, as usual.

Decreasing Interaction: This will be achieved by decreasing the potential for children from different bubbles to interact. There will be marked routes for various bubbles to enter and exit the school and to access their classrooms. Bubbles will have different mid-morning and lunch-time access to the playground. We will make these routines enjoyable activities for the children, emphasising safety at all times.

We are also working on installing measures to assist with hand hygiene.

While all children will be welcome back to school, we remind parents that, where children are displaying colds, coughs or flu like symptoms, they should not be sent to school. Children who display such symptoms in school will be isolated and parents will be asked to collect them from the school.

Further information on COVID-19 symptoms in children is available at:- https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/if-your-child-has-symptoms.html

Children who have travelled from countries not on the Green List should not attend school during the 14-day self-isolation period. Please find information from the Dept of Education for anyone attending school who has travelled abroad as follows:-

‘Government policy, which is based on official public health advice, continues to advise against non-essential travel overseas for everyone. It is a requirement for anyone coming into Ireland, from locations other than those with a rating of ‘normal precautions’ (“green”), to restrict their movements for 14 days, and this includes school staff, parents and children or other students coming from abroad to attend school in Ireland. Restricting your movements means staying indoors in one location and avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as possible’

Teachers will make children aware of the proper hygiene procedures regarding hand washing and etiquette relating to sneezing, coughing or spitting. We would be grateful if you could also emphasise safe behaviour in this regard to your children at home as part of the preparation for returning to school.

Also, we are asking parents/guardians to wear masks outside whilst waiting for their children to enter and leave school each day.

Covid-19 has brought about unprecedented challenges in terms of re-opening but we are taking every safety measure possible to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all pupils and staff.

Our school endeavours to make the transition back one of a positive nature and we encourage communication by way of email to class teacher if you have any concerns. As no parents /visitors are allowed to enter school appointments can be made to speak to a class teacher through our school secretary, Susan who will be back in the office on 24th August at 9a.m

I will be in touch next week with the staggered times each class will enter and exit school. I hope to give you more information about our school and classrooms, and how we envisage our school will operate from 31st of August next.

I’m really looking forward to seeing our children back in school and I ask that you support us to achieve this.

Our aim remains to re-open the school in an orderly safe manner, while reassuring the children and making them feel comfortable, safe and relaxed with their friends in the new school environment. It is imperative that every member of our school community come on board and take personal responsibility in order to keep each other safe. Your support and cooperation will be essential to help us overcome the many challenges that are ahead of us this academic year.

I thank you for your understanding and will be in touch again very shortly with additional information

Best wishes
John Tuohy
Principal

Updated 13.08.2020

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I hope you and your family are all keeping well and are enjoying the Summer break.

I would like to give you a very brief outline as to where we are currently at with regards to opening safely as planned on August 31st.

The Chairperson of the Board of Management, the Vice Principal and I have been working behind the scenes over the past few weeks to ensure that we re-open on August 31st. The school has been deep cleaned and PPE equipment has been purchased including desk dividers, sanitising stations etc.,

The Board of Management are meeting tonight, August 13th to further discuss what needs to happen before re-opening.

Over the next 2 weeks I will be posting on the app a more comprehensive and detailed plan of how we will return and this will include possible staggering of start and finish times, details of drop off and collection points etc.,

Re-opening the school safely will require the co-operation of all members of our school community – Staff, Parents, Pupils and Board of Management.

We look forward to welcoming you all back safely.

Kind regards,
John Tuohy
Principal