Cloontagh NS will reopen to all children on Thursday August 27th. As we return to school, our overriding objectives are to maintain the health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff and to prevent the spread of COVID19. To this end, we have put a number of new procedures in place. We will assess each of the procedures on an ongoing basis and we may make changes to them as the need arises. We will try to keep the school day as normal as possible for the children. We ask all parents to explain to their children that there will be some changes around hygiene, hand-washing and sharing of equipment but that school will still be a happy and enjoyable place and they do not need to have any unnecessary worries about coming back. The following procedures are being put in place to protect the children, the staff and the wider community so we ask for your cooperation in implementing them.
- Staggered arrival and pick-up times
In order to avoid congestion at the school gate, a timetable has been drawn up for the staggered arrival and dismissal of pupils. This will mean that there will be some disruption to the normal school day for many children. When organising pick-up times we took into account child-minding arrangements that were in place last year. Please let us know if the times allotted to your family need to be changed.
- Hand washing and sanitising
Children and staff will be asked to wash their hands on entering the school building, before eating, after using the bathroom, after playing outside, when their hands are dirty and when they cough or sneeze. Warm water and paper towels will be provided. Used tissues should be placed in the pedal bins provided.
Hand sanitiser is provided at the entrance to each room. This should be used on clean hands as an extra protection.
- Signage
Posters and signs will be displayed throughout the school building, reminding people about the symptoms of COVID19, hand-washing, sneeze and cough etiquette, etc The pick-up point is located at the school gate and will be clearly signposted. We ask all parents to drop off and pick up children at the school gate and to avoid coming onto school grounds.
- Classroom arrangement
Individual desks in the senior classroom have been rearranged in order to provide for social distancing between pupils. Each pupil will be provided with a storage box and an area on their desk to keep their own equipment. Pupils will be asked to abide by social distancing behaviour when entering and leaving the classroom, while in the classroom and in the yard. The guidance from the HSE does not include the wearing of face coverings by primary school children. However, no child will be prevented from doing so if they wish.
Social distancing rules do not apply in the junior room, however, some separation may be put in place between the infant group and the 1st and2nd class group in the classroom.
- Sharing equipment
It is no longer acceptable to share equipment as in the past. Therefore, each child should have their own pencils, pens, rubbers, colours, Maths set (senior room), etc. These items will be kept on the pupil’s desk or in their box and will not be brought home or shared with any other child.
- Equipment and books travelling between home and school
It is envisaged that as few items as possible will move between home and school. Items brought between home and school will be limited, as far as possible, to coats, bags, lunch boxes, bottles and homework diaries. Homework arrangements will be made by individual teachers to suit each class group. Lunch boxes and drink bottles should be thoroughly washed in warm soapy water every day. It is not necessary to wash uniforms every day.
- COVID19 Symptoms
Keep your child at home if s/he exhibits any of the following symptoms:
- a fever (high temperature – 38 degrees Celsius or above)
- a cough– this can be any kind of cough, not just dry
- shortness of breathor breathing difficulties
- loss or change to your sense of smell or taste– this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.
If a child exhibits any of these symptoms or becomes unwell in school s/he will be isolated and asked to put on a mask. We will then use the contact list provided to make contact with a responsible adult. Please ensure that we have an up-to-date contact list for your child. If a child becomes ill in school and contact cannot be made using the contacts provided, the school may contact the emergency services as per established school policy.
- Teachers wearing face covering
It is recommended by the Dept of Education that teachers wear face coverings where social distancing of 2m cannot be maintained. The staff of Cloontagh NS will follow all guidelines received from the Dept of Education or the HSE. It is therefore likely that the teachers will be wearing face coverings, either masks or visors or both, for all or part of the school day. We ask parents to make their children aware of this in advance.
- Yard time
During break times the senior classes will have access to the yard at the back of the school and the junior classes will use the front of the school and the climbing frame. Access to the toilets in the old building will be for junior pupils only. Senior pupils will be asked to use the toilets in the prefab.
- Cleaning routines
The school will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected every evening and at weekends. A fogging machine will be used to sanitise classrooms at lunch break. Keyboards, ipads and other equipment will be cleaned after use.
Teachers will ensure that their own working area is cleaned and disinfected regularly. Learning support areas will be cleaned and disinfected between uses.
- Visitors
Cloontagh NS can no longer welcome visitors in the way we used to. Nobody except pupils and staff will have access to the school grounds without an appointment. Parents are asked to drop and collect their children at the school gate. In order to gain access to the school building you must make an appointment. You will only be admitted to the school for essential purposes and by prior arrangement. Everyone entering the school must wear a face covering, must use the hand sanitiser provided and must fill out a Contact Tracing Log.