Dear Parents/Guardians,
As promised here is a summary of the key points in the COVID-19 response plan that parents need to be aware off in preparation for our school re-opening. The COVID-19 response plan is completed and is available on the this website.
School Drop/Off & Pick Up – The school will be operating a rolling drop off and pick up process for 2021/2022. The faculty will not host the traditional morning assembly this year, instead drop off will run continuously from 8.30am-9am. We respectfully request that parents drop their children off in designated zones and do not accompany their children into the school. In line with HPSC guidance we will not be conducting temperature checks/screening of pupils entering the school.
- Junior Infants pupils will enter the school via the front door – these junior pupils will be assisted into school by members of staff/faculty.
- Senior Infants pupils will enter the school via the front door.
- J1 to J6 pupils will be guided to follow a designated pathway which will bring them parallel to the playing field and enter the school via the rear entrance.
- At the end of the school day pupils will exit the school one class at a time via the door they entered in the morning. We respectfully request that if parents drive to school for collection they wait in their car.
- If parents travel to school by other means to collect their children i.e. walking or cycling, they wait outside the school in a socially distanced manner.
Further details on the school drop off/pick up process will be communicated closer to our re-opening date.
Access to the School Building – In line with HPSC recommendations parents will no longer be permitted to enter the school building. We understand this will be a big adjustment for the entire Rockboro community. Visitors will be restricted to essential purposes and limited to those who have obtained prior approval from the school administrator i.e. collecting an unwell child. We understand that parents will want to stay in touch with their child teachers therefore parents are asked to make an appointment through the school office. The school is encouraging the use of alternative forums for these meetings i.e. Zoom or phone call.
Forgotten items – in the event that a pupil forgets something at home and you wish to bring it to them, please ring the school office in advance and arrangements will be made for parents to drop off such items in a designated area from where they will be passed on to the pupil by a member of the staff/faculty.
Hand Hygiene – There are hand sanitizers upon entry and exit of the school. All classes will have access to hand sanitizer and where practically possible access to a classroom sink and soap. The pupils will be required to wash/sanitise their hands upon arrival in school, before eating, after outdoor play, after using the toilet, when they cough or sneeze, and after PE.
In line with HPSC guidelines the school will use
- Alcohol based hand sanitiser with at least 60% ethanol and 70% isopropanol.
- Mild non antibacterial liquid soap in the toilets.
Classroom Organisation – Each class will be considered a bubble. Classrooms for J3-J6 will be arranged so that the pupils are one metre apart. Classrooms for Junior Infants to J2 may be arranged into Pods within the class bubble. There will be one metre distancing between pods where possible.
School Uniform and Tracksuit – In line with public health advise we will not be requesting parents to launder uniforms/tracksuits on a daily basis. Please ensure that your child comes to school in a clean uniform/tracksuit and that these items are clearly labelled & laundered once per week i.e. on weekends.
Lunch boxes/Drink Bottles/Pencil Cases/Stationary – Please ensure all of these items are easily wiped clean and clearly labelled. Unfortunately for hygiene reasons unlabelled items found at the end of the school day will be disposed of.
Please ensure lunchboxes and drink bottles are thoroughly cleaned in warm soapy water on a daily basis.
It would be preferable for pupils to leave their pencil case in school so please ensure you have enough stationary for both home and school.
Singing, Music and Drama – In line with public health advice pupils in J3-J6 will be required to wear face coverings when participating in singing, music and drama classes. We kindly request J3 – J6 parents please ensure your child has a clean double layer cloth face mask for each school day (readily available in Online/Claire’s Accessories/The Range/LIDL/ALDI).
Cloth Face masks must be freshly laundered for reuse between school days.
Please click on the following link if you would like more information on the reasons why face coverings are recommended in children 10 years and older for this activity. This recommendation is based on the latest advice and may change over time, we will update you if the advice changes.
Library – There will be no library service available to the primary school again this term. This will be reviewed at the end of term and any decision taken will be in line with public health advise.
Enhanced Cleaning Regime – The entire school setting will be cleaned once per day. In addition to this, frequently touched surfaces i.e. door handles, desks, backs of chairs etc. will be cleaned prior to commencing the first class of the school day, upon return from breaks and between classes in a room. Windows will be opened on a regular basis to ventilate classroom and circulate fresh air i.e. during morning break and lunchtime.
Dealing with suspected cases of COVID-19 – We respectfully request that parents do not send their child to school if they are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19. Please click on the following link for information on the symptoms of COVID-19.
If a suspected case of COVID-19 arises with a pupil during the school day, the pupil will be accompanied to the school COVID-19 isolation room. The pupil will be monitored by a member of staff/faculty and the parent(s) will be contacted to collect their child as soon as possible from school.
The HSE will be informed and the school will follow the instruction of the health authorises.
Returning to school during the COVID-10 pandemic may not feel like normal – at least for a while. However the faculty and committee strongly agree that having these safety plans in place can help protect pupils, teachers, staff and families. We ask everyone to respectfully comply with the best efforts protocols that we are putting in place and also respect that we may have to change over time whilst we figure out the best fit measures for Rockboro School and Preschool.
We understand that returning to school during a pandemic may be an anxious time for parents and pupils, if you have specific questions of queries that we do not address above please don’t hesitate to contact the school office and we will do our best to provide answers or further information.
Sincerely
The Rockboro Committee