Important Notice to Parents.
Covid19 Update.
Dear Parents,
As the country has been moved to Covid 19 response Level 3, I would like to bring a number of important issues to your attention which will assist the school in keeping things as normal while fulfilling our obligations relative to our Covid 19 response plan. Thankfully our school response plan has been effective to date given that as yet there have been no instances of Covid19 among members of the school community. However there are a number of areas in which we have received advice as to further measures to ensure an efficient response in the event of any incidence of the virus.
Contact Information
Parents are requested to make sure that all contact numbers, including emergency contacts are correct and up to date. It has come to our attention that a number of families have not provided correct details to the school which is in direct violation of current Covid 19 requirements. This information has come to our attention through our school database and communications system as on a number of occasions, important text messages are shown on the system as undelivered. Please note that given the fact that the virus has been present in the Ballyhaunis area in the past week, it is vital that all mobile numbers, email addresses and emergency contacts are forwarded to the school as a matter of urgency. In cases where there is a refusal to forward this information, the school authorities will have no choice but to refer the matter to TUSLA under child protection guidelines as this constitutes neglect. We will be sending periodic text messages to all families to confirm whether the given numbers are accurate and relevant.
Online Learning Platforms.
Thank you to parents who have signed up to Google Classroom and Seesaw. We will commence using these platforms on a weekly basis where the class teachers will set homework for the children to be completed on the relevant platforms. For those who have not yet signed up we would greatly appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Contact Tracing.
From Monday October 5th, all visitors entering the school will be required to sign the contact tracing sheet in the school porch area. We have also been instructed by the HSE to hold the following information on all pupils, Teachers and Special Needs Assistants for access in the event of a Covid19 outbreak affecting the school:
Student Details:
Complete sheet for all student school contacts as follows:
Mandatory Data
* Student Y/N? – enter Student from drop down list
* Student Forename * Student Surname
* Student Gender
* Student Date of Birth (format e.g. 31-12-2020)
* Students Home Address – First Line of Address
* Students Home Address Town or City
* Parent / Legal Guardian Mobile Phone No. (for receipt of Appointment Messages and Test Results)
* Parent / Legal Guardian Forename
* Parent / Legal Guardian Surname
* Parent / Legal Guardian Mobile Phone No.
* Students Class Name
* Student’s Home Eircode
* Alternative Contact Forename (to be contacted in the event that the Parent/Guardian can not be contacted)
* Alternative Contact Surname
* Alternative Contact Mobile Phone No. (*Mandatory where an Alternative Contact is provided)
Please note that this information will be stored electronically in the school and may only be accessed by the school principal and secretary for the sole use of the HSE for contact tracing purposes in the event of a Covid19 outbreak.
Covid Symptoms.
Children showing symptoms consistent with Covid19 should not be sent to school without appropriate advice under any circumstances. However the lines have become somewhat blurred as to what constitutes Covd19 symptoms. At this time of year as the seasons change and the weather becomes cooler, it is natural that children will become susceptible to coughs, colds, sore throats and sniffles. Unfortunately there is a crossover with these common ailments and symptoms of Covid 19. We are taking calls from concerned parents on a daily basis looking for advice on whether it is safe to send children to school. Our standard advice in this regard is for parents to phone their doctor for advice as to whether it is appropriate to send the child to school. In cases where children do present in school with symptoms of Covid19 , these children will be sent home where advice from the GP is not available.
Collection of Children at the End of Day
It is essential that the children are collected promptly at the end of the school day. Under Covid19 policy we must have all children off the school grounds by 3:05 p.m. at the latest. This is ten minutes after our last group of children exits the classrooms. Please make sure that the children are collected promptly. It has been noted that a few children have consistently remained uncollected after the cut off time. We ask that where this is occurring, parents should leave home five minutes earlier to ensure that they get here in time for collection.
Thanks once again for your continued assistance and cooperation. We realise that many of the demands on our schools and those attending are challenging but we have an obligation to our school community to do all in our power to keep the virus out of the school. This can only be achieved with the continued cooperation and goodwill of all in our school community. We must keep reinforcing good hand washing and sanitising, proper coughing and sneezing etiquette, appropriate social distancing and wearing masks or visors when on the school property. This virus is spread primarily through transmission from person to person so it goes without saying that we should do everything to limit our social contacts. We do not want to see another enforced closure of our schools but this can only be avoided through continued vigilance on all our parts and by cooperating and adhering to the provisions of the Covid19 response policy.
With Thanks,
K. Dennedy