Important Notice to All Parents.

Dear Parents,

We welcome the return of all remaining pupils to school on this Monday 15th March at the usual time. Points of entrance for all classes will be as they were for term 1. The full reopening of our schools is as a result of a fall off in general cases of Covid19 and the school remaining open very much depends on keeping our school Covid free. This can only be achieved by all in the school community adhering to the rules around social distancing, parents wearing masks in the vicinity of the schools and all of the children making sure to continue to practice good hygiene practices. Make no mistake, this is very much a trial period and we are certain that if the numbers of infections and transmissions in schools become an issue, the NPHET will have no hesitation in closing us once again after the Easter break. It is in all of our interests to do everything in our power to make sure we remain open and that we are not faced with indefinite online learning once again.

We ask that you please note the following:

Symptoms and Signs of Covid19:
COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.

Most common symptoms:
fever
dry cough
tiredness

Less common symptoms:
aches and pains
sore throat
diarrhoea
conjunctivitis
headache
loss of taste or smell
a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes

Serious symptoms:
difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
chest pain or pressure
loss of speech or movement
Seek immediate medical attention if you have serious symptoms. Always call before visiting your doctor or health facility.

• In the event of any one of your children displaying symptoms of Covid19, they must not come to school. What may be convenient for some can cause undue problems for others. If there is a case where a child suffers from coughing as a result of a pre existing condition such as Asthma, this must be communicated to the class teacher. Class teachers are obliged to contact parents where children are displaying symptoms consistent with Covid19 as they have a responsibility towards maintaining the safety of all children in their classes.
• As the Ballyhaunis area is considered to be a ‘high risk’ area for Covid19 due to the numbers of positive cases recorded over the pandemic period, it is vitally important that children who are close contacts of confirmed cases are kept at home and observe the recommended isolation protocols. We thank parents most sincerely for their vigilance in this regard.
• A number of parents have enquired about whether children in senior classes should wear masks while in school. The advice which has been forwarded to school suggests that masks are not appropriate for children under the age of 13.
• On return to school all families must return a HSE ‘Return to Educational Facility Parental Declaration Form’ for each child. This declares that the children are free of infectious disease and that the family has followed all public health guidelines.

• Where possible parents should stay in their cars when dropping off the children. We understand that this may be difficult for parents of younger children and also that some of our parents walk to school with their children. If this is the case parents should not linger around the school grounds or outside of the school and should leave the area immediately once the children have been delivered. We are asked to request that parents do not congregate in groups outside of the school walls and that masks should be worn at all times
• Please make sure that the school has an up to date contact telephone number for all children as in cases where children have to be sent home due to displaying symptoms of Covid19 this must be done quickly and as such a valid contact number is absolutely essential. We would also appreciate if parents ensure that we have a valid email address for all families.
• Short videos for parents from public health doctors will be circulated to reaffirm the importance of keeping COVID-19 out of education facilities by keeping symptomatic children at home. Parents should err on the side of caution in this respect and follow the school’s sickness policy. Where a child has a pre existing condition such as asthma parents should inform the teacher in writing of this and of symptoms associated with the condition which may be confused with those of Covid 19.
• If for any reason a parent needs to speak with a teacher, this should be done via telephone or via a Zoom conference. Unfortunately we are not permitted to facilitate face to face meetings with staff.
• Parents must make themselves aware of the symptoms of Covid 19.
• If a child displays symptoms of Covid 19 at home, all siblings should be kept at home from school.
• In line with public health advice the classroom windows will be kept partially open during times where children are in class and will be fully opened in times where the children are not in class during the school day. To ensure that the proper level of heat is maintained in the classroom the heating thermostats in the classrooms will be adjusted to ensure that the classrooms are kept at a comfortable temperature.

It is incumbent on all of us to make sure that the return to school is a success. We can only achieve this by doing everything in our power to stop the spread of the virus. We implore you to heed all of the above points and to continue to keep your children informed of the importance of washing hands regularly, using hand sanitiser, being aware of proper coughing and sneezing etiquette and of the importance of continuing to reduce contact with other children outside of the school setting. We all want the schools to remain open and to get back to normal as soon as possible. We are lucky that the incidence of Covid19 spread in the school has been zero up to the end of term 1. Lets work together to make sure that we keep our school Covid free. It is in our hands.

With Thanks
K. Dennedy