Dear Parent / Guardian,
As we work towards re-opening the school safely, we are aware it will require the co-operation of all members of our School Community – BoM, Staff, Parents and Pupils. We will all be called on to play our part in ensuring that re-opening of the school is done in a safe manner which works to prevent the spread of the virus and allows the vital work of Teaching and Learning to proceed with as little disruption as possible.
In order to achieve this goal we ask that the pupils bring the following items to school:
- A small personal hygiene pack (daily) containing tissues and a clean face cloth sized towel for hand drying. Parents may choose to send hand sanitiser with their child. This is optional as there will be hand sanitising stations in every classroom and on all corridors. Please ensure the hand towel is changed daily.
- A ‘school’ pencil case with a pencil, sharpener, rubber, some colours etc. which will be left in school at all times. (Junior Infants will not need a school pencil case.) This pencil case should be compact so that it will fit in their individual chair pockets with textbooks and copies to facilitate daily cleaning of table tops. Children will also need a similar set at home for completing homework. Children will not be able to share pencils, pens, erasers, coloured pencils etc. in school.
We are currently working on upgrading our procedures and routines within the 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, recognising that the learning environment cannot be dominated by a potentially counterproductive focus on this issue.
Physical Distancing will be achieved 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, children may be organised into pods. A pod is a group of children (normally 6) who will sit together and who will stay in their pod while in the bubble, or classroom.
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.
While all children will be welcome back to school, we would 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 asked to collect them from the school.
Children who have travelled from countries not on the Green List should not attend school during the 14-day self-isolation period
Further information on COVID-19 symptoms in children is available at: –
https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/if-your-child-has-symptoms.html
Teachers will make children aware of the proper hygiene procedures regarding hand washing and etiquette related 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.
If your child has a condition that places them in the ‘Very High Risk’ category as set out on the HSE website, please let us know.
If your child is not returning to the school please email principal@lucaneastet.ie .
We have published our COVID-19 Policy Statement on the school website. We will keep you informed of our re-opening plans and provide you with the information required by you to play your part in safely re-opening the school.
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. This will be achieved by all of us working towards this common goal.
Is mise le meas,
Gráinne