St. Louis GNS Logistical Plan for Reopening

 

Underlying Principles

  • The school has a responsibility to make every effort to ensure the safety, health and well-being of all members of our school community – children, parents and staff. This plan has been formulated to better ensure that the school can exercise that duty of care.

 

  • In keeping with public health advice and guidelines issued by the Department of Education and Skills, it is preferable for all children to return to school for all five days of the school week and for a full school day. This plan has been formulated to achieve that aim.

 

  • It is not possible to eliminate the risk of infection. However, with the co-operation of all members of our school community, it is possible to minimise the risk of the virus being introduced to school and the consequent risk of its spread.

 

  • As well as co-operation, the flexibility and goodwill of all will be required to ensure the plan can be implemented.

 

Logistics Plan

 

  • All children will return to school and classes will operate within a bubble system

 

  • The school will be split into 3 groups with each group having different starting times and finishing times.

 

  • Group A: 5th and 6th (4 classes)

          Group B:  3rd and 4th   (3 classes)

          Group C:  2nd (2 classes)

 

 

  • The day will include 2 x 20 minute breaks, one in the morning and one at lunch. These breaks will be staggered to ensure each bubble has its own play area in the yard.

 

  • Within each class from 3rd to 6th, the children will be further divided into pods, with a minimum distance of 1 metre being maintained between pods. This distancing is not necessary for 2nd class pupils.

 

  • Hand sanitiser will be available at all entry points and in every class and support room.

 

 

Timetable for Morning Drop- Off 

 

Group A:  5th & 6th

 

Class & Teacher Arrival Timeframe Entrance Gate Entrance Door Start Time
6th Ms. Harris 8.35-8.50 am Lower Gate (at end of fence) Prefab  Back Door 8.50 am
6th Mrs McGeown 8.35-8.50 am Main Gate Front Door (left side) 8.50 am
5th Ms. Holland 8.35-8.50 am Lower Gate (at end of fence) Main  Back Door 8.50 am
5th Mrs Cassidy 8.35-8.50 am Main Gate Front Door (right side) 8.50 am

 

Group B: 3rd & 4th 

 

Class & Teacher Arrival Timeframe Entrance Gate Entrance Door Start Time
4th  Ms. Murray 8.50-9.05 am Lower Gate (at end of fence) Main Back Door 9.05 am
3rd& 4th Ms. Markey 8.50-9.05 am Main Gate (right side) Front Door (right) 9.05 am
3rd Mrs Treanor 8.50-9.05 am Main Gate (left side) Front Door (left) 9.05 am

 

 Group C: 2nd

 

Class & Teacher Arrival Timeframe Entrance Gate Assembly Area to meet teacher Start Time
2nd Ms. Reilly 9.05-9.15 am Lower Gate (end of fence) At bottom of yard beyond the barrier of cones 9.15 am *
2nd Mrs Cunningham 9.05-9.15 am Main Gate & down steps to right into yard  At top of  yard near side steps 9.15 am*

 

 

  • * We will have a later starting time for our new 2nd class girls for their first morning only. This will be communicated to the parents involved in a separate letter.

 

  • Each group should aim to arrive at the school during the 15 minutes immediately before their start time. (10 minutes in the case of 2nd as there are only two 2nd classes)

Group A – 8.35 – 8.50

Group B – 8.50 – 9.05

Group C – 9.05 – 9.15

  • Please Note: Sisters are permitted to arrive together and should come at the time allocated to the oldest sibling e.g. a girl in 3rd class with a sister in 6th should come between 8.35 & 8.50 am. However, they should still enter by the gate and door assigned to their own class.
  • We ask for co-operation with these times as it will mean that the numbers congregating outside the school grounds at any one time will be minimised. Please try not to arrive earlier or later than your arrival timeframe. Please drop your child promptly at the gate and don’t delay.
  • Each class will be met by two Support Teachers for the first week, who will guide the girls to their rooms where their teachers will be waiting.
  • The only exception to this will be our new 2nd class pupils, who will be accompanied into the yard by a parent and their teachers will meet them there.
  • No adults, other than staff members, should enter the building.
  • Messages for teachers can be sent by email or by phoning the school office.
  • From the Friday of the first week, Friday 4th September, classes 3rd to 6th should be able to walk to their rooms by themselves without guidance.
  • From Friday 4th September, 2nd class will be met at the gate by their class teachers. Mrs Cunningham will meet her class at the Main Gate, while Ms. Reilly will meet her class at the Lower Gate.

Timetable for Evening Collection

 

Group A: 5th & 6th

 

Class & Teacher Finish Time Collection Timeframe Exit Door Exit Gate
6th Ms. Harris 2.30 pm 2.30- 2.40 pm Prefab Back Door Lower Gate (at end of fence)
6th Mrs McGeown 2.30 pm 2.30-2.40 pm Front Door Infant School Gate
5th Ms. Holland 2.30 pm 2.30-2.40 pm Main Back Door Lower Gate (end of fence)
5th Mrs Cassidy 2.30 pm 2.30-2.40 pm Front Door Main Gate

 

 

Group B: 3rd & 4th

 

Class & Teacher Finish Time Collection Timeframe Exit  Door Exit Gate
4th  Ms. Murray 2.40  pm 2.40-2.50 pm Main Back Door Lower Gate (at end of fence)
3rd& 4th Ms. Markey 2.40 pm 2.40-2.50 pm Front Door Main Gate
3rd Mrs Treanor 2. 40 pm 2.40-2.50 pm Front Door Infant School Gate

 

 

Group C: 2nd Class

 

Class & Teacher Finish Time Collection Timeframe Exit Door Collection Gate
2nd Ms. Reilly 2.50 pm 2.50-3.00 pm Main Back Door Lower Gate (at end of fence)
2nd Mrs Cunningham 2.50 pm 2.50-3.00 pm Front Door Main Gate

 

 

 

  • Sisters are permitted to leave together and should go at the time allocated to the oldest sibling e.g. a girl in 3rd class with a sister in 5th should leave at 2.30 pm. A Support Teacher will accompany the younger sister to her own exit gate where she will meet her older sister and/or parent.

 

  • Each class will have a timeframe of 10 minutes to exit the school and be collected or walk on home.
  • It is vital that the parent (or whoever is designated to collect the child) arrives promptly to the gate and leaves without delay in order to avoid a crowd gathering.

 

Collection of Children during the School Day

If an adult has to collect a child during the course of the school day, the following arrangements will apply

  • When the adult arrives at the school, they should either phone the office or use the buzzer at the front door of the school to alert the office that they have arrived.
  • The secretary will arrange for the child to be brought from her class by a member of staff
  • The adult who is collecting will be asked to sign the child out
  • No adult should enter the school building, unless invited to do so

 

We would ask you to please refrain from collecting children early unless it is absolutely essential e.g for a medical appointment or a very urgent family reason.

 

Dealing with a suspected case of Covid-19

Pupils should not attend school if displaying any symptoms of Covid-19. If a pupil displays symptoms of Covid-19 while in the school building, the following are the procedures which will be implemented:

  • Parents/guardians will be contacted immediately
  • The child will be accompanied to the designated isolation area via the isolation route by a member of staff. The staff member will remain at least 2 metres away from the symptomatic child and will also make sure that others maintain a distance of at least 2 metres from the symptomatic child at all times
  • A mask will be provided for the child presenting with symptoms. She should wear the mask if in a common area with other people while exiting the premises
  • An assessment will be made as to whether the child who is displaying symptoms can immediately be brought home by parents who will call the doctor and continue self-isolation at home. Public transport of any kind should not be used
  • The school will facilitate the child presenting with symptoms to remain in isolation, if they cannot immediately go home, and will assist her by calling her GP.
  • If they are too unwell to go home or advice is required, the school will contact 999 or 112 and inform them that the sick child is a Covid-19 suspect.
  • Arrangements will be made for appropriate cleaning of the isolation area and work areas involved when the child has left.

Children who should not attend school

If your child is in one of the following categories, they should not attend school –

  • Children who have been diagnosed with Covid-19
  • Children who have been in close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with Covid-19
  • Children who have a suspected case of Covid-19 and the outcome of the test is pending
  • Children who have been in contact with a person who has a suspected case of Covid-19 and the outcome of the test is pending
  • Children with underlying health conditions who have been directed by a medical professional not to attend school
  • Children who have returned home after travelling abroad to a country not on the Green List and must self-isolate for a period of 14 days
  • Children who are generally unwell

 

Impact of a Suspected or Confirmed Case of Covid-19 in a Class

If the school is notified that a person in your child’s class has a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19:

  • The parents of all children in the class will be notified
  • Public health advice will be sought and followed
  • The HSE will inform any staff/parents who have come into close contact with a diagnosed case via the contact tracing process.
  • The HSE will contact all relevant persons where a diagnosis of COVID-19 is made and its instructions should always be followed.

 

Supporting the Learning of Children who cannot attend school

If a child is not able to attend school for an extended period of time, the class teacher (and/or the learning support teacher, where relevant) will suggest activities to support the child’s learning at home which will be shared with her parents.

 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  • All staff will wear clear face visors as recommended by the Department of Education and Skills. Staff who are attending to particular care needs or who are administering First Aid will also wear aprons and gloves.
  • Under current health guidance, children are not required to wear face coverings. However, if a parent wants their child to wear a mask, this is totally at the discretion of each parent and will of course be accommodated by the school.

 

Break times

  • There will be two 20 minute breaks each day, one in the morning and one at lunch time. Each class bubble will have its own exit door and play area in the yard. Fresh air will be very important for the children at this time and every child who is well enough to attend school will be expected to go outside.
  • Children who fall or have an accident in the yard will of course be brought indoors for First Aid as normal and in most cases, they will be able to return to the yard when treated.

 

Learning Support

In keeping with our Special Education Policy, learning support will be provided by a blended approach of in-class support and withdrawal. The provision of support will be organised to ensure that a maximum of two support teachers will work with the pupils from a single bubble.

  • Where a support teacher is working alongside a class teacher in a classroom, both teachers will be mindful of maintaining social distance from one another.
  • Where children from 3rd to 6th Class receive support in one of the SET rooms, social distancing of 1 metre will be maintained between each child in the group.
  • The tables and chairs in the SET rooms will be wiped clean in between different groups attending

 

Personal Belongings

  • It is requested that the children will bring their own pens, pencils, colours, rubbers, etc. to school in their own pencil case to avoid the sharing of equipment.
  • We are also asking that all items have the child’s name on them for ease of identification.
  • Lunch boxes and drink bottles should also be clearly labelled. We would remind you that children are not permitted to share food and that nuts, sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks are banned.

 

New Mobile Phone Policy

Before the closure in March, the Board of Management and school staff, in consultation with the Parents’ Association, had taken the unanimous decision to ban mobile phones in our school. We had intended introducing this rule in the summer term but of course this was not possible.

Now, because of Covid-19, it will be even more important to implement this new policy as children will not be allowed to take in ANY extra items from home.

Please do not allow your child to take a mobile phone into school. If a child is found to have a phone, it will be taken from her and kept in the office until a parent comes in to collect it. We are asking for your cooperation with this policy. The vast majority of our pupils do not take phones to school and we believe they should not be a necessity for any primary school child.

 

Uniforms

  • Uniforms and school tracksuits should also be clearly labelled with the child’s name.
  • If parents wish, the uniform and tracksuit may be worn on alternate days, but please ensure that the tracksuit is always worn on P.E. days.

Homework

We have decided as a staff that we will not give any homework during the month of September. This will allow the children the time and space to settle back into the routine of school again. The teachers will use this time to concentrate on their pupils’ wellbeing, to assess where they are at in their learning, to revise and to focus on aspects of the previous year’s curriculum which may not have been covered because of the closure.

We will review this during the month and will aim to gradually introduce learning homework such as reading, spelling and tables.

Homework Club

It is currently not recommended that children from different bubbles participate in a group activity together. Therefore, there will be no homework club for the moment. We will monitor public health advice and will explore the possibility of facilitating a homework club later on.

 

Care of Personal Belongings

  • To minimise the movement of items from home to school and vice versa, the children will be able to leave their copies, books, pencil cases, colours etc. on their shelves in the classroom when they have no homework.
  • Each girl will hang her coat on her own chair or store it in her bag.
  • It is vital that lunch boxes are emptied out and washed in warm water every night.
  • Schoolbags should be regularly emptied also and wiped down or washed.