Back to School Information for Parents and Pupils - August 2021 Mr Corcoran - stoliverpps.ie

Back to School Information
  for Parents and Pupils
          August 2021

          Mr Corcoran

New School Year approaching

Dates for Back to School
Date                       Year Group
Thursday   26th   August   1st year Induction (9.00am to 12.00 noon)
Friday 27th August         1st year Induction (9.00am to 12.00 noon)
Monday   30th   August     1st; 3rd and 6th Years only

                           (8.50am – 12.00 noon)

Tuesday 31st August        1st; 3rd; 5th and 6th Year only

                           (8.50am – 12.00 noon)

Wednesday 1st September    1st; 2nd; 3rd; 5th; and 6th Year only

                           (8.50am – 12.00 noon)

Thursday 3rd September     1st; 2nd; 3rd; TY; 5th; and 6th Year

                           (Full School Day 8.50am – 4.00pm)

Friday 4th September       2nd; 3rd; 5th; and 6th Year

                           (Full School Day 8.50am – 3.20pm)

                           1st Years and TYs are not in this day

Monday 7th September       All Year Groups as normal

                           (Full School Day 8.50am – 3.20pm)

Symptoms of Covid-19
• Keeping CV19 out of the school is key
• No person (student/staff member/parent) should attend school if unwell or
  any members of their household are unwell with symptoms consistent with
  Covid-19. These symptoms are:
   •   Fever
   •   Dry Cough
   •   Shortness of breath
   •   Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
• Delta Variant Symptoms
   • Headache, sore throat and blocked or runny nose
• Daily Health Check
• Common sense and a safety-first approach must be taken, this will mean
  that pupils should get stay at home until they have been tested for CV19

What happens if I am feeling unwell or
displaying Covid-19 symptoms?
• If a student is feeling unwell or displaying COVID19 symptoms
   • They are to go to the secretary’s office and a member of staff will take care of
     them. Where a student is displaying symptoms of COVID-19, the COVID-19
     Response Plan sets out steps the schools should take.
• If a student or students test positive for Covid-19 what will happen?
   • Once we are notified of a positive case we will work with and be advised by
     the HSE in relation to contact tracing and procedures for dealing with cases.

Measures to reduce spread of Covid-19
• Measures to be implemented in school to minimize the risk of the
  introduction of infection are:
   •   Regular and good hand hygiene
   •   Good respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
   •   Enhanced cleaning regimes
   •   Maintaining physical distancing in the classroom and within schools
   •   Face masks are compulsory

Before School / Period 1 / After School
• Before School
   • Once you enter the school building you must wear your face mask and sanitize your
     hands
   • The main entrance to the school is the only entrance that will be open and must be
     used by all pupils.
   • Except students arriving on buses, all other students are asked to arrive no earlier
     than 8.50am
   • After visiting your locker, students are asked to go straight to your Tutor Base Room.
     The same applies for all class groups upon your return.
   • You will be given instructions regarding your timetable.
• After School
   • At the end of the school day, pupils should leave the school premises promptly.

Lockers
• The distribution of lockers to students is organised in such a way as to
  promote social distancing.
   • However, there will be occasions where students will need to stand back and be
     patient in order to safely access their locker.
• Students must go straight to their lockers on arrival to school in the
  mornings.
   • Where possible, students must ensure that they have all their materials (including
     food for small break) taken from their lockers for the full school day.
• Students are not permitted to be at their lockers at small break or between
  classes.
• Students are permitted, on a limited basis, to go to their lockers during
  class and during lunch break.

Toilets
• Students are permitted, on a limited basis, to go to toilets during
  class.
• Students are not to enter toilets between classes.
• During breaks, a maximum of three students may use the bathroom
  at any one time.
• A Students should sanitise hands before entering and wash hands
  thoroughly before leaving the bathroom.

Overspill
• DES guidelines on 1M social distancing require that not all pupils in
  some class groups can be present in the same room. This is
  dependent on the room capacity.
   • The procedures for overspill will be as follows:
      • Firstly, your teacher will take a roll of your entire class.
      • On a rotational basis your teacher will send the overspill students to the designated
        overspill area (canteen).
      • Your teacher will ensure that you are engaged in class work by one of the following
        means:
      • Work provided through TEAMS which you can access through your phone
      • Handouts given to all pupils leaving the classroom

Procedures to follow at the beginning / end of
class periods
• When you are arriving / leaving a room you need to use your personal
  supply of wipes to:
   • Clean down the areas of your chair that your hands will have come in to
     contact with
   • Clean down the surface of your desk
   • Clean down all practical equipment
   • Dispose of wipes in bins provided
   • Your lesson will usually finish 5 minutes before the bell to allow time:
   • For your teacher to show you how to locate your homework / assignments on
     TEAMS
   • For you to wipe down your desk workspace and classroom equipment used.
     Wipes to be disposed in bins provided.

Procedures during your Small Break and
Lunch
• Staggered Breaks will be in operation.
• TY; 5th and 6th year students can bring their own lunch and will also be
  permitted to leave the school grounds during small break and lunch
  time to purchase their lunch.
• Weather permitting, students will be asked to go outside during all
  break times and avail of:
   • The walking track
   • The outdoor benches
• Avoid Congregating

Inclement Weather
• We would ask students to bring umbrellas and rain jackets so that
  they can still go outside on days that are a little wet.
• However, we will have certain days that going outside will simply not
  be an option. On these days, students will have their lunches in their
  classrooms.
• SMT will organize supervision during your break in the classroom.

One Way Systems
• The one-way system will continue to operate around the school and
  must be observed by all pupils.

Other Considerations
• School & PE Uniform
   • All students will have to wear a school uniform as normal.
   • School uniform does not have to be washed each evening and there is no advice to
     that effect.
   • Where students have PE (Physical Education) on their timetable, they will wear their
     tracksuit/PE gear to school for the day. No requirement to wear their full uniform on
     PE days.
• Practical Subjects
   • Practical classes will go ahead as normal; however, students will not be allowed to
     share equipment and all school equipment will be cleaned / sanitised at the end of
     each class by students.
   • Students should have their own equipment/materials as required e.g. Art packs, TG
     boxes.

PPE
• Personal responsibility will play a huge roll in our response to living
  with Covid-19.
   • All pupils are to have their own stock of re-usable face coverings, anti-
     bacterial wipes and hand sanitiser.
   • The school will have supplies of same but are not able to supply to all pupils
     on an on-going basis.

Restricted Access to the School
• Pupils signing in Late
   • Sign the late book like before
   • No pen to be left on the table.
   • Hands to be sanitized before and after
• Pupils signing out
   • Parents are not to enter the school building without an appointment time from the school
     office.
   • If pupils are being collected during the day for routine appointments
   • Parents need to send an email to the school office the day before giving the relevant details –
     stoliverpostprimary@lmetb.ie, or Parents can ring the school office between 9.30-10.00am
     on the day.
   • Parents will need to remain in their car and ring the office staff who will send the pupil out to
     the carpark.
   • All collections must coincide with the change of class time to avoid students waiting in
     numbers at the school office e.g., 9.am 10.25am and so on.

Pupils going home unwell
• Possible symptoms of Covid-19
   •   Pupil to be brought to school office by staff member
   •   Parent to be contacted by Admin Staff and pupil collected asap.
   •   Pupil to stand outside if happy to do so. Can go into Isolation room either.
   •   Text message to be sent to parent re return to school form (SMT)
• If not Covid Symptoms
   • Pupil to stand outside if happy to do so. Can stay in the GPA either.
   • Parent to be contacted by Admin Staff and pupil collected asap.

School Transport
• School buses will run similar to last year
   • Buses will start to run on Thursday 26th August
   • Aiming to be at 50% capacity
   • The school plays no role in the organisation of the school transport scheme:
     Bus Éireann are in charge of that.
   • Pupils using school transport should remember the following:
      • Maintain physical distancing while waiting for transport
      • Always sit in pre-assigned seating and next to a sibling or child from your class group
        (this should be the same child at all times)
      • Use hand sanitiser on boarding the bus
      • Always observe respiratory etiquette while waiting for and on-board transport services
      • Disembark the bus one by one in an orderly fashion

Discipline
• Now more than ever we need all pupils to follow the school rules and
  the instructions of their teachers.
• Any pupil who do not follow public health guidelines and in school
  protocols in relation to Covid-19 will be subject to the sanctions
  listed in our Code of Behaviour up to and including expulsion.

Delighted to welcome back pupils