REOPENING THE SCHOOL UPDATES and INFORMATION FOR PARENT/GUARDIANS AND STUDENTS
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through the planning and organisation of safely re-opening the school and welcoming back our students for the new school year.
We know you have lots of questions regarding the practicalities of re-opening and we hope the following information will answer some of the questions you may have and help to alleviate the uncertainty and anxiety in the preparation for the return to school in the next few weeks.
The school will be in contact with you again next week by text and e-mail (where we have your email address). Information will also be regularly updated on our school Facebook Page, School Website and your daughter’s Year Group Team folder. Other information may also be sent via post.
Please keep an eye on all our communication channels as evidence regarding Covid-19 and the epidemiological situation is evolving on a regular basis. We want to ensure that you are fully informed regarding planning for our return to school.
The school will be in contact with you again early next week with further details to ensure a safe and sustainable return to school for all in our school community.
So, for now, the following information should be useful for back to school preparations:
Return Dates and inductions for all year groups
• Definitive dates for the re-opening of school, to include induction for year groups, will be communicated to you by 21 August. They will be broadly similar to the dates sent to you in June. Please bear with us, as we need to ensure that all systems are in place for a safe return for all.
Uniform
• PE Gear: In keeping with public health advice and good practice, on the day that a student has timetabled PE; the student will be allowed to wear their PE gear to school. All other days, students will wear full uniform to school.
• Deodorants: Only roll on deodorant is permitted in school. Due to health and safety concerns, aerosol deodorants/perfumes are not permitted under any circumstances.
• Facemasks/Visors: It is now recommended that post- primary students wear face coverings as well as teachers and other school staff, like those worn in shops or on public transport, when a physical distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained.
Personal Covid Hygiene Kit
• We ask each student to have a Personal Covid Hygiene kit in their school bag. The school will have all recommended safety precautions and procedures in place (which includes hand sanitising stations throughout the school) However, we think it is a good idea that each student has their own supply.
• We advise that students have a plentiful supply of reusable facemasks, if using a cloth/fabric mask we recommend that a student has at least 3 for daily change and washing. Visors will also be acceptable should a student prefer.
The kit should contain:
o Hand Sanitiser
o Tissues
o Wipes
o A Facemask (a washable cloth one is perfectly acceptable) or Visor.
o Resealable plastic bag to pop the mask into when not in use.
Lockers and Books
• Lockers: On return to school and for the interim, lockers will not be available to students as they are on the school corridor and naturally could lead to students congregating closely together. This decision regarding non-use of the locker is to minimise contact and maximise social distancing and will be reviewed later in the term. Provision for storage of some student items will be provided.
• Books: On return to school, the students will be given direction in relation to school books.
Break Times and Canteen
• Break times and lunch times will be staggered. This means that only half of the school will access the canteen at any break/lunch period so that we can ensure social distancing. There will also be another location for students to eat lunch if necessary. As you know from our letter sent in June, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are restricting cash payments and moving to becoming a full cashless school. This year again, we have an online school payment facility via Debitrak, the details of which are on our school website at www.warrenmountsecondary.ie.
• There will be more information in relation to menu options and break time provision etc shortly.
Extra-Curricular Activities/Clubs
• We hope that some of these activities will be in operation. This includes after school homework club. There will be more details on our return to school.