Back to School

Reopening St. Brigid’s Senior Girls’

We are looking forward to welcoming all of the children back to school next week. Please read the following letter carefully as it has important information regarding a safe return to school. We are trying out new procedures and it is all very much a work in progress as we learn what works best. We appreciate your support as we do our best to work within the guidelines provided by the Government and adapt to changes as needed.

• Please do not send your child to school if they are feeling unwell. They must stay at home.
• Children should bring only a water bottle in their schoolbag.. Books, workbooks and copies will not be going home on a daily basis.

Arrival and Dismissal

• Each Morning, we will be using a one-way system to enter into the school grounds – everyone must enter the school via the pedestrian gate at St. Brigid’s Infant School.
• Everyone must walk around the perimeter of the school yard and exit through the St. Brigid’s Senior School exit.
• We will be staggering arrival times so that classes are not passing each other unnecessarily.

Each group should aim to arrive at the school in the 5 minutes immediately preceding their start time.

• We ask for co-operation with these times as it will mean that the numbers congregating on school grounds at any one time will be minimised.
  Children from 3rd – 6th class should walk to their yard on their own.
• Each class should line up at their designated point with social distancing observed.
• The class teacher will collect the classes.
• No adults, other than staff members, should enter the building.
• Messages for teachers can be sent by email or by phoning the school office.
• Children from 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th classes are asked to come in from the school gate unaccompanied (without a parent or minder) using the one-way pedestrian system.
• Social distancing must be adhered to at all times in the car park and in all school grounds
• Children will be discouraged from hugging, shaking hands, doing high 5’s and making any other physical contact in greeting – other forms of greeting should be discussed and practiced at home in preparation for this.
• Every class has already been divided into smaller groups or pods –this was arranged by their teacher from last year in consultation with the SEN team and the principal and approved by the Board of Management.
• All resources will be used in the school to allow for social distancing in the senior classes as per Department Guidelines.

Hygiene

• Children will be asked to wash their hands thoroughly when they enter into the classroom, after going to the toilet, before or after playing, before eating and after they sneeze or wipe their nose.
• There is hand sanitiser available in every room in the school and at all entrances.
• Children will be taught appropriate health etiquette such as coughing into their elbow and not to touch their faces if at all possible.
• There will be visual reminders of hygiene etiquette around the school.
• Children are asked to sanitise their hands before opening a door.
• As much as possible resources will not be shared in school. If resources need to be shared they will be shared within pods or they will be sanitised before another person touches them.
  Lunch Time
• There will be two different lunch breaks arranged to reduce the number of pupils on the yard at one time.
• There will be 15 minutes on the yard for both small and big lunch.
• Children will not be able to go to the toilet during yard time as they cannot be supervised at this time (except in exceptional circumstances such as a health condition which has been previously discussed and agreed with the principal).
• The children will have a 10 minute break before going out to give them time to wash hands, eat lunch and go to the toilet.
• Children will be encouraged to play with children from their own pod in the yard.
• Break times are very important. We don’t want the children sitting indoors for long periods. Please ensure your child comes to school with a raincoat and waterproof shoes. The children will be out in the fresh air as much as possible.
• Children will need to bring all rubbish from their lunch home with them.