Dear Parent/Guardian,
As you are aware Covid 19 is prevalent in the wider community at the present time and as a result it is likely that some members of the school community will test positive for it over time. If this situation arises, the school follows the direction of the HSE at all times. As a school, we have numerous measures in place to minimise the risk of Covid spreading to students while in the school building. Please see below for the measures/procedures we have put in place to help in minimising that risk. In order for these measures to be successful, we ask that you encourage your son/daughter to follow all procedures while in school. Should your son/daughter experience any symptoms please do not send them to school but contact your GP. Please click here for more general advice re Covid 19- Covid Information sheet.pdf
Measures/Procedures Currently in Place
- All students must wear masks at all times in school except when eating
- When eating students should be at least 1 metre away from everyone else and should not be walking around. Masks are to be worn as soon as students have finished eating.
- Sanitizer at main exit and entry points - students should sanitize on entry to and exit from the building
- Sanitizer in all classrooms - students should sanitize on entry and exit
- Pens, books, calculators etc. should never be shared
- Hand sanitizer in queueing areas for canteen
- Signage across the building re hand hygiene etc.
- All tables/chairs are sanitized with antibacterial cleaner and disposable cleaning roll when students are leaving the classroom
- Pedal bins provided for disposal of waste cleaning materials
- Antibacterial wipes for cleaning equipment after use in practical rooms
- Practical subject area have developed practices to minimise sharing of equipment
- Practical rooms/lockers are disinfected daily with a fogging machine that spray a mist of disinfectant over large areas
- Provided practical subject areas with their own disinfectant spraying machines to facilitate cleaning of equipment
- Additional footpaths created to facilitate easier access to and from the building
- Lunch breaks split so only 3 year groups are on lunch or break at any one time - these 3 groups are split between two buildings
- Removed corridor seating to reduce students gathering in groups
- The covered walkway between the two schools allows for students to be in the open air yet sheltered from the elements
- Reduced numbers in classrooms in line with Dept. of Education guidelines
- Canteen furniture has been reduced and remaining furniture is clearly marked to indicate where students should or should not sit
- Students allowed to have lunch in their rooms to facilitate social distancing
- Employed extra supervisors to monitor students at the lunch breaks
- Employed additional cleaners to clean commonly touched surfaces throughout the school day including toilets/sinks door handles etc.
- Doors on corridors are held open to avoid students having to touch them
- Employed additional cleaners after school to clean both buildings
- Partition between rooms 19 and 19A removed in order to create one larger room, where physical distancing is easier to achieve.
- Partition between rooms 20 and 20A removed in order to create one larger room, where physical distancing is easier to achieve.
- Room 22 has been converted into an ordinary classroom with the tiered seating removed as this is more conducive to social distancing.
- Room 15 has been stripped of all fixed benches for computers and therefore turned into a much larger room.
- Floor signage has been put in place to ensure distance between students at queues for canteen and also to make sure they walk on the left in all corridors, thus minimising face to face contacts and proximity.
- Cabinets/shelving etc. was removed from classrooms and corridors.
- Cleaning supplies table put in place in each classroom.
- Perspex screens in each classroom at the teacher desks
- Significantly reduced seating from staff rooms
- Perspex screens put in place on tables in staff rooms
- Reorganisation of the locker system to ensure lockers are spread across the school to avoid congestion in any one area
- Removal of lockers from narrow corridors
- Lockers are to be used on a minimum basis
- Purchased additional lockers so lockers units are not full thereby reducing congestion near lockers
- Base classes are based in home rooms and only move for optional subjects or room specific subjects.
- Tried in so far as is possible to contain year groups in one of the two buildings
- Staff asked to seat students from base classes close to each other in optional subjects
- Employed additional teaching staff to enable classes to be split where numbers are too high for rooms available
- Seating plans for all classes
- Students permitted to wear PE gear on days when they have PE class
- Reduced the number of visitors to the school and everyone has to fill a contact tracing form
- Drastically cut back on school trips and outings
- School Response plan in place and regularly monitored
- Covid procedures addressed during Pastoral Care and SPHE classes