Pay Online14/09/20
A thuismitheoirí & a cháirde,
Tá fáilte mhór rómhaibh ar fad ar ais go Ghaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn don scoil bhliain 2020 -2021. Tá súil agam go bhfuil sibh ar fad slán sábháilte tar éis an briseadh fada agus go bhfuil sibh ullamh anois don bhliain nua atá romhainn.
Tá an áthas orainn go bhfuil ár scoil ag feidhmiú arís! Tá obair na bliana tosnaithe anois. Tá na páistí agus na múinteoirí socraithe isteach sna seomraí nua agus tá gach duine dírithe ar an bhfoghlam.
A very warm welcome back to the 2020/21 school year and we are very glad to welcome our children back to Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn. It has been a pleasure to watch and listen to the children’s voices as they settle back into our school. We would like to wish a special welcome to the parents/guardians and pupils of Máire P. and Máire L’s Naíonáin Bheaga. Our new Naíonáin Bheaga are doing particularly well settling in and we are very proud of them all. I would particularly like to welcome new staff, Gearóid Mac Gearailt Rang 3 and Conchúr Ó Suilleabháin R4 who have joined our staff this year and Naoise Ní Mhathúna SNA who has also joined our staff since the start of the new year and will be with us for the coming weeks at least. I would also like to welcome back Múinteoir Anna who has been on maternity leave with baby Harrison. Congratulations to all the gorgeous babies who have been born since our closure, Múinteoir Cristín and baby Clodagh, Múinteoir Niamh Dan and babies Saoirse and Odhran, Darius and baby Jonathon. We also wish Múinteoir Rebecca well over the coming weeks in anticipation of her new arrival. We would like to wish our former Rang 6 pupils, who have now entered Secondary School, the very best in their new schools.
Thank you to all parents/guardians and children who have accommodated our new arrival and departure protocols. They are necessary for the safety of all. Please continue to adhere to social distancing while outside the school grounds and please drop children at the gates in the morning and allow them to walk in. Staff are dotted along the arrival and departure routes. We also recommend that you arrange a convenient, agreed meeting point for your child after school. This avoids crowding at the gates. We are very proud of all our children who are following the various protocols that we have implemented to help us keep our students and staff safe. They have adapted so well and you as parents and guardians should also be very proud of them.
Curriculum:
As communicated to you over the past number of weeks, the focus of our teaching and learning is around revision. Not only will we be revising the core subjects English, Gaeilge and Maths but we also have some catching up to do in relation to SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education), RSE (Relationship and Sexuality Education) as well as the introduction of our Weaving Wellbeing Programme. Class teachers have also been providing no homework to the children in an effort to ease the transition back to school. Over the coming weeks, more structured homework activities will be provided. It is important to note that Homework might not always be corrected the next day, due to the fact that any books/copies etc brought from outside of the school must be left for a period of time before they can be fully sanitised and checked. We appreciate your cooperation while we learn these new routines. Finally, if children are absent from school at this time with colds, flus or awaiting COVID-19 Testing etc, class teachers cannot provide work to be completed at home.
School Books:
Could you please ensure that all book bills have been paid through our school website on www.gortalainn.ie.
If you have not done so already can you, please return any book rental books that were used at home during the school closure. We are asking you to return books in a sealed bag with your child’s name and the date of return clearly labelled on the bag. These books are necessary for the children to complete revision over the coming weeks. Final date for return is Friday 18th September.
Covid 19
We are asking all parents/guardians to make themselves familiar with our covid response plan which was sent to you before school reopened and which is also on our website https://www.gortalainn.ie/schoolnotes/nota-25-lunasa-2020-athoscailt-gaelscoil-an-ghoirt-alainn/ . We will continue to review our Return to School Plan and will keep you updated. Please be assured that the health, safety and well-being of our pupils continues to be our priority in Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn. The plan clearly outlines our approach to dealing with Covid-19 within our school and how we, as a school, reduce risk and implement safer practices.
We encourage all families to ensure that;
- Your child is familiar with hand-washing etiquette and the use of hand sanitisers.
- You inform the school if you, your child or any family member has been in contact with somebody diagnosed with Covid-19. Child must not be sent to school.
- You inform the school if you have travelled to any of the countries outside the Government Green List within the last 2 weeks. Child must not be sent to school.
- You are aware of the symptoms:
- High temperature
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
- Sudden Loss of smell, of taste or distortion of taste
By following these simple steps, we can keep all our children and staff safe.
HSE Isolation Quick Guide
The HSE have issued an Isolation quick guide to assist schools/parents/guardians in procedures involved before, during and after a Covid-19 Test. It is available at;
Parking:
Parking restrictions are in place on the road outside the school gates. Please park with caution, do not block any entrances to our neighbours’ houses and be mindful of children travelling in and out of the school premises. Please do not block any other parked cars. Our priority is children’s safety and we are asking parents/guardians to exercise due caution and to set a good example when parking.
Communication:
If you need to contact the office, please do so by telephone or email. We ask that if your child is unable to attend school for any reason that you fill out the absence form on our website https://www.gortalainn.ie/app/absent/ . Unexplained absences will be marked accordingly. We cannot permit unauthorised personnel inside past the reception area due to current restrictions. Due to the volume of parents/guardians around the school grounds each morning and evening, can we ask that you wear a face covering and adhere to social distancing while you wait. Thank you!
Focail Buíochais:
I want to take this opportunity to thank the staff of Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Álainn who stepped up during the school closure who delivered a Remote Learning Programme and who have, since the guidelines were issued at the end of July, worked with me to prepare our school for the safe return of our children. I am privileged to work with such a great team who strive always to ensure the best possible learning environment for our pupils. I wish to pay special tribute to Lisa our secretary and Bertie our caretaker who have been in school nearly every day throughout the school holidays. I also want to acknowledge the many messages of thanks and support from so many of our parents. These encouraging words have helped us immensely.
There are challenges ahead but with your continued support and by working together we will make it.
Wishing you all the very best in the year ahead.
Isolation quick guide –
applying to those aged greater than
3 months and up to 13th birthday
V1.0 01.09.2020
COVID-19 symptoms: Fever more than or equal to 38.0⁰C or new cough or shortness of breath or
anosmia, dysguesia or ageusia*
Self-isolation means staying indoors and completely avoiding contact with other people. This
includes other people in your household, as much as possible. It applies to people with proven or
suspected COVID-19.
Restricting movement means avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as
possible. It applies to those who are without symptoms but considered at higher risk of developing
COVID-19 because they were exposed to a particular risk.
Condition Person Others
1
Proven COVID-19 Self-isolate 14 days with last 5 days without a fever Close contacts restrict movements for 14 days
(after last contact with
case)
2
COVID-19 symptoms, not tested Self-isolate 14 days with last 5 days without a fever
Close contacts restrict
movements for 14 days
3
COVID-19 symptoms Self-isolate pending test result Members of the awaiting test (this includes household restrict patients with samples reported as movements pending
indeterminate/invalid until such test results time as repeat test is available or it has been determined that COVID-19 has been excluded on other grounds)
4
COVID-19 symptoms test result Follow medical advice. Restrictions no longer “Not Detected” Restrict movement until 48 needed hours symptom free
5
Some medical symptoms that may be COVID-19 Self-isolate pending assessment No restrictions until
related and awaiting medical assessment that medical assessment
day to determine if testing is required offers further direction.
6
Runny nose or other minor symptoms, no fever Keep home from school or No restrictions
equal to or greater than 38.0⁰C, no cough, no childcare for a period of 48
short of breath, no ill household contacts or hours to observe emerging
history of travel. condition
7
Runny nose or other minor symptoms, no fever Self-isolate pending assessment Members of the
equal to or greater than 38.0⁰C, no cough, no household restrict
shortness of breath, but does have history of movements pending
travel or household members with symptoms of assessment
COVID-19
8
Runny nose, not unwell, good form, good energy Can go to school No restrictions
and normal appetite, no fever, not requiring
paracetamol, ibuprofen or any other antipyretic
9
No symptoms, close contact of a proven case Restrict movements for 14 No restrictions
days, testing as advised.
10 Travel from non “Green-List” country Restrict movements for 14 No restrictions unless
days, self-isolate and test if the person who has
develops symptoms returned develops
symptoms.
*loss of sense of smell, or loss of sense of taste or distortion of sense of taste
