Príomh Oide

The Government has published advice in the form of FAQs for parents

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The Government and HSE  have  published advice in the form of FAQs for parents and a 2 page poster, around all aspects of
returning to school for the children. These websites might help
alleviate any forms of COVID-19 anxieties among parents and children in relation to school. 

 

https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/partner-resources/covid-19-schools-and-parents-resources/back-to-school-advice-for-parents.pdf

 

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/389bd-topics-being-raised-on-the-back-to-school-helpline/

Schools Pathway for Covid-19, the Public Health approach .

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Dear Principal,

https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/primarycareguidance/adviceriskassessmentandmanagementofpatients/

School reopening is now underway following months of intensive planning and effort by school management and staff.  The Department of Education has been working with education partners and wider stakeholders to support the system to meet the challenges of reopening and keeping schools open during this very difficult time.  The Department has the responsibility to ensure that school reopening has been informed at all times by the latest public health advice and essential to that has been the engagement and communication with the Department of Health and the HSE.  As you are aware, the guidance issuing from this Department as part of the Roadmap for Reopening has been underpinned by the recommendations of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the Chief Medical Officer.

 

We all want to keep the school system open and operating as fully as possible as we continue to live with the Covid-19 pandemic.  The Department of Health and the HSE has been working to develop a Schools pathway document for Covid-19, setting out the Public Health approach to managing isolated confirmed cases of Covid-19 within the school community, and also the principles that will underpin the management of outbreaks or potential outbreaks and the aligned testing strategy within an educational facility.  

 

Please note the following key points:

 

  • The response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of Covid-19 in the community or in a school is the responsibility of and will be led and managed by Public Health HSE. All decisions as to appropriate actions following a confirmed case or outbreak will be made by their teams in the context of a full Public Health Risk Assessment procedure according to the principles set out in the document attached.  Any actions to be taken by the school will be communicated directly by Public Health HSE.  School management will be informed as and when such actions such as exclusion of children or staff; partial or full closure, are deemed necessary on public health grounds.  If the school is not so informed, it has not been deemed necessary by Public Health. 

 

  • It is inevitable that with confirmed cases of Covid-19 circulating within the community, there will be suspect or confirmed cases amongst pupils and staff attending, or working within, educational facilities.

 

  • However, children will also continue to display symptoms of many other circulating respiratory viruses. It is known that young children often have a persistent cold. A child with a blocked or runny nose, but no fever can attend school but if they require paracetamol or ibuprofen, they must stay at home for 48 hours and parents or guardians should contact the GP to assess whether a test is required. 

 

  • If a child displays symptoms which may be consistent with Covid-19, the school should contact their parent or guardian and ask them to collect their child as soon as possible. The child should be cared for appropriately by a staff member whilst they are waiting to go home. 
 

  The staff member who has cared for the child with symptoms during this time does not need to go home unless subsequently advised to by Public Health HSE.

  • At this stage, no further action by the school is required.

 

  • In particular, schools are asked to note that they should not inform other parents or staff members that a pupil or staff member has gone home due to their symptoms. Other pupils or staff do not need to be removed from class, including siblings or other household members.

 

  • When the GP of the child or staff member has assessed the symptoms to be consistent with Covid-19 infection, e.g. fever OR a new cough, shortness of breath, deterioration of existing respiratory condition OR symptoms of aguesia or dysgeusia (essentially loss of or changes to the sense of taste) and the person is referred for a test, at this point the person becomes a suspected Covid 19 case and household members including siblings should be withdrawn from school by their parent or guardian.

 

  • Where no evidence of Covid-19 is detected by the test, the child or staff member should remain at home only until he or she is clinically well enough to return to school (unless specifically requested by HSE to do otherwise). In particular, all diarrhoea symptoms need to have been resolved for 48 hours prior to return to school.  Household members can return to school immediately following the receipt by the parent or guardian or staff member of a “not detected” result.

 

  • When a case has been confirmed, the Medical Officer of Health and teams will liaise directly with the school and inform them of the confirmed case as necessary and will undertake a Public Health Risk Assessment to inform any further actions and recommendations.

 

  • Core to this assessment will be the likelihood of onward transmission from the confirmed case and will be informed by an urgent discussion with the school to establish any appropriate isolation for identified staff or pupils. Every school setting is unique and therefore the risks will be unique too, for example they will vary according to whether they are e.g. Special educational needs settings, primary or secondary or boarding schools and other factors specific to each school.  This may include the effectiveness of the implementation of recommended HPSC risk mitigation measures and a range of other considerations. 

 

  • The definition of close contacts within a school will be variable and determined by a risk assessment that will take account of individual factors within each school or class. It will not be automatically assumed that a whole class will be deemed as close contacts.   Close contacts will be directly notified by the HSE and advised to restrict their movements and present for testing on day zero and day seven.  Close contacts will restrict their movements for 14 days even in the event that Covid 19 is not detected in both of these tests. 

 

  • There is no blanket policy to test entire classes or years. The testing strategy will be aligned to the Public Health Risk Assessment which may recommend widespread swabbing within a class or school under HSE mass testing procedures. 

Regards,

 

Deirdre Shanley

 

Deirdre Shanley

Rúnaí Cúnta/ Assistant Secretary
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Reopening School Section

T 057 932 4461

reopeningschools@education.gov.ie

An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna
Department of Education and Skills

HSE Covid 19 Advice for parents

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COVID-19 Advice for parents 

Symptoms to look out for and when to contact your GP Schools are back and the winter season is ahead of us. Every year, schoolchildren get colds, flu and other infections. This time, coronavirus (COVID-19) is with us. 

Here is a guide on what symptoms to look out for and what to do if your child is unwell. 

When to keep your child at home and phone your GP 

Do not send your child to school or childcare if any of the following is true. 

Your child has: 

  • a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more 
  • any other common symptoms of coronavirus such as a new cough, loss or changed sense of taste or smell, or shortness of breath 
  • been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus 
  • been living with someone who is unwell and may have coronavirus 

You will need to: 1. Isolate your child. This means keeping them at home and completely avoiding contact with other people, as much as possible. Your child should only leave your home to have a test or to see your GP. 2. Phone your GP. They will advise you if your child needs a coronavirus test. 3. Everyone that your child lives with should also restrict their movements, at least until your child 

gets a diagnosis from their GP or a coronavirus test result. This means not going to school, childcare or work. 4. Treat your child at home for their symptoms. 

When it’s okay to send your child to school or childcare 

It’s usually okay to send your child to school or childcare if they: 

  • only have nasal symptoms, such as a runny nose or a sneeze 
  • do not have a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more (as long as their temperature has not been lowered by taking any form of paracetamol or ibuprofen) 
  • do not have a cough 
  • have not been in close contact with anyone who has coronavirus 
  • do not live with anyone who is unwell and may have coronavirus 
  • have been told by a GP that their illness is caused by something else, that is not coronavirus. Your GP will tell you when they can return to school or childcare 
  • have got a negative (‘not detected’) coronavirus test result and have not had symptoms for 48 hours 

Most of the time, you do not need to phone your GP if a runny nose or sneezing are your child’s only symptoms. Talk to your pharmacist instead. 

Preventing the spread of illness 

Help children to understand and to follow this advice: 

Don’t share food at lunch or other times 

Flu vaccine 

This year, all children aged 2 to 12 years will be offered the children’s nasal flu vaccine free of charge. See hse.ie/flu Wash their hands 

Don’t share regularly 

toys 

More information 

Go to hse.ie/coronavirus for more information. This includes advice on the following: 

  • protecting your child from coronavirus 
  • if your child has symptoms of coronavirus 
  • getting urgent medical advice if your child is very unwell 
  • children with underlying health conditions 
  • explaining coronavirus to your child 
  • how your child should wash their hands 
  • caring for a child isolating and self-isolation 
  • treating coronavirus symptoms at home 
  • bringing your child to a test centre and test results 

For updates visit 

www.gov.ie/health-covid-19 www.hse.ie 

Published: August 2020 

Use tissues or elbows to cover their coughs and sneezes 

Keep their distance from people who are sneezing or coughing 

Ireland’s public health advice is guided by WHO and ECDC advice

An Roinn Sláinte Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Officer 

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An Roinn Sláinte Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Officer 

31/08/2020 

Open letter from Acting Chief Medical Officer to parents & guardians of school 

children and to teachers and affiliated school staff 

To parents and guardians of school children in Ireland, 

I am very aware that many of you are worried about the reopening of schools and the associated risk of COVID–19 for your children. This concern is natural and is to be fully expected after a period of six months during which we have all had to adapt to the challenges posed by COVID–19. 

The decision to reopen schools has not been taken lightly and has been based on guidance produced by international bodies including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC); scientific evidence regarding the risk of COVID–19 in school children and staff; the experience of other countries that have not closed, or have reopened, their schools; our own experience having reopened childcare settings and summer camps since June; and evidence regarding the importance of school for the overall health and wellbeing of children. 

International evidence shows us that child–to–child and child–to–adult transmission of COVID–19 in schools is uncommon. In addition, our own experience to date in Ireland, and indeed that reported internationally, demonstrates that for the overwhelming majority of children who are diagnosed with COVID–19, their symptoms will be mild. 

The importance of schools for the overall health and wellbeing of children cannot be overstated, and the risk of COVID–19 has been carefully weighed against the very real harm that can be caused by sustained school closures. Schools play a fundamental role in the social life of children; they are where children are educated, make friends, share interests, learn social skills like self–confidence and empathy, and participate in sport and cultural activities. 

Of course, as we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic, there are no zero risk options for reopening schools or indeed any other environment; the aim, therefore, is to reopen in as safe a way as possible by ensuring that all appropriate public health measures such as physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene are implemented where appropriate. 

Bloc 1, Plaza Míseach, 50 – 58 Sráid Bhagóid lochtarach, Baile Átha Cliath 2, DO2 XW14 Block 1, Miesian Plaza, 50 – 58 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, D02 XW14 www.health.gov.ie | info@health.gov.ie 

Schools are at the heart of our communities and the best way to protect them is to keep the level of COVID–19 in the community low. As parents and guardians, you can play a key role in this, both through your own actions and through the influence that you have on your family and friends. If all of us continue to make small changes to the way we live, we can – together – starve this virus of opportunities to transmit. 

While it is okay to send your child to school or childcare if they only have a runny nose or a sneeze, if you have any concerns that your child has symptoms of COVID–19 – fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell – then please keep them at home until you have spoken with your GP by phone. Lots more information is available at gov.ie/backtoschool and hse.ie. 

There will be cases of COVID–19 among children over the coming days and weeks, as there have been throughout this pandemic to date. But when this happens our public health teams in the HSE will respond and liaise closely with the school involved and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to protect other students and school staff. 

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all you have done to keep your family and our communities safe over the past seven months. I also want to thank all teachers, principals and school staff who have worked so hard to ensure that our schools are ready to reopen – it is just one more example of the incredible solidarity that has defined the way in which people all across the country have come together to play their part in getting us through this pandemic. 

Dr. Ronan Glynn 

Acting Chief Medical Officer 

IMC 343604

New Information From the DES for Parents and Students

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We (DES) have updated gov.ie/backtoschool with new materials for parents and for students. These are designed to be age-appropriate and have been developed in consultation with children and young people and parents. I am grateful to everyone who has participated in giving us this feedback and support and I hope you find them useful. 

I would be grateful for your support in ensuring that parents receive the following, important information from the Department and the HSE with regard to returning to school. Links to each of these are in the attached document, so that it is as easy as possible for you to send on the relevant items to your school community: 

  • Video for parents with key information on supporting children to return to school . 
  • Fliers for parents – these are attached in this email but are also available for download here. The HSE has prepared material on recognising symptoms, which complements the material from the Department on returning to school. 
  • Age-appropriate videos for children and young people at different stages. Videos for primary (both junior and senior level) and post-primary students . 
  • Resources in a wide range of languages. Many schools will enjoy a huge diversity among their student and parent community. To support these parents, we have translated guidance for parents at gov.ie/backtoschool. 

The Covid-19 World Service project has also consulted with the Department and has used our key messages to produce a range of videos in a variety of languages which your school community may find helpful – please see more at https://nascireland.org/covid-19-world-service 

Yours faithfully 

______________________________ Norma Foley TD Minister for Education 

Important Links

 

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2d3af-advice-during-covid-19-back-to-school-advice-for-parents/

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/40e9c-protecting-your-child-from-coronavirus/

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a04fc-advice-for-students-and-their-families/

Parent Information 23rd August

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23rd August 2020

Dear Parent / Guardian

RE: Fáilte ar ais

The Board of Management and School Staff are looking forward to welcoming all our pupils and parents / guardians back to school for the 2020/2021 school year over the two days Thursday 27th and Friday 28th August.

We are satisfied that we have control measures in place to ensure that this will be a safe re-opening.  It will take some time for all of us to get used to the “new circumstances” as we become familiar with the new routines and procedures designed to keep everyone safe and to prevent the spread of the virus.  There will, undoubtedly, be some unforeseen challenges and we will deal with these as they arise.

We would like to thank you for your co-operation in making preparations to date and look forward to working with you as we assist the children, to  adapt to the new routines and necessary changes.  We are also conscious of the fact that our pupils have not been in school since March and that they are looking forward to coming back to school to meet their friends again.  We are aware that our new pupils are beginning a school year at a challenging time and have made plans to ensure that their arrival will be as free from stress as possible.

If making an online bank  payment, please put your child’s name in the remittance information.

Please note the following important message from Louth County Council

‘’Dear Patricia,

 Further to the new Covid-19 restrictions imposed by the Government earlier this week, some members of the community have been asked to limit their interactions to a small network of people. As a result of this several of our School Wardens (including the warden at CBS), will be unavailable to provide School Warden cover at your school when the pupils return.

 Please be aware that we are currently in the process of recruiting new School Wardens and hope to be in a position to provide cover in the coming weeks. 

The situation for those members of the community who have been asked to limit their interactions will be reviewed on 13th September to take in to account the latest HSE advice’’.

Regards

 Adrian O’Sullivan

Road Safety Officer

Louth County Council

 

le meas,

 

_Deirdre Kerr                                    _                                                                 Patricia Mc Keever

  Cathaoirleach, An Bórd Bainistíochta                                                                             Príomhoide

 

 

Parent Information 18th August

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 18th August2020

Dear Parent / Guardian, 

RE: Drop-off and Collection Routines

The BoM and the School Leadership Team have been working to ensure a safe return to school for all pupils and staff next week.   We have now finalised our plans for drop-off and collection of the children every day. 

CBS Primary appreciates your support as we try to safely reopen the school building. We request you do not  come onto the school grounds or into the school building unless it is essential. A drop off at the school gate is desirable. Working together we hope to be able to progress the reopening in as safe a manner as possible for all.

We would ask all parents to familiarise themselves with the  drop-off and collection routines for the safe delivery and collection of pupils from school.  Please be patient as we endeavour to embed these necessary precautionary and protective practices at the beginning of the school year.

 

It is imperative that

  • adults do not come within 2m of each other at drop off or pick up time.
  • parents do not try to have meetings with members of staff in the playground at drop-off and collection times – meetings between parents and teachers can only take place by prior arrangement.(This may have to be more restrictive depending on guidance –  the recommendation is  for remote meetings/telephonic communications.)
  • all parents adhere to the drop-off and collection plans as outlined in the logistics plan (posted 17th August) . If you do not receive a logistics plan by Friday 21st August, please email the school at     office@cbsprimarydundalk.ie    and we will email you a copy.

le meas,

 

Deirdre Kerr                                                                                                            Patricia Mc Keever

  Cathaoirleach, An Bórd Bainistíochta                                                                              Príomhoide

 

 

 

Letter to All Parents

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6th August 2020

Dear Parent / Guardian

RE: Re-opening of CBS Primary Dundalk

I hope you and your families are keeping well.

As you are aware, our school has now been closed since 12th March due to the COVID-19 situation.  We are now hoping to re-open our school safely, in line with current guidance and recommendations.

Re-opening the school safely will require the co-operation of all members of our School Community – BoM, School Leadership, Staff, Parents and Pupils. We will all be called on to play our part in ensuring that re-opening of the school is done in a safe manner which prevents the spread of the virus and allows the vital work of Teaching and Learning to proceed with as little disruption as possible.

We have been working on our plan for the safe reopening of the school for some weeks now and have added the links below to the  DES COVID-19 Response Plan for the safe and sustainable reopening of Primary and Special Schools on our school website.  The Response Plan gives details of

  • Physical preparation, signage, hand sanitiser stations,
  • Advice, procedures and training for the safe return to working in the school for all school staff and pupils
  • General and specific advice on how all pupils, staff, parents and visitors will prevent the spread of the virus

We will soon publish our COVID-19 Policy Statement on the school website. Our BoM will keep you informed as to the progress of our re-opening plans and provide you with the information required by you to play your part in safely re-opening the school.

We are really looking forward to welcoming our children back to school and will be doing all that we can to ensure that the return to school is a safe and enjoyable experience for the children. We will be in touch with you again before school re-opens.

 

 

Le meas

 

___Deirdre Kerr____                                                    ___Patricia Mc Keever

  Cathaoirleach, An Bhóird Bainistíochta                                  Príomhoide

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following websites provide further information on COVID-19 and on government advice and recommendations regarding the re-opening of schools: –

 

First Communion CBS 2020

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Dear Parents/Guardians,

We have received a date for First Communion for the 2nd classes.

Date: Saturday 19th September in St Patrick’s Cathedral Dundalk

With current restrictions in the church both classes will receive the sacrament at separate masses.

12:30pm: Mr Jones current 2nd class

2pm :        Ms Conroy’s current 2nd class.

First Penance will take place in the school(during the day) prior to 19th September.

Due to current restrictions, the sacrament will be a scaled down version of our ”normal” First Communion and and it will be a mass for the children and their parents, for the children to receive their First Communion.

Unfortunately the normal return visit to the school after mass will not be possible this year.

This date is confirmed , provided there is no escalation in the spread of Covid 19 and providing there has been no ”tightening” of restrictions.

As we get more details we will let you know immediately.

 

SCHOOL TEXT SYSTEM

Some parents appear to be having difficulty with the school texts.

If you are not receiving texts can you please email the school at     office@cbsprimarydundalk.ie 

Please include your phone number in the email, and we will double check that we have the correct  number on the system.

We will be sending texts over the coming weeks in relation to school reopening and book lists/money.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

 

Kind regards

Patricia Mc Keever

 

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