The following websites provide further information on COVID-19 and on government advice and recommendations regarding the re-opening of schools: 1. Coronavirus 2. DES Guidelines 3. Back to School 4. Travel Advice
Covid-19 Guide for Parents
- School drop off 9.20a.m. to 9.30a.m.
- Stop, Drop and Go (Speed of Movement is Key)
- Children go directly to their fire exit classroom door where they will be received by their classroom teacher
- Everyone will use hand sanitiser provided on entry and exit
- Children and staff wash their hands regularly throughout the day using correct handwashing technique
- Children are asked to have a pencil case with all essentials labelled which will remain in school at all times.
- To collect a child during school hours, please contact the office first.
- Children will be in their class bubbles and pods with classrooms laid out in accordance with Department guidelines
- Each class bubble has their own designated space on yard.
- Our focus will be on finding where the children are at with their learning and then moving them forward.
- The school will be cleaned daily. Students will be required to leave their desk space and chair free of books and other materials at the end of the day, to facilitate daily cleaning
- If showing symptoms, pupil will be isolated in the designated isolation area and parents called. Parents will contact GP. Please ensure contact information is up-to-date.
- If a pupil has travelled outside of Ireland; in such instances pupils are advised to consult and follow latest Government advices in relation to foreign travel.
- Lunchboxes and water bottles, should only be used by one child and should be cleaned daily with regular household cleaning products.
- School bags should be cleaned regularly.
- School uniforms or clothes should be laundered regularly in line with usual good hygiene. If uniforms or clothes are visibly dirty or soiled, they should be laundered.
- Please ensure children have appropriate raingear as the children will be going out in order to ventilate classroom.
- Infants will leave at 2.00p.m. However, for the first week the new Junior Infants will go home at 12.00p.m. Parents of Junior and Senior Infants are asked to observe social distancing on the school yard where they can collect their child from the class teacher.
- At 3.10p.m. children from First Class to Sixth Class will be escorted by their class teachers in two lines, one for the front gate and one for the back gate for dismissal at the end of the day.
- Stop, Pick up and Leave (Flow of Movement is Key)
- Congregation of people at school gates should be strictly avoided.
- Parents are asked not to enter the school building unless it is absolutely necessary and are asked to make an appointment if they wish to speak to a teacher.
- All visitors to the school (parents included) are asked to sign a contact tracing log on entering the school building. All visitors are asked to socially distance at all times and to wear a face mask. They are also asked to sanitise their hands on entering and exiting the building.
- An e-payment system has been set up to reduce necessity to enter the office.
- It is paramount that parents not send their child to school if they feel unwell and are displaying symptoms of Covid-19.
- In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 it is important to know and recognise the symptoms of coronavirus (which includes the DELTA variant).Common symptoms of coronavirus include:
- A Fever (High temperature – 38⁰C or above)
- A new Cough – this can be any kind of cough, not just dry
- Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
- Loss of smell, of taste or distortion of taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
- Fatigue
- Aches and Pains
Other uncommon symptoms of coronavirus include:
-
- Sore Throat
- Headaches
- Runny or stuffy noses
- Feeling sick or vomiting
- Diaarrhoea
- If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 (coronavirus), self-isolate (stay in your room) and phone your family doctor straight away to see if you need a free COVID-19 test.
- Please email info@kilglassns.ie to confirm that you have read this. Please provide your name and the email address you wish to use for any correspondence from the school. Your email will be used for future contact by the school.
Information for Students and Parents
Please find Back to School Advice from the Department of Education. Follow the links provided below for more information. Please be assured that the staff of Kilglass National School will be focused on finding where the children are at with their learning and then moving them forward. We will be focused on the children’s wellbeing and promoting:
- a sense of safety
- a sense of calm
- a sense of belonging and connectedness
- a sense of self-efficacy and community-efficacy
- a sense of hope
Back to School in September 2021
The following are some wellbeing advice and resources developed by NEPS for parents: The following links provide additional information:A Parent's Guide to Close Contacts
- A parent’s guide to close contacts
A Parents Guide to Close Contacts in School June 2021
This guide sets out what to expect when your child has been told they are a close contact of Covid-19 in school. The HSE is working closely with schools to make sure the health of all children and staff in the school is protected. If a person has been diagnosed with Covid-19, the HSE will identify everyone who has been in close contact with the person with Covid-19. This includes the parents/guardians of all children as well as any staff who were in close contact with the person.
- Close contact
If your child has been identified as a close contact, it means they have been in contact with someone who has Covid-19. Please try not to worry. The risk of your child becoming infected with Covid-19 from this close contact is small. Around 2 children in 100 children tested as close contacts are found to have Covid-19 too. Even if your child does become infected with the virus, most children don’t get any symptoms, or have a very mild illness.
- My child is a close contact
The school will contact you to bring your child home from school, if they are identified as a close contact. Please make sure the school has your most up-to-date contact information so they can call you if your child needs to be picked up.
You will naturally be concerned, but if your child has no symptoms of Covid-19, please follow the advice below. If your child has symptoms of Covid-19, please immediately isolate your child and ring your GP.
- My child is a close contact with no symptoms of Covid-19
Keep your phone close to you and make sure it is switched on. The HSE will contact you via text message to organise a COVID-19 test for your child, free of charge.
Your child will be tested on two occasions. The date your child was last in contact with a person with COVID-19 will determine what dates your child will be tested:
Test 1: The first test will be known as a ‘Day 0’ test. The HSE will aim to test your child, and the other children/staff members, as soon as possible after they are notified of them being a close contact. You will receive a text message with details of the test appointment location, date and time. Most people receive their test result within 2 days. If your child’s test result from their Day 0 test is negative/not detected, they still need to continue to restrict their movements.
Test 2: The second test is known as a ‘Day 10’ test. This test may take place 10 days after your child was last in contact with a person with COVID-19. You will receive a text message with details of the test appointment location, date and time. Most people receive their test result within 2 days. If your child’s test result from their Day 10 test is negative/not detected, your child can end their restricted movements and return to school.
The HSE will arrange free coronavirus testing for your child – you do not need to contact your GP to arrange a test.
- Restricting your child’s movements
Your child must restrict their movements for 14 days, since they were last in close contact with the person who has tested positive for Covid-19. The HSE will tell you the date the 14 days of restricted movements will finish.
Restricting movements means avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as possible. During their time of restricted movements your child cannot: • attend school, childcare or any group activities • use public transport • visit other people’s homes or have visitors to your home Your child can go outside to attend a medical appointment or to exercise as long as they keep 2 metres distance from other people.
- People who live with the child who is a close contact:
If your child who is a close contact is feeling well, with no symptoms of COVID-19, other people in the house do not need to restrict their movements. This means that:
adults living in the house can continue to go to work
other children in the house can continue to go to school, preschool or childcare.
This is because it can take up to 2 weeks to develop infection of Covid-19.
- Your child’s test ‘Not detected’ (negative) results
If your child, who is a close contact with no symptoms of COVID-19, receives a ‘not detected’ (negative) result on Day 0, they still need to restrict their movements:
until they receive a negative result at the Day 10 test, or
until the date you were told to restrict their movements until
This is because it can take up to 2 weeks to develop infection of Covid-19.
- If your child tests positive ‘Detected’ (positive) test result
If your child receives a ‘detected’ (positive) result your child must now self-isolate. This means staying indoors and completely avoiding contact with other people. People in your household must now restrict their movements and be treated as close contacts*. Household siblings cannot attend school and adults at home should not go to work.
*Please note contact tracing guidelines for those who have significant vaccine protection will vary. Your child must self-isolate until:
they have not had a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or over) for 5 days AND
it has been 10 days since they first developed symptoms
If you child has no symptoms, they can stop self-isolating 10 days from the date of their test.
Please note it is advised that the below wear a surgical face mask rather than a face cloth covering: (if appropriate – see * below)
people who have confirmed COVID-19
people who have symptoms of COVID-19
household contacts of confirmed cases
The main reason for this is to help stop the spread of COVID-19 within the home during the infectious period.
- What if my child develops symptoms of Covid-19?
You must isolate your child and phone your GP if your child develops symptoms of Covid-19 and has not had a positive / ‘detected’ test result. Explain to your GP that they are a close contact of a case of Covid-19 and they now too have symptoms of Covid-19. The GP will discuss referring your child for another free coronavirus test. People in your household need to restrict their movements now and stay at home. This includes not attending school or work. Contact tracing guidelines may vary for those who have significant vaccine protection and are well. The HSE will advise you of this if this is the case. Please see here for further information.
Phone your GP or GP out of hours service immediately if your child’s symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) get worse.
If your child develops symptoms of Covid-19, but has already had a ‘detected’ / positive result from their close contact test, then they do not need to be tested again. The symptoms for Covid-19 can start after the positive/’detected’ test result. You must keep your child isolated (you may need to isolate with them) and use all infection control measures possible to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the house e.g. wearing a surgical mask (if appropriate – see * below) distancing as much as physically possible, hand washing, covering your mouth and nose if you cough, keeping surfaces clean and avoiding touching your face.
Phone your GP or GP out of hours service immediately if your child’s symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) get worse.
- Symptoms of Covid-19
Common symptoms of coronavirus include:
-
- A Fever (High temperature – 38⁰C or above)
- A new Cough – this can be any kind of cough, not just dry
- Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
- Loss of smell, of taste or distortion of taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
- Fatigue
- Aches and Pains
Other uncommon symptoms of coronavirus include:
-
- Sore Throat
- Headaches
- Runny or stuffy noses
- Feeling sick or vomiting
- Diaarrhoea
- Privacy The school cannot share the name of the child or staff member who tested positive (COVID-19 detected). This information is private and confidential. Close contacts will not be told the name of the person with COVID-19 unless the parent or guardian of the child or member of staff gives permission.
- Where do I go for more information? Up to date information and advice on COVID-19 (coronavirus) is available on hse.ie. If you have any queries you can call HSELive on 1850 24 1850 from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 5pm on Saturday. You can also contact the HSE by email on hselive@hse.ie
- Children and Face Coverings
Face coverings are not recommended for children under the age of 13, but some children may choose to wear one. Young children may not follow the advice about wearing a face covering correctly.
Children under 13 on rare occasions may be asked to wear a face-covering. For example, some children may be advised to do this when attending a hospital clinic.
- Useful websites
https://www.gov.ie/en/
https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/