Dear Parents/Guardians,
I hope you have all had an enjoyable summer break. The girls have been lucky to have such good weather for their last week of holidays! We are all looking forward to a safe and happy year in school. As you know, Covid 19 levels are still quite high in the community so we will be continuing with the Covid safety measures in order to keep the school as safe as possible. You will find the updated Covid-19 Response plan on the website. Below are some of the key information points:
Return to School Form
The Return To School Declaration Form must be completed following any absence from the school and must be completed before returning to school on Wednesday 1st September. The declaration will be sent to you by text on Tuesday, 31st of August.
On Campus
To help with reducing the amount of traffic around the school gates, children are asked to walk/cycle/scoot to school if possible. We also request that adults do not come onto the school grounds unless it is essential. We appreciate that dropping off the 1st to 3rd Class pupils to the door is essential, but for the older pupils, a drop- off at the school gate is desirable.
Parents/Guardians are asked to wear a mask at all times when on the school campus and they are asked not to congregate outside the school building. We also ask parents to be mindful of avoiding parents/guardians from the other schools on the campus. Parents/Guardians are not permitted into the school building at present. It is essential that adults socially distance at all times. Meetings between parents and teachers can only take place by phone.
Drop-off Plan
8.30-8.50 a.m. Enter via Girls’ school Main Entrance
From the Gardiner’s Hill side, all pupils enter through pedestrian gate and come down the main pathway to the Infant door. They then walk along the front of the school building along the designated path near the infant windows to use the Girls School Main Door entrance. Children who use the Ballyhooley road entrance come up the steps and cross the yard to the Girls’ School Main Entrance. If there is a queue, pupils are asked to line up by the wall along the yellow designated markings on the ground. Parents are asked not to congregate at these drop-off times.
Collection Plan
2.30 p.m.: Teachers will bring their pupils to the assigned door. The assigned doors are as follows.
| Class | Exit Door |
| 2nd and 6th | Girls’ Main Entrance |
| 3rd , 4th and 5th | Old Montessori Door (which is around the side of the building near the new prefabs in the secondary school. |
| 1st | Door across from the main entrance to the secondary school |
Pupils in 1st to 3rd are to be collected by their parent/guardian unless the class teacher is given a note to say otherwise. Pupils in 4th to 6th will go immediately to their respective gates. These classes will endeavour to exit the building ahead of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes to avoid congestion.
This system will apply rain, hail or shine so please make sure that your child comes to school prepared for the weather!
Uniforms & Tracksuits
Children will alternate school uniform and tracksuit throughout the week.
Uniform – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Tracksuit – Thursday and Friday
Lunches
Lunch is provided free of charge to all pupils every day. We are a health promoting school and encourage healthy food options. Pupils may have water and milk as drinks. Children will bring all lunch waste home daily.
Pods and Bubbles
The pod and class bubble system will continue again this year.
When should I keep my child at home?
Please do not send your child to school if they are feeling unwell in any way. If your child displays symptoms related to Covid 19 during the day, they will be brought to a separate room and supervised until a parent/guardian can collect them. Please ensure your contact details are up-to-date.
We ask you to be vigilant and help keep the whole school community safe by keeping your child at home if they are unwell.
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 – 38 degrees Celsius or above).
- a new cough – this can be any kind of cough, not just dry.
- shortness of breath or breathing difficulties.
- loss or change in your sense of smell or 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
- diarrhoea
Infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 can cause illness, ranging from mild to severe, and, in some cases, can be fatal. It can take up to 14 days for symptoms to show. They can be similar to symptoms of cold and flu.
Do not send your child to school if they are:
- close contacts of a person with Covid-19
- are awaiting a test
- are experiencing any of the above symptoms
- if they live with someone who has symptoms of the virus
- if they have travelled outside of Ireland and are required to restrict their movements
Visitors
We must continue to implement a strict ‘no visitors policy’ in the school when we return. You may contact the school office on 021-4509246 or office@stpatricksgirls.net. If you are collecting your child, please phone the office and use the QR code or the ‘sign out’ link in the parents/guardians section of the website. All scheduled meetings will take place remotely.
Communication
Communication with the school should continue through the school office. You may contact the school office on 021-4509246 or by e-mail at office@stpatricksgirls.net . Teachers will not be available to discuss educational matters or concerns via e-mail and will not be in a position to check e-mails during the school day. Messages for class teachers should be sent through the school office or in the school journal.
For the latest Department of Education Advice,Please click on COVID 19 BACK TO SCHOOL ADVICE September 2021 – St. Patrick’s Girls’ National School, Gardiner’s Hill, Cork City (stpatricksgirls.net)
Thank you
Thank you for your support to date in implementing the procedures above. We are looking forward to welcoming all the girls back on Wednesday 1st September and to a safe and happy year for all.
If you have any questions regarding any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact me at principal@stpatricksgirls.net.
Kind regards,
Yvonne Crosse
(Acting Principal)