Hi All,

I hope you are all keeping well and that the pupils are enjoying the Summer. The good weather has made it all that bit easier!

I just wanted to send some info in advance. We finished interviews and class allocations are listed below.

We have some new staff covering career breaks. Paula who was due to return from a career break has resigned as she has now changed position and will be working in St Patrick’s College .

Paul who was on career break working with the Department in the area of Maths, is returning to us and is in 6^th class. Kevin is returning from his teacher exchange also. Becky, Brian and Sally are on career breaks.

Staff Allocation

• Junior Infants – Claire and Viv (Class Teachers) & Aoife Mc (SET Teacher)

• Senior Infants – Karen and Hannah (Class Teachers) & Kevin (SET Teacher) plus 21 days in Rush Lusk ETNS as a shared post

• 1st Class – Jessica (Sarah M.’s Old Class) and Sorcha (Same Class) & Sarah G – maternity leave covered by new teacher

• 2nd Class – Sarah M (Maria’s Old Class) and Maria (Jessica’s Old Class) & Rachel (SET Teacher)

• 3rd Class – Aoife O C (Rachel’s Old Class) and Joe (Brian’s Old Class) & Julie (SET Teacher)

• 4th Class – Shane C (keeps his class) and Eimear (new teacher, was on placement with us last year takes Claire’s Old Class) & Geni (SET Teacher)

• 5th Class – Diarmuid (new teacher, was on placement with us last year takes Viv’s old class) and Niamh (new teacher takes Aoife Mc’s old class) & Gearoid (SET Teacher)

• 6th Class – Stephen (same class) and Paul (Aoife O C’s old class) & Gearoid (SET teacher)

• Colum HSCL
• We will also have two Erasmus placements coming into the school until early December, Pauline and Anna from Germany. Both have a background in education.

Travel and returning to school

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/77952-government-advice-on-international-travel/#travelling-with-children

Children between the ages of 12 and 17 are required to have a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival to travel into the country, unless they have valid proof of vaccination or recovery.

Children of any age, travelling with accompanying vaccinated or recovered adults will not be required to self-quarantine post arrival.

However, where one accompanying adult needs to self-quarantine, then all children must also self-quarantine.

Information may change as you know but this is current information

Department direction–

The Department has written to us and directed us to keep all Covid procedures the same for September. These will be reviewed after schools reopen and they carry out risk assessments.

The only revision we are making is that 1st class will now start at the same time as 2nd-6th class, so they can go straight in from 8.20am to start school at 8.30. 1^st to 6^th will finish school at 2.20.

Infants will still start school at 8.45 and can access the yard from 8.30.

JI will start at 9 on day one .

Communication between teachers and parents will be by email and meetings by zoom for the moment. Communication with the office will be by email or by phone. All parents must wear a mask coming onto site and we ask that you socially distance.

Junior Infant parents will not be accessing the school building  on day one. We collected pupils from the yard last year and it actually worked out very well. We contact parents if there are issues.

We are hoping that changes will occur that allow restrictions to ease somewhat. It would be lovely for the pupils and staff to have parents back in for assemblies etc.

I will be in touch next week with more info.

Regards

Sinéad