RE: Drop-off and Collection Routines for the Re-Opening of School
Dear Parent / Guardian, Staff Member,
The BoM and the School Leadership Team have been working to ensure a safe return to school for all pupils and staff in two weeks’ time. We have now finalised our plans for drop-off and collection of the children every day.
Mary Mother of Hope Junior and Senior National Schools appreciate your support as we try to safely reopen our schools. If at all possible we request you not to come onto the school grounds or into the school building unless it is essential. We appreciate that dropping off the Junior & Senior Infant pupils to their line in the yard is essential, but for the older pupils 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 following 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 parents follow these precautions:
Social Distancing: adults do not come within 2m of each other either on their way to or on the school grounds
Avoid Staff Interactions: parents do not try to have meetings with members of staff in the yard at drop-off and collection times – meetings between parents and teachers can only take place by prior arrangement. Messages for teachers can be sent by email to school@hopens.ie or by phoning the school office on 01 8128693.
Drop-Off and Collection Plan: all parents adhere to the drop-off and collection plans as outlined below
Face Coverings: Parents are strongly advised to wear face coverings when:
bringing children to and from school
when on the school grounds
if they have reason to enter the school building, face covering must be worn
Senior School Drop-off Plan
Entry points: Entry points to the school will be:
Main gate
Shopping Centre access via Mick’s Way
Third Class children will assemble in a designated space in the Third class yard, and will enter that space between the Senior School and the Community centre
Fourth Class children will assemble in a designated space to the front of the Community Centre
Fifth Class pupils will proceed along the main drive way and assemble in a designated space along the yard between the Junior and Senior School building
Sixth Class pupils will proceed along the main drive way and assemble in a designated space along the yard between the Junior and Senior School building
We are very mindful of the fact that children in 3rd class will joining the Senior School for the first time, and will make sure to have extra supervision in place to assist them in their first days in the Senior School.
Getting to school: Children are encouraged to walk, cycle or scoot to school
Parents remain off campus: Parents of children in the Senior School will be asked not to enter the school campus with their child. If parents require an exemption from this, they should email the school on school@hopens.ie
Staff supervision: Staff supervision will be provided from 8:40am each morning. Only staff members should enter the Senior School Yard area.
Arrival Time: Pupils are asked to arrive between 8:40 and 8:50 am.
Social Distancing: Pupils will be asked to adhere to social distancing when within the school campus.
Discrete Assembly Areas: Each class level will be assigned its own discrete assembly area.
Within these areas, each class will be assigned two lines per class, along which pupils will line-up. These lines will be marked so that children will be at least 1m distant from each other as they line up.
Drop-Off and Collection Plan: Ahead of school opening, we will give parents an illustrated guide of where the assembly points for each class are located in the school. Parents are asked to make a Drop-Off and Collection Plan with their child, which covers drop-off in the morning and arrangements for home-time.
Escorted entrance to the school building: Children will be escorted by their teacher to their classrooms, one class at a time. Classes will not be permitted to mix with each other in the course of the school day.
Senior School Collection Plan
Exiting the building: Pupils will be escorted by their teacher, one class at a time, to their designated assembly area.
Exiting the school campus: From there, pupils will be permitted to exit the campus, observing appropriate social distancing.
Meeting parents: Pupils who are being collected by their parents, and who have obtained permission from the school, will be escorted to a designated area to the front of the community centre, where they will be handed over to their parents (make sure to wear your face covering!).
Parents who wish to collect their pupils outside of the campus should make arrangements with their child as to where this will be. This should form part of your Drop-Off and Collection Plan, which you should devise and explain to your child ahead of school re-opening.
Collection of Children during the School Day
If an adult has to collect a child during the course of the school day, the following arrangements will apply:
Prior notice should have been given to the school by phone or email.
Make sure to wear face covering throughout your time on the school campus
When the adult arrives at the school, they should either phone the office or enter the reception area through the front door of the school to alert the office that they have arrived
Anyone entering the reception lobby should sanitise their hands immediately on arrival
The child will be brought from their class to the adult by a member of staff
The adult who is collecting will be asked to sign the child out
No adult should enter the school building unless invited to do so
Uniform & Personal Equipment
School uniform should be worn everyday.
Parents are welcome to alternate between the tracksuit and uniform evrey second day, so that children do not have to wear the same unifrom two days in a row.
It is advisable that the uniform is kept for school only and that children change immediately after school rather than wearing the uniform in after-school facilities, shops, or during after-school activities, etc.
Please make sure that all items of clothing are clearly labelled so as to avoid children bringing home the wrong clothing
Children should bring limited personal equipment to school.
Lunch boxes and reusable bottles should be of a type that can be easily wiped clean
Children should come appropriately dressed for the weather and should be able to independently manage their bag, coat and shoes.
We urge parents to read this document carefully and to offer their full support in its implementation. We will be writing to you in due course in relation to other areas of operation of the school ahead of re-opening. We will continue to update you in the event of changes in advice or in this policy.
Take care and continue to stay safe.
Regards,
Enda McGorman