6 weeks in...

A message from Principal Brid Chambers

There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing!

Dear parents,

We have a wonderfully productive and enjoyable six weeks under our belts. I want to give credit to you as parents, your children and the school staff for the way you have adhered without complaint to new protocols. Thank you for all your kind words and we are gratified that so many children have expressed their delight at being back at school. Teachers have put tremendous effort into ensuring that lessons are active and enjoyable. Please take a few moments to look at photos on the website of them learning in the outdoor classroom!

I would like to thank each and every one of the staff for the joyous way they have gone about their work for the past six weeks. Everyone has worked additional time in order to ensure that safety is at the heart of our engagement with learning and childrens' wellbeing. We are blessed that the weather has been favourable and children were able to enjoy learning in our beautiful local environment!

I am a great fan of Dr Luke O'Neill and believe that we are fully compliant with recommended protocols which reduce risk of transmission of Covid-19. Luke recommends:

• ventilation of indoor areas

• the wearing of masks when possible (children are exempt). Masks trap aerosols and are a super de-risk element to reducing exposure to Covid-19

• Building up your immune system through adequate sleep, exercise, de-stressing and eating a balanced diet

• exposure to vitamin D either through sunshine or supplement.

Despite dropping temperatures and inclement weather, we will continue to evacuate all classrooms at breaktime. Scientific data tells us that a break outdoors makes a 19-fold difference to the risk of transmission. Children need to be reminded that all-weather clothing must be worn daily from now on. In the Nordic countries children regularly wear ski clothing in order to be able to play safely outdoors.

We will continue to monitor our practice and are committed to keeping our classes open while keeping everyone safe.

I would ask parents to continue to support our Healthy Eating Policy by not sending in food items such as sweets, crisps or sweetened/fizzy drinks with their child.

After the Mid-term break teachers will arrange parent teacher meetings by telephone. In the meantime, if you have any concerns, you may arrange to speak to your class teacher by getting in touch through our website, by email, or by ringing the school to arrange a telephone appointment. The Seesaw platform is used for your child's learning and not suitable for general communication.

Kind regards,

Bríd Chambers