Arrangements for Year 1 to Year 3 pupils returning to school on Monday 8th March.

Dear parent/carer,

We are currently living through very challenging times and I want to thank you sincerely for all the work you are completing at home with your children. I am very pleased by the amount of interaction of pupils through Remote Learning and the delivery of lessons and activities by all the teachers in school.

I am delighted to have received confirmation from DE on Wednesday 24th February regarding the phased return of pupils to school. While this only pertains to Year 1 – Year 3 classes, it is a very positive step towards a full return to school. Pupils in Year 1- Year 3 will return to school for two weeks from 8th - 19th March (excluding St Patrick’s Day on 17th March), they then will return to Remote Learning from 22nd – 26th March before we break for our Easter holidays. We have been working hard to accommodate a safe return for these pupils in addition to the supervision of Key Workers’ and Vulnerable children.

The arrangements for 8th – 19th March are as follows;

- The school gate will be opening at 8.45am each morning. Pupils should not arrive in school before this time. 

- There will be no Breakfast Club for any children in Year 1 to Year 3 or for Key Worker or Vulnerable children attending school from 8th March to 19th March

- Please collect your child at the times given below;

• Year 1 and Year 2 --> Monday to Friday @ 2:00pm
• Year 3 --> Monday, Wednesday and Friday @ 2:00pm & Tuesday and Thursday @ 3:00pm

It is important that you collect your child at the correct time and if you are running late please contact the school to inform them of this, so arrangements can be made to keep your child safe.

- In the morning time, Year 1 to Year 3 children should enter the school through the door adjacent to the Year 1 and Year 2 classroom, as the arrangements from before the Christmas holidays.

- In the afternoon, Year 1 and 2 pupils will leave school via the Year 1 and 2 door and will be released by their teacher at the gate at the side of the school, when a parent/guardian is identified. Year 3 will leave the school via the main entrance will be released by their teacher when a parent/guardian is identified.

- All adults should wear a face covering when in the school building or around the school grounds. Parents should remain spread out and not gather in groups in line with PHA guidance.  Please follow the information on the new signs at the school gates.

- Do not send your child to school if they or anyone in your household has tested positive for COVID 19 or is displaying symptoms of COVID-19.

- School meals will be available for children in Year 1 to Year 3.The menu will be put on the school website for this period by the end of this week. Please ensure that dinners are ordered at the beginning of the week to reduce handling of dinner money by school staff.

Key Worker Children and Vulnerable Children

If you have a child in Year 4 to Year 7 and they are identified as a Key Worker, please complete the form on the school website (Key Worker Children) to make the school aware of their attendance in school each week. Please complete this form by the end of the previous week.

If your chil is classed as 'Vulnerable', please contact Mr Cheevers on icheevers766@c2kni.net to inform him of any decision to send your child into school.

School Dinners Information for Key Worker's Children and Vulnerable Children

Please find below information from Food in Schools Team.

SCHOOL MEAL PROVISION 8 -26 MARCH 2021

Subject to Department of Finance approval, direct payments in lieu of free school meals will be made in respect of pupils in year groups that are not required to attend school and continue to learn remotely from home.  Where pupils are required to attend school, school meals services will operate as normal.

Direct payments in lieu of free school meals will not be made in respect of pupils in year groups that are required to attend school as these pupils will receive free school meals at school for the period they are required to attend. Those required to attend but who are unable to do so, on medical or PHA advice, for covid-19 related reasons (eg self-isolation) should be offered a food parcel as was the position from September – December 2020.

Free school meals should not be provided to key workers’ children and vulnerable children entitled to free school meals when at school for supervised learning as their parents will receive a direct payment.

Any pupil at school who wishes, including vulnerable children and children of key workers, may purchase a meal where school meals services are operating as normal for the period pupils are required to attend, otherwise they should bring a packed lunch.

Schools should however provide food on humanitarian grounds for any child who presents to school hungry as is normal practice. There are established procedures for this and schools have flexibility in how they do this.

Food in Schools Team

If you have any questions or queries regarding any of this information, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

We are looking forward to seeing the children again and hope that all pupils will be back in their classrooms soon.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Cheevers