3rd August 2020
Dear Parents / Guardians, Staff Members,
RE: Re-opening of St John the Baptist Girls School
I hope you and your families are enjoying the Summer break and that everyone is keeping safe and well.
Our school has been closed since the 12th March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we are now working towards the re-opening of our school safely in September, in line with current guidance and recommendations.
Re-opening the school safely will require the co-operation of all members of our school community – BoM, school leadership, staff, parents and pupils. We will all be called on to play our part in ensuring that re-opening of the school is done in a safe manner which prevents the spread of the virus and allows the vital work of teaching and learning to proceed with as little disruption as possible.
We have been working on our plan for the safe reopening of the school for some weeks now as well as undergoing a Summer Works Scheme upgrading the Life Safety System (fire alarm, smoke detectors etc) in the building. As you are aware the DES COVID-19 Response Plan for the Safe and Sustainable Reopening of Primary and Special Schools was published which gives general direction on what must be put in place and we have been working in conjunction with our colleagues in the Boys School and the Deanery School. The task of getting our pupils and staff back to school safely is a challenging one and all our normal daily routines and activities have to be reassessed and reorganised in line with the guidelines in the DES Response Plan. The Response Plan can be viewed on our school website accompanied by a letter to parents from Ms Norma Foley, the Minister of Education.
The Response Plan outlines details of
- Physical preparation, signage, hand sanitiser stations,
- Advice, procedures and training for the safe return to working in the school for all school staff and pupils
- General and specific advice on how all pupils, staff, parents and visitors will prevent the spread of the virus
We will keep you informed regularly over the coming weeks as to the progress of our re-opening plans and will provide you with the information required by you to play your part in safely re-opening the school. We will be consulting with representatives of the various bodies within the school community and all will have an opportunity to respond to the proposed plan.
We are really looking forward to welcoming our girls back to school and will be doing all that we can to ensure that the return to school is a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Yours sincerely,
Mary Andrews Darren Ryan
Principal Chairperson - BoM
The following websites provide further information
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