Welcome Back!
We look forward to the start of another school year and welcoming everyone back to school on Tuesday, 31st August at 8.40. The school calendar is available on the website. For the first time we will have a full complement of all classes at all levels, an exciting milestone in our developing school. A particular welcome to all the new
families joining our school community, especially our new junior infants as well as other children joining older classes.

COVID-19 Response Plan
A revised COVID-19 Response Plan will be posted on the school website soon. Also attached is a summary of the Response Plan specific to our school as well as general
advice for families. The most significant change is a revision to the list of symptoms. Children and staff should not attend the school with any of the following symptoms:

Common symptoms of the COVID-19 virus are:
 A fever (high temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or
above)
 A new cough (this can be any kind of cough, not just
a dry cough)
 Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties, loss or
change to your sense of smell or taste (you can’t smell
or taste anything or things smell or taste differently)
 Fatigue
 Aches and pains
Other uncommon symptoms include:
 Sore throat
 Headache
 Runny or stuffy nose
 Feeling sick or vomiting
 Diarrhoea

We continue to ask parents to wear a face covering when on the school grounds and to not congregate for any reason, maintaining physical distancing at all times.
Please continue to walk around the school in a clockwise direction. Also, I’m afraid we must ask parents not to enter the school without an appointment. If at any time
you wish to have a conversation with your child’s teacher, please email them (their first name followed by @ketns.ie) or phone the office to ask for a return phone
call.

You may wish to view the video from last year about the procedures at school with your child at this link: https://youtu.be/Nw2RV-SHBsg. Also, there are age appropriate videos created by the Department of Education by following this link.

Return to School Declaration
Before your child can return to the school, a Return to School Declaration must be completed by all families. It will become available to complete on Aladdin Connect on Monday after 15.00. This will also be required after each absence. For those families new to our school, you will receive a separate email explaining how to register for Aladdin Connect. You can either download a mobile app or use Aladdin Connect on a computer. If you have any difficulty registering, please phone or email the school, and we’ll do our best to help you.


Permission to Leave School Independently
Children from 3rd Class and up may be granted permission to leave the school independently, either to meet parents at the gate or to walk/cycle home. A permission form is available on Aladdin Connect. Even if you have granted
permission previously, we’d ask you to complete the form on an annual basis.


School Expenses
School expenses will remain at the same level this year, €90 for children in Junior and Senior Infants and €100 for all other classes. We’d ask if this could be paid by 1st
September. The easiest way is to make a bank transfer (be sure to put your child’s name as the reference). You may also pay by credit card via the school website, www.ketns.ie/school-expenses from Saturday onwards, though there will be an additional charge to cover the fees for this method. While electronic payment is preferred, cash payments can also be accepted in the school office.
As always, if paying the school expenses is a difficulty, please reach out to Matt or Claudia to arrange a plan for paying the expenses in installments. An email receipt will be issued for all parents, including those who have already paid, in the coming days.


Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club is returning to the school with strict protocols. Children can arrive starting at 8:00. Unlike previous years, this will not be a drop-in service. Instead, parents will need to book a place using the school website at least 24 hours in advance. The fee will be the same as previous years, €3 per session, and parents will be billed at the end of the month. No cash payments will be accepted.
Children will sit with only children from their class bubble. Tables will be set up in the hall with at least 2m distance between different class bubbles. Enhanced ventilation will be in place in the hall using HEPA air filters and with windows open. Other than to go to the toilet, children will remain at the designated area for their class bubble for the duration of their time in Breakfast Club. At the end of the Breakfast Club children will be sent to classrooms, leaving the halla doors and walking clockwise around the school building. Children in infants, 1st and 2nd will be escorted by staff members to their rooms.


Gardening Volunteers
In addition to having some of the children involved in gardening, we are looking for some parents to become involved. The tasks will be outdoors and will maintain
physical distancing. If you are interested and available, please reply to this email.