Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in St Colmcille's PS

• CONGRATULATIONS TO ANNIE FOX-MCGLONE

  Mon 19 Oct 2020

  Massive congratulations to Annie Fox McGlone R6 whose entry for the ‘Slua le Bua na nÓg’ competition was awarded 2nd place in the final. 

   

  Annie’s video will be shown on the Cumann na bhFiann Facebook 

   

  https://www.facebook.com/ColnabhF/videos/2758356567817669

   

  Tá muid an bhrodúi asat. Maith thu féin.

  

• DE Updated guidance Re: Covid 19

  Wed 14 Oct 2020

  Update: 14 October 2020

  Statement from Education Minister Peter Weir on COVID-19 restrictions

   

  Education Minister Peter Weir said that schools will:

  • have the half-term holiday break extended from 19 to 30 October and 
  • reopen on Monday, 2 November.
  • be closed to all pupils during these two weeks including for children of key workers.
  • not be providing for remote learning as this is an extension of the half-term break.

   

  Concluding Peter Weir said: “This year has been a stressful time for schools, pupils and parents.  I want to thank principals, teachers and school staff for their dedication and commitment to keeping schools a safe and welcoming place for pupils to learn.”

   

  Camowen Smart kids

  Camowen Smart Kids aims to provide support for children throughout the half-term break. If you would like to register your child for this service, please contact Tressa on 079 0171 1180.

• DE Updated guidance Re: Covid 19 Testing

  Thu 01 Oct 2020

  Further information can be found:

  Main Menu / Key Information / Covid 19

   

  From: Education Restart Programme
  To: All Schools, Education Sector Partners
  Date: 29 September 2020

   

  COVID-19 TESTING

   

  PHA have asked us to emphasise to schools that pupils and staff must only be advised to seek a COVID-19 test when they are symptomatic of the virus – that is a new continuous cough, a fever or a new loss of taste and/or smell. Early evidence from the Contact Tracing Service is that available testing capacity is being utilised to test many children and school staff who are showing no symptoms and in doing so make it more challenging for genuinely symptomatic individuals to access a test.

   

  Tests must only be recommended for a staff member or pupil where they are clearly symptomatic or where PHA specifically recommend a test for any reason.

   

  Update to Coronavirus (COVID-19) : Guidance for Schools and Educational Settings in Northern Ireland

   

  On Thursday 24 September, schools were provided with updated guidance on managing the impact of COVID-19 within schools.

   

  Subsequently as you have been advised, an issue was brought to our attention by school leaders in relation to the practical implications of several paragraphs in Section 8 of the revised guidance. These paragraphs had advised that schools operating classes in bubbles would need to protectively self-isolate whenever a class member became symptomatic.  In practical terms this would have meant that anytime a child got COVID-19 symptoms, for most primary schools and many post primary schools, the entire bubble would have been sent home.

   

  We have worked closely with the Public Health Agency who lead on public heath advice to rectify the issue.  PHA has advised the correct position is that only when a positive case has been identified in a symptomatic child, young person or member of staff do schools need to consider self-isolating close contacts of that individual. Close contacts must stay in isolation for the full 14 day period.  They should not return to school before the 14 day isolation period as they may still be incubating the virus – regardless of a lack of symptoms.

   

  An updated version of the guidance is attached here and has been published on the Department’s website.

   

  Regards

   

  Education Restart Programme

• School Meals' Menu updated

  Thu 01 Oct 2020

  See the updated menu which can be found in:

  * Parents' Section / Useful Information