Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in St Colmcille's PS
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DE Updated guidance Re: Covid 19 Testing
Thu 01 Oct 2020Further information can be found:
Main Menu / Key Information / Covid 19
From: Education Restart Programme
To: All Schools, Education Sector Partners
Date: 29 September 2020COVID-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
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School Meals' Menu updated
Thu 01 Oct 2020See the updated menu which can be found in:
* Parents' Section / Useful Information
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The Book Fair is coming
Fri 25 Sep 2020Check out the book Fair Catalogue:
https://www.stcolmcillescarrickmore.co.uk/school-book-fair-autumn-2020/
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25th September 2020: Newsletter
Fri 25 Sep 2020A copy of the recent Newsletter is available at: News & Events/ Newsletters.
You can use this link:
https://www.stcolmcillescarrickmore.co.uk/stream/newsletters/full/1/-//
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Free School Meals
Tue 15 Sep 2020It is important that you apply for this benefit if you think you may be eligible.
Please remember that you must reapply each year, even if you have received this benefit in previous years.
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SCHOOL HOLIDAY LIST 2020 -2021
Fri 11 Sep 2020September
Mon. 28th
Staff Training Day
OCTOBER
Mon 26th -
Fri 31st
Halloween
DECEMBER
Mon. 21st –
Thur. 31st
Christmas Holidays
JANUARY
Fri. 1st -
Wed. 6th
Christmas Holidays
Including three Staff Training Days
FEBRUARY
Mon. 15th - Fri 19th
Mid Term Break
Including one Staff Training Days
MARCH
Wed. 17th
Feast of St Patrick
APRIL
Fri 2nd - Fri. 9th
Easter Holidays
(Note the school will be open for a half day on Thurs. 1st Apr. but there is no EA bus service)
MAY
Mon. 3rd – Fri 7th
Mon. 31st
Extra Mid Term Break
Bank Holiday
(Note the school will close at 12.00
on Fri 18th Dec., Thurs 1st Apr and Fri 30th June)
Please note that due to Covid 19, staff were in school from 20th August 2020 as a result five additional days’ holidays have been allocated enabling us to arrange an extra midterm break in May.
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Latest information about Covid 19
Thu 10 Sep 2020Please follow the link below for updates relating to Covid 19, including:
1. Our school's advice if your child is unwell.
2. DE guidance should you suspect that your child has Covid 19
3. Chief Medical Officer's advice 10th September 2020
We have created a section on our "Key Information" section for information about Covid 19, use this link as a shortcut.
https://www.stcolmcillescarrickmore.co.uk/covid-19/
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Aaron McElholm (P7) dancing on TG4 an Ríl Deal
Wed 09 Sep 2020See Aaron McElholm perform his dancing skills on TG4's An Ríl Deal
https://www.stcolmcillescarrickmore.co.uk/gallery/
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"While we can't hug!"
Wed 09 Sep 2020Here is a beautiful story to read with your family.
Click the link below and enjoy!
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**Revised Arrangements*** from 7th September for drop-off and collection:
Sun 06 Sep 2020**Revised Arrangements*** from 7th September for drop-off and collection:
To comply with DE guidance and to ease congestion for drop-off and collection in the morning and afternoon we ask parents to adhere to the following arrangements.
Morning arrangements
- Pupils should not be on the school grounds before 9.00am (There will be no supervision before 9am);
- DE advise that, when possible, parents should not send children to school on school buses. If children are travelling by bus, it is recommended that they wear a face mask and sit with family members.
- To ease congestion, we ask parents taking children by car to park in the chapel carpark and drop off between 9am and 9.30am. Please enter the carpark from Rockstown Rd and leave via Creggan Rd;
- On arrival, children walk directly around the outside of the building to their classrooms via the Emergency doors, where available;
- Children wash their hands upon arrival in the classroom;
- Parents escorting children to classes are asked to observe Social Distancing guidelines.
Collection arrangements
Primary One – Three: Children must be collected from school at the following times.
- R1 children to be collected 1.15pm:- Mon 7th & Tue 8th, thereafter 2.15pm.
- P1 children will be collected at 1.00pm all next week (w/b 7th), thereafter 2.15pm.
- Primary Two/ Rang a Dó children will be collected at 2.15pm
- Primary Three / Rang a Tri, to aid the transition for these children, we ask parents to continue to collect these children at 2.15pm during the month of September.
P4 to 7/ R 4-7: From Monday 7th September, we ask parents who are collecting children in cars to collect children from 3pm- 3.15pm. Bus children and children using Camowen Partnership will remain in classes until 3.15pm.
We appreciate your continued support and we will continue to monitor and keep these arrangements under review.
Camowen Partnership’s After-school Club
Years 1 – 3 children registered with Camowen Partnership can avail of their service but there will be no in-school supervision between 2.00pm and 3.15pm. Yr 4 – Yr 7 children can use the service from 3.15pm.
Visitors
Under current guidance, visitors/parents will not be permitted in the school building without an appointment. If you would like to speak to a teacher about your child’s progress, we can arrange a socially distanced meeting or a meeting over the phone.
School Meals
Please don’t send dinner money to the school as we are establishing a Cashless system. This will be up and running in the next week. In the meantime, a record has been kept of those taking a school dinner and you will be able to pay for these via the app next week. Guides on how to do this will be sent home today.
