Sadly the national Covid picture has deteriorated alarmingly during this week causing the closure of schools and the moving of teaching to online methods except for Leaving Certs.
Classes will be held online from Monday next 11th January. Arrangements for Leaving Certs will be posted here. Further details here when everything is arranged Covid cases are now higher than at any time since the pandemic began and the risk of transmitting the infection is three times higher. If we are allowed to reopen the schools on Jan 11th it will require even stricter measures than we have had to date in order to keep our students, staff and families as safe as possible. Your help is needed in supporting our new safety measures. Between now and the return to school please, please, please observe the recommended isolation at home to ensure that nobody is bringing infection into the school. There should be no visits between households over the coming week - except for care needs. Please discuss the safety procedures below with your son or daughter before return to school. We will do everything to protect them but we need your help and support WE CAN STAY SAFE IF THESE ARE OBSERVED PUNCTUALITY We need to be able to close the school door with all corridors empty at 9.am. Classes start at 8.50 so this is allowing 10 minutes TOILET BREAKS. Except in emergency situations toilets should not be used during class time as these are danger areas for the transmission of infection. Cleaning and disinfection schedules for toilets are planned around their use at break time. DISTANCE We know how difficult it is for young people to observe safe distance but it is a regulation we have to insist on. Travelling between classes, during break time, going to and from school this has to be observed. Being too close is our biggest danger LOCKERS We will still try to operate the use of lockers but NEVER during class time as corridors have to be empty for safety reasons. MASKS. Masks must be worn at all times. Teachers will continue to allow mask breaks where students may go outside periodically throughout the day. END OF DAY Students will be released at end of day in 3 minute intervals between years (beginning with first years at 3.32pm) HAND SANITISERS Hand sanitisers are placed outside all classrooms and entry points. They must continue to be used regularly throughout the day. Sanitising wipes are used on desks at the beginning and end of each class. VISITORS Sorry, whether it’s forgotten books or forms to be signed please do not call to the school during the school day. Please use post, email or phone where possible. Student attendance, exam results, explaining absences, etc can all be checked and messages sent through our Vsware app. PHYSICAL CONTACT Maintaining a social distance throughout the day is important. Students who have to be repeatedly reminded about this behaviour will be sent home in the interests of safety. FOOD Food (individually wrapped) will continue to be provided daily. While eating students must maintain 2m distance as maska are removed. We have installed several picnic benches in the courtyard which are the safest option if the weather allows. WATER BOTTLES In the first few days after our return we will be promoting individual water bottles which students should fill at home. This prevents cross contamination at taps or drinking fountains and eliminates the current waste where all students are provided with individual plastic bottles of water daily. CLASS SIZE All classes are of 24 or less in rooms which allow a 1m distance. Special arrangements exist in practical subjects. ONE WAY SYSTEM We will continue with our one way system in the school corridors. This allows students to maintain safe distance in the corridors without running into others coming in the opposite direction ARRIVING AND LEAVING: Arriving and leaving school students are asked to observe the same safety procedures as in the school building (masks, distance,sanitising) ONLINE MATERIAL We will continue to deliver as much material as possible online - even within the school building. Every student has access to a Chromebook either through providing their own or through our rental scheme. This diminishes the amount of paper, copies and books. AFTER SCHOOL STUDY Teachers have arranged after school study for LC students only which finishes at 5.30pm USE OF SCHOOL Outside of daytime class activities the school premises are not in use for any other activity. Pitches, outdoor gym, astro pitch, cinema are not available. It is also vital that we all follow the full lockdown procedures until the end of January or as long as recommended. Our safety and the lives of many of our loved ones depend on it. Thank you for your help in keeping us safe so far. Following today's announcement the re-opening date for Athy College will now be Mon 11th January.
We remind all of our students that we are now in Level 5 and it is vitally important that the restirctiona and safety measures are followed. This includes a ban on all household visits which gives a 10 day isolation term before students return to school. Please ensure that these restrictions are followed to allow us to resume school on 11th. Stay safe. Many many thanks to the staff, parents, students, delivery people and general public who helped us to stay safe over the last term. We have almost completed half of the school year safely and will face into whatever the new year brings with confidence and courage. Sincere thanks. It has been a difficult term but with your help we have got there.
Thank you and Happy Christmas. Athy College reopens on Wed 6th January So proud of our students and staff of Athy College who this year presented St Vincent's hospital with a gift for every resident, a hamper for every ward, a number of care packs and a financial donation. Particular thanks to student Niamh Fitzgerald who helped organise the venture. Wishing all at St. Vincent a very happy Christmas.
The above link to YouTube will be active at 7pm. We hope you enjoy and thank you for watching.
Happy Christmas to all and to all a Good Night Athy College's annual Christmas musical event takes place online this year. The show will go live on Youtube at 7pm on Thursday evening. Open to everyone! Sit back and get in the Christmas mood. We will post the link on www.athycollege.ie just before 7.pm Enjoy!
As we enter the last few weeks before Christmas it is very important that our Covid procedures are strictly enforced. In order for families to mix with relatives on Christmas Day it is vital that no family member can be identified as a close contact for the two weeks before Dec 25th. (i.e. from the 11th December).
We remind everyone that: students should not attend if they are showing any symptoms parents should not visit the school ( even when students have forgotten items) social distance must be adhered to at all times in school and masks must be worn hand sanitising/washing needs to take place regularly. What we do over the next couple of weeks will determine how we spend our Christmas and WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE DEPENDING ON YOU As we head into the next 7 weeks leading up to Christmas we want to make every effort to keep our environment safe. Thank you to all parents for not calling and for doing business online.
We have been slowly reintroducing practical subjects and physical education in a safe manner and will continue to do so. For our safety if you have been abroad or if any of your household have been abroad over the past week then you should not be attending school until the 14 day isolation period is over. Anybody identified as a close contact should follow HSE advice for testing and isolation. Students showing any symptoms should not attend school. The students have been excellent in hand sanitising and in wearing masks and we all need to encourage them to continue. Together we can get through this and continue to ensure that students get the best of teaching and learning and can even have fun in these difficult times Enrolment for September 2021 is now closed and a Waiting List is now in operation for any late entries.
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