Our very best wishes to all students who are to receive their Leaving Certificate results tomorrow (Mon 7th). These students were unable to take the “normal” Leaving Certificate examination because of Covid 19 and participated in the Calculated Grades process.
After a very disruptive year we wish them every success in their exams and in their future. Results should be available to them on line from 9am. If they require any assistance in relation to college places, etc, they should contact our Guidance Counsellor and arrange an appointment. Best of luck to all. End Of Week One
Many, many thanks to parents, staff and students for your support in getting the school up and running. With different classes coming in each day Friday was our first full attendance. Already we have made a few adjustments to our food provision and on Friday we were able to deliver 400 snacks with almost no hiccups. We have split break and lunch times ( Juniors first, then seniors) and have a lot more walking because of our one way system. Nearly all of the classrooms kept doors open to allow for best ventilation, the congestion at the toilets was not as bad as expected and a large number of students have acquired devices which simplifies things a lot. The one way system meant that on quite a few occasions some new first years “missed their stop” and had to go around the full circuit again to find their classroom. As they get familiar errors like this will vanish. The biggest difficulty was at departure time where serious congestion occurred. First full day everyone hurrying to leave (!) and some trying to go to lockers. From Monday we will have to split departure time and allow Juniors a 5 - 10 minute head start. If you are collecting please be aware of this. We will also open the emergency exit nearest to the road and examine the practicality of lockers. I know students are very keen on having lockers so if all of us make an effort it may be still possible. Keeping schools open is in all of our best interests and we have to get this right. We will post all changes on the website so as we make adjustments everyone can assist. In the coming week we have Leaving Certificate Results being issued (individually to each candidate) and if there are queries about college places, etc we will arrange support. Our Guidance Counsellor will have available time throughout the week. Check our website on Monday. Best of luck to all who are awaiting results. Our first full week now begins and we will address each issue as it arises so that by the end of the week we should have adjusted to the new normal. Thanks again to all for your support. As I take the last look around the school to see that everything is ready I feel a huge air of excitement that after nearly six months we finally get to engage with our student in person. This year has been most challenging with exams cancelled, remote teaching, lockdown and preparing for our schools to open. I can’t count the number of e-mails, messages, What’s Apps, etc from concerned parents and I hope that I have answered nearly all of them. Even the most apprehensive parents still wish the very best for the opening of schools and I sincere thank you to all for your support.
We open to the first of the students tomorrow and we are excited to welcome the largest first year group that we have ever had. School is a vibrant and busy place and we have to learn new ways of socialising and we will. We have food prepared for everyone (yes, even those with the dietary needs!) and it will include something for lunchtime (even though you are going home at 1pm) Yes, you have to wear a mask and no, we can’t have any visitors. If there is something you need signed or stamped pop in in our school post box and we will post it back to you. When students arrive we will have to put you in small groups - no big gatherings! Underneath our masks we will be smiling and really glad to see you. It is no fun teaching students through a computer screen. We have enough hand sanitiser to float a ship so please feel free to use it. Let us know if you have any allergies and we will organise different sanitiser for you. The infection rate is still quite high but don’t worry. If someone feels sick we will take care of it. If you have been abroad to a place not on the green list you MUST self isolate for 14 days even if you feel fine. If you or someone in your house has had Covid you need to follow the HSA/HSE advice in returning to school. To quote a national phrase “It’ll be grand!” We are looking forward to your return. As we now come to the last week before school returns here are a few pieces of information which might assist parents.
When are students back? A list of the class groups and when they are expected in is on the website. Students will be given induction, timetables, organise books, etc and begin at 9.am and will finish at 1pm on each of the day. What do they need? Masks will need to be worn by all in the building. Visors may be used but do not have the same reliability as masks. It is going to be difficult for all but we have to take the safety of all into account so it will be strictly enforced. Ideally students should bring tissues and a small container of hand sanitiser for use outside class/school Items cannot be shared so students need to have their own writing equipment or any other items that they may need in class Washing and sanitation Students will be informed about how to wash hands and how to use the hand sanitisers which are available in every classroom and all social areas. Warm water and soap is provided in several area. Contact number It is important that the contact number that we have is accurate and thst there is somebody available to collect a student should they become ill. Illness Any student who is feeling ill should not attend school. Any student showing symptoms in school will require sanitisation of the area where they have been. Chromebooks/Laptops We ask anyone who is in a position to do so to provide a Chromebook/laptop. We may have to move to a blended learning environment quite suddenly and we will be trying to minimise the use of books and copies. We have several which are available for student use and will be able to share these once we know how many students are able to provide their own. Most devices/laptops will be suitable and if you have difficulty talk to us. Payments School payments should be made online. There has been an excellent response to date in using this method. Thank you. Food We are implementing a completely new system where food will be provided at no cost for break and lunch. Choice will be limited as everything must be prepackaged and handed out with the minimum of contact. There will be no breakfast club and students can not congregate before school. Breaks We are splitting breaktime and lunch time which will halve the number of students in the general area at any time Uniform There is no change to the uniform which should be worn every day. We are still organising arrangements for PE. The school jacket could be most important this year as we will try to make as much use as possible of our outdoor spaces to allow some “mask free” time Toilets We have to limit the number of people allowed in toilets at one time. Capacity will be half what it was last year. One Way System There is a one way system in operation throughout the building. This allows us all to travel without traffic in the opposite way. Students have to maintain distance during these movements. Lockers We want to make lockers available for students. Distance has to be maintained and there will only designated times for different groups to go to their lockers Behaviour What might have been seen as horseplay or “messing” now carries serious health implications so behaviour levels need to be very well maintained. Handshaking, hugging, jostling now have consequences. Sadly, we have to be very careful socially and we need parents' help to explain this to our students. Visitors Unfortunately visiting the school can only be done by prior appointment. Forms, etc which need to be signed can be left in the letterbox and will be posted out when completed. The preferred method of communication is email but telephone if the matter is urgent. After School All after school activities (including after school study) have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. Students are encouraged to leave the premises as soon as possible at the end of the school day. Cleaning All areas in the school need to be cleaned at least once each day. In the classroom students will be supplied with disinfectant wipes to sanitise their desks before and after use. MOST IMPORTANT School needs to be a positive experience for students and we will make every effort to ensure both their safety and still allow them to interact with each other. This is new to us all and will need everybody’s help. Our responsibility is to get schools open and we are aware of most of the difficulties that we have to overcome and have been working on this for some weeks now. If there are any items which I have not covered please let me know. 14 Days to School Opening
With exactly a 14 day period between now and the opening of schools it is very important that we abide by the health regulations during that period to ensure the safety of our students and staff. The Department of Education has issued the recommendation that all students and staff wear masks in post primary schools. When not in use the masks will need to be kept in a sealed plastic bag. I am aware that this is going to be difficult and we will make every effort to arrange times when they can go outside and “take a breather” during the day. We are organising the provision of food and we hope to be able to provide this service free of charge and in a safe manner. The Breakfast Club will not be happening so it is important that students eat a breakfast at home. We are planning on providing mid morning break and lunch on all five days (inc Friday). Without sounding unfriendly we do not encourage visitors. Whether it is forgotten items or medical appointments we encourage you to make arrangements beforehand. Forms which need to be signed should be left in the letterbox and when completed will be posted out. Try to make all communication on-line or over the phone. Payments through Way2Pay, enrolments for 21/22 and now 22/23 are online. |If you email queries we will make every effort to reply speedily. The classrooms will be different and both ourselves and the students will be getting used to a new normal. Together we can make this work as it is not just for today but may be the way for months to come. We have books organised but both books and copies in the classroom will present hygiene challenges. In this regard I have been asking parents to see if they can provide laptop/Chromebooks as we move to a more technology enhanced environment. Already I have to thank so many parents who have supported this and we do have some stock within the school to assist those who can’t. Our research tells us that about three quarters of the student population have a laptop or Chromebooks. I will gladly help with any questions which you may have. Toilet facilities will have to limit the number od students at a time and we have 15 rooms with sinks with warm water for handwashing. Hand sanitisation is available in all classrooms and throughout the school and a full one way system will operate throughout. (no problem with the 10000 steps!) We are allowing lockers but only at limited times and a social distance applies. After school activities (study, sports, etc) are not happening in the short term and both students and staff are encouraged to leave the building early at the end of each day. Additional cleaning is being organised and toilets, doorhandles and social areas are prioritised. An isolation area has been designated, well ventilated and adjacent to a doorway. If a student is in any way sick they should not come to school and if the become ill in school they will need to be collected immediately. Electronic roll books will be marked at the beginning of each lesson to assist with contract tracing should an outbreak occur. At the moment changing rooms will not be used but it is important that physical activity should not be curtailed. We will be encouraging students to take exercise during PE classes and outside if at all possible (another 10,000 steps!). We have an outdoor gym and with proper sanitisation this could prove useful. Practical subjects (Home Ec, Art, Wood, Metal, Music, Science, etc) present challenges. In some subjects it is possible to provide individual equipment and others may be limited to demonstration in the short term. Medical advice tells us that school uniforms are less likely to hold infection than paper and books and we will be continuing with the uniform. We have opted not to install screens around teachers desks as there are questions about the insurance implications. Any screens which are installed in the school are made of toughened glass which sanitises best and these are being installed in the coming week in some public areas. There a dozen electronic information boards around the school to inform of events and remind about hygiene. We are monitoring and complying with health and education advice on a daily basis and are fully committed to minimising risk. We need the help of every family to do their best to keep us all safe. Remember we are the front line. Advice changes from day to day so it is important to keep an eye on the website. I am aware that there are students with immune system difficulties and and others with apprehension and anxiety and we will try to support them also. Let’s try to make this work, together. Opening dates for different groups are on the website. Please feel free to email us with any questions. School staff will shortly become frontline workers in the Covid battle and we again ask for your support in complying with the recommendations. House parties and non compliant foreign travel can put us all in danger. We are working to make Athy College as low a risk setting as possible. Among the measures we are taking are:
We need the support of the families and the community to open our schools. Thank you in advance. In one months time we expect to be welcoming back the first of our returning students We want to maintain a safe environment in our school. We want it to be a comfortable and welcoming place and we need it to be “as normal as possible”. Together we can make this happen. How can you help as a parent?
Please keep checking our website for any updates Despite the Covid -19 crisis and the challenges of blended learning and home schooling Athy College will have the largest enrollment ever at the end of the coming month. Overall student numbers in the building will increase by almost 70 students with the addition of several additional teaching and staff positions. While the coming term will pose several challenges we look forward to making the return to school as positive as possible for all students.
Even before our annual Open Day (which also might be challenging this year) and before our visits to primary schools we have already over 100 advance enrolments for Sept 2021. Enrolment application for 2021 can be done on our website www.athycollege.ie We await an update from the Department of Education on details of the return to school but in the meantime we have begun preparing the building for the safe return of students and staff. Watch this space! |
![]() Athy College FleeceMedical Info
This is a place for parents/guardians to upload any health conditions of students
Past Exam Papers |