ACCS/Info Bulletin 69/20
1. Update on wearing face masks.
2. Return of forms to the Calculated Grades Executive Office.
3. Continuity of learning for students in the very high risk category.
4. Useful guidance on information sought by Public Health from schools in the event of a Covid-19 case(s).
1. Update on wearing face masks.
Please find attached the latest guidance on the requirement to wear a face covering in schools with the strong recommendation for cloth face coverings. Clarification is also provided regarding the requirement for medical certification in the case of a very limited number of exemptions.
With regard to the requirement to physically distance in the event of exemption from a face covering in exceptional circumstances the following additional clarification has been received from the Department.
Just to clarify further – having discussed with public health the issue of face coverings in schools the following guidance was provided:
Public health are clear that cloth face coverings are optimum, in limited circumstances where cloth face coverings cannot be worn visors should be considered next.
Their view is that there will be a very small number who are covered by the limited exceptions who cannot wear a cloth face covering or visor and that in these limited circumstances the arrangements in place for physical distancing (1m), hand hygiene, cough etiquette and cleaning would apply and should be strictly observed.
2. Return of forms to the Calculated Grades Executive Office.
You will recall from correspondence issued last week, relating to the Calculated Grades appeals process, that schools were requested to return all forms A, B, and C, together with the reconciliation sheet (in cases where the CGEO made changes on behalf of the school after the data collection process) and the Principal Sign-off form, to the Calculated Grades Executive Office no later than Friday 11th September, with the forms to be sorted in subject and level order. A pre-addressed envelope was provided for this purpose. Schools are to retain copies of the forms for their records.
Acknowledging that schools are still under pressure arising from work linked to the re-opening of schools, as well as managing the Calculated Grades process, the deadline for submitting the above documentation has been extended to Tuesday 15 September.
To assist with the compilation and return of the forms, schools may claim an additional one-day allowance for a Calculated Grades Aide under terms of circular 0039/2020 which is attached.
3. Continuity of learning for students in the very high risk category.
As flagged at the recent ACCS area information meetings the Department has published “Supporting post-primary students who are at very high risk to COVID-19” attached. A summary of the guidance provided in the presentation given at the Area Information Meetings is set out below.
Continuity of schooling: Supporting post-primary students who are at very high risk to COVID-19
These arrangements apply to students who are medically certified as being at very high risk to COVID-19:
Options for facilitating adapted education provision for these students
A designated teacher who is at very high risk to COVID-19 (available to work from home)
A designated teacher from the school’s existing support resources
Support from the subject teachers in school
Additional curriculum and subject specific considerations for students who cannot attend school:
· First-year students, Leaving Certificate Applied & Transition year
· Wellbeing, Languages, Science and Technologies, Mathematics, Art, Home Economics and Music, Business and Humanities
Other students who are likely to require some support to ensure they return to school in the normal way; however, it is not expected that these students would be educated through remote teaching:
• Students at risk of early school leaving
• Students/parents who are anxious about returning to school
• Students who have been requested to self-isolate
4. Useful guidance on information sought by Public Health from schools in the event of a Covid-19 case(s).
The following information has been shared with us regarding schools who have been contacted by the HSE where there are COVID positive cases in schools.
HSE Looked for:
1. School name/address/number of Students and Staff
2. Visual layout of school and the various floors
3. Visual layout of classroom and seating plan
4. Information on breaks
5. Isolation Room - record of who was in it and for how long and where they sat in the room
6. Route taken by pupil to isolation room
7. Route taken to and from school and mode of transport
8. Contact details of the full class in an excel spreadsheet
9. Anyone absent from the class on Day 0 (the day the pupil concerned first showed symptoms). NOTE: Those who were absent that day can remain in schools
10. Did they wear masks all day?
11. Were they socially distancing?
12. Staff Details - needed for contract tracing purposes
The HSE distinguished between close contact and casual contact.
Close contact - person in base classroom, 1 metre from other students, wearing a mask for over 2 hours.
Casual Contact - those who only spent an hour together in a practical room – i.e. options class - wearing masks and 1 metre apart.
In the case of this post primary school - only the close contact class was sent home. The casual contacts - i.e. those who were in the options class but were not in the base class were not sent home.
What happens when there is a positive case?
The HSE will have a general letter (on HSE Paper) that can be sent out to all parents - via email/possibly also a text alert would be useful here.
There is a second HSE letter. It is the contact tracing letter. It is not your responsibility to send out this letter. It is the responsibility of the HSE.
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