Return to School May 2020

This advice is adapted from a blog  by Dr Tara Quinlivan and might be helpful if your child has concerns.

 

Basically you want to gradually expose your kids to all things school related. You can try;

• Start your normal morning routine before school starts
• Start using language such as “when you go to school” rather than “if you go to school”
• If they are used to you or your helper walking them into school remind them you will say goodbye at the gate and the new collection zone is in the staff car park and you will see them there at 2:20pm
• Because you know what safety procedures we are implementing at KJS, discuss these a few times before school starts, ie Remember the 3M’s of Success; Meters matter, Masks matter and My clean hands matter to stay together.

We can also start to prime our children emotionally;

• Give emotions names. These can be names such as “sad”, “angry” or “worried”. But they can also be descriptive words such as “shakey”, “fuzzy”, “spiny”, “gurgley”, “heavy”. To describe my trip to the shops I might say; “I was so excited to go, but then when I got there I felt surprised and disappointed because it wasn’t the same. I felt a bit fuzzy the whole time, a bit wibbly wobbly and I was happy to come home. But it was also really fun to drive somewhere new and see the autumn trees, that bit felt warm and nice”
• Check in with your child before school starts. Ask them what they’re looking forward to, what they think might be different, what they’re expecting. Validate any fears and correct any misconceptions.
• Problem solve with your child- if something is a particular worry, work with your child to help come up with a few solutions. Include your child in this problem solving.
• Use your own feelings as a model. A conversation might go like this;

Adult: “we start back at KJS next week, how do you feel about that”

Child: “I might feel a bit nervous”

Adult: “When I started back at work I felt a bit nervous about seeing people again”

Child: “Like you were a bit nervous that they might have the cold, and you don’t know, and then you’ll get it?”

Adult: “Yep, exactly like that. But I’ve been thinking…I’ve thought of some stuff I can do that’ll make me safe”

You can then talk about various safety things like masks, metres and my hand washing. Your child can then connect to actual strategies and will leave the conversation feeling less anxious.

• Stay calm ourselves.

This point will likely be the most difficult. Stay calm ourselves. To do this in a genuine way we need to focus on ourselves as parents. Think about what you’re going to need to help support your child back to school. All this stuff takes both emotional energy and time. Think about your own resources and what you can give. If you can, build in buffers to help yourself. Recruit helpers where you can, lighten your load for a week or two in other areas of your life. Plan your own respite, even if its just sympathetic friends who can listen to you, or training your own internal voice to be compassionate to yourself.

• Communicate with your school

If there are specific challenges or concerns you need us to know about please reach out to your child’s teacher.

This page provides information to parents to support the Return to School (R2S) commencing 25 May 2020.  Parents are required to complete a declaration on Gateway before children are permitted to enter the school and this brief survey indicating their intentions, both due by 10:00 am Thursday, 21 May.

 

Each day the following needs to happen:

• Take your child’s temperature, if the temperature is over 37.5 your child cannot come to school. Record their temperature if below 37.5, sign the document and send to school
• Ensure your child has a clearly named mask (name on outside of mask for ease of identification) that they wear to school plus two additional named masks in a named mask holder.
• Your child needs a pencil case for in school learning, teachers will advise what is required in this, in some classes they will be asked to leave this at school
• Your child needs packed food for a morning snack and lunch that does not require heating or any assistance from staff (opening containers/ packets etc). Make sure they can access all of their food
• Your child will need a drink bottle, filled to start the day
• It is preferable their uniform is freshly laundered after their day at school and ready for the next day

• Children will be seated in year groups on bus and will be required to wear masks and stay in their designated seat at all times
• Bus will not have 1m separation but bus mothers will make best use of available space on buses
• Children will be met at the school gate by Mr O’Reilly and the welcoming team and will disembark and go straight into 1m distancing

• All children are met at the gate by our KJS Welcoming Team led by Mr O’Reilly
• The only people permitted inside the school gate will be staff and bus mothers. Parents and helpers are not permitted inside the gate other than at the end of the day (2:20pm) in the staff car park collection zone.
• All adults (staff and bus mothers) coming into the school also have their temperature taken and sign a health declaration
• 1m distancing, and masks apply at gate for every person entering KJS
• Children will be guided to the undercover temperature  and symptom check station and once cleared they will move to class following the 1 m separation guideline.
• Year 1 & 2 children will be directed to their class EA who will be visible from the temperature and symptom check station
• Any children with a temperature on arrival at school will be escorted to the isolation area to be cared for by our Health Team. Parents will be contacted to collect their child immediately

• When seated, children will sit at shared desks with 1m separation. Our Return to School plan was approved by the EDB with flexibility for our group tables and seating, with children 1m apart. The approval was due to the extensive space created by utilizing our shared learning areas.
• Extended classroom learning areas are defined with furniture supporting ongoing separation between class groups and allowing children the opportunity to move during the day without compromising our ‘metres matter’ expectation.
• Children will be able to move about the learning area with three staff in each space (in Y1-4) and two (in Y5 & 6) to support children to follow 3M’s @KJS (1 Metre, Mask, My Clean Hands).
• Hand washing / sanitizing will occur hourly, before and after eating, on the return from the toilet, and when moving in and out of the learning area.
• Learning area resources will be available for ½ day to ensure time for appropriate cleaning before the next day.
• Children will have library sessions but will not be able to bring books home.
• Books that the children read during their library session will be sterilized in our dedicated book sterilizer machine.
• Children will not be able to bring home daily readers from school. Rather, teachers will take advantage of the excellent online reading materials to support reading fluency and comprehension.
• Please return any KJS books you have at home to school as soon as possible.
• Any timetable changes will be communicated by teachers in a timely manner.

When designing our ‘Meters Matter’ learning areas at KJS we are were able to plan to fully utilise the flexible learning design of our environment. We planned for and have continued to achieve a minimum of 1m separation while children are seated and learning.

 

• To maximize wellbeing and safety for all staff and students, our children, once in school, will spend their learning time in their ‘class bubble’.
• They will move to the toilet individually and will have their own class movement area during the day and a designated class area in the canteen.

• We will minimize movement across the school and school day. Chinese language learning will occur in children’s learning areas (not in the Chinese Department).
• We have a one-way system of movement on the stairs.
• Staff will be ‘on duty’ to monitor movement at key times throughout the day.
• Posters will remind children of our 3M’s expectations.

Physical Education:

• Students will have Physical Education classes at least once every two weeks at school and distance learning activities will also be provided.
• The KJS gym and dance studios will be available for PE. These spaces will allow us to maintain social distancing.
• Typically, Y1 and Y2 PE classes will take place in children’s own classrooms.
• The playground and outdoor areas will only be used where conditions permit.
• Where children do move to another area of the school for PE, they will be fully supervised.
• PE will focus on individual health and skill-related fitness activities.
• Teachers will closely monitor student wellbeing and exertion, especially given student will be wearing masks and will modify lessons to suit needs
• Equipment that is used will be sanitized to meet EDB guidelines.
• All students will be asked to wash/sanitize their hands upon entry into the PE learning spaces before the lesson and will also sanitize their hands upon return to the classroom.
• Children will have their water bottles to ensure appropriate hydration.

    Music

• Students will participate in specialist music lessons at least once every two weeks when at school and distance learning activities will also be provided.
• Children will have the opportunity to sing and move in classes in addition to specialist provision.
• Y1 and Y2 Music classes will take place in children’s own classrooms.
• Appropriate instruments (non wind instruments) will be used to support music skill development with instruments sanitized during recess, lunch, and after school daily.
• All students will wash/sanitize their hands upon entry into the music room before the lesson.
• In order to maintain a 1m distance between students, we will provide markings on the floor of our classrooms and music studios.

     Chinese  

• We are pleased to return to daily Chinese for Years 3-6, three times a week for Year 1 and four times a week for Year 2.
• Seesaw tasks and activities will be discontinued with the re-introduction of our regular Chinese language learning timetable.
• Chinese Lessons will be provided via ‘live’ lessons at school or via Zoom sessions online. Updated timetables will be communicated to parents with associated Zoom links.
• For in-school days, students will engage predominantly in activities relating to health and wellbeing in cycle 1 and cultural activities, specifically linked to Dragon Boat Festival, in cycle 2. These engagements will occur in children’s classroom groups rather than pathways.
• Pathway group learning will continue during distance learning/ home learning days.
• One recurring Zoom link with a password will be provided for each year group.

Year 1

• Year One will be providing a labeled individual stationery set and case for each child. This can be easily sanitized each day. They do not need to bring their own stationery or pencil cases to school.

Year 2

• Year two will be providing a labeled individual stationery set and case for each child. This can be easily sanitized each day. They do not need to bring their own stationery or pencil cases to school.

Year 3

• A pencil case with your child’s name and class
• 3 sharpened writing pencils
• A pencil sharpener
• A small of pack of coloured pencils
• UHU Glue stick

Year 4

• Please bring an empty pencil case clearly labeled with a name – we will fill it with the stationery we have at school
• Children are welcome to add their own special items/ pens/ pencils they would like to have available for learning

Year 5

• Pencil case labeled with child’s name.
• 3 lead pencils
• Pencil sharpener
• Small ruler (10cm)
• A small packet of coloured pencils
• 2 pens for writing with (black or blue ink)
• Glue Stick

Year 6

You need to bring your own pencil case (with your name clearly labelled) and it should contain the following items (as we will not be providing shared equipment):

• 2 pencils
• 2 pens
• A pencil sharpener
• A pair of scissors
• Coloured pencils
• Highlighter
• Permanent marker
• Ruler
• Glue stick
• Eraser

Every piece of equipment should be labelled with the child’s name. 

• Each class will have 2 toilet passes ensuring a maximum of 3 boys and 3 girls in toilets at any one time.
• Year 1 & 2 children will be fully supervised while transitioning to and from the toilet.
• Toilets will be cleaned regularly throughout the day.
• Paper towels will be provided for hand drying.

Children will be able to fill drink bottles at school, however all drinking fountains are closed.

   Morning Snack

• Children will eat their morning snack in their learning area. There will be handwashing and sanitizers available before and after eating. Classrooms will also be cleaned after snack time.

     Movement/ outdoor relax time

• Children will transition with staff to a movement area designated for their class and will have 10-15 minute movement time in these spaces each day.
• They will move and play in their class groups and will be supported to follow our ‘3M’s of Success’.

      Lunch Time

• Lunch for Year 1-4 will be in our school hall ‘canteen’ and Y 5 & 6 will be in our 4th floor ‘canteen’ with children seated on chairs 1m separated in their class groups.
• Lunch will be eaten from their lunchbox from home.
• No food heating, preparation, utensils, or containers will be provided by the school.
• Children will place their masks in a container or a hygienic position while they eat lunch.
• The hall and 4th floor will be used for no other purpose other than eating throughout the day.
• Children will be fully supervised during this time and will be escorted to and from classes.
• Children will eat lunch with their year group only.
• The ‘canteen’ will be cleaned between each year group and after daily use.

• Children will be supervised as they move around the school and will use our flexible ‘one-way’ system. A ‘four steps on the stairs’ approach will support 1m distancing.
• Staff will be allocated in different areas around the school to monitor movement.
• Movement will be limited to specific purposes and times.
• Any child who is asked to move around the school for health reasons (i.e they need to see the nurse) will be escorted by staff.
• All on-site staff will be on hand to assist with transitions around the school.

• Bus children will be released in groups as their buses are ready and will stay in classes until this time.
• Children will be supervised as they move to their waiting areas and will maintain 1m separation while waiting.
• Walkers will leave school and meet their parents/ helpers in a designated area in the staff car park. No vehicles will enter or exit the car park during the collection time.
• Senior Leadership Team members will monitor key areas at the start and end of the day.
• School will finish at 2:20pm. Children are to be collected from the designated area in the staff carpark at this time.

• On the home learning day, teachers will continue to provide learning engagements for children and will Zoom in twice a day. Your child’s teacher will explain how feedback will occur.
• Children will also have their Chinese Language Zoom as per their timetable
• Any children not attending the ‘in school’ day on-site at KJS can still participate fully in the home Zoom and distance learning.
• There will not be distance learning provision on ‘in school’ days as teachers and EA’s will be fully engaged in teaching, learning and supporting wellbeing on the KJS site.
• Families who need the school devices for the home learning day may retain these. If they are no longer needed, please return them to school as soon as possible.

• Distance learning will be provided every second day as part of the in-school/ home day cycle.
• Where children do not attend the ‘in school’ day, they may access any of the digital resources the school has previously encouraged children to access.
• Teachers are unavailable for Zoom time, feedback, or assessment when attending to their in-school day.

• What if a child has symptoms? If your child has a temperature before school, do not send them to school. If a child presents with any symptoms at school, our Health team will take over and will contact the child’s family for them to come and collect the child. Please note that temperature or respiratory symptoms does not mean a child has Covid-19. Accordingly, the school will not be contacting or advising anyone other than the child’s parents.

If the school is advised a child who has been attending has COVID-19, we will follow the EDB and CHP guidelines:

• EDB 5.3 When a confirmed case of COVID-19 is found in a school. If a student or staff is confirmed to be a case of COVID-19, CHP will conduct an epidemiological investigation and contact tracing. Close contacts will be put under quarantine and other contact will be put under medical surveillance. Based on the condition of the schools, CHP will inform EDB and the school concerned to discuss the suitable arrangements (e.g., cleaning and disinfection of school premises, schooling arrangements) that have to be made.

Will children always be sitting at their tables in their chairs?

• No, teachers have ample space and have planned methodically to enable children to move in their learning area safely. Accordingly children will have a variety of locations they can sit, stand and learn following our 3M’s and be safe at school. Children are able to sit on the floor and a variety of other spaces as they have done in the past.

Will children be using drinking fountains?

• No, children will be able to fill bottles from the drink bottle filling apparatus but cannot use the drinking fountains (these are switched off)

Will I be allowed to come into the school with my child?

• We will maintain contact with you through our current systems of email. Parents who walk their children to school will leave their child with our team at the gate. Parents and helpers will not be permitted inside the school gates in the morning and only permitted into the waiting area in the staff car park at the end of the day.

What if I, as a parent, need to come into school (e.g. purchase uniform)?

• From May 25th, when our children are back on the school site, you will be able to arrange a time after 3 pm to collect uniforms. Please contact the PTA office to make an appointment.

How will you ensure social distancing for my child?

• We will support, encourage, and model appropriate social distancing at school and use our 3M’s for Success to create a positive and consistent message regarding masks, metres, and ‘my clean hands’. You can support the school by using these messages at home as well.

Will my child be having hot school lunches?

• Our outside provider will not be providing lunches on our return to school. Children will need to bring their lunch to school from home along with their own utensils.
• It is very important that children can independently access their own lunch, opening containers, and packets and able to access the contents. Please check that your child can access their food before sending it with them!

Where will the children be eating?

• There are two canteens/eating areas set up for our students.
• The school hall will be used for years 1-4 lunchtimes.
• The 4th floor will be used for years 5 & 6.
• Lunchtimes will be staggered to allow enough time for children to eat.

Who will they be with: whole class or other classes?

• We are trying to minimize unnecessary contact throughout the school day. Other than bus times, your child will remain in his/her classroom bubble, meaning that they will only be with their own class for most of their school day.

Will they have specialist lessons?

• Please see the specialist section above. Students will have their regular specialist lessons when they are in school.
• Chinese will offer both ‘live’ lessons when children are in school and Zoom lessons when children are learning at home. They will follow their regular school timetable.
• PE/Music will offer lessons for children in school and will provide learning activities for home school days.

Where will they have specialist lessons? Will this just be my child’s class?

• Chinese lessons will be taking place in your child’s classroom / extended learning area and not in Chinese classrooms.
• PE will take place in the school gym, dance studio, and playground. Year 1 and 2 PE lessons will take place in the classrooms / extended learning areas.
• Music will take place in classrooms for Years 1 & 2 and in the music suite for the remainder of year groups.

How will the toilets be supervised?

• Due to safeguarding, children are not supervised within the actual toilets.
• Procedures are in place that limits the number of children permitted to go to the toilet at any time. This will support the 1m distancing.
• Children will be reminded of the 3M’s, reminded to keep their mask on, and also to lower the toilet seat before flushing.
• As well as washing their hands, they will use a sanitizer back in the classroom.
• EDB provided posters will also provide reminders to students about appropriate behaviors in the toilet

Will there be checks that children are washing their hands properly?

• We will remind children of the 3M’s and will ensure hourly washing/hand sanitising.

How are you ensuring quality learning takes place within the guidelines?

• Our teachers will be ensuring 100% learning with 50% in school and 50% at home. They will continue to deliver quality learning experiences to meet student needs, continuing on from Distance Learning that has taken place.

How do we minimize the risk?

• Successful return to school is reliant on effective safeguarding practices at school (3M’s of Success, temperature check on entry, monitoring throughout the day) and on Parents ensuring they check their child’s temperature each day, making sure they are symptom-free and recording their daily temperature.

What will transition back to school look like for my child?

• Throughout this week, your child’s teacher will be wearing a mask and sharing what your child’s learning space will look like. Teachers are working together to provide activities and learning that will support your child’s wellbeing and a successful transition back to school.

Will resources be cleaned throughout the day?

• In accordance with EDB guidelines, manipulative resources and equipment will be cleaned after each half day’s use.
• To minimize cross-contamination, children will have their own pencil case with essential resources contained therein.

What do playtimes look like?

• Not like they were pre-COVID-19! Each class will be allocated an area in the school to have a break in e.g. playground, gym, library. This will be a “movement’ break with less vigorous activities than usual. Metre distancing will be expected and children will be fully monitored.

Will the school reconsider the full day and follow the ½ day system of local schools?

• The decision for KJS to have full days and alternate days is an ESF wide approach designed to support a positive transition back to school and to meet the needs of our students, pedagogy, philosophy, and approach to learning. This approach will continue to the end of this academic year

Will my child see their friends and be able to play with them?

• In the first ten-day cycle, children will remain in their own class group. They will not mix with other classes or friends in other classes.

Uniform: Will children wear their PE uniforms on a particular day?

• Yes and this will be communicated by class teachers.

PE class: My concern is the health risk of doing PE class while kids are wearing masks, especially in such hot weather.

• Children will wear masks at all times. Our PE team is very mindful of health and safety, and will carefully monitor student wellbeing and adjust the activity to suit the conditions and the students.

What happens if a child becomes sick during the day?

• If a child presents with a temperature or respiratory symptoms, they will be escorted to our isolation room and cared for by our nurse until their parent arrives to collect them.

What have you done to reduce risk at break times?

• Multiple approaches; Our 3M’s for success, zoned areas for each class group, supervision for every class, staggered break times, reduced lunch break by 35 mins and selected equipment and activities to support movement and social distancing.

Where can we collect our children from at the end of the day?

• Only from our ‘collection zone’ in the staff carpark at 2:20pm

How will the school enhance natural ventilation?

• Doors and windows will be kept open during the day.

What happens when it rains?

• Our temperature checking station is fully undercover as is our end of the day collection area (but parents will need their umbrellas!) We already have contingency plans for during the day when it rains and these will continue to be followed.

Will my child wear a mask during PE?

• In cycle 1 all children will wear masks at all times at KJS. PE will be low intensity and children will have built in rest times and time to stop and drink. Mask’s are appropriate for our plans.