The HSE has issued guidance for parents which addresses the following issues:

• Symptoms to look out for and when to contact your GP
• When to keep your child at home and phone your GP
• When it’s okay to send your child to school or childcare

You can access this guidance at the following link: HSE: Covid-19 Advice for Parents

1. If your child becomes unwell at school and presents with symptoms associated with Covid-19, we will follow the procedure that is set out in Section 8 of our school’s Covid-19 Response Plan. This involves bringing your child to a designated area within the school. This area is called an “isolation area” and every school is required to have such an area identified to deal with a potential case of Covid-19.
   
   We will contact you and ask you to collect you child as soon as possible.
   
   Please note that the school is not required to inform anyone that your child has been removed due to his/her symptoms. This procedure is purely precautionary.
   
   If you have other children in the school, they do not have to be removed from the school at this point.
   
   You are required to contact your GP to discuss concerns and we would ask that you keep the school updated on the advice given by your GP.
   
   The next steps will depend on the advice given to you by your GP.
    
2. If your child is referred for a test, all other members of the household that attend the school should remain at home.
    
3. If your child is confirmed positive for Covid-19, the HSE will begin the process of contact tracing. This will most likely mean that the school will be contacted to assess the Public Health Risk. 
   
   From this point onwards, the process will be led by the Public Health HSE.
   • The school cannot take any action in relation to exclusion, part closure or full closure, unless the Public Health HSE determine that the action is required.
   • If any action of this nature is required, the HSE will liaise with the school to provide clear guidance to the school community.
   • If the school has not been contacted by the Public Health HSE in relation to a confirmed case in the school community, then contact with the school has not been deemed necessary.

It is a distressing time for families who are dealing with a suspected or confirmed case and all pupils and their families are entitled to confidentiality.

The school cannot and will not make the name of a pupil with a suspected or confirmed case known to the public.

Unfortunately, we have no control over exchanges on social media, where information based on hearsay is shared.

We would respectfully request that parents who choose to communicate about this issue on social media should consider how these comments could be misinterpreted.

Please refrain from naming pupils and their families on these platforms.

We will continue to implement the measures set out in the school’s Covid-19 Response Plan to provide a safe learning environment for our pupils and a safe and healthy workplace for all our staff.

We look forward to your continued co-operation

Yours Sincerely

Barry O’ Donovan
Principal