5th January 2022
Dear Parents/ Guardians,
We wish you and your families a happy and healthy new year.
We are very much looking forward to our students returning to school tomorrow but, in light of the high number of COVID cases at the minute and in the interests of the health and safety of our whole school community, it is crucial that we remind you of the following:
Do NOT send your child to school if they are showing any COVID 19 symptoms. Students who have symptoms of COVID-19 should stay at home, isolate and arrange to have a COVID-19 test. This test is to be provided by the HSE. It is not sufficient to use an antigen test bought from a shop or pharmacy. There are 2 types of COVID-19 test available from the HSE: antigen tests (home test kits) and PCR tests (done at a test centre and sent to a lab). Students (or anyone between 4 to 39 years of age) who has symptoms of COVID-19 are offered antigen tests firstly and they do not book a PCR test unless they get a positive antigen test result. If their antigen test is negative they still need to isolate until they have no symptoms for 48 hours.
Note – If a student is identified as a CLOSE CONTACT of a case in their HOUSEHOLD they will have to restrict their movement as per national guidelines for household close contact and get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible. Further information is available athttps://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/testing/get-tested/
If a post primary student tests positive for COVID-19: They will be contact traced by the National Contact Tracing Team. The National Contact Tracing Team will contact them and ask them to identify their close contacts.The student who tested positive will have to isolate for 10 days from the day their symptoms started or for 10 days from the day they had the positive PCR test. The student can return to school after this isolation period, provided they do not have a fever/temperature during the last 5 days of their isolation period.
Our COVID 19 Response Plan will be strictly enforced on our return to school and any student who does not adhere to our protocols regarding hand sanitising, social distancing and mask wearing will be immediately asked to go home. Masks wearing is a requirement for all staff and students and is more important than ever considering how transmissible the Omicron variant is proving, so please ensure your child comes to school with and wears a clean mask CORRECTLY every day
As always, we in Portmarnock Community School appreciate your help and support as our school community negotiates these challenging times.
Kind Regards,
Helen Dargan (Principal)
Mr David Clarke (Deputy Principal)
Ms Orla Molamphy (Deputy Principal)
Ms Elaine Moran (Deputy Principal)
Ms H Dargan
Principal
Portmarnock Community School
Carrickhill Road Upper
Portmarnock
D13 F766
