Parental update march v2 inc. LF Test info

{module_photogallery,37118} We are delighted to welcome pupils from Years 12,13 and 14 back to Dominican College from Monday 22nd March and wish to take this opportunity to thank parents for all their support over this period of Remote Learning and to congratulate all our pupils for the mature and conscientious manner in which they have kept up with their studies. We know that our pupils will be both excited and apprehensive about the return to school and we wish to help them reconnect with their friends and teachers and to prioritise both continuing with teaching and learning and promoting positive well-being. We know these have been the most challenging of times and we have much to get through down the line but your dedication and sheer hard work of our pupils, parents and staff have not gone unnoticed. Our senior Pupils will have many questions related to assessment and we aim next week to both inform and reassure students about how and when they will continue to be assessed within their GCSE, AS and A2 subjects. Pupils will return to week two of their timetable on Monday and will follow the same school day as they did in term one. Our senior pupils should enter the school by the Pedestrian Gate on Strand Road. The aim is to enable pupils to return to the established routines of the first term. Pupils will have an extended form class on Monday morning to help them to reconnect with their Form Teacher and classmates. We will maintain the following school procedures to help keep our school community as safe as possible: * All pupils will carry out handwashing at four key times of the school day; * Pupils will be encouraged to continue to use hand sanitiser to maintain positive hygiene; * Pupils will adhere to existing one way systems and continue to practice safe social distancing measures; * Face coverings are now mandatory for all pupils* at all times within all areas of the school buildings and on public transport; * (*Pupils with a specific medical condition are exempt from this mitigating measure) * Parents and pupils are asked not to congregate at the school gates. In addition to these measures the Department of Education and the Public Health agency have put in place the introduction of Lateral Flow testing for pupils in Years 12-14 as a further mitigation to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. Pupils will be issued with parental consent forms from Monday and, upon the signed return of these forms from Tuesday, pupils will be issued with a set of seven test kits which can be administered at home. It is suggested that pupils carry out a lateral flow test twice weekly and they will have sufficient tests to see them through the first fortnight after Easter. Familiarisation with administering these tests will take place from Monday in school. Currently there are building works taking place at the front of the school and we would ask all pupils to exercise personal safety at this time and to adhere to all safety guidance. Our Easter holidays will commence from on Friday March 26th (a half day) and pupils will be advised of how best to use this time to prepare for the third term. Pupils will be informed next week of the assessment arrangements within differing subjects. We certainly don’t want them, or you, to feel too overwhelmed by all the unknowns right now and we want them to continue to build on all the work produced before and during the recent period of remote learning. We would like to take this opportunity again to thank all our Dominican parents and to wish them and our pupils our very best wishes. Lateral Flow Testing Information from EA. Lateral Flow Testing Guidance, to view/download click here. Post Primary Information Leaflet, to view/download click here. Pupil Consent Template, to view/download click here.