After School Activities

After school activities will begin on September 21st 2020.  We have assessed each activity in line with COVID-19 measures.  All students partaking in an activity will receive induction training on these measures and are expected to adhere to same.  The schedule for each week will be posted on the website every Friday.  Changes or cancellations will be advised to all parents via twitter and the website.

EXTRA –CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES – RISK REDUCTION INFORMATION

A Balanced Approach

“One of the key challenges for schools during this pandemic is to balance

the need for a practical and sensible level of caution with the need to

provide a supportive environment for pupils/students and where teachers

feel able to engage with pupils in a way that supports their learning”

Apply Common-Sense

“An atmosphere of fear and an overwhelming preoccupation with infection

and hygiene can be harmful to teachers and pupils and to the quality of the

educational experience without materially reducing the risk of infection

beyond what can be achieved with a common-sense approach”

Our aim at Drogheda Grammar school is to do our best to continue to provide an enriching and supportive educational experience for all our students. Understanding that school is more than just the classroom for many of our students and teachers we aim to provide a varied extra- curricular programme after school. These activities have all been risk assessed and will follow a number of practical steps aimed at minimizing risk.

A few basic steps we aim to follow:

1. The school will post on the website on Friday what activities will be happening after school the next week. (Similar to the lunch menu)- this will help parents plan the week.
2. All students will sign up and sign in to their activity at 3:50pm on the day of the activity- they will be asked to verify they are suffering no symptoms before entry and will be checked in to allow contact tracing if ever required.
3. Changing rooms for sports will be supervised and managed with a strict maximum occupancy. If they don’t have PE on the day they can leave their kit in the changing room in the morning (locked at 8:45am) and retrieve it after school.
4. There will be no homework club this term. Homework club is not an activity we believe can be managed due to the possibility of mixing students indoors in bigger numbers, therefore all students must either be signed in to an activity or go home immediately.
5. If an activity is cancelled or postponed it will be posted on twitter. This will only happen if a teacher is absent.
6. All sporting activity will be outdoors with the exception of badminton for this term. If it rains wear a coat, if its cold wear a jumper. Fresh air is good.
7. All indoor activities will take place in large rooms with assigned seating. A full clean down at the end of the activity must occur.
8. We will change, cancel or postpone if necessary. It will take a few weeks to establish the clear routine and we are going slowly. We will review demand, venues, risk etc. on a regular basis.

As always situations may change and we may need to adapt. This is how we are beginning for now. Below is the list of activities for next week. 

Thanks,

Mr Baker