Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, Sligeach Sligo's Irish Medium Primary School
(SEE BELOW FOR ENGLISH VERSION)
A tuismitheoirí agus caomhnóirí, a chairde,
Tá súil agam go bhfuil gach duine ar fónamh. Agus muid ag tús an dara seachtaine de staid atá neamhghnách agus gan fasach, theastaigh uaim teagmháil a dhéanamh libh agus roinnt comhairle agus tacaíochta a thairiscint.
Ar an gcéad dul síos, is é an réasúnaíocht atá taobh thiar de dhúnadh scoileanna faoi láthair ná iarracht chun scaipeadh an víris COVID-19 a laghdú. Agus é sin san áireamh, is é an chéad cheacht laethúil ba chóir leanúint sa bhaile agus a threisiú go leanúnach ná treoracha an HSE a leanúint ach go háirithe níochán láimhe, béasaíocht riospráide, fadú sóisialta agus fanacht sa bhaile. Ní féidir linn ach an-bhéim a chur air sin.
Is mian liom a rá gurb é an príomhimní atá orm ag an am seo ná sláinte agus folláine mheabhrach ár ndaltaí uile, ár dtuismitheoirí agus ár bhfoireann. Tá an oiread cúinsí teaghlaigh éagsúla ann agus atá páistí agus baill foirne inár scoil – breoiteacht, imní poist, cúram leanaí, eagla srl. Is é an rud deireanach ba mhaith linn a dhéanamh ná cur le seo ar feadh tréimhse an-dúshlánach. Is é an príomhdhúshlán na cothromaíocht shláintiúil a fháil. Is próiseas ar feadh an tsaoil é an t-oideachas i ndáiríre agus fíor thábhactach mar ullmhúchán don saol. B’fhéidir go dtabharfaidh an staid reatha am dúinn scileanna nua a fhoghlaim nó a mhúineadh – scileanna maireachtála cosúil le slachtú, níochán, cócaireacht, bácáil srl. Is féidir aghaidh a thabhairt ar an tionchar acadúil in am tráth agus laistigh den scoil ach d’fhéadfadh an titim amach ó strus agus ró- imní deacrachtaí níos dúshláine a chothú.
Tá neart cainte ann faoin staid reatha mar chás ina bhfuil scolaíocht bhaile ag glacadh áit na scoile. Is dóigh liom go bhfuil an téarma scolaíocht bhaile míthreorach mar ní féidir le haon chás dul in áit eispéireas scoile ina bhfuil idirghníomhaíocht shóisialta, difreáil na foghlama agus thar aon rud eile, teagasc díreach, míniú agus ceartú / measúnú mar chuid lárnach de gach lá. Tá méid áirithe oibre a bhaineann leis an scoil leagtha síos ag na múinteoirí le leanúint ag na páistí agus tá suíomhanna gréasáin agus aipeanna molta curtha amach againn ar féidir leo cur leis an bhfoghlaim. Mar sin féin, níl sé seo uileghabhálach agus níor cheart féachaint air mar rud riachtanach. Tá muidne mar oideachasóirí faoi réir iliomad moltaí agus modhanna chun déileáil leis an staid gan fasach seo agus beidh scoileanna agus múinteoirí ag úsáid modhanna éagsúla agus iolracha chun an tacaíocht is fearr a thabhairt dá gcuid daltaí. Déanfaimid pleanáil agus leathnú ar sin sa tseachtain amach romhainn agus níos faide más gá.
Beidh suirbhé gearr ar mhaithe le aiseolas a fháil uaibh scaipthe oraibh níos déanaí inniu nó amárach.
Tabhair aire
Mícheál
Dear parents and guardians
I hope this message finds you all well. As we start the second week of what could be many weeks of an unusual and unprecedented situation, I wanted to touch base and offer some advice and support.
In the first instance, the rationale behind the current closure of schools is an attempt to minimise the spread of the COVID-19 virus. With that in in mind, the first and daily lesson to be followed at home and continually reinforced is that we all follow HSE guidelines in relation to hand washing, respiratory etiquette, social distancing and staying at home. We cannot stress that strongly enough.
Let me say that my main concern at this time is for the health and mental wellbeing of all our pupils, parents and staff. There are as many different family circumstances as there are children and staff in our school – illness, job worries, childcare, fear etc. The last thing we want to do is to exacerbate for what many may be an extremely challenging time. Finding a healthy balance is the key challenge. Education is in effect a lifelong process and a preparation for life. The current situation might just present us all with time to learn or be taught new skills – living skills such as tidying, washing, cooking, baking etc. Any academic impact can be addressed in time and within school, but the fallout from stress and over-anxiety will not be as simple.
Many people have referred to the current situation as one where home schooling is taking the place of what would be the normal situation. I feel that the term home schooling is misleading as no situation can really replace the experience of a school where social interaction, differentiation of learning and above all direct teaching, explanation and correcting/assessment is an integral part of each day. The teachers have set a certain amount of school-related work for the children to follow and we have sent out suggested websites and apps that can contribute to learning. However, this is not exhaustive nor should it be seen as prescriptive. We as educators are being subjected to a myriad of suggestions and methods to deal with this unprecedented situation and schools and teachers will be using varied and multiple methods to best support their pupils. We will plan for and expand on that in the coming weeks and longer if necessary.
A short survey seeking feedback will be distributed later today or early tomorrow.
Take care
Mícheál