School Closure: Information for Parents and Students

An announcement was made this morning by the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD of the closure of schools, pre-schools and further and higher education settings, for a period until 29 March 2020, to support efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19. This will take effect from 6pm this evening, Thursday 12 March. This is in line with the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team.

All pupils and students, from pre-school to third level are urged to practice social distancing, and to minimise physical contact with each other, to help avoid the spread of Covid-19. This should include minimising social contact, avoiding meeting up and keeping physical space between them. Parents and guardians are urged to support their children to maintain this approach.

Staff have been preparing for this and have provided students with instructions so that they can continue learning from home. Please note the following in relation to this:

  • All students have a Microsoft 365 login which has been provided to them. Please email info@coolminecs.ie should your son/daughter not have their email and password.
  • When they log in students will have access to email and OneNote. They should check these regularly for updates from teachers and we would encourage students to use their email to deal with queries. Please only email teachers with queries between the hours of 8.45am-4pm. 
  • Students are advised to follow a good routine during their days at home. A good example of this is following the school timetable which provides a good structure for your son/daughter. 
  • Many of our exam classes are now working on exam papers and have been given instructions to proceed with this work, please see useful links below.
  • Students have been given an opportunity to take whatever books they need from their lockers.

Please note that the Government, in conjunction with the public health authorities, will keep the situation under ongoing review. Any change to the dates of school closures will be communicated widely. We hope that students will be both safe and productive in their home environments and that they will utilise their IT tools, books and exams papers to the best of their ability. 

Useful Links and Resources