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Safe Return to Campus 27 Jan 2022

27th January

The College is operating its safe return to campus based on the detail set out in the D/FHERIS's adopted and approved Safe Return Plan. Click below for the latest student guidelines.
Student Guidelines

FREE Rapid Antigen Testing

The College has been supplied with HSE Rapid Antigen Tests for students to use. Please read the guidance below.
Accessing & Using RATs

Fitness to Study

All students must complete the Fitness to Study form before coming on to campus. Students must also complete this form if they are unable to attend on campus because of COVID-19.
Fitness to Study Form

D/FHERIS – Safe Return Plan

On June 15th D/FHERIS published A safe return to on-site further and higher education and research (Safe Return Plan).  This document laid out a whole-of sector approach to safe and sustainable operations for the coming academic year.

The re-opening of higher education in the 2021/22 academic year is underpinned by three primary pillars:

  1. Higher education has been nominated as an ‘essential service’ by government.
  2. There is an overwhelming desire from students for a return to on-campus learning and research activity.
  3. The vast majority, if not all adults, including college students will have been offered the opportunity to be vaccinated by September.

Guidelines

Based on the above, higher education institutions (HEIs) have initiated a safe return to campus from September 2021 based on the detail set out in the adopted and approved Safe Return Plan.  Measures laid out in the plan will be applied across the sector with each HEI encouraged to work locally, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to ensure safe and sustainable implementation and to adapt the measures to their local context and physical infrastructure.

 

St. Nicholas Montessori College (SNMCI) – A Safe Return to Campus 2021-2022

SNMCI:

  • Is committed to adhering to Government guidance for public health as laid out in COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 – The Path Ahead and any further/future additions to these guidelines;
  • Is committed to supporting all students regardless of level, year, or discipline of study and will facilitate access to learning spaces and other physical settings as appropriate;
  • Is committed to maximising and optimising the on-campus experience for all students; balancing the public health risks against the academic and mental health benefits;
  • Will continue to emphasise the need for personal responsibility and shared collective responsibility to facilitate the safe operation of campus life;
  • Will continue to provide specific extra supports for students where required.
  • Has adopted the separate protocol agreed by the HEIs for the arrival of international students to Ireland to ensure their safety and that of the communities in which they will live and study.
  • Will ensure that all campus operations are conducted in such a manner as to manage any risk to individual and public health through adherence to such relevant regulations, guidance, and advice as may apply from time to time:
    • Adhering to all standard hygiene measures, cleaning and sanitisation procedures;
    • In certain circumstances requiring face masks in indoor on-site shared settings, in accordance with prevailing public health regulations and guidance;
    • Optimising ventilation systems to minimise risk of viral transmission, in line with local context and assessment;
    • Ensuring that entry and egress to buildings and facilities will be managed as safely as possible via contra flow and other measures;
    • Managing lecture times and lecture delivery to avoid large gatherings and to minimise risk;
  • Will protect through reasonable accommodation any member of the SNMCI community for whom vaccination is medically contravened, while encouraging engagement with the vaccination rollout, recognising that high levels of vaccination protect all.
  • Will support standard public health procedures by updating and monitoring its COVID QA policy and procedures, with appropriate arrangements for management of /control of outbreaks.
  • Continually monitor operations in light of the evolving public health status.

What students should expect

  • Increased onsite teaching and learning
  • The volume of onsite teaching and learning will depend on the programme and the module/s being delivered. Onsite delivery is expected for the following types of activities:-
  • Practical (Montessori/Arts )
  • Laboratory (research)
  • Workshops (Arts/practical applications)
  • Some modules on all programmes where ‘in-person’ engagement is the preferred mode.
  • Part of most programmes will still be delivered remotely, in particular in the first semester
  • As above, all onsite activity will operate according to HSE guidelines

Timetabling & planning is ongoing and students will be provided with detailed information as it emerges nearer the commencement of the academic year and during induction. In general, full time students should expect to be on campu 2 or 3 days per week.

Support

Classes and Lectures

Teaching and Learning will be delivered in a blended learning format. This means that some lessons will be delivered online and some in-class. In general, most full time students will only be required to be on campus for two or three days each week. Part-time students will generally only be required to be on campus one day or less per week.

Some full time classes, normally scheduled during the day, may be scheduled in the evening to facilitate a campus wide calendar that can accommodate all learners and faculty wherever possible.

Your programme team will be in touch with specific details in the coming weeks.

Exams

Advice from stakeholders (QQI/Teaching Council) has been and is continuing to be sought. Some examinations may be taken online depending on the wider covid context at exam time.

Placement

Placement will proceed as normal wherever possible. Where this is not possible alternative practice and assessment arrangements will be made to ensure that all students are treated equally, regardless of their placement experience.

International and Erasmus Students

If you need any further information or assistance, please contact the college through your faculty, Moodle or email.

Prospective Students

For all new students joining the College for the first time in 2021, we would like to assure you that a full programme of teaching, learning and assessment will be delivered during the 21/22 academic year. Teaching will be delivered in a blended learning format which means a combination of on-campus lectures, live online webinars and online resources accessed through our learning management system.

Our campus has been professionally cleansed and disinfected. Hand sanitiser, temperature checkers and disinfectant will be readily available throughout the College. Masks will also be available for those that wish to wear them. We are implementing a full set of policies and procedures to support the delivery of teaching and learning in a safe and compliant manner.

We understand that this unprecedented time may be stressful for all of our learners. Our Admissions team and our Learning Support Officer are available to address any concerns or questions that you may have.

Applications will be reviewed, as normal, via the Admissions Panel, though the current environment may cause for a slight delay. Once applied, please await further information and instruction from the Admissions Officer.

Any interview requested during this time will be run online, via Zoom.

If you wish to defer your place, please contact the Admissions Officer. If you need to make a payment, please contact accounts@smsi.ie.

For learners applying via the CAO, the normal offer and acceptance process will be in operation, albeit slightly later than usual. If you have not included St. Nicholas in your choices you can still apply direct to the College. Please contact the admissions officer.

Fees

The College has put in place carefully thought out and robust plans to ensure that teaching and learning continues regardless of the government’s response to COVID-19 and the affect any response might have on the availability of campus based resources.

The plan ensures that all students will be able to complete their studies and will be in a position to progress or graduate at the end of the academic year, subject to their own performance in assessments and examinations. As a result, there is no change to the final outcome for any student in the College. The mode of delivery of some course content may change but the quality of that provision and the quantitiy of that provision will remain stable regardless of the mode of delivery.

All the College’s faculty remain in post working very hard to ensure that the College can continue to provide a high quality education to all learners regardless of any access difficulties. The College has also recruited several additional staff to support faculty specifically with their planning and the transition to blended learning. The College has also invested significnatly in new technology, both hardware and software and has purchased large quantities of santitation supplies and PPE equipment.

For the reasons outlined above, it is not envisaged that there will be any reduction in College fees as a result of any changes in the mode of delivery of course content or assessment.

St. Nicholas Montessori School

Our schools are now fully open, in line with government guidelines (these are subject to change at short notice).
We will be following all relevant guidance from the DCYA and DES with respect to social distancing and sanitisation. Our schools have been deep cleaned and sanitisation products are available throught the schools. Protocols have been developed to ensure the safety of pupils, parents and staff in the event of a suspected coronavirus case.

St. Nicholas Montessori Teachers’ Association

All SNMTA activities including workshops and mentoring, are taking place online until further notice.
The SNMTA Executive Committee will endeavour to reschedule all cancelled events.
If you have any SNMTA related queries in the meantime please contact the SNMTA Team:  info.teachers@smsi.ie

Information on the COVID-19 coronavirus

For more information, please visit the HSE’s website.

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