Since the enforced school closure in Ireland on the 12th of March, due to Covid-19, the children from Askeaton Senior National School and Askeaton Junior National School have been keeping up with their school work through the use of Google Classroom. Google Classroom is an online interface where the teachers can communicate with their pupils, issue instruction and upload assignments. In turn, the pupils can ask any questions they may have on the topic and then upload their completed assignments for correction. The feedback from children, parents / guardians and teachers has been very positive. The children are enjoying the novelty of working online and having a daily routine as lessons are posted daily from 9am.
Pupils in the junior classes have been completing their work through email correspondence between the parents and teachers. Some teachers are in the process of introducing “Seesaw” which is another online interface where teachers and students can communicate.
While nothing can replace the real life hustle and bustle of a normal school day which is full of conversation, physical interaction and laughter, this is the “new normal” for the next few months and it is all about making the best out of a difficult situation. Over the past week the school has received photographs of the children completing their school work and keeping busy doing their favourite pastimes.
Askeaton Senior National School and Askeaton Junior National School are currently accepting enrollments for the coming school year and can be contacted at: jnsaskeaton@gmail.com or askeatonsns@gmail.com.
The staff and the Boards of Management at Askeaton Senior N. S. and Askeaton Junior NS would like to thank all the students, parents and guardians for their unwavering support in the continuation of their children’s education. We would also like to express a special thanks to all the frontline workers in our school community and the wider school community for their heroic efforts during this pandemic. Please continue to follow all government guideline and stay safe.
The children are enjoying the novelty of working online and having a daily routine as lessons are posted daily from 9am.  It is clear that many of our pupils are sharing laptops/ tablets and other electronic devices with others in the home. The use of Google Classroom allows flexibility so that pupils may login and engage with their online work at whichever time is most convenient for the individual family.
Pupils in the junior classes have been completing their work through email correspondence between the parents and teachers. Some teachers are in the process of introducing “Seesaw” which is another online interface where teachers and students can communicate.
We all know that nothing can replace the real-life hustle and bustle of a normal school day which is full of conversation, physical interaction and laughter. The use of online classes is the “new normal” for this term and we can only  make the best out of a difficult situation.