All primary school pupils as well as fifth year secondary students will return to school this day week.
Monday, March the 15th will now loom large on the calenders of worn-out parents across the land.
The Department of Education confirmed the news that will have mums and dads breathing a sigh of relief in a letter to school principals this morning.
The letter says that the Department of Health and the HSE “have reaffirmed that the gradual phased reopening can proceed as planned”.
It continues: “Public health has reviewed the measures put in place to ensure safe operation of schools and is satisfied that these infection prevention and control measures, if rigorously adhered to, will keep the school community safe during this period.”
The letter goes on to remind school bosses of the safety measures and controls that must be put in place to prevent the spread of COVID 19.
And schools are also asked to remind both pupils and their parents/guardians not to congregate in school grounds or at school gates.
Students needn't feel to down about having to go back - schools will shut back down again for Easter holidays on Friday March 26.
When the Easter break ends on April 12, the final group of pupils to return - secondary level students from first year to fourth year - will hopefully come back to complete the phased return of kids to school.
Last week saw junior infants to second class pupils go back to primary schools, along with sixth year students in secondary schools.
And today, about 100,000 kids returned to preschool under the Early Childhood Care and Education scheme.
Today's confirmation comes as a "massive sigh of relief" to many parents.
One couple who Dublin Live didn't have to go very far to chat with agreed with this sentiment.
One of the pair said: "This day can't come quickly enough. Seriously, I'm ready to throw those Class DoJos or whatever they're called into the sea."
The other agreed, adding: "This news brought a massive sigh of relief and came just moments after my most recent sigh of despair.
"This latest one [sigh of despair] was prompted by my 10 year old's ongoing inability to tell the time on an 'analogue' clock."
