Believe. Persevere. Achieve.

We’ve been back a little over a week and already it has been a busy start to the summer term. We were delighted to welcome some former pupils from Leith Academy along to one of our whole school assemblies to share the work they are doing in preparation for their Silver Award. This term will be an important one for Leith Primary as we make our final preparations for our Gold Award assessment in June. Children’s Rights underpins all we do at Leith from our welcoming and inclusive ethos to our commitment to play-based learning, supporting pupils’ talents and hobbies, reducing the financial cost of the school day to parents and nurturing of pupil leadership. At our Tuesday assembly this week, we discussed the importance of dignity. Everyone should have their dignity preserved, even those who may have lost the respect of their peers by being unkind. The right to privacy (#16) links closely to our approach of PIP and RIP – Praise in Public, Reprimand in Private: Pupils may not always know what happens next after they report when someone has not followed our school rules – Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Safe. This does not mean that nothing has happened but that the adults have dealt with the situation in private to maintain the person’s dignity.

Farewell Ms Kennedy!

Goodbye and good luck to our wonderful school administrator, Alex Kennedy, who will be leaving us on Friday (26th) after nearly two years at Leith Primary. Ms Kennedy has been a key member of our school staff during her time here and the smiley, welcoming face for many at the start of each school day. Ms Kennedy will be taking her experience of school administration to a larger school in the private sector and we wish her the very best of luck in her career.

Whilst we undertake the recruitment for Ms Kennedy’s replacement, please note that our office will be manned only at key points during the day. It is therefore very important that all pupils arrive at school at the start of the day 8.50am. The telephone voicemail, text system and admin email inbox will be checked regularly throughout the day so please leave us a message if you need to get in touch about something important. Repeated phoning and hanging up leaves multiple blank voice messages on our system meaning it might take longer to get back to you so please do leaved a brief message so we can get back to you as soon as possible.

Mrs Beattie, our school Business Manager will be working additional hours to support with new enrolments and ParentPay issues.

Thank you for your understanding during this transitional time.

Junior Award Scheme for Schools – JASS # Article 29 #Article31 #Article 15

We are very excited to be offering all pupils between P3 and P7 the opportunity to have their Wider Achievements recognised in a more formal and progressive way through the introduction of the Junior Award Scheme for Schools. This has been made possible by the generous donation from KPE4, who support the school with reducing and removing costs to parents for clubs and residential trips. If your child attends a club or group, they can get accreditation for the time they spent at a sports club or drama group, dance group, Scouts, Brownies, Youth Club, madrassa, etc. Along with activities planned in school, this will lead to JASS certification. JASS is an excellent precursor to the Duke of Edinburgh Award that many children get the opportunity to do at secondary school. Please look out for the log sheet that children can take to their club for initialling by the group leader, as evidence of attendance. Good Luck!

School Library Reopens #Article17 #Article29

We are delighted that our school library is now back open for all pupils to use. This is thanks to the dedication of our parent council, LPPC, who have audited the books and supplemented them with amazing new ones. LPPC were supported by staff from our local Leith bookshop, Argonaut Books on Leith Walk, who advised on the best selection of new titles that would appeal to our young people. Mr Stuart and Mrs Kinnell have also been working with the National Literacy Trust to establish the best way to encourage pupils to read more for pleasure. Mr Stuart has also established our Junior Librarian group which consists of pupils from all year groups who support their class with maintaining the library and sharing the views of their classmates on which books are most popular.

As many thousands of pounds have been invested in purchasing new books, we would really appreciate parents and carers support in helping pupils to take care of the books when they go home. We were really keen that our pupils get the opportunity to take books home to read in the evenings and at weekends. However, we would like all the books to come back in one piece so that other children can enjoy them. Pupils will be able to exchange their book each week if they would like to select a new one. Se regret that a new book cannot be taken home unless the previous one has been checked back in.

Another big welcome and thank you to our Senior Librarians, who are a small team of parent volunteers who will support classes each week in exploring the new book collection and keeping the library in good order.

Thank you to everyone involved and we hope everyone enjoys our fabulous new books.

Support for Children’s Mental Health #Article23 #Article5

Tennis Coaching This Summer #Article31 #Article24

Family Fun Day #Article 18 #Article 31

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods – Your Views #Article13 #Article 12

We are currently looking at setting up some more research with parents now the low traffic neighbourhood measures have been implemented. We’re interested in finding parents of P6 and P7 children who are interested in taking part in a small focus group on Thursday 9^th May at 6pm. The research will be asking parents what they think of the low traffic neighbourhood measures and whether they feel they’ve affected safety of walking to school etc. Groups will be run online using Zoom, will last up to around 90 minutes and parents would receive £40 as a thank you for taking part. Please get in touch with Rachel Young if you are interested in attending this session: rachel.young@progressivepartnership.co.uk

Well Done to Our Recent Leithers of the Week #Article29 #Article31

Lori	Primary 1/2	For trying exceptionally hard in maths these past couple of weeks. Well done Lori!
Finlay	Primary 1/2	For trying very hard in numeracy this week. Finlay has been very confident when ordering numbers from smallest to biggest.
Jed	Primary 1a	Jed was a fantastic role model on our school trip to the museum yesterday! He followed our silent, sensible and safe rules. Very well done, Jed!
Danya	Primary 1a	Danya has been working hard to stay focused and has done a fantastic job of following our carpet rules. Well done, Danya!
Aryan	Primary 1b	Aryan has been working really hard on his writing, forming new letters and practising his name.
Alice	Primary 1b	Alice has been working really hard on her reading and writing. She can now write full words independently and is very enthusiastic when showing her knowledge of sounds in phonics.
Manvir	Primary 2	Manvir has been demonstrating his brilliant addition skills in our Big Maths activities.  He has been challenging himself to improve the speed and accuracy of his addition within 20 and has done an amazing job! Well done Manvir!
Ryan	Primary 2	Ryan has been putting a big effort into phonics this week!  He used what he knew about the sound ‘gl’ to come up with some more complex words.  Well done Ryan, keep up the good work!
Freya	Primary 3	It has been so lovely to watch you work so hard in Maths this week. You have created some amazing arrays for our Array City and I am so enjoying watching you challenge yourself. Keep it up!
Napiu	Primary 3	You have been working so hard in all aspects of your literacy. You challenge yourself to write more every lesson and it has been so lovely to hear you growing into such a confident reader. I hope you keep being proud of yourself for all of your hard work.
Bhodi	Primary 3	You have been working so hard in your Maths lately, you always come to your group ready to learn and with a super positive attitude. You have worked so hard in counting the number of jumps to find missing addends and I am so proud of you.
Ellie	Primary 3/4	For being an effective contributor to group work in Maths and showing a positive attitude to her work.
Kasey	Primary 3/4	Kasey has been an effective contributor to the class this week, especially during a maths lesson looking at measuring mass.
Riyaa	Primary 3/4	For making super progress in her numeracy learning.
Austin	Primary 4	Great technique and teamwork in Volleyball this week.  Well done!
Aaron	Primary 4	Aaron worked hard in Writing this week, focusing on his Literacy target.  Well done!
Belle	Primary 4	For supporting others during French this week. Thankyou!
Jamie	Primary 5a	Jamie for asking interesting questions and for using technology to support his learning.
Aleks	Primary 5a	Aleks has been working on his perseverance and aiming to achieve his best. Well done
Anjali	Primary 5a	Anjali listens very well to others and to feedback. She is always aiming to improve her work and achieve her best.
Alfie	Primary 5b	Alfie is a responsible and respectful member of our class always ready to learn and is  great asset in paired, group and class activities. Well done Alfie!
Cooper	Primary 5b	Cooper has been very supportive when his friends have been dealing with big emotions.
Scarlett	Primary 6	Scarlett has been really applying herself in her maths and reading this week. She has also been a fantastic supportive learning partner.
Alexa	Primary 6	Alexa was brilliant in athletics this week, taking part in the activities and doing her best in her sprinting. Well done Alexa!
Chloe	Primary 6/7	Chloe has been continuing to grow in confidence within Numeracy and has worked hard to build up her solid understanding of improper fractions and mixed number fractions. Great start to the term Chloe!
Wegdan	Primary 7	For always showing respect by listening to instructions and using her eye contact and body language. Wegdan is hardworking and completes tasks with full concentration. Well done!

Huge congratulations to our Primary 7s who won the annual Leith Academy Primary 7 Maths Challenge Competition. The B team who comprised of Erin, Laksh and Antos, came first overall, beating Lorne, Hermitage Park and Craigentinny Primaries.

We are enormously proud of them for showcasing their top mathematical skills and for representing the school and themselves in such an exemplary manner. Well done Leithers!

Leith Primary Gets a Life Saving Defibrillator #Article 24

We received our new defibrillator this week at Leith Primary School. It is situated outside the lunch hall on the ground floor of the main school building. The school is now signed up to The Circuit, the national defibrillator network which helps people identify their closest defibrillator in an emergency situation.

If you are interested in learning how to use a defibrillator or how to offer CPR in an emergency, visit this website: https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators

Young Carers Day of Action

#Article 12 #Article 13 #Article 15

March 13^th was Young Carers’ Action day. The Equalities Pupil Group wanted to raise awareness of the incredible work that young carers do- so this was an ideal opportunity to do so!

Armed with iPads, the Equalities group did their research, finding out what Young Carers are, what they do, what their rights are and why they need support. They then created a PowerPoint slide show to share with the school at assembly. A few of the members of the Equalities Group are Young Carers and one of them shared with the school what this experience was like for him.

Mrs Moloney is the Young Carer Co-ordinator at Leith Primary school. At the assembly, she shared with the school that we have a Young Carer Team, dedicated to supporting and identifying Young Carers in our school community. Pupils can approach them for help and advice.

We work very closely with the charity Edinburgh Young Carers. There is a link to their web page here, if you would like to find out more about what they do.

https://www.youngcarers.org.uk

We are proud to say that all staff at Leith Primary School have had training and are Young Carer aware.

If you think that someone in your family might be a young carer- because they have a sibling or parent at home who has a disability, physical or mental health issues or problems with addiction, you can contact the school directly for advice and a possible referral to Edinburgh Young Carers.

Leith Primary School Health Week #Article 29 #Article 31

Next week is our annual health and fitness celebration that focusses on pupils’ physical health and wellbeing. We have an exciting week packed with activities and workshops to help encourage pupils to get active and stay fit.

Take a Look at the Timetable

Teen Triple P Parenting Classes #Article 18

Dear Parents and Carers

I am writing to let you know about the citywide Teen Triple P Parenting Group opportunities that will be running April – June 2024 with an additional group added at St Augustine’s RC HS.

We welcome applications directly from parents and carers or someone can apply on their behalf. Applications can be made by completing our online application form. If you require more information or you wish to discuss particular support needs please contact jill.coleman@edinburgh.gov.uk

I have attached a Teen Triple P leaflet for more information.

Day Face to Face NE

Craigentinney Community Centre, 9 Loaning Rd, Edinburgh EH7 6JE

Wednesday’s 1/05, 8/05, 15/05, 22/05, 29/05, 5/06, 12/06, 19/06

Time: 1.15-3.15pm

Day Face to Face NW

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre 19 W Pilton Grove, Edinburgh EH4 4BY

Thursday’s 2/05, 9/05,16/05, 23/5, 30/05,6/06,13/06, 20/06

Time: 1.15-3.15pm 

Evening Face to Face SE

St Augustines RC High School 208 Broomhouse Rd, Edinburgh, EH12 9AD l

Thursday 2/05, 9/05,16/05, 23/5, 30/05,6/06,13/06, 20/06

Time: 6.00pm-8.00pm

Evening Teen Triple P Virtual Group  – access to laptop or pc required, we will be using TEAMS for delivery (FULL but names can be added to waiting list)

Wednesday’s 1/05, 8/05, 15/05, 22/05, 29/05, 5/06, 12/06, 19/06

Time: 6.00-8.00pm

Any questions please don’t hesitate getting in touch. 

Kind Regards

Jill Coleman

Parent/Carer Teacher Consultations #Article 12 #Article 29

Thank you to everyone who was able to meet with their child’s class teacher to discuss their progress in learning over the last couple of weeks.

Parents and carers are a child’s first and main teacher, spending 85% or more of any average school year at home. This is why we greatly value being able to meet with you as the experts in what makes your child tick. We want to get the best we can from our pupils in the remaining 15% of a typical year when we have them. Sharing information and collaborating is the best way to support your child to achieve success at school.

We really value parents and carers feedback to help us get better at supporting our pupils with their learning and development. Please take a moment to complete this short survey to help us with our future plans for the school.

https://forms.office.com/e/fzUiDq1U0G

End of Term #Article 30 #Article 31

Please remember that the Spring Term ends on Thursday this week at the usual finish times (3pm and 3.15pm). Staff and children will be on holiday until Tuesday 16th April when everyone will begin back for the Summer Term.

Happy Easter and Eid Mubarak to our families when these celebrations arrive.

Our Leithers of the Week # Article 29

Well done to all our Leithers who have Believed, Persevered & Achieved over the last two weeks. We are all very proud of you.

Hayden	Primary 1/2	For trying his best in phonics. He is doing a fantastic job remembering his initial sounds and can now independently write his own name. Well done Hayden.
Lottie	Primary 1/2	For showing kindness to her peers. Lottie has been spending time this week creating some lovely pictures for her friends.
Liam	Primary 1a	Liam has been trying particularly hard with his writing this week. He independently wrote a sentence and even checked his work for capital letters, finger spaces and full stops! Super work, Liam!
Eyad	Primary 1a	Eyad has been working hard over the last few weeks to follow the school rules and routines. He has been a kind friend and was ready to learn in phonics. Well done!
Alexander	Primary 1b	Alexander has been working really hard in phonics and can say lots of new sounds. He is also writing his new letters beautifully. Well done Alexander!
Lukas	Primary 1b	Lukas has been working really hard to listen and focus on the carpet and during group time.
David	Primary 2	David has been working hard this week, to focus well when we are on the carpet or moving from one task to another.  He has already shown that he can focus really well during tasks and channel his energy into producing quality pieces of work.  Well David, you can do it!
Iris	Primary 2	Iris has been demonstrating her dancing skills, whilst learning our dance routine in PE.  She’s been keeping up with the changing actions, keeping in time with the beat and being aware of her body movements in her own space.  She also gave really effective feedback to her classmates about their skills.  Well done Iris!
Linda	Primary 3	You did an amazing job describing your dream reading space using your 5 senses and I was able to imagine just what it looked, sounded and felt like. It was wonderful to watch you challenge yourself and write independently. You should be so proud of yourself!
Jess	Primary 3	You have taken on extra responsibility this week and have been a great teacher to all of your classmates, especially in all of the work we’ve been doing in our non-fiction features. I hope you are proud of yourself!
Mamadou	Primary 4	For persevering and challenging himself in Reading, well done!
Rayyan	Primary 4	Rayyan has made lots of progress in Writing recently – well done!
Elle	Primary 5a	Elle has been working hard in writing and wrote and edited a piece of writing this week. Well done
Lucia	Primary 5a	For showing great organisation skills, for supporting others and for persevering with tasks and always striving to do her best. Well done
Mateusz	Primary 5b	Mateusz has shown an  increase in confidence when writing independently, applying punctuation and spelling skills. He is also developing better reading skills, working well within his group. Well done!
Juliet	Primary 5b	Juliet has persevered in developing her writing skills producing fantastic writing which she has confidently shared with the class. Well done Juliet!
Lilyan	Primary 6	Lilyan was showing excellent thinking in her maths this week, spotting patterns in her times tables and applying this. Keep up the good work Lilyan!
Jakub	Primary 6	Jakub has been really focused in his reading this week taking on an additional challenge and really applying himself, keep up the good work!
Marianna	Primary 6/7	Marianna has been incredibly resilient and hard working when it comes to Numeracy and working with fractions and percentages. Well done Marianna, keep going!
Yanis	Primary 6/7	Yanis continues to up level his writing skills each week. This week Yanis has successfully added personification and metaphors into his writing. Well done Yanis, keep it up!
Alexander	Primary 6/7	Alexander has noticeably been working harder to take initiative when it comes to his learning. Alexander has been leading by example and become a great role model to those around him. Alex has started to take more pride in his work, and in particularly, has up levelled his writing skills. Well done Alexander, keep it up!
Remaz, Akrm, Wegdan, Dina and Amna	Primary 7	For creating a lovely and informative PowerPoint about Ramadan and presenting it with confidence to their class. Well done everyone!

It is a very busy week this week at Leith Primary School. Here is a reminder of a few things coming up this week:

• Better Sleep Week 11th – 15th March – Come along to our parent/carers’ session this Wednesday at 9.15am in school with Kristy Johnstone trained Sleep Coach and our Citadel Family Worker.
• Ramadan Mubarak to all our Leith Primary Muslim families. Mrs Hafeez will be hosting a peaceful Ramadan Lunch Club from Tuesday in Room 23 for those who wish to pray or spend some quiet time together. (NB: Pupils should bring their own prayer mats)
• Leith Primary Parent Council LPPC Meeting in the Library at 6.15pm (childcare available)
• Parent Consultations Thursday 4.00pm-6.30pm (some classes may vary)
• Parent Consultations Friday 1.00pm-3.30pm (some classes may vary)
• Red Nose Day – Friday – Wear a Red Nose! More details below.

A Message from Police Scotland

Sleep Support Workshop for Parents/Carers

Red Nose Day – Friday 15th March 2024

As part of our journey towards achieving Gold Rights Respecting School Status and our Right of the Month focus on Article 28: Access to Education, our Rights Champions have decided to raise money for Comic Relief: Red Nose Day. Here are some of the activities they have organised:

• Sale of red noses: These can be paid for via Parent Pay for £2 each by Wednesday at the latest. Noses will be handed out to pupils on receipt of payment. No cash please.
• Guess the Teddy’s birthday: Each guess costs £1 which can be paid for on Parent Pay. Last guesses by Thursday please. The winner will be announced Friday 15^th.
• Wear Red: We are asking everyone to wear something red for fun on Friday 15^th.
• Whole School Conga: Let’s see if we can get everyone joining in!
• Kahoot Quiz: Each class will have the chance to take part in this quiz created by the Rights Champs.
• Design a mask: Everyone will have the chance to design their own red and superhero masks to wear.

General donations for dressing up or the whole school conga can be given through this fundraising page . All donations are gratefully received. We also appreciate that not everyone is in the position to do so.

Struggling With Your Child’s Behaviour?

I am writing to let you know about the citywide Teen Triple P Parenting Group opportunities that will be running April – June 2024. This is an 8 week group programme.

We welcome applications directly from parents and carers or someone can apply on their behalf. Applications can be made by completing our online application form. If you require more information or you wish to discuss particular support needs please contact jill.coleman@edinburgh.gov.uk

Day Face to Face

Craigentinny Community Centre, 9 Loaning Rd, Edinburgh EH7 6JE

Wednesday’s 1/05, 8/05, 15/05, 22/05, 29/05, 5/06, 12/06, 19/06

Time: 1.15-3.15pm

Evening Face to Face

Southside Community Centre 117 Nicolson St, Newington, Edinburgh EH8 9ER

Tuesday’s 30/04 (7/05 no group school holiday) 14/05, 21/05, 28/05, 4/06, 11/06, 18/06, 25/06

Time: 6.00-8.00pm

Teen Triple P Virtual Group  – access to laptop or pc required,we will be using TEAMS for delivery

Wednesday’s 1/05, 8/05, 15/05, 22/05, 29/05, 5/06, 12/06, 19/06

Time: 6.00-8.00pm

Further supports for families can be found here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/supportforfamilies

Free Swimming Lessons

Dear Parents/Guardians

Stepping Stones and Active Schools Leith are working together to offer free swimming lessons to pupils who would benefit from it the most. If you’re interested please register with the link below and once a space becomes available stepping stones will reach out 😊

Where: Leith Academy Swimming Pool

When: Friday Afternoons

Age: P3+

Sign up Link: https://www.steppingstonesswimming.com/communitylessons

Pupils had an almost tropical trip to Cairngorm this week on the annual skiing residential. A group of 32 pupils from P5-P7 still had fun learning the basics and perfecting some new life skills such as making their own bed! #Article 31

Parent-Teacher Consultations #Article 18

Please look out for an email prompting you to make an appointment to meet with your child’s class teacher to discuss their progress in learning this month. Dates vary slightly for some classes so make sure to use the correct link.

Better Sleep Week # Article 24

Primary school aged children need around ten hours of sleep a night to ensure their brain and body develops in the way it should. A lack of sleep can reduce the amount of learning a child does and negatively impact on the quality of their friendships, their behaviour, their appetite and their mood. Quality sleep is as essential to the body as food and water.

With this in mind, we are running our second Better Sleep Week from Monday 11th – Friday 15th March.

We know that a lack of sleep is having a detrimental impact on a growing number of our pupils. Whether the root cause is anxiety, difficulties with housing, neighbourhood noise, difficult bedtimes or excessive use of screens, we can support you to improve this important aspect of your child’s health.

Kristy Johnson, our Citadel Family Support Worker, is a trained sleep coach who has helped many families to tackle difficulties with poor sleep. Kristy is running a Sleep Support Workshop on Wednesday 13th March just after drop off. Why don’t you come along and find out a bit more about what you and she can do to improve your child’s sleep at home.

If you are facing difficulties with housing or sleeping arrangements that affect your child’s sleep, please get in touch with Kerry Anderson, our CHAI Support Worker, who can support you with matters around housing and finance. Email her at kerry.anderson@chaiedinburgh.org.uk or call the school office to book an appointment with her.

Information Sessions for Parents with P1-P3 Children with Suspected or Diagnosed Autism Conditions #Article 24

Please see attached flier below for online autism parent information sessions for parents and carers of children in P1-3 mainstream schools.

Sessions begin on Wednesday 6^th March 2024 @12:30-2pm; The sessions are appropriate for parents, grandparents or carers. Young people themselves should not attend. The sessions will take place at lunchtime each week on Microsoft Teams. 

A recording of the sessions will be made available to all those who register. You do not need to attend the live sessions to receive these recordings.

Interested parents should book a place by contacting the number on the flier or via Eventbrite: details on the flier attached. Once the Eventbrite spaces are full, parents can still book a place by calling the office. Details on the flier attached. You can also click on THIS LINK

*Please note that we welcome parents of children without a formal diagnosis

Leithers of the Week #Article 29

Well done to all these hard working Leithers!

Ahaan	Primary 1/2	For trying really hard in phonics and gaining confidence when writing!
Esmeralda	Primary 1a	Esmeralda has been trying exceptionally hard in phonics and writing. She has been checking her finished work to ensure she has used capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. Well done Esmeralda!
Haneen	Primary 1b	Being an exceptionally supportive friend.
Mason	Primary 2	Mason persevered with his Numeracy activity this week and put a big effort into counting on and back from two digit numbers, even though he found it tricky at the start.  Well done Mason!
Esmee	Primary 3	They regularly show good Sportsmanship. This was especially true in Tuesday’s PE session when she showed kindness to other members of the class and responsibility when she created and led a skipping activity.
Anthony	Primary 3/4	For being an effective learner by having recently made a huge effort to improve his writing. He has also been an effective contributor this week because he answered a very specific question a visitor asked about coding, to which the answer was “algorithms”. Keep up the good work!
Belle	Primary 4	For working so hard on her mental maths skills – well done!
Robert	Primary 5a	Robert has been completing tasks independently and challenging himself more. Well done and keep it up.
Tempy	Primary 5b	Tempy has been a respectful and responsible member of our class this week. She has contributed effectively in our class activities and has been a supportive member in co-operative learning. Thank you Tempy!
Alfie	Primary 6/7	Alfie has been working tirelessly over the last two terms to improve his spelling skills. Alfie has made  great progress and become a very independent writer. Well done Alfie!
Tas	Primary 7	For being a kind and supportive Paired Reading tutor with a younger pupil.

Paired Reading Project Begins

We were very proud of our Primary 7 volunteers who began supporting younger pupils with their reading this week through our Paired Reading programme. The pupils undertook training with Mrs Moloney before beginning the six week project which involves the pairs meeting three times a week to share and enjoy reading together. This is an excellent example of pupils showing support and leadership for others, upholding all three of our values of Kindness, Responsibility and Perseverance. Very well done to everyone involved.

CHAI Newsletter

Please remember you can meet with Kerry, our CHAI worker, any Thursday morning for advice and help with any money, debt, benefit or housing worries. Just drop us a text or email to arrange an appointment.

Sumdog Champions

Massive congratulations to our Primary 6 class who came fifth overall in the Edinburgh Schools Sumdog Maths Contest this week. A very special mention to Keira in P6 who was 17th overall out of hundreds of participants across the city. Well done everyone!

Good Luck!

Goodbye and good luck to Mr Matthews who leaves us today to pursue a career in youthwork and sports coaching. Farewell also to Ms Sabella, who has been working in P1 recently and to Ms Little from our nursery. We wish them all well in their new posts.

Leithers of the Week

Louis	Primary 1a	Louis was being a very kind friend this week! He did a fantastic job completing his dragon puppet this week and was so confident in making this that he offered to help others in the classroom. Great job, Louis!
Dominic	Primary 1b	For showing new confidence and skills in phonics.
Holly	Primary 3/4	Successfully learning how to create her own similes and contributing significantly to the class’s overall learning.
Tamer	Primary 4	For brilliant work in Maths, he is constantly challenging himself. Well done!
Mihir	Primary 5a	Mihir has been developing his skills though coding. He has challenged himself and helped others develop their skills.
Troy	Primary 5b	This week Troy has achieved success in numeracy, writing, spelling and building resilience, demonstrating great focus and completing tasks to a good standard. Well done, Troy, please keep this up!
Scarlett	Primary 6	For perseverance and effort when completing her Science electricity task. Well done!
Maja	Primary 6/7	This week during IDL, Maja produced a very insightful and well researched fact file all about tsunamis.
Lucy	Primary 7	For working hard in class, staying focussed and demonstrating a growth mindset. Well done and keep up the ‘can do’ attitude Lucy!

Have a relaxing February half term break. We look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday 19th February at 8.50am.

Pupils have had a jam-packed start to 2024 with ceilidh dancing, science experiments, Burns poetry recitals, oral health awareness and new lunch and after school clubs.

We were delighted that Mr Stuart was successful this month in being appointed as the permanent Depute Headteacher after an extremely lengthy Acting Up period. We wished Mrs Young farewell and good luck on the birth of her first child. And we also welcomed Mr Edmond and Mrs Hafeez to Leith Primary as our new P3/4 and P7 class teachers.

Outcome of School Supported Self Evaluation

The results of the Supported Self Evaluation (SSE) visit in November were shared with school staff this week. The SSE, which is an internal inspection process, was carried out over two days and involved a team of Quality Improvement Education Officers, an associate Head Teacher, staff from the Additional Support for Learning Team, the Early Years team and a Learning & Teaching Development Officer. The inspection began with a presentation delivered by Ms Craig providing overview of the school including the current strengths and areas for further development. The team then undertook observations of teaching and learning in classrooms and spoke to children about their learning experiences. The team also examined current school policies and procedures. The team met with representatives from the parent council, a variety of pupil groups and partners who work regularly with the school. Teachers, support staff and the nursery team all had opportunities to meet with the inspection team to give their views. Further meetings about various aspects of strategic school improvement were held with the school senior leadership team. Since the visit in November, further data and evidence has been scrutinised and validated against the school’s own self evaluation procedures.

We are delighted that the inspection report highlighted all the amazing work that goes on at Leith Primary. The children impressed inspectors with their confidence in talking about their learning and in sharing the many opportunities they have to contribute to the life and development of the school and the Leith community. Staff were highlighted as having positive, calm, nurturing relationships with pupils and a strong sense of teamwork with each other. Teachers provide a wide variety of meaningful learning opportunities that support children’s learning well. Suggested next steps were in line with already identified aspects for further development.

The report will be presented to the Council’s Education Committee at their next meeting in April.

A summary of the report can be read here.

Dates for Your Diary

As we look forward to a well deserved half term break at the end of next week, here is a reminder of some important dates for your diary for the remainder of the school session:

• Friday 9th February – February Half Term Holiday Starts
• Monday 19th February – All Start Back at School
• 19th – 23rd February – Digital Week
• Wednesday 21st February – International Mother Language Day
• Monday 26th February – P4 swimming starts (letters to be sent out)
• 28th – 1st March – P5-P7 Lagganlia Skiing Trip to Cairngorm/The Lecht
• Thursday 7th March – World Book Day
• Monday 11th March – Ramadan begins (?)
• 11th – 15th March – Better Sleep Week
• Wednesday 13th March – LPPC Meeting at 6.15pm
• Thursday 14th March – Parent Consultations 4pm – 6.30pm (booking details tbc)
• Friday 15th March – Parent Consultations 1pm – 3.30pm (booking details tbc)
• Friday 22nd March – Comic Relief Day
• 25th – 28th March – Health Week
• Thursday 28th March – Term Ends for Easter Break

Summer Term Dates

• Monday 15th April – All Start Back at School
• Monday 6th May – Public Holiday
• Tuesday 7th May – Staff In Service Day (pupils off)
• 7th – 10th May – P7 Trip to Benmore Outdoor Residential Centre
• 13th – 17th May – Diversity Week
• 13th May – P3/4 start swimming sessions (letters to be sent out)
• Monday 20th May – Victoria Day
• Wednesday 22nd May – LPPC AGM
• Wednesday 29th May – Sports Day (5th June alternative if wet weather)
• Thursday 6th June – New P1 Induction Day (details to follow)
• 10th – 14th – Proud Week
• 18th – 20th June – P7 Transition Days at Secondary School
• Wednesday 19th June – P5 and P6 Scottish Opera Performance (times tbc)
• Thursday 27th June – P7 Leavers’ Assembly (time tbc)
• Friday 28th June – Session Ends for Summer Break
• Wednesday 14th August – Session 2024/2025 Starts

Children’s Mental Health Week

Place2Be provides one-to-one counselling with children, as well as other wider therapeutic support with children and families and work to promote a whole school approach towards improving the mental health and wellbeing of children, families and school-based staff within your school

Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week, which is taking place from the 5^th-9^th February this year, and ways in which you can get involved at home. The theme for this year is ‘Your Voice Matters’. Please feel free to have a look at the handout below, which provides parents and carers some top tips on ways in which you can promote your child’s mental health and wellbeing at home, and make sure your child knows that their voice matters to you, as well as to the wider world! Doing things to show that you can, and want to listen to your child helps them by boosting their self-esteem and supports them with developing a positive sense of identity. This helps them with becoming confident and resilient adults when they get older.

The handout also encourages you to explore the Place2Be Parenting Smart Website at: www.parentingsmart.org.uk. The Parenting Smart site is also full of lots of expert advice on ways in which you can support your child, manage their behaviours and act on their views.

We hope this is helpful and please do not hesitate to contact Amelia Burns, our school Mental Health Practitioner, if you have any further questions about any of the above information and support.

Heathly Eating Messages

As a primary school, we have a duty of care to promote and educate pupils on the importance of health habits. Health eating is something we encourage and promote to minimise the development of health conditions in adolescence and adult life, many of which are on the rise in Scotland. We also promote eating and drinking habits that prevent painful tooth decay in childhood.

A reminder to our families that children should be provided with one small healthy snack for break time and a healthy packed lunch if your child does not take school lunches. Children should not bring in fizzy juice, sweets or chocolate to school. If a large amount of food, such as family-sized packets of crisps or biscuits or multipack, is brought in it will be taken in by the teacher for safe-keeping and given to your child at the end of the day. Children are permitted to drink plain water in class and should bring in a filled water bottle each day if this is something you would like them to have.

Further information about healthy eating at home can be found here: https://eatthemtodefeatthem.com/families/

and here: https://www.edinburghcommunityfood.org.uk/fizz-free-february-2024

Support for Children With Sensory Needs

The booking link for this event can be found here: https://hanna-munro.mykajabi.com/top-tips-sensory-training

Winter Celebration Assembly

Has your child achieved a new medal, certificate or award outside of school? Have they accomplished something they have been working hard on? Send us a picture and let us know so we can tell them how proud we all are of them. Please send your photos and a brief explanation before Wednesday next week (7th) to the school admin email account: admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk

Our Leithers of the Week

We have a few weeks of hard working Leithers to celebrate here. Well done to everyone of them. We are so proud of you all.

Name	Class	Reason
Emily	Primary 1/2	Emily has tried so hard this week in class with learning her Scots poem. She has worked so well with a friend learning her lines and practising the actions. Well done!
Shafeeah	Primary 1/2	For working so hard on her Scots poem! You have done a great job. Well done Shafeeah.
Leo	Primary 1a	Leo has a fantastic attitude towards his learning and has persevered in phonics. He has made super progress thanks to his own hard work. Well done, Leo!
Lucia	Primary 1a	Lucia has been ready to learn in maths. She was very sensible and stayed on task when we went outside to do some measuring. She also completed a fantastic piece of writing. Well done, Lucia!
Zite	Primary 1b	Having a fantastic first week at Leith Primary school.
Hazimah	Primary 1b	Hazimah has fully embraced all of the school values and shown she is a hard working and fantastic pupil to have in the class!
Lawe	Primary 1b	Lawe has been sharing toys with his classmates.
Lena	Primary 2	Lena has persevered and put a massive effort into reading over the past few weeks.  She is joining sounds together to read whole words and did an amazing job reading the whole book to her reading group!  Brilliant Lena, all that hard work is paying off!
Naira	Primary 2	Naira has been consistently kind and helpful towards her classmates!  She regularly thinks of others and is always ready to help others when they need a hand!  Well done Naira, you’re an amazing example to your classmates!  Ms Harris
Bhodi	Primary 3	Bhodi has been trying particularly hard in handwriting this week and really impressed Mrs Young with his neat work. Well done Bhodi!
Prosper	Primary 3	Prosper has settled in very well and is a kind and helpful member of the class, often helping without being asked to. Thank you, Prosper!
Ada	Primary 3/4	For being a successful learner for writing a story using great connectives and speech marks without any help. Ada also did her grade 1 ballet exam this week. Well done for achieving both in and out of school.
Sharan	Primary 4	Sharan has shown great confidence and enthusiasm in Ukulele.  Well done!
Ella	Primary 4	For working so hard in Writing, she has made huge progress.  Well done!
Pneuma	Primary 4	For excellent work in Science this week.  Well done!
Mira M	Primary 4	Mira has been supporting others in Maths and sharing some great multiplication strategies with the class.  Well done!
Kieran	Primary 5a	Kieran showed excellent focus and great ideas when completing his cold writing. He was determined to challenge himself and improve his writing.
Aarush	Primary 5a	Aarush ahs been sharing his answers with the class. He remembers to be respectful and follow the rules by putting his hand up and listens to others.
Harry	Primary 5b	Harry was very helpful and supportive towards another pupil, leading by showing a good example during literacy work with a partner. Well done Harry!
Amelia	Primary 5b	Amelia is a responsible and respectful member of our class team working well independently and with her co-operative learning group. Well done and thank you Amelia!
Hadley	Primary 6	For his excellent summary of his reading book chapters. He did this independently and made sure to include the main points! Well done!
Keira	Primary 6	For always following the schools rules and giving 100% in every activity. What a great example you set for the rest of the class! Well done!
Leland	Primary 6/7	Leland has had a very positive and productive start to the term. In particularly, Leland impressed with his cold piece writing by independently creating a really interesting plot line. Well Done Leland!
Amos	Primary 6/7	Amos was asked to work alongside P3/4 and their teacher Mr Edmond passed on that Amos was a fantastic support to all, showing patience and compassion towards the younger children.
Akrm	Primary 7	Akrm has demonstrated impressive critical thinking skills during reading. He is vocal with his thoughts and is able to ask and answer meaningful questions about his text. Well done!
Rosa	Primary 7	Rosa is always demonstrating the school values. She is responsible, hardworking and respectful towards her teachers and peers. Well done!

Happy New Year to all our Leith Primary School family. We hope you had a restful break.

The children have hit the ground running this week, getting back to their usual learning routine with full force. This is another busy term where lots of important learning happens so we are grateful to our parents and carers for supporting with our improved attendance rates over recent months. We want to ensure that all our pupils reach their end of year expected targets and good attendance at school is key to that happening. Mrs Aitken, our new PSO, and Kristy, our new Family Support Worker are supporting families with bedtime and morning routines so we can have as many children as possible attending everyday and on time. Please get in touch with the office if you feel your child would benefit from a bit more support to get to school and on time.

Our Rights of the Month

From Monday – A Change to Some School Routines

From Monday (15th), we will be going back to our pre-covid ‘soft start entry’ in the mornings on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Parents with older children may remember that at 8.50am, the school doors were opened and children were able to filter into the school freely without having to wait for their class line to be taken in by their teacher. At 8.55am, the doors closed. An adult was stationed at each door to welcome the children in. On Monday we will do this again. Children should enter via the door they currently use in the morning.

When we used the soft start entry routine before, contrary to some initial concern, we saw a very calm and swift start to the day with teachers waiting in the classrooms ready to greet pupils and check in with them individually as they arrived. Corridors were less busy and pupils could start learning tasks more quickly.

Tuesdays and Thursdays will remain as they currently are. Pupils will wait in line to be taken by their class teacher to the gym hall for assembly.

[P5b should line up in the playground on Mondays as usual as they will continue to attend swimming lessons first thing].

In some other small changes, P3-P7 will start lunch at 12.30pm, finishing at 1.15pm. An outside bell will also be used to signal the end of break for P3-P7 at 10.50am and the end of lunch at 1.15pm. P1 and P2 children will continue to have their break at 10.15am and lunch at 12 noon until 1pm.

From Monday 15th January

• No morning lines

• Pupils enter through their usual door between 8.50am and 8.55am.

• Pupils arriving after 8.55am should enter via the main door and will be marked as late as happens currently.

Thank you for your cooperation.

A Note About WhatsApp and Social Media

Many children will have been given phones, tablets, computers and games consoles at Christmas, which will bring a lot of fun and enjoyment. As we look towards Internet Safety Week next month, parents/carers should be aware that schools across the country are increasingly dealing with the fall out from concerning behaviours pupils have been displaying online. At Leith Primary, children are permitted to bring their phones to school but they must be handed in to the teacher by 9am for safe-keeping. The teacher locks the phones in a treasury box until the end of the day when they are returned. Pupils are not permitted to use their phones during the school day. This means that mobile phones do not cause a distraction from learning or an upset during the day.

Parents are increasingly reporting to us instances of very unpleasant bullying on apps such as SnapChat, WhatsApp, on XBox game chat, Roblox, Messenger, text message, voicemail and so on. Over the last seven years, the police have had to become involved in at least one occasion each year where severe bullying, grooming or the sharing of indecent images has been reported to us. This is something that is sadly becoming part of some children’s experience of childhood, even in the primary school years. The lasting impact these experiences can have on a child’s metal wellbeing can be significant.

We are frequently told about highly inappropriate content some of our pupils are accessing via unrestricted YouTube channels, TikTok, Dischord and other online platforms. We hear this from nursery aged children upwards. This has a very stark, negative impact on pupils’ behaviour, language development and understanding of what ‘normal’ behaviour looks like. There is also widespread disinformation online posted by ill-informed youngsters or nefarious groups who have specific a specific agenda. Parents we speak to are often surprised that their child has been able to access such inappropriate material so easily or that they have engaged in uncharacteristically cruel bullying behaviours towards classmates via WhatsApp. Teachers report being shocked by some of the incorrect ‘facts’ children will share in class or problematic opinions they have learned from online influencers. This is a real problem.

What can we do about it?

Many parents and carers do regularly check their child’s browser history, online chat and photo files, sometimes across multiple devices. We strongly encourage all parents and carers do this regularly if their child has access to any device that uses the internet. Please do not assume that this is something that affects other children as it is now such a widespread and growing problem for all young people. Children can often feel too embarrassed to raise issues with their parents or may worry that reporting their concerns will jeopardise their friendships. Some may not realise that what they are viewing, hearing, reading or seeing is inappropriate or untrue and try to copy what they have seen or heard in their play with others or discussions in class.

Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) is a well respected website with loads of helpful videos and tips on how to protect your child from these concerns.

You are also welcome to pass on any concerns you have about your child’s use of devices and being online to us at school. If we are unable to help you ourselves, we can refer you to agencies who can provide the best support.

We will explore Internet Safety during the week beginning the 5th of February in school.

Well Done Lucia!

Well done to Lucia who appeared on an episode of the TV show Saturday Mashup. She avoided a gunking and won a fabulous backpack!

Family & Household Support Drop Ins

Mental Health Supports in the North East of Edinburgh

Click on this link to go to information about mental health supports in the North East of Edinburgh.

Do You Work in a Dentist

P1 and P2 classes are learning about people who help us.  We would love to have a visit from a dentist or dental nurse.  Is there anybody in the school community in this profession who might be willing to come and chat to the children very informally in January or February? Get in touch if you or someone you know can help.

We have had a wonderful, fun-filled, festive run-up to the Christmas holidays this December, with lots of singing, dancing, music, games and crafts. Thank you to everyone who has donated to our UNICEF fund this year in place of giving cards and gifts. It’s still not too late to give something if you are able to: https://www.justgiving.com/page/leithprimary?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fleithprimary&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

Letter From Lorna French – Chief Education Officer

Place 2 Be – Supporting Your Child’s Emotional Wellbeing Over the Holidays

https://www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/news-and-blogs/2022/december/supporting-your-child-s-wellbeing-during-the-school-holidays/?utm_source=Partner+schools&utm_campaign=d52d08f9e9-Partner_School_Newsletter_December_2023&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d9024022cd-d52d08f9e9-221633212

What’s On for Families

Autism Parent/Carer Information Sessions 2023/24

LPPC Easyfundraising Reminder

Thank you again to Leith Primary Parent Council (LPPC) for their Christmas afternoon event last Friday and for the donation towards pupils’ theatre trip to the Lyceum for the P4 to P7 classes this week and the P1 to P3/4 classes in May to the Imaginate Festival. They are only able to support funding for trips and with buying other resources through their tireless fundraising activities. One of the easiest ways to support them, and therefore your child, is buy doing all your online shopping through their Easyfundraising page. You can still access over 7000 of the most popular websites and each time you spend, a small percentage is given to the LPPC fund. It costs you nothing extra and the school continues to benefit. The website can be used year-round so please consider using this to do all your future online purchases: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/leithprimarypc

All the Best from Us to You!

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support of the school. We are so lucky to be part of such a special school community. We do not take this support for granted. Whatever you are doing over the next couple of weeks, we wish you and your family a very relaxing and healthy break and best wishes for 2024. Happy Christmas!

Pupils start back on Tuesday 9th January, 2024 at 8.50am.

It has been an even busier November than usual for the staff and pupils at Leith Primary. We have had our first Parent Teacher Consultations at the start of the month, the P1-P3 had the Road Safety Magic Show and the Book Bug and Read, Write Count events. We had The Big Switch off and Blue Friday last week to celebrate Universal Children’s Day and the end of Outright Campaign run by the Rights Ambassadors, Anti-Bullying Week and assembly run by the Equalities Group. We’ve had cycling training for P4, Blaze Basketball and SHE Scotland supporting a group of older girls, rugby sessions for P5 and P6, parkour sessions for two mixed groups, Playground Buddy training for P6 and a P7 and P6/7 project with the Dunedin Consort. A number of classes have also visited and joined Leith Library.

Two weeks ago, we welcomed a small party of council inspectors to the school to see our classroom learning, development work, pupil achievements and to speak to small groups of pupils, staff and parents. The children and staff did an amazing job of sharing current and recent learning and achievements both in class and with the leadership groups they are part of. Inspectors were delighted to see how calm and purposeful our classes were and how engaged and enthusiastic pupils were in their learning. We look forward to receiving and sharing the final report with you in the next few months and beginning work on our identified next steps on our improvement journey.

This month, we welcomed new PSA Emma MacDonald and said goodbye to long-serving PSA Jill O’ Rourke, who has moved to the young adults with disabilities sector. We also congratulate two members of staff on promotions; Ashley Hamilton, our EYO in the nursery, has successfully be appointed as the new SEYO at the Nether Currie Nursery and Anna Hind, who has been on secondment with Stenhouse Primary, was successfully appointed as their permanent Principal Teacher. Thank you to all these hardworking and committed members of staff for their support of the young people, staff and parent/carers of Leith. We wish them well in the next chapter of their lives.

Plans for Christmas

Now that our busy November is past, we can look forward to a range of fun events over the Christmas period.

Wednesday 6^th December – P1 & P2 will attend the S3 Winter Show at Leith Academy (Performance 1.30pm to 2.30pm).

Thursday 14^th December – Christmas Lunch for pupils & Christmas Dress Up Day (optional donations to UNICEF are welcomed in place of Christmas cards and staff presents)

Friday 15th December– LPPC Afternoon Christmas Event in the Hall – details to follow.

Monday 18^th December – Christmas Parties – Party clothes can be brought in to change into.

Tuesday 19^th December – Christmas Movie Day

Wednesday 20^th December – P1 – P7 will attend St Andrew’s Parish Church for a Christmas Sharing Assembly – Time 1.45pm – parents/carers are welcome to attend.

AND P6/7 & P7 Trip to Queen’s Hall – Children’s Messiah – 4.00pm

Thursday 21^st December – P4 – P7 trip to the Edinburgh Lyceum to see The Snow Queen – coaches leave 9.30am, back to school 1.15pm. Permission letters to follow.

AND Santa – Nursery, P1 & P2 – after lunch

Friday 22^nd December – End of Term (usual Friday finish times for year groups)

LPPC Easy Fundraising

Leith Primary Parent Council are registered with easyfundraising, which means you can raise FREE donations for us every time you shop online. Over 7,000 brands will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to yourself! These donations really mount up and make a BIG difference to us, so we’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to sign up and support us. It’s completely FREE and only takes a moment. You can find our easyfundraising page at: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/leithprimarypc/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pmc&utm_content=gs-email1

Thank you so much!

A Note on Cards & Presents

Our pupil Eco Group have asked for pupils not to give multiple Christmas cards to each other this year in a bid to cut down on the 30 000 tons of Christmas cards that are thrown away after each Christmas, equating to £2.8 million worth of landfill costs. In a similar vein, staff are donating to charity instead of exchanging cards and presents.

Our Rights Respecting Schools Ambassadors would like to encourage anyone who may wish to give presents to school staff this year, consider donating instead to our chosen charity UNICEF. Whilst staff are always very grateful for small tokens of pupils’ and families’ appreciation, we would prefer that if parents and pupils’ wish to, a small donation is given to the school UNICEF fundraising page. Each year we are happy to welcome pupils and their families to Leith Primary who are fleeing war-torn countries. We know that UNICEF provides support to children in desperate circumstances such as those we are seeing regularly, and not so regularly, in the news. Our Rights Ambassadors are keen to support UNICEF as part of the fund-raising element to their Gold Award action plan. If you feel you would like to contribute any amount to this fund, you can do so via our UNICEF Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/leithprimary?utm_term=D3YG4BXZZ

Welcome to Our New Citadel Family Support Worker!

We are delighted to welcome Kristy Johnston, our Citadel Family Support Worker. Kristy replaces Danni Taylor, who worked with us for five years, supporting multiple families with a wide variety of challenges and supports, including family learning, parenting and behaviour supports, home routines, sleep hygiene, working with other agencies, concerns around additional support needs, worries around school matters, poor mental health, friendship and relationship issues and many many other matters. Kristy will now take on this role and is keen to say hello to parents who worked with Danni previously and those who may be interested in finding out how she can support them now. You can get in touch with Kristy On Tuesdays and Wednesday at school on 07518 74451.

Creating a Smoke Free Generation & Tackling Youth Vaping

The UK Government are currently consulting on the additional steps which they can take to create a smokefree generation by tackling youth vaping Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: your views – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This consultation seeks feedback on the proposed measures, to inform future legislation. On youth vaping, there are a number of options proposed, to ensure the UK Government and devolved administrations take the most appropriate and impactful steps, building on existing evidence.

The consultation closes on 6 December 2023 and you can respond via the online survey.

Headlice

A reminder to all that it is the responsibility of parents and carers to regularly check your child’s hair for headlice. Long gone are the days of the ‘nit nurse’ and letters sent home to affected classes. Up-to-date guidance can be found via the NHS here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/ Our school nurse Mel Davidson is happy to talk to parents about ways to best manage this issue as well. Mel can be contacted via the school nursing service office number 0131 446 4644.

Baby Bank

Thinking of Becoming a Pupil Support Assistant?

ASD Supports

We hope that you have all managed to book an appointment to meet with your child’s class teacher to discuss their progress in learning. There is so much we can’t wait to share with you. Pupils have been working hard and mums, dads and carers have a big part to play in deciding what the next steps in their learning will be. Come along to hear the good news and have a say in what happens next. Click HERE to book an appointment.

Cold & Wet Weather Dressing

Like most primary schools, we try to ensure pupils stay outside for breaks and lunch times in all but exceptionally stormy weather. Rain will not stop us! However, children do need to bring appropriate cold weather clothing with them such as a warm jacket with hood and robust footwear. If anyone requires financial support to obtain items such as winter jackets and school shoes please get in touch with Kerry, our CHAI Money Advice worker who can support with accessing grants.

Congratulations to Our Pupil Council

Congratulations to our wonderful Pupil Council some of whom will service for another year and some who will start as new reps for their class. Our pupil councillors acts as role models for others within the school and contribute towards decision making processes on behalf of their classmates, such as Pupil Parliament and celebrating others’ wider achievements.

A New Parent/Carer Engagement Opportunity

A coalition of NHS Boards have commissioned independent research to explore with parents and carers a number of themes: How they support their child’s learning at home in terms of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) topics; what they know and think about the RSHP learning going on at school; how they want home and school to work together (so that children and young people get the best learning experiences); and finally, what would help parents and carers at home in their role as their child’s teacher on all these matters.

The project is called the Chat and there are a number of ways that parents/carers can get involved. The first opportunity is to be part of a group conversation about this area of learning. This can happen in different ways, described here www.thechat.scot

CHAI Newsletter

Haver a look at the most recent CHAI newsletter with information about free childcare.

Click to access 23_08_CHAI_Newsletter.pdf

Support with ASD for Parents Through Tailor Ed

Our next run of Parent Info Sessions start this week and kick off with a brand new session that gives an overview of the things we’ve found it important to think about when seeking to support the wellbeing of a neurodivergent young person.

Sessions run online on Wednesdays at 1pm and are then repeated at 8pm on Thursdays. Simply click the link below to join the call. Note that there is a different link for each meeting. This time round we’re asking for your name and email address when you join the meeting to help us keep track of who is attending. Participate how you feel comfortable, using the chat if you like. No obligation to keep your camera on – although it is nice to see a few faces!

If you’d like to attend any of these sessions you can simply look out for the email the week of the session with the link. If it’s the first time you’re joining a session, or you haven’t previously provided us with any of your details then please click the link below and complete the form.  We’d be grateful if each attending parent completes the form.

The first part is essential info so we know who plans to attend and can send you the link.  The second part is only necessary if you or your family have not received support from Tailor Ed before and we don’t hold any of your information. The third section is optional information that our funders ask us about who is accessing and benefitting from our services.

https://forms.office.com/e/NeNK44E0ZK

Topic	Daytime 1pm	Evening 8pm
An overview on neurodivergent wellbeing	27/9	28/9
Sharing with your child that they are neurodivergent	4/10	5/10
Sleep	11/10	12/10
Energy management	25/10	26/10
Emotion Regulation	1/11	2/11

ND Well

The NDwell service is for children and young people aged between 5 to 24 years old and/or their parents, who live in the City of Edinburgh and are neurodivergent. This includes children and young people with a diagnosis of autism, ADHD and intellectual disability and those awaiting diagnosis.

Please find attached information on the next NDwell Drop ins which are running at Craigmillar Library on Tuesday the 14th of November and 12th of December from 10.30am -12pm

The NDWell Drop in Service can provide-

• a listening ear from a skilled and experienced support worker, access to information, resources and guidance as needed, referrals to their own services where suitable, as well as their partners or signpost you to other services that will best fit your needs. To book a slot to attend please email NDwell@barnardos.org.uk

NDwell also run a series of young people and parents information and support sessions and courses. These are suitable for parents of primary and secondary age children.

Find information on this terms’ dates for Zones of Regulation a 4 part course and sessions on -wellbeing, sharing with your child that they are neurodivergent, sleep, energy management, emotional regulation at https://tailoredfoundation.co.uk/online-parent-information-sessions-autumn-23/

For information on the children and young people’s Understanding Autism or Wellbeing groups and/or to request a place contact NDwell@tailoredfoundation.co.uk 

Autism Parent Info Sessions- High School

ASL Service and Psychological Services together with NHS partners are coordinating a series of 6 Autism Parent Information Sessions for parents and carers of autistic children in attending City of Edinburgh, mainstream High schools. The sessions are appropriate for parents, grandparents or carers. Young people themselves should not attend. Parents of children without a formal diagnosis are welcome to attend. The sessions will take place at lunchtime each week on Microsoft Teams. Interested parents should book a place follow the details on the attached flier, book via Eventbrite or contact 0131 4692850.

Mindroom Parent and Carer Peer Support Group –For parents and carers of neurodivergent children and young people in Edinburgh. Future dates attached.

These groups are to help parents and carers to share their knowledge and lived experience of supporting neurodivergent children. Peer support is when people use their own experiences to help each other.

Each monthly online group will have a topic where parents and carers can share information, resources, and strategies. To sign up to the Parent and Carer Support groups or to find out more information about any of Mindroom services. Tel: 0131 370 6730 Email directhelp@mindroom.org Website: www.mindroom.org

Information on other Autism supports are on our Support for Families webpages.

Pilmeny Juniors Group

ELOSCN Work Opportunity

LEITH BREAKFAST CLUB

We are looking for energetic, dedicated staff for our

Leith Breakfast Club setting.

The Club runs from Leith Primary School Monday to Friday 7.15 -9am, we offer an attractive salary and free childcare.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please e-mail reception@eloscn.com or click on the QR code below.

Well Done to Our Leithers of the Week!

Emily	P1/2	Emily has been trying exceptionally hard in phonics and writing. This week she was working super hard on her sentence writing and was able to independently write a sentence during group time. Keep up the hard work Emily!
Grace	P1a	Grace was a fantastic role model on our Autumn walk on Wednesday. She was sensible and showed good listening. Grace also worked really hard on her Autumn task with her partner and identified signs of Autumn from our walk.
Haneen	P1b	Being kind to classmates and sharing whilst playing.
Max	P2	Max took on the responsibility of sorting our class ipads, when we couldn’t login into them! He used his great digital literacy and problem-solving skills to save the day! Well done Max, you’re putting those skills to good practical use!
Macy	P3	Macy was a brilliant partner during our Buddy Class lesson this week. She showed kindness and responsibility and was a helpful partner, making a new friend in the process. Well done Macy!
Ivy	P3/4	Ivy wrote a fantastic description about a haunted house. She used varied openers and correct punctuation. I was very impressed with her beautiful picture too! Well done Ivy.
Evan	P4	Evan has been working so hard in Maths both in school and at home, and has made lots of progress. Well done!
Stefan	P5a	Stefan has trying his best and working on the school vision of achieving his best. Keep it up Stefan!
Charlie	P5b	Well done for producing .good writing using a variety of openers and demonstrating responsibility
Struan	P6	For showing skill and dexterity in constructing a tricky 3D shape from a net. Well done Struan.
Ben	P6/7	Ben has come back from the holidays with a positive attitude and worked really hard this week to stay on task and make good choices. Well done Ben!
Erin	P7	Erin has been really applying herself to her technologies learning, using creativity to make an exciting film.