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.
Believe. Persevere. Achieve. 