Author: Ms Craig

Brilliantly wet climb up the gorge! Building resilience in action 🙂

Some practice on the dry slope before heading home.

Very well done to all this week’s hard working Leithers.

Hamody	Primary 1a	Hamody did a super job following instructions to complete a step by step drawing this week. He made sure he listened and took his time which helped him create a fantastic drawing! Great work, Hamody!
Khalil	Primary 1b	Khalil has been a very responsible member of the class this week, listening and following instructions. He has been brilliant at lining up in the playground and has encouraged others to walk silently, safely and sensibly. Well done Khalil
Grace	Primary 2a	Grace has earned many stars for our recognition board this week, for her excellent listening.  She has shown everyone that she is ready and eager to learn and put her skills into action.  Well done Grace, your wonderful attitude is helping you to take ownership of your learning!
Mae	Primary 2b	Mae has been working hard to embrace the importance of making mistakes. She knows that mistakes they help us learn! Mae has been shown her resilience this week.
Eva	Primary 3	Eva, you are always such a kind and helpful pupil to all of your classmates and visitors to P3. You have produced some brilliant writing this week and you never fail to make me smile.
Libby	Primary 3/4	Libby was fantastic at contributing to a class discussion this week about her chosen historical figure for research. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about sharing!
Anton	Primary 4	Anton showed great teamwork and resilience during our Outdoor Learning this week.  Well done!
Evan	Primary 5	Evan worked incredibly hard in Numeracy lessons this week and challenged herself with new learning. Thank you for your positive, can-do approach, Evan!
Amelia	Primary 5/6	She was really well behaved on the trip Tuesday and set a great example for others. She thought of an interesting question which was put to the players they met!
Darcy	Primary 6	For her resilience and perseverance with all the difficulties.
Dash	Primary 7a	Dash for always upholding our school values.
Riwaj	Primary 7b	Riwaj has settled into Leith Primary, working hard to get to know our school rules. He is very motivated and shows team work when taking part in PE lessons.

A picture of the girls after breakfast this morning. Due to wind and rain, the group were going gorge walking this morning and trying out their skills on the dry ski slope this afternoon.

ETA updates will be texted to parents later on this afternoon.

Time on the snowy slopes this morning followed by dinner and movie this evening.

The crew made it up safely and have collected their skiing gear for tomorrow. Some interesting sights were observed during the bed making session! Dinner, nightline, hot chocolate and a big sing song before bed. All well and in great spirits.

Class Catch Ups

There has been some great learning happening so far this term. Here are some highlights:

Primary 1a

All classes were given the opportunity to meet up with their buddy class and enjoy some ceilidh dancing with Ceilidh Kids to celebrate Burns Day. These are some pictures of Primary 4s having fun with their P1a buddies.

Primary 5

P5 have been making Islands of Personality for mental health week.

Primary 7

P7A and P7B have been investigating earthquake proof buildings as part of our IDL topic on Natural Disasters. Here they are in action trialling different structures to discover which is most effective against an earthquake. 

P7 a and P7b have enjoyed exploring their listening skills through the Edinburgh festival workshop exploring music and sound. They also learned and experimented with renewable energy with a visit from Generation Science. 

Online Safety Week

Pupils across the school have been learning about how to stay safe online as part of this years’ Internet Safety Day which falls on 11th February. This year’s theme is ‘Too Good to Be True?’ which highlights scams and phishing. It was alarming to see the large number of pupils who could talk about a time when they had been encouraged to give their details to a strange source via gaming platforms, group chats and social media accounts. Most P3-P7 children were familiar with ‘pop ups’ on websites that request email details in order to access the main site or are promised free gifts if personal details are entered. Most pupils were confident about knowing to tell an adult if they were unsure about something and many spoke about only accessing games off line. Parents and carers who would like to know more about keeping their children safe online should go to the CEOP website: https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents/

Children’s Mental Health Week: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

This year’s Mental Health Week focussed on developing resilience by recognising and understanding our emotions. This year, Place 2 Be, the charity that started Children’s Mental Health Week ten years ago, linked in with the Pixar film, Inside Out 2. Pupils ended the week with a Dress to Express Day on Friday. It was lovely to see so many different types of outfits on display! You can find out more about Children’s Mental Health Week here: https://www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/childrens-mental-health-week/

Get Active: Active Schools Sign Ups

Many of the Active Schools sports sessions have a fewer than usual number of sign ups this session. The Leith Primary School community took the decision some years ago to reduce the expectation of regular more traditional homework in favour of encouraging pupils to read for pleasure and to take up wider interest opportunities including youth clubs and sports which develop other aspects of a child’s learning and personality. The relaunch of the JASS programme last year at Leith Primary, recognises pupils achievements in sports, hobbies and outdoor education for children in P3 to P7. We feel it is especially important that all our pupils’ skills, talents and interests are nurtured and celebrated, not just their academic achievements. It is more important now than ever for children to be supported to develop new interests and a healthy, active lifestyle as a generation that is increasingly drawn into addictive online gaming platforms, social media and being indoors, which we know negatively impacts children’s mental health.

All the clubs run by Active Schools and by us at Leith Primary are free to all pupils. Children who attend CLASP will be brought back after their session if it is one held at Leith Academy. We are happy to support pupils to get to Leith Academy if this is a barrier to them joining, please let us know. Some of clubs are held during lunchtime, such as Mr Egae’s basketball club and Ms Downie’s girls football sessions, which makes attending even easier. Get in touch with Aidan Haughey if you wish to discuss anything further.

Here is the Active Schools brochure for this term:

And if you are happy to venture further afield, here are the details of clubs across the North East of the city:

Lost & Found Items

We have a brilliant team of Lost & Found leaders at Leith Primary School. Our P7 prefects Kieran and Mario manage the day-to-day lost items and the Lost Property box which is stored outside our main office and put at the bottom of the main steps on Fridays. Their job is made much easier by items that are labelled with children’s names and classes. These items are usually returned very quickly back to their owners. Meanwhile, Mrs Thomas and Mrs Elbekhti clean and sort through items that are never collected by anyone and add them to either one of our pre-loved rails or to one of the local charity shops. In a final bid to reunite items to their rightful owners, we have taken photos of some of the un-named items left behind since January. Please let us know if you recognise any of them.

Everyday Adult Reading, Writing & Numeracy Classes

Leithers of the Week

It’s a bumper review of all our nominated Leithers of the past few weeks, all of whom have displayed one or more of our school values, Kindness, Perseverance, Responsibility or have exemplified our school vision: Believe. Persevere, Achieve! Every one a star of Leith.

Aria	Primary 1a	Aria has been working hard with her writing this week both during phonic sessions and in her play to share her thoughts and ideas. She tries her best to sound out words and write them independently. Well done, Aria!
Otis	Primary 1a	Otis has been keen to share his learning from home and in school with the class. He is proud of his achievements and speaks in a clear, loud voice. Well done, Otis!
Eric	Primary 1a	Eric has made fantastic contributions to our class discussions this week! He is keen to share his knowledge with others and asks lots of interesting questions. Keep it up, Eric!
Coby	Primary 1a	Coby has been persevering in phonics this week! Even though he sometimes finds it tricky, he has been working hard on writing his sentences which is reflected in his weekly writing in class. Great job, Coby!
Oisin	Primary 1b	Oisin for his super writing and persevering with his letter formation this week. Oisin wrote about his new years resolution and drew a lovely detailed picture. Well done Oisin!
Nathan	Primary 1b	Nathan has been trying really hard in phonics this week. He has been listening and concentrating during our group work and persevering to write his initial sounds. Well done Nathan – we are really proud of your hard work!
Bradley	Primary 1b	Bradley has been trying very hard during his writing this week, sounding the words out and remembering the letter formation. He wrote some Scottish words we had learned for Burns week and drew fantastic detailed pictures. Well done Bradley
Khalari	Primary 1b	Khalari has tried really hard with his writing this week – particularly writing his name. He has persevered every morning to practise this and can now write his 1st and 2nd name independently. Well done Khalari, we are really proud of your effort and determination.
Eyad	Primary 2a	Eyad has started this term with a great attitude and has made super choices to line up quickly, move about the school sensibly, safely and silently and listen to instructions. Well done Eyad, we’re so proud of you!
Louis	Primary 2a	Louis has been demonstrating his classroom responsibilities this week and has has been an excellent line leader.  He’s lined up on time for break and lunch and has walked sensibly, safely, and silently around the school.  Well done Louis, you’re a good example to your classmates!
Brodie	Primary 2a	Brodie has made fantastic progress in numeracy and has used what he knows about counting in 2s and addition of 2 digit numbers, to help him share larger numbers of objects into equal groups.  He’s made such great progress that he can solve more challenging division problems and can also use his skills to help others.  Amazing work Brodie!
Miles	Primary 2b	Miles has been working really hard on developing his ability to write independently. He has been writing stories on his own, persevering to spell unknown words and coming up with creative ideas.
Austin	Primary 2b	Austin has shown great dedication to uplevelling his work in his writing jotter. He has been revisiting pages and making sure his work is of the highest possible standard. Well done Austin, your jotter looks amazing!
Zite	Primary 2b	Zite is a joy to have in our class. He always tries his best and does everything with a smile on his face.
Eevie	Primary 2b	Eevie has been completing work to a high standard independently. She has completed some exciting pieces of writing and brilliant pieces of numeracy work too.
Heidi	Primary 3	You have been showing great kindness when working with others. You are working so hard in your reading too and challenging yourself every day. You should be very proud of all that you have achieved!
Ameli	Primary 3	You have been persevering in your reading and it is paying off. It’s brilliant to hear you reading with such confidence and I’m so proud of you. Keep it up!
Lori	Primary 3	You have been working so hard in your reading and me and Mrs Ciechanowicz are so pleased to see you reading with confidence. You are also always such a kind and considerate classmate and you always look out for your friends in P3!
Talia	Primary 3	You have been a very kind pupil this week and have made Mr Lamb feel very welcome. You have represented Leith Primary very well this week.
Iris	Primary 3	You have persevering in your Maths and showing kindness to your classmates, making sure they all feel included and encouraged to achieve.
Emily	Primary 3/4	Emily, you have had a great start to the new term! You have been so enthusiastic, kind and helpful Thank you for bringing lots of positive and happy vibes into the new year!
Marya	Primary 3/4	Marya has been working very hard to become more confident with writing her sentences. She always has a positive mindset and never gives up!
Matthew	Primary 3/4	Matthew you are becoming much more confident within yourself in the classroom and I have been so impressed with your literacy learning this past week. Well done!
Balques	Primary 3/4	Balques, you are growing in confidence in all your learning and we are so impressed by how happy you are in everything you do in school. We love your cheery smile and energy!
Najah	Primary 3/4	Najah always has a smile on her face and such a positive attitude towards her learning. She has been working incredibly hard in literacy and numeracy and her confidence is soaring! Well done Najah- keep it up!
Elijah	Primary 4	Elijah has shown perseverance and determination in Maths this week.  Well done!
Bella	Primary 4	Bella has worked well in Maths this week, showing confidence and skill when working with arrays.  Well done!
Ivy	Primary 4	Ivy showed great teamwork this week during cooperative learning. Well done!
Finlay	Primary 4	Finlay has shown worked hard and persevered in Maths this week.  Well done!
Kasey	Primary 4	Kasey has shown kindness and responsibility supporting others this week.  Well done!
Mamadou	Primary 5	Miss Wilson noticed Mamadou persevering and trying really hard in writing this week, using lots of great adjectives. Well done!
Layla	Primary 5	Layla has been making an extra effort to show that she is ready to learn and ready to listen. Keep it up, Layla!
Archie	Primary 5	Archie has been trying particularly hard in all areas of his learning this week. He was also a focused and enthusiastic participant during our Generation Science workshop. Well done Archie!
Meera	Primary 5	Meera has an excellent attitude towards her learning and produced a fantastic report about the respiratory system this week. Well done Meera!
Kieran and Jamie	Primary 5/6	Kieran for last week as I forgot to send it – Working really hard on his fractions of an amount work and using short division to achieve this. Jamie for this week – for persevering with his writing when he found it difficult and working independently.
Henry	Primary 5/6	for showing understanding of the differences between democracy and dictatorships and collaborating well with the peers in his class.
Mirhir	Primary 5/6	For his understanding in Science when looking at pH scales with Generation Science and for working collaboratively and explaining the experiments to his peers.
Aaron	Primary 5/6	For excellent concentration and following instructions on Mondrian art task
Cooper	Primary 6	For being a role model for the school values, responsible and kind.
Erin	Primary 6	For persevering and working really hard on his reading and writing.
Harry	Primary 6	Showing his kindness by helping and encouraging our P2 buddies.
Lucia	Primary 6	Lucia is a finalist in the Green Pencil Award – a fantastic achievement! Well done to her and the whole P6 class for their hard work and perseverance. Congratulations!
Elle	Primary 6	For persevering on her work and showing her drawing skills while helping others.
Alfie	Primary 7a	For being recognised for his hard work in violin. Alfie is working really hard. Well done!
Anya	Primary 7a	For sharing insightful ideas during our Art of Listening trip and for representing our school positively.
Andrew	Primary 7a	For supporting other people during PE and demonstrating his fantastic gymnastic skills.
Nina	Primary 7a	At generation science Nina showed a good use of questioning and a trial and error approach to improve their design.
Ricardo	Primary 7a	Ricardo is motivated to improve his literacy skills and has shown a positive attitude towards any challenges he faces. Well done Ricardo!
Marley	Primary 7b	For being kind, welcoming and supportive to new people joining the school. Well done
Struan	Primary 7b	For showing great focus and challenging himself during writing.
Coryn	Primary 7b	For showing good team working skills and challenging herself.
Maya S	Primary 7b	Maya has been taking active part in all lessons. She has been challenging herself to share her answers more and doing her best. Well done.
Kieran	Primary 7b	Kieran has been working very hard in all subjects. He has also been writing his own story which has excellent use of descriptive language and interesting descriptions.

You only have a couple of days left to vote for our Leith Primary Parent Council, LPPC, who are trying to raise funds to extend our Trim Trail – a community resource that is enjoyed by our own pupils as well as the after-school club CLASP and the local community at all times of the year. Please use your vote to vote for LPPC and consider using one of the other votes for our long-time partners, The Citadel, for their Intergenerational Project. Time is running out so if you have not already done so, please vote NOW! The vote closes this Monday. https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/leithchooses2025/

Happy New Year! سنة جديدة سعيدة শুভ নববর্ষ नववर्ष की शुभकामनाएँ Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku An Nou Fericit З Новим роком نيا سال مبارک

Positive Parenting Courses Coming Up

Here are the citywide Teen Triple P Parenting group opportunities that will be running January – March 2025. Group sessions run during term time therefore no group during February break. Teen Triple P is a positive parenting programme suitable for parents, carers and grandparents of pre-teen and teenage children. Teen Triple P can help parents and carers to:

• cope positively with some of the common issues associated with raising a teenager
• build stronger relationship with their teenager
• resolve conflict in the family
• manage problem behaviour
• help keep their teen stay safe

 We welcome applications directly from parents and carers or someone can apply on your behalf. Applications can be made by completing our online application form found here https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/teentriplepform

Day Face to Face NW Venue: Royston Wardieburn Community Centre 11 Pilton Dr N, Edinburgh EH5 1NFDates: Thursday’s 30/01, 6/02,  20/02, 27/02, 6/03, 13/03 telephone session no group, 20/03 telephone session no group, 27/03Times: 9.45am -11.45am

Evening Teen Triple P Virtual Group  – access to laptop,  pc or tablet required, we will be using TEAMS for delivery. Dates Tuesdays 28/01, 4/02, 18/02, 25/02, 4/03, 11/03 telephone session no group, 18/03 telephone session no group and 25/03Time: 6.00-8.00pm

Active Schools Changes to Sessions this Term

There’s been some changes to the extra-curricular program, please see attached the most up to date booklet for school clubs.

Biggest changes are the Hibs Mcdonalds Thursday football is no longer running due to funding constraints and The Ripple community basketball age has increased to P6-S4. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience this has caused. Aidan

Team United!

Neurodiverse or possibly neurodiverse (eg; Autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, dyspraxic)? Love football? Join Team United!

Information for Families in Temporary Accommodation or Facing Financial Difficulty

Many of our families are housed in temporary accommodation across our school catchment area. Although ‘temporary’ sounds like a short-term situation, many families can be housed in this type of accommodation for multiple years until more suitable accommodation can be located for their family. This can be a stressful time for parents and children who may have a constant feeling of uncertainty about the future. There are a number of ways we try to support families who are living in this situation. Our Family Support Worker, Walma is a good first port of call. You can call her on: 07518495141 or email: Walma@citadelyouthcentre.org.uk (Tuesdays Wednesdays)

Kerry Anderson is a money advice worker from CHAI. You can call her on: 07837 214 689 or email her at: kerry.anderson@chaiedinburgh.org.uk or take a look at the CHAI website: https://chaiedinburgh.org.uk/ (Thursdays)

Support with Finances

There is lots of financial advice in the leaflets below about how to access food, clothing financial advice. There is also a new link on CEC website too Cost of living – The City of Edinburgh Council and you need urgent help the Advice Shop run a drop in service Benefits and debt advice – The City of Edinburgh Council

Support With Travel

Families can now apply for free bus travel for Children and young people. Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme | How to apply | Transport Scotland If you need help, drop into your local library who always have staff there trained to support this process.

Support with Period Poverty

Period products are available for free in school.  They are also available to pick up, no questions asked, in Libraries and Community Centres across the city. Re usable pants, pads and cups are also available in Libraries. The City of Edinburgh Council website information Free period products – The City of Edinburgh Council  and also the app: PickupMyPeriod app ( maps all pick-up points).

Support with School Holidays

The Discover Programme which helps low-income families with food and activities and other supports during the school holidays. Please let us know if you feel you would benefit from this as we can make a referral.  Please find below the latest 1 in 5 newsletter which details some FREE activities for families to enjoy.

Support with Food At Home

In addition to referrals to foodbanks, if a family needs urgent help you may want to draw attention to the Shrub Coop where people can drop in anytime 11-6pm from Tuesday to Saturday – Food Sharing Edinburgh | SHRUB Coop

Crisis offers support and advocacy to families and individuals who are currently homeless or at risk of homelessness in Edinburgh and the surrounding area.  We can help with finding housing that is appropriate to your needs, keeping your current home and preventing eviction.  We also offer support to sustain your housing and resolve homelessness permanently.  If you think we can help you we can be contacted either by email; edinburgh@crisis.org.uk,  Phone 0131 209 7700, or by completing the form on our website at https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-help/edinburgh/

Well Done to Our Recent Leithers of the Week

Aria	Primary 1a	Aria has been working hard with her writing this week both during phonic sessions and in her play to share her thoughts and ideas. She tries her best to sound out words and write them independently. Well done, Aria!
Otis	Primary 1a	Otis has been keen to share his learning from home and in school with the class. He is proud of his achievements and speaks in a clear, loud voice. Well done, Otis!
Oisin	Primary 1b	Oisin for his super writing and persevering with his letter formation this week. Oisin wrote about his new years resolution and drew a lovely detailed picture. Well done Oisin!
Nathan	Primary 1b	Nathan has been trying really hard in phonics this week. He has been listening and concentrating during our group work and persevering to write his initial sounds. Well done Nathan – we are really proud of your hard work!
Eyad	Primary 2a	Eyad has started this term with a great attitude and has made super choices to line up quickly, move about the school sensibly, safely and silently and listen to instructions. Well done Eyad, we’re so proud of you!
Miles	Primary 2b	Miles has been working really hard on developing his ability to write independently. He has been writing stories on his own, persevering to spell unknown words and coming up with creative ideas.
Austin	Primary 2b	Austin has shown great dedication to uplevelling his work in his writing jotter. He has been revisiting pages and making sure his work is of the highest possible standard. Well done Austin, your jotter looks amazing!
Heidi	Primary 3	You have been showing great kindness when working with others. You are working so hard in your reading too and challenging yourself every day. You should be very proud of all that you have achieved!
Ameli	Primary 3	You have been persevering in your reading and it is paying off. It’s brilliant to hear you reading with such confidence and I’m so proud of you. Keep it up!
Emily	Primary 3/4	Emily, you have had a great start to the new term! You have been so enthusiastic, kind and helpful Thank you for bringing lots of positive and happy vibes into the new year!
Marya	Primary 3/4	Marya has been working very hard to become more confident with writing her sentences. She always has a positive mindset and never gives up!
Elijah	Primary 4	Elijah has shown perseverance and determination in Maths this week.  Well done!
Bella	Primary 4	Bella has worked well in Maths this week, showing confidence and skill when working with arrays.  Well done!
Mamadou	Primary 5	Miss Wilson noticed Mamadou persevering and trying really hard in writing this week, using lots of great adjectives. Well done!
Layla	Primary 5	Layla has been making an extra effort to show that she is ready to learn and ready to listen. Keep it up, Layla!
Kieran and Jamie	Primary 5/6	Kieran for last week as I forgot to send it – Working really hard on his fractions of an amount work and using short division to achieve this. Jamie for this week – for persevering with his writing when he found it difficult and working independently.
Cooper	Primary 6	For being a role model for the school values, responsible and kind.
Erin	Primary 6	For persevering and working really hard on his reading and writing.
Alfie	Primary 7a	For being recognised for his hard work in violin. Alfie is working really hard. Well done!
Marley	Primary 7b	For being kind, welcoming and supportive to new people joining the school. Well done
Struan	Primary 7b	For showing great focus and challenging himself during writing.