LPS Newsletter

Thank you to the fire officers from MacDonald Road Fire Station for coming to see P1 on Friday

Parent Teacher Consultations استشارات أولياء الأمور والمعلمين

It’s that time of year we invite all our parents and carers to meet with their child’s class teacher to discuss how they are progressing towards their learning targets and getting on in general at school. We are lucky to have a high level of support and attendance at Parent Consultations, which lets our pupils know that learning is valued by you at home. Parental engagement in events such as Parent-Teacher meetings, along with good attendance and regular reading/being read to, are key indicators of future academic success for children of primary school age. If you were not able to attend the November Parent Consultations, please do make a point of scheduling an appointment with your child’s class teacher this time.

Our Support for Learning Teacher, Mrs Ciechanowicz, will be operating an Drop In policy on both days for your to speak with her if your child attends one of her regular groups on Wednesday 12th 3.30pm-5.30pm and Friday 14th 1.00pm – 3.00pm. As always, Ms Craig (Second Level: P5-P7) and Mr Stuart (First Level: P2-P4) will be on hand or in their office should you wish to speak to them about any matters to do with your child’s learning or development. Our Principal Teacher, Ms Fergusson, will also be available to speak with P1 parents as our Early Level lead.

We really look forward to welcoming you on the 12th or 14th of March.

Appointments can be made here: https://parents-booking.co.uk/login.jsp

Please let us know if you require an interpreter. يرجى إخبارنا إذا كنت بحاجة إلى مترجم.

World Book Day: Thursday 6th March

World Book Day is on Thursday 3rd March. This year, children are welcome to Dress as an Adjective (eg; red, sleepy, spotty, sparkly, jazzy, etc) or as a favourite book character. There will be book-linked events throughout the day and a general focus on developing a love of reading.

Pupil Appointments During School Hours

We have noticed a much greater number of parents than usual requesting to pick up their child from school early to attend appointments, often repeatedly and without forewarning office staff. When unplanned, this can cause unnecessary disruption to the learning of a class and at times can cause anxiety to the pupil who is not expecting to be picked up early. It also means that there is no one in our office to answer important phone calls or let visitors in or out of the building which has a disruptive impact on the smooth running of the school.

We appreciate that children may have to attend hospital or orthodontic appointments during school hours from time to time. In these instances, please can parents inform the school office at least the day before so that we can send your child to the office to wait for collection at the agreed time.

We kindly ask that all other non-urgent appointments are made out with school hours or during the school holidays wherever possible. We also request that parents endeavour to make their own appointments at times that do not effect the learning and attendance of their child at school.

As school attendance is a legal requirement, we reserve the right to ask parents for evidence of repeat medical appointments during the course of the same term. Please bring appointment letters to the school office when collecting your child.

From Monday, we will operate a Sign Out book so that we can keep a record of children who leave during the day for fire register purposes. You must ensure that this has been completed before taking your child to their appointment. Parents must never take their child directly from the playground without informing the school office.

Nursery parents are kindly asked to allow older children to complete their full school day on Fridays which end at 12.25pm. Only children with evidence of a planned medical appointment will be allowed to leave class early on Fridays.

We thank you sincerely in advance for your cooperation with these new measures.

Headlice

Headlice are a very common annoyance in all primary schools. It is no longer procedure to send out letters or have termly visits from the dreaded ‘Nit Nurse’. The best guidance we give is to put lots of cheap conditioner on your child’s head and then comb methodically through the hair with a nit comb. This needs to be done several days in a row to remove all the lice and the eggs. In addition, all members of the family should check and treat their hair as needed. Pillows, cushions, towels and soft toys need to be hot washed (or perhaps frozen in the case of a favourite teddy). Long hair should be tied up to prevent lice from moving from head to head. Please regularly check and treat your child’s hair to prevent the spread of headlice.

Toys in School

A reminder that pupils should not bring in any toys or other precious items to school. These can cause a distraction from learning and can go missing, get damaged and will be confiscated by staff for safekeeping if required. Please ensure anything of personal or financial value is kept safe at home. The school cannot accept responsibility for any lost or damaged items. Thank you for your support with this matter.

Save Pilmeny Development Project: Older People’s Services

Help us #SAVEPDP 2025

We are facing cuts to our older people’s services – a devastating loss of funding which will mean closure of our services to socially isolated older people in Leith Walk/ NE Edinburgh locality.

Please sign petition & share –https://chng.it/MJQhfyPT5h

Please follow us on social media: 

Twitter: https://x.com/PilmenyDevProj

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilmenydevelopmentproject/

Keeping Your Child Safe Online – Events for Parents

As part of the council’s partnership with The Lucy Faithful Foundation, free events are being offered to parents and carers to support them to keep their child safe online. These will be delivered by The Lucy Faithful Foundation and Police Scotland.
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation Scotland and Police Scotland have teamed up to deliver a free one-hour evening event to help you keep your child safe online.
A survey of over 1000 parents and carers in Scotland found that most parents want to better understand the digital world their children are experiencing in order to keep their child safe. Our event will provide you with information and advice on three of the biggest challenges of the digital world children are living in.
. Pornography
. Nudes (sharing intimate images)
. Online sexual harm
The purpose of the event is for you not just to come away more informed, but to be provided with practical advice and tools to help your child navigate these online challenges.
We will be delivering the event 4 times throughout March 2025, tailoring the event to particular audiences.
Wednesday the 5th of March, 2025, 7pm-8pm – online – parents and carers of S1 and above children
Tuesday the 18th of March 2025, 7pm-8pm – online – parents and carers of P5/6 children
Tuesday the 25th of March 2025, 7pm-8pm – online – parents and carers of children with additional special needs
Wednesday the 26th of March 2026, 7pm-8pm – in person , Edinburgh Location TBC – parents and carers of S1 and above children

PLEASE NOTE: This event will be discussing sexual harm. This event is not appropriate for children to attend.

ASN Holiday Programmes

Ramadan Mubarak!

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is observed by Muslims worldwide as a period of fasting, reflection and spiritual renewal. It’s a time of community, prayer and giving to those in need. Fasting from dawn to sunset is a key part of Ramadan, alongside acts of kindness, charity and self-discipline. This year, Ramadan is expected to begin this evening, Friday 28 February and end on Sunday 30 March, followed by the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. As we did last year, some of our older Muslim pupils will have the opportunity to pray at lunchtime if they choose to in Room 23 supported by staff.

Right of the Month

Our March Right of the Month is:

Article 24 (Health, Water, Food, Environment): Every child has the right to the best possible health. Governments must provide good quality health care, clean water, nutritious food, and a clean environment and education on health and well-being so that children can stay healthy. Richer countries must help poorer countries achieve this. 

Leithers of the Week

Well done to these hard working Leithers this week.

JamalPrimary 1aJamal has settled in nicely to Leith primary, working hard to follow our school rules. He has been a kind, helpful member of the class who is already showing he is ready to learn!
AnasPrimary 1bAnas for his super effort in Numeracy this week. Anas has been counting forwards and backwards to 30 and has worked hard on adding 2 numbers together. He has persevered with some tricky number problems and we’re very proud of your determination. Well done Anas!
DayanPrimary 2aDayan has focused on his tasks by thinking about what he is learning and what he needs to do to be successful.  He’s mindful not to distract others and is beginning to ask for help if he’s not sure what to do. Well done Dayan, good job!
AlexanderPrimary 2bFor inspiring us all with his amazing skills in art and creativity!
Heaven’leyPrimary 3You are always enthusiastic for every aspect of your learning. You take care of all of your classmates and make a wonderful teacher for all of her friends.
YoucefPrimary 3/4Youcef continues to grow in confidence with his letter joins and he focused very well during our handwriting session this week. Well done Youcef- keep it up!
RiyaaPrimary 4Riyaa has persevered and challenged herself in Maths this week.  Well done!
AlexPrimary 5Alex goes out of his way to be helpful and kind in our class. He is a friend to everyone and we’re lucky to have him in our class. Thank you, Alex!
KieranPrimary 5/6From Mari – Kieran for showing and sharing great ideas with his group when planning their maths challenges.
RobertPrimary 6For showing a great perseverance to get his writing done, good job!
AlexanderPrimary 7aFor continuously showing kindness to all his peers in P7a.
Maya SPrimary 7bMaya has continually shown responsibility for her education through knowing when to ask for help and has preserved this week in catching up with work after attending the Ski trip.

Leithers of the Week

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

HamodyPrimary 1aHamody 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!
KhalilPrimary 1bKhalil 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
GracePrimary 2aGrace 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!
MaePrimary 2bMae 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.
EvaPrimary 3Eva, 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.
LibbyPrimary 3/4Libby 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!
AntonPrimary 4Anton showed great teamwork and resilience during our Outdoor Learning this week.  Well done!
EvanPrimary 5Evan worked incredibly hard in Numeracy lessons this week and challenged herself with new learning. Thank you for your positive, can-do approach, Evan!
AmeliaPrimary 5/6She 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!
DarcyPrimary 6For her resilience and perseverance with all the difficulties.
DashPrimary 7aDash for always upholding our school values.
RiwajPrimary 7bRiwaj 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.

Lagganlia Update 3

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.

Lagganlia Update

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.

LPS Newsletter

Pupils working cooperatively to carry fallen branches at lunchtime

Class Catch Ups

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

Primary 1a

We have been learning about freezing and melting and decided to make our own ice cream. We tried this intially using school milk cartons but unfortunately it didn’t work for us as we needed to use whole milk rather than semi skimmed. We tried again and managed to successfully make vanilla ice cream in a bag! It was interesting to see the milk slowly freeze into ice cream as we shook the bag.

We also had Nicola from Trinity House this afternoon to tell us stories about maritime Leith! We jumped aboard her ship and sung songs together. We learned about the expedition to the Antarctic that docked in Leith and found out that penguins were brought to the Edinburgh zoo over 100 years ago from this expedition! We even got a cuddle from her penguin cuddly toy and a look through her telescope.

Primary 1a and Primary 4 Buddy Class Time

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.

AriaPrimary 1aAria 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!
OtisPrimary 1aOtis 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!
EricPrimary 1aEric 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!
CobyPrimary 1aCoby 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!
OisinPrimary 1bOisin 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!
NathanPrimary 1bNathan 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!
BradleyPrimary 1bBradley 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
KhalariPrimary 1bKhalari 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.
EyadPrimary 2aEyad 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!
LouisPrimary 2aLouis 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!
BrodiePrimary 2aBrodie 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!
MilesPrimary 2bMiles 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.
AustinPrimary 2bAustin 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!
ZitePrimary 2bZite is a joy to have in our class. He always tries his best and does everything with a smile on his face.
EeviePrimary 2bEevie has been completing work to a high standard independently. She has completed some exciting pieces of writing and brilliant pieces of numeracy work too.
HeidiPrimary 3You 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!
AmeliPrimary 3You 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!
LoriPrimary 3You 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!
TaliaPrimary 3You 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.
IrisPrimary 3You have persevering in your Maths and showing kindness to your classmates, making sure they all feel included and encouraged to achieve.
EmilyPrimary 3/4Emily, 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!
MaryaPrimary 3/4Marya has been working very hard to become more confident with writing her sentences. She always has a positive mindset and never gives up!
MatthewPrimary 3/4Matthew 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!
BalquesPrimary 3/4Balques, 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!
NajahPrimary 3/4Najah 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!
ElijahPrimary 4Elijah has shown perseverance and determination in Maths this week.  Well done!
BellaPrimary 4Bella has worked well in Maths this week, showing confidence and skill when working with arrays.  Well done!
IvyPrimary 4Ivy showed great teamwork this week during cooperative learning. Well done!
FinlayPrimary 4Finlay has shown worked hard and persevered in Maths this week.  Well done!
KaseyPrimary 4Kasey has shown kindness and responsibility supporting others this week.  Well done!
MamadouPrimary 5Miss Wilson noticed Mamadou persevering and trying really hard in writing this week, using lots of great adjectives. Well done!
LaylaPrimary 5Layla has been making an extra effort to show that she is ready to learn and ready to listen. Keep it up, Layla!
ArchiePrimary 5Archie 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!
MeeraPrimary 5Meera has an excellent attitude towards her learning and produced a fantastic report about the respiratory system this week. Well done Meera!
Kieran and JamiePrimary 5/6Kieran 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.
HenryPrimary 5/6for showing understanding of the differences between democracy and dictatorships and collaborating well with the peers in his class.
MirhirPrimary 5/6For his understanding in Science when looking at pH scales with Generation Science and for working collaboratively and explaining the experiments to his peers.
AaronPrimary 5/6For excellent concentration and following instructions on Mondrian art task
CooperPrimary 6For being a role model for the school values, responsible and kind.
ErinPrimary 6For persevering and working really hard on his reading and writing.
HarryPrimary 6Showing his kindness by helping and encouraging our P2 buddies.
LuciaPrimary 6Lucia 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!
EllePrimary 6For persevering on her work and showing her drawing skills while helping others.
AlfiePrimary 7aFor being recognised for his hard work in violin. Alfie is working really hard. Well done!
AnyaPrimary 7aFor sharing insightful ideas during our Art of Listening trip and for representing our school positively.
AndrewPrimary 7aFor supporting other people during PE and demonstrating his fantastic gymnastic skills.
NinaPrimary 7aAt generation science Nina showed a good use of questioning and a trial and error approach to improve their design.
RicardoPrimary 7aRicardo is motivated to improve his literacy skills and has shown a positive attitude towards any challenges he faces. Well done Ricardo!
MarleyPrimary 7bFor being kind, welcoming and supportive to new people joining the school. Well done
StruanPrimary 7bFor showing great focus and challenging himself during writing.
CorynPrimary 7bFor showing good team working skills and challenging herself.
Maya SPrimary 7bMaya has been taking active part in all lessons. She has been challenging herself to share her answers more and doing her best. Well done.           
KieranPrimary 7bKieran 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.

Leith Chooses – Vote for LPPC

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/

School Closure Letter

Dear Parent and Carers

You will be aware that the Met Office has issued a red weather warning for wind from 10am to 5pm on Friday 24th January. Further information can be found below:-
Areas affected: Central, Tayside & Fife | SW Scotland, Lothian Borders | Strathclyde

  • Starts: 10:00 GMT on Fri 24 January
  • Ends: 17:00 GMT on Fri 24 January

Very strong winds associated with Storm Éowyn causing very dangerous conditions and significant disruption on Friday – Flying debris resulting in danger to life – Very dangerous driving conditions with fallen trees on roads – Damage to buildings and homes, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down – Roads, bridges and railway lines closed, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights – Power cuts affecting other services, such as mobile phone coverage – Large
waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and homes
This Red weather warning will be preceded and followed with Amber weather warnings amber weather warning for wind for Friday 24 January from:

  • 06:00 – 10:00 GMT on Fri 24 January
  • 17:00 – 21:00 GMT on Fri 24 January

As always, the safety of our young people, families and staff teams is paramount. In light of this, the decision has been taken to close all schools and early years settings. This is in alignment with other Local Authorities both regionally and nationally. This will include out of school childcare.

We appreciate that this will have childcare implications for many of our families so we have tried to provide as much notice as possible. Head teachers and Heads of Centre will communicate with parents and carers about local arrangements regarding accessing learning at home.

With sincere thanks for your understanding.

Jackie Reid
Service Director for Education and Chief Education Office

LPS Newsletter

Children from P4 take part in our Pilmeny Development Project after school group

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

AriaPrimary 1aAria 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!
OtisPrimary 1aOtis 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!
OisinPrimary 1bOisin 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!
NathanPrimary 1bNathan 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!
EyadPrimary 2aEyad 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!
MilesPrimary 2bMiles 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.
AustinPrimary 2bAustin 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!
HeidiPrimary 3You 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!
AmeliPrimary 3You 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!
EmilyPrimary 3/4Emily, 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!
MaryaPrimary 3/4Marya has been working very hard to become more confident with writing her sentences. She always has a positive mindset and never gives up!
ElijahPrimary 4Elijah has shown perseverance and determination in Maths this week.  Well done!
BellaPrimary 4Bella has worked well in Maths this week, showing confidence and skill when working with arrays.  Well done!
MamadouPrimary 5Miss Wilson noticed Mamadou persevering and trying really hard in writing this week, using lots of great adjectives. Well done!
LaylaPrimary 5Layla has been making an extra effort to show that she is ready to learn and ready to listen. Keep it up, Layla!
Kieran and JamiePrimary 5/6Kieran 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.
CooperPrimary 6For being a role model for the school values, responsible and kind.
ErinPrimary 6For persevering and working really hard on his reading and writing.
AlfiePrimary 7aFor being recognised for his hard work in violin. Alfie is working really hard. Well done!
MarleyPrimary 7bFor being kind, welcoming and supportive to new people joining the school. Well done
StruanPrimary 7bFor showing great focus and challenging himself during writing.