Author: Ms Craig

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.

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our winter-themed Open Classroom session on Wednesday. It was lovely to see so many parents on such a cold afternoon. We understand that many parents have work and other commitments and were not able to come along. There will be other opportunities to share in the learning of your child later on this session.

Holiday Help for Families

The Whole Family Wellbeing Team have collated a list of free and low-cost activities to do in the run up to and during the winter school holidays.

Help Make the Magic Manageable!

There are so many demands at this time of year, the list just keeps on getting longer and the cost continues to rise. You can find a list of free and low-cost activities to do in the run up to and during the winter school holidays on the Family Holiday Activities webpage. The City of Edinburgh council are updating the webpage all the time, so please keep checking back in for new activities.

Support for Families

Check out the other Support for Families webpages for lots of other supports and activities provided by different organisations throughout the year.

The Financial support webpage might be particularly helpful just now when trying to stretch the budget for those extra holiday costs.

If you need any help finding support for you or your child, please email

supportingparentsandcarers@edinburgh.gov.uk

Just Giving at Christmas

A reminder that we have chosen UNICEF this Christmas as an alternative to giving presents and cards. If you can and wish to do so, please donate using this link:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/leith-primary-1733308784426?utm_term=vMaadPn8P

Leithers of the Week

Well done to all our recent Leithers of the Week for their hard work, effort and progress over the last few weeks. We’re very proud of you all 🙂

Mason	Primary 1a	Mason is such a hard worker and keen to share his ideas in class. He is very responsible and a fantastic role model. Well done, Mason!
Victoria	Primary 1a	Victoria has been ready to learn during our maths sessions. She is working hard to identify 2D and 3D shapes. Fantastic job, Victoria!
Mohamed	Primary 1a	Mohamed is becoming increasingly better at following instructions. He has been challenging himself in phonics with writing and we are very proud of him! Well done, Mohamed!
Odin	Primary 1a	Odin has been working hard to follow our carpet rules and has been sitting beautifully on the carpet. He has also enjoyed creating some lovely artwork through messy play with paint.
Ranvir	Primary 1b	For his super writing all about picking up your litter with our buddy class. Well done Ranvir!
Mariatou	Primary 2a	Mariatou has been doing a fantastic job saying her forward and backwards numbers to 100!  She concentrates very hard during our morning number songs and challenges herself to get her numbers in the right order by closing her eyes! Well done Mariatou, keep up the fantastic work!
Willow	Primary 2a	Willow has been building her confidence by contributing her ideas and opinions in class and group discussions.  She carefully considers what she wants to share and can evidence her learning with very effective descriptions, topic facts and wonderful pieces of work.  Well done Willow, you’re doing an amazing job!  Ms Harris
Esmeralda	Primary 2a	Esmeralda has been so inspired by our Science activities about the planets, that she has created her own fact file.  She put a huge effort into using facts that she had learned in class but also did her own research into other features of our solar system, using colourful illustrations, labels and information.  Well done Esmeralda, it’s wonderful to see you deepen your learning in such a creative way!
Danya	Primary 2a	Danya has using her talking and listening skills and has challenged herself to use her home language of Arabic, to communicate with other Arabic speaking children.  She made a new people feel very welcome by helping her to choose her lunches.  Well done Danya, I love the way you are using your skills to help others and improve your own communication skills!
Austin	Primary 2b	Austin has been working very hard on making his handwriting super beautiful! He has also been producing very creative and exciting sentences. Well done Austin!
Tamara	Primary 2b	Tamara has been engaging brilliantly with our lessons on the carpet, including great listening, sharing her ideas and remembering and recalling details from our prior learning.
Mayar	Primary 2b	Using her kindness and skills in speaking Arabic to make a new pupil at Leith Primary feel welcome.
Dhanvika	Primary 2b	Dhanvika has been showing that she is an effective and dedicated leader of her own learning. She is building her skills on working independently and has completed lots of impressive work in both literacy and maths. Thank you for always trying your best Dhanvika!
Juniper	Primary 3	You always show huge amount of responsibility in class, helping to keep the classroom organised and tidy. You have also been working so hard towards challenging yourself in writing and achieving your target and I always enjoy reading what you have written.
Mason	Primary 3	You pushed yourself in writing this week and created an amazing description using adjectives, commas and your 5 senses! I’m so proud of you for challenging yourself to write the best description you could.
Kaeem	Primary 3	You have been showing great responsibility in class and have been working so hard on being patient and taking turns. You make me laugh every day and I’m so proud of how caring and hard working you are!
Raegan	Primary 3/4	Raegan, you have made more wonderful choices this week and we were all very proud of how well you represented our class and school during our cinema trip on Tuesday- well done and keep it up!
Yumna	Primary 3/4	For being confident and working incredibly hard on writing her sentences independently this week. We are all very proud of you Yumna- well done!
Ayda	Primary 3/4	Ayda has shown excellent listening skills this week and has set a very positive example to others. Thank you for your hard work and kindness Ayda!
Korra	Primary 3/4	Korra has grown in confidence and has demonstrated a very positive attitude to recent changes in the classroom and playground. Well done Korra- we are all very proud of you!
Anthony	Primary 4	Anthony showed perseverance and determination in our Outdoor Learning session.  He managed to start the fire so we could all toast our marshmallows!
Brooke	Primary 4	Brooke showed kindness and responsibility when supporting our P1 buddies with a recycling project.  Well done!
Emma	Primary 4	Emma consistently shows kindness and responsibility both in class and around the school.  Well done!
Taylor	Primary 5	Taylor is always respectful, kind and has been trying hard to answer comprehension questions in reading. Well done Taylor!
Sharan	Primary 5	For being helpful, tidying up and working hard in maths. Well done Sharan!
Evan	Primary 5	Evan has worked hard this week, showing perseverance in numeracy and kindness when working with her P1 buddy. Well done Evan!
Belle	Primary 5	Belle worked hard in numeracy this week to solve addition and subtraction word problems, well done Belle!
Ritaj	Primary 5/6	For working hard during our lessons, and making lots of progress in Maths especially!
Jana	Primary 5/6	For making a big effort during our literacy lessons (with clear improvements as a result!).
Alfie	Primary 5/6	For putting lots of thought and effort into in all lessons, and for being a kind and helpful member of our class.
Tempy	Primary 5/6	Lamar Alzoubi. For perseverance in Maths learning new strategies for solving word problems in addition and subtraction.
Juliet	Primary 6	For exemplifying the school’s values, especially in demonstrating responsibility and a growth mindset.
Shaniah	Primary 6	She is always ready to share her kindness with a smile and sense of humour.
Omar	Primary 6	Omar is always ready to help and demonstrate kindness to all the adults and children in the school, as a proper Leither.
Polly	Primary 6	For showing her confidence and contributing to the class with kindness.
Julia	Primary 7a	Julia for always working hard and being focused in all areas of her learning.
Fraser	Primary 7a	For his effort and team work creating a magnificent festive door for P7a.
Kade	Primary 7b	Kade has shown a good level of understanding for how to stay safe – both at school and when out and about on trips.
Zaynb	Primary 7b	Zaynb has been engaging very well in her learning. She challenges herself and aims to achieve her best. She recently wrote an amazing poem with an other child.
Lilyan	Primary 7b	Lilyan has been showing great perseverance and independence in leading her learning and taking on her role on the sports council. Well done.
Mario	Primary 7b	For sharing his knowledge with others when completing a coding task.

As ever, it has been a very busy winter term for our Leithers with numerous trips and activities undertaken by all classes. We celebrated Scottish Book Week with each class walking along to Leith Library to join the Edinburgh Library Service and borrow a book. Primary 3 – Primary 7 celebrated Into Film Week, a British Film Institute and National Lottery funded organisation that promotes the cinema and the film industry to schools. It was also a great opportunity for children to celebrate their successes this year for being accredited as a Gold Level Rights Respecting School and for contributing to a successful school inspection in October. Well done Leithers!

Hello and Goodbye!

Farewell and thank you to our Citadel Family Support Worker Kristy Johnson, who is returning to her home country of Australia. Kristy has been a great support to a number of our parents and will be greatly missed by the Leith team. We look forward to welcoming Valma Walmann next week who will be taking up her position as our new Citadel Family Support Worker.

We also welcome Ms Kirsty Ferguson as our new Principal Teacher. You may remember that Mrs Dawn Moloney retired at the summer, having been the school’s Principal Teacher for a number of years. Ms Ferguson’s role will be primarily focussed on our school nursery although she will spend short periods of time in almost all classes across the school each term. We are delighted to have her onboard.

Leith Primary School – Christmas Activities

Here is a round up of the main Christmas activities we have planned this year.

Wednesday 11th December – Christmas Open Classrooms: P1 & P2 2.30pm: P3-P7 2.40pm

Fri 13^th December – LPPC Christmas Event (12.00pm – more detail to follow from them)

Mon 16^th December – Christmas Parties (afternoon)

Tue 17^th December – Christmas Movie Day (in classes)

Wed 18^th December – P4 – P7 (Including 4s from 3/4) trip @ Lyceum – Treasure Island – Mini televised Panto for P1-P3 in hall – Santa Visit to Nursery, P1 & P2 – After lunch

Thu 19^th December – Christmas Lunch for pupils & Christmas Jumper Day (optional donations to charity)

Fri 20^th December* – Christmas Sing Song for pupils only (9.30am in gym hall)

*Break up times as normal for Friday.

Classes will take part in the annual Christmas Doors design competition, judged by the pupil council. Everyone will also make a Christmas card for an elderly person in one of our local sheltered or care homes. As ever, we discourage the gifting of presents to staff and encourage a small donation to our chosen charity, UNICEF.

Please see our Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/leith-primary-1733308784426?utm_term=vMaadPn8P

We are very sad that this year we will not be able to have our usual school community Singalong at St Andrew’s Parish Church, as the parishes of Pilrig, St Paul’s, St. Margaret’s and St Andrew’s prepare to amalgamate as LARCH Leith Walk, based at the Pilrig church from February. This year, we will have a Singalong with staff and children together in our own gym hall. Parents are welcome to come along on the 11th to enjoy some Christmas activities during our Christmas Open Classroom session starting at 2.30pm.

New Advocacy Service Supporting Parents to Challenge Racism in Scottish Schools

Advocacy for Race Equality in Schools Scotland (AdRESS) is a new organisation for parents and carers whose child has been affected by racist incidents or racially motivated bullying in school.

There AdRESS website has a very clear explanation of what we mean when we use the term racism.

This week, our Equalities group are speaking at assembly about how we can become an Anti-Racist school.

Embracing Difference

Primary 7 Poem

Made by Megan and Zaynb P7B

Salveson Mindroom

Extra Swimming Lessons for P4 Pupils

Stepping Stones in partnership with Edinburgh Active Schools are offering free swimming lessons to P4+ pupils who for any reason have struggled to meet their proficiency school swimming levels.

Please register your interest with the below link, after registering once a space becomes available stepping stones will reach out to you. https://www.steppingstonesswimming.com/communitylessons ‘

P5-P7 Optional Skiing Trip

There are still a few places left on our optional P5 – P7 Skiing Trip to Lagganlia in the Scottish Highlands. The trip takes place on the 19th – 21st February 2025. Tiered funding is available to suit all budgets. If you think your child would enjoy trying out skiing or snowboarding please fill out this short form: https://forms.office.com/e/8BKT45SdxX

Well Done to Our Recent Leithers of the Week

Tamara	Primary 2b	Tamara has been engaging brilliantly with our lessons on the carpet, including great listening, sharing her ideas and remembering and recalling details from our prior learning.
Juniper	Primary 3	You always show huge amount of responsibility in class, helping to keep the classroom organised and tidy. You have also been working so hard towards challenging yourself in writing and achieving your target and I always enjoy reading what you have written.
Raegan	Primary 3/4	Raegan, you have made more wonderful choices this week and we were all very proud of how well you represented our class and school during our cinema trip on Tuesday- well done and keep it up!
Yumna	Primary 3/4	For being confident and working incredibly hard on writing her sentences independently this week. We are all very proud of you Yumna- well done!
Anthony	Primary 4	Anthony showed perseverance and determination in our Outdoor Learning session.  He managed to start the fire so we could all toast our marshmallows!
Brooke	Primary 4	Brooke showed kindness and responsibility when supporting our P1 buddies with a recycling project.  Well done!
Taylor	Primary 5	Taylor is always respectful, kind and has been trying hard to answer comprehension questions in reading. Well done Taylor!
Sharan	Primary 5	For being helpful, tidying up and working hard in maths. Well done Sharan!
Ritaj	Primary 5/6	For working hard during our lessons, and making lots of progress in Maths especially!
Jana	Primary 5/6	For making a big effort during our literacy lessons (with clear improvements as a result!).
Juliet	Primary 6	For exemplifying the school’s values, especially in demonstrating responsibility and a growth mindset.
Shaniah	Primary 6	She is always ready to share her kindness with a smile and sense of humour.
Julia	Primary 7a	Julia for always working hard and being focused in all areas of her learning.
Kade	Primary 7b	Kade has shown a good level of understanding for how to stay safe – both at school and when out and about on trips.
Zaynb	Primary 7b	Zaynb has been engaging very well in her learning. She challenges herself and aims to achieve her best. She recently wrote an amazing poem with an other child.

Well done to all our hardworking Leithers this week!

Hamody M	Primary 1a	Hamody has been working really hard with his reading this week and has also made fantastic progress in P1 following our rules and routines. Well done Hamody!
Leonardo	Primary 1b	For sharing great ideas during class discussions and always being a responsible and kind member of our class. Well done Leonardo!
Pippa	Primary 2a	Pippa has been working hard to understand positional language and has been using her knowledge to follow direction clues accurately. Well done for showing a growth mindset and great concentration!
Quinn	Primary 2b	Quinn has been working so hard in our phonics sessions. He says his sounds and forms words with huge enthusiasm. Well done Quinn!
Lena	Primary 3	You have been persevering with your reading and have worked really hard on your blending. You also have been really supportive of your classmates in our group work, telling them “you can do it!”
Anita	Primary 3/4	Anita has been working very hard in her literacy this past week and showing more confidence. Well done and keep it up!
Jess	Primary 4	Jess has been supportive, encouraging and kind to our P1 buddies. Thank you and well done!
Runa	Primary 5	Runa has worked very hard in maths and reading this week. Well done!
Ola	Primary 5/6	For demonstrating good sportsmanship in PE and being kind to others.
Charlie	Primary 6	Charlie always has a positive attitude and perseveres with a smile on his face.
Osh	Primary 7a	For his progress in numeracy this term. Osh has been working really hard! Well done!
Seren	Primary 7b	Seren has been trying her best and being a responsible prefect setting a good example for others.

Well done to the last few week’s nominated Leithers of the Week!

Ali	Primary 1a	Ali has a very positive attitude to his learning and has worked really hard this week. He has done a fantastic job of following our school rules. Well done, Ali!
Ritanya	Primary 1a	Ritanya has consistently shown kindness and treats everyone with respect. We are so lucky to have you in our class!
Abeera	Primary 1a	Abeera is very resilient and isn’t afraid to try and try again. She perseveres with tasks even when she finds them tricky – well done, Abeera!
Louis	Primary 2a	Louis tried his best in writing this week and tried hard to hear the rhyming sounds in words.  He persevered and said each one out loud, which helped him match the picture of things that sounded the same.  Well done Louis!
Riham	Primary 2a	Riham is making brilliant progress with her talking and listening and is starting to use lots of new words to ask questions about what she is learning and say what she thinks in class discussions. Well done Riham you are doing really well!
Aurla	Primary 2a	Aurla has done a great job this week, counting on from and number and also finding numbers that add up to 10.  She used her fingers and counters to help and checked that she was right.  Well done Aurla, keep up the good work!
Aris	Primary 2b	Aris has continued to show he is ready to learn by always being incredibly respectful and listening intently during learning time.
Aryan	Primary 2b	Aryan has been building his skills in working independently. He has shown he can lead his own learning, practicing his letters and numbers without the help of an adult. You are really growing Aryan!
Amaya	Primary 2b	Amaya has been completing her work in class to a very high standard. She has been using incredible detail in her drawings and writing.
Isla	Primary 3	You showed a huge amount of kindness towards your classmates this week. You have also taken on your class job this week with a really positive and enthusiastic attitude and you bring this to your learning too. Well done!
Manvir	Primary 3	You have been going above and beyond with your morning challenge and have been working really hard in using your French greetings in class and around the school. You have such an enthusiasm for learning and I enjoy learning new things with you every day!
Musa	Primary 3	You have been doing a great job in Maths during teaching time and you did brilliantly in your spelling last week. It has also been so great to see you getting more confident and I enjoy our little jokes!
Shafeeah	Primary 3/4	Shafeeah, you always work incredibly hard with all your learning and this week you have really impressed me with how many tricky words you know how to spell- amazing! You are going to make a fantastic spelling buddy to others in our class.
Liam	Primary 3/4	Liam you continue to grow in confidence and I have been very impressed by how hard you work to challenge yourself more. You are also a wonderful friend and classmate to others-thank you!
Napiu	Primary 3/4	Napiu has been a wonderful friend to others in class and was incredibly helpful during one of our learning tasks this week. He listened and showed respect to others in his group and led by example. Keep it up Napiu and thank you!
Nathan	Primary 4	Nathan has applied his Numeracy skills to some tricky problems this week, well done!
Esmee	Primary 4	Esmee has shown kindness, consideration and empathy to her peers this week  Thank you!
Ilhan	Primary 4	Ilhan consistently approaches all tasks with commitment and perseverance.  Well done!
Ella	Primary 5	Ella showed kindness this week by making something for everyone in the class. She has also tried hard in maths and spelling this week. Well done!
Jayden	Primary 5	Jayden has continually worked hard in literacy, numeracy and science. He always pushes himself to do his best. Well done!
Lily	Primary 5	Lily has worked really hard in maths this week. She has also been respectful, kind and helpful. Well done Lily!
Aleks	Primary 5/6	For showing perseverance in class and doing a fantastic job with his reading comprehension task.
Amelia	Primary 5/6	For active participation during class discussion and for always trying her best during lessons.
Kieran	Primary 5/6	For staying focused and trying his best in class and during group work.
Noor	Primary 6	Being respectful, kind and always ready to give her best.
Gloria	Primary 6	Always kind, respectful and ready to her best.
Annabelle	Primary 6	She has proofed herself to be always ready and responsible. Well done!
Minh Duc	Primary 7a	For continually challenging himself within numeracy and maths. Even reaching the number one position in Scotland for certain Sumdog challenges!
Alice	Primary 7a	Alice has taken on board the importance of being a prefect. Alice supports younger classes positively and acts as a great role model to those around her.
Alexa	Primary 7b	Alexa has been working very hard and showing a persevering attitude to her learning. Well done and keep it up!
Jakub	Primary 7b	Jakub has been an excellent role model in P7 showing all the school values and following all the rules. Great job.
Maya K	Primary 7b	Maya shows the school value of kindness, responsibility and perseverance by always trying her best and supporting her peers and other school members.

A great many thanks to the whole school community – pupils, staff, parents and school partners – for their overwhelming support and hard work during our recent HMIE school inspection. Inspectors were very keen share how fantastic they thought the children were during their focus groups and how welcoming everyone had been throughout their week with us. The results of the inspection should be published by Education Scotland towards the end of the year. Parents will be sent a letter summarising the inspection findings in due course.

Big Family Event

Family Holiday Activities

The Whole Family Wellbeing Team have collated a list of free and low-cost activities for families which are taking place over the school holidays. Please share the below and attached information widely with families and colleagues. If you are aware of any other activities which could be added to this or any future school holiday activity lists, please contact wholefamilywellbeing@edinburgh.gov.uk

School holidays can be a challenging time for many families. To support families in Edinburgh we’ve details on our web pages of free or low-cost activities in Edinburgh.

Take your kids on the train for £1, go to soft play, visit the museums, book a woodland walk, do some arts and crafts or learn about looking after pets. We’re updating the activities all the time, so please keep checking before and during the holidays on our Family Holiday Activity page.

Support for families

Check our other Support for Families web pages for lots of other supports and activities provided by different organisations the rest of the year.

If you need any help finding support for you or your child, please email supportingparentsandcarers@edinburgh.gov.uk

Incredible Years

Leithers of the (quite a few) Week (s)

It has been a busy five or six weeks so we have a huge number of brilliant Leithers to congratulate on being past Leithers of the Week. Well done to all for demonstrating the school values, enacting the school vision, making great progress in their learning and being all-round fantastic Leithers.

Bonnie	Primary 1a	Bonnie has settled in nicely in P1 and is always ready to learn! During our class outing, she demonstrated our school rules and values as she was responsible and safe. Super job, Bonnie!
Alex	Primary 1a	Alex was very enthusiastic and ready to learn during our outdoor maths lesson. He did a fantastic job of drawing around his friend and measuring length using his feet and hands. Super work, Alex!
Coby	Primary 1a	Coby has been a fantastic role model as line leader this week, moving silently, sensibly and safely through the school. He has also shown he is ready to learn and tried his best in all tasks. Well done!
Mohamed B	Primary 1a	Mohamed has been a very responsible member of our class this week and follows rules around all areas of the school. He follows carpet rules and treats adults and his classmates with respect. Well done, Mohamed!
Mayar	Primary 1b	Mayar has inspired us by facing things she finds scary. Well done for being brave and persevering with things you find challenging. We are all proud of you!
Dominic	Primary 2a	Dominic did a fantastic job creating symmetrical patterns, in his Maths activity.  Well done Dominic you’re doing a great job!
Liam	Primary 2a	Liam has worked hard on his writing this week.  After finding it a bit tricky, he persevered to write a sentence, using key words, a capital letter, finger spaces and a full stop.  Well done Liam, I think it’s great that you didn’t give up and tried your best!
Caelan	Primary 2a	Caelan has a really positive attitude everyday and is a great example to his classmates. Well done Caelan!
Esmeralda	Primary 2a	Esmeralda persevered to solve subtraction problems this week, by using our steps to success and using her mental maths strategy of starting with the larger number and counting back.  Well done Esmeralda!
Mason	Primary 2a	For showing perseverance in French whilst learning his numbers and colours. Mason has been showing great concentration and effort to improve his French pronunciation and accent.
Oskar	Primary 2b	Using his skills to be a great leader of learning, helping and encouraging other children with the knowledge he holds.
Hazimah	Primary 2b	Hazimah always perseveres with her maths and very determinedly tackles new concepts.
Rival	Primary 2b	Being a great listener and always showing consideration, respect and patience when listening to others.
Miles	Primary 2b	Miles has been continuously building confidence and giving lots of interesting answers during lessons. His confidence shone through in his reading this week.
Jayden	Primary 3	You have been working so hard independently and showing pride when you complete a task. You have been showing great responsibility this week and are always super helpful and kind to all of your classmates.
Darcie	Primary 3	You have been working so hard in class, especially on your literacy and I know you have been working really hard in your groups as well. I am so proud of the progress you are making and I enjoy watching you grow in confidence as you answer questions in class.
William	Primary 3	He has been so responsible and an amazing helper this week. You have made sure to help all of your classmates and I have enjoyed watching you play the teacher this week.
Clova	Primary 3	This week you went above and beyond in your spelling. You didn’t just write sentences using your spelling words but you wrote a whole amazing story which included all of your words in it! Well done on challenging yourself!
Naira	Primary 3	You combined our learning in literacy, art and health and wellbeing to create your own ‘My Many Coloured Days’ book. I really enjoyed reading it and you should be so proud of your creativity and hard work!
Freya	Primary 3/4	For demonstrating perseverance during our rugby session. Freya stepped out of her comfort zone and gave throwing and running with the ball a go and had a huge smile at the end of it. Well done Freya- keep it up! 😀
Freya	Primary 3/4	Freya, you have shown perseverance and more confidence in rugby. We love that you have been more involved in passing and moving with the ball-well done and keep it up! 😀
Lilly	Primary 3/4	Lilly, you are becoming more confident in your learning about 3D shapes. You were the first person in our class to manage to put together a cube net and the class and I are incredibly proud of you. Well done!
Linda	Primary 3/4	Linda, you have worked incredibly hard in your literacy learning this week. You challenged yourself by stepping out of your comfort zone- well done! 😀
Muhammad	Primary 3/4	For writing some fantastic sentences to describe a character- good job Muhammad!
Elhibr	Primary 3/4	Elhibr has worked very hard in literacy this week, identifying and sorting different adjectives- well done!
Sam	Primary 4	For insightful and interesting contributions to class discussions.
Ellie	Primary 4	Ellie has shown good sportsmanship in PE this week.  Well done!
Ellie	Primary 4	Ellie has been responsible and helpful in class this week.  Well done!
Ilhan	Primary 4	Ilhan has show excellent descriptive language in Writing this week. Well done!
Louise	Primary 4	Louise is consistently kind, considerate and helpful.  Well done and thank you!
Holly	Primary 5	I was so impressed with your periodic table which you made at home and presented to the class! Well done Holly!
Keira	Primary 5	Keira has worked hard this week in all areas of learning and always shows that she is ready, respectful and safe! Well done Keira.
Tabitha	Primary 5	Well done Tabitha for being hardworking and respectful. You have worked hard in reading, writing and maths this week and I enjoy reading your stories!
Martha	Primary 5	Martha has consistently shown perseverance in her learning, whilst being kind to others and respectful. Well done Martha!
Mamadou	Primary 5	Mamadou has worked really hard this week, especially in reading. Well done Mamadou!
Kamil	Primary 5/6	Kamil Firlej – for making a big effort to improve his written work.
Ruben	Primary 5/6	For lots of active participation during Maths this week.
Waris	Primary 5/6	For completing his home learning (working on his spelling words).
Henry	Primary 5/6	For listening well and participating actively during class discussions.
Tempy	Primary 5/6	For working hard to up-level her writing in class this week, and producing a fantastic final text!
Katia	Primary 6	Hard work and readiness to learn, and help others to learn.
Robert	Primary 6	He has put a great effort to finish his work showing perseverance.
Stefan	Primary 6	He is persevering to achieve his goals and always ready to do his best.
Olive	Primary 6	She perseveres and shows kindness to friends and adults.
Kaleb	Primary 6	He has been kind and caring for his friends showing off the school’s values.
Ndeye	Primary 7a	For excellent use of adjectives and similes in writing this week. Well done Ndeye!
Hadley	Primary 7a	For working independently in writing and also taking great pride in his presentation.
Dominik	Primary 7a	For taking initiative and leading by example in the corridors when on prefecting duty. You are doing a great job Dominik well done!
Harjot	Primary 7a	Harjot for settling into Leith Primary so well. He’s worked extremely hard in numeracy this week and has shown he is always ready to learn.
Amos	Primary 7a	Amos is continuously upholding the school rules. He has shown great responsibility in his prefecting duties and is an excellent role model to others in the school.
Megan	Primary 7b	For challenging herself and creating a detailed piece of digital art.
Kieran	Primary 7b	Kieran has been working well in class, he has shown perseverance and challenged himself. Well done Kieran.
Keira	Primary 7b	Well done for being organised and setting a good example with her perfecting role.
Rubi-Anne	Primary 7b	Rubi-Anne has confidently been sharing her knowledge and learning with others. Well done
Dorothy	Primary 7b	For excellent perseverance and always challenging herself to do her best with all her learning.

End of Term 1

A reminder that all pupils start back on Tuesday 22nd October. Have a relaxing October Holiday!

The whole school took to our usual part of Leith Links to enjoy and celebrate seasonal and locally produced Scottish foods at our annual One Planet Picnic event.

One Planet Picnic draws attention to the many foods that are grown close to us during each season. Choosing to eat foods that are in season and grown locally cuts down on carbon emissions that come from artificial heating systems and long-haul transportation methods when we eat foods grown in artificial conditions or in countries thousands of miles away. Pupils took part in lessons that looked at the impact of year-round food availability and its impact on the planet and found out about foods that are seasonal and grown right here in Scotland. This is one of many ways in which our pupils learn about sustainable ways of living.

Responsibility

One of our key school values is Responsibility. This is something that we try to instil in all Leith Primary pupils and staff. This value encompasses responsibility for ourselves, for our learning, for our belongings, for our school, for others, for our community, for the world around us. At the start of the new school year, pupils take on a class responsibility such as being a line leader, a milk monitor, a resource manager and so on. This teaches pupils the importance of interdependence – that the class cannot function successfully unless everyone plays their part.

Primary 7 pupils have been applying to become prefects this week. Many will take on responsibility for looking after younger classes at break and lunchtimes (under staff watchful eyes) or will support with leading school tours for visitors, with recycling, or with setting up for assemblies or other events. Some of our Primary 7 pupils have already been supporting younger children in their role as Paired Reading guides.

Primary 6 have started undertaking their role on rotation as administrative assistants to Mrs Gatton, our school administrator. Later on in the session, Primary 6 pupils will learn how to become Playground Buddies who lead games with younger children and support with common playground issues.

This week, we have also been saying a big thank you to our Pupil Leadership groups who are making way for new membership this term. We are now looking for two representatives from each P3-P7 class for our Pupil Council, our Eco Committee, our Health & Wellbeing Committee, our Eco Group, our Rights Respecting Schools Champions, our Equalities Group, our Playground Squad, our Junior Librarians Group and, new for this session, our Sports Council. It is our hope that each pupil will have at least one or two opportunities to represent the views of their class and inform the development of their school during their time at Leith Primary School.

These leadership opportunities develop improved communication skills, help to grow confidence and encourage problem solving and creative thinking. Participating in a pupil leadership group supports a sense of school community and develops ownership and responsibility for our school. We are looking forward to celebrating our new pupil reps at a future school assembly.

Open Classroom Session

A reminder that classrooms will be open to parents and carers this Wednesday 11th September in the afternoon. Everyone is warmly welcome to come along, meet their child’s new class teacher and join in some learning for the last part of the day. Doors are open from 2.30pm for P1 and P2 classes and from 2.40pm for P3-P7 classes. We look forward to seeing you there.

Rights Respecting Schools Gold Award Report

As we announced in our last newsletter, we were delighted to be awarded with our Gold level Rights Respecting Schools Award. As we await delivery of our new banner, some of you may be interested to read the report from the UNICEF assessor, Gerry McMurtrie. It is such a wonderful reflection of the hard work of all the pupils who took part in the assessment day as well as the ongoing work of our last Rights Respecting School Champions. Well done again to everyone involved. We are still to announce how this wonderful achievement will be celebrated by everyone at school. More details to come in later weeks.

New Shared Google Calendar on LPS Website

To try to keep parents and carers updated on our busy school events, we have included a live school Google Calendar on our website. This has details of all the important upcoming events for the year, including Parent-Teacher consultations and school photo day. Here, you can keep an eye on when your child has swimming lessons or when the next open classroom sessions are. We hope you find this new feature helpful. Find it on the right-hand sidebar of the homepage.

School Photo Day

School photographs will be taken on Monday 23rd September. This year, we will ask you to opt in to sibling photos rather than taking them as standard. More details on how to request sibling photos will be sent out by LPPC.

Teen Triple P

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. Please see link to application below.

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/teentriplepform

North East Edinburgh

Venue: Richmond Church Craigmillar 227 – 229 Niddrie Mains Rd, Edinburgh EH16 4PA

Day and Dates: Tuesday’s 8/10, 15/10 no group Oct hol, 22/10, 29/10, 5/11, 12/11, 19/11 telephone call no group,  26/11 telephone call no group,  3/12 (6 group sessions, 2 telephone contacts)

Time 9.45-11.45am

Virtual Course – requires access to a laptop, ipad or pc.

This course requires parents/carers to engage in interactive session online session each week. On the dates below parents/carers will come together on TEAMS as a group with facilitators

Dates 9/10,  (16/10 no group Oct hol)  23/10, 30/10, 6/11, 13/11, 20/11 telephone call no group,  27/11 telephone call no group,  4/12 (6 group sessions, 2 telephone contacts)

School Pick Ups

Every part of the school day counts therefore we politely request that parents do not ask to take their children out of school early unless in exceptional circumstances. Unplanned early pick ups during school time cause disruption to the smooth running of the school office and to the pupils in your child’s class. It means that your child may miss out on vital learning that can cause them to fall behind. We understand that children occasionally have dental and hospital appointments scheduled during school hours. We ask that you please notify Mrs Gatton at least one day in advance of such appointments so we can arrange for your child to be ready for you at reception at the correct time. Thank you for your support on this matter.

Tremendously well done to our hard working Leithers over the last three weeks. What a great start to the year!

George	Primary 2a	George has been a fantastic Eco Monitor this week!  He’s made a massive effort to tidy up and help his classmates recycle in the classroom and did a brilliant job picking up litter in the playground at breaktimes.  Super work George, you’re a great example to everyone!
Klara	Primary 2a	Klara has made a great start to P2! She has shown that she is ready to learn by showing super listening skills of eyes looking, ears listening and sitting on the carpet quietly and quickly, ready to start the task or game. Well done Klara!
Riham	Primary 2a	Riham has worked really hard to write her name this week. She persevered to use a capital letter and to have all her letters facing the right way. Well done Riham!
Lottie	Primary 2b	Lottie has shown she knows how to be a responsible citizen by caring for both her classmates and her work. She has brought smiles and enthusiasm to our classroom community!
Lawe	Primary 2b	Lawe has been putting in a lot of effort to follow the school expectations, particularly when sitting and learning on the carpet. Lawe has also inspired us all by continuously being himself and being proud of who he is.
Abdallah	Primary 2b	Abdallah has been very caring towards his classmates and children in the wider school community. He is very considerate and always works hard to understand others feelings. Thank you for your kindness Abdallah!
Lena	Primary 3	Lena has shown a great deal of kindness towards her classmates in her first week of P3. She always looks out for everyone in class and takes on any task with a smile.
Arlo	Primary 3	You always show great kindness to everybody in class. You go out of your way to make sure everybody feels included and you put your best effort into all of your work. Well done!
Naira	Primary 3	You are kind and patient with everybody in the class and you go out of your way to make sure everyone feels included. You are a great listener in class and set a great example with your silent, safe and sensible walking.
Stanley	Primary 3/4	Stanley has been an absolutely fantastic role model to others, always ready, responsible and respectful. We are all very proud of him- well done Stanley! 🙂
Lori	Primary 3/4	Lori has gone above and beyond helping others around the classroom. She has shown a positive attitude towards her learning and has had some fantastic ideas for improving our classroom- well done Lori and thank you! 🙂
Arthur	Primary 3/4	Arthur has shown confidence and a very positive attitude in his literacy learning and we are all very proud of him- well done Arthur!
Cormac	Primary 4	Cormac has supported others with our shape work this week,  Well done!
Sahib	Primary 4	For consistently persevering and trying her best with every task.  Well done!
Meera	Primary 5	Meera has consistently showed the school values of kindness, perseverance and responsibility. She has worked hard this week, been a fantastic listener and a respectful and helpful member of the class. Well done Meera!
Jaivik	Primary 5	Jaivik is a hardworking, enthusiastic learner. He has shown respect and kindness to all and he is a pleasure to teach! Well done Jaivik!
Alex	Primary 5	Alex has continually worked hard, especially in numeracy and science. He is a polite,  helpful and conscientious learner and is a joy to teach. Well Done Alex!
Diego	Primary 5/6	For participating very actively during our class discussions.
Chikanyima	Primary 5/6	For taking care to present her work neatly in her jotter.
Lamar	Primary 5/6	For demonstrating the our school value of kindness towards her classmates, other pupils and staff.
Felix	Primary 6	He is great example of the school values and rules, showing to be ready, respectful and safe at all times.
Jack	Primary 6	Jack has shown his perseverance when encountering difficulties while he has been kind, respectful and ready.
Lucia	Primary 6	For her being kind, thoughtful and helpful. Always ready to do her best.
Cordy	Primary 7a	For being an extremely supportive classmate this week.
Leland	Primary 7a	For settling in to your new P7 role and pushing yourself when things may be hard. Excellent perseverance Leland!
Patryk	Primary 7b	Patryk has shown a positive and persevering attitude to the start of P7. Well done and keep it up.
Scarlett	Primary 7b	For showing great perseverance and ambition to achieve her best.
Sofia	Primary 7b	Sofia enthusiastically engaged with all the lessons for One Planet Picnic.

Leith Primary School receives prestigious UNICEF UK Gold Award!

Leith Primary School has been officially awarded Gold by UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting School programme.

UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is granted to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in school. Gold is the highest accolade given by UNICEF UK and shows a deep and thorough commitment to children’s rights at all levels of school life. There are over 600 schools across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales that have received Gold.

The school has been working with UNICEF UK since August 2021 and received the Silver certificate in June 2023.

Headteacher of Leith Primary School, Ms Fiona Craig, said: “I am delighted and proud of our pupils and staff for the hard work and commitment they have shown towards supporting children’s rights both here and across the globe. It is wonderful that our efforts are being recognised with the prestigious Gold Award from UNICEF UK. The school community faced some tough times during the COVID pandemic and its aftermath. Having such a wonderful achievement to celebrate demonstrates our how much our school vision, ‘Believe-Persevere-Achieve‘, really motivates us to overcome challenges and achieve success. What makes this particularly special is that we achieved this together as a whole school community. For example, every pupil is involved in creating a class charter, staff and pupils make links to rights in their learning and rights are referred to when discussing and solving daily disputes in the playground. I would like to thank Ms Kirkwood, Ms Wilson, the Rights Respecting Champions and all the staff, pupils and parents for their ideas, enthusiasm and support to put children’s rights at the heart of everything we do here at Leith Primary School.”

The Award recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s planning, policies and practice. A Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.

The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools initiative is aimed at schools across the UK, including those in an early years setting. Currently, it works with nearly 5,000 primary schools, secondary schools, schools for children and young people with special educational needs and pupil referral units across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Schools have reported a positive impact on pupil behaviour, relationships and well-being by enhancing pupils’ self-esteem, leading to less truancy and bullying, better learning and improved academic standards.

Welcome Back Everyone

Welcome back to Session 2024/25. It has been wonderful to have all our young people back at school this week wearing their school colours and eager to step into the next stage of their learning journey. A special welcome to all of our new Primary 1 pupils and their families and to all of our new enrolments to the school.

Everyone is welcome at Leith Primary School and all can call themselves a Leither – ‘once a Leither, always a Leither’, as the local saying goes.

We see Leith Primary as a reflection of our unique community; vibrant, creative, hard-working, inventive, diverse, inclusive, proud, persevering. It is this unique community spirit and identity that makes Leith Primary School such a wonderful place in which to learn and work.

Here is a staff list for this year:

Class	Teacher	Support Staff*
Primary 1a	Ms Lauren Kirkwood	Mrs Bilkies
Primary 1b	Ms Jo Kinnell/ Ms Georgia Downie (Fri)	Mrs Lynsey Elbekhti
Primary 2a	Ms Sally Richardson	Ms Natalia Ramos (EYP)
Primary 2b	Ms Fiona Harris/ Maryam Hafeez (Fri)
Primary 3	Ms Catriona Campbell	Mrs Qudsia Ainy
Primary 3/4	Ms Saira Afzal	Mrs Edith Stiven
Primary 4	Mrs Kim Watson (Mrs Lauren Kennelly)
Primary 5	Ms Megan Browning	Mrs Yvonne Thomas
Primary 5/6	Ms Catherine Barclay	Mr Callum Cochrane
Primary 6	Mr Alberto Agea/ Mrs Gillian Clarkson (Weds)	Mrs Miriam Saleh
Primary 7a	Mrs Shenel Scott/ Ms Georgia Downie (Mon/Tue)
Primary 7b	Mrs Anne Katrine Christensen	Mrs Sabia Begum
Support for Learning (Literacy)	Mrs Ella Ciechanowicz
Support for Learning (Numeracy)	Mrs Gillian Clarkson
Health & Wellbeing	Ms Georgia Downie (PE – P3-P7)	Mrs Gillian Aitken (The Loft)
Depute Headteacher	Mr Hugh Stuart
Headteacher	Ms Fiona Craig

Posts currently or awaiting to be advertised: Principal Teacher, x2 full time permanent class teachers, x3 Pupil Support Assistants, Pupil Support Officer (Leith Academy Learning Community – Attendance)

Lines

Day	P1 and P2	P3 – P7
Monday	soft start entry	soft start entry
Tuesday	soft start entry	class line for assembly
Wednesday	soft start entry	soft start entry
Thursday	soft start entry	class line for assembly
Friday	soft start entry	soft start entry

Classes	Entrance
P1a, P1b, P2a, P2b	Main school door
P3, P3/4, P6, P7a	Infant playground/gym side door
P4, P5, P5/6, P7b	Upper Playground door

What is a ‘soft start entry’?
A soft start entry is when the children can enter their designated entrance at 8.50am without lining up and waiting for their class teacher to collect them. We have found that this creates a faster and calmer start to the day for pupils.

At what time will my child be marked as ‘late’ on the register?
The infant and upper school playground doors will be opened by a member of staff at 8.50am and will be closed at 8.55am. After this time, your child should go to the main school office door where they will be marked as ‘late’ and will be handed a pink slip to let their class teacher know that they have been registered as present by the office.

Why have I received an absence text message from the school?
A child will be marked as absent on the school computerised registration system if a parent leaves a voice or text message before 8.50am to let us know why their child will be off school that day. If we have not received notification from a parent/carer about why their child has not arrived at school on time, they will be marked as ‘To Be Confirmed’. This prompts an automated text message to be sent out to a parent asking them to let us know either by text or by phone call why their child is absent that day. This is done to ensure a child’s safety. It is assumed that all children are in school during school hours, as is legally required, unless we are told otherwise. We therefore ask that parents keep the school informed about any absences and keep all other reasons to take children out of school to the minimum eg; dental or GP appointments.

Why have I received an absence text message from the school when I know my child has entered the school building?
Sometimes, a pupil might go to the toilet or delay their walk to their classroom. This might mean that they are incorrectly marked as ‘To Be Confirmed’ which will trigger an automatic text message to their parent asking for their reason for absence. Equally, a child may come in late without letting the school administrator know that they have arrived so they are not marked as being present on the register. This can sometimes happen on the mornings when there are assemblies or of a child comes in through the wrong entrance and does not collect a late slip from the office. Occasionally, staff may make a mistake but these are rare if children arrive on time or let the office know they have arrived late. We know that these messages can cause parents alarm so ask that you encourage your child to be on time or enter through the main entrance to collect a pink slip if they are late.

Can I come into school to help them with their jacket and bag?
We try to encourage all our pupils to develop age-appropriate independence from P1 onwards. We know that this is very different for P1 parents in comparison to nursery procedures however we find that our youngest pupils become accustomed to this routine very quickly. We ask that parents say morning goodbyes outside and send their child in with their peers. Staff are on hand in corridors with big smiles to help children hang up their jackets and unpack their bags. If the morning routine continues to be particularly tricky for your child, we are more than happy to discuss an alternative routine for them until they settle in.

Communications

You will have received our yearly data check form and KIC form on Friday along with a reminder about helping us to keep you informed about school matters. Please check that the information is correct on the form, including emergency contacts and any changes of phone number and email address. Please make sure that the school is the one of the first places you inform should you change any details over the course of the year.

Here is a FAQ that explains how we will communicate with you and how you should communicate with the school about a few common issues.

Issue	Type of Communication
When is parents night this year?	Check the school newsletter either on the school website or in your email inbox.
On which days does my child have PE/gym this year?	Your child’s class teacher will send out a class newsletter in the first few weeks of each term confirming details like this.
I am having trouble ordering my child’s lunches on ParentPay. Who can help me?	It usually takes a week or two for new pupils to get set up on ParentPay. If after you have received your login details you are still having trouble, please look at the help centre on the main ParentPay website: https://parent-support.parentpaygroup.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4416963652113-How-to-get-help#how-to-get-help-0-0
I am concerned about my child’s learning and am not sure how they are managing in class. Who do I talk to?	Your child’s class teacher should be the first point of call for all questions to do with your child’s learning and daily wellbeing. Your child’s class teacher can be contacted by email or Online Learning Journal (P1-P4). Please allow at least two working days for a response. If the matter is urgent, please leave a message at the school office and the information will be passed on.
Does my child get homework? They say they don’t but I am not so sure…?	Leith Primary School staff encourages all children to read for pleasure at home or enjoy having stories read to them. We also encourage pupils to join after school clubs and to go outside and play with friends after school. However, teachers will issue something called a Home Learning Grid each term by email, Online Learning Journal (P1-P4) and via 365 (P5-P7). There are activities on the HL Grid linked to work being done in class that children can do independently or with an adult as extra skills practice. All children have a login to a website called SumDog where they can practice times tables, addition, subtraction, division as well as spelling and grammar. A parent or main carer’s interest in what a child is learning has been shown to have a greater impact on academic success more than doing old fashioned jotter-based homework. So try to have regular chats about what they are enjoying at school and what they find tricky. Also try to read for pleasure yourself – books, magazines, newspapers all count. Not only is it a relaxing thing for you to do, it shows your child that reading is something to be valued. Good readers make successful learners.
My partner and I have separated. I am concerned about how this is affecting my child at school. Should I share this with school staff?	It is not uncommon for children to behave uncharacteristically when big changes happen at home. It can be helpful for a class teacher to know that your child is adjusting to a new situation at home. They can keep an closer eye on them and make sure they get additional support if its needed. New behaviours can be better understood and taken into account when responding to incidents in class or in the playground. You are welcome to speak directly to your child’s class teacher or to Ms Craig or Mr Stuart if you wish to share information of a personal nature. Our Family Support Worker, Kristy, is also available to chat to you about any family changes or concerns. We will always treat this information confidentially.
I appear to have missed my child’s class assembly. Why was I not told about this?	We try to give parents/carers as much notice as possible about school events. This will usually be communicated in the termly class newsletter or in the main school newsletter which is sent at least once per month. We also try to send out reminder text messages. Please make sure we have your most up-to-date phone number and email address and ensure school emails go to your email inbox and not to junk mail. The most recent school newsletter will be posted on the school website so please check there if you think you may have missed something. Let us know if you think you might not be receiving information from school so we can check our systems.
I am really concerned about my child’s behaviour at home and worry that they might be Autistic or have ADHD or similar. I am not sure what I should do about this or if I should talk to someone at school?	School can definitely help with anything to do with your child’s development, whether that is their learning or their physical, emotional, social or general development. Senior school staff have decades of experience of working with children and can usually help parents to identify the main reasons why a child might behave in a certain way and what they can do to try to support this. At school we believe that all behaviour is a form of communication. There are lots of reasons why a child might act up at home or at school. In recent years, we have seen excessive use of smart phones and tablets, difficulties with sleep and less consistency with routines and boundaries at home after COVID being some primary reasons for trickier behaviours and increases in children’s worries. Sometimes there may be an underlying developmental condition that could explain difficult or unusual behaviours and we can certainly help support with this too. We work in partnership with lots of different agencies who can help support parents and children with getting back on track or, if appropriate, with making a referral to the NHS for further assessment. Please make an appointment to speak to Mr Stuart (P1-P4) or Ms Craig (P5-P7) to discuss your concerns. Equally you can make an appointment to speak to Kristy Johnston, our Family Support Worker. Kristy is also a trained sleep specialist so can support with concerns in this area. We are all here to help without judgement.
I think my child is being bullied. Who should I speak to?	It’s not nice to see your child upset about something that has happened at school. It is natural for parents to want to do something immediately to fix the problem. The best thing you can do is listen to your child and reassure them that you are there for them. A cuddle can fix many of life’s issues! A falling out between friends is a normal part of childhood and so too is learning how to best express their wants, needs and feelings. Young children can go through phases of using physical behaviours such as pushing, grabbing, hitting, throwing, kicking when they are not yet able to identify how they are feeling or what it is they want to say. Some may then progress to saying unkind things to each other in reaction to experiencing unpleasant feelings such as disappointment, embarrassment or rejection. School staff do a lot of work with children on understanding emotions and using words to express how they feel but also with learning how to understand situations from another’s point of view. Like reading, writing and maths, some children develop their social and emotional skills more quickly than others and some children require extra support. We encourage children to try to sort out friendship issues themselves so they feel they have some control and say over what happens next. Staff will often help them to do this through having a supported restorative conversation. Sometimes, children feel like they have no power to change things and are too frightened by the behaviours to say anything. The RespectMe website is a good source of information on bullying for parents. If you believe your child is being bullied, please contact the school and ask to speak to Mr Stuart or Ms Craig so we can support your child as soon as possible.

School Colours

Thank you to parents/carers for sending the children back to school in their smart school colours and school sweatshirts and hoodies. They look terrific. If you have not yet managed to get school items, we welcome pupils wearing dark bottoms (black, grey, navy, trousers, skirts, shorts, pinafores), white or light blue polo shirts or t-shirts and plain dark tops (navy, black, grey cardigan, jumper or ideally school sweatshirt or hoodie). Blue gingham dresses are also acceptable.

School branded items can be ordered from Image Scotland: https://leithps.imagescotland.com/shop

Please do not send pupils in with designer branded clothing, clothing with football team logos or tops with slogans. Your child may be asked to take these items off for collection at the end of the day.

Children should wear sensible footwear to school (no heels please). Children should also bring waterproof jackets with a hood to school as pupils will go outside for break and lunch in all weather except for really extreme weather.

If you would like financial support with purchasing any clothing for school, please speak to Kristy Johnston, our Family Support Worker or speak to the school office.

Digital Learning

Like all schools in Edinburgh, we support all children to develop their digital skills from nursery onwards. We ask all P5-P7 parents/carers to co-sign an agreement about acceptable use of their iPad in school as older children use iPads with increased regularity in preparation for secondary school. If you are interested in how iPads are used to support learning in class please look at the Edinburgh Learns Digital website: https://edinburghlearns.digital/parents-carers/overview/

Important Dates for Your Diary

Event	Date
LPPC Welcome Picnic on Leith Links for all parents and children, especially those new to the school.	Friday 30th August – after school
Meet the Teacher – Open Classroom Session	Wednesday 11th September (PM)
Holiday Monday	Monday 16th September
Autumn Term Ends	Friday 11th October
Pupils start back	Tuesday 22nd October
Autumn Parent-Teacher Consultations	Wednesday 13th + Friday 15th November
Open Classroom Session	Wednesday 11th December (PM)
Winter Term Ends	Friday 20th December
Pupil start back	Tuesday 7th January 2025
Lagganlia Residential Trip	Wednesday 19th – Friday 21st February
Spring Parent-Teacher Consultations	Wednesday 12th + Friday 14th March
Spring Term Ends	Friday 4th April
Pupils start back	Monday 21st April
Monday Holiday	Monday 5th May
P7 Benmore Residential Trip	Tuesday 6th – Friday 9th May
Victoria Day Holiday	Monday 19th May
Sports Day	Wednesday 28th May (4th June back up)
P7 Transition Visit Days	Tuesday 17th – Thursday 19th June
P7 Leaver’s Assembly	Wednesday 25th (PM)
Summer Term Ends	Thursday 26th June
Session 2025/26 Starts	Wednesday 13th August