Author: Ms Craig

Welcome Back Everyone!

Welcome back to all our pupils, families, staff and friends who are new to the school. It has been a really great start back to the term, with a wonderful Welcome Picnic on the Links on Friday after school for all our new pupils and their families who are now part of the Leith PS family. We are very excited about the new school year and are looking forward to supporting our children to flourish.

School Development Plan 23/24

Every year, schools select areas to further develop based on feedback from parents/carers, pupils, staff and our professional partners. Some areas of development are driven by the council’s wider Education Improvement Plan 2021-24 and some by quality indicators from Education Scotland or from the Scottish Government’s National Improvement Framework.

This is a summary of what we will focus on this year:

School Colours

Our new Primary 1 pupils have had a super first week at ‘big school’ and look so smart in their school colours.

The rest of our pupils have been back on good form and have really looked part of Team Leith in their school colours. Thank you to our parents and carers for supporting the wearing of school colours on all days (including Fridays!) as it supports inclusivity and equality and hopefully streamlines the morning routine. By offering school branded hoodies, sweatshirts, polo shirts whilst equally welcoming generic, non-branded school wear from supermarkets or high street shops in dark school colours (navy, grey, black, blue gingham) we hope to offer a range of practical, flexible and affordable ways to enable our pupils to dress the part. We can also offer further support to obtain school uniform if finances are tight. Please let us know if this is something your child would benefit from.

School Paperwork and General Communications

As an Eco School, we rarely send information home to parents in paper form. For this reason, it is vitally important that you check the contact details you have provided the school and continue to update us should you change your phone number, email address or home address. This also applies to emergency contact details.

Details of planned events and important information will be sent to your email, often within a newsletter like this one. Please make sure school emails do not go to your junk/spam email folder.

Nursery and class teachers in P1-P3 will continue to communicate with parents via Online Learning Journals which will be accessed two-three times per week. P4-P7 class teachers will communicate with parents either through the admin email address or their own school email address. Your child’s class teacher will let you know how best to get in contact with them in the class newsletter.

We will send reminder text messages to parents at times but as they can be costly, we will try to limit these to reminders and communication with individuals. There is a character limit so we apologise if they appear a bit abrupt at times!

If you would like to arrange to speak with a member of staff, please make an appointment through the school office or catch us in the playground at the end of the day. We are sorry that class teachers are unable to have lengthy conversations with parents/carers in the playground at the start of the school day as getting children to their classroom is the main priority.

All urgent messages for pupils or class teachers should be directed to the school office.

School Lunches, Snacks, Water and Milk

Please remember to order school lunches on Parent Pay by WEDNESDAY of the week before as anything selected after this will show on your Parent Pay account but will not have been ordered by the kitchen who only cook-to-order.

If you are experiencing problems with Parent Pay, please check the Parent Pay website in the first instance here or get in touch with them directly through their online support.

A reminder that pupils are not allowed to bring in fizzy drinks to school as part of a packed lunch or snack. We strongly encourage healthy packed lunches and request that sweet treats are limited to one small item, if at all.

We encourage children to bring a piece of fruit for their snack or a similar small item. If pupils bring very large bags or packets of crisps, biscuits, cakes or sweets or multiple snack items staff will ration these appropriately for your child or swap the item for a piece of fruit. Your child may then collect remaining food items at the end of the school day.

Children can bring in a filled water bottle with plain water to drink through out the day. Children are not permitted to sip on fruit juice through out the day in class due to the damage it can do their teeth.

Pupils who have applied for and receive free school meals (Clothing Grant) are also entitled to free school milk. Milk can be ordered and paid for via Parent Pay if you would like your child to have this too.

Welcome to Leith PS Place 2 Be!

This year, Leith Primary School begins our partnership work with Place2Be, a national charity supporting schools to improve the confidence and wellbeing of children and young people.

Place2Be provides emotional and therapeutic support to children and young people, families and staff in more than 450 schools nationwide. 

It gives children and young people a space to express themselves through talking and creative work, and to think about any worries they might have. Place2Be also provides support for parents and staff too. Some information is enclosed to tell you more about Place2Be and its work. 

Place2Talk

One of the most popular aspects of this service is called ‘Place2Talk’. It’s open to all children and young people at Leith Primary School, and they can make an appointment to spend 15 minutes with a trained counsellor, either by themselves or with a friend. On average, about a third of children and young people who access the service in schools take advantage of this service every year. Children and young people often talk about friendships or any worries they may have. 

Place2Be will record your child’s name, date of birth, year group, gender, ethnicity, the broad topic of discussion and any actions taken as a result of the session.  This information is stored securely. It is used in key coded form to evaluate Place2Be’s service and improve our work.  

Parental Agreement for Accessing Place2Talk

Unless we hear otherwise from you, the school and Place2Be will assume that your child has parent/carers’ permission to come to Place2Talk.

If you would like to find out more, or would prefer that your child does not use this service, please contact Amelia Burns (Place2Be Mental Health Practitioner) on amelia.burns@place2be.org.uk who will be very happy to answer to any questions.

Welcome to Leith PS CHAI

Community Help & Advice Initiative

For many of us, money is a big worry just now. To support families with concerns around money, housing, benefits and more, Leith Primary welcomes a new dedicated Money Advice Worker on Thursdays. Kerry Anderson, from the Community Help and Advice Initiative (CHAI) will be based in our family room (where our Family Support Worker, Danni Taylor is based) every Thursday morning. Kerry will offer three appointments each week at 9.30am, 10.30am and 11.30am which can be booked through the school office in the usual ways (Tel: 554 4844, email: admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk, text: 07860 029 682). Kerry will start on Thursday this week, 31st August, so please get in touch to see if she can support you with your concerns. A translator can be booked if you let us know in advance.

Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic Mother’s Play and Chat Group- Craigentinny Community Centre, Wednesdays 12.30-2.30pm.

Run by MCFB and Homestart with support from the Health Visiting team, this group is a fun way for Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic mothers with young children who may be new to the area or feeling isolated to get to know other local families in a relaxed supportive environment. Mums can attend with their little ones or if their children are at nursery are also welcome to attend on their own.

There is no need to book, families can just drop in. For more information on the group contact Vanja 07789 731888 or Dammy on 07562 792653

Tell Us About Your Achievements

Our Pupil Council would like to help celebrate pupils’ achievements in and out of school with Achievement Boards on each floor of the school. If your child has achieved a medal, a new coloured belt, a new badge, a certificate, taken part in a show or any other achievement after school, please email or send in a photo so it can be added to one of our Achievement Boards.

School Attendance

As you may already have noticed, excellent school attendance is the top priority for the Leith Academy Learning Community. It cannot be stressed enough just how important regular attendance at school is for our young people. We can see a clear, direct link between children who are not achieving at their expected levels in reading, writing and maths with poorer school attendance. For some, those gaps will not be made up and will last until secondary school where pupils who may have been capable of achieving good exam results do not fulfil that potential and may have reduced options when they leave school.

We want all our children to achieve their fullest potential whatever that may be. Good school attendance is the best indicator of achieving academic potential, maintaining positive relationships with friends and staff and overall wellbeing and positive mental health.

We know that there are exceptions to this rule and for those pupils who have medical or personal reasons for not attending full time, an individual child’s plan will identify supports and track targets that address these barriers.

Please consider the attendance percentage from your child’s end of year report in June and look at the following table for the anticipated outcomes for your child.

Please get in touch if we can support you or your child with improving school attendance. We are here to help.

Leither of the Week

Each week the class teacher selects one pupil who has demonstrated the school values, the school rules, personal progress in an area or has been a great role model to others in some way. We are all Leithers, but these guys are the Leithers of the Week.

Lori	Primary 1/2	Lori has shown exceptional kindness since starting back at school. She has been such a positive role model supporting the new P1s settling into their new school. Thank you Lori for being such a great friend!
Nina	Primary 1a	Nina has settled in beautifully to P1! She sets a super example for the rest of the class, is always kind to others and follows the school rules. Well done, Nina!
Dhanvika	Primary 1b	For demonstrating excellent responsibility in class and setting a good example to others. Great start Dhanvika!
Ahmed	Primary 2	Ahmed has been very responsible this week and has gone out of his way to help to tidy up his things and also his classmates things, after an activity.  Well done Ahmed, you’re a good example to your classmates!
Zerin	Primary 3	Zerin has been showing her very best work in P3 so far. She has persevered through some tricky spelling words and has been a kind and helpful member of the class this week. Well done Zerin!
Tabitha	Primary 3/4	Tabitha for showing the Leith school values-particularly responsibility.  She is very organised and has even helped me keep organised this week!  Well done Tabitha.
Jayden	Primary 4	Jayden has had a great start to P4, he has been kind and helpful and supported his classmates. Well done!
Jayden	Primary 4a	Jayden has had  great start to P4, he has been kind and helpful and has supported his classmates in their learning.  Well done!
Sophie	Primary 5	Sophie is such a great example to the rest of the class. Responsible, kind and helpful at every opportunity. Well done and keep up the good work!
Henry	Primary 5a	Henry has tries his best at absolutely everything. He has shown all the school values especially Kindness and being a great class helper. Well Done Henry
Marley	Primary 6	For showing kindness by asking a class mate to join in their game of football which was really appreciated by the other child
Maddison	Primary 6/7	Maddison has settled in well to her new class, making a real effort to mix with all of her classmates and proving to be a responsible member of the class.
Arthur O’	Primary 7	It has been brilliant having Arthur back in class.  They have worked hard in all curricular areas, but I was particularly impressed with their snow leopard research.  They found interesting facts and re wrote them in their own words as well as creating some great illustrations to go with them.

School Attendance Race

We know that so many of our pupils attend school brilliantly. We want to recognise and celebrate the year groups that do this well each week and acknowledge those who work hard to improve their overall attendance. In our first week, we have two clear winners:

Full Staffing List for this Session

A summary of our main staff team and their roles this session:

Class	Teacher/s	Support Staff in Class (at various times)	Room Number
Primary 1a	Mrs Kinnell (Mon-Wed)/ Ms Richardson (Thurs/Fri)	Ms O Rourke Ms Ramos	Room 4
Primary 1b	Ms Kirkwood	Mrs Gatton Ms Ramos	Room 3
Primary 1/2	Mrs Slattery (Mon-Tue)/ Mrs Scott (Wed-Fri)	Mrs Aitken Mrs Stiven Ms Weir	Room 5
Primary 2	Ms Harris (Mon-Thurs) Mrs Swinson (Fri)	Mrs Aitken Mrs Stiven Ms Weir	Room 2
Primary 3	Mrs Young	Mrs Elbekhti Mrs Gatton	Room 22
Primary 3/4	Ms Scott-Dickins	Mr Cochrane	Room 19
Primary 4	Mrs Watson (Mon-Wed)/ Mrs Buchan (Thurs-Fri)	Mr Matthews	Room 15
Primary 5a	Ms Christensen	Mr Cochrane Mrs Aitken	Room 10
Primary 5b	Mrs Fraser (Mon-Wed)/ Mrs Moloney (Thurs-Fri)	Mrs Stiven Mrs Thomas	Room 8
Primary 6	Ms McDonald (Mon/Tue, Thurs/Fri) Mrs Clarkson (Weds)	Mrs Saleh Mrs Begum	Room 9
Primary 6/7	Ms Downie	Mrs Thomas Ms Shafiq	Room 11
Primary 7	Mr Mackenzie	Ms Shafiq	Room 13
Support for Learning Teacher (Literacy)	Mrs Ciechanowicz (Tues-Fri)		SfL Room (Room 14)
Support for Learning Teacher (Maths)	Mrs Clarkson (Tues/Thurs)		Maths Support Room
Reduced Class Contact Time (RCCT) Teacher	Ms Richardson (Tues/Weds)		Art Room
Leith Academy Transition Teacher (P7)	Jessica Chapman
Senior Early Years Officer	recruitment in process		Nursery
Early Years Officer	Mrs Ashley Watt		Nursery
Early Years Practitioners	Sabela Rivas-Vazquez Syeda Showli Ali Bego Barrena Hanan Eltayieb Cally Little Cherri Stewart		Silver Birch & Elm Rooms
Early Years Assistants	Katerina Michailidou Irina Malych Pauline Morrison		Silver Birch & Elm Rooms
Early Years Domestic Assistant	Piera Migliorelli		Lunch Room
English as an Additional Language Teacher	Mrs Maide Thomas (Thursdays)		Various
Pupil Support Officer (Nurture Base)	recruitment in process		The Loft
Cluster Pupil Support Officer (Attendance)	recruitment in process
Family Support Worker (Citadel)	Danni Taylor (Tues/Weds)		Family Room
Money Advice Worker (CHAI)	Kerry Anderson (Thursdays)		Family Room
Art Therapist/Counsellor (Place 2 Be)	Amelia Burns (Mon/Tues)		Room 17
Educational Psychologist	Fiona Gorrie (approx. one day every three weeks)
Additional Support for Learning Service (ASLS) (Acting) Service Leader (Leith Academy & Drummond Hugh School Clusters)	Shakila Hunter
Educational Welfare Officer	Jamie Thomson
Cello Teacher	Lyndsey Martindale (Mondays)		Room 21
Violin Teacher	Sandra Hollingdale (Tuesdays)		Room 21
Active Schools Coordinator	Aidan Haughey
School Nurse	Mel Davidson
School Business Manager	Mrs Louise Beattie (Tues/Thurs)
School Administrator	Ms Alex Kennedy
Facilities Technician (Janitor)	Mr Wilfred McShane
School Lunch Manager (Head Cook)	Mrs Michelle Stewart
Principal Teacher	Mrs Dawn Moloney
Depute Headteacher	Mr Hugh Stuart
Headteacher	Ms Fiona Craig

P7 Lion King Spectacular!

Last Friday, our wonderful Primary 7s performed a spectacular version of the Lion King to a gathered audience of family and friends. The pupils had co-written the script, co-created the dance routines, produced the costumes, backdrops, props, scenery and sung the songs from the well known stage musical and Disney film. They were word and note perfect and demonstrated wonderful team work, confidence and talent in abundance during the successful 80-minute performance. Highlights included some wonderful solos from Andrew as Simba and Matilda as Nala along with brilliant supporting roles from Charlie as Mufasa, Ashaz as Scar and charming performances from Timon – Ella, Zazu – Steven and Rafiki – Ellia. The hyenas, the dancers and the acrobatics did not disappoint and nor did the wonderful singing from everyone. A huge thank you to Ms Scott Dickins, Daisy Douglas and Mrs Gatton who prepared the young people for this highlight of the year.

Good luck to all our P7s in August when they start S1 and thank you to them for brilliantly representing the school over the last seven years.

NB: The Primary 7 Leavers’ Assembly is on Tuesday at 2.30pm in the main hall. All P7 parents/carers and families are welcome to attend.

We Are Silver Award Winners!

Enormous congratulations to Our Rights Respecting Schools Champions whose brilliant discussion with the assessors highlighting all the rights-based work of the school earned them the Silver Award this week. Ms Craig and other members of staff were interviewed to verify the impressive body of evidence Ms Wilson submitted a few weeks before the assessors arrival. The panel have yet to send us their official feedback but were impressed enough to ask us to become an Ambassador School to support other primary schools on their Rights Respecting journey. A huge thank you again to the young people and to Ms Wilson for all their hard work and commitment to achieving this important award.

We are delighted that Ms Kirkwood will lead the Rights Champions next session towards their main aim of going for gold!

Here are a selection of the slides from the presentation for assessors that demonstrates the terrific rights-based work going on in classes:

End of Term Staff Changes

It’s that time of year when we must say farewell to some of our wonderful staff but welcome some new and familiar faces too.

Farewell to Mrs Wells, who is taking early retirement. We wish her all the best for the future and thank her for her support to Leith Primary pupils over the years.

Congratulations and farewell to Mrs Richards who will be taking up a position with East Lothian Social Work Department. We thank her for all the support she has given our pupils who have attended sessions with her at The Loft and wish her luck in her new job.

Goodbye too to Mrs Cook who has been with us for the last two years and to Ms Birnie who will be starting teacher training in August. Thank you to both for being a big part of the team.

An official and final farewell to Mrs Hughes, who has been on an extended career break for the last few years. She has decided to resign her substantive position as Depute Headteacher of Leith Primary. I know many of you will remember Mrs Hughes fondly and will also want to wish her well.

Happy news too, Ms Bruce will return to us in August as Mrs Buchan. We all wish her a very happy wedding day.

Ms Wilson will be leaving at the end of term to have her baby. And a few weeks ago Mrs Dunn left to have her first baby too – who will be first?! We wish them both well for a safe delivery and look forward to meeting the little ones at some point in the future.

We welcomed back Mrs Ciechanowicz this week. Mrs Ciechanowicz will resume her Support for Learning role after the summer.

And a very warm welcome to Ms Downie, Ms Richardson and Ms Swinson who will be working with us from August.

World of Work Week 2023

Thank you to everyone who came in to speak to our young people about their jobs earlier on this month. We had a wide variety of jobs represented from an architect to a musician, police officer, baker, investment manager and football coach. It really gave our learner’s something to think about and we hope will have inspired many to think about the skills needed to get a job in an area they love. Thank you to everyone who took part and to Ms Harris who coordinated the visits.

P6 Junior Tour Guide Success

A massive well done to our P6 and P5/6 pupils for successfully achieving status as Junior Tour Guides. This year, pupils gave tours around the historic South Leith Parish Church, which is adjacent to Trinity House Maritime Museum, where the tour guide project normally takes place. Pupils, dressed in period costume, described Leith’s maritime past, the church’s links to Mary of Guise, historic links to the African Slave trade and Leith’s position as a major whaling port many, many years ago. The pupils spoke confidently and knowledgably about the subject matter and impressed their various audiences, not least their families.

End of Session Assemblies

Thank you to all our families who were able to attend their young person’s end of session sharing assembly. We had a packed hall for every class and year group. Classes enjoyed sharing highlights from their learning experiences this year and gain in confidence at speaking in front of a gathered audience. Well done to everyone for learning their lines, sharing their writing and artwork and for delighting us with their singing and dancing. We look forward to more of these events next session.

Proud to Be Me – LPS Proud Week

Our pupils celebrated identity last week during our annual Proud Week. Pupils were given the opportunity to celebrate whatever they are proud to be, whether that is their ethnic origin, local community, religion, football team they support, talent they have, first language they speak, cause they support, family they come from or any other aspect that is important to their sense of identity. We learned that many of us have similar identities and many of us are proud of our very different and diverse identities. What we all share is that we are proud to be Leithers! Thank you to our wonderful Equalities Group for helping to arrange this fun week.

Be A Buddy Not A Bully

Well done to Rahim in P2/3 who created this fabulous canvas with his mum as part of his home learning this term. We love the catchy phrase and think it will really take off next session – look out for the posters around school. Well done Rahim!

School Clothing Grant/ Free School Meal/ Milk Allowance

Summer holiday payment

The summer holiday payment will be paid into bank accounts by 23 June. This is £85 per child and will be paid to parents of all children currently in receipt of an income-based eligibility to Free School Meals.

Applications for 2023-24

As in previous years we have automatically awarded free school meals to most children of parents who have a current benefit claim. Parents were notified by letter on 6 June. If we already hold their bank account details, we will pay their clothing grant using these details by 21 July.

We include P1-P5 children in the automatic awards – although they receive ‘universal’ entitlement to free school meals, this does not include free milk, holiday payments or the clothing grant. The automatic award will ensure the parents receive the clothing grant and holiday payments for these children.

Families who did not receive an automatic award letter can apply for 2023-24 and applications are now open. This year we include an option for families who do not receive one of the eligible benefits but who are suffering financial hardship.

What’s on This Summer

As the holidays approach, here is some information you might find helpful.

Summer Reading Challenge

Dear Leith Primary Parent/Carer

Your child is invited to sign up for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. Sign up at your local library!

What is the Summer Reading Challenge?

The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children to keep reading during the school summer holidays – and to enjoy anything they like to read! Children aged 4-11 are invited to set a reading goal, and collect rewards for their reading.

It’s FREE to take part, and last year 75% of children taking part improved their reading skills over the holidays.¹

Why should my child sign up?

• They will be better prepared to return to school in the autumn.
• The Challenge supports the move into a new year group.
• Becoming more independent in their reading boosts children’s confidence and self-esteem.
• The library provides free access to books and fun family activities all through the summer.
• Library staff are on hand to offer support and book recommendations.

Your child will be part of a UK-wide programme developed by The Reading Agency and delivered in partnership with the public library network.

How can my child take part? (Library OR online)

In the library. Visit your local library and sign up. Your child will:

• Set a reading goal for the summer and borrow and read books, eBooks and audiobooks. Your child can choose anything they like to read!
• Receive a Challenge folder and collect special stickers and rewards for reading.

OR
Online. Take part online at summerreadingchallenge.org.uk

• Sign up on the official Challenge website.
• Set a reading goal and get tips for accessing books for free at home.
• Unlock digital badges and online rewards, including a printable certificate.

When?

Throughout the summer holidays. Check with your local library to find out start & finish dates near you. Unsure where your closest library is? Use the Library Finder to check.

Head to your local library this summer and sign up! If you have any questions, please contact Mel Hollingshead- Library Development Leader

Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4AE
0131 529 5517
melissa.hollingshead@edinburgh.gov.uk

Yours faithfully,
Mel Hollingshead

[1] The Reading Agency (2022) Summer Reading Challenge 2022: Annual Report

Want to know more?

• Find out more about the importance of reading and its impact on children’s success here.
• Visit the official Summer Reading Challenge website for free activities, competitions and videos.
• Keep up-to-date! Follow @SummerReadingChallengeUK on Facebook.

What do families think?
“I never liked reading before because of this challenge I got the courage to read more books and I have more interest in books. This has been the greatest experience ever in my life to read more books than before thanks.”

Girl, aged 12+

“The challenge encouraged my child to read more often, and in turn encouraged myself as well.”

Parent/carer of 6-7 year-old boy

“Enabled us to have some fun cheap days out and reading together has brought us closer than before.”

Parent/carer of 8-9 year-old girl

“We’ve joined the reading challenge for the past 4 years and every year it has inspired and encouraged a deeper joy for reading. For a young dyslexic boy the challenge helps make reading fun.”

Parent/carer of 6-7 year-old boy

“My child lacks confidence. Going to the library and meeting the friendly staff has definitely made him more confident in himself and encouraged him to read more being able to pick his own books to read from their huge collection.”

Parent/carer of 10-11 year-old boy

Parents Mind Well Sessions

Parents Mind Well Sessions

Mind Well sessions provide an opportunity for parents who are caring for a young person with emotional or mental health issues to gain information, support and meet other parents. Information on the upcoming Mind Well sessions are below-

Parents Mind Well -Self Harm

Date: Tuesday the 4^th July 2023, 5.30-7.30pm 

Venue: VOCAL Edinburgh Carer’s Hub, 60 Leith Walk, EH6 5HB

Delivered by Penumbra Edinburgh Self Harm Service

This session aims to increase parent’s understanding about Self Harm and offer some practical ways to help young people who may consider or display self-harming behaviour. Please book at

Parents Mindwell – Self-harm (July)

Parents Mind Well- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children and young people

Date: Friday the 1^st of September 2023, 9.30-11.30am

Venue: Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre, 5 Moredunvale Place, EH177LB

Delivered by Lisa Esingle (Clinical Associate Psychologist, NHS Lothian) and Clinical Fellow in Psychological Therapies (University of Edinburgh)

This session will focus on how OCD can affect children and young people and consider how parents and other family members can support young people experiencing these difficulties. Please book at https://www.carerstraining.co.uk/event/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-in-children-and-young-people-sept/

Parents Mind Well- Low Mood and Depression in Teenagers

Date: Thursday the 28^th of September 2023, 6.30-8.30pm 

Venue: Southside Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street, EH8 9ER

Delivered by Dr Aliénor Lemieux-Cumberlege, Clinical Psychologist (NHS Lothian) and Career Development Fellow (University of Edinburgh)

This session will focus on how low mood and depression can affect children and young people and consider how parents and other family members can support young people experiencing these difficulties. Please book at https://www.carerstraining.co.uk/event/low-mood-and-depression-in-teenagers-sept/

Hi all,

Thanks to all who made it along to our Linking Leith workshops and for all the feedback! Just a wee reminder that we still have our live consultation which can be accessed in the link below if you want to give further feedback.

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/linking-leiths-parks/consult_view

Many thanks,

 Alex Hunter

 Greenspace Development Officer (Ecology)

School Colours

Happy Holidays from the Heidie!

I would like to wish all our pupils a restful and fun summer break. They have worked really hard this year and most have made great progress in their learning and development. We could not be more proud of the achievements they have all made.

Thank you to all the Leith Primary School staff. They work tirelessly to support the young people in their care and invest a huge amount of professional skill and knowledge and emotional care to help them achieve their best. They are a terrific group of people and our wee Leithers are very lucky to have them.

Finally, thank you to you, our wonderful parents/carers for your ongoing support of your young people and of the school. 85% or more of each child’s year is spent at home and only 15% at school. We recognise the important and powerful influence parents and carers have as their child’s main teachers. I hope we can continue to support each other to achieve the best outcomes for your amazing children next session.

I look forward to seeing you all again on August 16th at 8.50am 🙂

Fiona Craig – Head Teacher

What a busy terms this is! There is such a buzz around school at the moment with rehearsals for class assemblies, end of year shows, level assessments and plans for trips and celebrations. It is also a great term for us all to get outside a bit more, get active and get learning in our beautiful surroundings. Leith Links really comes into its own in the summer term. We are so lucky to have this fantastic place on our doorstep. Fingers’ crossed for lots of fair weather!

Sports Day Change of Date

We had originally planned to have our annual Sports Day on Wednesday 31st May however so many classes have clashing arrangements that we felt it would be best to switch to our back up date of Wednesday 7th June. We really do not wish any class to miss out on this fun event but do apologise for any inconvenience this might cause. We hope you understand our reasons for the change. Please see the times below:

Primary 1 – Primary 3: 09.15 – 10.30

Primary 4 – Primary 7: 11.00 – 12.30

Thank you in advance to the Sports Leaders from Leith Academy for supporting us with this and thank you to LPPC for the ice lolly refreshments.

Everyone is very welcome to come along and cheer. We love the community spirit Sports Days creates.

Children will bring along their water bottle as usual. We ask that parents and carers respect that it is still a normal school day and request that they do not bring along sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks and other items that would not normally be consumed during class time. Pupils will have their usual break time and lunchtime and the event will be no more strenuous than their usual twice weekly PE lesson.

Parents and Carers: We Need Your Feedback!

It’s that time of year when we reflect on the developments we have undertaken this year, ask how we can get better and identify our next steps for the academic session ahead. Our Parents and Carers are such an important part of our community so we really need to hear from you too. As our Step 1 in that process, we would really appreciate if you could complete this very quick survey to give us an idea of how you feel we are doing.

Recently, we have been asking our pupils for their feedback on matters that are important to them. We have been able to see how pupils’ answers have changed over the last two years. Here is a summary of how the P4-P7 pupils answered some of the survey questions this year:

Statement	2021	2023	% Increase/Decrease
Even if I find something hard, I keep trying	86.6%	94.6%	+ 8%
I try to learn from my mistakes	89.1%	94.6%	+ 5.5%
I laugh at other people when they get into trouble or get hurt	2.28%	8.4%	– 6.12%
I enjoy being in school	77.6%	66.9%	– 10.7%
My teacher talks with me about how I can make my work better	77.6%	85.6%	+ 8%
I can calm myself down quickly after getting angry	87.9%	86.9%	– 2.3%
I am encouraged to take part in after school activities	60.6%	72.5%	+11.9%
I enjoy learning new things	75%	93.1%	+18.1%
My teacher listens to what I have to say	65%	86.9%	+ 21.9%
Most of the time, I am happy at school	50%	86.1%	+ 31.1%
I feel positive about my future	75%	88.4%	+ 13.4%

Here are a section of pupils’ comments from the survey:

What is the best thing about Leith Primary School?

My friends

There are many kind people and it’s really fun to learn

All the different clubs like dancing, yoga and parkour

Kindness

That you learn skills

iPads

All the teachers are very kind

Making friends and having fun!

Class trips

Friendly people

How they try to get everyone to talk about their culture like culture day!

My friends and the people who care about me

Leith Primary knows that it is ok to have different opinions, disabilities and religions

iPads and laptops because it helps us do better maths

The different and unique people

I like it how the people that Work here try their best to make you feel comfortable at school.

The school pizza and the trips

The Loft is so calm and Mrs Richards makes you feel so much better

The teachers are very kind and encouraging

What would make Leith Primary even better?

A shelter in the playground

If some people were a bit more kind and friendly

Better playground equipment

Fix the girls bathrooms

Having better accessibility

More out of school trips

Clean toilets

If we could go to school later every morning, more Minecraft, free pens to take home, no assembly

Less bullying and racism

More outdoor learning

If maybe some people where kinder but most of people are kind!

More football

Leith primary would be a better place if we could help planting and the environment

Go Karts, more trips out of school, a swimming pool

Starting at 10 instead of 8.50

Mr Stuart and Ms Craig continue to meet with pupil focus groups every Friday morning for Bingo Ball Blethers. One of the best parts of the job is listening to the amazingly creative, honest and insightful views of the children. Whilst so many comments are positive, our pupils do not shy away from telling us about what could be better for them in their school.

As well as the day-to-day teaching and learning in class, staff and pupils are also working hard on developing different aspects of the school. Here is an overview of some of the improvement actions our staff and pupils have been working on this session:

Please do take 60 seconds to complete our Parent/Carer Survey so we can take your important views into account when we are planning for improvements next session. Click on this LINK

Support for Families in the North East of Edinburgh

Mental Health support for BAME communities 

The Health in Mind Equal Access service in Partnership with MEHIS are running workshops at Craigmillar Library for adults from ethnic Minority communities. The Mental Health Toolkit sessions will run on Wednesdays 24^th May and 31^st May 11.30am-1pm (leaflet attached). There are also a fortnightly online wellbeing drop in groups running (leaflet also attached).  

The Love Loss and Living course supports parents who do not have care of their children and may benefit from support in managing the emotions related to such a loss. A pilot was run last year, parents found the course incredibly beneficial. 

Shared Parenting are going to be delivering the course again in two ways starting on Wednesday the 31st of May: 

• Online, there are six modules that will be released weekly that will be supported by some coaching sessions.
• Face to Face training taking place in the Shared Parenting Scotland Offices (Edinburgh, address below) again weekly, commencing on the 31st of May 6-8 pm

Both courses are free of charge and people can self-refer through their website: www.sharedparenting.scot or call the helpline on 0131 557 2440 

For more information visit https://www.sharedparenting.scot/new-free-course-managing-the-emotions-of-being-separated-from-your-child/ or contact Claire Ross Office : 0131 557 2440 Mobile : 07932601612

A new Buggy/ Parent and Toddler Walk (leaflet attached) will run each Tuesdays 10am-12pm from Hays Community Hub, 3 Hay Avenue, Craigmillar. Parents can enjoy a walk, meet other local parents, followed by refreshments afterwards at the hub. The group will be run by Places for People. For more information contact Paul Sanderson Tel: 07803453502 paulsanderson@pfpleisure.org

Growing Not Waiting – a stay and play group for mothers in temporary accommodation with a child under 5 starting Wednesday 24^th May

Every Wednesday (term time) 10:30-12:30pm

Leith Community Centre, top floor of the Kirkgate Shopping Centre at the bottom of Leith Walk 

Growing Not Waiting is part of One Parent Families Scotland Edinburgh.  They provide a safe, welcoming play space for children under 5 and offer support and advice for mothers living in temporary accommodation.  They run a monthly housing rights clinic in partnership with Shelter Scotland as well as financial support, parenting advice and guidance and any other wrap around support that may be needed regarding issues that result from the experience of living in temporary accommodation.  They provide travel costs or a taxi to get to the group.  No referral needed and drop ins welcome, if a parent is working with other services they can call Jenifer Hamilton on 07909112036 to make a referral over the phone or email Jenifer.hamilton@opfs.org.uk and they can contact the parent directly to support them to attend.

Thriving Green Spaces

Come Along to Our Daily Breakfast Club

Edinburgh and Lothians Out of School Care Network are running a breakfast club within the Leith Primary School from 7.30am. We serve children breakfast and give them time to relax and play before taking them to their class for the school bell. Our registration is now open for 2023/24 and you can register your child/children via this link – Leith Breakfast Club

Let’s Celebrate Our Fabulous Leithers of the last three Weeks!

Mason	Primary 1a	Mason did a wonderful job with his cold writing this week! He knows it’s important to persevere and that challenges are good for his brain.
Jakub	Primary 1a	Jakub has settled in really well to P1. He is kind and helpful and has a smile for everyone he meets. Well done!
Lilly	Primary 1b	Lilly is a very responsible member of our class who always treats others in the class with respect and kindness. She has worked very hard in all areas of her learning this week and keeps going even when faced with new challenges. Well done, Lilly!
Jayden	Primary 1b	Jayden has made fantastic progress with his reading and writing this week and has been so excited to develop his skills further during play. He has challenged himself to read books independently and has enjoyed drawing and writing about our caterpillars! Well done, Jayden!
Alma	Primary 2	Alma has been really persevering with her number work. She has been using her counting forwards and backwards skills and using this to count on and back from. Well done Alma, keep up the good work.
Momen	Primary 2	Momen was really persevering with his writing this week, writing words by himself and making sure he had finger spaces. Well done Momen.
Tabitha	Primary 2/3	Tabitha takes great responsibility for her learning and behaviour at school.  She sets a fantastic example to her classmates by always being ready to learn, behaving in a safe and respectful way to her classmates and to staff and by putting a full effort into her classroom jobs and responsibilities.  Well done Tabitha, you’re a great example to others!
Sarvesh	Primary 2/3	Sarvesh always demonstrates a growth mindset at school.  He takes on each new task with a smile and a positive attitude and perseveres when he is faced with a challenge.  Well done Sarvesh – you’re a ray of sunshine in our class!
Taylor	Primary 2/3	Taylor used her questioning skills for information, during our reading group session by asking others about their experiences.  Well done Taylor, those questioning skills are helping you deepen your learning and getting others to think more about what they’re doing!  Well done!
Ella	Primary 3	Ella has shown an improved attitude this term towards her work and is now completing tasks in the allocated time.  In particular, she is trying hard to persevere with writing tasks.  Keep up the good work!
Mira	Primary 3	Mira is showing improved confidence to join in with our learning and share her ideas in English.  Keep up the good work!
Mariam	Primary 3	Mariam has been trying her best in rehearsing for our class assembly. She has shown great enthusiasm in her singing and dancing. Well done Mariam.
Misha	Primary 4a	Misha has been responsibly helping keep his group table tidy and putting away resources. Thank you Misha!
Snithik	Primary 4a	Snithik is always ready to learn and contributes to class discussions. He has also been a responsible member of our class making sure we’re tidied up. Thank you Snithik!
Anjali	Primary 4a	Anjali has grown in confidence, making progress in her learning, being a supportive friend and a responsible member of our class.
Annabelle	Primary 4b	Annabelle is hard-working and kind to everyone in class. She has been very responsible this week, taking good care of our class resources. Keep up the good work, Annabelle!
Mateusz	Primary 4b	Mateusz has settled so well into Leith Primary School. He perseveres with new learning challenges and is always ready to learn. He has already made some good friendships and follows the school rules. Well done, Mateusz!
Iacov	Primary 4b	Iacov is settling in well to Leith Primary. He is learning our school rules and routines and beginning to follow them. Iacov has worked hard with his writing and did a super job trying all the different sports during Health Week. Well done, Iacov!
Struan	Primary 5	Struan takes great responsibility representing our class as one of our Eco representatives. He has put in extra effort when helping with the planters and is always ready and keen to go to the meetings.
Coryn	Primary 5	Coryn has been showing perseverance in her learning and challenges herself. Well done Coryn.
Sofia	Primary 5	Sofia has been using technology to support her learning particularly her writing where she’s been writing longer stories. She always has great ideas.
Chloe	Primary 5/6	Chloe has made a great start at Leith Primary and is proving to  be a responsible member of our class.
Osh	Primary 5/6	For his huge improvement when reading his JTG script.
Bikari	Primary 5/6	Bikari for his excellent cold writing story
Lucy	Primary 6	For setting an excellent example on our trip to the Scottish Parliament. She demonstrated respect at all times and asked interesting and thoughtful questions to the tour guide. Well done Lucy!
Maddison	Primary 6	For her persevering with summarising her book. She took her time and asked for help when she needed it. She was then able to complete the final part of her summary independently.  Well done.
Carter	Primary 7	Carter has been taking responsibility for the set design as part of our lion king project.  It has been great to see him get stuck in and work really hard on something that will benefit the whole class.  Well done Carter!
Kirk	Primary 7	Kirk has been a superstar this week and overcome his fears by performing in front of the whole class with confidence and courage.  It was wonderful to see him bring the character of Pumba to life.  Well done Kirk.
Kai	Primary 7	Kai was a great team player at the handball festival on Tuesday.  He made some new friends and worked well as a team.  Well done Kai!

Welcome Back to Our Summer Term

We’ve reached the last term of the school year at Leith and what a busy term it is. Here is a list of dates for your diary. Class teachers will also let parents and carers know about the date and time of your child’s class assembly this term.

Date
1st May	Bank Holiday – All off
2nd May	Staff In-Service – Nursery – P6 pupils off
2nd May	P7 Pupils head off to Benmore school residential
8th May	Coronation Monday Holiday – All off
10th May	First Families Connect Session begins (nursery and P1 parents only)
15th – 19th May	School Health Week
22nd May	Victoria Day – All off
23rd May	Class Photo Day
24th May	LPPC AGM at 6.15pm
31st May	Sports Day (back up day 7th June)
5th – 9th June	World of Work Week
5th – 9th June	P6 and P5/6 Junior Tour Guide Performances at South Leith Parish Church
8th June	New P1 Induction Day
12th – 16th June	Proud Week
16th June	P7 Lion King performance for P7 Parents & Carers
16th June	End of Year Reports out to parents and carers
20th – 22nd June	P7 Transition Days at Secondary School
21st June	New P1 Optional Activity Morning
27th June	P7 Leavers Assembly
28th June	Last Day of Term – All finish at 1pm

Calling Parents of Current P1 and August ’23 P1 Parents

We would love parents from our current P1a and P1b classes and parents who have a child starting P1 in August this year to take part in our new Families Connect Programme. The eight-week course will be run by our Family Support Worker Danni Taylor and our nursery EYP Natalia Ramos.

Families connect is unique in that it focuses on three key areas:

• Social and emotional development
• Literacy and language development
• Numeracy and mathematics.

The families connect course is aimed at supporting children aged between 4-6 years old. It is a play based program and introduces games and activities to parents and carers that support their child’s learning at the same time as being fun.

Parents who have attended previous Families Connect courses have enjoyed meeting and making friends with other parents, finding out about how to best to support their child develop and having fun in the activities with their child in the last half of the session.

The course will start on Wednesday 10th May 1pm-3pm until the end of term. We would love to see you there.

End to School Food Pantry

After much deliberation, we have taken the difficult decision to end our weekly Wednesday Food Pantry. We started our Pantry to support many of our Leith Primary families during the height of the COVID pandemic when many families were finding the strain of redundancy, ongoing furlough or zero hours contracts a real challenge. Whilst the cost of living crisis continues to affect, arguably, even more families our small Pantry cannot keep up with the level of need. With less food spread around more organisations offering food support, we felt we were inadvertently adding to the problem.

Any families who require support with food can still be referred to the South Leith Food Bank by Danni, our Family Support Worker. We hope to promote other subsidised or free grocery options to you in the upcoming weeks. We can also support parents with benefits applications or with debt management options. Please get in touch with Danni directly on 07947 580 404 or danni@citadelyouthcentre.org.uk for more information.

Our World of Work – Parents We would Love Your Help!

During the 5th-9th June, we are hoping to have a focus for pupils on the world of work and further learning. We would love any interested parents and carers who have a job of any kind to volunteer whatever time they can to talk to one or two of our classes about what they do. Our children are interested in finding out about different kinds of jobs and the skills that are needed to do them. If you have any photos of your workplace, tools that you use or products that you make to bring in and show us, even better. If you are unsure about what to say, don’t worry as we would be only-to-happy to help you with this. Even five minutes for a question and answer session would be really appreciated.

If you are interested in coming in to school during that week to chat to your own child’s class or another class, then please get in touch with us via admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk

Many thanks!

LPPC Needs a New Chair – Could It Be You?

Our brilliantly supportive Leith Primary Parent Council will host its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 24th May at 6.15pm in the school library. Our co-chairs for the last two and a half years, Lauren and Emily, plan to step down due to increased work commitments so the parent council are hoping to elect a new chair or chairs. If you are outgoing, positive, friendly and can spare an hour or so each week and time to chair the six meetings a year, please consider putting yourself forward for this or one of the other roles within the parent council. If you have any questions about the role of chair or other roles you might be interested in, please get in touch by email leithppc@gmail.com

Our Hardworking Leithers of the Week

Two weeks of pupils demonstrating our school values of Kindness, Perseverance and Responsibility.

	Zaha	Primary 1a	Zaha is always a kind and very hard-working member of our class. She did an excellent job remembering some of our new sounds and tricky words when she wrote her Spring poem this week!
	Arthur	Primary 1a	Arthur is a friend to everyone in our class and is always polite, helpful and respectful. We are so proud of you, Arthur!
	Youcef	Primary 1b	Youcef worked very hard on his Spring poem this week and used his senses to describe what he could see and hear. Well done Youcef for showing perseverance with your learning.
	Lena	Primary 1b	Lena has worked incredibly hard in all areas of her learning this week and has grown in confidence when sharing her ideas with the class. It’s been a joy to hear you voice Lena and we are very proud of you!
	Eva	Primary 2	Eva created a super artwork with chalk in the playground, then she looked at it and thought ‘I can make this better’ and she did! Good perseverance Eva and well done on challenging yourself.
	Zerin	Primary 2	Zerin was really creative in her description of a setting this week. She used lots of exciting describing words. Well done Zerin!
	Anthony	Primary 2/3	Anthony has made super progress with his reading  recently.  He has worked hard to learn many new tricky words and can recognize these in the past two reading books he has had.  Well done Anthony – keep transferring those skills!
	Sahib	Primary 2/3	Sahib has made brilliant progress with her reading.  She is reading with more confidence and can recognise lots of tricky words.  She did fantastically in our Tricky word game and read tricky words at lightening speed.  Well Sahib, your skills are getting stronger every week!
	Poppy	Primary 3	Poppy always has a positive attitude to her learning and approaches all tasks with motivation and enthusiasm.  In particular this week she has contributed lots of interesting ideas during our guided reading sessions.
	Stefka	Primary 3	For trying her best in reading today. Stefka is sounding out words to help her read. Well done for keeping so focused.
	Felix	Primary 4a	As well as always being a responsible and respectful member of our class, Felix has made great progress with addition and subtraction and challenging himself with hot activities. Keep up the good work Felix!
	Aarush	Primary 4a	For sharing his ideas confidently and for being a supportive partner in our new topic activity.
	Tempy	Primary 4b	Tempy has been working really hard recently, particularly in writing and maths. She has completed some fantastic, long pieces of writing and shows resilience and perseverance working through some tricky maths questions. Well done Temps!
	Jonathan	Primary 4b	Jonathan has settled really well into P4 at Leith Primary. He has a fantastic attitude towards his work and has been following the school rules well. Keep up the good work!
	Megan	Primary 5	Megan always demonstrates all the values of a Leither. She is kind and respectful to everyone and puts lots of effort into all of her work. Well done Megan.
	Cordy	Primary 5	Cordy demonstrates the school values of kindness, responsibility, perseverance and upholds the school rules: ready, respectful, safe at all times. She is an excellent class mate, friend and Leith Primary pupil.
	Chloe	Primary 5/6	Chloe neatly re wrote some faintly printed questions for a p5 that couldn’t see them clearly.
	Yanis	Primary 5/6	Yanis was supportive of his groupmates during our first JTG session.  His behaviour and reading were excellent throughout too (and he shared his snack!).
	Zara	Primary 6	Zara for always being ready and respectful in class and for her great effort learning Spanish.
	Dine	Primary 6	Dina for her effort and enthusiasm in music – really well done!
	Zara Z	Primary 7	For consistently demonstrating the school values and being extremely helpful to the supply teacher. Well Done.
	Ellia	Primary 7	It was great to see Ellia performing in front of the class confidently singing and projecting her voice.  She felt her fear and did it anyway!  Well done Ellia. 🙂

As we reach the end of a long hard term, we look forward to a well earned rest and time with our friends and family. Pupils have persevered throughout this term to reach their goals in learning both in class, outdoors and at the many after school and lunch clubs run this term. We are proud of all our young Leithers for having a goal and sometimes just having a go. Learning is a life-long process and developing a great ‘can-do’ mindset in primary school can set you up for success throughout life. Go Team Leith!

Sleepy Leithers Count Their Winks

Thank you to those of you who supported your young people with our big Leith Bedtime Tracker project. Lots of you shared with us that you are getting the recommended amount of sleep for your age. Here is a reminder of the durations that are recommended by health professionals for optimal brain development:

Age	Recommended Number of Hours Sleep Needed
0-3 months	14 – 17 hours
4-11 months	12 – 15 hours
1-2 years old	11- 14 hours
3-5 years old	10 – 13 hours
6-13 years old	9 – 11 hours
14 – 17 years old	8 – 10 hours

Pupils shared that when they do not get enough sleep, they feel grumpy, fed up, have more fall outs with friends, do less well in their learning, feel less well, forget more and make fewer good behaviour choices. We also know that it can play a big part in poor school attendance. An ongoing lack of quality sleep means that the brain is unable to retain and organise information, the body cannot repair muscle tissue and the immune system is weakened leading to more chance to catching viruses and getting unwell.

Common reasons for difficulty with getting enough sleep include, sharing a room with a noisy sibling, noisy neighbours and neighbourhood noises, irregular sleep routines, worries about family and friendships, having access to screens in the bedroom or too much light in the room. Some of these factors are out of anyone’s control and it can be really difficult to break poor sleep patterns as a result. Our Family Support Worker, Danni, can support with sign posting parents to agencies who can help with housing matters or concerns at home. Danni is also a trained sleep consultant and can help you with establishing good sleep hygiene at home.

Top Tips for Better Sleep:

• Keep to the same bed time each night, even at weekends if possible. Regular sleep and wake up times are much better than some early nights, some later nights and long lie ins. Taking naps for too long can also affect night time sleep.
• As much as possible for your family, try to keep bedtimes calm, quiet time. Keep TV and family chatter at softer noise levels to help kids to nod off.
• Although popular, watching screens in bed can keep the brain active and make it more difficult to enter deep sleep later on. Reading or being read to, listening to audio books, soft music or brown/green/white noise are much calmer activities for the brain than watching a favourite movie, Youtube or TikTok. Phones, tablets and consoles are best kept out of bedrooms away from midnight temptation and distracting pings as many of us adults know!
• Keeping active during the day is a great way to support children’s overall health and wellbeing and promotes the need for rest later on. Staying still for large parts of the day, even if busy mentally, might make for a restless night.
• If nighttime bed wetting or very frequent toilet visits is still an issue for your child, try increasing the amount of fluids drunk during the day. This can help the bladder become used to holding on to slightly more fluids overnight without accidents. Our school nurse, Mel Davidson, can help advise on night time enuresis if this is a concern.
• Bed time is often when children decide to tell grown ups about all the worries of the day which can then lead to upset and delay to falling asleep. Try to set aside a time slot earlier on for talking about concerns or sharing stories from the day if this often causes issues. Let your child know that this is the time to share their worries when you can spend more time listening and helping.
• If you are concerned about any aspect of your child’s sleep such as frequent waking, reluctance to be left alone, unplanned co-sleeping, night terrors or anything else, please get in touch with Danni Taylor at school or go to the Sleep Scotland website for advice and resources.
• If you are concerned about other aspects of your child’s learning and development such as difficulties with making progress, friendship issues or reluctance to go to school, consider if a lack of sleep might be the main issue.

P6 Team Takes Part in Euro Quiz

Well done to our group of four P6 pupils who entered into the first round of the Scotland-wide Euro Quiz. The group had to answer lots of tricky questions about things to do with European countries, culture and languages. Whilst they did not reach the final, they represented Leith Primary School very well and we are so proud of their competitive spirit and impressed with their general knowledge.

Eco Group Support Wee Wilding Project in Leith

Our wonderful Eco Team have started working with the Thriving Green Spaces Team to help create re-wild a small part of Leith Links to encourage biodiversity. MSP Lorna Slater came along to promote the project and our Eco Team joined in with tree planting. We look forward to see how this project develops.

Leithers of the Week

Well done to everyone who has worked hard and tried their best over the last two weeks.

Mio	Primary 1a	Mio is always a very kind friend and this week has been making beautiful artwork for other people, just to make them smile! You’re a star, Mio!
Lilly	Primary 1b	Lilly is a very kind and polite member of our class who always takes turns and shares with others. Well done Lilly for trying your best, we think you are a star!
Ariana and Jayden	Primary 2	Ariana and Jayden were showing great teamwork this week. Together they designed and created a house with lots of different resources and then presented this to the class. Great team work Ariana and Jayden!
Lily	Primary 2/3	Lily did an amazing job this week, as our Eco rep.  She showed great teamwork whilst planting trees for the school’s re-wilding project then confidently spoke to the class about the work they had done and future work that was planned.  Well done Lily!
Rahim	Primary 2/3	Rahim has put a huge effort into his writing activities.  He’s beginning to use Non-negotiables more frequently and is writing at a quicker pace and producing more wonderful writing.  Well done Rahim, all that hard work is helping you to achieve great results.  Keep it up!
Evan	Primary 3	Evan displayed a fantastic growth mindset this week in our numeracy lesson.   She worked hard using trial and error to solve a number problem and persevered, even when others in the group had given up.  Well done!
Alisa	Primary 3	Alisa is making fantastic progress at Leith Primary. She is participating in class and making new friends. Well done Alisa.
Abed	Primary 4a	Abed has been very respectful in group work and has worked hard to learn new skills.
Erin	Primary 4b	Erin has made a fantastic effort to settle into Leith Primary. He is already making super progress with his reading and writing, keep up the good work Erin!
Polly	Primary 4b	Polly has been working really hard this week. She takes great care with her work and has been thinking about her next steps in writing. She has also made fantastic progress in maths recently. Well done Polly!
Anuj	Primary 5	Anuj has been showing kindness and responsibility supporting his classmates in maths. Well done
Mario	Primary 5	Mario was showing resiliency and perseverance when completing his work this week. He has increased his focus and tried his best at his writing and his maths. Well done Mario
Christopher	Primary 5/6	Christopher has made fantastic progress in literacy and maths this school year.  Recently he has picked up lots of new strategies when working with fractions and created a fantastic poster to teach others how to use these.
Jonathan	Primary 5/6	Jonathan has made excellent progress across the curriculum this year.  He has particularly improved his writing, his nomination this week is for his fantastic football story
James	Primary 6	For his progress in reading. James has become a much more confident and fluent reader and has enjoyed chairing his group’s literature circle. Well done!
Kayla	Primary 7	Kayla has been writing some very descriptive narrator lines this week for a scene of our Lion King play which we will perform at the end of the year.  Well done Kayla!
Ella	Primary 7	Ella confidently sang in front of the class which was wonderful. She has quite a few solos in our P7 performance and she overcame some initial nerves to perform successfully. Well done Ella!

Easter Break

We would like to wish you and your families all a very happy and restful Easter break and Ramadan Mubarak. All pupils and staff return in Monday 17th April at 8.50am. We look forward to welcoming you all back then for a busy summer term.

Well done to all our hard working Leithers this week.

Ahmad	Primary 1a	Ahmad has been using a growth mindset this week. He has been trying new things and persevering. Well done Ahmad!
Max	Primary 1b	Max tries his very best every day and loves to challenge himself with new learning. Max is also very responsible and takes pride in doing class jobs and helping to look after our classroom resources. Thank you for your hard work, Max!
Jankey	Primary 2	Jankey has been working eally well in her numeracy andliteracy work this week. Jankey has also been a great Leither, being ready n the carpet, doing super listening and being respectful and thoughtful towards her classmates. Well done Jankey!
Taylor	Primary 2/3	Taylor found it tricky to use her non-negotiables but throughout this term, she has persevered and worked hard on this and now uses them much more consistently.  This has made a huge difference to the quality of her writing!  Well done Taylor, keep developing those skills!
Robert	Primary 4a	Robert has been respectful and responsible, including being an enthusiastic participant in our PE lesson. Well done, Robert,  keep this up!
Charlie	Primary 4b	Charlie has shown he is ready to learn this week in maths. He has worked hard and persevered to solve addition problems. He takes great care of his work and always presents it beautifully! Keep up the good work, Charlie!
Rubi-Anne	Primary 5	Rubi-Anne is very considerate and kind, she helps others and has been showing increased levels of responsibility for herself and her learning. Well done
Lara	Primary 5/6	Lara is always kind, respectful and hardworking.  She has shown a persevering attitude in maths and has made fantastic progress recently.
Mia	Primary 6	For speaking to assembly about our work on Neuro-diversity.  She has shown how confident she is speaking in front of an audience. Well done!
Ashaz	Primary 7	Well done to Ashaz for his confidence in rising to the challenge of playing a big character including a solo song!  I can’t wait to see how he progresses over the coming months.  Well done Ashaz!

World Book Day at LPS

Junior Tour Guides Visit Junior Tour Guides

Pupils from P6 and P5/6 were thrilled to be invited by the P7 pupils at Roslin Primary School in Midlothian to see how they perform as Junior Tour Guides at the world famous Rosslyn Chapel. Both classes were able to be expertly guided around the chapel to learn about its history including the story of the apprentice’s pillar and its fame as one of the locations for the Tom Hanks film, The Da Vinci Code. The two classes have taken back some great tips for their own Junior Tour Guide project with Trinity House Maritime Museum in Leith which we all look forward to experiencing in the summer term. Many thanks again to all the staff and pupils at Roslin Primary for their hospitality and warm welcome.

Welcome Back Generation Science

We were delighted to welcome back our friends from Generation Science who worked with our P2 and P3 pupils on ‘Ella’s Wobble’.

Parent/Carer Consultations

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend or speak to their child’s class teacher at our recent Parent/Carer-Teacher Consultations. We appreciate being able to work in partnership with you to achieve the best possible outcomes for your children. We can never overestimate the influence our parents and carers have on their young people. Although schools have a massive part to play in educating learners, we only ever have pupils for a tiny 15% of any given year (assuming full attendance). We recognise that our parents are the experts on their kids!

We are always looking for ways to improve as a school. We would really appreciate any feedback you can provide to help us identify areas for further improvement next session. Please take a moment to complete our short survey by click on this link: here or by using this QR code. Thank you for support with this.

Leith Primary Celebrates Neurodiversity Week 13th-19th March 2023

As you will know by now, we relish any opportunity to celebrate our place as a vibrant and diverse school at the heart of the proud community of Leith. This year, we focus our celebrations on our neurodiversity.

As part of Neurodiversity Week, Shakila Hunter, Service Leader for North East of Edinburgh at the Additional Support for Learning Service, is leading a workshop for parents on Zones of Regulation. All  parents and carers are invited to attend Room 5 at 1pm-1.45pm on Tuesday 14^th March. We are planning to hold more information meetings in the future and exploring the possibility of setting up a support group for parents who feel that their child has additional support needs.

Hilary Aitken who is the CEC Lead Literacy and Dyslexia Support Teacher, is coming into school on Wednesday 15^th March to lead two Literacy Difficulties and Dyslexia  awareness workshops for pupils.

The workshops will give information about dyslexia, as well as other literacy difficulties, highlighting the positives and the success stories, as well as discussing how the challenges can be overcome. 

The pupils will then take part in  a fun activity, which will allow them to discover their talents. They will leave with a certificate.

They will be an important part of the Sharing Assembly on Thursday 16^th March. All classes will share with each other and celebrate their achievements in learning about Dyslexia, ADHD and Autism.

On Friday 17^th March, each class will submit one or more pieces of work to add to the Neurodiversity Display Board.

Pupils from the Equalities Pupil Group will film some of the work going on in classes during that week and this will be shared on the website at a later date!

Sleep Awareness Week at LPS – 20th-24th March 2023

We all know how bad we feel without a decent night’s sleep. Since coming back after the two lockdowns, we have really noticed how much more the lack of sleep has been affecting our young people at school. Whether because of increased anxiety, difficulty with bedtime routines, environmental noise or an increase in screen use, the lack of a good night’s sleep can have a huge impact on a child’s ability to learn, maintain positive friendships and sustain resilience when little things go wrong. Like water and food, sleep is one of the most important things a child needs for healthy development. It is also one of the most important things we need to be a parent.

The week beginning 20th March will be our Sleep Awareness Week and the chance to focus on the importance of sleep. Each child and parent will have the chance to keep a sleep log for seven days. At the end we will let you know if you are getting enough shut eye for your age or if sleep is something you need to prioritise more.

We are very lucky that Danni Taylor, our Citadel Family Support Worker, is also a qualified Sleep Consultant. She will be running two Sleep Better sessions on Wednesday 22nd March for all interested parents and carers to attend. The first session will be at 1pm-3pm approx. and the second 5pm-7pm. Find out a bit more about the science of sleep, the importance of sleep and healthy child development and how you too can get a better night’s shut eye. Please click on this link to let us know which session you prefer to attend.

Help Us With Our Garden!

Our playground planters are desperately in need of some TLC! We would love if as many of you who can, help us replace the soil and get the planters ready for some spring planting. Mrs Young, who leads our Eco Committee is looking for volunteers, young and old, on Fridays 17th and 24th March from 1pm to help out. If you have a spade and wheelbarrow, even better, but not essential. Please come along in old clothes and willingness to lend a hand and you will have a warm welcome. We look forward to seeing you on the 17th.

Let’s Celebrate Our Leithers of the Week!

Lori	Primary 1a	Lori is a kind and gentle friend who sees the best in everyone. She tries hard to include everyone when she is playing and is an excellent P1 role model. Well done!
Isla	Primary 1b	Isla shows kindness to everyone and is a very caring and helpful member of our class. Isla is also a great learning partner and always listens carefully to others. Thank you for being you, Isla!
Arianna	Primary 2/3	Arianna has had a great first week at Leith Primary and has settled into the class really well.  She’s making friends and joining in with class and group discussions already!  Well done Arianna, we’re glad to have you as a member of our class!
Feranmi	Primary 3	Feranmi has worked diligently in her role as class eco-monitor.  She has tried hard to look after our classroom environment, has been reminding people to save electricity and carried out lots of litter picking in the playground!  Well done!
Kieran	Primary 4a	Kieran has made important progress in Maths this week, persevering to achieve his targets. He has also demonstrated kindness and responsibility, helping with litter picking and with other jobs in class. Well done, Kieran!
Fatou	Primary 4b	Fatou has settled in really well at Leith and made some good friendships. She is respectful, moves around the school safely and shows she is ready to learn. Well done Fatou, keep up the good work!
Andrew	Primary 5	Andrew shows kindness to everyone. He is a good friend and a good partner or team mate. Well done Andrew 🙂
Maja	Primary 5/6	Maja showed great confidence in maths. She was unsure of what to do with a new skill, asked for help and then mastered the strategy (using factors to simplify fractions)
Jude	Primary 6	For excellent focus and effort in our writing lesson. He enjoyed sharing his work with the class and created a fantastic setting description.
Kirk	Primary 7	It was great to see Kirk up in front of the class acting out a play script of Romulus and Remus confidently and working as part of a team.  It has also been great to see Kirk get stuck into coding and create animations and games!  Keep up the good work Kirk.

Talia	Primary 1b	Talia is a very kind member of our class who is always thinking of others. She has worked well with her learning partner this week and has enjoyed listening to their ideas, as well as sharing her own. Well done, Talia!
Stanley	Primary 2	Stanley has been persevering with his magic e words and he has been making great progress with reading and writing of these this term.  Keep up the good work Stanley!
Ivy and Nathan	Primary 2/3	Nathan and Ivy demonstrated excellent ‘Working Together’ skills, during their RSHP activity about friendships!  They worked together effectively by smiling, making eye contact and using open body language, to find out things about each and even managed to find out that they had 19 things in common!  Great work Nathan and Ivy!!
Waris	Primary 3	Waris has been a supportive talk partner this week.  He has demonstrated that he can take turns, listen to other people’s ideas and also encourage his partner during a writing task.  Well done Waris!
Jamie	Primary 4a	Jamie was a responsible line leader sensibly following directions to help to keep the class safe on our walk back from our first swimming lesson at Abbeyhill. Thank you Jamie!
Alfie	Primary 4b	Alfie brings cheer to our classroom every single day and has a positive attitude towards his learning. Although he initially found a task in maths tricky this week, he persevered and worked so hard! Well done Alfie.
Andrew	Primary 5	Andrew has good team working skills. He can work with a variety of partners. This week he worked with a partner to complete a PowerPoint about his partner’s mother language. It had lots of interesting facts and they created a great product. Well done 🙂
Rosa	Primary 5/6	For her continuous progression in all areas of maths!
Danyil	Primary 7	Danyil has worked well in rugby this week, learning the rules and getting stuck in despite a language barrier.  He has been a team player supporting other members in his team which was lovely to watch.  He has also been trying hard to get involved and understand what he needs to do in lessons.  Well done Danyil!

A brilliant well done to all our intrepid skies this week who took to the slopes of The Lecht. We were delighted that we could take this cheery bunch of 32 P5-P7 year olds on a our yearly trip to Lagganlia Outdoor Centre in the Cairngorms. Thanks again to our KPE4 funding, we were able to offer tired funding so that families were able to pay what they could afford, something that it is so important to us at Leith PS. A massive thank you to Mrs Stiven, Mrs Clarkson, Ms Shaffiq and Mr Stuart for supporting this great bunch get there and back in one piece. Here’s to the next trip!

Generation Science Fun

P4 and P6, P5/6 and P7 were delighted to welcome our longtime friends from Generation Science this week. P4 learned about the properties of materials in Fizz, Boom, Bang whilst P5/6, P6 and P7 learning a spot of Creative Coding. We are already looking forward to welcoming the teams back to work with younger classes in a few weeks time.

Internet Safety Week

As well as our special NSPCC assemblies on Speak Out, Stay Safe, all classes spent time this week learning about how to stay safe whilst on the internet, marking Internet Safety Day on Tuesday. As well as being one of the most fantastic tools for learning, the internet is also one of the biggest potential dangers to our young people’s safety. If you would like to know more about how to keep your child safe on their device and online, please go to the NSPCC website.

Well done to Our Class Leithers of the Week

Juniper	Primary 1a	Juniper has been doing an excellent job both in class and with her home learning tasks. Juniper takes great pride and adds fantastic detail to her work. Well done!
Alex	Primary 2/3	Alex is being recognised for two things this week!  He has made tremendous progress with his reading, especially during our reading group sessions.  He is also an extremely helpful member of the class and will often go out of his way to hold open doors and help others with their classroom responsibilities.  Keep up the fab work Alex!
Jana	Primary 3	Jana tries hard to be a kind friend to others, sharing resources and looking out for friends in the playground.  She has also been particularly kind to a new member of the class and helped them to settle in.  Well done Jana!
Ibra	Primary 3	Ibra is a kind and responsible pupil at Leith Primary School. Thank you Ibra for always trying your best in class.
Kseniia	Primary 4a	Kseniia is doing amazing work in addition and making great progress with English language.
Jack	Primary 4b	Jack always has an excellent attitude towards his learning and is not afraid to challenge himself. He has been making some super contributions this week during reading. Well done Jack!
Dino	Primary 5	Dino was working hard and showing his creativity when sharing his learning. He created a video with a partner which had facts about the digestive system. Well done
Jack	Primary 5/6	Jack for completing his Gold and Grey sessions and confidently delivering a speech to the class
Sofiia and Ben	Primary 7	Sofiia has done an amazing job writing a Powerpoint about internet safety.  She presented it in front of the class in English despite this not being her first language!  She spoke confidently and presented her information well with relevant pictures. Fantastic work Sofiia. Ben also did an incredible job with his presentation on internet safety.  He spoke clearly and confidently and had a lot of detailed information on how to stay safe online.  He wrote in full sentences and used appropriate language to get across his point.  Amazing job Ben.

Half Term Holiday

We hope you have a restful half term holiday next week and look forward to seeing everyone back at school at 8.50am on Monday 20th February.;

A great big thank you to all the parents and carers who were able to make it along to Friday morning’s Open Classroom event. It was so lovely to see so many of you in school, joining in with your young people and finding out a bit about the learning in class. Our pupils and teachers have been working really hard this month and will continue to do so to achieve their expected levels at the end of this school session. Supporting your young person by coming to events such as these can really have a big impact on their motivation and enthusiasm for learning so many thanks again for showing your support.

If you were unable to come to today’s session, you have the upcoming Parent-Teacher Consultations on the 2nd and 3rd of March we warmly invite you all to attend. Look out for invitations to book a slot in your email inbox (or Junk mail!) on Monday. We have created this as a hybrid event so there will be in person and video-call slots available for parents who may find it tricky to attend in person.

Mock Court Success for P7 Teams

A huge congratulations to all of our Primary 7 pupils who were highly praised at this year’s Mock Court trials at Edinburgh’s Sheriff Court this January. Two teams were entered to deliver a case, the pushers, and to defend a case, the defenders. Both teams won their cases (one draw and an outright win). It was the end of months of whole class preparation including the design and making of gowns, the making of artefacts which were used as evidence and the creating and learning of scripts for the final teams who acted as solicitors and witnesses. We are enormously proud of all our Primary 7s who each contributed towards a very successful competition for Leith Primary.

Parking Issues Around School

The Leith Community Police have begun taking a different approach to the parking issues around the school at drop off and pick up times. St Mary’s Primary, Leith have had similar difficulties. This week, twelve fixed penalty fines were issued by officers in plain clothing around the St Mary’s Primary area. From next week, community officers will take the same approach around Leith Primary School at drop off and pick up times. Anyone observed to be driving in a reckless or dangerous manner could be charged with a motoring offence or fined on the spot. Officers have confirmed that they will be in plain clothes and not in uniform. Contractors, company and goods vehicles will not be exempt unless in exceptional circumstances, nor will taxis unless there is proof of a booking by a council organisation. Waste Management have also been contacted by the police to advise of the Safer Street times for refuse collections.

Tesco car park at the bottom of Leith Walk is our designated Park and Stride area. Parents who must drive their children to school can use this area to leave their car whilst they accompany their children on the short walk to school. We thank everyone for their support of these measures to ensure all our children and parents are kept safe in the mornings and afternoons.

Wider Achievement

Pupils have been really enjoying Article 29 of the UNCRC, the Right to be supported to develop their personalities, talents and abilities. Our huge new range of lunch clubs and after school clubs has meant a massive surge in pupils learning new skills, making new friends, developing new interests and having different opportunities to grow in resilience and achieve success. We have loved learning about the fabulous new interests of our Wee Leithers.

Free Swimming Lessons

Active Schools – Swimming Lessons FREE

Active Schools in partnership with Stepping Stones have organised a Swimming Teacher course. With this there are a number of free swimming lessons for the pupils in the Drummond/Leith Cluster. Please see below the times and days of the FREE swimming sessions and the link to sign up. Spaces are limited so please sign up as soon as possible. 

Lesson Schedule: 

Course 1: Monday 13^th Feb – Wednesday 15^th Feb (Morning Delivery 30mins slots between 10am – 11:30am) 

Course 2: Monday 13^th Feb – Wednesday 15^th Feb (Afternoon Delivery 30mins slots between 3pm – 4:30pm) 

Course 3: Friday 24^th Feb – Friday 24^th March  (Weekly Delivery 30mins slots between 2pm – 4pm)

Stepping Stones: Community Swimming Lessons Link

https://createsend.com/t/d-305D2DA3B843B2A62540EF23F30FEDED

At our Thursday assembly, Ms Craig chatted to pupils about the meaning behind our shared school vision and about how we arrived at those three special words: Believe. Persevere. Achieve. Having taken on board the views of parents, pupils, staff and school partners about what their dream was for what our pupils would take with them from their time spent at Leith Primary, a number of similar themes emerged: Confidence, determination, independence, consideration for self, others and the planet, resilience, success and happiness were common suggestion from all parts of our school community. Having used a short statement that encapsulated these ideas as our vision for a couple of years, it became apparent that no one could easily remember or tell you what the school vision was – not even the staff! Our ‘rule of three’ had been very successful for our school rules: Ready, Respectful, Safe which all pupils were easily able to recall. So when we asked parents to help us distill our vision statement into something snappy and memorable, Believe, Persevere, Achieve was voted a clear winner.

BELIEVE – captures the ideas of nurturing self-belief, self-esteem, confidence, a growth mindset, aspiration, a positive mental attitude, hope and the importance of having and/or respecting others’ beliefs, be those religious, political, societal, philosophical, environmental or spiritual. It also refers to the unconditional positive regard and deep belief parents and staff have in all our wonderful young people to be the very best version of themselves, no matter their starting point.

PERSEVERE – it is hard to imagine being a true Leither without having this at the heart of who we are as a community. Determination, grit, resilience, tenacity, drive, motivation, enthusiasm, commitment, loyalty have the been the hallmarks of Leithers for generations. At our assembly, we spoke about the perseverance needed by the brave sailors, whalers and fishermen who would go off to sea for months on end and their industrious wives and families who would work tirelessly to keep roofs over heads and young mouths fed. More than ever, perseverance is a quality that will see our pupils through all sorts of challenges.

ACHIEVE – We want all our young people to grow to live a life they value. Whatever we can do as a school community to support pupils to achieve this is our primary goal. Whether as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens or effective contributors, we aim to support everyone to reach their own goals and fulfil their full potential. We also believe that achievements should be shared and celebrated!

Speak Out, Stay Safe

Adapted assembly for home use

The NSPCC has developed an adapted version of their assembly for parents/carers to use at home with their children.  This can be found here: www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/safety.  With the help of celebrities, the film focuses on how a child can get support if they have any worries or concerns.

To complement the assembly, there are some resources that can be used to enable further discussion whilst doing activities with your children.  These are hosted on the NSPCC website www.nspcc.org.uk/activities.  

Online safety hub

You may also like to visit the NSPCC Online Safety Hub where you will find advice and information on a range of different online safety topics including gaming, social media, sharing nudes, parental controls and more. 

You will also find online safety information for families of children with additional needs and disabilities. We have worked with Ambitious about Autism and parents and carers who have children with additional needs and disabilities to create activities to help talk about online safety which you can find at www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/online-safety-families-children-with-send.

Childline Under 12’s Website

Childline also have a website with age appropriate advice for primary school children on topics such as bullying.  It also has games and other interactive tools. Your child can visit it at www.childline.org.uk/kids.

If you’d like to know more about the NSPCC’s work, or take a look at the wide range of information and advice which is available for parents and carers, please visit their website www.nspcc.org.uk/parents.

Talking PANTS with your children

Talk PANTS is a simple conversation to help keep your child safe from sexual abuse. From P through to S, each letter of PANTS provides a simple but valuable rule that can help keep your child safe. You can find out more and download the free resources at www.nspcc.org.uk/pants.

Penguin and Ladybird have partnered with the NSPCC to create a brand new Pantosaurus book aimed at children ages 4 – 8. You can find copies of the new book on sale, either in Matalan’s selected stores and online, selected SPAR stores or at https://shop.nspcc.org.uk/. All profits from the sale of this book will support the NSPCC.

Parenting Programme

Please find information attached and below on the next Incredible Years course which will run at Northfield Community Centre, 101 Northfield Road, EH8 7PP starting on Tuesday the 21st of February 2023. 9.30am – 11.30am.

Incredible Years is suitable for parents of children age 3-5years who may benefit from support with their child’s behaviour. 

Applications can be made at https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/support-families/parenting-courses-help-ages-3-6-years/1

For more information contact Morag Lang Morag.Lang@edinburgh.gov.uk  Tel: 07783171817

or Lyndsey Mullen Lyndsey.m@homelinkfamilysupport.org Tel 0131 661 0890

Supporting Children and Young People with Bereavement 

Date: Monday 6^th February 6-8pm           

Venue: Richmond’s Hope, 227-229 Niddrie Mains Road, EH16 4PA

This session, run by Richmond’s Hope is for parents and carers of children and teenagers who have experienced bereavement in their lives. Parents will have an opportunity to learn about some of the supports and resources the service can offer and gain valuable information on helping children cope with bereavement.  

Parents and carers can book to attend at Carer Events & Training Supporting Children and Young People with Bereavement – Carer Events & Training (carerstraining.co.uk)

Leithers of the Week(s)

Bumper review of all the amazing achievements of our fabulous Leithers over the last three weeks. We are proud of every single one of them. New postcards for home and stickers arriving soon!

Iris	Primary 1a	Iris has been trying hard to do her best and to give things a go this week. Well done Iris for showing great creativity and perseverance!
Lori	Primary 1a	Well done Lori for always showing kindness, trying hard and in particular this week trying a new activity. You are a star!
Manvir	Primary 1a	Manvir believed in himself and persevered when he wrote an important sign for his model in the block area. Well done and keep it up!
Ahmed	Primary 1b	Ahmed is a very kind, polite and respectful member of our class who tries his best every day. Ahmed always listens carefully and is an excellent role model for his peers. We feel very lucky to have Ahmed in our class!
Ameli	Primary 1b	Ameli has worked incredibly hard this week and has taken part enthusiastically in all her learning experiences. Ameli has made thoughtful contributions during class discussion and has set a fantastic example to her peers. Well done, Ameli!
Emily	Primary 1b	Emily has worked incredibly hard this week and has shared lots of fantastic ideas both during our Big Book and Writing lessons. Emily has a really positive attitude towards her learning and has go even when she finds something tricky at first. Keep up the super work, Emily!
Elhibr	Primary 1b	Elhibr has a very positive attitude towards his learning and enjoys sharing his ideas with the class. Elhibr worked particularly hard in his reading group this week and could confidently sound out unknown words, as well as being able to spot lots of tricky words. Well done, Elhibr!
Libby	Primary 2	Libby shared a story she has been writing and illustrating over the holidays.  She read part one to the class really well, we all enjoyed it.
Napiu	Primary 2	Napiu has been showing hsuper listening skills and being ready every time on the carpet.  He is a great role model for his classmates.  Well done Napiu!
Ariana	Primary 2	Ariana has been super supportive of her classmates this week, as always.  Ariana is a great talking partner making sure her partners share their ideas and tasks and supports them to share these with the class. Always a positive role model for her classmates Ariana is a great team mate!
Matthew	Primary 2	Matthew worked really well in his numeracy this week. He persevered with his sharing and grouping. Matthew always shows that he is ready to learn too, Making sure he is doing his good listening and sitting, Keep up the good work Matthew,
Riyaa	Primary 2/3	She has made a huge effort to settle into P2/3 class life and make new friends!  Well done Riyaa, you’re becoming a Leither!  Ms Harris
Holly	Primary 2/3	Holly showed her leadership skills on our trip to the museum!  She helped her classmates find objects in our artefact hunt and worked with others to help them record their answers.  Well done Holly!
Louise	Primary 2/3	Louise has challenged herself and has been contributing more of her ideas, during group and class discussions.  We have loved hearing what you think about something and why you think this!  Well done Lousie, keep it up!
Jaivik	Primary 2/3	Jaivik has worked really hard to spell his Tricky Words.  He’s used different strategies like ‘Test a Friend’, Look Say Cover Write Check and recently did amazingly well in our fun Spelling B!  Well done Jaivik, you’re a super speller and doing brilliantly!
Max	Primary 3	Max tried extremely hard in writing this week. He managed to write a short piece of imaginative writing with no support. 10/10 for effort
Jayden	Primary 3	Jayden has written a fantastic, imaginative piece of writing.  He was able to demonstrate the use of a variety of connectives, openers and the correct punctuation.  Well done!
Meera	Primary 3	Meera has settled so well into Leith Primary School. It is a pleasure having her in our class. She is always ready to learn and respectful to everyone. Keep up the good work Meera.
Henry	Primary 4a	Henry was an ICT champion today! He was very good at his task but also extremely helpful when supporting others to log in and get started. Well done and thank you Henry!
Stefan	Primary 4a	Stefan has made impressive in numeracy and has been a supportive and friendly member of the class.
Anjola	Primary 4b	Anjola has been working really hard with her writing this week. Keep up the good work, Anjola!
Olive	Primary 4b	Olive was extremely kind to a friend in class who was poorly this week. She went above and beyond to look after her and make sure she was okay. We are so lucky to have you Olive!
Kamil	Primary 4b	Kamil is a responsible member of the class who takes good care of our resources. He has been doing an excellent job as digital leader making sure laptops and iPads are put away carefully and on charge. Thank you, Kamil!
Cooper	Primary 4b	Cooper did a fantastic job on his group’s stop motion video retelling the story on Chinese New Year. He added lots of expression which made the video engaging and fun for the audience. Keep up the good work!
Dash	Primary 5	Dash always has an excellent attitude to all his work. He is a good class mate and he always tries his best. He shows kindness, responsibility and perseverance in everything he does. Well done Dash 🙂
Emily	Primary 5	Emily always challenges herself, she enjoys learning new skills and helps support others whenever she can. Well done Emily.
Anya	Primary 5	Anya has been reflecting on her learning and asking excellent questions. She also shares her thoughts and ideas with the class. Great job Anya keep it up 🙂
Iona	Primary 5/6	For persevering in a (fairly hectic!)  PE game which involved a skill she wasn’t initially confident with.
Angus	Primary 5/6	I am sad to say that tomorrow is Angus’s last day at Leith!  He is respectful of staff and his peers and is a fantastic team member, he also perseveres when things don’t go to plan and encourages others to do the same.
Marianna	Primary 5/6	Marianna wrote a wonderful version of the story ‘Instructions’.  She is working hard on varying her sentence openers, using creative vocab and a variety of punctuation.
Amos	Primary 5/6	Amos came up with some fantastic ideas during our ‘Letter to an MSP’ writing task.  He also completed an excellent letter within the time limit!
Titan	Primary 6	Titan has made a really positive start to the New Year.  He has worked hard in all areas of the curriculum but particularly in maths where he has showed great progress and understanding.  Well done!
Lucy	Primary 6	For offering to pick up litter in the playground and also for asking some really interesting questions in maths. Through asking those questions she demonstrated her understanding. Well done Lucy!
Shaheer	Primary 7	Shaheer has been working hard on Mock Court coming up with questions for our court date! Well done Shaheer.
Al	Primary 7	Al has been doing a fantastic job in researching and writing about Chinese New Year.  He has lots of ideas and is able to express himself well!  Well done Al.
Ayla	Primary 7	Ayla works hard in class, she tries her best and consistently produces work to a high standard.  This week she has been writing a non-chronological report which is well structured, with a use of rhetorical questions and alliteration.  Well done Ayla!

Happy New Year and welcome back to Spring Term 2023! This term is jam-packed with exciting learning opportunities and events. Please take a moment to look over a few reminders and dates for your diary. Remember that school calendars can still be purchased on ParentPay and can be collected from the school office. Please note, the school is no longer able to take cash.

Important Spring Term Dates

Date	Event
10/01/23	Primary School Strike Day – All primary schools in Edinburgh will be closed on this day. Pupils should stay at home and undertake home learning. Details contained in letter emailed to parents.
11/01/23	All children back at school (Secondary schools in Edinburgh only strike today) *PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL SCHOOL LUNCHES ARE ORDERED BY WEDNESDAY EACH WEEK FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK AS THE KITCHEN ORDERS THE FOOD ON A THURSDAY. IF YOU ORDER AFTER WEDNESDAY, THERE WILL NOT BE A LUNCH MADE FOR YOUR CHILD DURING THE FOLLOWING WEEK. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO BRING A PACKED LUNCH IN FOR YOUR CHILD*
16/01/23	Ceilidh Kids – Buddy Class Fun in the name of the national bard! (during the school day)
18/01/23	6.15pm – LPPC Meeting in school gym hall
23/01/23	Class Newsletters and Home Learning Grids emailed to parents
24/01/23	P7 Mock Court event (info to follow for P7 pupil concerned)
25/01/23	Possible School Strike Day – Confirmation nearer the time
30/01/23	NSPCC – Speak Out, Stay Safe letters emailed to parents
03/02/23	Open Classroom Morning – dates and times to be confirmed
06/02/23	Children’s Mental Health Day Internet Safety Week Booking for Parent Consultations Opens – details to be sent out
08/02/23	P5-P7 Ski group leaves for two-night residential to Lagganlia/The Lecht
09/02/23	P4, P5/6, P7 – Generation Science workshops in class
10/02/23	All pupils break for February holiday (13th-17th Feb) Skiing group returns – time TBC
20/02/23	All pupils return to school
21/02/23	International Mother Language Day – let’s celebrate our 25 different first languages at Leith PS! Shrove Tuesday
22/02/23	P2, P2/3, P3 – Generation Science Workshops
01/03/23	St David’s Day P7 at The Art of Noise event at The Hub (details to follow)
02/03/23	World Book Day – details to follow PARENTS CONSULTATIONS 4.00-6.30PM
03/03/23	PARENT CONSULTATIONS 1-3.30PM
08/03/23	Holi Festival International Women’s Day
13/03/23	Sleep Awareness Week – Parent Event, details to follow
15/03/23	6.15pm – LPPC Meeting in the gym hall
17/03/23	St Patrick’s Day
20/03/23	Neurodiversity Week – Parent event, details to follow
27/03/23	Earth Hour – switch off to save help the planet
31/03/23	Term Ends! Easter Holiday 3rd – 14th April Pupils Return Monday 17th April

Lunch Order Timings

It is very important that school lunches are ordered on or before the Wednesday of the week before. Michelle Stewart, the kitchen manager, orders food every Thursday based on the numbers submitted by the Wednesday for the following week. If you have not ordered by Wednesday, food will not be ordered for your child for the following week. If your child comes to school without having a lunch ordered for the week, you will be telephoned and asked to bring a packed lunch in for your child. If you order lunches Thursday – Sunday, which Parent Pay permits you to do, your order will not be counted or prepared for. Therefore you MUST order by Wednesday. When there is a school holiday, lunches for the first week back must be ordered by the Wednesday of the last week of the previous term. Any lunches ordered on the last Thursday or Friday or during a school holiday will not be counted or order for. We know that this system can cause some confusion and thank you for your patience and support.

Contact Updates

Some lucky people may have been gifted a new mobile phone at Christmas or might have created a new email account. One or two of you may even have moved home. Please can we request that you update the school office ASAP with any new details so that all text messages and emails are sent to the correct address. If you feel that your emergency contacts have changed since August, please can you also let us know who should be removed from your child’s file and the details of the replacement contact. Many thanks for this.

Strike Days

All primary schools in Edinburgh will be closed due to industrial action on Tuesday 10th January. This also extends to nursery classes attached to a primary school and therefore will included Leith Primary Nursery. There is a further strike day planned for Wednesday 25th January however this has yet to be confirmed. If there is a last minute change of circumstances, we will alert you ASAP.

For anyone who did not see the letter emailed to parents/carers centrally from the Head of Schools and Lifelong Learning, please see below.

Free After School Clubs

Extra curricular activities are a vitally important part of a child’s learning. Clubs allow children to develop their social and communication skills further, support skills development and nurture and encourage talents and interests. As a school, we decided some years ago to prioritise extra-curricular skills development over excessive formal homework tasks. We fully encourage parents to support their children to join youth clubs, sports classes, community organisations, artistic endeavours and wider achievement opportunities of which there are many within the wider Leith community. To support with this, we are delighted to be able to offer an enhanced programme of FREE clubs, partially funded by the KPE4 fund and supported by our teaching staff and Active Schools partners. Lunchtime groups can be attended ad hoc by pupils. After school clubs must have signed parental consent and will be restricted in number. Priority will be given to pupils who do not currently attend any other wider curricular opportunities and some may be invited to attend a group of their choice. Groups were coordinated based on pupils’ suggestions and the skills and talents of people within our community. We really encourage you to discuss activities that your child might enjoy this term or the next.

• Please note that we will continue to maintain high expectations of pupils’ standard of behaviour in these groups as we do in class. Any pupil who consistently or seriously breaks our school rules of Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Safe or does not respect or uphold another pupil’s rights, may be asked to miss a week (Articles 3, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31 of the UNCRC)

Activity	Target Year Group	Day	Times	Location	Staff Lead	Signed Parent/Carer Permission Required?
Lego Club	P1-P3	Monday	12.30-1.00pm	Room 10	Ms Harris & Mrs Slattery	No
Singing Club	P1-P4	Tuesday	12.40-1.00pm	Room 3	Ms Craig	No
Craft Club	P1-P3	Friday	12.00-12.45pm	Room 4	Mrs Young	Yes
Dance Club (Summer Term)	P1-P3	Monday	12.00-1.00pm	Room 2	Mrs Kinnell	No
Sewing Group (Summer Term)	P5-P7	TBC	TBC	Art Room	Mrs Cook	TBC
Chess Club	P4-P5	Wednesday	12.45-1.15pm	Library	Mrs Moloney	No
STEM Club	P4	Tuesday	3.15pm-4.00pm	Room 8	Mrs Fraser, Ms Kirkwood	Yes
Chess Club	P6-P7	Thursday	1.00-1.30pm	Library	Mr Stuart	No
Lego Club	P4-P7	Thursday	1.00-1.30pm	Room 17	Mr Mackenzie	No
Drawing Club	P4-P5	Monday	12.45-1.15pm	Room 14	Mrs Watson	No
Singing Club	P5-P7	Wednesday	1.00-1.30pm	The Loft	Mrs Richards	No
Craft Club	P5-P7	Thursday	1.00-1.30pm	Art Room	Ms Christensen	No
Dance Club	P5-P7	Friday	12.30-1.20pm	Gym	Ms Wilson	Yes (see Active Schools list http://www.joinedinburgh.org)
SumDog Club	P3-P7	Thursday	12.30-1.30pm	Library	Ms Craig & Mrs Scott	No
History Club	P5-P7	Thursday	1.00-.1.30pm	Room 22	Ms McDonald	No
Drama Club	P5-P7	Monday	3.15-4.15pm	Room 23	Mix Up Theatre – Stewart McLaren	Yes (info@mixuptheatre.com)
Yoga	All	Weds/Thurs	3.00-4.30pm	Room 23	Yoga Leaf – Laura Bailey	Yes (yogaleafedinburgh@gmail.com)
Code Club (Summer Term)	P7	Monday	TBC	Room 9	Ms Scott Dickins	TBC
Mandarin Club	P5-P7	TBC	3.15-4.00pm	Room 20	TBC	Yes – details to follow
Pilmeny ASN Group	P4-P5	Monday	2.45-3.30pm	Room 1	Pilmeny Development Project	Yes – Parents contacted individually
Multi-Sports	P1-P3	Monday	12.15-1.00pm	Gym	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Football	P1-P2	Tuesday	3.00-4.00pm	Gym	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Fencing	P5-P7	Wednesday	3.15-4.15pm	Gym	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Basketball	P1-P3	Thursday	12.15-1.00pm	Gym	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Parkour	P3-P7	Friday	1.30-2.30pm	Gym	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Rock Climbing	P6-P7	Friday	2.00-3.00pm	Alien Rock	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
American Football	P5-S1	Tuesday	5pm-6pm	Leith Academy Astro	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Swimming – ASN Group 1	P4-P7	Wednesday	3.45pm-4.25pm	Leith Academy	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Swimming ASN Group 2	P4-P7	Wednesday	4.25- 5.00pm	Leith Academy	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Fencing	P5-P7	Thursday	5.00-6.00pm	Leith Academy	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Basketball	P3-P7	Friday	2.00-3.00pm	Leith Academy	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Boccia – ASN Group	P3-P7	Friday	1.00-2.00pm	Leith Academy	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org
Rugby	P3-P7	Friday	2.00-3.00pm	Leith Academy Playing Fields	Active Sports	http://www.joinedinburgh.org

Fever, Sickness & Diarrhoea Protocol

Whilst we are thankful that health protection measures have changed radically over the last year, we must still be mindful that there are numerous viruses within the community. To prevent the spread of such viruses, we ask that no child is sent in if they have a high temperature. Any child who develops a temperature at school will requested to be collected and taken home. Any child who has vomited or has had diarrhoea within 48 hours should also remain at home. Any child who has these symptoms at school will be also be asked to be collected and taken home. Please ensure your contact details are up-to-date with us. We also remind parents that footballs from home and toys are not permitted in school unless by prior agreement with a member of school staff.

Term Time Holidays and Country of Origin Trips

Please note that we strongly discourage pupils from being taken out of school to go on holiday or to visit their country of origin during term time. Catch up work will not be supplied to compensate for missed learning. There are very few situations where term time holidays can be approved and these tend to relate to situations where, for example, one parents works offshore or when there has been a death of a close family member. Any withdrawal of a child from school during term time must be communicated to the school in writing beforehand. Extended leave must be requested centrally from the Head of Schools and Lifelong Learning. Any subsequent concerns around poor attendance at school will be reported to the Educational Welfare Service and in some instances may be referred to Social Work. This is in compliance with the City of Edinburgh Council policy and is not specific just to Leith Primary School.

Families with female school or nursery age pupils who plan to return to a country where Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is permitted must speak to a member of the school or nursery leadership team before they leave Scotland as per the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act (2005). Countries include, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Gambia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Indonesia. Families who do not comply with this request will automatically be referred to Social Care Direct who will visit the family upon their return to the country. We apologise in advance for any embarrassment this situation may cause but ask families to understand that schools must comply with safeguarding protocol regarding this matter.