Author: Ms Craig

We are finally at the end of the long winter term. Staff and pupils have earned their Christmas break and are ready for some much needed rest and relaxation.

Many thanks again to all the parents and carers who took time out of their busy pre-Christmas week to join us in our Christmas sing-a-song at St Andrew’s Parish Church. Singing together is a real act of community and it was the first time in a long time since we have been able to do such a thing together. Many thanks again to Minister Rob Mackenzie for letting us use the church to do this.

Here are a few photos of some of the other festive activities:

Final Book of Recognition 2022

Ali	Primary 1a	Ali has been trying hard to think of ways to be kind and helpful in the class. He has been sharing his skills with others by reading books to them, helping them sound out words when writing, and he helped another child with their drawing. Well done Ali!
Ivy	Primary 2/3	Ivy has pulled out all the stops with her reading and is making really good progress!  She has been practising more at home and challenging herself to be more confident, when sounding out new words in class.  Well done Ivy, you’re doing a great job!
Blake	Primary 3	Blake is always a great help in our classroom and has been particularly kind and helpful to our newest member of the class, well done Blake.
Anjali	Primary 4a	Anjali is a responsible, helpful pupil who is a real role model of kindness to the rest of the class. Well done Anjali!
Adelka	Primary 4b	Adelka persevered this week when creating her paper wreath! She is always so kind and caring towards her classmates and we are really going to miss her in P4b. Best of luck at your new school Adelka!
Jakub	Primary 5	Jakub has been very kind and considerate. Sharing and including his class mates in activities and games.
Daniel	Primary 5	Special mention to Daniel, we wish him all the best for his new school and adventure.
Angus	Primary 5/6	Angus for his excellent ’50 Words’ snowman story!  He packed some great vocab and detail in to a short space!
Masha	Primary 6	For the great start she has made at Leith Primary. She has demonstrated perseverance and kindness! Well done.
Lewis	Primary 7	It’s Lewis’s last week this week and we will miss him!  He is regularly kind and thoughtful and tries his best.  Good luck at your next school Lewis.

Christmas Greetings!

Whatever you have planned for the winter break, the staff at Leith Primary would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and good wishes to you and your families for 2023.

We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday 5th January 2023.

The Christmas season has really begun this week. The P4-P7 classes really enjoyed their first trip to the Lyceum Theatre in many years. The re-working of the Charles Dickins famous story A Christmas Carol was wonderfully interwoven into the tale of Greyfriar’s Bobby and set in Victorian Edinburgh rather than London. For the first time, this trip was free to all pupils thanks to the generosity of the KPE4 Charitable donation and from the proceeds of LPPC fundraising. The P1-P3 classes will enjoy a Christmas performance at Leith Academy next week.

Pupils celebrated the work they had done this term focussed on our Building Resilience topic and important school value of kindness at our Thursday assembly. There have been a lot of small and not-so-small acts of kindness happening all around school in recent weeks. These have been recognised by pupils and teachers in a variety of ways in class and in school. Classes have used Kindness Buckets, Trees of Kindness, Appreciation Stations and nominations in The Recognition Book. We have seen kindness shown towards our buddies, to school staff and to our classmates through small, thoughtful and selfless acts of kindness. We also spoke about how it is important to be kind to ourself by avoiding negative self-talk and doing things that are good for us such as going to bed on time and eating healthily. Kind behaviour is the antidote to bullying and unkind behaviour. Being kind to others makes others AND ourself feel good. Being unkind or showing bullying behaviours towards others makes others AND ourself feel unhappy. Kindness is contagious so one small act of kindness could spread leading to more people being kind, making the school and the world a happier place to be. We could not be prouder of the kindness our pupils have shown.

Christmas Doors

Which is your favourite?

Christmas Activities Reminder

Christmas Parties

All classes will have their class party on Wednesday afternoon except for P5 who will have theirs on Thursday late morning as they will be attending a rugby festival at Leith Academy on the Wednesday. Children should wear their school colours/uniform as normal but may bring in party clothes to change into only if they wish. Children do not need to bring in any other items for their party.

Christmas Lunch

This will take place on Thursday. Please note, the deadline for selecting Christmas lunch has now passed.

Christmas Dress Up Day

Wear a Christmas jumper or sprig of tinsel to school – just for fun!

P1-P3 to Attend Leith Academy Christmas Show

On Friday, P1-P3 classes will walk over to Leith Academy to see older pupils in their Christmas Show. Pupils should wear school colours as usual.

Whole School Christmas Assembly

Pupils will walk over to St Andrew’s Parish Church to sing and share Christmas songs together. Assembly to start at 1.45pm, parents are very welcome to attend.

Last Day of Term

The school day will end at 1pm. Please ensure that P1-P3 pupils are collected by an adult at this time and that P4-P7 pupils know their home time arrangements.

After School Clubs

Once more, thanks to your votes and the generous KPE4 Funding, we are able to offer a wide range of free after school activities to our pupils. This week, Aidan Haughey launch the Active Schools brochure for next term. We will also share additional after school activities run by our own staff in the new year, all completely free of charge. We would like every child to have the experience of being part of an after school activity to broaden their friendship group and extend their range of skills.

LPPC Christmas Craft Afternoon

Next week, our parent council will be hosting a fun afternoon of Christmas Crafts and the chance to meet Santa in the gym hall after school. They are still looking for volunteers to help run some of the activities. Please consider supporting this fun festive event if you can by getting in touch with them by email at leithppc@gmail.com

Lost Items – Are These Yours?

Let us know by getting in touch with the school office.

Parenting Support Sessions

We still have space on the below Primary Triple P courses. For more information contact Sue Cameron Sue.Cameron@edinburgh.gov.uk

Primary Triple P course is for parents and carers of 6 – 10 year olds and looks at effective techniques for dealing with common childhood behaviour problems. During the course we will explore strategies to manage behaviours such as aggressiveness, tantrums, shouting, answering back and refusing to follow rules.

The course takes place over 8 weeks and aims to offer you new ways to manage situations at home.  https://www.joininedinburgh.org/parenting-programmes/triple-p/

Castleview Primary School. EH16 4DP.

Starts Wednesday 18th January – 15th March 2023

9.30am – 11.30am 

Available spaces  – Link to the application form –Primary Triple P (6 to 10 years) 

Carrickvale Community Centre, EH11 3HH

Starts Thursday 26th January – 23rd March 2023

9.30am – 11.30am 

Available spaces- Link to the application form –Primary Triple P (6 to 10 years) 

Children’s Rights Parent Information Session

We are delighted to announce the launch of the new Guide to Children’s Rights for Parents, Carers and family members.

This much anticipated resource provides information about children’s rights and introduces the United Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC is the internationally mandated children’s rights treaty which sets out the rights that all children and young people should expect and what they need to grow up happy, healthy and safe. It outlines the central role played by parents and families and also recognises that they need protection and assistance to support the rights and wellbeing of their children.

The booklet was created by the UNCRC Parents Network, made up of parenting organisations and Scottish Government policy officials, who have been meeting for over a year to look at how best to inform parents, carers and family members about the rights of their children. It conveys broad universal messaging about children’s rights

 Children’s rights | Parent Club

Well Done to These Hard Working Leithers!

Elliot	Primary 1a	Elliot has been an extra kind member of the class this week. He always looks for ways to help others and this week he looked after a friend who was feeling sad.
Eva	Primary 1a	Eva has been looking for ways to help friends and has been inviting lots of new friends to join in with her play. Well done Eva!
Lena	Primary 1b	Lena spreads kindness wherever she goes and is a very happy, caring and polite member of our class. We feel very lucky to have Lena in our class.
Jayden	Primary 1b	Jayden is a very kind and helpful member of our class who loves doing little jobs for other people. He also has wonderful manners and always remembers to say ‘thank you’ and ‘please.’ Jayden, you are a star!
Rohaan	Primary 2	Rohaan has been showing excellent perseverance this week with his learning, especially with a tricky jigsaw. Well done Rohann!
Alyn	Primary 2	Alyn created a super piece of writing last week. He persevered to create three sentences making sure he was doing his best work. Well done Alyn!
Holly	Primary 2/3	Holly has shown a big interest in our topic ‘Ancient Egyptians’ and took in books from home to show the class.  She then used these to help her with her research!  Good job Holly!
Omer	Primary 2/3	We have been focusing on thoughtfulness this week.  Omer has been very thoughtful and often helps others to tidy up their things.  Well done Omer, you’re a good example to your classmates!
Sharan	Primary 3	For being a respectful and responsible member of primary 3. Sharan has helped create a new class job for his class and is always willing to help others. Thank you Sharan.
Aaron	Primary 3	Aaron has followed our class recognition board focus of ‘helping each other’. He demonstrated this in PE whilst working with a partner and helping them with their chest pass. Well done Aaron.
Abed	Primary 4a	Abed completed all spelling, writing and maths tasks today, working hard and asking for help if he needed it. Well done!
Gloria	Primary 4a	Gloria is a pupil who is a good role model for kindness in our class. She often thinks of others and tries to be helpful whenever she can.
Muslim	Primary 4b	Muslim always goes the extra mile to be helpful. He kindly hands out classmate’s water bottles at the end of the day and treats our classroom with respect by ensuring he helps to tidy everything up. Keep it up, Muslim!
Omar	Primary 4b	Omar has been a tech genius this week! He has helped others with laptop troubles and took lots of fantastic notes when researching Albert Einstein. Fantastic work!
David	Primary 4b	David was very sensible on our school trip today. He made sure he stayed with his partner and was respectful during the show by sitting nicely and showing good listening.
Zaynb	Primary 5	Zaynb is very considerate and kind. She is helpful to everyone and very supportive. She also has excellent manners and treats everyone with respect. Well done 🙂
Keira	Primary 5	Keira shows great kindness to all and is very good at giving personal and detailed compliments and praise. She often shares on the class Appreciation Station Channel on Teams. Well done Keira 😊
Maja	Primary 5/6	Maja has made great progress with her use of subject specific vocabulary and punctuation.
Leland	Primary 5/6	Leland showed kindness when he helped Mr Cochrane tidy up after making our door display!
Shakeel	Primary 6	For his kindness and support to other classmates in an art lesson. He was someone was struggling and offered support and encouragement so that they had enough confidence to finish the task.  Well done!
Wegdan	Primary 6	For displaying kindness to others and for always setting a good example to her classmates. Well done!
Kinjal	Primary 7	Kinjal is kind to others, she looks out for her friends and is consistently polite and respectful to adults and peers.  Well done Kinjal!
Niko	Primary 7	Niko has been kind to the P1s over the last few months, working as their prefect and being a good role model for them during sessions at the loft. Well done Niko!

Well done to everyone for helping to celebrate World Children’s Day last Friday by wearing something blue. The whole school shared what they have been doing this term with their Buddy Class at a special Friday assembly. Each pair of Buddy Classes have been focussing on November’s UNCRC Right of the Month – Article 24: Every child has the right to the best possible health and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing. Pupils spoke about the healthcare facilities they have access to within their local community such as medical practices, dentists, opticians, hospitals and pharmacies.

Some classes had visits from parents and friends of the school who work in these sectors who spoke about what their job entails. Many thanks to all the guest speakers who shared their knowledge with us.

Welcome to Leith PS Miss Kennedy!

A very warm welcome to our new school administrator, Alex Kennedy, who started with us on Monday. Miss Kennedy is getting to grips with the long list of school systems, routines and procedures and is looking forward to supporting our children, staff and families. I know that you will all give her a great Leith welcome.

Bilingual Parent Morning

Thank you very much to all the parents who were able to attend our session on how best to support children who have English as an additional language. Kim and Maide from the EAL service chatted to parents with the help of translators and ably supported by Mrs Moloney and the pupil Equalities group.

Reminders

• SICKNESS – If your child has sickness or diarrhoea please remember that they must stay off for 48 hours. A few children have been coming back to school sooner than the recommended 48 hours and have passed on these seasonal viruses to classmates meaning we have had quite a few children absent recently with similar symptoms.
• LUNCHES – Please remember to order your child’s lunches the Wednesday before the commencing week. If you order after Wednesday, your child will only receive a baked potato that week as the food is made to order.
• FRIDAYS – Please remember that Fridays are a mandatory part of the school week. A Friday equates to 11% of the school week and is 3/4 of a full day. If your child is absent on a Friday, they miss vital parts of the curriculum including numeracy and literacy lessons. We no longer have Friday assembly or Golden Time so each Friday contains key parts of your child’s learning. Regular Friday absences will result in your child falling behind in their learning and may lead to a referral to the Educational Welfare Service. Every day counts so please ensure you child attends every day including Fridays.
• UNIFORM – All pupils should wear their school sweatshirt/hoodie/colours every day. A few children have been turning up in tracksuits citing PE lessons as the reason. Children are permitted to wear tracksuit bottoms if doing gym but should still wear their school sweatshirt/hoodie to school. Pupils are given the opportunity to change for PE which they should have two or three times per week. Pupils are expected to wear their school jumper five days a week. Thanks for your support with this.

Christmas Plans

Here are some key dates for your diaries for next month in the lead up to Christmas.

• Thu 8^th December – P4 – P7 trip to the Lyceum to see A Christmas Carol – FREE this year thanks to your votes for free trips using the KPE4 funding and funding from LPPC. [P1-P3 will enjoy a free trip to the theatre in the spring]
• Tue 13^th December – Christmas parties in classrooms (PM) Teachers to advise parents next week
• Wed 14^th December – Christmas parties in classrooms (PM) Teachers to advise parents next week
• Thu 15^th December – Christmas Lunch for pupils. Details on how to order have already been shared. Deadline Wednesday 30th November.
• Fri 16^th December – Christmas Jumper Day – wear something festive just for fun.
• Friday 16th December – P1, P2 & P3 trip to Leith Academy for pupil Christmas show (AM)
• Friday 16th December – Parent Council event with Santa’s Grotto in gym hall – 12.30pm onwards
• Mon 19^th December – P1 – P7 trip to St Andrews Parish Church for Christmas Sharing Assembly – 1.45pm – parents and carers welcome
• Tue 20^th December – Christmas Movie Day with early finish @1.00pm (note: pupils are having lunch in school before leaving – soup & sandwich)

A Note From Danni, our school Family Support Worker

With the cost of living and energy crisis really taking hold, many families are feeling financially stretched. I wanted to let you know that we offer a Pantry to all those who have child(ren) who attend Leith Primary every Wednesday 2.30pm -3.30pm in the downstairs infant cloakroom – access to this is via the side door at the alley. This is a warm and welcoming place where you pick which food you think your family would like, and we also have some pre loved clothing free to a new home. There are also other supports in the community so please get in touch if you are struggling and we can do our best to help. 

I wanted to clarify some supports that are in place at local and national levels. Please note eligibility varies for each support. 

• Scottish Child Payment: £25 per week per child. This has now been extended to all children under 16. Please check website for eligibility as it is slightly different than usual, for example, you may not be eligible for Free School Meal but will be eligible for the Scottish Child Payment. Applications can be made here – https://www.mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment

• Scottish Bridging Payment: This will be doubled in December to £260 per child. This benefit is connected to Free School Meals and is an automatic payment. Please be sure you are receiving Free School Meals if you are eligible to receive this payment. Applications and eligibility details for Free School Meals – https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/schoolgrants

• Energy Support Scheme: This is a UK wide and every household is eligible. They ways in which you receive your discount depends on whether you are pre-paid, smart meter or monthly. Each provider applies discount different, too. Any questions please contact ChangeWorks – https://www.changeworks.org.uk/

• Warm Home Discount Scheme – Each energy provider should offer a discount to those on low income. Each provider has their own criteria and should be available to access and apply for on their website. 

Contact Details: 07840258304/Danni@citadelyouthcentre.org.uk

e-Scooters

A recent Police Scotland information sheet has highlighted a marked increase in the popularity of e-Scooters. This information sheet seeks to address some questions regarding the legality of their use in public spaces. 

The Department for Transport has issued guidance on the use of “Powered Transporters” (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powered-transporters/information-sheet-guidance-on-powered-transporters) 

e-Scooters prohibited in public places

Privately owned e-Scooters cannot legally be used in any public place, including on any footpath or cycle tracks.  They can only be used on private land with the consent of the land owner. 

The reason for this is because they do not conform to various road traffic laws, including construction and use regulations that motor vehicles are required to adhere to.  Additionally, as e-Scooters are classified as motor vehicles they are required to have a policy of insurance.

E-scooter use within school grounds

The City of Edinburgh Council has not provided consent for the use of e-Scooters within school grounds. e-Scooters must not therefore be used within school grounds. 

Hazard

Many schools do not permit cycling within the school grounds and will ask cyclists to dismount before entering the site. This is to manage the risk of a cyclist colliding with a pedestrian. A comparable risk exists with e-Scooters, with the potential for them to accelerate quickly placing the operator and user at risk from collision. The fact e-Scooters are quiet and do not present an obvious audible warning also increases this risk. 

If a person rides a personal light electric vehicle, e.g. e-Scooter, in a public place then they are committing an offence and could be charged.  

Control

Pupils and visitors are advised that E-scooters are not permitted to be used on school sites. 

ASD and Enabling Eating

CEC Holiday Club Newsletter

Autumn term has already been jam-packed with learning, activities, visitors and exciting plans.

Many thanks to our Parent Council, LPPC, for putting on the first Halloween Discos in quite a few years. It sounds like everyone had a tremendous spooktacular time.

We enjoyed opening our doors to our prospective August 2023 P1 pupils on November 2nd whilst on the 3rd and 4th, we finally welcomed parents and carers back in to the school for our first in-person Parent Consultations in a long while. Thank you again to everyone who made it along last week to hear about their child’s progress in learning.

Friday 18th November: Wear Something Blue to Mark World Children’s Day

Whilst many will be taking part in the BBC Children in Need day on Friday, this year Leith Primary School has decided to mark World Children’s Day on Friday with a ‘Wear Something Blue Day’.

The Leith Primary School Rights Respecting School Champions (top picture) are working towards achieving the Silver Status Award next spring. In support of this, pupils are invited to dress up in any way they like – so long as they wear something blue.

Children have been learning about the many health services on offer to them within the community of Leith. However not all children in the world have the access to health care that we enjoy. At a special assembly, pupils will share what they have been learning about with their buddy classes.

World Children’s Day is officially celebrated on Sunday 20th November. This year, the main theme is Inclusion for Every Child.

Remembrance Day with a Boy Called Primrose

At assembly this week, pupils learned about a former Leith Academy pupil who attended the same building we now call our primary school. This pupil attracted intrigue initially because of the name on our war memorial on the first floor corridor. A few years ago, some P7 pupils remarked that there was a girl’s name, Primrose Fairweather, on the memorial amongst all the names of fallen male soldiers. With a bit of online research, the pupils discovered that in fact Primrose was the name of a young man who had been called up to fight on the battlefields during World War I. We discovered that Primrose had moved to Leith from Aberdeenshire and had attended Leith Academy before being called to service at the age of twenty. Pupils saw a picture of how one of the classrooms on the second floor would have looked at the time Primrose attended – a very different look from how the classrooms are set up now. Sadly for Primrose, as with all the names on our memorial, he was killed in action in Belgium. His name can be found etched into the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, along with the thousands of other names who died in through out the Great War. On Friday at 11am, our Primary 7 pupils laid a wreath to remember those who attended our school and who gave their lives for their country.

Calling All Gardeners!

Do you have green fingers or access to a wheelbarrow? We are looking for some volunteers to help Mrs Young and the Eco Committee, clean out the raised planters in the playground and move the new soil from the big bags in the playground to the new beds in readiness for next year’s planting. If you can spare an hour or so on Friday 25th November from around 1pm, please come along to lend a hand. Younger pupils should be accompanied by an adult. P6 and P7 pupils may attend alone with parental permission. Please let the school office know if you can come along.

Equalities Event This Friday: 18th at 11am in Gym Hall

A final reminder that all parents of pupils who have English as an additional language are warmly welcomed to an information and support session this Friday with EAL teachers, Maide Thomas and Kim Almond, and Mrs Moloney, our Principal Teacher and Equalities Lead. If you are interested in how best to support your child with learning English and making the best progress they can at school then this is the session for you. Please let us know in advance if you would like an interpreter to attend this session to support you. We look forward to seeing welcoming you on Friday at 11am.

Na koniec przypominamy, że wszyscy rodzice uczniów, którzy mają angielski jako dodatkowy język, są serdecznie zaproszeni na sesję informacyjną i wsparcia w ten piątek z nauczycielami EAL, Maide Thomas i Kim Almond oraz panią Moloney, naszym głównym nauczycielem i liderem ds. Równości. Jeśli jesteś zainteresowany tym, jak najlepiej wspierać swoje dziecko w nauce języka angielskiego i robieniu jak najlepszych postępów w szkole, to jest to sesja dla Ciebie. Poinformuj nas z wyprzedzeniem, jeśli chcesz, aby tłumacz uczestniczył w tej sesji, aby Cię wesprzeć. Czekamy na powitanie w piątek.

تذكير أخير بأن جميع أولياء أمور التلاميذ الذين لديهم اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة إضافية يتم الترحيب بهم ترحيبا حارا في جلسة إعلامية ودعم يوم الجمعة مع معلمي EAL ، مايد توماس وكيم ألموند ، والسيدة مولوني ، معلمتنا الرئيسية وقائدة المساواة. إذا كنت مهتما بأفضل طريقة لدعم طفلك في تعلم اللغة الإنجليزية وتحقيق أفضل تقدم ممكن في المدرسة ، فهذه هي الجلسة المناسبة لك. يرجى إعلامنا مسبقا إذا كنت ترغب في حضور مترجم فوري لهذه الجلسة لدعمك. نتطلع إلى الترحيب بكم يوم الجمعة.

Останнє нагадування про те, що всі батьки учнів, які мають англійську мову як додаткову мову, тепло вітаються на сесії інформації та підтримки цієї п’ятниці з вчителями EAL, Мейд Томас та Кім Алмонд, та місіс Молоні, нашим головним вчителем та керівником з питань рівності. Якщо вас цікавить, як найкраще підтримати свою дитину у вивченні англійської мови та досягти найкращого прогресу в школі, то це заняття для вас. Будь ласка, повідомте нам заздалегідь, якщо ви хочете, щоб перекладач відвідав цю сесію, щоб підтримати вас. Ми з нетерпінням чекаємо зустрічі з вами в п’ятницю.

ایک حتمی یاد دہانی ہے کہ طالب علموں کے تمام والدین جن کے پاس انگریزی ایک اضافی زبان کے طور پر ہے، اس جمعہ کو ای اے ایل اساتذہ، میڈ تھامس اور کم المنڈ، اور مسز مولونی، ہمارے پرنسپل ٹیچر اور مساوات لیڈ کے ساتھ ایک معلومات اور حمایت سیشن میں گرمجوشی سے استقبال کیا جاتا ہے. اگر آپ اس بات میں دلچسپی رکھتے ہیں کہ انگریزی سیکھنے اور اسکول میں بہترین پیشرفت کرنے کے ساتھ اپنے بچے کی مدد کرنے کے لئے کس طرح بہترین ہے تو یہ آپ کے لئے سیشن ہے. براہ کرم ہمیں پیشگی طور پر بتائیں اگر آپ چاہتے ہیں کہ کوئی مترجم آپ کی مدد کے لئے اس سیشن میں شرکت کرے۔ ہم جمعہ کو آپ کا استقبال کرنے کے منتظر ہیں.

एक अंतिम अनुस्मारक कि एक अतिरिक्त भाषा के रूप में अंग्रेजी रखने वाले विद्यार्थियों के सभी माता-पिता का इस शुक्रवार को ईएएल शिक्षकों, मैदे थॉमस और किम बादाम और श्रीमती मोलोनी, हमारे प्रमुख शिक्षक और समानताओं के नेतृत्व के साथ एक सूचना और समर्थन सत्र में गर्मजोशी से स्वागत किया जाता है। यदि आप इस बात में रुचि रखते हैं कि अंग्रेजी सीखने के साथ अपने बच्चे का समर्थन कैसे करें और स्कूल में सबसे अच्छी प्रगति कर सकें तो यह आपके लिए सत्र है। कृपया हमें पहले से बताएं कि क्या आप चाहते हैं कि आपका समर्थन करने के लिए कोई दुभाषिया इस सत्र में भाग ले। हम शुक्रवार को आपका स्वागत देखने के लिए उत्सुक हैं।

একটি চূড়ান্ত অনুস্মারক যে ছাত্রদের সমস্ত পিতামাতা যারা একটি অতিরিক্ত ভাষা হিসাবে ইংরেজি আছে ইএএল শিক্ষক, মাইডে থমাস এবং কিম আলমন্ড, এবং মিসেস Moloney, আমাদের প্রধান শিক্ষক এবং Equalities সীসা সঙ্গে এই শুক্রবার একটি তথ্য এবং সমর্থন অধিবেশন উষ্ণভাবে স্বাগত জানানো হয়। আপনি যদি আপনার সন্তানকে ইংরেজি শেখার সাথে সর্বোত্তমভাবে সহায়তা করতে এবং স্কুলে তারা যে সর্বোত্তম অগ্রগতি করতে পারে তা নিয়ে আগ্রহী হন তবে এটি আপনার জন্য সেশন। দয়া করে আমাদের আগে থেকে জানান যদি আপনি কোনও দোভাষীকে আপনাকে সমর্থন করার জন্য এই সেশনে উপস্থিত হতে চান। আমরা শুক্রবার আপনাকে স্বাগত জানানোর জন্য উন্মুখ।

Incredible Years Course for Parents

Well Done To Our Hard Working Leithers This Week and Last Week

Kaeem	Primary 1a	Kaeem has been trying extra hard to be a kind member of the class this week. He also made a lovely new friend at our first Buddy Class meeting with the nursery. Well done Kaeem, we’re so proud of you!
Ryan	Primary 1b	Ryan made a fantastic contribution to our RME lessons this week and was able to talk to the class about how he celebrates Diwali. Thank you for being such an enthusiastic and responsible member of our class Ryan!
Esmee	Primary 2	Esmee has been a great learning partner this week.  Esmee is always a helpful and supportive classmate who happily takes on responsibility in the classroom whether it is with her peers or the adults in the school. Esmee is also always ready to learn and share her ideas.  Keep up the good work Esmee.
Ruth	Primary 2/3	Ruth has put a tremendous effort into her writing recently.  She’s worked really hard to use her non-negotiables of capital letters, finger spaces and full stops and also to check that her writing makes sense.  Well done Ruth, you’re doing a great job!
Rayyan	Primary 3	Rayyan for trying so hard in numeracy this morning. He can recognise his numbers confidently. Well done Rayyan!
Fatima	Primary 4a	For her interesting and relevant contributions to our class discussion in Health and Wellbeing this week.
Harry	Primary 4b	Harry is an enthusiastic learner who is always keen to help others. He offers to help me with jobs around the classroom and is happy to help his classmates whenever they are stuck. Thank you, Harry!
N	Primary 5	For excellent creativity inwriting and writing an excellent poem using lots of poetic techniques. Great job 🙂
Alexander	Primary 5/6	Alex for his perseverance when learning a difficult new maths strategy (TUxTU formal method)
Titan	Primary 6	For working really hard with angles in maths and demonstrating his understanding. For being really focused all day on every task. Well done!
Zara C	Primary 7	Zara C had a fantastic spooky story with a beginning, build up, problem, problem-solved and ending.  She included suspense and remembered all of her non-negotiables.  Fantastic work Zara!

Mason	Primary 1a	Mason has had a brilliant week and has been trying particularly hard during phonics time. Well done for all your hard work, Mason!
Maci	Primary 1b	Maci is a very kind and considerate member of our class who always spots the good choices that her classmates make. Maci takes turns, plays fairly and includes everyone in her games. Maci, you are a star!
Korra	Primary 2	Korra created a fantastic menu for our bakery and cafe this week.  She took her time to illustrate it and write it out making sure it was her best work. Well done, Korra. Keep up the good work.
Benji	Primary 2/3	Benji has worked really hard to focus and listen very well at the start of activities.  He is also more focused on the carpet and shares his ideas much more too.  Well done Benji, you’re doing a great job!
Layla	Primary 3	Layla for being such a good listener and always trying her best in class. She has made me feel very welcome on my first week back to work
Ala	Primary 4b	Ala is a polite member of the class who shows kindness to others. She shows respect towards her classmates and is eager to help others. Thank you for being so kind, Ala!
Alexander	Primary 5	Alexander has been very kind, helpful and supportive of his friends. He has helped and supported when needed, he has done this without being asked to and just noticed who needs help. Well done 👍
Gary	Primary 5/6	For his fantastic ‘design an animal’ literacy starter task.
Erin	Primary 6	Erin for being kind and inclusive to other classmates and for working out ways to help them by problem solving, well done Erin.
Lewis	Primary 7	Lewis is always engaged in class discussion and expresses himself confidently.  This week he asked the solicitor who visited P7 some great questions and showed fantastic active listening.

Thank you to everyone for making this a very positive and productive start back to the session. This week, we started our Buddy Class work again. Pupils will be learning about the UN Sustainable Development Goals with their buddies, starting with Goal 3, Good Health and Wellbeing. This week, we also had our first Pupil Parliament session. The Pupil Council used De Bono’s Thinking Hats to gather pupils’ ideas for the school playground which they summarised at assembly on Thursday. Also on Thursday, our Pupil Equalities Group spoke about Black History Month, which we celebrate in October. We look forward to seeing everyone back again next term on Wednesday 26th October.

Well Done to This Week’s Hard Working Pupils

Clova	P1b	Clova was in the Recogntion Book for being an incredibly kind and helpful member of the class
Arthur	P1a	Arthur is a kind and hard working member of our class. Well done!
Tabitha	Primary 2/3	Tabitha has done an amazing job in her new reading group!  She is taking her time to sound out unfamiliar words slowly and is growing in confidence every day.  Well done Tabitha, you’re doing a great job!
Emma	Primary 2	Emma has been a star learning this week – well done!
Ibra	Primary 3	For working very hard and being very helpful in class.
Jamie	Primary 4a	Jamie has made splendid efforts to focus on his learning and follow the school rules. Keep up the good work Jamie!
Kieran	Primary 4a	Kieran was very helpful in the playground, volunteering to clear up sand which he did very responsibly. Thank youKieran!
Troy	Primary 4b	Troy set an amazing example of how to behave while on a school trip. He was a super team player and was very sensible when walking to and from the rugby club. Well done Troy!
Maya	Primary 5	Maya is very supportive, respectful and organised. She always tries her best and aims to achieve as much as possible. Well done Maya 🙂
Alfie	Primary 5/6	Alfie has worked well as part of a team/group in class and with Miss Richards this week.
Stanley	Primary 6	For his mature attitude to learning, he always tries his best and listens carefully to instructions. Well done Stanley, What a great class member!
Iman	Primary 7	Iman has been working very hard in maths this week. Well done.

Well done to Rubi-Anne, who received perhaps one of the last ever letters from the late Queen, thanking her for her Platinum Jubilee wishes in the summer. Rubi wrote her letter along with the Brownies from her Brownie Pack, who each received a letter and card of thanks.

ELOSCN Breakfast Club Starts on 26th October

We are delighted to tell you that ELOSCN, our new breakfast club provider, will be open again from Wednesday 26th October. If you are interested in enrolling your child at breakfast club, please complete the registration form here: Leith Primary Breakfast Club Registration Link

The Big Vote – The Results

Many thanks to everyone who took time to vote for their preferred use of the charitable trust funding the school receives. There was shared agreement amongst everyone that class trips should be prioritised. Free activity groups for pupils, support for residential trips, school uniform help and support for sensory needs were also voted for in high numbers and will receive a proportion of the funding.

Healthy Leith – We Need Your Help!

We are looking forward to reintroducing our buddy class activities again this session. This year, our buddy classes are focussing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals as part of the school’s work towards being accredited as a Silver Level Rights Respecting School. In October and November, classes will be focussed on Goal 3, Good Health & Wellbeing. As part of this, we would like to invite any parent or carer involved in the health care industry to get in touch if they would like to talk for a few minutes with their child’s class about their job. Alternatively, they could send in a short video or some photos of what they do at work. For those not involved in working in health care, we would love for pupils and parents to send in photographs of their local dental practice, medical practice, pharmacist, optician, physiotherapist etc as we would like to create a map of all the health care services within the community of Leith. Please get in touch via the admin@leith-pri.edin.sch.uk if you would like to join in and help.

Free Hibs Family Tickets for Home Games

Our friends and partners at Hibernian Football Club have very generously offered to donate free family tickets (2 children, 2 adults) for each home game this season to Leith Primary School families who might struggle to attend the games due to the cost of living crisis. All you have to do, is note your interest on this Form and we will pick out at random one family to receive the family tickets. Please note, that at least one child must attend with two adults to be eligible. Submissions close on Friday 14th October at 12 noon. Good Luck!

Leith Primary School Receives Sport Scotland Bronze Award

We are delighted to announce our recognition at Bronze level of the school’s commitment to delivering high quality health and fitness opportunities to children of all ages. This also marks the start of our journey to receive our Sport Scotland Silver Award status. We look forward to updating you on our progress over the next few months.

School Administrator Status

Thank you for your understanding as we move through the process of recruiting a new school administrator. As you may know, there is a city-wide backlog of recruitment tasks to clear within the council however, we are near the point of closing our advert and hope to interview within the next few weeks. We thank you for your patience and understanding around matters relating to Parent Pay, school attendance and general school administration which are taking longer than usual. We do check voicemail and the school admin email inbox regularly so please send any queries here and we will try our best to get back in touch to help.

Recognition Book Names – Well done everyone!

Manvir	Primary 1a	Manvir has been trying really hard this week to be a kind friend. He made some beautiful artwork for a friend and is also remembering to use lovely manners. Well done Manvir!
William	P1b	William is always ready to learn and loves to be challenged with new learning every day. He makes thoughtful contributions during teaching time and shows respect to others by listening carefully to their ideas. Well done, William!
Ayda	Primary 2	Ayda has been a excellent team-mate this week. She has been supporting her classmates to use their indoor voices in class. Ayda has also been a great role model for her classmates by being ready to learn on the carpet and doing fantastic lining up.  Keep up the good work Ayda.
Yat Yat	Primary 2/3	Yat Yat is always ready to learn!  He has a positive mind-set and tries his best at every activity.  Well done Yat Yat, you’re an inspiration to your classmates!
Archie	Primary 3	For coming into the line every morning.
Darcy	Primary 4a	Darcy persevered with some very tricky numeracy work and showed a growth mindset. Well done Darcy!
Kaleb	Primary 4b	Kaleb worked really hard on creating a notice for our class noticeboard this week. He also took his line leading duties very seriously and set a super example for the rest of the class. Keep it up, Kaleb!
Seren	Primary 5	Seren has been very organised, supportive and inclusive towards all her class mates. She sets a good example and shows the school values of Kindness, Perseverance and Responsibility.
Jack	Primary 5/6	Jack for his hard work in literacy on Tuesday.  He wrote lots of great sentences in spelling and for our VCOP starter.  He also worked well for Mrs Watson.
Amber	Primary 6	For always following the school rules – ready respectful and safe – and for her excellent attitude towards her learning. She is always keen to push herself and gives 100&% effort to every task. She is a wonderful example to others. Well done Amber!
Ashaz	Primary 7	Ashaz worked hard on his autobiography this week using descriptive words and commas in a list.  Well done!

We are delighted to share the first edition of the new Parents Mind Well Roundup This quarterly newsletter shares the latest mental health news, activities and support available for children, young people, and their parents and carers in Edinburgh. All of the new Parents Mind Well support sessions will be listed in each edition. The newsletter will be sent by VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian) and parents who still wish to, can sign up by visiting the following page on their newsletter platform: Sign up to receive the Parents Mind Well Roundup newsletter

You will see in the Roundup, information about or next Parents Mind Well Sessions. These sessions have been planned in partnership with VOCAL, Health in Mind and The City of Edinburgh Council Parent and Carer Support Team. They provide an opportunity for parents and carers who are caring for a child or young person with emotional or mental health issues to meet other parents and supportive professionals in a safe and relaxed environment. Please note these sessions are for parents and carers not professionals.

• An introduction to eating disorders (Mon 10 Oct, 7pm – 8.30pm, Online). Delivered by the NHS Lothian Eating Disorder Development Team, learn about eating disorders in adolescents and gain information on the supports available. Register on VOCAL’s website. 

• Family conflict – reflect and respond (Fri 11 Nov, 9.30am – 11am, Online). Delivered by Scottish Centre of Conflict Resolution. Reflect on your relationship with your pre-teen/teenager, explore triggers that can escalate difficult situations, understand how emotions drive behaviours and gain insight into managing responses to relationship conflict. Register on VOCAL’s website.

• Emotional wellbeing for parents (Mon 5 Dec, 7pm – 8.30pm, Online). This session from Health in Mind and VOCAL will help you consider the impact of caring for a young person experiencing mental health difficulties on your own mental health and explore techniques which can enhance your emotional wellbeing. Register on VOCAL’s website.

Open Classroom – Meet the Teacher

Thank you to everyone who was able to make the Meet the Teacher event today. We had a brilliant turn out from every class. It was such a wonderful sight to have our parents and carers back in the building again talking about learning and finding out a bit about what happens at school. Our next whole school event will be Parent-Teacher Consultations on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th November. The booking link will be sent out in the next few weeks.

Funding Suggestions – The Big Vote on Tuesday

Another big thank you to everyone who took the time to share their brilliant ideas for how we should spend the £20,000 gifted to Leith Primary School from a local charitable trust. We have now consulted with all pupils, parents and staff and are ready to take the best suggestions to a big vote on Tuesday 20th September. Parents and staff will be sent a link to a voting form. Voting will be open from 8.30am – 6pm. Pupils will vote on a paper form. We will announce the final results of The Big Vote next Friday. We hope that all our parents and carers will take part in this important piece of participatory budgeting.

Financial Support – What We Offer Already

Some of the excellent suggestions from our parents mentioned a few things that the school already currently offers pupils and families. Here is a brief summary of how we can help:

• Free school uniform/school sweatshirts/school bag/ gym kit for those who need them
• Free healthy snack/breakfast items for those who need them
• Free winter jacket and school shoes
• (Previously and hopefully coming back soon again) fully funded places at our breakfast club for those who need them
• Cycling proficiency lessons for all children with access to free bikes to borrow
• Heavily discounted places for residential trips for older pupils and funding to buy appropriate clothing
• Free Christmas packages with toys and food hampers for families this would help
• Free financial support and support with housing issues
• Coming: Free School Meals for Nursery to P7
• Free weekly food bank, The Leith Primary Pantry, for anyone who needs this
• Referral to the local Leith food bank
• Support to apply for a free child bus pass (all children in Edinburgh are eligible)

We are committed to reducing or eliminating the cost of the school day for as many families as we can. Ideally, we would love to have universal supports to reduce any stigma and where we can do this, we will. We are aware how many of our families, including working families, are already financially stretched and facing uncertainty with the cost of utility bills. As a school, we cannot pretend that we will be able to support you directly with household bills but we can plan to take away as many school related costs as possible. And if you are worried about your money and bills, we can refer you to our partners at Maximise, who have full time money advice workers ready to support you with these concerns. Please just let us know how we can help you and your family.

In This Week’s Recognition Book…

Anton	Primary 2/3	Anton is developing his attitude to learning and has listened and focused well on his tasks this week.  Well done Anton, you can do it!
Jayden	Primary 3	Jayden works hard, sets a good example to others and is helpful to all his classmates. Well done Jayden!
Noor	P4a	Well done to Noor who showed great confidence speaking to one of her class teachers – keep that great work up, Noor!
Diego	Primary 4b	Diego is always one of the first people to show me he is read to learn every morning. He moves around the school sensibly, safely and silently and is always very polite towards other people around the school by holding doors for them. Well done, Diego!
Hakeem	Primary 5	Hakeem has been taking doing his work and trying his best – Great job! He has also been very helpful to both Miss Christensen and his classmates helping organise devices and solve ICT issues 🙂
Nico	Primary 5/6	Nico is in the recognition book for his ‘What Makes a Good Friend?’ HWB task which he put a huge amount of effort in to.
Jude	Primary 6	Well done to Jude for making great progress in his reading this week. Keep up the super attitude to your learning, Jude!
Mya	Primary 7	Mya has had some fantastic ideas for our Mock Court project.  She has shown enthusiasm, taken in lots of information and come up with creative ideas on how we can win our case.

Don’t Forget!

Remember that we are all off school on Monday which is now a national day of mourning for the late Queen’s funeral. All pupils and staff return as usual at 8.50am on Tuesday 20th September. Have a lovely weekend!

The school was blessed by ninety minutes of beautiful of early Autumn weather for our annual One Planet Picnic before the heavens eventually opened! One Planet Picnic celebrates locally produced, seasonal healthy produce that avoids unnecessary transportation or over-processing. Pupils enjoyed a range of fruits, vegetables and grain and dairy-based foods with their classmates. The picnic coincided with the Harvest Festival this Sunday, which recognises the work of farmers and food producers and gives thanks for a healthy harvest.

Open Classroom/ Meet the Teacher

Parents are warmly invited to attend their first visit of the session to their child’s classroom this Thursday and Friday. Please see times below.

Class	Day	Times
P1a	Friday	8.50am – 9.30am
P1b	Friday	8.50am – 9.30am
P2	Friday	11.20am – 12.00pm
P2/3	Thursday	2.20pm – 3.00pm
P3	Friday	11.45am – 12.25pm
P4a	Friday	9.50am – 10.35am
P4b	Friday	11.45am – 12.25pm
P5	Friday	11.45am – 12.25pm
P5/6	Friday	11.45am – 12.25pm
P6	Friday	11.45am – 12.25pm
P7	Friday	9.50am – 10.35am

This will be an informal opportunity to see your child’s classroom, meet their class teacher and pupil support assistant, take part in a short, fun activity with your child and find out anything you would like to know about the focus of the learning this term.

New Funding – Have Your Say

Leith Primary School is very lucky to have been chosen as the recipient of an ongoing yearly fund of £20,000 from the KPE4 Charitable Trust. The trust gives funding to a handful of schools and organisations across Edinburgh to support improving the lives of people growing up in these neighbourhoods.

The overarching goal of the funding is to increase the proportion of people growing up in deprived areas of North Edinburgh to live fulfilling lives with a positive impact on society.

Other schools have used their money to support costs such asschool camp, cultural trips and/or additional pupil support (language, learning, mental health, as well as any emergency needs that may arise (e.g.Christmas gifts, winter jackets, food).

Our Primary 7s have suggested ideas such as free trips, free school uniform, free after school clubs.

We will take the best ideas and put them to a stakeholder vote so that the decision is a shared one amongst our school community.

We would like to gather initial ideas and suggestions from our parents and carers.

Please follow this link to complete this form here or by using the QR code.

Entries will close on Friday 16th September 2022.

Thank you for your input.

Look On The Bright Side

Our Building Resilience focus this term is Look on the Bright Side. Perhaps this is a skill needed now more than ever in the context of a challenging world. For those of you interested in learning more about changing your perspective, have a look at the following:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/how-happiness/201303/7-myths-about-happiness-we-need-stop-believing

Recognition Book Names

Nathan	Primary 2/3	Nathan has shown fantastic listening skills since the beginning of term.  He puts his hand up to say what he thinks in class or group activities and is always ready to learn!  Well done Nathan, your classmates are learning super listening skills from you!
Keira	Primary 3	For always listening well and being kind.
Ruth	Primary 4a	Ruth is a respectful and polite pupil who is always ready to follow instructions. She tries to achieve her best work with every task that she attempts. What a great role model for the rest of the class!
Mati	Primary 4b	Mati has shown he is ready to learn this week. He tries his best in all aspects of his school work and has been challenging himself in maths. He is also a very helpful member of the class. Great job, Mati!
Kade	Primary 5	Kade took part in our One Planet Picnic. He took turns and followed instructions very well when making both shortbread and overnight oats. Well done 🙂
Osh	Primary 5/6	Osh has shown me that he can complete very challenging place value tasks using large numbers this week.  He has grown in confidence and required little support!
Louis	Primary 6	Louis is in the Recognition Book for the excellent start he has made at Leith Primary. He always follows the school rules of ready, respectful and safe. He sets a great example for his classmates. Well done Louis!
Lucy	Primary 7	Lucy has been persevering in Literacy and making small steps each day.  Well done Lucy!

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