Dear Parents and Carers,

• Returning to school in August: You will have lots of questions about this as do we. Maintaining safety to reduce the spread of Covid-19 will be the basis from which we make our decisions and agree next steps.  We have gained a lot of experience running and working in Hub Schools which we shall use to inform our own risk assessments. There are teams of Edinburgh City Council staff working on guidance for schools. Once details have been shared, we shall be in a position to apply this advice to our own setting. Work has already started on cleaning and health and safety checks of our building. We shall consult with you on your views for returning to school. We shall use the Health and Wellbeing Indicators, an area we have focused on in our Improvement Plan to do this. We shall plan to support the children in all aspect of the Health and Wellbeing Indicators as they prepare to and return to school. They are: safe; healthy; achieving; nurtured; active; respected; responsible and included. 
• Whilst we are doing this, Learning at Home will continue. We are very pleased all our classes are using 365 Teams for learning. If you have any problems accessing this, please let us know- we are all here to help.
• The Pupil Support Assistants are posting weekly ‘Thinking of You’ videos – please ask your children to look for these messages on our website. The PSAs are also part of the class Teams groups.
• Unit 12 of our Building Resilience Programme it is aptly named ‘Expect the Unexpected’. Perfect for these changing times! Details of follow up activities from class teachers. We have had a school from Ireland asking us for copies of our work on this.
• Please remember 365 Teams is for school pupil interactions ONLY with school staff. It cannot be used for parents communicating with each other or children ‘video conferencing’ each other without the teacher. The City Digial Learning Team are aware of this and will adjust the settings to help everyone follow the Code of Practice. Parents and carers, please email teachers any information you need to share with them.
• Teachers are planning a Virtual Sport’s Day on 10 June which will be great! Details to follow from class teachers – have your camera ready.
• Cluster HTs and DHTs are working with Boroughmuir High School to support P7 further transition into S1. Details to follow.
• Bruntsfield Art Auction: To replace the art auction normally started in the Summer Fair by the Parent Council , we are having one on the School Railings. Permission has been granted and risk assessments completed! All staff and pupils are invited to contribute their art for auction. The deadline for art submission is 12th June. Drop off your contribution at Project Coffee in Bruntsfield. Thank you Project Coffee for this. The Street Exhibition will be on 20th and 21st June and the Auction starts on 22nd June and runs until 26th June. We have had promise of submissions from well-known Edinburgh artist ‘Catherine Rayner’ so far! Exciting News! Further details will be emailed to you.
• Free online sessions from Connect: Holding parent group meetings/AGM online 28 May. Places are free, registration is essential at https://bit.ly/ConnectonlinePC-PTA  Connect Q&A – Catch-up for Parent Councils/PTAs 2 June Places are free, registration is essential  https://bit.ly/ConnectOnlineChatJune2

More online events for parents are in the pipeline, learning at home with Dr Janet Goodall, young people’s mental health with Public Health Scotland with others to be announced.  We shall send you information to share when we have confirmed dates. 

• Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts is a community group run by furloughed volunteers. They provide free daily meal packs for those most at need in Edinburgh during the Covid-19 virus crisis. If you would like more information or would like to make an order please contact them at 07895347157 Instagram/Twitter @Empty_Kitchens (more details have been emailed to you).
• Please remember not to email staff directly.  All communication should come via our admin mailbox,  admin@bruntsfield.edin.sch.uk, where it will be dealt with or forwarded as appropriate. 

If there is anything I can do to help please let me know. 

Have a lovely weekend and make the most of the sunshine whilst it lasts.

Kind regards,

Carol Kyle