Dear Parents and Carers,

• Bruntsfield Primary School Recovery Plan: please be reassured we have done a lot of the preparatory work to be ready for August. Staff are in school setting up their rooms and communal areas to comply with government health and safety advice. Areas are being cleared to make as much room as possible. Our Health and Safety Team have covered many of the action points in our plan and we are pleased to have done as much as we have.
• Working in the Hub schools has given a wealth of experience which I have used to ensure Bruntsfield is ready. I am very pleased to say so far, we have had 100% success rate in keeping Covid-19 out of them and that will also be our target for Bruntsfield. Each week, more and more of our staff are joining the Hub Schools. This is giving them the confidence and skills to ensure compliance with government health and safety guidelines.
• Blended Learning: This is different from Home Learning. Teachers will teach the skills when the children are in school and the children will complete the follow up activities at home. Work books and text books will help this. Additional resources are being ordered to help support Blended Learning. The Inservice Days in August will be used for staff training and preparation to help you and the children.
• Curriculum on Return to School: We shall focus on three areas: Health and Wellbeing; Literacy; Maths and Numeracy. The staff will support the children’s emotional needs to help them move forward from Lock Down. There will be time for reinforcement of key knowledge and skills as well as moving forward to ensure that each child reaches their full potential.
• Thank You to You All: I know the last few months have not been easy. I want to thank each one of you for all you have done to keep learning going at home and more importantly for all you have done to keep the children, yourselves and the community safe. It has been a ‘rough bit in the river, in boats we have never seen before’ to use the Building Resilience terminology, but we shall come through this.
• You will have received the information from CEC on Friday, I have attached the link too. There is another meeting this afternoon for CEC to share their next steps. I am hopeful we shall have final details from Scottish Government and CEC to allow us to progress soon. https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/27455/letter-to-mainstream-parents-and-carers
• Helping the children prepare for returning to school: Last week’s suggestion was on becoming very good at social distancing. This week’s suggestion is to please remind the children to not touch their faces. This is not an easy task as I am sure you will know.  We have found from working in the Hub, if longer hair is tied up, it prevents the need to be pushed behind ears or brushed off faces. When the children have done this, it really helps. If you have any tips to help, please share with us.

• This Survey is from Children’s Parliament is for children aged 8 – 14 years old if you would like to take part. https://www.surveygizmo.eu/s3/90242492/How-are-you-doing-JUNE-2020
• The Children’s Parliament has now launched the June How are you doing? survey, available here bit.ly/Coronavirus_Kids Children can come to the survey anew, or be returning after completing it in previous months
• This week the P1 families met virtually with their class teachers, Ms Dobie and myself to welcome them to school. We look forward to doing this in person.
• The P7s had their Transition at Boroughmuir, or their chosen High School. They will be very excited I am sure.
• Class teachers have organised days to for you to collect PE kits etc from the playground and they will send the details to you.
• Art Exhibition and Auction: the art work will be on display on the school railings this weekend, Saturday 20 June and Sunday 21 June from 10am to 4pm. Please join us (keeping social distancing in mind) and enjoy the exhibition and take part in the auction.
• Parent Council Meeting: Invites have gone out, you are all invited to join us at 7pm this evening.

As always, if there is anything we can do to help, please email us at admin@bruntsfield.edin.sch.uk

Take care, look after yourselves and each other and I look forward to the days we are back in school.

Kindest Regards,

Carol Kyle

Head Teacher