Dear Parents and Carers

• Sharing the Learning: there are super lessons are going on in every classroom. Music playing to aid imaginative writing, festivals around the world inspiring ideas to create a new festival, research into who created the first Christmas Card, stories of Harvest as well as focusing on success criteria, literacy skills and spelling. Well done everyone!
• Last night, at the Parent Council Meeting, I shared some of the things which are going well in school: attendance is high, pupil engagement in learning is good, staggered starts, breaks, lunches and pick-ups are working well for us. New Playground Zones and rota system are proving popular with all the classes. Cleaning and risk assessment action points being addressed through the School Health and Safety Team. Most of all, I want to thank all the staff for their commitment and dedication to make this happen. I was delighted this was recognised and celebrated at the meeting too by the Parent Council Chair and agreed by all parents who were there. Thank you all.
• Safe Streets for Schools: Ongoing plans are in place to continue to support this. If you are waiting to collect your children, please remember to use the pavements as much as possible. If you are standing on the road, please allow residents to move their car easily. We are pleased to have the Safe Streets system to help us in this challenging time, but we need to make it work for everyone as it would be good to keep it after Covid-19. Kindness and consideration for everyone from everyone will help ensure our school community continues to have very good relationships with our residents and businesses. Thank you to the Parent Council for the updates they have given to the community and local businesses on the Safer Streets system.
• Curriculum Overviews for each Stage are given out each year by class teachers. This session, they will be posted on our website by the end of September.
• Learning Together At Home: I have posted an information sheet on the website which will give you an update on ways we shall support you if your child is self-isolating.

I thought it may be helpful if I share how we contact you, should there be a positive case of Covid-19 in our school community.

If/when I am informed of a positive case I shall:

• contact Health Protection Scotland and key staff at the City of Edinburgh Council to let them know
• together we complete a risk assessment and agree next steps
• staff and parents will be informed there is a positive case in the school which we are managing
• the school team will have a conversation with parents and carers of “contacts” advising that their child needs to isolate
• Health Protection Scotland will issue a letter which will be sent out to parents of “contacts” who are to isolate
• a parents and carer letter will be added to the school website with links to NHS inform and parent FAQs along with a text and email to say that letter is available
• once everyone who is to self-isolate has been informed, I shall let you know we have contacted all the families involved.

We are of course hoping to avoid any positive cases by continuing to maintain social distancing, handwashing and wearing face coverings as per the government guidelines. Thank you for continuing to do this and please, do keep doing this.

You asked about:

• Classes using Bruntsfield Links: we would absolutely love to use Bruntsfield Links, however, due to adult pupil ratios, we need more staff than we currently have to be able to take the classes there. Once we can have parent helpers, we shall be able to do this more easily. On a good note, all the classes are doing a lot of learning outside in our playground and enjoying every minute.
• Parent Consultations: we are currently discussing this with staff to find the best way to do this which works for everyone.
• Pictures of the classrooms: we shall add photos of class displays to our website to share learning with you. Displays are coming together and brightening up all the rooms.
• Lunches: Any child wishing to take some of their lunch outside may do so if they do not finish it in class. Fruit works well for this. There is currently discussions on hot lunches and when we know more, I shall let you know.

Carol Kyle

Head Teacher