The Dalry Advent Calendar 2019 will be up on the site daily starting on Sunday keeping you up to date with all the Christmas fun in school.
To see last year’s pictures click on the advent tab on our front page or this link.
There has been some impressive building work in P1/2 where a very, very, very big indeed animal tower has taken shape.
Our parents and families recently put together our yearly Diwali spectacular festival of dance.
Thanks to all who danced and choreographed, organised and helped.
Also thank you to Sainsburys Murrayfield for the south asian snacks they supplied.
This month P2 have been sharing their experiences of losing teeth and growing new ones through stories and artwork.
The children in P2A have enjoyed a special visit from baby Harry and his mum Kirsty and P2B and P2s in Mrs McDermot’s class have enjoyed a lovely visit from baby Jamie and his mum Maxine. Both families have visited us to tell us all about being a parent, how they are coping and how the babies are not teething yet. The children were able to give suggestions on how to soothe babies when they do start teething. Both Mum’s showed us all the things needed in their change bags to care for a baby and the children were delighted to see how much the babies have grown and changed since we last saw them last.
The theme focused on how caring and planning for baby during their first year is demanding, exciting and a challenging responsibility. In addition that caring for babies involves routines, eg. bathing, feeding and changing baby, and that some babies thrive on routines. Also the children discovered that parents learn to recognise baby’s way of showing his/her needs and how to respond to those needs. As well as spending huge amounts of time, energy and resource feeding, changing nappies, comforting, dressing, undressing and bathing baby. Also that these simple interactions play an important role in baby’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.
Finally that the more a parent can turn these routines into to opportunities for playful and loving interactions. The more a baby can achieve a secure attachment, become competent and cope positively with life.
For more information please ask Mrs Harris-Toner, Miss McArthur, Mrs Chadwick and Mrs McDermot. Also check out our Roots of Empathy notice board in P2B’s classroom and [http://www.rootsofempathy.org<http://www.rootsofempathy.org/%5Dwww.rootsofempathy.org<http://www.rootsofempathy.org/.
The younger years had a great time learning how to be safe on the street at a road safety Magic Show.
For more information please ask Mrs Harris-Toner, Miss McArthur, Mrs Chadwick and MrsMcDermot. Also check out our Roots of Empathy notice board in P2B’s classroom andwww.rootsofempathy.org.
Another great set of Halloween parties this year organised amazingly again by Mrs Smith. Thank you to her from all staff and students at Dalry.
We will be adding all the photos to this post as teachers get a chance to send them through.
P1/2 have been busy developing their building skills. The boys and girls have used materials from their amazing construction area alongside lots of other toys to build zoos, animal soft lay, aquariums and towers!
Their constructions are becoming more stable but also taller and more adventurous.
Check back to see what they build next! 
This year P2a Miss McArthur’s class, P2b Mrs Chadwick’s and P2’s in Mrs McDermot’s class are experiencing a very special programme called Roots of Empathy. The programme is delivered by trained Instructor Mrs Harris-Toner.
The programme aims to build caring, peaceful and civil societies through the development of empathy in children and adults. The long term focus of Roots of Empathy is to build the capacity of the next generation for responsible citizenship and responsive parenting. And in the short term, Roots of Empathy focuses on raising levels of empathy, resulting in more respectful and caring relationships and reduced levels of bullying and aggression.
Roots of Empathy Baby as “Teacher”
At the heart of the programme are a neighbourhood infant and parent who visit the classroom nine times over the school year. Our Roots of Empathy families are Kirsty Chatwin-Lee and her son Harry and Maxine Fallon and her son Jamie. Our Instructor Mrs Harris-Toner coaches the children to observe the baby’s development and to label the baby’s feelings and intentions. In this experiential earning, the baby is the “Teacher” and a lever that the Instructor uses to help children to identify and reflect on their own feelings and the feelings of others. The children especially enjoyed when Baby Harry and his mum came to visit, they sang Twinkle Twinkle at the end of the session and he fell straight to sleep. And they were delighted to meet Baby Jamie and ask his mum lots of interesting questions.
Emotional Literacy/Perspective-Taking
This “Emotional Literacy” taught in the programme lays the foundation for more safe and caring classrooms, where children are the “Changers.” They are more competent in understanding their own feelings and the feelings of others (empathy), and are therefore less likely to physically, psychologically and emotionally hurt each other through bullying and other emotional cruelties. The cognitive aspect of empathy is perspective-taking and the effective aspect is emotion. Roots of Empathy educates both the mind and heart. Research on the Roots of Empathy program has shown that children who participate in the program know more about emotions and feelings, are kinder to their friends, are less aggressive and bully other children less than those who do not have Roots of Empathy. The programme covers many topics including crying, caring for a baby, emotions, sleep, safety and communication.
Each topic has a Pre Family Visit, Family Visit and Post Family Visit:
The Pre Family Visit: The children have nine visits with Mrs Harris-Toner prior to the family coming to visit, where we focus on infant development and preparation for Family Visit. This offers the children the opportunity to predict what changes they may see in the baby’s development at the Family Visit.
The Family Visit: There are nine visits our Roots of Empathy Families. The Instructor guides children’s observations of the baby’s feelings, intentions, and the attachment relationship. Also demonstrating the baby’s physical and emotional development and temperament, and interacts with the baby through music (eg. singing songs) and early learning games (e.g. peek-a-boo) and the children ask the parents questions about the baby.
Post Family Visit: There are nine visits with Mrs Harris-Toner post the family visit. Where the children reflect on their own feelings and focus on understanding the feelings of others (empathy). Also the programme utilises children’s literature and art/writing are used to foster perspective taking, the cognitive aspect of empathy.
For more information please ask Mrs Harris-Toner, Miss McArthur, Mrs Chadwick and MrsMcDermot. Also check out our Roots of Empathy noticeboard in P2b’s classroom andwww.rootsofempathy.org.
P1/2 enjoying their play provision on a recent morning.
Dalry Primary Edinburgh 