21 March 2025 | Term 1 | Week 8

Kaurna Acknowledgement

Niina Marni. As we feel the earth beneath us, the wind around us and the sun above us, we acknowledge the Kaurna people, the traditional owners of this land. We pay our respects to past Elders and will work with present and emerging Elders to protect and care for this unique land of ours. We also extend this respect to other First Nations peoples. 

Principal's Report

Fundamental movement skills: Building a strong foundation
Reception students are working with Ms. Kate Bowers to develop their Fundamental Movement Skills. The explicit teaching of challenges, introducing new skills such as bouncing and catching a ball and performing a standing jump, enables students to learn skills that will eventually be required for traditional sports. 
These skills are also critical to physical wellbeing e.g. balance and coordination, enabling individuals to navigate the demands of life. 
As well as new challenges, students practise previously taught skills, engaging in a series of activity stations to consolidate their skill level. 

Community & Fundraising Committee News
Community & Fundraising Committee initiatives are well and truly underway with the Colour Fun Run scheduled for Week 1 of next Term. 
The colour fun run brings our school community together in celebration of colour, community and fun with the purpose of raising money for a range of school-based programs. Students will be able to ask their family and friends to donate for each lap of Sanders Oval they complete. This year the committee are aiming to create a commando course as additional challenge. 
New fundraising activities for 2025 include a movie day in the school holidays at the Regent Theatre and a disco as part of Book Week to get extra mileage from the amazing costumes that families create. 

Student-led conferences
Teachers and students are preparing themselves for the first reporting opportunity of the year, with student-led conferences starting from Monday 31 March 2025. Emails containing the booking link will be send tonight, 21/3/25 at 6.00pm. 
Bookings will close at 3.00 the day prior to ensure that students and teachers are prepared for each conference. 

Playground update

Many families will have noticed sections of the Primary Years playground have been closed off since the end of last year. 
As part of our safety checks we noted the movement of some elements of the playground made equipment unsafe. This week we have engaged with the original company that installed the playground, to have the playground repaired. But this will only provide us with 12 months leeway. 
We will need to factor in the replacement of the playground in the near future. This will sadly require the redirection of funds that were allocated for upgrading Mariner Oval. 
Campus Development is identifying timelines for these projects. OSHC have been given voice to identify what they would like to see when the playground is upgraded. 

Can I also remind families that the Primary Years' playgrounds and oval are out of bounds before and after school. The Early Years playground is open for families who are supervising their own children and connecting as part of our community. 

Wellbeing News

Areas of Impact Student Forum
This week our Student Wellbeing, School and Inquiry Ambassadors attended an online forum presented by Martin Westwell, CEO of the Department for Education. 
The forum is a Department of Education initiative where students have an opportunity to provide feedback and ideas in how their learning can be shaped to better meet their needs. 
Over 1200 students from around the state participated in discussions that focused on the difference between learning mode and performance mode. 
Learning mode is where students learn the steps involved in mastering a skill and performance mode is where they demonstrate their proficiency with that skill. 
At school this is how learning happens. For example, students learn a mathematical concept (learning mode) and are then assessed on their understanding of that concept (performance mode). When students are aware of how they learn, they can then have a greater say in how learning is designed for them. 

SAC (Student Action Council) News 
In weeks 7 and 8, SAC reps held their second meeting for the year. There were many discussions around improvements that can be made to the school including play areas, sporting equipment and suggestions as to how the school grounds could be improved. 
It is fantastic to see students having a voice and taking an active interest in their school. 

Did You Know? 

Litter around the school is a subject the SAC reps raise every time we have a meeting. One of the suggestions they have put forward is Nude Food. 
Have you heard about Nude Food? 
Nude Food is food without excess packaging. It is food that comes to school without disposable packaging such as extra plastic bags, paper bags, wrappings or cling wraps. 
It's a wonderful initiative aimed at reducing litter and promoting sustainability. Students are encouraged to bring snacks and lunches in durable, reusable containers. Nude Food not only helps keep food fresh but also supports healthy eating habits. It offers long-term cost savings and environmental benefits by reducing packaging and waste, which in turn helps minimise litter in the school yard. This approach aligns well with efforts to improve the school environment. 

Kind regards,
David Molloy, Student Wellbeing Leader and Autism Inclusion Teacher (AIT)

Culture Spotlight

The Colourful Festival of Holi
At our school, we love learning about different cultures and the special celebrations people enjoy around the world. This month, we are excited to share about Holi, a bright and joyful festival celebrated in India and other parts of the world. 

Holi is also known as the Festival of Colours because people throw colourful powders in the air and on each other to celebrate. It is a happy time that marks the start of spring in India, the end of winter, and reminds everyone about kindness, friendship, and new beginnings. This year Holi was celebrated on the 13th and 14th of March. People play, dance, sing, and share yummy sweets with their friends and family. 

Holi begins with a big bonfire called Holika Dahan the night before, which reminds people that good triumphs over the bad. The next day, everyone joins in the fun of Rangwali Holi, covering each other in bright colours, playing music, and enjoying delicious treats like gujiya (sweet dumplings/pastries) and thandai (a special drink). 
The 'Colour Fun Run' that our school participates in bi-annually is somewhat inspired by the festival Holi, as participants run around the oval while being covered in coloured powder. At Linden Park Primary School, we believe it is important to learn about, appreciate and respect different cultures. Holi teaches us about happiness, togetherness and renewal. We invite our students and families to discover more about this wonderful festival and its message of love and friendship. 

To everyone that celebrated, we hope you had a Happy Holi!

Nicole Scrivener, Deputy Principal - Innovation and Inquiry

Some thoughts from our students; 

Nowruz - The Persian New Year

Nowruz (pronounced 'no-rooz'), also known as the Persian New Year. Nowruz means “New Day” and marks the first day of spring. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in countries like Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia—and by some families in our own school community!

Nowruz is all about fresh starts, kindness, and spending time with family. Before the new year begins, families clean their homes (Khaneh Tekani, meaning “shaking the house”) to welcome good things for the year ahead. A special table called the Haft-Seen is set up with seven symbolic items that all start with the Persian letter 'S' (س), representing things like health, happiness, and good luck.

During Nowruz, people visit family and friends, enjoy delicious food like Sabzi Polo Mahi (herbed rice with fish) and sweet treats like Baklava, and exchange well-wishes. The celebrations end with a fun tradition called Sizdah Bedar, where families spend the day outdoors having picnics and enjoying nature.

At Linden Park Primary School, we love celebrating the cultures and traditions that make our community special. If you and your family celebrate Nowruz, we wish you a wonderful new year—Nowruz Mobarak!

What's an essential agreement?

At Linden Park Primary School your child's learning program is based on the unique blending and strengthening of two curricula: The Australian Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) in years Reception to Year 6. 
The philosophy underlying the PYP encompasses global education, intercultural communication and international mindedness. We strive to develop students who will build a better world through intercultural understanding and respect. These aspirations are summed up in the school's mission statement; 

Linden Park Primary School aims to develop resilient, caring, curious and creative lifelong learners who appreciate diversity, demonstrate global citizenship and make a difference through their actions. 

Collaboration is two or more people working together towards shared goals. Our mission statement builds collegiality and shared understanding about our philosophy. Staff collaborate within and beyond their year level teams, the school and the community. The success of this collaboration can be attributed to the co-construction of essential agreements. 

Essential agreements set the tone for collaboration and teamwork. They are not a set of rules and directions, but rather state what the shared norms and expectations are. Essential agreements are the expected behaviours, routines and codes that are used to maintain an atmosphere conducive for teaching and learning. Every class, staff team and the whole school develop an essential agreement. Everyone works collaboratively to establish an agreement of how the class, team or school will function. 
Before developing the agreements, it is important to identify our own beliefs about learning. In the case for classroom agreements teachers work with students to consider what helps them to learn and what hinders their learning. Together the class unpacks what is learning (what does it look like, sound like, feel like), what learners value, what the school values, and the disposition or characteristics of a successful learner (the IB learner profile). From here students brainstorm a set of class norms. 
Similarly, staff delve deeply into their understanding of agreements before creating their norms of working in teams. Reflecting on the importance of establishing norms;

- Why do essential agreements matter to me? 
- Why do essential agreements matter to students? 
- Why do essential agreements matter to other stakeholders (parents)? 

It is important that students have a voice and agency in the decision making process of developing essential agreements. This ensures understanding and promotes ownership of the norms. 

Here are some examples of our classroom essential agreements: 

Library News

Reminder - Premier's Reading Challenge 

Hi families, 

Just a reminder that the years 1 to 6 students should be halfway in completion of their Premier's Reading Challenge sheets/documentation. 
A reminder that 8 of the books are to be PRC stickered books and 4 of the books can be free choice. 

Well done to the students who have already completed their PRC sheet and given it to their classroom teacher. 

All students are asked to complete the PRC sheet by halfway through term 2. 

Thank you, 
Russell Hanson, Teacher-Librarian

Governing Council 2025

The role of the Governing Council is to support the Strategic Direction of Linden Park Primary School in conjunction with the Principal and Leadership team, taking into account the needs and expectations of the school community. 
The following parents were elected at the recent Annual General Meeting: 
Anokhi Parikh (Chair), Xinrui (John) Wang (Deputy Chair), Melanie Sandery, Brooke Robins, Serena Shahrinaz, Rachel Conway, Shamus Cogan-Briater, Bolei Deng, Zhiyong (Julian) Zhu, Kasi Anantuni, Ahmad Darwish Alhajji, Andrew Gunner, Donna Lee and Catherine Heyward. 

Reporting to the Governing Council are five-subcommittees: 
Finance Committee
Student Learning & Wellbeing Committee
Sports & Health Committee
Campus Development Committee
Community & Fundraising Committee

Any parent from the school community is welcome to join one or more of the sub-committees (Finance Committee is by invitation only) - please email dl.0647.info@schools.sa.edu.au with your contact details. 

School Sport SA (SAPSASA) District Swimming

Linden Park Primary Claims Fourth Consecutive Championship!

On Thursday, 6th March, 19 talented students from Linden Park Primary School participated in the Adelaide South East District Swimming Carnival at the Norwood Outdoor Swimming Pool. Students were selected based on their outstanding performances at the LPPS swimming trials earlier in the term. The carnival featured 13 schools from the local area, all competing with great enthusiasm and sportsmanship. 
It was a fantastic day for swimming, with all competitors giving their best efforts in the pool and supporting one another. A special congratulations to the following students for their outstanding achievements: 

Matt T - 1st Place 10yr Breaststroke, 2nd Place 10yr Freestyle, 3rd Place 10yr Backstroke
Jessie L - 1st Place 10yr Butterfly, 3rd Place 10yr Freestyle, 3rd Place 10yr Breaststroke
Mark S - 1st Place 11yr Backstroke, 2nd Place 11yr Butterfly 
Louis S - 1st Place 10yr Freestyle, 2nd Place 10yr Butterfly
Zimeng L - 1st Place 11yr Breaststroke 
Grace L - 2nd Place 11yr Butterfly, 3rd Place 100m Freestyle, 3rd Place 11yr Freestyle 
Oscar E - 2nd Place 10yr Backstroke, 3rd Place 10yr Breaststroke, 3rd Place 10yr Butterfly 
Lara T - 2nd Place 12yr Backstroke 
Nicholas S-W - 2nd Place 11yr Breaststroke 
Shuhao W - 3rd Place 11yr Freestyle 
Colin L - 3rd Place 11yr Butterfly 
Leo St - 3rd Place 12yr Backstroke 

The most exciting moment of the day came when LPPS was crowned the highest-scoring school, finishing with an impressive 839 points to secure the Adelaide South East District Championship for the fourth year in a row! 

A special congratulations to Grace L, Jessie L, Matt T, Louis S, Mark S, Shuhao W, Daniel L and Nicholas S-W, who have been selected to represent the Adelaide South East District team at the State SAPSASA Championship in Week 10. We wish them al the best as they compete at the next level! 

Well done to all students for their hard work, dedication, and fantastic sportsmanship. 

Movie Day | The Minecraft Movie

The Community and Fundraising Committee invite you to an exciting Movie Day featuring the Minecraft Movie! 
This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community during the school holidays while supporting our school. 
With a limited number of tickets available, be sure to secure yours early. 
All funds raised will contribute to enhancing our outdoor play areas. 
Tickets are available to purchase on Qkr! 
Plus, raffle tickets will be available for purchase on the day, with your chance to win a Burnside Village Voucher. 
We look forward to seeing you there! 

Please note that this is an unsupervised event and ALL children must be accompanied by a paying adult for the duration of the film. 

Swimming Carnival | Years 4-6

Please see below an invitation to our upcoming Linden Park Primary School Swimming Carnival from the Davenport, Gleeson and Waite House Captains! 

Materials & Services Charge and Excursion Levy 2025

This is a friendly reminder that the deadline for payment of school charges is fast approaching. Please ensure that all payments are made by 31st March 2025.

If you have already completed a School Card Application or arranged a Payment Plan, please disregard this notice and thank you for your attention to this matter.

We appreciate your cooperation and support in ensuring the smooth operation of our school.

Parent Forum for Families and Children with Disability

Parents and carers of children with disability are invited to join a free parent forum on Wednesday 26 March 2025. 
The session will provide an overview of the department's supports and services to help families understand the resources available to support their child's learning outcomes, including: 
- student support services
- healthcare plans
- external providers
- personalised learning. 

When: Wednesday 26 March 2025 - 9.45am to 2.00pm 
Where: 72a Marlborough Street, Henley Beach
Register here

Community News