8 November 2024 | Term 4 | Week 4

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

Sports days 2024

What a contrast from 2023 - perfect weather, over both the Early and Primary Years, Sports days. The smooth sailing of the days, tribute to the organisation of Harry, Geoff, Henry and Kane. I would also acknowledge the work of the teachers and House Captains whose energy on the day ensured that students were encouraged, supported and enjoyed a positive day.

Congratulations to our winners;

• The Sportsmanship award won by Davenport, a meagre 5 points ahead of Waite. Students were awarded points for encouraging their classmates, competing for another team and generally maintain a positive and competitive spirit.
• The Sports day Shield, won by Cleland for the first time in several years, on 1296 points edging out Davenport by 36 points.
• The boys and girls 400 metres were won by new athletes with Elaine W successful over the 2023 winner Lara T. Gianluca Z took out the boys' event ahead of Billy S.  
• The blue-ribbon event; Staff versus Year 6 relay was won this year by the staff with their relentless pursuit of success, with no quarter given to their competitors.

The audience behaviour of our students, seated in their houses was much improved from previous years; as teams cheered on their team-mates competing in the Championship races.

My gratitude to those parents and ex-students, who year after year, support with the set-up and pack-up; lugging marquees and equipment across both Mariner and Sanders ovals – Thank you

Chess Success

Four of our female Chess progenies played-off against the talented Saint Andrews team for the opportunity to participate in the National championships in Perth.  Cindy and Charlotte C, Elaine W and April L were focused, applying themselves to games of strategy against worthy competitors. The battle came down to a game between Charlotte C and her opponent, one that lasted close to an hour, with each move countered, and strategy that unfolded moves in advance. The girls took up Chess after their tuition started in Year 2 with Alan Goldsmith. 

The final score of three to one, had the girls celebrating and excited at the potential of a trip to Perth to face off against the best the country has to offer. Congratulations to the girls and their proud families!

Student-Free day focus

Today’s student-free day, Review & Reset has seen a focus on looking back over the past three years of school improvement with a focus on Literacy, Numeracy and Enhanced PYP; with the setting of goals for the next cycle. Our new Site Learning Plan will incorporate the Public Education Strategy and the recommendations of the recent IB Evaluation.

The Public Education Strategy has four key levers of impact:

• Wellbeing
• Learner Agency
• Expert Learners
• Equity & excellence

Staff and learners are engaging with challenges that will shape the focus of the new plan.

Fiona Voigt, Principal

Linden Park Primary School is an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program school. The philosophy underlying the PYP encompasses global education, intercultural communication and international mindedness. Students make connections to their global community and assume a sense of responsibility towards its members.

The profile of our students is highly diverse, with more than 70 different cultures being represented across the school. The Student Learning and Wellbeing Committee acknowledges this and has made a commitment to ensure that culture is more visible and represented across the school.

Culture Spotlight

Happy Diwali

Diwali, also known as Deepawali, is a popular Hindu festival known as the ‘Festival of Lights’. Different variations of celebration happen across India and Sri Lanka, as well as all over the world. It is enjoyed by many different people regardless of faith including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. Diwali symbolises new beginnings, the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

During the celebration many illuminate their homes and public places with diyas (oil lamps), candles and lanterns to symbolise the light of protection. People also take part in ceremonies, prayer, firework displays and gatherings with each other.

The festival itself takes place on a different date each year, according to the Hindu Lunar calendar, usually between October and November. This year Diwali was on Thursday the 31st of October. It lasts for 5 days with each day typically having different rituals and traditions. The 5-day celebrations calendar starts from the 29^th of October until the 3rd of November, with the day of Diwali being on the 31st. On this day many people wear their nicest clothes and say ‘Happy Diwali’ to each other.

On the first day- many clean their homes and prepare food.

On the second day- people decorate their homes with clay lamps and create ‘rangoli’ designs made out of rice, sand or flowers created on the floor of the home.

On the third day- families gather for prayer, feast together and celebrate with fireworks.

On the fourth day- friends and relatives visit with gifts and best wishes for the season. A common theme is the bond between husband and wife, so husbands will often buy their spouses gifts to celebrate.

On the fifth day- the focus on the bond between siblings, specifically between brother and sister where they celebrate and share a meal together.

The message of positivity, and kindness is one of importance that if everyone lives by, it will make the world a better place.

Nicole Scrivener, Deputy Principal - Innovation and Inquiry

STEM Week in the Early Years

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week parents ran small workshops during lunch play time for the junior primary students in the COLA. Stations included making balloon rockets, creating bugs, making putty and the physics of paper planes. Thanks to all our parent volunteers who assisted.

Year 6 STEM Week 2024

During STEM Week our Year 6 students worked with the science teachers and students from Glenunga International High School to participate in a variety of STEM workshops.

The workshops involved; working with microscopes, designing bridges, and creating alginate worms.

Each station was a hive of activity and as you can see in the photos below students were in deep concentration and collaboration.

Primary Years (3-6) Annual Sports Day

On Friday, 1st November, students from Years 3 to 6 gathered to participate in our annual Primary Years Sports Day. The event offered an exciting blend of class tabloid activities and championship sprints, allowing students to showcase a range of athletic skills, enthusiasm, and exemplary sportsmanship.

Among the day’s highlights were the eagerly anticipated teacher-student events, which once again captivated the audience:

• The Year 6 Students versus Teachers recess soccer match thrilled spectators, ending in a hard-fought victory for the teachers.
• The staff-student mixed relay sprint brought the action to a climax, with an incredibly close race that saw the teachers secure the win.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Simply Fresh at Erindale for their generous donation of fruit for the students, as well as to the parent volunteers and LPPS staff, whose dedication and support were invaluable to the event’s success.

The final standings, including the results from Athletics Day, were as follows:

1. Cleland (Red): 1,296 points - 1st Place
2. Davenport (Blue): 1,260 points - 2nd Place
3. Waite (Yellow): 1,202 points - 3rd Place
4. Gleeson (Green): 1,144 points - 4th Place

Points were awarded throughout the day by teachers in recognition of students who demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, positivity, and a willingness to take risks. This year, the coveted Sportsmanship Shield for 2024 was proudly awarded to Team Davenport.

Congratulations to all students, teachers, and supporters who made this year’s Sports Day a memorable celebration of teamwork and athletic spirit!

Geoff Mills, PE Teacher & Harry Slee, Sports Coordinator

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Wellbeing News

Student Wellbeing Leaders

On Monday 28^th October our Student Wellbeing Leaders Linda W, Chelsea M, Caitlin T, Jenny W, Aliya J and Chenuki U, gave a presentation at the Governing Council meeting. The girls presented the work they had been doing throughout the year and their analysis of the Wellbeing and Engagement survey data.

It was evident that they had put in a lot of work into their presentation and their leadership skills and confidence stood out.

On behalf of the Governing Council and myself, congratulations and well done on a fantastic presentation and all your hard work this year.

SAC News

Student Action Committees (SAC) met over the last two weeks and it was pleasing to see that classes are holding meetings and their ideas are being presented by their class representative. Students learn at these meetings that all ideas and suggestions are valued, their voice in decision-making does matter and their contributions are respected.

One area which is spoken about quite frequently is litter in the yard and the some students in the coming weeks will be creating ‘No Littering’ posters which will be placed on bins.

During our last meetings students were asked to come up with ideas about an end of year fundraiser. Students couldn’t decide on a crazy hair, crazy clothes or crazy sock day but could agree that all three could be combined. Therefore, our end of term fundraiser will be ‘Crazy Day.’ Money raised will go towards improving the Peace Garden area.

ThinkUKnow

Recently Year 5 and 6 students had a visit from the South Australian Police, who presented the ThinkUKnow program. The program focuses on teaching students how to be safe online, how to identify situations that may place them at risk of harm and who to turn to for help such as parents, teachers or the police.

Parents were also invited to a Q&A on Hay to hear the Federal Police present the adult version of the program.

The important message that both parents and students were given was to have open and honest conversations about what is happening online and for parents to reassure their children that they won’t get in trouble or banned from electronic devices if things go wrong, but will be understood and supported.

More information about the program and how to support your children to be safe online can be found at the link below.

 ThinkUKnow.org.au

DID YOU KNOW?

Online child sexual exploitation includes a wide range of behaviours and situations. Most commonly this includes grooming, live streaming, consuming child sexual abuse material, and coercing and blackmailing children for sexual purposes.

This could include:

• An adult engaging a child in a chat about sexual acts 
• An adult sending nude or pornographic images of themselves to a child or exposing themselves via live streaming
• Asking a child to view pornographic images/videos
• Asking a child to perform sexual acts, expose themselves or share a sexual image 
• Taking or making and sharing or showing indecent images of children

Online child sexual exploitation is often thought of as adults abusing children, however, research indicates that more and more child exploitation material is being shared via social media, and is being produced by children themselves.  This is sometimes called self-generated sexual content and often takes the form of ‘sexting’ which is requesting, capturing and sharing of explicit material.

A child may be or feel pressured, forced or coerced into taking and sharing these explicit images with their peers or friends. 
If you or your child discovers sexual content of themselves has been shared online, the eSafety Commissioner can also assist with having this removed.

It’s important to have open and honest conversations with your children, and ensure they’d feel comfortable telling a trusted adult if they are contacted by someone they don’t know.

More information can be found at: What is online child sexual exploitation? | ACCCE

David Molloy, Student Wellbeing Leader and Autism Inclusion Teacher

Remembrance Day

As Remembrance Day approaches on November 11, we come together as a school to reflect on the significance of this important day. It is a time to remember and honour the courage and sacrifices of those who have served in the armed forces, particularly those who fought to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.

At our school, we believe that teaching our students about Remembrance Day is essential for understanding the importance of peace, gratitude, and empathy. These values align closely with our mission to cultivate compassionate and globally minded citizens and the IB Learner Profile attributes of being caring, knowledgeable and open-minded. Through reflection and remembrance, we can foster a deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by many and reinforce the message that peace is something to be cherished and protected.

On this special day, we will observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m., joining millions around the country in a collective act of remembrance. Our students will participate in various activities to learn about the history of Remembrance Day, the significance of the poppy, and the stories of bravery and resilience that continue to inspire us all.

In addition, we encourage families to engage in meaningful discussions at home about Remembrance Day and what it represents. This could include watching documentaries, reading stories about soldiers and their experiences, or reflecting on the importance of working toward a peaceful world.

We hope that through our efforts, students will gain a greater understanding of the importance of remembrance, and how they too can contribute to making the world a better, more peaceful place.

Lest we forget.

ICAS Medal Winners 2024

Congratulations to our 2024 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) Medal winners! We would like to congratulate the outstanding achievements of the 2024 ICAS medal winners and recognise the teachers, families and community who have supported them thought their education thus far.

Being awarded an ICAS medal is a significant accomplishment. Students with the highest score in each year level, in each subject, are awarded an ICAS medal and a medal winner’s certificate. This year, Linden Park Primary had four students who have collected ICAS We would like to congratulate the following students on their exceptional academic accomplishment:

• Rebecca J – Year 4 English
• Emily C – Year 6 English
• Zhizhen S – Year 6 Mathematics
• Danny G – Year 6 Science & Year 6 Mathematics

Harry Slee, ICAS Coordinator

Australian Mathematics Competition - State Award Winners

In early Term 3, students at Linden Park Primary School competed in the Australian Maths Competition.

The AMC is an engaging 30-problem competition that demonstrates the importance and relevance of mathematics in students’ everyday lives; it is open to students in years 4-6 at Linden Park Primary School. Australia’s leading educators and academics, with a deep understanding of our national curriculum standards, actively design the unique AMC problems each year. The Australian Mathematics Competition is designed to test mathematical thinking. The problems get more difficult through the competition. Students of all standards will make progress through the problems and also be challenged along the way.

Linden Park Primary School had multiple students who received an award as they were recognise for their outstanding results in the competition.

We would like to congratulate the following students:

Year 4:

• Hoang B
• Evan Y
• Daniel W
• Jessie L

Year 5:

• Oliver D
• Daniel L
• Ryan L
• Henry W

Year 6:

• Charlotte C
• Danny G
• Chuyi P
• Zhizhen S
• Oliver T
• Linda W
• Hannah Z

Harry Slee, AMC Coordinator

SAPSASA Cricket Carnival

LPPS students represent the Adelaide South East and Central Metro in the State SAPSASA Cricket Carnival

Congratulations to the Linden Park Primary students for their outstanding achievements at the Year 5/6 District SAPSASA State Cricket Carnival! Held from November 4th to 6th, this event saw five talented students from Linden Park Primary representing both Adelaide South East and Central Metro zones.

Special recognition goes to:

• Genevieve C (Year 6) and Mishika V (Year 6), who played for the Girls Central Metro team.
• Thomas D (Year 6), Darcy A (Year 5), and Dhruv P (Year 5), who represented the Boys Adelaide South East District team

A special mention to both Genevieve C and Mishika V for being crowned champions of the State! What an incredible experience and achievement for you both.

Well done to each of these students for their hard work, skill, and dedication on the cricket field!

Year 5/6 SAPSASA Basketball State Finals Carnival

On Wednesday, 30th October, our Year 5/6 SAPSASA Basketball teams proudly represented Linden Park at the state finals carnival. We were thrilled to be one of the few schools in South Australia with both a boys' and a girls' team qualifying to compete at this prestigious event.

The girls’ team started off strong, winning their first two games and showing resilience as they faced tougher competition in the later rounds. Their effort, teamwork, and determination were truly commendable, and they should be very proud of how they represented our school.

The boys' team had an incredible run, going undefeated in all their preliminary games to reach the grand final. In a closely contested final match, the boys fought hard but ultimately lost in a nail-biting finish. Their outstanding performance saw them finish as runners-up in the state, proudly taking home silver medals—a remarkable achievement!

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the students for their dedication and commitment. Over the past few months, they have given up their recess and lunch breaks to train for this event, and their positive attitudes, teamwork, and support for one another during the carnival were inspiring.

A big thank you also to our supportive parents who helped with transport and cheered on the teams throughout both the qualifying and finals carnivals. Lastly, thank you to Geoff and everyone else involved in making this experience possible. This was a fantastic achievement for Linden Park, and we couldn’t be prouder of our teams!

Community News