26 May 2023: Week 4 - Term 2
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
Fiona Voigt, Principal
Road safety reminder
Ensuring road safety in and around school is such a critical issue for all. Children are among the most vulnerable road users and hence, adequate care and caution must be a priority for our community. Staff are reporting parents are performing three-point turns on Highfield and Hay Roads where the traffic flow is already congested. The round-a-bouts on both provide a safer and often quicker alternative.
Pedestrian crossings play a vital role in enhancing road safety near schools and yet we have parents who ignore the opportunity to be positive role models by using the pedestrian crossings. Our Year 6 students volunteer to supervise the Crossing, they give their own time to making the journey home safer for the school community.
Our thanks to all those who do their very best to create a safe environment for all of our road users.
Assembly Awards
Congratulations to all those students who demonstrated the Learner Profile Attributes this past fortnight in R -6.
Years 3-6
Principal's awards: Primary Years recipients - Friday, 19 May
Principal's awards: Early Years recipients - Friday, 12 May
Chess enthusiasts
It was heartening to see so many of our Year 3 students and some of their younger siblings participating in the Chess Competition of Friday night.
LPPS had wonderful representation with 15 students in their first matches.
Sizzling Starts
A key strategy to developing students as creative writers has been the use of 'Sizzling Starts, part of the Seven Steps approach to writing. Room 39 students, under the guidance of Ms Kate Low, have developed these introductions aimed at piquing the interest of their readers.
In Room 39 we have been exploring vivid vocabulary and language choices that elevate our creative writing and engage the audience. We used the following picture prompt to write captivating Sizzling Starts that grab the attention of the reader by making them curious. After sharing with each other, we reflected on what we are doing well and what our next steps will be in order to keep moving our creative writing forward.
Fright Night - by Keith W
The cold night breeze lashes onto my bare skin. Moonlight cast down, creating a pale, eerie vibe. Standing by the rusty lamppost, with no signs of life in sight, I continue my endless wait for the long overdue train. All of a sudden, glistening, golden soil gradually arises from the barren ground. At that same moment, I feel a harsh, piercing gaze, coming from the cliffs on the other side of the tracks. Peculiar figures then start to form shapes from the golden soil, looking somewhat humanoid. I turn around in the opposite direction and run for my life without hesitation, as shrill, ear-piercing cries screech through the pure darkness behind me.
Leaving Home - by Aarsh
He was cold and scared as the air around him turned black. His dog was barking at the clock as the moonlight shone, slashing at his face. His overalls were short and tight allowing the cold to slither in. The train horn slowly screeched across the horizon. The dog barked even louder as his hair stood on the back of his neck. He felt as if something was watching him. Eerily. You know that feeling you get when you fall suddenly in your dreams? That’s how he felt. The train arrived. He was scared, leaving home.
Internally Marooned - by Shaurya
Once in a blue moon, you are stranded. Once in a blue moon, you are hopeless, lost inside and knowing nothing about one’s true self. Clenching a yellow plush bear and hauling the suitcase, the clock overlooking the station dimmed the once joyful nostalgia of hugging Ma’s presence. Why had life been merciless, treating me like a tattered ragdoll? “Ah well,” I snickered, accepting the bitter truth. “When the clock hits twelve, my train will arrive. The second it leaves, a new chapter in my entity will be found.”
The Child - by Khadeeja
The moon shone like a diamond in the sky. The child slowly scraped his feet across the grimy train station tiles, shivering, as he tried to cover his body with his ripped overalls. He tiredly dragged a ruined suitcase along with him. A dog with matted fur yipped with barely any sound, and weakly trudged along, following the child with every step. There was rumbling, ominously increasing with volume every second. He clutched his torn, dirty stuffed bear and gulped, swallowing barely any saliva as the train arrived.
Fiona Voigt, Principal
Staffing news
We are fortunate to have Daniel Wade, ICT Coordinator join our dedicated team at Linden Park Primary School.
Welcome Daniel!
National Reconciliation Week 2023
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
The theme ‘Be a voice for generations’ encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives- where we live, work and socialise.
The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.
27 May 1967: On this day, Australia’s most successful referendum saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise them in the Census.
3 June 1992: On this day, the Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision, the culmination of Eddie Koiki Mabo’s challenge to the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no one) and leading to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of lands.
National Reconciliation Week begins on National Sorry Day on 26 March. National Sorry Day is a day to remember and acknowledge the strength of Stolen Generations Survivors who were mistreated and forcibly removed from their families and communities. It is a day to reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and nation.
At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. There are five interrelated domains of reconciliation including; race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity, unity and historical acceptance. Reconciliation cannot be seen as a single issue or agenda; the contemporary definition of reconciliation must weave all of these threads together.
Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The IB philosophy encompasses international mindedness and global citizenship. Intercultural understanding is a General Capability of the Australian Curriculum and Cross Cultural perspectives are embedded in all that we do. Celebrating National Reconciliation Week is a way to embrace our nation's rich cultural heritage, while embracing curriculum commitments.
During Reconciliation Week classes will participate in a wide range of activities and students will view a series of videos that our Wellbeing Leader, Jane Angove has compiled for students to view during eating times in the classroom.
Reconciliation Action Plan Committee
The RAP committee met for our first meeting in week 2 of this term. The working group membership involving parents, teachers and community members ensures that the responsibility of reconciliation is everyone’s business.
What is a RAP?
The RAP provides a framework for us to ensure that we support the national reconciliation movement. Our RAP was previously published on the Nurragunnawali website and is now up for review in 2023. We worked in collaboration with Reconciliation SA to develop a plan that aligned with our context and initiatives.
During this meeting the RAP committee first revised the school’s journey and background to how the RAP was developed over the last couple of years. The committee members then worked together to complete the Reflection Survey. This is an internal planning tool that provides a snapshot of our school’s reconciliation journey. The committee completed this survey together. The questions were grouped into ‘classroom’, ‘school’ and ‘community’.
Our next meeting will involve the revision of our vision statement included in the document.
Year 3 Art
By: Kara Loan, Art Teacher .......
As a lead up to Reconciliation Week, the Year 3’s have been exploring a range of Australian Indigenous Artists and their artworks. In Art class, students discussed ideas about traditional and contemporary art methods and the messages portrayed in these works. We also discussed the stories passed down from the elders, the connections to land and their environment and the symbols used. Students were then asked to think about a special place or moment and communicated this by creating collages using tissue paper on acetate sheets. Students looked at how layering the tissue paper created new colours particularly when placed against the windows throughout the art making process. The students’ works of art will be displayed on their classroom windows for Reconciliation Week.
You can also find a small selection of our students artworks on the The Art Gallery of South Australia Education Gallery: https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/education/agsa-student-gallery/early-years-and-primary-student-gallery/year-3-collage-linden-park-primary-school/
Following on from this, the Year 3’s extended their learning by exploring the works by Artists Maringka Tunkin, Byron Brooks and Waal- Waal Ngallanetta (Artworks found in the AGSA Resource ‘The Essential Introduction to Aboriginal Art’) and the Bush Footy paintings by Central Australian Artist Dinny Kunoth Kemarre.
https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/education/resources-educators/resources-educators-ATSIart/
Students discussed similarities between these artworks, how they appeared ‘Map- like’ and depict country from a Birdseye view.
As a class we looked at a map of Kaurna land and then used Google Earth to zoom in on areas of interest, such as footy stadiums, the school, the beach and the Botanic Gardens. We printed maps of these areas, which were a source of inspiration for both group and individual artworks. The Year 3 Artworks will be displayed in the front office and in classrooms in week 6 for Reconciliation Week.
Kara Loan, Art Teacher
Wellbeing News
Jane Angove
Student Action Committee (SAC)
In early Term Two, the SAC created an Bullying Survey for each class to complete. After compiling the data, it became clear there are some important areas to address.
Our findings:
Types of bullying at LPPS
- 44% verbal
- 27% physical
- 23% social
- 6% cyber
- 49% bullying has occurred on the oval
- 33% students have been a bystander to bullying
- 12% did not know what action to take when they saw bullying
Reactions to being bullied:-
- 28% told bully to stop
- 28% reported to a teacher
- 10% did nothing
- 8% did not know what action to take
- 26% told someone at home
As an SAC, we are working hard to promote strategies to reduce bullying and endorse upstanders at LPPS. This term, our classes have been viewing and discussing anti-bullying videos during our eating time. The SAC have been busy designing anti-bullying posters to share around the school.
Alexa K, Zhizhen S (Room 33) & Grace F (Room 16)
Rosie G (Room 6) & Sebastian C (Room 8)
Patrick L, Sally X (Room 28) & Genevieve C (Room 29)
The SAC and Student Wellbeing Leaders look forward to sharing more anti-bullying strategies at our Wellbeing assemblies later this term (Early Years: Friday 23 June - week 8 and Primary Years: Friday, 30 June - week 9.)
Wellbeing & Engagement Collection (WEC) Survey
During weeks 2-5, all students in Years 4-6 will have the opportunity to complete the Wellbeing & Engagement Collection (WEC) survey. This survey is a Department for Education survey that collects valuable data on student wellbeing and engagement within their schools. We hope to use this data in conjunction with our bullying survey.
National Walk Safely to School Day
Last Friday 19th May, many families braved the drizzle to participate in National Walk Safely to School Day. Thank you to all those who took part in this event!
More information: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/
National Walk Safely to School Day
Jane Angove, Student Wellbeing Leader (Acting)
Athletics day
At Linden Park, we plan our sports carnival to maximise full participation for all students and most importantly to be lots of fun! It is a great opportunity for students to show house spirit, good spirited rivalry, as well as their skills in particular events.
We split our House Sports Carnival into two separate days – an Athletics half day this term and then the finale, the LPPS Sports Day in Term 4. Whilst the Term 4 event focuses on competing in class house teams in a range of sporting challenges aligned to our school sports, the Athletics session features the traditional track and field events: Discus, Shot Put, Long Jump, High Jump and Sprints.
Last week, in beautiful sunny weather, our Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 students displayed their skills in the Athletic components over at Mariner Oval. Students have been practicing in their PE lessons and are encouraged to give it their all as individual scores are recorded and tallied to convert to House points. These are then added to the LPPS Primary Sports Day scores in Term 4 to determine our Sports Shield Winner.
The Athletics scores also provides an opportunity to identify students who will be selected to represent LPPS in the District SAPSASA Athletics competition later this year. Time trials for student selection in 200m, 800m and 1500m events will be conducted in the coming weeks.
Special mention ........
A big thank you to Enzo Bria and Sam Vickery for preparing the oval.
Sam put a lot of time and effort into lining for all of the day's events and it looked magnificent! Sam's continued commitment in maintaining Mariner Oval is truly valued and appreciated by staff and students @ LPPS.
Kathy Wall, PE Teacher
Home Languages Matter at LPPS
As an International Baccalaureate school, we recognise and value cultural diversity, and home and family languages within the Linden Park Primary School community.
Next week, families will receive a link to a survey that will provide the school with information regarding languages spoken at home. We would really appreciate families taking the time to complete the questions by Friday, 9 June 2023.
Thank you,
Ingrid Blaschka, Jo Casey, Voula Contouris, Melissa Montgomerie, Catherine Myers & Heidi Rohrig
