2 August 2024: Term 3 Week 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

Dear Families

Half-way through the year already…..

Day 1: LPPS welcomed 34 new Receptions and many new families, the first mid-year intake in over a decade. A new classroom was established to make way for a sixth Reception class.

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For those Receptions who started at the beginning of the year; they are celebrating 100 days of being at school. Investigations in Room 11 has a hundred theme with students exploring what 100 means in varying contexts.  Many students joined with Ms Lara to dress-up as centenarians (100 years old).

Parent Survey

Each year the Department for Education provides families with opportunity to provide schools with feedback. The 2024 Parent Engagement Survey has been launched this week, closing on the Sunday 8 September 2024.

From the 274 responses in 2023, last years’ survey provided feedback that was on the whole, appreciative of the work that the LPPS staff do to support and develop each and every child to achieve their best.  By far and away, Communication is the most outstanding issue for our community; parents find our multiple apps frustrating, wanting easier access.  Whilst the responses look positive, the comments clearly express dissatisfaction.

• Receives enough Communication – 83% of parents agree/strongly agree
• School Communicates effectively – 82% of parents agree/strongly agree.

LPPS have maintained a paper-free approach and are currently early adopters of the Departments’ new communication system. The EMS Parent Portal, (FROG) will eventually replace the need for as many apps but we are unfortunately not at a point where we can eliminate the various apps yet. Each platform has its own purpose for information sharing, eg Schoolzine is for ‘static’ communication opposed to Szapp where we need a response, usually permission. It is, like most change - a work in progress.

Feedback about students’ achievement is also an area of challenge; work needs to be done to develop a mutual understanding of what is possible regarding individual feedback.   Staff along with Governing Council are currently exploring our Assessment & Reporting policy, aligning our practices with the Department for Education and the IB Standards & practices.

Your time and feedback is appreciated.

World Educators Day

LPPS has a committed team of staff who often act as a second family to our students, providing before and after school care. Wednesday 31 July 2024, World Educators Day,  provided opportunity for some of these committed educators to gather and celebrate their commitment to our students.

Kind regards,

Fiona Voigt, Principal

Staffing news

Please welcome Hailey Selkrig and Sarah Jarrett (SSOs Classroom).

We wish Hailey and Sarah all the best and welcome them to Linden Park Primary School.  

Happy Primary Principals’ Day to our Principal Fiona Voigt

This year, Australian Primary Principals' Day is celebrated on Friday 2 August 2024. 

This event gives school communities, education stakeholders and the community at large, an opportunity to celebrate our nation’s primary principals. We are delighted to have the opportunity to acknowledge Fiona, and share our appreciation for the incredibly valuable work she does every day.

Fiona loves nothing more than getting out of the office and into the yard or learning spaces first hand with the students. As a community we thought what a great way to celebrate Fiona by supplying her with a ‘Principal’s Passport’ to travel across the school with a boarding pass to visit different areas on an itinerary. Fiona took a journey around the school to experience as many interactions as she could with the staff and students at LPPS.

Fiona's visits to different learning spaces included being serenaded by the Year 2 cohort, going on a ‘talk and walk’ with Year 6 students from Room 39, and finally participating in a buddy experience with the students from Room 28 and Room 7. As Fiona journeyed across the school her passport was ‘stamped’.

We want to express our gratitude for Fiona’s hard work, contributions and unwavering commitment to our school. Thank you!

Thank you Fiona from our students

Book Week 2024

Term 3 will see our annual Book Week celebrations being held during Week 5 -  19 - 23 August.

The theme for this year’s Book Week is 'Reading is Magic'.

During the week the students will be able to participate in:

• A sustainable book swap
• Purchase items from the Scholastic Book Fair
• Whole School Assembly and Book Week Costume Parade (Friday)
• A class session with an illustrator
• Story Walk
• Colouring Competition (R-2)
• Bookmark Design Competition (3-6)
• Whole School Picnic – Sanders Oval

Students will be asked to bring to school an old book (in good condition) to swap with another student in their classroom/year level for the sustainable book swap.

If families plan to sort their child’s books out, please retain some books for your child to bring for this future book swap.

Thank you,

Russell Hanson, Teacher-Librarian

PYP Evaluation visit

On Wednesday 25 September to Friday 27 September Linden Park Primary School will have our International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) evaluation visit. 

Programme evaluation is the primary means of ensuring that schools are meeting the IB programme standards and practices. This process can also serve as a catalyst for school improvement.

What is programme evaluation?

• is both a requirement and a service provided by the IB to IB World Schools
• is a reflective exercise that involves the entire school community
• assesses whether a school meets the programme standards and practices and will remain an authorised IB World School
• supports school efforts to continually improve the delivery of the programme(s)
• results in a clear plan for next steps and future actions
• can result in improved teaching and learning

How are schools evaluated?

Schools complete a self-study process assessing their implementation of IB standards and practices and gathering evidence to support their assessment. The IB evaluates that evidence and provides feedback to the school. 

The programme standards and practices:

• are expected to be developed and implemented, fully understood and integrated into school processes at the time of programme evaluation
• provide a set of criteria against which both the IB World Schools and the IB can evaluate success in the implementation of IB programmes

When are schools evaluated?

Schools are evaluated every five years. The evaluation visit itself is over a period of three days.

Who?

We will have the pleasure of meeting our evaluators;

Michael Bowmer from South Australia and Rachna Sharma.

BEFORE THE SCHOOL VISIT

Schools go through a process over the 5 year period to prepare for evaluation. Such as;

• create a timeline to work towards the visit
• submit preliminary review templates
• work on self-study with involvement of all stakeholders
• prepare the agenda and timetable for the visit days

DURING THE SCHOOL VISIT

• look at various evidence provided to ensure that standards are met
• meet with the school community who are involved (Governing Council, staff and students)
• interview individuals and small groups of stakeholders
• observe classroom lessons
• tour the school
• draft a report that will include recommendations, commendations and matters to be addressed

Overview of the Process

Programme evaluation is one aspect of the continuous improvement cycle.

For further information, please refer to the sites provided:

• https://vimeo.com/239220623
• https://pds.ibo.org/organizing-programme-evaluation-in-your-school/#/lessons/ZEnEL7qC5ZT3So9axJt3LUxqr4yPmbL1
• https://pds.ibo.org/organizing-programme-evaluation-in-your-school/#/lessons/ZEnEL7qC5ZT3So9axJt3LUxqr4yPmbL1

Nicole Scrivener, Deputy Principal: Innovation and Inquiry

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is a special day held annually on August 4, dedicated to celebrating First Nation children. The theme for Children’s Day 2024, “Strong in Culture, Stronger Together,” elevates the intention of this celebration, focusing on the importance of children and their connection to culture and community. The theme highlights the importance of cultural identity, a strong sense of self and belonging.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is a day to celebrate the youngest members of the world’s oldest living cultures. It is a day for all Australians to show support and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, their families and communities.

Nicole Scrivener, Deputy Principal: Innovation and Inquiry

Embracing Risk-Taking at Linden Park Primary School

At Linden Park Primary School, we believe in nurturing students to become confident risk-takers. Being a risk-taker is one of our IB Learner Profile attributes. Risk-taking involves exploring new ideas, challenging one's thinking, and stepping out of comfort zones to embrace uncertainty and potential failure. This essential skill fosters resilience, creativity, and problem-solving. We support our students through challenges, ensuring that they see failure as a learning opportunity rather than a setback. By promoting a culture of risk-taking, we prepare our students for lifelong success, teaching them to embrace risks and develop a growth mindset. We encourage our community to continue supporting our students in this journey where taking risks is seen as a path to personal and academic growth.

Nicole Scrivener, Deputy Principal: Innovation and Inquiry

Wellbeing News

Welcome Back

Welcome back to Term 3. It feels like this year is flying along and I am so impressed with the students and the things they have achieved so far. Well done everyone.

Student Action Committee

Our Student Action Committee (SAC) has new representatives this semester and they are going to be hard at work, building on the good work of their peers from semester one. They will continue to identify areas around the school that need improving and bring the concerns of their peers to meetings.

Wellbeing and Engagement Survey

Last semester students in years 4 to 6 undertook the Wellbeing and Engagement Survey. This is an annual survey conducted by the Department for Education, which allows students to express their views in areas which were important to them including their social, emotional and academic learning.

The survey results are in and I am pleased to say that there has been improvements in important areas such as school belonging, connectedness to school and students feeling that they have a trusted adults at school that they can go to when they have a problem. Our Student Wellbeing Leaders will be analysing these survey results and creating a plan to build on these improvements.

Thank you to all the students who took part in the survey.

Too much sugar can be harmful to kids!

There is no denying it: Kids love just about anything served up sweet. Most parents realise too much sugar is a bad thing, but it is often hard to know how much is too much – or even how much sugar is in some of kids' favourite foods, snacks and beverages. Many of the foods we eat have hidden sugar, including things that seem to be nutritious – yogurt, pasta sauce, cereal, juice, even peanut butter.

Experts believe kids are consuming too much sugar – and their health is at risk.

Children should only have about 3-6 teaspoons of sugar each day, which is 12-24 grams, but research shows that many children are consuming as much as 16 teaspoons of sugar every day. This excess sugar can lead to obesity and serious health conditions.

Why is sugar a health concern?

When children (and adults) eat sugar, it creates a physical reaction in the body: The brain releases dopamine, a feel-good chemical that can improve mood in the short term, and the body produces insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. However, too much sugar can create insulin-resistance, which often leads to diabetes.

Monitoring children's sugar levels isn't about being the bad guy or policing everything they eat. It is really about helping them make healthy decisions that last a lifetime.

Five tips for reducing your family's sugar intake

1. Read the food label

• Check the label which shows how much sugar is in each serving – and double-check what exactly a serving is.

2. Remember 5-2-1-0

This means:

• Five fruits and vegetables (or more!) each day
• Two hours or less of screen time
• One hour of physical activity
• Zero sugary drinks, including fruit juice, sports drinks or soda

3. Start the day off right

• Offer a healthy breakfast high in protein. Try eggs, cheese roll-ups or even turkey sausage instead of sugary cereal.

4. Involve kids in meal planning and preparing

When children help plan and prepare meals and snacks they are more likely to at least try the food:-

• Let them play with their food. Touching and smelling foods may encourage them to take a small taste.
• If at first you do not succeed, try, try (and try) again. Experts say that it can take 15-20 times before a child is willing to try a new food.
• Take kids to the store with you. Let children pick out a few healthy fruits, vegetables and snacks to try during the week. They will feel a sense of pride and be more willing to try new things when they get to choose what goes on their plate.

5. To succeed, take small steps

• Break bad habits and establish healthier eating habits by starting small. Pick one item and work from there. If you want to cut soft drink out of your child's diet, offer sparkling water or fruit-infused water instead of drinks high in sugar. Then, once you've accomplished that goal, move to the next one. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you're trying to change several habits all at once."
• Parents are role models in the house. By making healthy choices and talking about the importance of those decisions, parents are setting their child up for success.   

David Molloy, Student Wellbeing Leader and Autism Inclusion Teacher

Sports News

Year 6 Students Represent Adelaide South East District in Boys Netball SAPSASA State Carnival

From Monday 24 June to Wednesday 26 June (Week 9, Term 2), Year 6 students Gianluca Z and Blake M represented the Adelaide South East District in the Boys Netball SAPSASA State Carnival held at the Netball SA Stadium.

Gianluca and Blake were invited to trial for the team after their impressive performance representing Linden Park Primary in the boys’ netball competition earlier in Term 2. Following weeks of rigorous trials, both boys earned their spots on the team.

The Adelaide South East District team achieved an outstanding result, finishing equal 1st during the carnival. Congratulations to both Gianluca and Blake from everyone at Linden Park Primary!

Harry Slee, Sports Coordinator

School Sport Australia Games - Boys 12s Basketball

Year 6 student Gianluca Z and the South Australian Under 12 Basketball team have taken out Bronze in the School Sport Australia Games on the Gold Coast in Queensland.  Gianluca was selected to represent the South Australian School Boys’ team after a gruelling trial process over the past months. Gianluca earned his position after strong performances at trials.

The carnival took place during Week 2, Term 3 where South Australia played seven games across five days. Finishing fourth on the ladder after the qualifying games, SA qualified for the Bronze medal game against New South Wales. A strong performance saw South Australia win 99-53.

Congratulations to Gianluca on doing Linden Park Primary School and South Australia proud.

School Drop Off and Pick Up

Please follow the school rules and keep our children safe. Allow extra time to ensure you park correctly and safely before and after school. 

South Australian Chess Association

Glenunga Music Gala

Music Gala
Come and experience captivating melodies and exhilarating performances that will leave you spellbound. From breathtaking vocals to electrifying instrumental ensembles, our students have poured their hearts into preparing for this night.   Over 300 students from Year 7 to 12 are involved in one of our 12 co-curricular ensembles performing on the night. 

• Date: Thursday 22 August 2024
• Time: from 7.00pm
• Venue: Adelaide Town Hall
• Cost: $30 for adults and $20 for student/concession

Tickets are available at https://www.trybooking.com/1230858

Musical Theatre Club Musical

Each year, our Musical Theatre Club (a student-led club with the support of a specialist teacher) plans, rehearses and delivers a performance of a chosen piece of musical theatre. This year, they will be performing Disney’s High School Musical Jr.

The musical will bring the beloved movie to the stage, featuring East High's students navigating love, friendships, and family amidst school and activities. With catchy songs and a relatable school setting, join us for a performance that embodies the spirit of unity and the joy of youth!

• Dates: Wednesday 14 August 2024 - Saturday 17 August 2024
  Times: Various
  Venue: Glenunga International High School Performing Arts Centre
  Cost:   $20 for adults and $10 for students

Tickets are available at https://www.trybooking.com/CRWTF

Music Gala Concert

After-School Orienteering

Orienteering SA is pleased to announce the program for Term 3 for schools in the Central Adelaide Zone.

It is our hope that you can promote this notice to your students in your school newsletter:

Orienteering

Come try this fun navigation sport. On Thursdays 3.45-5pm after-school at the following locations:

• 8/8       Black Forest PS
• 15/8     Linden Park PS
• 22/8     Burnside PS

It is free and all equipment and maps will be provided. Come for one day or for all three!

Parents do have to be present to supervise their kids, and are encouraged to follow them around as they do their courses.

You will need to register if you haven't already done so for 2024.

https://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/Kv8FO3acsISThl7c (Central Zone).

For more information on orienteering, check out our website https://www.sa.orienteering.asn.au/

Please contact Meredith Rasch on meredithrasch@hotmail.com or 0417 397 448 for more details on above sessions..

Thank you

Aylwin Lim, Coordinator, Central Adelaide Schools Zone.

Community News

After School Coding Class 2024

Book your Spot!

Mid-year Enrolment, New Students Only (Ongoing Students Do Not Need to Re-Enrol)

Dear Parents & Students,

Welcome to the coding class. We would like to express our gratitude to all parents, students, and the management of Linden Park Primary School for their continuous support and cooperation.

At coding class, we offer a range of courses suitable for primary and high school students. Our courses are in line with the Australian STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). 

Starting from Semester 3, we are introducing 2 new programs on Tuesday and Wednesday class, with limited available spots.

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Class Schedule for Terms 3 & 4 2024

Please pick a class that suits you.

1. Tuesday: 2D Game Design & Development

• Class starting on 23 July 2024
• Time: 3.30 to 4.30 PM
• Grades 3, 4, 5,6
• Total Spot: 12
• Click the link to book a spot:
• https://www.trybooking.com/CTEEH

1. Wednesday: Introduction to Computer Science & JavaScript Programming

• Class starting on 24 July 2024
• Time: 3.30 to 4.30 PM
• Grades 4, 5, 6
• Total Spot: 10
• Click the link to book a spot:
• https://www.trybooking.com/CTEFA

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Cost:    AUD 60 / Month (4 weeks a month).

 AUD 90 for 2 siblings Or a student enrolled in 2 courses.

Device: School Laptop/ any Laptop.

Location: School Library.

If you need more information, please feel free to contact me.

Kind regards,

Dr Zaheed Hasan

Email: admin@codeplanet.com.au  

Phone# 0470620348

www.codeplanet.com.au