7 February 2025 | Term 1 | 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 Parents, Guardians, Students, and Staff, 

Last week I visited classes across the school, excited by the potential and energy that was obvious. Welcome back to our returning families and a heart-felt welcome to those who are new to our community!  

This year promises to be another journey of growth, discovery, and friendship. As we dive into Term 1, we focus on several pivotal elements that contribute to a positive educational environment. Embracing new friendships, adapting to learning routines, and acquainting ourselves with new settings are the foundations for success. Our PYP curriculum is designed to encourage these transitions smoothly while nurturing each child's multi-faceted development.  

We have a wonderful team of passionate educators who are committed to guide your children through their learning experiences. Supporting our children to be resilient when face with the unfamiliar is a critical aspect of strengthening wellbeing. Let's promote inclusivity and kindness as students move through various transitions across the school, making these crucial introductions as rewarding and comfortable as possible.  

One of the important foci for our new Site Learning Plan is ‘Wellbeing’. A key strategy is the introduction of ‘Friendology’, a social skills program that will strength children’s' capacity to navigate friendships, the conflicts that invariably arise from connections and develop the strategies and resilience to overcome when challenges arise. Classes across the school have been introducing ‘Friendology’ and the associated language. Key visuals such as the 'Friend-o-Meter, Four friendship facts and Friend-o-cycle.'  

A short introductory video for parents can be found at: For Parents | URSTRONG 

Feedback from our local community re: parking 
Communication from a local householder has shared that families are parking illegally during drop-off and pick-up times. Her concerns are twofold, with care parking in her driveway, across driveways, effectively impending families from being able to access and leave their own property. I have empathy for families who are struggling to find a park close to the school but ask that we are considerate of all. 

Important Dates for Term 1 
To foster community involvement and provide opportunities for you to engage with your children, please mark your calendars for these important events:  

Acquaintance Evenings: Beginning Tuesday, 4 February, and continuing through Tuesday, 18 February, these evenings are fantastic opportunities to meet teachers and classmates. More information on specific class timings has been shared. 
Governing Council AGM: Join us on Monday, 24 February, to engage in meaningful discussions about our school’s future direction. Your voice is valuable, and we encourage your active participation. 
Splashday & Swimming Carnival: Scheduled for Wednesday, 26 March, this is a chance for students to enjoy a day of fun, competition, and camaraderie in the water. Parents are welcome to attend and cheer on the students. 
Athletics Day (Years 4-6):  Happening over two days, Thursday, 9 April, and Friday, 10 April, this event is a wonderful showcase of sportsmanship and physical achievement. 

We are excited about this year’s potential and sincerely hope you and your children find it as inspiring and fulfilling as we envision. Let's make this school year a harmonious blend of achievements, laughter, and ample learning. 

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

Here’s to a productive and joyous Term 1! 

Warm regards, 

Fiona Voigt, Principal

Governing Council 2025

In preparation for the Governing Council AGM, an election is to be conducted for parent members of the Linden Park Primary School Governing Council Inc. at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on Monday 24 February 2025 at 7.00pm in the Staff Room.
Being part of the Governing Council is a wonderful opportunity to work with the Leaders of our School and to make meaningful impacts for the children and broader School community. 

Successful candidates are required to attend Governing Council Meetings and to join and work on one of our committees - which equates to approximately three - four meetings per term and some commitment to progress committee initiatives. Full details of our committees can be found on the School's website. 

A Nomination form is available on the link below and must be lodged at the front office by 3.00pm on Tuesday 18 February 2025.

The ballot will be conducted at the Annual General Meeting to be held on Monday 24 February 2025 at 7.00pm. Following the closing of nominations a list of the nominations received will be posted at the school. There are currently seven vacancies for elected parents members of the Council. The term of office is for a two year period. 

Nominees may be required to present at the AGM in support of their nomination. 

If the number of nominations is less than the number of vacancies, a notice to that effect and calling for further nominations will be posted in a prominent position at the school. 

If at the time of the ballot there are more nominees than vacancies then a contested election will be conducted at the AGM. All eligible nominees will be listed on a ballot form. 

Any nominee wishing to appoint a scrutineer to be present at the counting of the ballot must advise the Returning Officer of their nominated scrutineer by 3.00pm on Tuesday 18 February 2025 in writing to the school. 

Please note: Any additional information or questions in relation to this process should be directed to the Principal as Returning Officer to address. 

No campaign literature supporting candidates or groups of candidates may be distributed or posted in the school and no school resources whether human or material may be used to support particular candidates or groups of candidates. 

Culture Spotlight - Happy Lunar New Year!

Linden Park Primary School is a multicultural 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.

We enjoy celebrating the many cultural customs and traditions celebrated by our community and families.  

Lunar New Year celebrates the beginning of a new year on based on the Lunar calendar. Some countries that celebrate Lunar New Year include; China, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei and many more.
The date of celebration for Lunar New Year changes every year but it generally falls between the 21^st of January and the 20^th of February. This year the Lunar New Year began on the 29^th of January.
Each year is associated with an animal sign according to the 12 Chinese zodiac cycle. 2025 celebrates the year of the snake.
Each culture has different customs and traditions, with preparations starting weeks in advance. Celebrations can last up to 16 days, culminating with the Lantern Festival on February 12th.
Celebrations can include; religious ceremonies, family reunions, feasts, watching the lion and dragon dance, and giving red envelopes containing money. Traditionally firecrackers were set off to mark the New Year and ward off ‘monsters’.

Student reflections:
“We have a big feast of lots of food with all of our family together. We also decorate our whole house with red lanterns and dragons because red represents good luck.”
- Helena Rm 40

“For Lunar New Year we clean our house to sweep away the bad luck. Sometimes we participate in festivals and performances that include dragon and lion dancing.”
- Safiya Rm 40

“We get red envelopes that has money in it. These are usually given to children.”
- Debbie Rm 40

“We celebrated with our family and friends by having a big feast together. We ate duck, other meat, vegetables, rice and noodles. After dinner we handed out red envelopes to the guests.”
- Leo Rm 35

Wellbeing News

Welcome Back
Welcome back to Term 1 and a big welcome to students and families joining us this year. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is David Molloy and this is my second year here as the Student Wellbeing Leader and Autism Inclusion Teacher. After a fantastic first year, I’m excited to be back and looking forward to what this year brings.
If you have any concerns about your child, please feel free to contact me to make a time to chat.

Hats, Hats, Hats
We’ve started this term with a good reminder that summer is well and truly upon us. This means that students must wear a hat during yard play. If a student does not have a hat, they will be directed to a shaded area for the duration of recess or lunch.
If your child has lost their hat, please check the lost and found boxes or purchase a new hat through the Uniform Shop.

Student Action Committee
Classes are in the process of electing Student Action Committee (SAC) representatives. It’s sometimes referred to as Student Voice. At the beginning of each semester two students are elected by their peers to represent their class. Students hold class meetings to identify and express issues, concerns or ideas that could improve the school. These are then brought to SAC meetings and shared with other classes.
If your child is elected as a SAC representative, badges are available for purchase through the QKR App.

Student Wellbeing Ambassadors
The Year 6 Student Wellbeing Ambassadors will be presented with their badges at the Week 4 assembly. These students play an important role in the school, by running SAC meetings, identifying and understanding wellbeing initiatives, working with Student Wellbeing Ambassadors from other schools, attending online learning opportunities provided by the education department and interpreting wellbeing survey results. Through this they can then suggest ways in which student wellbeing can be improved at the school. 

New Wellbeing Initiatives
Friendology 
This year we are introducing Friendology across the whole school. Friendology is a program which empowers students with the skills, knowledge and most importantly the language to make and maintain healthy friendships. Later in the term I'll be sending out information as to how families can access Friendology at home. 

Year 3-6 Student Help 
In response to last year's Wellbeing and Engagement Survey results which showed only 57% of students in years 4-6 identified an important adult at the school, year 3-6 students now have access to a student help tab on their Chromebooks. The tab is located on the taskbar of their computers and will take them to a Google Form. Here they will be able to make a request for support for personal and social issues at school and identify an important adult who they would like to speak to. This week I've been explaining how to use the form to students and encouraging them to include their parents when submitting a request. If you have a child in years 3-6, I encourage you to familiarise yourself with the student help function, and encourage your child to use it if they are experiencing problems which affect them at school. 

Did You Know? 

Parenting SA have a number of handy and helpful hints and guides for parents with students starting school. Below are just a few:
Working with the school 
It is important for parents and teachers to work together and communicate well. 
It can help if you: 
- let the teacher know if there is something happening at home that may be affecting your child
- let them know about any health problems your child may have
- read all the school notices and reply as soon as possible 
- get involved in school activities e.g. volunteer in the classroom or at events if you can 
- talk to your child about what they are learning at school 
- encourage your child to share their interest and experiences with their teacher. 
Make an appointment to see the teacher if you are concerned about your child. 
The first few weeks
As your child settles into school: 
- they may be tired at the end of the day. Don't plan too many after-school activities; make sure they have time to rest and for free play 
- they may be 'starving' after school. Take a healthy snack when you pick them up. Try giving them an early dinner as they may be too tired to eat later. 
- they may want to tell you about their day as soon as they see you. Be available to listen. Some children may want to relax first. 
- encourage them to talk about the good things that happen at school 
- make reading with them part of your daily routine. Bedtime stories are a great way to end the day. 

Some children wet their pants at school, which can embarrass them. Reassure them that it often happens and there is nothing to worry about. Encourage them to tell the teacher. Pack spare clothing in their bag. 

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

Welcome to the Library

Happy 2025 everyone! 

Welcome to our school library. Our school library is the "heart" of the school and is named the 'Margaret Gately Library'. 

For those who are not aware, Margaret Gately was the librarian at Linden Park School from 1961 to 1976 and was honoured in 2010 by having (the newly built) school library named after her. 

The library is open for students each day from 8.35am to 3.25pm. 

Families and students are welcome to visit, browse, borrow or read before school or after school. It's a great way to connect with other students and their families as well as starting the day on a calm and positive note. 

Apart from the student's weekly borrowing time with their classroom teacher, the students may also borrow books before, after school and at recess and lunchtimes. 

This year sees a staff change in the library with Daniel Murphy returning to his previous site and Tash Turner becoming our new Library School Support Officer. 

The Library Team for 2025 consists of myself Russell Hanson, Teacher Librarian; Tash Turner, School Support Officer and Caroline Regan, School Support Officer. 

We look forward to a book filled year! 

Russell Hanson, Teacher Librarian

Acquaintance Nights

We invite all of our parents to attend their child's “Acquaintance Night” over the next few weeks.

The purpose of this Acquaintance Night is to let you know about what is happening in the class this year and also it will allow you to meet some of the other parents if you haven’t done so already.

Each Year level has a specific date and time - these are listed below.

This is an information session for parents/caregivers only.
Please make alternative child-minding arrangements for your child/ren on the night.

All sessions will be in your child’s classroom, unless otherwise notified by your child’s teacher via seesaw.

• Reception classes: Week 3 - Wednesday 12^th February 5:30pm
• Year 2 classes: Week 4 - Tuesday 18^th February 5:30pm   
• Year 3 classes: Week 3 - Thursday 13^th February 5:30pm
• Year 4 classes: Week 3 - Monday 10^th February 5:30pm  
• Year 5 classes: Week 3 - Tuesday 11^th February 5:30pm
• Year 6 classes: Week 3 - Monday 10^th February 6:00pm

There will also be an Out of Hours Sport/Sporting Programs Acquaintance Night on Tuesday 11th February
(Week 3) at 6:00pm in the LPPS Staff room.

We look forward to seeing our LPPS parents attending these information nights.

Regards
LPPS Leadership Team

School Photos: 17 & February 2025

Our School photos are booked for Monday 17 February and Tuesday 18 February 2025. 

A class and sibling schedule is currently being prepared and we will advise via SZapp closer to the date. 

At Linden Park Primary School we use a traditional class photo template. This means that if your child is absent on the photo days, they will not feature in their class group photo. We have also sent out a digital permission slip to confirm parent consent to be photographed and named in their class group, which is then available to families to purchase. 

Please note all students will be photographed for school records only. 

We ask that all students please wear full school uniform on both days. 

Please place your orders - student and sibling - online before the day of photography. PLEASE NOTE: All online sibling order close midnight on 16/2/2024. 

HOW TO ORDER: 

1. Go to www.advancelive.com.au and enter this code: YFQ 42Y L6C

2. Payment can be made using Visa, Mastercard, PayPal or Latitude Pay

Uniform Code

As we continue to uphold the standards of our school community, we would like to remind everyone of our school uniform code. In particular; 

Nail Polish:
Students are asked to not wear nail polish, makeup and visible stick on tattoos to school.

Hair:
For safety reasons, long hair is to be tied back and hair accessories should be small and in school colours.

For the full school uniform code, click here. We appreciate your cooperation and support in adhering to these guidelines. 

Reception Parent Workshop - 'Developing Skilled Readers'

Our Reception teachers and Early Years Literacy Coordinator will be running a "Developing Skilled Readers in the Early Years" workshop for our new LPPS Reception Parents.

DATE: Tuesday18th February 2025
TIME: 5.30pm-6.30pm
LOCATION: LPPS Staff Room 

The workshop is targeted for Reception parents with the key focus "To develop a shared understanding of how children learn to read and what parents and caregivers can do to support them at home and at school."

Please note - this is a workshop for parents - please make alternate child-minding arrangements for children to stay home.
Please use the link in the email circulated to indicate if you would like to attend. 

Tracy Karras, Early Years Literacy Coordinator / Reception Teacher

Student Free Day - Monday 3 March 2025 - Week 6

The Department for Education provides for four student free days per year to schools to allow all staff to attend training and development aligned to the LPPS Site Learning Plan. 
Our LPPS Governing Council has ratified the first student free day on Monday 3rd March 2025. 
The purpose of this day is to provide all teachers with the opportunity to develop their professional learning with a focus on Literacy. 
LPPS Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) will be operating - Bookings will open Friday 14th February via the XPLOR app. 
The remaining three 2025 Student Free Days and School Closure Day will be confirmed after the LPPS Governing Council AGM on Monday 24th February 2025. 

Fiona Voigt, Principal

Linden Park Primary Competes in Metro vs Country State Tennis Final at the Adelaide International

In the school holidays, on Friday 10^th January, Linden Park Primary School’s Year 3/4 Hot Shots Tennis team competed in the Metro vs Country State Final at the Adelaide International, held at Memorial Drive Tennis Club.

The team earned an invitation to the prestigious event after finishing second in the metropolitan final in Term 4, 2024. Their first match of the day was a highly anticipated rematch of the Metro Final against Prince Alfred College, with the winner advancing to the grand final against either Maitland Lutheran School or McLaren Flat Primary School.

Due to player availability, Linden Park Primary’s official results were voided from contention. However, this did not stop the team from delivering outstanding performances. Jessie L and Sayna V secured convincing victories, while Oliver R and Brian Z also impressed, finishing with winning records in their matches.

The students played exceptionally well and should be incredibly proud of their efforts. They relished the opportunity to compete on professional courts at Memorial Drive and were thrilled to watch professional players train and compete after their matches.

Harry Slee, Sports Coordinator

Community News