26 September 2025 | Term 3 | Week 10
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Kaurna Acknowledgement
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Principal's Report
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Assembly Awards
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Wellbeing News
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Learning Journeys
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2026 Material & Services Charge
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Music News!
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Library News
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Year 2 Chess with Alan Goldsmith
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School Sport SA | Athletics Metro Day
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2026 Family Fun Night Silent Auction
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Maroon Netball Team | Five Wonderful Years!
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Year 5 SA Debater of the Year
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Community News
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,
What an energizing end to such a busy term, classrooms abuzz with the energy of sharing learning; successes and challenges. The confidence that students share their learning is indicative of the deep understanding that they demonstrate. My thanks to all of those parents who juggled busy schedules to be there for their children.
Early Years STEM
Feedback provided in the Parent survey asked the school to focus on STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Maths). This year, Tina Farmassonis has introduced a Digital Literacies curriculum for our Early Years learners. Students are explicitly taught how to navigate devices safely and efficiently and have taken up the challenge of using Beebots and coding programs such as Scratch and Code blocks. The Year 2 students pictured below were asked to develop instructions for the Beebots using Scratch Junior, transferring the knowledge they have been taught to an independent task.





Happy Holidays
I wish all students, staff and families all a safe and happy holiday. One where, students relax and rejuvenate in readiness for the fast-paced end of year. Term 4 starts in earnest with our Early and Primary Years Sports Days on Friday of Weeks 2 and 3 respectively.
Kind Regards,
Fiona Voigt, Principal
Assembly Awards

Wellbeing News

Friendology
Since the beginning of this year, students have been learning about friendships through the Friendology program.
Friendology is all about empowering students with friendship skills while providing the adults in their lives, both parents and teachers, with a common language to support them. Students learn what's normal in a friendship, the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships and how to stand up for themselves with kid-friendly concepts.
I'm so pleased that it has been going so well and teachers and students have been engaged in some fantastic learning.
Just a reminder that families will have access to the program at home. If you would like to look at the Friendology program during the holidays with your child, please follow the link below

Hero Day
End of term casual clothes days are one of my favourite times of the school term. Thank you everyone who dressed up to support the Childhood Cancer Association.
Did You Know?
What is a hero?
A hero can be described as a person who, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage or strength.
This is certainly true of our amazing emergency services workers.
Did you know that South Australia's fire, ambulance, and police agencies each respond to a substantial number of call outs each year?
In the 2023-2024 financial year, the Metropolitan Fire Service handled 23,293 incidents, the SA Ambulance Service responded to approximately 274,113 emergency incidents, and South Australia Police received 578,254 calls, including 190,440 triple zero calls.
That's certainly worth celebrating.
Kind regards,
David Molloy, Student Wellbeing Leader and Autism Inclusion Teacher
Learning Journeys
Learning in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) provides many formal and informal opportunities for students to demonstrate how they have developed and applied their knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills, and learner profile attributes through their inquiries.
Learning Journeys are a valuable opportunity for families to experience the PYP in action. During these sessions, students take the lead as communicators, sharing their learning by verbalising and demonstrating what they have investigated, researched, inquired into, designed and collaborated on.
Last week, our Reception, Year 4, and Year 5 students shared their journeys, and this week it was the turn of our Year 1 and Year 3 students. These face-to-face classroom sessions allowed students to converse with family members, explain their thinking, and reflect on their learning.
Reception Learning Journey
Unit of Inquiry: Where We Are in Place and Time
Central Idea: "Significant people and events shape identity and change"
Reception students explored the significant people and events in their lives and examined how different events are celebrated or commemorated. This inquiry helped them make connections between their personal experiences and the broader community.
Reception Learning Journey
























Year 4 Learning Journey
Unit of Inquiry: Where We Are in Place and Time
Central Idea: "Colonisation impacts communities"
Year 4 students investigated the diverse experiences of people living in Australia before and after 1788. They described the effects of colonisation on individuals, communities, and environments, developing a deeper understanding of history and its ongoing impact.
Year 4 Learning Journey























Year 5 Learning Journey
Unit of Inquiry: How the World Works
Central Idea: "Environmental changes influence future actions"
Year 5 students examined how Australian environments are managed, with a focus on severe weather events such as bushfires, floods, droughts, and cyclones. They explored the consequences of these events and considered actions that support sustainable futures.
Year 5 Learning Journey















Year 1 Learning Journey
Unit of Inquiry: How We Organise Ourselves
Central Idea: "Everyday decisions affect the environment"
Year 1 students investigated the natural, managed, and constructed features of places. They explored how everyday decisions impact these environments and identified ways they can take action to care for them.
Year 1 Learning Journey



















Year 3 Learning Journey
Unit of Inquiry: Where We Are in Place and Time
Central Idea: "Understanding similarities and differences between places enables people to make connections"
Year 3 students explored the similarities and differences between places in Australia and neighbouring countries. They considered how natural, managed, and constructed features shape these places and how this understanding fosters global connections.
Year 3 Learning Journey


















A heartfelt thank you to all families who attended and supported their children during these Learning Journeys. Your engagement plays an important role in celebrating and deepening student learning.
We also extend our appreciation to our dedicated teachers for their preparation and effort in guiding students through these inquiries. These events showcase the rich, collaborative learning that takes place at our school and highlight the skills and understandings that our students continue to develop through the PYP.
2026 Material & Services Charge
Dear families,
The Linden Park Governing Council have reviewed the Material & Services (M&S) Fees for 2026.
In setting the M&S Fees, consideration has been given to the resources and equipment your child(ren) require to engage in their learning.
M&S Fees for 2026 will increase to $515 and the Excursion/Incursion Levy will remain the same at $170.
An invitation is extended to all members of our school community to attend an Open Governing Council Meeting on Monday 27th October at 7pm in the staff room. This will be an opportunity for parents/caregivers to discuss with the Governing Council.
Debbie Foster, Business Leader
Music News!
On Thursday September 11th, instrumental music students in Years 3-6 and Year 6 Festival Choir students put on their annual Music Gala Extravaganza at the illustrious Burnside Ballroom. Students in the Beginner Strings, String Ensemble, Beginning Band, Continuing Band and the Year 6 Festival Choir all delighted families in the audience with a selection of songs they have learnt throughout the year. Year 6 comperes, Maya, Grace L, Vicki and Helena kept the show running smoothly and entertained the audience with announcements, musical jokes and interviews with music students throughout the performance.
Thank you to our Instrumental Music teachers, Sarah Butler, Ruth Woerner, Margie Hopgood and Peter Matzick who have worked with our students all year. Thank you also to all the students for their hard work and practise and to parents for supporting them.
The Festival Choir had a very busy week as 4 days later, they were on the big stage at the Entertainment Centre with 1300 other students performing in the Festival of Music. It was a spectacular event as always. Highlights for me were watching all 1300 students file on stage to the opening orchestra piece, the kazoo playing from 1300 students in Rubber Duckie which included an enormous Rubber Duckie on stage!), Robbie William's Let Me Entertain You and finally the bagpipes and light displays in You're the Voice as the closing song. Well done to all the choir students and teachers involved!
Alice Combe and Vanessa Buttery
Music Teachers









Library News
Year 2 Chess with Alan Goldsmith
At Linden Park Primary School, Year 2 students take part in weekly chess lessons with Alan Goldsmith. Chess is a much-loved tradition in Year 2, helping students develop critical thinking, patience, and strategic planning skills. Many students eagerly look forward to beginning their chess journey and often continue playing beyond Year 2, representing our school in competitions and joining tournaments outside of school.
This week, students from Room 4 and Room 5 participated in an online tournament against a Year 3 class from Grange Primary School. They embraced the challenge with focus and determination, displaying excellent sportsmanship throughout their matches.
The tournament was a fantastic opportunity for students to put their skills into practice while also connecting with students from another school.
We are proud of their enthusiasm and efforts.



School Sport SA | Athletics Metro Day
On Friday 19th September, the School Sport SA Athletics Day was held at Athletics SA Stadium, Mile End. As a result of some outstanding school results in the Adelaide South East carnival a few weeks prior, Linden Park PS had 6 students selected to represent the ASE District competing against the very best athletes from across the state. As a district, we finished second overall indicating the quality of the competition our students faced.
All students participated admirably, and acquitted themselves well against some outstanding competition. A huge congratulations must go to Eddie, Stella, Lara, Oliver, Jack and Sophia who were all chosen to represent the Adelaide South East team in various events across the day.
There were some individual results which I would like to highlight now - Eddie and Lara won Silver Medals for brilliant 2nd placings in the 12-year-old Discus events, Stella won a Bronze Medal as a pivotal part of the 11-year- old girls 4 x 100m Relay team and Oliver won a Gold medal as part of the 12-year-old boys 4 x 100m relay.
Well done to the students, and thank you to their parents for giving them an opportunity to participate.
Geoff Mills, PE Teacher
2026 Family Fun Night Silent Auction

Calling for Silent Auction Donations!
Planning is underway for our 2026 Family Fun Night, and we're seeking your support to help make our Silent Auction a huge success!
We are inviting our wonderful community to contribute items, experiences, or services to include in the auction. Every contribution, no matter the size, will help us raise valuable funds for the school while also showcasing the generosity of our families and local businesses. All donating businesses will be advertised through our social media and newsletters prior and during the event.
Here are just a few ideas of what you could donate:
🎁 Products: Unique items, gift hampers, or handmade goods
🏖️ Experiences: A weekend at a holiday home or tickets to an event
🖼️ Memorabilia: Signed merchandise or collector items
🌿 Services: Gardening, tutoring, music lessons, photography sessions, and more!
Have an idea? We’d love to hear it!
💌 How to Donate
If you’d like to contribute, please get in touch with the school with your donation details either in person at the front office or email dl.0647.info@schools.sa.edu.au
Maroon Netball Team | Five Wonderful Years!
After five years, the Linden Park Year 6 Maroon Netball team played their last game together a few Saturdays ago. It was a bittersweet moment. Whilst we narrowly missed out on the win by only a few goals after an absolute nail biter of a game, the girls walked off the court with their heads held high knowing they had trained hard, played hard, but most of all, had fun with great friends.
The Linden Park Maroon team first formed in 2021 when the girls were in year 2. Since then, we have played 9 seasons together which equates to approximately 100 games. From little girls who knew nothing of netball, the team has become a formidable force, making their way into division 1 of every age group and have made finals in the last 2 seasons.
The team's focus hasn't been all about winning though. Our number one team rule has always been to have fun. Win or lose the girls have displayed exemplary sportsmanship, unbreakable camaraderie, and always leave the court with smiles on their faces.
What will be missed the most and the enduring memory from this experience doesn't have anything to do with netball. It is the friendships and the community that has formed around this team. Over the last 5 years, bonds have been forged that go far beyond the game - and those connections are what truly matter.
Swish like a fish, all hail King Spongebob!





Year 5 SA Debater of the Year

Due to her outstanding results this season, Aria S from Room 28 has been awarded the Debater of the Year prize for the Year 5 division of the 2025 Debating SA Schools' Competition.
This is an exceptional accomplishment, with more than 147 students from schools across Adelaide competing in the Year 5 division this year.
As part of this honour, Aria has been invited to the official Awards Ceremony at Government House, where she will be presented with a medallion by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia and Patron of Debating SA.
Please join me in congratulating Aria on this remarkable recognition of her talent and hard work.
Fiona Voigt, Principal
Community News


