Parafield Gardens Primary School

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (15:48): I rise to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of Parafield Gardens Primary School and to celebrate six decades of outstanding achievement, community spirit and all-round excellence. Back in 1965, seven staff welcomed 146 students through the school gates for the first time. Today, the school stands proudly with 74 staff and 575 students.

Across its 60 years teachers, students, leaders, volunteers and families have done an extraordinary job bringing the place to life. Their work endures today in a school that reflects not only its rich history but its admirable values of persistence, enthusiasm, acceptance, community and excellence. While we are coming to the end of a fantastic year of celebrations, the school community has been treated to some incredible events. This includes special assemblies, a talent contest, staff reunions, a 60s dress-up day, a walk down memory lane static display, and the unveiling of a celebratory mural, to name just a few.

Parafield Gardens Primary is a modern thinking, diverse, ambitious school, offering its students a world of opportunity. Its specialist curriculum is exceptional. In Auslan, students learn not only language skills but also the value of communication and belonging. In health and physical education, they are supported to be confident, active and resilient, guided by staff who bring enormous passion, including the outstanding Steph Ryan. Steph's work has opened doors for countless students, especially through accessible after-school-hours sports programs that have recently attracted the attention of the Public Education Awards.

In visual arts, students learn to express themselves through form, style, and context. The school's art room is a place of exploration and imagination, where students learn new techniques and discover new materials while opening their eyes to the world around them. In music and drama, students participate in rich, creative programs, singing, dancing, storytelling, playing instruments and performing.

The school's senior choir continues its proud involvement in the Primary Schools Music Festival. This commitment to opportunity extends well beyond the classroom. The school offers an impressive range of extracurricular programs that broaden students' horizons and strengthen its already vibrant culture. From participation in the Festival of Music and SAPPS Choir to the creativity of the Wakakirri Story-Dance Challenge, students are encouraged to explore their talents and develop leadership.

The school's Youth Environment Committee stands out as a shining example of student voice in action, driving sustainability initiatives, creating native gardens, promoting recycling and representing the school at the state Youth Environmental Council. The acknowledgement as a sustainable school by Green Adelaide in 2023 speaks volumes about their dedication and the school's deep commitment to environmental sustainability. Equally important is the school's longstanding recognition as a United Nations Global Peace School. Since 2008, Parafield Gardens Primary has taught and modelled the principles of caring for ourselves, caring for others and caring for the environment.

In a community, where 40 per cent of residents were born overseas, these values matter deeply. They ensure that harmony, respect and understanding reach far beyond the school gate. As the local MP, I am profoundly grateful for this. Our ability to respect one another is one of our community's greater strengths, and I am indebted to the school for the lead it takes on this vital front.

During my time as the member for Playford, I have had the privilege of working with three exceptional principals, Rachel McLellan, Vicki Poulain and now Sara Broster. All have been dedicated leaders committed to their students and staff, and I wish to take the opportunity to offer them my deepest thanks. I also want to warmly acknowledge Aida Chapman, the much loved head of the out-of-school-hours service. In parliament last year, I congratulated her and her colleagues on being the only public school selected for the state OSHC showcase, a reflection of her inspiring leadership. Aida is admired across our community for her warmth, kindness and unwavering commitment to shaping young lives.

As we mark 60 years, we celebrate not just the past but also the future. The achievements of this school, academic, cultural, artistic, environment and civic, speak volumes. To all staff, volunteers, students past and present, thank you. Parafield Gardens Primary is one of many excellent local schools and an enormous source of pride for our community. Its first 60 years have been remarkable, and the foundations have been laid to ensure that the decades ahead will shine even brighter.