From the Leadership Team 

Dear families, 

Can you believe we are already half way through Term 3? Our school has been buzzing with learning opportunities and experiences to spark curiosity within our children. There have been so many wonderful things happening across the school and we are excited to share these with you in this newsletter edition. 

Wakakirri

Our Wakakirri team performed spectaculary at the Norwood Concert Hall and we are extremely proud of the resilience each student showed on stage. You can read more about the Wakakirri performance later in this newsletter. A huge shout out to Kylie Ashdown, Nicola, Marisa and the Leadership team for all the behind the scenes preparation, weekly practising with our Waka crew, holiday workshop and all the administration and paperwork. 

Camp

The Year 5/6 students enjoyed a fabulous 3 day camp to Woodhouse Adventure Camp. School camp is more than just a fun getaway—it's a chance for our students to build independence, teamwork, and resilience in a supportive environment. Through outdoor activities and shared experiences, our students strengthened their friendships, developed their leadership skills, and created lasting memories. We were thrilled to be able to offer this valuable opportunity for our students to grow, explore, and thrive together! You can read more about the camp highlights later in the newsletter.

Another huge shoutout to the Year 5/6 teachers who planned this event for our students - Luke Venter, Jake Green and Mickaylah Mertin. A big thank you to the staff who attended camp - Sara Slater, Sheila Flavel, Luke Venter, Jake Green, Vikki Pascoe and Nicole Kearvell. Also a huge shout out to our 2 parent volunteers who were able to join us on camp - Melissa Zanker and Phil Catapano. Without these adults supporting these events, they would be unable to go ahead for our children. Thank you - it is very appreciated. 

Primary Principals Day

It was wonderful to celebrate Primary Principal's Day earlier this term. I feel so priviliged to be the Principal of this amazing school community and enjoyed spending time with our students - who all wished me a 'Happy Principal's Day'. A big thank you to the many parents who also wished me a 'Happy Principals Day' and chatted about the things they love about Modbury School P-6. We are very lucky to be part of this community and I enjoy celebrating the learning with your children. 

Upcoming School Closure and Pupil Free Day

Don't forget that we have a School Closure and Pupil Free Day coming up. This has been shared in each newsletter to support your planning. OSHC is available on both days, please contact Nicola if you require OSHC on these days. 

Staff will engage in learning about the Australian Curriculum v9 with a focus on mathematics, as well as looking at the new SA Curriculum. 

Father's Day Stall

Father's Day stall is coming up next week. Please ensure you have purchased your Modbury Dollars via Qkr! so your child can spend at the stall. You can still purchase Modbury Dollars via QkR! until midnight Sunday 25/8/24. 

Book Week Parade

WOW! Just WOW! Our Book Week Parade was fabulous. It was amazing to celebrate the joy of books and reading with our students and see them celebrating Book Week and strutting their stuff on our catwalk. Reading is a cornerstone of learning, opening up worlds of imagination, knowledge, and understanding for young minds. 

Book Week is a cherished event in Australian primary schools, celebrating the joy of reading and bringing stories to life. The excitement of dressing up as favorite book characters adds a special magic to the day, and we owe a huge thank you to our families for their incredible support in helping to organise costumes. Your efforts make Book Week even more memorable and fun for our students, fostering a lifelong love of reading - we know these things cannot happen without your support. Please see some fabulous photos of our Book Week cosutmes later in our newsletter. 

Premier's Reading Challenge

There are a few weeks left to complete the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Please encourage your child to participate. 

If you need a new Student Reading Record, please see your child's class teacher. A parent, caregiver or teacher must sign off on each book to verify it has been read.

Completed Student Reading Records should be given to class teachers who will ensure they are submitted before the 6th September 2024. The PRC awards will be sent to schools in late November.

OSHC Educators Day

On July 31st we celebrated OSHC Educators Day and celebrated the amazing work that Nicola and the OSHC team provide for our school community. It was so lovely to read the beautiful comments written by our families on Class Dojo in recognition of Nicola and the team, and they felt extremely spoilt on the day with all the warm wishes from our families and staff. 

Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) plays a vital role in primary schools by providing a safe and nurturing environment for children outside regular school hours. It supports families by offering flexible care options, enabling parents to manage work commitments with peace of mind. With a dedicated team of educators at Modbury, OSHC fosters a sense of belonging and connection, creating a "home away from home" where children can build friendships, engage in enriching activities, and feel part of a close-knit school community. This service strengthens the fabric of the school, ensuring that every child feels supported and valued. A big thank you and recognition to Nicola and the OSHC Team. 

School Support Officers - SSO Week 

Next week is SSO Week! It is an opportunity to say thank you and celebrate the wonderful work our SSO Team provides for our Modbury School students and community. We are extremely fortunate at Modbury School to have an amazing team of SSOs who provide invaluable support to our students and families, from the Front Office right through to our classrooms - our students are supported by our staff with kindness and care. 

SSOs are vital in our school community, providing essential care and support that ensure each child's well-being and success. Their dedication, kindness, and tireless work behind the scenes creates a nurturing environment where students can thrive at Modbury School P-6. Our SSOs make a profound difference in the lives of our students every day, helping to build a foundation for their future. We celebrate and appreciate their valuable contributions to our school. If you are in our school yard next week, please wish our wonderful SSOs a 'Happy SSO Week!'. 

School Uniform 

Our School Uniform Policy, which is endorsed by our Governing Council, aims to ensure consistency of school attire and strengthen students’ sense of belonging. With the colder weather, it has been noticed that many students are wearing a range of different jumpers as they either cannot find their jumper, their jumper is in the wash or they just prefer their own jumpers. We encourage you or your child to have a look through our lost property box so that students are dressed in the correct school uniform and wearing it daily. We have ordered more uniform stock, please come in and see us if you need new uniform items for your child. Orders can also be made via Qkr!

Year 1 Phonics Check

In the coming weeks our Year 1 teachers will be administering the Department for Education’s Phonics Screening Check. The information gained from the check will help inform teacher planning to support identified student needs. It will be conducted individually with the child and their classroom teacher in the coming weeks.

The information gained from this assessment is intended to contribute to the teaching of phonics which is a vital foundation in learning to read. Phonics relates to the relationship between individual sounds (phonemes) and the letters that represent them (graphemes). Students learn how to connect letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes) through explicit phonics lessons that are implemented by our teachers. This includes teacher lead demonstrations and providing multiple opportunities for students to review and practice their phonics learning. If you are interested in finding out how you can help your child’s phonics knowledge or overall reading development, please contact their class teacher.

2025 Planning 

We are starting the process of looking at 2025 structures. Your child will be bringing home a '2025 Student Placement Form' at the beginning of next week. This form will need to be returned to your child's classroom teacher by Friday Week 8 (13/9/24) so we can start looking at our class structures for 2025 in early Term 4. 

Please enjoy reading through this newsletter and catching up on what has been happening at Modbury School P-6. Please feel free to come in and see us if you need anything. 

Warm regards, 

Sara, Ali and Sheila. 

Leadership Team