Dear families,

Can you believe not only are we halfway through Term 2, but almost halfway through the school year. Time flies when we are having fun and lots of fun has been happening at Modbury School P-6.

As the colder weather is now upon us, it is important that our children are dressed in our school colours and uniform. You can purchase school uniforms via our Qkr! app. We are also starting to see an increase in sickness at school. While the close interactions and collaborative natures of our classrooms are fantastic for learning, they also mean that students unfortunately pass illnesses around quickly to each other and our staff. We appreciate that it can be difficult to make a decision as a parent to determine if your child is 'sick enough' to stay away from school, but we are asking for your support in keeping sick children home. This is important for keeping our community healthy, and is particularly crucial here at Modbury School P-6, as we do have numerous families with medical conditions and compromised immune systems.

This newsletter is important as it will give instructions on obtaining your child's school report at the end of this term. We will not be emailing reports to families from this year, instead using the Parent Portal, where you can login and access your child's report. Please see the 'Reports' page in this edition of the newsletter.

There have been lots of exciting things happening across the school over the past few weeks. Please enjoy reading all about them.

Road Safety Week

We celebrated Road Safety Week with a number of activities:

RAA Street Smart sessions teach the importance of pedestrian safety, wheeled safety and passenger safety.
National Walk Safely to School Day - we met a number of our families in Civic Park and all walked safely to school together.
Road Safety Centre in Ridgehaven excursion for Rooms 7, 8 and 9. This was a great opportunity to bring all of the week's learning together and practice in a safe environment, riding a bike. We had children practising on fun balance bikes, who then hopped on a pedal bike and were zooming around by the end of the session.

National Simultaneous Storytime

On May 27th, Modbury School P-6 joined thousands of schools across Australia in celebrating National Simultaneous Storytime. This year, we shared the delightful story "The Truck Cat," which captivated our students with its charming tale and vibrant illustrations. The event was a wonderful opportunity for students to come together, fostering a love for reading and storytelling, munching on popcorn and enjoyed the love of reading.

Dream Big Excursions

Our students enjoyed their excursions into the city for the Dream Big Children's Festival earlier this term. They caught the O-Bahn and then went to the Festival Theatre to enjoy 'A Simple Space' or 'Mini Spin'. The students had lots of fun. A big thank you to the staff and volunteers who supported these excursions.

Open Afternoon

We celebrated our learning earlier this term with our Open Afternoon, with around 45 families coming in to visit our learning spaces. Students enjoyed reading a book with families, playing some maths games, sharing their writing and showing off their learning spaces. We can't wait to do it again next term!

Volunteer Week

👏👏🎉🎉 VOLUNTEER WEEK 🎉🎉👏👏

Last week it was National Volunteer Week! 🎉This week is all about celebrating and recognising our incredible volunteers in schools, preschools and children’s centres. Whether it’s helping in the classroom or breakfast club, being on the school committee, coaching sport, or reading to kids, your hard work means our school communities thrive.🧡 If you’ve been thinking about becoming a volunteer in your school community, we’d love to welcome you: https://brnw.ch/21wSKoH

Please book into our next Volunteer Induction session with Sara.

Public Education Day - May 22

✨ 🏆 PROUD TO BE PUBLIC 🏆 ✨

May 22nd was Public Education Day!

On Public Education Day we acknowledge the importance of public education in South Australia — where every child, no matter their background, is given the chance to learn, grow, and thrive.

Behind every student is a village of dedicated teachers, support staff, and communities lifting them up. ⭐Public Education Day is a time to recognise the central role that public schools, preschools and TAFEs play in strengthening the social, economic and cultural fabric of our society. 🎊Free, public and secular education is the key to a vibrant, socially cohesive, multicultural and democratic Australia.

🔗 Learn more about our strategy for public education in South Australia: https://brnw.ch/21wSPFL

To all our amazing staff at Modbury School P-6 - we are so thankful that they all choose to work in public education- HOW LUCKY ARE OUR CHILDREN! 🤩💐 Go Team Modbury-THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO! 💐

School Reports

In Week 10 Mid-Year Student Reports will be available to families via the Parent Portal. These reports will provide information about your child's achievement and progress at school to this point of the year. As per department requirements families receive two written reports each year (the end of Term 2 and Term 4), however, you are encouraged to make contact at any time or arrange a meeting with your child's teacher if you requires further information about their progress.

Student reports (Years 1-6) are based on a 5 point scale which reflects an A-E grade standard. A 'C' grade standard indicates that a student is achieving at the expected standard for their year level. Below is a summary of the grading scale and accompanying word descriptor used for mid-year and end of year reports:

A - Student is demonstrating excellent achievement of what is expected at this year level

B - Student is demonstrating good achievement of what is expected at this year level

C - Student is demonstrating satisfactory achievement of what is expected at this year level

D - Student is demonstrating partical achievement of what is expected at this year level

E- Student is demonstrating minimal achievement of what is expected at this year level

These grades are based on a range of assessment strategies teachers use to determine student achievement against the Australian Curriculum standards. Teachers make a banded judgement to decide which grade best matches the standard the student has achieved

We are pleased to announce an exciting update to our school reporting process this year. In collaboration with Impromation, one of the Department for Education's preferred providers, we will be utilising their Parent Portal for children in Reception to Year 6. This platform will allow families to easily register and access their child's report online. Detailed instructions on setting up your account are included in this newsletter on the page 'How to Access you Child's School Report Online'.

Preschool children will still have printed 'Statements of Learning' provided to them by the Preschool team. Preschool parents do not need to register for the Parent Portal to obtain their Statement of Learning for their preschool child.

In addition to this new reporting system, we have worked collaboratively as a teaching team on our feedback by focusing on key learning dispositions in Mathematics and English. These dispositions are essential skills and attitudes that support your child's learning journey.

Mathematics Dispositions

In Mathematics, we are focusing on developing a growth mindset, encouraging curiosity, and fostering problem-solving skills. We aim to help students see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, and to approach problems with confidence and persistence.

English Dispositions

For English, we are emphasising creativity, critical thinking, and effective communication. Our goal is to nurture a love for reading and writing, encourage thoughtful analysis, and support students in expressing their ideas clearly and confidently.

This year, we are placing a strong emphasis on students' approaches to learning by incorporating the Personal and Social Capabilities and Critical and Creative Thinking Capabilities. This new focus will replace the traditional 'Teacher General Comment' section in our reports.

By highlighting these capabilities, we aim to provide insights into how students collaborate with others, manage their emotions, and think creatively and critically. This approach supports a holistic understanding of your child's learning journey and personal growth. We believe these changes will provide valuable insights into your child's learning and development.

Book Week 2025

The 2025 Children's Book Week theme is Book an Adventure! This theme invites us to explore the limitless possibilities that reading offers. Books have the power to transport us to distant lands, introduce us to fascinating characters, and spark our imaginations. Through reading, children can embark on adventures that enhance their creativity, critical thinking, and empathy.

In Term 3, we will celebrate Book Week and encourage our students to dive into stories that inspire curiosity and wonder. Reading is not just a pastime; it's a gateway to understanding the world and ourselves.

The importance of After School Supervision

Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students is a top priority at Modbury School P-6. It is crucial that students remain under the supervision of their parents or guardians if they choose to play in the school yard after school hours, which we encourage. This supervision helps prevent accidents and ensures that children are safe while enjoying their time outdoors.

Additionally, for those students walking home, it is important they leave the school premises promptly and walk in groups, if possible, to enhance their safety.

Students waiting to be picked up must stay under the supervision of the yard duty teacher near the Reflection Garden. This designated area ensures that students are safe and accounted for, rather than playing unsupervised in the school yard.

We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our school community safe and secure.

Mid Year Transition Visits

In the coming weeks, we will welcome the following students into our school for their transition visits, ready for them to join us in Term 3:

Mid Year Reception students
Mid Year Preschool children

These children will begin their transition visits this term over a series of visits. Our Mid Year Reception students will be in Room 4 and their teacher/s are: Susie Young and Kristie Talbot.

This means that Performing Arts will no longer be a Specialist Subject in Terms 3 and 4. However, STEM will be the Terms 3 and 4 Specialist Subject in our STEM space.

ThankED

Do you know an amazing staff member who’s making a real difference? Every day, those working in public education shape futures by inspiring children and young people to reach their full potential.

ThankED gives you the chance to celebrate and thank public educators, as well as those people who work in support of them.

You can say thanks any time, to anyone working in public education who has made a difference to you – visit www.education.sa.gov.au/ThankED.

If you have any questions regarding your child, please feel free to come and see us.

Warm regards,

Sara, Jade and Sheila.

Leadership Team

Assembly Award Recipients