Dear families,

As we end another amazing year, we want to take a moment to celebrate all we've achieved together. Thanks to the wonderful support from our families and the hard work of our staff, it's been fantastic to see our students grow and learn. We've had many successes and created a warm, welcoming environment for everyone.

As we head into the holiday break, we hope you all have a fantastic time with your loved ones and friends. We're excited to continue our journey together next year and build on everything we've accomplished. Thank you for being such an important part of our school community.

Please enjoy reading through our final newsletter for the school year.

Acknowledgement of Country

Thank you to Sam from Spice of Life Media for showcasing our beautiful school community and our students in our Acknowledgement of Country. It was so wonderful to share this with our community at our End-of-Year Concert in Week 7. We have received fabulous feedback from our families and look forward to sharing this at all our events and assemblies. I was fortunate enough to share this at a recent Principal's meeting I attended, and the feedback regarding our school was fantastic.

Staffing Updates

We would like to inform our community of some upcoming staff changes at Modbury School P-6 for 2025. As the school year draws to a close, we will be saying farewell to the following valued members of our teaching and support staff.

Ali Curtis - who will return to her Behaviour Coach role within the Department of Education
Kym Bennetts - who will be taking up an administration role at another site
Rachel Phillips - who has won a full-time permanent position at another site
Isaac Radan - who will be working across another 2 sites
Kylie Ashdown - who will be working across different sites
Tayla Kelly - who will be working across different sites

These individuals have made significant contributions to our school community, and we are grateful for their dedication and hard work. While we are sad to see them go, we are also excited for them as they embark on new opportunities and challenges in their careers. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours and thank them for their dedication to our school.

We welcome Jade Mattin, who has been appointed as Deputy Principal for 2025, and Laura Mitchell who will be teaching Reception/Year 1 in 2025.

2025 Classes

Next year we will be starting with 6 mainstream classes and 1 special options 3-6 class. Our staffing structures for 2025 are:

Room	Year Level/s	Teacher/s
Preschool	Preschool	Rose and Alanna
6	R/1	Laura Mitchell
7	1/ 2	Marci Latella
8	2/ 3	Jake Green
9	3/ 4	Paula Cope
10	3-6 Special Class	Vikki Pascoe and Christina James
11	5/6	Heather Merkel
12	5/6	Luke Venter and Mickaylah Mertin
PE	Luke Venter
Japanese	Lauren Fox
Arts (T1 and T2 )	Susie Young
Technologies (T3 and T4)	Kristie Talbot
Leadership	Sara Slater, Jade Mattin, Sheila Flavel

Room 10 excursion

Room 10 children went to the annual Variety Club Xmas Excursion. The Variety Club is a wonderful organisation the helps children when others can’t by supporting them and their families who are facing many challenges through sickness, disadvantage or living with disability.

Variety Club make sure the kids who miss out, can always join in. They believe all kids deserve a fair go. We would like to thank The Variety Club for their support to our children at Modbury School.

If you would like to know more about the Variety Club program, please read the brochure:

Year 6 Graduation

Last Wednesday, our Year 6 students marked a significant milestone as they celebrated their graduation from primary school and prepared to transition to high school. The evening was filled with excitement, pride, and a lovely touch of nostalgia as our students spoke and reflected on their primary school journey, which was delightful to hear.

The graduation ceremony honoured the students' achievements, academic growth, and personal development over the past years. Our families gathered to witness their special moments, supporting our students as they take the next step in their educational path.

On behalf of all the staff at Modbury School, we would like to congratulate you all on your graduation from primary school. We are all very proud of you and everything you have accomplished at Modbury! Thank you, families, for your love and support throughout these students’ primary school years, we know they will do great things!

Award Recipients

Our local MP Olivia Savvas presented the Molly Byrne award to the student who has best demonstrated the qualities of hard work and perseverance, as Molly Byrne did for females by pioneering the landmark legislation passed by Parliament enabling women in our State to vote in general elections, and to stand as members of Parliament.

Zac was this year's Molly Byrne Award recipient. Zac was selected for the award for the following reasons:

A genuine happy spirit - always friendly, always has a smile on his face, always uses his manners and will work with anyone in the class
He always puts in 100% effort in all learning tasks across curriculum areas. He is not afraid to give anything a go.
He responds to feedback positively and makes changes to his work when instructed, thanking his teachers for their suggestions
He never complains about a task and willingly takes on any challenge
He is compliant with all school rules, routines and expectations and represents Modbury School proudly
He has shown these values throughout his schooling journey, and all teachers have nothing but praise for his efforts

Other Academic Award Recipients

Congratulations to our academic award recipients. We are extremely proud of your dedication to learning and academic achievement.

Japanese Award: Sunali U K

Physical Education Award: Alexander T

Performing Arts Award: Dristi K

English Award: Cadence L

Math Award: Newan M

The Modbury Medal was awarded to Ethan W for his outstanding commitment to Modbury School P-6 and for upholding our school values at all times. Ethan was awarded the Modbury Medal for being:

Kind and respectful to all peers and students of the school community
Excellent student leader and role model to younger students
Involved student in all aspects of school life such as: choir, SAPSASA
Reliable helper and can be trusted to complete jobs with care and commitment
Is a happy and calm student who perseveres through challenges
Always conducts himself appropriately and respectfully
A creative and inquisitive student who always strives to improve himself

Congratulations to all our award recipients at the Year 6 Graduation. We are extremely proud of you all.

Preschool Graduation

Our Preschool Graduation is always so much fun. This milestone begins an exciting educational journey for our young learners. Over the past year, they have grown in confidence, curiosity, and creativity, laying a strong foundation for their future learning, under the careful guidance of our preschool educators.

Our dedicated educators - Rose, Alanna and Heather have nurtured each child's unique talents and interests, fostering a love for learning that will last a lifetime. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and the supportive community that has contributed to their success.

As these bright young minds transition to the next stage of their education, we look forward to seeing them continue to thrive and inspire. Congratulations to our preschool graduates and their families!

2025 School Leaders and House Captains

We are pleased to announce the 2025 Student Leaders and House Captains. Mrs Flavel and Mr Venter spent considerable time reviewing the applications, and interviewing our students.

We are very proud of our 2025 Student Leaders and House Captains and know they will make Modbury School P-6 very proud in their roles.

2025 Student Leader	2025 House Captain
Sophia	Georgia
Amelia	Jesse
Ivy-Rose	Henry Car
Deme	Mia F
Isaiah	Noah M
Cammy	Shaun
Charlie
John

End of Year reports

Today you will receive via email your child's end-of-year report which provides a summary of the academic progress, achievements, and areas for improvement throughout the school year. They provide an account of your child's learning journey, highlighting their strengths and identifying areas where they may need additional support. The reports celebrate your child's accomplishments and efforts, acknowledging their hard work and dedication throughout the year. By reviewing the report, you and your child can set realistic and achievable goals for the upcoming year. This helps in maintaining a continuous and focused approach to learning. The information provided in the reports assists teachers in planning for the next academic year, ensuring that each student receives the support and challenges they need to succeed.

End of Year Transition for Year 6 students

As the school year draws to a close, we understand that many of our students and their families are preparing for the significant transition from primary school to high school. This is an exciting and sometimes challenging time, if you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to your child’s high school.

High school brings new academic challenges and opportunities. The move to high school can be an emotional time for students. It's important to provide a supportive and understanding environment at home. Encourage open communication and reassure your child that it's normal to feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. Transitioning to high school often means meeting new peers and forming new friendships. Encourage your child to participate in extracurricular activities and clubs, which can help them build a sense of belonging and make new friends.

We wish all our graduating students all the best at high school.

Transition from Preschool to Reception

This transition is a significant milestone in young people’s educational journey and plays a crucial role in setting the foundation for their future learning and development. We have had 3 transition visits over the past 3 weeks to support our 2025 Reception students. The transition process helps children build confidence as they become familiar with the new school environment, routines, and expectations. This confidence is essential for their overall well-being and success in school.

Starting primary school can be an emotional experience for young children. The transition process supports their emotional adjustment by providing a gradual and supportive introduction to the new school setting, helping them feel secure and comfortable. Our new 2025 Reception students have successfully engaged in 3 transition visits this term, becoming familiar with Modbury School P-6. We can't wait to see our new receptions at the beginning of next year.

We are committed to making the transition from kindy to primary school a positive and supportive experience for all our students. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support you and your child every step of the way.

International Day of People with a Disability

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is a United Nations day, observed internationally each year on 3 December. In Australia, it is a day to promote awareness, understanding and acceptance of the 5.5 million people with disability in the country.

A key part of IDPwD each year are the events and activities that schools, workplaces and community groups hold to mark the day.

At Modbury P-6, we promote awareness and inclusion of students with disabilities through classroom activities, videos, and discussions. Inclusion is everybody's business.

Autism and Christmas

Christmas is approaching super fast! We can understand that it can be a little stressful for us all. Please see attached a flyer with some information regarding Christmas and Autism and strategies to manage this time of year.

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 at any time, to anyone working in public education who has made a difference to you - visit www.education.sa.gov.au/webforms/thanked

Suggestions Spotlight

We appreciate your valuable insights and active participation in enhancing our school community. We invite parents/carers to share any suggestions or ideas you may have for school improvement. Your feedback is essential in fostering a positive and effective learning environment for our students.

Your suggestions may be discussed at future Staff Meetings or Governing Council meetings, or we may contact you personally for further follow-up.

Please use this link to submit your suggestions.

Casual Day tomorrow -last day of school

School Safety over the Holidays

It is important to keep safe over the upcoming holidays. If you see anything suspicious or inappropriate behaviour on our school grounds please contact the police on 131 444.

We wish you all a wonderful break with your family. Thank you for your continued support in 2024 at Modbury School P-6.

Warm regards,

Sara, Ali and Sheila.

Leadership Team

School Calendar

Term Dates for South Australian Schools