Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Wow—can you believe we’re already halfway through the term? Where has the time gone! It’s been wonderful to see our students settled, enthusiastic, and thriving in their learning. There’s a real buzz across every classroom, as students engage with new challenges and grow in confidence every day.

We've already packed so much into the school calendar, from special assemblies to exciting excursions, and it’s been fantastic to watch our young learners shine. But the fun isn’t over! There are still many more brilliant events and opportunities lined up for the weeks ahead, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

Thank you for your ongoing support and positivity—let’s make the second half of the term just as amazing as the first!

Thank you

A big thank you to all our staff for their dedication and teamwork during the recent period of long service leave for Bianca Martyn and Sara Slater. Special thanks go to Jade Mattin and Alysia Coventry for stepping into higher duties and leading with such professionalism and care.

The school continued to run smoothly, and this is a testament to the commitment and collaboration of our entire team. We want to acknowledge and thank everyone for their efforts in ensuring our students’ learning and wellbeing remained at the forefront.

Your hard work and support have made a real difference—thank you!

School Pupil Free Day - Friday 5th June (Week 6)

We’d like to remind you that our next pupil free day is coming up soon. On this day, our staff will be participating in professional learning around the new Strategy for Public Education, with a particular focus on metacognition. Metacognition means “thinking about our thinking”—helping students understand how they learn, and how to become effective learners.

Our teachers will explore practical ways to support students to develop these skills, so we can continue to provide high-quality learning opportunities for every child. Thank you for your support and understanding as we invest in our staff’s professional growth.

OSHC is available on this day.

Preschool Pupil Free Day - Tuesday 9th June (Week 7)

We also have a Preschool Pupil Free Day scheduled for Tuesday 9th June. On this day, our educators will be participating in dedicated professional learning focused on enhancing our practices in the cycle of planning, documentation, and observations. This valuable time will also allow us to revisit and deepen our understanding of the ‘Image of The Child’ work, which underpins our approach to supporting each child as a capable, competent, and curious learner.

We appreciate your support as we continue to invest in quality early childhood education for all our students.

Volunteer Morning Tea

On behalf of our entire school community, we wish to extend an enormous and sincere thank you to all our amazing volunteers for your generous time, efforts, and commitment to creating a vibrant and supportive school environment.

Last week’s Volunteers Morning Tea was a small gesture of appreciation, but it cannot fully capture the depth of our gratitude for everything you do. Whether you assist with learning programs, lend your talents in cooking the BBQ, support excursions, create resources for our teachers, or help with fundraising, your contributions are essential to the positive experiences and achievements of our students.

The Department for Education recognises not only the wide variety of roles volunteers play, but also the immeasurable value you bring through kindness and care. Regular recognition and acknowledgement – such as our morning tea, newsletter shout-outs, and certificates – are vital to sustaining this wonderful spirit of service. We are committed to ensuring your time with us is both meaningful and supported.

Your community spirit and willingness to give make a real and lasting difference. Our students thrive thanks to the relationships, encouragement, and opportunities provided by volunteers like you. You are an indispensable part of our school; we could not achieve our goals and provide such rich learning experiences without your partnership.

Thank you again for your dedication, generosity, and the genuine care you show every day. We celebrate you, not just this week, but all year round.

Uniform Update

As we move into the winter months, we are beginning to experience colder, wetter, and chillier weather conditions. It is important that all students come to school dressed warmly in appropriate school uniform.

We ask families to ensure that jumpers, jackets, and other outerwear worn at school are part of our approved school uniform and in school colours. Non-school coloured clothing does not reflect the sense of school pride and belonging we encourage in all students.

School uniform items, including winter jumpers and beanies, are available to purchase via Qkr!.

Please take the time to read through our Uniform Policy to ensure your child is wearing the correct uniform and proudly representing our school values and community expectations. Thank you for your continued support in helping our students show pride in themselves and our school.

Mother's Day Stall

A huge thank you to our wonderful staff and volunteers for supporting our Mother's Day stall this year. We hope all our mums, grandmothers and special people in our children's lives enjoyed the special gifts your child purchased for you at our Mother's Day stall. Thank you to our community for supporting the Mother's Day stall, we just over $1000, which will go towards the installation of our Outdoor Classroom.

Emergency Procedures at Modbury School P-6

This term, our school community prioritised safety by practising both our off-site evacuation and invacuation procedures. Students and staff confidently and calmly participated, demonstrating their understanding and readiness.

The Department for Education (DfE) emphasises the importance of regularly rehearsing these procedures so that everyone knows what to do in the event of a real emergency.

Preschool staff and children also took part in these drills, reinforcing that safety is a shared responsibility across all age groups. By practising together, we ensure a safer environment for our whole site and help children feel secure and prepared.

Road Cycle Safety Centre Excursions

Recently, our early years students enjoyed a fantastic excursion to the Ridgehaven Road Safety Centre. The children had a great time riding bikes and learning all about keeping safe on and around roads, including important lessons in recognising signs, understanding signals, and following safe practices.

These activities are closely linked to the Health and Physical Education curriculum, where we focus on safety, responsible decision-making, and building vital skills for students to look after themselves and others. Learning experiences like this help our students grow in confidence and independence, setting strong foundations for lifelong safety.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side in the afternoon, which meant Room 7's excursion needed to be rescheduled. We are looking forward to seeing Room 7 visit the Road Safety Centre very soon and continuing this important learning journey together!

Thank you to everyone involved and our amazing volunteers who help support our excursions.

Simultaneous Story Time

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) 2026 was held on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, at 12:00 pm AEST. The chosen book was Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller, written by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd, and illustrated by Jake Minton. The story follows a kangaroo leading her soccer team against bushland rivals, focusing on teamwork and resilience.

Our students enjoyed listening to the story and enjoyed a bag of popcorn. Thanks to Emily, Bianca and Sheila for organising the popcorn for our students.

Transition Visits

We are looking forward to welcoming our new 2026 Mid-Year Preschool and Reception children on their transition visits. These visits are a wonderful opportunity for our youngest learners to become familiar with their new environment, meet our staff, and make new friends.

We are excited to welcome them into our school community and support them as they embark on this exciting journey. Our dedicated staff are committed to ensuring a smooth and enjoyable transition for every child. We can't wait to see their smiling faces and share in their enthusiasm for learning.

Staffing Updates

We have several staffing changes to share with our school community.

Firstly, we wish Mickaylah Mertin all the very best as she commences maternity leave from Week 7 this term. We are excited for Mickaylah as she prepares for the arrival of her new baby, and we thank her sincerely for all her contributions and commitment to Modbury School. We are pleased to welcome Christina James to Room 12 from Week 7.

We also say farewell to Joanne Gagliardi in Room 7, who has accepted a full-time mid-year teaching position in the Catholic sector. Thank you, Joanne, for all your hard work and dedication to Modbury School throughout this year. We welcome Daniela Bozoski, who will be teaching full time in Room 7 from Week 7 for the remainder of the year. Daniela is a very familiar face in Room 7 as she already teaches in this class on a Monday and Friday. We know this will be a smooth transition for our younger students.

We would like to farewell Steph from our OSHC team as she moves on to her next adventure. Steph has made wonderful contributions to our school community, always bringing care and enthusiasm to her role. We sincerely thank her for her valued efforts and dedication.

Finally, we are delighted to welcome Tahlia Troeth, who is currently teaching in our preschool, as the new mid-year Reception teacher full time for Terms 3 and 4. Tahlia will be a familiar face for many of our mid-year Reception students joining us from preschool.

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support, and please join us in wishing our staff all the very best in their new roles and transitions.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Luke and Ashleigh on their recent engagement! 💍

We are absolutely thrilled for you both as you begin this exciting new chapter together. Wishing you a lifetime filled with love, laughter, happiness and many wonderful memories ahead.

On behalf of the entire school community, congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple!

Early Dismissal - Term 3, Week 1 - Tuesday 21 July

We recently shared via EdSmart that all Modbury School staff will be participating in important professional learning at the start of next term, as discussed and approved at our recent Governing Council meeting. This learning aims to help staff respond safely and effectively to unexpected situations, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of every student. This training and early dismissal only applies to the Reception - Year 6 staff, the preschool will remain open as normal.

To enable all staff to attend, there will be an early dismissal on Tuesday, Term 3, Week 1 (21st July). On this day, school will finish at 2:00pm. Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) will be available from this time for families who require it. Please see Nicola in OSHC for booking your child in.

Please ensure you have marked this in your calendar to collect your child early from school on this day.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the school. Thank you for your understanding and support as we continue to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff.

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.

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to a fabulous Term 4!

Warm regards,

Sara, Jade and Sheila.

Leadership Team

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