Dear Parents/Guardians/Caregivers
Welcome to the March edition of our newsletter. As always the last three weeks have been very busy as is evident by the articles presented.
Student Voice Induction
On Monday 27 February we held our “Student Voice “Induction ceremony and Congress. The aim of the ceremony was to present the student voice representatives to the school community.
Member of Parliament for Newland, Olivia Savvas addressed the students and spoke of her personal Leadership experience. She inspired students by sharing her own story and letting students know that everything is possible if you have a goal and go after it with passion and determination. The ceremony concluded with the elected student representatives being presented with their SRC badge.
Following the ceremony, Matt Krieg, a leadership consultant, supported the students to explore leadership qualities and to ascertain what their focus for the year will be.
I am looking forward to working with the students and supporting them to positively influence the schools.
A very big thank you to Olivia Savvas for joining us on the day and for her inspiring speech. Thank you to Ms Downes for her planning and organisation of the induction ceremony and the leadership she provides to student voice. Thank you to Ms Moeller, Mr Ricci, Ms Nash and Ms O’Brien-Dent for their work with student voice.
Sports Day
On Friday 10 March we held our school’s sports day. Although I was absent for the day due to my participation in an external review for another school, I heard many positive reports from students and teachers about what a fantastic day it was. Congratulations to all the students who participated in events and supported their house to accumulate points.
Congratulations to Gilmore for once again winning first place!
NAPLaN
NAPLaN testing started on Wednesday 15 March. It is envisaged that all tests including catch up tests for students who have been absent for any aspect of the tests will be finalised by the middle of next week.
Thank you to Ms Shelly Brown, Deputy Principal for her planning and organisation of the tests. Thank you also to all the teachers who have been supervising the tests and Mr Francois Vorstman, ICT Manager for his organisation and assistance of the ICT required for the successful administration of the tests.
School’s Values
School values are essential in building a positive and vibrant culture. Values connect people to the institution they are affiliated with. Our school is proud of its current values of Respect and of a Culture of high achievement. These values have been critical in the positive school culture which exists at Modbury. However, after discussions with staff and students it was evident that other values should be incorporated, values which reflect other aspects of our school community. For this reason Ms Hannah Downes, Assistant Principal of Learning Environment, together with Matt Krieg are currently leading a group of staff and students representatives to evaluate the school’s current vision and values. The aim is for students and staff to determine what other values they see as important and significant for our school. Once they determine a set of values, they will share it with the whole community with the aim of a whole school agreement on what our school values should be.
Work Completion Policy for Years 7-10
In 2022, after extensive consultation with teachers and student voice, the work completion policy was updated with some significant changes. The changes to the policy occurred because in the evaluation of the effectiveness of the policy, it was determined that it did not support students to develop effective time management and study habits. The new policy requires students to take more responsibility for their learning and for parents to support their child and the school by monitoring their child’s progress. The policy states that when students fail to submit a draft, the teacher will alert the parent, the teacher will not issue a consequence at this point in time. However, the parent can request that the student be placed in the Learning Centre to complete the task. If this does not happen and the student fails to submit the final task by the due date, they will be given a zero.
I encourage all parents who may receive a Daymap message indicating that their child has not completed a draft of any given task to contact the school and ask that their child be enrolled into the Learning Centre at lunch time to complete the draft. This is important as drafts provide students with feedback on how they can improve their work.
Ms Joanne Costa
Principal
Each term, the school acknowledges the students who achieve exceptional end-of-term results.
Outstanding Achievement awards are presented to students who obtained the maximum number of A grades for their year level (i.e. a GPA of 7). We will recognise the academic achievement of these students at our Outstanding Achievers Recess along with Term 1 achievers at the beginning of Term 2, 2023.
High Achievement awards are presented to students who obtain one fewer A grade than the maximum for their year level.
Congratulations to these students!
Outstanding Achievement
Year 8
Emily Tontani
Saarakshya Sharma
Shahanna McMillan
Jess Freebairn
Aki Sicoy
Year 9
Molly Cox
Liezel Wong
Amber Hayward
Breanne Button
Bowie Morgan
Christopher Kastanos
Parisha Gautam
Keilah Haldane
Madhav Sharma
Year 10
Finley Bradtke
Anton Kastanos
Hana Wong
Ella Martin
Kaiwen He
Jack Counihan-Abbott
Oscar Elder
Year 11
Lydia Wighton
Jak Kastanos
Sienna Garstka
Angelina Hansen
Matthew Maletto
High Achievement
Year 7
Kaitlyn Sollis
Gargee Vyas
Demi Snider
Vivaan Rajpal
Hannah Joseph
Liam Hanlin
Rohami Rajkumar
Alexis Smith
Isabella Wright
Kura Whenan
Jules Sulaog
Paige Sharpe
Ella Taylor
Evan Zawada
Angel Surani
Year 8
Elliot Webster-Brown
Isha Bane
Ariel Lim
Melissa Benton
Tom Whistler
Hannah Merrett
Angelica Lizaso
Scarlett Taylor
Charli Hodson
Charli Juhl
Kayla Skurrie
Sienna Morgan
Madeline Langley
Hannah Lock
Sophia Raissa
Isabelle Cox
Emily Piacquadio
Avnoor Kaur
Year 9
Soheil Haidari
Danika Low
Mia Ly
Belle Parrish
Cameron Green
Elise Harmer
Isla McGraw
Mika Osborne
Jordyn Cook
Rania Saitov
Imogen Janicki
Bryce Sanders
Michael Van Der Hoek
Rachel Burgess
Jade Kolman
Emily Zhang
Tori Ashman
Jack Rose
Alex Zhukovskiy
Keira Copeland
Charlotte Bland
Daniel Wagener
Daniel Cook
Alecia Saldavia
Lara Murphy
Lia Kais
Kai Goulding
Erin McLeod
Holly Manoel
Year 10
Kahlan Mashford
Jasmin Andrews
Asha Duldig
Mason Green
Lara Somfai
Madison Benton
Owen Wythe
Andrea Sualog
Teagan Parmiter
Jade Pelton
Luke Zawada
Riley Barton
Carlos Gray-Claveria
Cooper Garland-McNamara
Lawrence French
Year 11
Jeran Tiong
Nyx Little
Yalarasey Sooriyakumar
Brianna Mesecke
William Wighton
Rachel Davies
Ms Joanne Costa
Principal
2023 has seen the return of international students at Modbury High School. We currently have 13 short term students from Japan and 3 long term students from India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The students have settled into life quite quickly and done a variety of activities in school and with their host families.
The short-term students will begin leaving in week 8 and although they have only been with us for a short time, they will be missed by their fellow students and staff alike.
International students wouldn’t be able to attend schools in South Australia if it wasn’t for host families. Host families are reimbursed for their time and make new friends from all over the world. If you are interested in becoming a host for an international student, contact Amanda Kampes at the school for more information.
Amanda Kampes
Coordinator of Languages and International Education.
Harura’s Birthday Party!
On February 28th, We Japanese students had a party! The star was Harura.
Her real birthday is February 29th, but it comes only once every four years, so we held it the day before. In short she is only 3 years old.
We had pizza and donuts. The birthday girl ate kinds of pizza and lots of donuts and looked very happy!!!
We had pizza and donuts. The birthday girl ate kinds of pizza and lots of donuts and looked very happy!!!
She was celebrated by many people from Japan.
There is no doubt that her birthday in Australia was a special one for her.
Happy birthday Harura! 🙂
By Kohane Yamada (Yr 11)
International Student’s Welcome Party
On 22th,February. We went to Welcome Party at The University of South Australia. The members are Yuta, Kohane, Will, Bumhika, Nagomi, Fumika, Kazuhiro, Saki, Rina, Yushi, Kanon, Wae, Harura, Ms.Kampes and Ms.Baulch. At the welcome party , we watched a traditional Australian dance and saw Australian animals such as baby quokkas and snakes. After that, we visited the booths individually. Some of the booths were where you could try wrapping a snake around your neck, and others were where you could try playimg Australian cricket and Australian foo ball, which are very popular in Australia. At a booth where commemorative photos could be taken, everyone joined the teachers for a photo. Everyone seemed happy to see their school friends after a long time.
It was an exciting, different day and a lot of fun.
By Yuta Imanishi (Yr 11)
A reminder to parents, caregivers and students that Year 12 Formal ticket final payments are due by Thursday 6th April (Week 10). Final payment of the remaining $70.00 can be made through the QKR app, bank transfer (BSB 065150 Acct No. 10649930), or at the finance office. The Year 12’s have voted on a theme for the 2023 formal, which is ‘Enchanted Forest’. The formal committee has begun their fundraising efforts and did a great job with back-to-back burger flipping last week on Tuesday and Wednesday at lunchtime, we have two upcoming fundraisers advertised below – a fantastic effort by the formal committee for organising these!
On Tuesday March 28th, the Formal Committee have also organised a ‘pop up’ event through With Love Formal Wear, a charity that donates preloved formal dresses and suits to students who need them (no cost involved) – this will take place from 4:00pm – 6:00pm in the Year 12 Flexis, parents/caregivers are welcome to attend with their child.
I had seen countless photos of Port Willunga and its jetty poles, however I had never seen one so close to the water, one that really brought the viewer in. This exact photo had been in my head for weeks before getting there. Once I arrived, and waited for sunset, I realised my luck wasn't on point. The clouds blocked the sun, and I knew the photo would come out an eyesore, however I still rushed in for the photo, lifting my camera on its tripod in and out of the water as I went for the shot as some waves could have engulfed it. Due to the conditions, It came out quite bad, however with post-processing magic I was able to fix and make a photo I am truly proud of. It was great to see my work displayed somewhere too.
-By Carlos Gray-Claveria
A huge congratulations to Carlos Gray-Claveria for getting an Honourable mention for the High School Student photography awards for 2023. Cannot wait to see more of your amazing work.
On Tuesday the 14th of February all the year 10s in Modbury High School attended a drivers safety meeting with Darren Davis from the Get Home Safe Foundation. Darren talked us through the importance of seatbelts and how they could possibly save your life in a crash. He then told us about how bad texting and driving is. He continued with saying that more drivers die from texting and driving than drink driving.
Near the end of the meeting one of the students from each class was given the opportunity to drive in Australia’s only VR car simulator while in an actual car. While the one student had their headset, on the rest of the class could see the simulation on a TV.
The key take aways from this meeting were when you are driving prepare to stop, and if you’re in the car with someone who has either, been drinking or texting and driving you should say something or get out of the car. Darren did an amazing job at telling everyone all the safety requirements of driving especially since most of us will be driving this year. All the students that went to Darren’s meeting will remember it.
By Amber Crebbin
On March 8th, Seda College held the International Women's Day breakfast, and Modbury students were invited to attend. Upon arrival, we were given goodie bags containing food coupons, Catherine House information packets, sky diving and float vouchers, a face mask, a health bar, and flyers for MAS, Peer, and ATEC when we arrived at the location. Over brunch, we were given the opportunity to network and socialise with other women and students from various schools who attended the event, as well as representatives from MAC, Peer and ATEC. We stood in the rain as Uncle John delivered the welcome to country, which was a surreal experience that allowed us to feel connected to the earth. Strong female leaders who have succeeded in male-dominated careers, such as sports or trades, contributed to the event's tremendous force through an engaging panel. The women on the panel included engineer Winnie and plumber trainer Brittany from PEER, Marena Wittle from Adelaide Lightning, Anne Hatchard (Hatchy) from Adelaide Crows, Tayla Williams from Adelaide Thunderbirds and Dylan Holmes from Adelaide United. This event was motivational and inspiring, giving us the chance to be empowered and pursue the job paths we are interested in. I recommend the event and hope Modbury will be asked again next year! Thank you to Ms O’brien-Dent for organising the excursion for some year 11 and 12 female leaders.
by Dakota Stephenson
Ms Madelin O'Brien-Dent
Year 11/12 Manager
Ms Emma Baulch
Counselling Coordinator, Psychology and English Teacher
We are excited to announce that we are once again offering our students the chance to participate in the ICAS Assessments this year. Academic competitions are a wonderful way to challenge and engage students, and the ICAS Assessments are no exception.
With over forty years of experience developing assessments for schools, ICAS Assessments are designed to provide teachers and parents with insights into improving learning and rewarding academic success. The tests are engaging, and the processes are rigorous, ensuring high standards are met.
Participating in academic competitions like the ICAS Assessments can bring numerous benefits to students. Here are the top ten benefits of academic competitions for students:
If you're interested in your child participating in the ICAS Assessments, please log in to the parental portal and make payment for the tests they will be sitting.
The school access code is: SYD252
The parental page link is: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps
The cost of the tests is $19.25 each, and the ICAS Writing Assessment costs $23.65. The tests will be held at Modbury High School and administered by Kristina Palmer.
| Digital Technologies | 7 August – 11 August |
| Writing | 7 August – 11 August |
| English | 14 August – 18 August |
| Science | 21 August – 25 August |
| Spelling Bee | 21 August – 25 August |
| Mathematics | 28 Aug- 1 September |
We hope that you will take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for your child to challenge themselves and demonstrate their academic abilities. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact kristina.palmer612@schools.sa.edu.au test administrator and English/EALD Coordinator.
Ms Kristina Palmer
Test Administrator and English/EALD Coordinator
In our science class, we recently completed a practical that gave students the opportunity to learn about the central nervous system by dissecting a sheep's brain. This activity was an excellent way for students to understand the structure of the brain and its components.
By dissecting a sheep's brain, students were able to examine the various parts of the brain and learn about their functions such as:
1. that the cerebrum is responsible for processing information related to language, sensation, and movement.
2. that the cerebellum is involved in coordinating movement and balance, and that the brain stem controls vital functions like breathing and heartbeat.
The dissection began with a brief overview of the anatomy of the brain, including the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem. Students then had the opportunity to observe and identify each of these structures in the sheep's brain.
Overall, the sheep brain dissection was a valuable activity for our students. It provided them with hands-on experience in learning about the central nervous system and helped them to understand the importance of this complex organ in our daily lives. By exploring the structure and function of the brain, students were able to gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the human body.
Mr Paul Gavini
STEM Teacher
On Friday 3rd March, Liam Nash (year 8), Hudson Mentha (year 7) represented Modbury High School as Individual Swimmers at the Secondary Schools Swimming Championships held at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre. Unfortunately, a couple of girls were unable to attend.
Liam performed extremely well, coming 4th in Backstroke, 6th in Breaststroke and 8th in Freestyle. He was competing against some tough competition in the 14-year-old age group however he achieved personal best times in all his swims. Congratulations Liam.
Hudson had a great day with 3 PBs from his 5 swims. From this he was awarded 2 firsts in Butterfly & 50m Freestyle and 3 second places in backstroke, breaststroke & 100m freestyle in the 11-12-year-old age group. Congratulations Hudson
Thank you to their parents for providing assistance and transportation on the day. Well done to all students for representing the school proudly.
Mr Brendan Schiller
Sports Coordinator
Health & Physical Education Teacher
We believe in a culture of achievement in a respectful and rigorous learning environment
