Dear Parents / Caregivers,
The last four weeks have provided many wonderful moments and opportunities for parents and staff to witness the amazing achievements of our students.
Music Night
On Tuesday, 11th of June, the Music Department held the end-of-semester 1 Music Performance. It was an incredible event where students showcased their musical talents. The audience was treated to an array of performances from individuals, small groups, and the entire year group. What was evident through each performance was the enthusiasm, passion, and commitment of both students and teachers, and more importantly, the growth and development of the students' musical skills. Many parents expressed how proud they were of their children and how impressed they were with their performances.
A very big thank you to Mr. Budd for the overall planning and organization of the evening, and to Ms. Geszner and Mrs. Moeller for supporting Mr. Budd with the organisation. Thank you to the instrumental music teachers, Ms. L Sheridan, Mr. Heinjus, and Mr. Duncan, for supporting the students on the night and preparing them for their concert. We also extend our thanks to all the instrumental music teachers who, although unable to attend the evening, supported the students in their preparations for the concert.
Drama Performance
On Wednesday, 12th of June, the Year 9 drama students performed for their parents and students from neighbouring schools, Ardtornish and Modbury South primary schools. They performed “The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk,” which is an adaptation that adds a comic element to the traditional fairy tale. According to feedback from the audience, the performance was very entertaining and kept everyone engaged throughout.
Thank you to the staff and students from Ardtornish and Modbury South primary schools for attending the performance. A special thanks to Mr. Swain for his enthusiasm, passion, and commitment to the drama students, always striving to provide them with an authentic learning experience.
Year 12 Formal
The Year 12 formal took place on Friday, 14th of June, at Glen Ewin Estate. The evening was filled with fun and highlighted the close connections students have developed with their classmates and teachers. Ms. O’Brien Dent, who is currently on leave, surprised the students with a personal message read out by Mrs. Woolford. The Year 12 formal committee, with the support of Mrs. Woolford, Mr. Agalidis, Mr. Price, and Ms. Thomas, did an outstanding job, ensuring everything ran smoothly. The student and teacher awards kept everyone entertained, and the hall was filled with laughter as each award was announced. Students enjoyed the music and dancing.
A very big thank you to the Formal Committee, Ms. Woolford, Ms. O’Brien Dent, Ms Thomas, Mr Price, the year 12 homegroup and subject teachers for supporting the students in planning and organizing the event. Thank you also to all the staff who attended that evening. A special thank you to Mrs. Terriann Dearden for once again documenting the event with her exceptional skills as a photographer.
Pedal Prix
Pedal Prix students, with the support of Fast Cats, participated in the Victoria Park Pedal Prix race which took place on Sunday the 16th of June. As always, the students had lots of fun. A big thank you to Mrs. Hanlin and Mr. Ferguson for planning and organising the event. Thank you also to Fast Cats Racing for their ongoing support.
Attendance at School
I would like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to the importance of regular school attendance and its benefits to student learning and success.
Regular school attendance is crucial for student success, as it directly impacts academic achievement and social development. Consistent attendance ensures that students stay engaged with the curriculum, participate in essential classroom discussions, and develop a sense of responsibility and discipline. Moreover, students who attend school regularly are more likely to build strong relationships with their peers and teachers, fostering a supportive learning environment. As parents, encouraging and maintaining your child's regular attendance can significantly contribute to their overall educational and personal growth, setting a solid foundation for their future endeavours.
As per the Education Department and the school's attendance policy, we ask that if your child is going to be absent from school due to illness or a family reason, you contact the school and provide a reason for their absence.
Some students may not enjoy school, and at times, parents may find it difficult to get them to attend. If you are experiencing such difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our student wellbeing leaders are here to help you and support your student.
Regards
Joanne Costa
Ms Costa
Principal
On Thursday 23rd May, A traditional Indigenous basket weaving workshop which was held by Marra Dreaming in the art gallery, organised by Marisa Hammer, the ASETO, alongside Ms Caitlin Brown, for a group of students.
Traditional basket weaving goes back 10,000 years and is made by wetland grasses (such as lomandra species), lawyer cane (a spiky vine), pandanus, and black palm. Basket weaving can be used for many different things such as holding precious objects, carrying food, and nets for fishing. I found this workshop enjoyable and I'm grateful that Marra Dreaming came out and showed us the techniques passed down by the elders I wish to do this more one day.
-Dana Hammond
Approximately 86 students and 30 staff members celebrated our Year 12 cohort at the formal at Glen Ewin Estate. This represented a culmination of months of planning by the student-led Formal Committee, who need to be congratulated for all of their efforts made in making this event a night to remember for the students.
Many thanks also to Ms Lindsay Shire and Ms Madelin O’Brien-Dent for advising the committee along the way.
Thanks need to go to Aidan Klose (Year 12 student) who entertained us all with his amazing DJ work. Thank you to Terriann Dearden (staff member) for taking all the amazing photographs on the night, and assisting the event photographer with the official photographs. Our official photography was actually an old scholar (2019 graduate)!
Thankyou to Ms Cait Thomas and Mr Iain Price for MCing the night, Mr Luke Agalidis for helping me with some of the speaking and presenting of awards.
Mrs Woolford
Assistant Principal
Curriculum / SACE
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Despite the cold and windy day at our Tailem Bend AIPP Round 2 race, held at The Bend Motorsport on May 18th, the riders didn’t give up and kept fighting right to the end! Lynx secured 8th place in their category, while Pink Panther finished impressively in 4th place. The competition between Cheetah, Puma, and Ocelot riders made the race exciting and competitive throughout the day. Fast Cats Racing (FCR) had a stellar performance with Top Cat taking 1st place in its category. Hell Cat and Night Cat also contributed to FCR's success with 5th and 8th place finishes respectively. Overall, it was a brilliant day of racing with notable achievements.
Most recently, at the Victoria Park race on a sunny Sunday, the 16th of June, Pink Panther encountered an early roll over at ‘Crash Corner’, fortunately the safety of the trike kept the rider safe and able to return to compete later in the day. All our MHS riders displayed fantastic efforts, resulting in impressive lap times, with supportive, yet competitiveness, between riders. It was great to see riders motivating and encouraging each other.
We also saw Lynx improve from 8th position at Tailem Bend to 6th spot at Victoria Park, showcasing the student's progress and determination.
FCR's race day the day earlier, despite less fortunate weather, still managed to proceed under dry conditions. Top Cat continued its winning streak with another 1st place finish, and Hellcat added to the success with a 3rd place in its category. This highlights the strong potential for Modbury High School students to continue their Pedal Prix journey after high school, joining the competitive and successful FCR adult teams.
Looking ahead, the focus is now on Round 4 race back at The Bend Motorsport at Tailem Bend on August 3rd.
For any students, even those yet to start Pedal Prix, if you are looking at riding in the 24-hour Murray Bridge race in September, please speak to Jess as soon as possible. To be eligible to race in Murray Bridge, you will be required to race in at least one other race in the season prior to the 24-hour race.
Congratulations to all participants for their efforts and achievements, and for anyone interested in joining Pedal Prix, there's still an opportunity to get involved by contacting Jess to start your Pedal Prix experience.
Well done to everyone involved in making these events successful and memorable!
Email jess.hanlin802@schools.sa.edu.au for details.
A special thanks to Sharnee at Picture It Sport Photography for the amazing photos.
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In collaboration with the Commissioner for Children and Young People, and the SA SRC, I had the opportunity of participating in a video project being shown at Cleland Wildlife Park’s Inaugural Youth Voice event on Saturday June 1st. The event centred around showcasing what youth across South Australia are working on, with a focus on the environment and our hope for the future. Students in the SA SRC were tasked with answering a series of questions, their answers then strung together and shown at the event. I was lucky enough to be one of two invited out of the several participants.
However, a focus of the event was to, in part, honour Dame Dr. Jane Goodall in her 90th year around the sun and 60 years of advocacy and work. She spoke at the event, and I found her words to be truly impactful and inspiring. An excellent speaker, who I believe could have gone on forever (to my delight). Before Saturday I had recently learned of a Dr. Jane Goodall tribute LEGO set, and thought it imperative to purchase it and bring it to the event. That I did.
I had a wonderful time meeting Jane, and a wonderful time hearing from everybody at the event.
- Xavier, a year 11 student
This week our year 10 students have been busy at work experience. Students are working in a varity of industries to gain real world experience in their area of interest. Teachers have been busy catching up with them throughout the week to see them in action and how they are doing.
Angelica has had an interesting week, observing tooth extractions, fillings and dental hygiene practices. It is something that she has always been interested in and sent out quite a few emails before she was accepted at SA Dental. Angelica knows that she has many years of study ahead of her (and a huge HECS debt) but is still keen to pursue this career.
Amir's work experience has been at Woolworths this week where his supervisors all say that Amir has been polite and keen to learn. He has worked in various sections both on the floor and behind the scenes. He has rearranged displays, checked on Date restrictions for various items and met staff in other sections of the store. There have been discussions with management about the possibility of part-time work following his work experience so this has been a successful placement for him.
Shahanna went back to her old Primary School to see what life was like on the other side and has had a very enjoyable work experience. She has been working with individual students to support their reading and to help with assignments and has introduced an Art task to the whole class. While at Dernancourt Primary School, I also ran into a student from last year who is working as an SSO – Sienna. Our students are out in the community doing good things!
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It is very exciting to share my experience of the first music night for 2024, especially being the first-ever Year 12 Music Captain at Modbury High School. As a passionate senior musician, it was truly thrilling to witness the gym packed with incredible performances from various bands. The evening not only showcased the immense talent but also the dedication of Modbury's students as they continue to grow in their musical journeys. From Year 8 beginners to Senior students finishing their school careers and hopefully taking their musical talents beyond school, everyone supported and encouraged each other throughout the night. This spirit of collaboration highlighted the hard work, creativity, and vibrant musical community we have at Modbury. It was a privilege to be part of such a memorable event.
Crystal – Year 12 Music Captain 2024
Monday 13th May saw our Year 11 students participate in a Road Awareness Program session. It is sponsored by our Stage Government and supported by our Department for Education, and is provided by the Metropolitan Fire Service. The session provides an open and honest insight by our firefighters and service providers who work in road crash rescue situations. It provides a hard-hitting insight into road trauma.
The session was provided by MFS member Joshua Byerlee, who recounted some of his own experiences in attending road crash events, recalling statistics and providing insights from families of victims. The students were also spoken to by a crash victim who, while they survived, recalled the extensive injuries they have suffered (and continue to), the lengthy recovery and affect it has had on their family and friends.
While this information was confronting for our Year 11 students, it is meant to empower our young drivers of today and tomorrow about the risks and choosing their consequences.
Year 11 students are currently undertaking their final assessments for semester 1. Students are requiring to undertake examinations as part of their subjects – in preparation for Stage 2 subject requirements and eligibility.
Students have also reviewed their post-school pathways with respect to their semester 2 subject choices and Stage 2 potential subject pathways. This will culminate in the Subject Selection process in the middle of Term 3.
During this year so far, Year 12 students have been receiving ongoing feedback regarding their progress through the Interim and End of Term Reports. These help to provide Year 12 leaders with
clear information on how students are progressing, so that conversations can occur with the students and families regarding their process.
Part of assessing student progress is the opportunity for students undertaking subjects with an end of year exam to practice these processes with our Mid Year Exams. Students will be undertaking these during Term 2 Week 9. Students will then be able to reflect on how they prepared for these exams, and what improvements and/or changes they can make to then optimise their opportunities at the end of the year.
Subjects without examinations are continuing their progress through their assessment tasks, and students will still be attending their double lessons during Week 9, as well as the Monday timetabled lessons.
We believe in a culture of achievement in a respectful and rigorous learning environment
