Dear Parents / Caregivers
Wow, it’s hard to believe that we have reached the end of Term 2 already! Over the last 4 weeks the teachers and students have worked tirelessly to achieve amazing results across many areas of learning.
Farewell to Mr Truman
Big Farewell to Mr Ashley Truman, who has decided to retire at the end of this term. Mr Truman has been a teacher at Modbury High school for more than 32 years. He is a much loved and respected teacher whose contribution to the students and wider school community is extensive. He has been instrumental in the development of the Specialist Basketball program and the USA Basketball trip. Many students and parents who have participated in the USA trip describe the trip as one of their best experiences. For many years he has been responsible for the leadership and management of the extra curriculum sport activities, which supported many students to participate in after school sport and knockout sports carnivals.
I know that he will be missed by his colleagues and students and that he will always be remembered with fondness by his students, colleagues, and many parents.
We wish him lots of happiness in his retirement and all the best for the future.
Pedal Prix
On Sunday 16 June our Pedal Prix students participated in a 6-hour race at Victoria Park. Once again, our school had several teams entered in the competition. Although it rained all of Saturday when the adults raced, on Sunday the students were gifted with sunshine and good racing conditions. Mrs Brown and I visited in the afternoon and took the opportunity to speak with the many parents that were there. As always it was fantastic to see the students having fun and working so well together supporting each other to do achieve their bests.
A very big thank you to Mr Ferguson, Mrs Gibbins, Mr Gibbins and the Fast Cats committee.
Performing Art, Performance
In week 7 on Wednesday and Thursday, Mr Swain's and Mr Ricci's Year 8 Drama classes put on a performance for their parents. Working in small groups the students presented small skits, and it was obvious from the reactions of the audience that they were very entertained.
On Thursday night it was the Music students turn to perform for their families. Parents who were present commented on how well the students played and were especially impressed with the Year 10 Music class.
Student Forums
Shelly has completed the first student forums. Students were asked similar questions to those of the parent forum and a specific question on ‘what does a good lesson look like, feel like and sound like’. The responses along with the external review feedback have been shared with staff. Staff were asked to look for connections with the purpose of highlighting areas of concerns and what we need to focus our work on.
Student Free Day – Tuesday 13 June
This terms Student Free Day focused on tracking and monitoring the SIP (School Improvement Plan). Additionally, teachers had time to work on task design, which incorporated the scaffolding of reading comprehension and writing. Curriculum leaders participated in 3 L Writing Training. This training supported them to gain skills in how to help move students along the language continuum. Leaders will then be able to provide this training to their staff, which can then be used as an additional method of assisting with their students learning.
Our SSO's participated in Daymap Training.
Work Experience
Week 8 saw our Year 10 students head off to the workforce, as they begun their workplace learning journey. Participating in work placements exposes students to work environments, allowing them to explore possible career options, helps to increase their independence and self-confidence and is an invaluable experience for all students to participate in.
Thank you to Mr Apostolou and Mrs Stamati for assisting students with finding suitable placements and helping to coordinate teacher site visits.
NAIDOC Week and Assembly
National NAIDOC week celebrates and recognises the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Thursday 6 July we held a NAIDOC Assembly and were fortunate enough to have two guest speakers attend, Uncle Tamaru and Nathan. Uncle Tamaru used his welcomed to country to teach Students and Staff members to say welcome in the aboriginal language. Nathan shared his personal story and entertained the students with his wonderful music. Each of his songs were written by him and were based on his family history and their challenges in their lives.
Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday. We will see everyone back at school on Tuesday 25th July.
Ms Costa
Principal
Modbury High School bids a heartfelt farewell to Ashley, an extraordinary teacher who has dedicated an impressive 40 years to the profession. With unwavering passion and dedication, Ashley has left an incredible mark on the school community during his remarkable 32-year tenure. His contributions have been invaluable, particularly in his role as Sports Coordinator, in which he held for 26 years. He was also instrumental in establishing Modbury as a basketball school and organising the life changing USA basketball trips. Ashley's vibrant outfits, adorned with different shoes each day, will be sorely missed by teachers and students. As he embarks on retirement, we wish him all the best in his next chapter, but he should leave knowing he has made a lasting legacy at our school.
Mr Bartlett
HPE Coordinator
Year 10 Child Studies Kids in the Kitchen Assignment
The year 10 Child Studies class recently hosted approximately 25 Reception students from Modbury South Primary School and their teacher for a practical lesson. The focus was on promoting safety in the kitchen and healthy eating. Initially, many of the young children were shy and nervous; however, the year 10’s did a great job of encouraging them and enlisting their help to make a variety of nutritious snack foods. It was at times noisy and slightly chaotic yet everyone enjoyed the learning opportunity immensely
Ms Gibbins
Child Studies Teacher
n the 16th of June, 30 Year 10 students went to the Adelaide Health and Medical Science Building. This building is where University students can practice simulated medical situations. The students first travelled around to 8 medical professionals from different fields and heard all about their career and how they would assist in a scenario involving a P driver who had a critical car accident. The areas explored were Psychology, Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology and Emergency Department. The students learnt a lot about how each profession assists with various aspects of patient care. They practiced taking blood pressure, performing CPR and using devices to assist with speech when people are non-verbal.
After lunch the students got to explore the building and visit the simulated patient rooms where university students complete practical exams of administering fake, yet real looking, medication and responding to and treating different situations. The students got to see behind the scenes of how all this operates and the makeup room of where actors prepare to simulate critical medical incidences.
The student learned so much and had a great day. They are now better informed on what the next steps are for them to work towards getting into a medical career and what it might be like when they get there after school.
Ms Freeth
Year 9/10 Leader
Students, staff, family, and friends huddled together in the Gym on the evening of the 15th of June to be part of our MHS Semester One Music Night. Music students showcased a variety of performances from class bands to extra-curricular ensembles including our Guitar Ensemble, Choir, Stage Band and Concert Band.
There were a few first-time experiences on the night including Mr. Budd’s year 8 class performing to a large audience for the first time, the MHS Guitar Ensemble were on stage with their new teacher Mr. Bairstow, and the choir presented material they are taking to Balaklava early next term as part of their Eisteddfod. MHS stage band shared the pieces performed in Mount Gambier for Generation in Jazz, the MHS Concert Band shared what they have been preparing for a contest next term, and the Year 10 band made quite an impression with Mrs. Costa.
Thank you to Ms. Geszner for her enthusiasm and support in organising the night and Mr. Mabilog for conducting the Year 8 band. A noteworthy thank you to the MHS staff that were with us on the night; your presence did not go unnoticed by those on stage and we are grateful for your support. A special thank you to our supportive IM teachers for their time on the night and all the work they do every week with our young musicians.
Mr Budd
Music Teacher
Students have been working hard in Drama over the past semester, pushing their limits to achieve the daunting task of performing in front of an audience. Drama helps students to bolster their confidence to speak in front of a group, break through the anxieties of being the focus of attention, as well as have fun with their peers in humorous situations.
In Week 7, the Year 8 Drama students of Semester 1 devised, rehearsed and performed a series of comedy skits for parents and peers. Drawing on the skills learnt across the semester and being inspired by famous comedians such as Buster Keaton and Rowan Atkinson, students incorporated elements of visual comedy, slapstick, imitation and parody, and the physical comedy character into their performance. The creation of drama is a stressful process which requires high levels of collaboration and resilience, and students utilised their mime and improvisation skills developed in Term 1 to help them overcome the challenges of the rehearsal room. All students performed with professionalism and vigor, and many expressed the feeling of accomplishment when stepping off the stage.
Students have many opportunities to engage with professional Drama across the semester, rom viewing quality improvisation and comedic sketches in-class, to heading out to the 2023 Adelaide Festival to watch a performance of the internationally acclaimed circus/mime, Air Play.
Mr Ricci
Japanese, Drama and English Teacher; 804 Home Group Teacher
Mr Swain
Drama, English, Humanities and Mathematics teacher
The Year 12 SVC team planned Modbury High’s first “Year 12 Mini Olympics”, which took place in Week 10. Students successfully planned and executed a range of events to boost morale and foster positive teacher-student relationships. These festivities were largely planned by Ewan Enthoven and Ryan King, who exhibited excellent leadership skills. Monday began with casual day in their team flag colours, the opening ceremony and a scavenger hunt, where Mr. Dundon’s Home Group took out a win. Jak Kastanos took out the trivia win at Monday lunch, narrowly beating Ms. O’Brien-Dent, this was (one of many) wins for Mr. Vu’s Home Group. Tuesday Lunchtime saw Staff VS Yr 12s in a netball match, umpired by Mrs. Woolford and Mr. Budd, the teachers took out an impressive win 14-6, despite our significant height disadvantage. Wednesday lunch saw Staff VS Yr 12 boardgames – an impressive win by Mr. Vu, with lots of the 12F8 Home Group participating! Thursday lunchtime Home Groups went head to head in a match of ‘belly baseball’, which saw Ms. Benias’ Home Group win the most points. Friday concluded with the closing ceremony. Thank you to Carlos Gray-Claveria for photographing the events. An excellent effort from the 12 SVC team and lots of fun was had by all.
Some Year 12 subject teachers are conducting holiday sessions for their students. Information has already been shared with all students and families regarding requirements for attendance.
Below is a copy of the schedule. Thank you to the teachers for giving of their time for the students.
South Australian students enrolled in a Yrs 10-12 language pathway for Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese or Spanish are invited to register for the Let’s Talk! holiday program.
For more information and to book tickets please follow the link.
https://www.ticketebo.com.au/school-of-languages/
We believe in a culture of achievement in a respectful and rigorous learning environment
