Dear Parent/ Caregivers
We are just over the halfway mark for Term 3, and as usual, the past three weeks have been filled with many events and new opportunities for our students to enjoy school life beyond the classroom.
Cultural Carnival
Words cannot fully capture the absolute enjoyment we all experienced on Friday 14 August during our inaugural Cultural Carnival. The school came alive as the basketball court was transformed, with colourful tents representing various cultures, delicious food stalls, and vibrant displays. Students and parents from many backgrounds showcased their heritage, whether through offering traditional foods, sharing unique games, or performing traditional dances.
Jack Baskin and his dance group officially opened the event with a Welcome to Country, followed by traditional Aboriginal dancing. Jack and the team encouraged students to join in, and many embraced the opportunity. Afterwards, our students with Indian backgrounds wowed us with several Indian dances, culminating in the energetic Kaba dance, which saw much of the school joining in. Mr Nick Apostolou excelled as the DJ, managing music from a range of cultures and closing the carnival with everyone dancing to the Nut Bush.
A heartfelt thank you to all the parents, students, and staff who worked together to celebrate what makes each culture unique. The day’s success was due to the enthusiasm and teamwork shown by our school community, resulting in a truly spectacular carnival. Special thanks to Dr Swati Phatak for her excellent planning, organisation, and leadership in making this event possible.
Student-Led Conferences and Subject Selections
Our Student-Led Conferences and Subject Selection evening was held on Tuesday 18 August. It was extremely pleasing to participate in some conferences and hear students discuss their learning with their parents. I was proud to witness their ability to reflect on achievements so far and consider strategies to further improve their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Equally impressive was the overall completion rate for subject selections, with Ms Louise Woolford expressing her gratitude as over 90% of students completed their selections. This will allow us to begin timetable construction for 2027. Thank you to the students and parents/caregivers who attended and supported this very important work and thank you to all the teachers and learning support staff for their amazing work in supporting the students.
Democracy Conference
On Wednesday 26 August, seven of our Year 10 students, along with Ms Caitlin Thomas and Mr Charlie Stravathakis, attended the Active Citizenship Convention. The convention provided students with the opportunity to explore democracy, consider different perspectives, and engage with community and youth leaders through a range of interactive learning experiences. Ms Thomas shared her appreciation for the event and was highly impressed with the opportunities our students had to collaborate with peers from across the state.
School uniform
I would like to thank the many parents who consistently ensure that their children arrive at school wearing the appropriate school uniform. Your support plays a vital role in fostering pride and a sense of belonging within our school community. We kindly ask all parents to assist us by ensuring their child wears the correct uniform each day. Wearing the school uniform not only helps promote unity but also sets high standards for student presentation, supporting a focused and respectful learning environment.
Important Dates
Joanne Costa
Principal
Our Year 12 Modern History students recently stepped outside their comfort zones and took on the role of teachers, hosting a series of mini lessons for students currently undertaking Year 11 Modern History.
Standing in front of their peers and teaching a lesson was no small challenge, but every student rose to the occasion. Each Year 12 selected a topic from their Historic Study and designed an engaging lesson that shared their knowledge, explored different historical perspectives and gave the Year 11s a glimpse of just how interesting and diverse Modern History can be.
The experience allowed the students to deepen their own historical understanding by teaching others. It also promoted learner agency and wellbeing by giving them ownership of their learning, encouraging them to recognise their individual strengths and building their confidence as capable young people.
Ms Woolford and Ms Costa also joined us to see the students in action. It was a fabulous morning filled with creativity, enthusiasm and plenty of impressive historical knowledge.
A huge congratulations to our Year 12 students. We could not be prouder of the way they embraced this challenge—and perhaps we even discovered a few future teachers along the way!
Mrs Emily Brenen
Humanities Teacher
Modbury High School students put our values of being Passionate, United and Accountable into practice through our whole-school Community Project. Each year level partnered with a different charity to run their own donation drive.
Together, students collected donations for Vinnies Winter Appeal, Animal Welfare League SA, Hutt Street Centre, Estia Health Hope Valley, Shoe Boxes of Love, and Backpacks 4 SA Kids — supporting everything from families doing it tough, to animals in need, older members of our community, and kids starting the school year with the basics they need.
It's been fantastic to see students across every year level get behind their charity with enthusiasm, organising collections and encouraging their classmates to get involved. A huge thank you to everyone who donated, and to the students and staff who helped coordinate each drive.
Mrs Geri Botten
Wellbeing Leader
The Year 11 cohort collected sanitary and essential items for the Shoeboxes of Love charity for disaster relief. Organised by the Year 11 SVC members, donations were collected by each homegroup to support this important cause. Student bought items to school each day for 3 weeks, and managed to collect a large amount of donations for the local charity. The Year 11 cohort is grateful for the opportunity to help support our community and assist those who are struggling.
- Paige Sharpe, Year 11 Student
Week 7 was Book Week, to celebrate, students were invited to join the library staff in designing and creating their own bookmarks. Students had the opportunity to get creative and design their bookmarks using Canva, and then to make their own beaded tassel to complete their personalised bookmarks.
As part of our Science Week celebrations, Modbury High School was very fortunate to host Animals Anonymous for an engaging and hands-on wildlife experience.
Thirty lucky students had the opportunity to get up close with a range of native animals including a baby crocodile, monitor lizard (goanna), quokka, squirrel glider and 3.5m olive python while learning about their adaptations, habitats, behaviours and conservation. It was a fantastic way to bring science to life and encourage curiosity about Australia’s unique wildlife.
A big thank you to Animals Anonymous for sharing their animals, knowledge and passion with our students!
Mr Nicholas Krznaric
Mathematics & Science Teacher
Growing for Gold provides children and young people with the opportunity to try a range of sports and activities for free at participating local sporting clubs. The program is a great way for young people to discover a new sport, get active, meet new people and connect with sporting clubs in their local community.
Families can view the available activities and register through the Growing for Gold website:
Growing for Gold: https://www.growingforgold.com.au/
Tea Tree Gully Netball Club Learn2Play Netball Registrations Are OPEN
Are your little legends ready to learn netball skills, foster friendships, building confidence and enjoy physical activity … then Learn2Play Netball is for your little legend
Learn2Play Netball ~
Registrations close 29th September
Trybooking Link: https://www.trybooking.com/DOONM
We believe in a culture of achievement in a respectful and rigorous learning environment
