Principal's Blog

Good Afternoon Parents Students, Staff and Friends of Derinya,  

It has been an exciting and busy term at Derinya with lots of fun events, new initiatives, and fantastic achievements to celebrate! 

Disco Fun 

Our recent school disco was a huge success! Students had a blast dancing the night away in a fun, vibrant atmosphere. The energy in the room was contagious, and it was heartwarming to see all students enjoying themselves. Many thanks to our wonderful parent and staff helpers who were able to assist with both organisation and supervision. We couldn’t have done it without you! 

Junior Production – A Huge Success! 

This year’s Junior Production, “When I grow up,” was an absolute hit! Our young stars took to the stage with confidence, enthusiasm, and plenty of talent. From the lively songs to the creative costumes, it was a magical experience for both students and audiences alike. We are so proud of the hard work our students put in and the support they received from their teachers. 

Thank you to everyone involved for making this production so special.  

New Cyber Safety Program: Inform and Empower 

We are excited to introduce a new program in partnership with Bendigo Bank called Inform and Empower aimed at promoting cyber safety for our students. This program focuses on teaching students how to stay safe online, understand digital footprints, and develop skills to navigate the online world responsibly. 

The sessions will be tailored to different year groups, providing age-appropriate information and interactive discussions. We believe this initiative will help empower our students with the knowledge and tools they need to be safe and responsible digital citizens. 

Thank you to Bendigo Bank for sponsoring this important program which will be launched in 2026.  

Attitudes to School Survey  

We recently received the results from the Attitudes to School Survey, and we are thrilled to report some outstanding outcomes. The survey showed strong results across the board, with our students expressing high levels of engagement, positive attitudes toward learning, and a strong sense of belonging at school. 

Some highlights from the survey include: 

• 89% of students reported positively around levels of challenge.  

90% of students reported positively around inclusion 

• 95% of students believe we have high expectations  
• 80% of students (11% neutral) reported positively around the management of bullying  

Our school achieved a higher level of positive response that similar schools and the state average in 18 of the 19 areas surveyed using the likert scale and 12 of 15 areas not on the likert scale. Based on the students feedback we will continue to have a concentrated focus on growing student confidence, perseverance and resilience.  

These results reflect the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, and staff, and we are proud to be nurturing such a positive and supportive school environment. 

Body Education  

Yesterday we welcomed Kelly Nash who presented to our junior students and their families around the topic of Body Education. The session was perfectly tailored to our youngest students with developmentally appropriate content delivered in a light and engaging manner. We look forward to welcoming Kelly back in 2026 with sessions for our older students.  

Wishing everyone a lovely and safe Term 3 holiday, 

Nadine Pye on behalf of the Derinya Team