MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL

Harmony Day Celebrations

Thank you to the families who came along to our Harmony Day activities. Our first Harmony Day parade was a rainbow of colour and nationalities, led by class representatives displaying their class Harmony Day banners.

I was impressed with the Celebrations of Learning in classrooms, where students showcased their learning from Term 1, which included speeches, poetry and art displays. Our Harmony Day picnic was a relaxed vibe, with an array of picnic rugs, with families bonding and chatting. The cultural dish sharing table was a hit, however, my favourite part of the evening was the performance section. Thank you to Ellie-May, Alexandra, our Preps and our Instrumental Music students for entertaining the audience. Our 3-6 Choir closed the night with some lovely and meaningful songs, led by Ms Vicki. 

Harmony Day at Dinjerra is all about connecting with each other, and once again, we achieved that with flying colours. A huge thanks goes out to our Engagement Leader, Marta Rodrigues, for leading the organisation of the day. 

Ride to School Day

Friday March 20th was also Ride to School Day. It was great to see so many students riding their bikes or scooters to school. 50% of our students either rode, scooted or walked to school, which shows what an active community we have. I have been pleased to see the number of students riding to school each morning, not just on Ride to School Day. Being active in the morning is good for our body and mind. Please read on further for an update if you ride your bike to school each day…

Year 5/6 Experiences

Over the last two weeks, our 5/6 students have been active, as they participated in the Beach Program at Williamstown Surf Life Saving Club and the Swimming Program at Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre. This is an important part of our Health and Physical Education Program. Safety at the pool and the beach is vital, especially in a country surrounded by beaches. This was our first time including the one day Beach Program into our curriculum, and the feedback I received from the students was that they enjoyed learning about water safety and life saving skills. 

Over weeks 4-10, 5/6 students have also participated in the JET (Journey Ending in Transformation) program. This program is designed to help young people develop the mindset, skills and strategies they need to navigate their personal and academic journeys with confidence. Each week there has been a different focus, which has aligned with our Success, Optimism and Adventure school values and also our understanding around Growth Mindset. The JET Program is designed by Dr. Ashley Humphreys, via Monash University. 

District Cross Country

Mr Beatty and I took 8 athletes from years 4, 5 and 6 to represent Dinjerra at the District Cross Country on Friday 20th March. The Under 10 age group athletes ran 2 kilometres and the Under 11 and 12 athletes ran 3 kilometres.

The students completed a lot of lunchtime training with Mr Beatty in the lead up to the event. I am proud to say that all Dinjerra athletes completed the courses! Well done to: George, Owen, Ethan, Ayla, Benjamin, Tommy, Esra and Rahel. You did Dinjerra proud! A special congrats to Tommy, who finished 4th, therefore qualifying for the next level of competition. 

Colour Run and 2026 Fundraising Target

There is only one week to go for our Colour Run fundraiser. Thanks to the families who have already been raising money via the portal. Every little bit helps towards our fundraising target of $20,000 for 2026. Our goal for fundraising, which has been approved by School Council, is to raise money to build a bike shed and to purchase our own stage for school events. 

With the soccer pitch and basketball court being out of action, we are holding the Colour Run around the quadrangle and other spaces around the school. Please feel free to come and watch and/or to volunteer on the day. We need colour sprayers and barbeque volunteers. Please see the office if you are able to volunteer. All volunteers need to hold a Volunteer Working With Children Check (WWCC). Details of the times are below. 

End of Term Information 

Thursday 2nd April - Last Day of Term 1

11:40am-1:00pm: Colour Run - Whole School Fundraiser Event - Thursday 2nd April  

1:00pm: Term 1 Special Lunch and BBQ Picnic - Sausage Sizzle 

1:45pm: End of Term Assembly including the Easter Raffle 

2:30pm: End of Term Dismissal.

Easter and Term 1 Holiday Break:

Friday 3rd April to Sunday 19th April

Start of Term 2: Monday 20th April.

Whole School Athletics Carnival - Wednesday 22nd April @ Moonee Valley Athletics Centre (Aberfeldie). 

You will see on Compass that we have sent out an event notification for the 2026 Dinjerra Athletics Carnival. We are holding the whole school event on Wednesday 22nd April, which is the first Wednesday of Term 2. The location is at Aberfeldie, which is the same athletics track as in 2025. 

It is an exciting day for all involved, with our Prep to 2 students participating in a tabloid sports carnival in the middle of the field, whilst our 3 to 6 students participate in track and field events on and around the track. All students will be competing for House Points, and will need to wear a t-shirt of their House colour. 

Lindy from The Lunch Box Canteen will be hosting the canteen sales for the day. 

Please consent and pay $20 on Compass as soon as you can. 

Happy Holidays

This is our last newsletter of the term, so I would like to wish you all a safe break and Happy Easter.