Principal's Blog

Good Afternoon Parents Students, Staff and Friends of Derinya,  

We are so fortunate at Derinya to never be bored! Every week there is something exciting happening which assists in creating our vibrant and energetic environment. This week, I have had the great pleasure of attending the Mt Buller ski camp with Mr Neale and six of our senior students. The sun is shining, the snow is fresh and we are all having a wonderful time. Experiences such as this, provide great opportunity for students to not only develop a new physical skill but also to grow their resilience and social skills meeting children and teachers from other schools whilst trying something new (for some).  

Lost Property 

A reminder to please label ALL children’s clothing, personal belongings and uniform items. We have some fantastic parent volunteers who have organised our lost property space, (next to our staff room) so that it is easy to locate anything that has been misplaced. Parents are welcome to come along and have a sort through at the beginning or end of the day.   

Prep Enrolment 2025 

If you have a prep student commencing school in 2025, the due date for paperwork has now passed. We are currently finalising arrangements and therefore, if you are yet to enrol please pop in and see Kellie who is now our enrolment officer. Please note the school remains under a strict Enrolment Management Plan (EMP) and therefore our ability to accept out of zone enrolment is very limited.  

NAIDOC week performance  

As part of our observance of NAIDOC week, we had the great fortune of a visit from indigenous performer Murrindindi. This was a fantastic way for our students to connect with the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Australia’s First Nations Peoples.  

This performance was a powerful reminder of the importance of cultural diversity and the ongoing contributions of Indigenous Australians. Thank you to our specialist team for organising this opportunity for our students.  

E-Scooters and general safety  

As a school we place great importance on student safety. Whilst travelling to and from school is a parent’s responsibility I would like to reiterate that it is essential that we are modelling appropriate choices and creating the safest possible environment for our young people.  

The staff and school council are very passionate around the use of E-Scooters and/or bikes and the potential dangers that this poses. Given that it is illegal for primary school aged children to ride these vehicles, they are not allowed at school and will not be stored on site.  In the event that a student does ride one of these items to school, they will be held in the office until a parent attends to pick it up. We very much appreciate your support with this.  

If parents could also please have a chat to their children about potential ‘stranger danger’ and what to do if they feel uncomfortable whilst travelling to and from school this would also be a big help.  

Japanese Visitors 

It has been fantastic to host our delegation from Shukutoku across the first couple of weeks of term. Many thanks to all our wonderful host families and classes who have taken great care of our guests and ensured that they have been immersed in Australian culture. Many thanks also to Sakamoto Sensei for her incredible work around organising this and our future visits. A warm welcome to our Susono guests who arrived yesterday. It is always very special to host the delegation from our sister city.  

Kind Regards,

Nadine Pye on behalf of the Derinya team.