Principal's Blog

Dear Parents, Carers, Students, Staff and Friends of Derinya,

Oh how time is flying by with the end of the year just around the corner.  

NFL Flag Team 

This team have had a fun filled couple of days. With a win and four other close matches, our NFL Flag team have had the time of their lives on their adventure to the Gold Coast. Many thanks goes to Mr Michael Runchey and Mrs Lou Jenkins as well as the parents who supported and cheered the team on. Once again, another team who demonstrated all of our Derinya Values along with exceptional sportsmanship over the two days. Well done.  

Mobile Phone Ban and Staying Safe Online   

This week I attended the Bayside Peninsula Area Principal’s Conference which was held at Caulfield Racecourse. This is a termly event which includes approximately 300 school leaders from Melbourne all the way down to Sorrento. At this conference all principals were reminded by our Regional Director of the State-wide Mobile Phone Ban in Victorian Schools. This ban has had a major focus on secondary schools but is also relevant to us particularly with our upper primary children. It is essential for safety reasons that any student carrying a mobile phone or other smart device hands this into their teacher to be secured at the beginning of the day and not back in their possession until home time.  

As always, families are encouraged to maintain high levels of supervision of all primary school aged children when managing screen time and/or interacting online. This is a crucial time for learning about staying safe online and I cannot emphasise strongly enough how important this is for our young people.  

A reminder that social media platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok and Snapchat to name a few are illegal for primary aged children. In our experience as educators these platforms do not create positive experiences for children and most often cause social problems outside of school that are then transferred to the classroom and/or playground.  Your support with this is appreciated.  

First Lego League  

Congratulations to our three First Lego League teams who competed at Swinburne University this week. These children have been working tirelessly coding their creations and developing their presentations for this incredible competition. They were very excited upon their departure this morning and I look forward to hearing the results later today. Thanks to our Adopt an Engineer Patrick and Mr Charles for their hard work supporting the children through this wonderful opportunity.  

Please take a moment to read the information below as an introduction to new staff who will be joining us in 2024.  

Wishing everyone a fantastic weekend. 

Nadine Pye on behalf of the Derinya Team  

Lisa Male

I am thrilled to be joining Derinya Primary School next year. I am inquisitive, constantly learning new things or trying to understand how things work, and I bring this to my classrooms. As an educator, I believe students thrive in nurturing, organised and challenging environments, where they are supported to take ownership of their learning. I am a mother of two – my eldest has just completed her VCE and my youngest is commencing year 11 next year. My house is full with 2 Australian Shepherd dogs, a cat and multiple fish. Travelling is one of my biggest passions, learning first-hand about different cultures and the history behind places is always interesting. I look forward to meeting you all in 2024. Please come and say hello. 

Leah Clarke

Hello, my name is Leah Clarke, and I am very excited to be joining the Derinya Primary School community.

I recently graduated from Monash University with a Masters of Teaching, before that I completed my Bachelor's in Fine Arts at RMIT. As a printmaker and artist, I find inspiration in the intersection of creativity and education. Outside the classroom, you'll often find me immersed in a good book, playing sports, or making art. The decision to become an educator was deeply personal for me; witnessing the transformative power of education in my own life fuelled my passion to guide and inspire others. I believe in the profound impact education can have on children. I approach teaching as a lifelong learner, eager to share knowledge and foster a love for learning in others. I can't wait to meet you all in 2024.

Samantha Allen

Hello,  

My name is Mrs Allen and I am really excited to be joining Derinya Primary school as a classroom teacher.  

With a huge interest in travel and the great outdoors, I have been fortunate enough to have visited many countries around the world. Which is why I find myself in Australia, having moved from England to finally settle in Melbourne. With a love of Science, I initially completed a degree in Biology and began a career within clinical science. However, I had always dreamt of becoming a teacher and was given the opportunity to follow my heart and pursue my passion for teaching. As an enthusiastic teacher, nothing makes me happier than to make a difference in children’s lives whilst helping them to progress along their learning journey. For this reason, I’m really looking forward to being part of the school community and making a difference alongside the team here at Derinya Primary school. 

Spencer Daly

Hello Derinya PS students, family, friends and community. 

My name is Spencer Daly and I’ve recently graduated from Monash University. I have always been passionate about leading people, sharing my knowledge, learning new things and making a difference. This lead lead me to go back to University and study teaching. I love working with children of all ages and believe that hard work and developing positive relationships are key to achieving goals and seeing growth. 

A little about me, I love sport, particularly AFL and Basketball. I follow the mighty St Kilda Saints and Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. I have played Australian Rules Football my whole life and have spent some time coaching as well. Additionally, I love to travel, learn about the history of different places and am very competitive with board games (I am open to challenges in chess!). 

I’m very excited to get to know you all so please do say hello if you see me around!