Message From Principal

Thank you to our families for attending the Parent Information Sessions in Week 4 and the Meet and Greet Parent Teacher Interviews in Week 5. These two events are a great example of the strong partnership between Dinjerra students, families and staff. 

District Swimming Carnival

On Friday 13th February, 5 students represented Dinjerra at our first ever District Swimming Carnival. Thank you to the following students for doing Dinjerra proud:

• Jordan Agung-Gowinda
• Akira Dang
• Esra Yigit
• Kori Tran
• George Townsend

• Henry Townsend 

   

It is hard when you do new things. You need to show bravery, optimism and approach the task like a new adventure, despite being nervous about the unknown. I am so proud of all of the above students for showing grit and determination on the day. In regards to placings, Kori came first in both U10 Freestyle and Butterfly, and George came second in U10 Breaststroke. Congratulations to Kori and George, who have qualified for the next stage, Divisional Swimming Carnival in late March. 

‘MJ - The Musical’ Performance

We were so fortunate to have the performers from ‘MJ - The Musical’ visit us on Friday 20th February. Australian Children’s Music Foundation’s (ACMF’s) manager, Frances Georgeson, in conjunction with Ash De Neef, our ACMF Music teacher, were able to coordinate a unique experience for us. Over the last two weeks, students had practised singing ‘Man in the Mirror’ with Ash, our Music teacher, and they got a chance to sing along the chorus with the performers. There was ample question time with the cast. I enjoyed listening to our students’ questions and also watching them show their rhythm and appreciate the performance. 

Curriculum Day #2 - Wednesday 25th February

Our second curriculum day was a busy day for staff. Our teachers participated in professional learning which focused on the practices of highly effective Collaborative Teams and the PLC (Professional Learning Community) Teaching and Learning Cycle. The teachers had time to consult professional reading and have in depth discussions about their practice of the PLC Cycle. 

Our Education Support Staff participated in a professional learning session delivered by our Inclusion Outreach Coach, Rose Cuddy. The session was focused on Sensory Regulation. 

From 2:30pm, the teachers began the important conversations with families for the Meet and Greet Parent Teacher Interviews. 

School Council Member Nominations

I have sent a separate letter and Compass post calling for Parent Nominations for School Council. Dinjerra’s School Council currently meets on a monthly basis. Our configuration of School Council is 10 members, made up of:

• 6 parents members

• 4 DET (Department of Education) members

We have 3 parent positions whose tenures are coming to an end in March 2026:

These members are:

• Hamish Doake (current School Council President) 
• Megan McNally
• Michael Palmer 

Thank you to Hamish, Megan and Micahel for your valuable contributions to our School Council. These members are welcome to renominate. If you would like to self nominate, please complete a form at the office by Tuesday 10th March. 

Labour Day and NAPLAN Assessments - Week 7

During Week 7 we have a public holiday for Labour Day on Monday 9th March. Then from Wednesday 11th to Friday 13th March, our Year 3 and 5 students will complete the NAPLAN assessments. The NAPLAN assessments are an informative indicator of how well the school delivers the teaching and learning program, with school results being compared to the local school network, similar schools, and the state average.

Good luck to all of our students - we are already proud of you!

VSBA Soccer Pitch and Basketball Court upgrade

We have a start date! The project will commence on Thursday 12th March, where temporary fencing will be erected around the soccer pitch. Midson Construction Victoria was awarded the tender. Karlee and I met with the project team, which consists of the Midson construction team, Kylie Freeman, the architect from Perkins, the DET VSBA team. The project is expected to be completed by 30th June 2026. 

With the soccer pitch and basketball being out of action for at least a term, we are looking at alternative play arrangements for recess and lunch. I will share more information regarding this issue shortly. Here is a copy of the plan. 

Harmony Night and Celebration of Learning

In Week 8 we will celebrate Harmony Day. For us, we will continue with our Term 1 Celebration of Learning and Harmony Night picnic on Friday 20th March. The details are:

4:00-4:45pm: Celebration of Learning in classrooms - students will share poetry from the Who We Are unit

4:45-6:00pm: Harmony Night picnic and celebration - please BYO picnic, or provide a dish from your cultural heritage to share with the community. Marta Rodrigues has sent a Compass post with further details on this. We will have some fun cultural music and performances. 

Happy 90th Birthday to Michael Poynter!

On Thursday 26th February, we celebrated Michael Poynter’s 90th birthday! Michael has been a treasured member of Dinjerra for 12 years, as a volunteer from Ed Connect, and formerly Ardoch Foundation. Along with Mercedes Slater, Michael spends a day a week sitting with children and listening to them read, which is such an important and beautiful partnership. Happy Birthday Michael!