Derrinallum P-12 College

www.derrinallump12.vic.edu.au 13th December, 2019

Integrity, Teamwork, Support, Empathy, Respect. Edition 39 From the Principal

Campbell Street Derrinallum Phone: (03) 55976625, Fax: (03) 55976646 Victoria 3325 Email: derrinallum.p12@edumail.vic.gov.au MGM Txt Only Number: 0427016460

Welcome to our very last newsletter for the year. Next week we will send out a simple back and front edition with the result of the Recognition Evening awards. Time has flown by and I’d like to say thank you to everyone for the contributions you have made to our school. Families, Community members and the students themselves. What a wonderful year we have had! Thank you kindly to everyone who has supported me in my first year as a Principal. It’s been a steep learning curve but I love every part of the job and have been pouring my heart and soul into the school and hopefully the students are feeling the benefit of that. I have had countless comments, calls and messages of support and I truly appreciate it. Swimming lessons: Yes… it is I, your brave and fearless leader! I did the unthinkable and got in the pool with the kids for swimming lessons! I think I lasted a total of 8 minutes in the water before I got out again. My silliness aside, it was great to be able to get the primary students to Lismore for their swimming lessons this week. I know so many of them were bitterly disappointed that they missed out last week, but I think they developed an appreciation for the situation after feeling how cold the water was even with the sun out. The water would have been unbearable last week. Mother Nature is doing her thing though and it’s going to be 30 degrees all of next week after swimming lessons are over! Lucky the kids will be able to enjoy perfect swimming conditions when we have our pool day on the Thursday. State-wide Transition: We had a very successful transition day on Tuesday. It was great to be joined by a number of students that will be joining us in 2020. From all reports the students had a great day and I think so did the staff who got to run lots of extra fun and interactive activities. Staffing: The year is rapidly drawing to a close and although we are still trying to finalise some positions I can make you aware of the following; We am delighted to announce that in 2020 we will be joined by Mr Simon Brearley who will be our Acting

Assistant Principal. Mr Brearley is currently a leading teacher with the focus on curriculum and reporting. He will be working in partnership with Ms Green to focus on our literacy. Mr Brearley will be teaching some English classes. We are very excited to have him join us as he is bringing lots of knowledge with him.

We will be going into next year without a Woodwork/Metalwork teacher at this stage. We did run the process but unfortunately were unable to find the right teacher for Derrinallum College so an appointment wasn’t made. I will try very hard to find a suitable option for the time being. I’ll keep you posted early next year with any updates.

The Maths/PE 6 month position is still in the process so I am unable to give you any information other than to say we are hoping to have someone appointed by next week.

We are also sad to announce that Nola Landrigan has resigned as our part time gardener. Although many of you wouldn’t see Nola she’s been working here for many years and comes and goes without a fuss. We will look at how we will replace Nola early next year.

Grade 6 Celebration: Yesterday the grade 6’s celebrated the end of their primary school journey with a trip to Adventure Park Geelong during the day, followed by a lovely celebration dinner at the town hall. The students had a ball. They were full of stories when they got back from Geelong and had smiles from ear to ear. As always Dillon was the DJ on the bus, belting out some 80’s classics throughout the ride. The speeches and slideshow were very enjoyable and really encapsulated what you are like as a group, which I would describe as “fun loving!” Well done year 6’s, I know Erin and especially Miss Summerfield are very proud of you! We thank Fiona Noone for making herself available to drive the bus. I believe she may have taken herself to the limit with some of the rides. (Erin showed us a few photos of her looking a little unwell after one ride in particular.) Thanks also to Sandra Torney who put in massive amounts of effort to prepare a delicious dinner for the students, their families and the staff to enjoy. And we shouldn’t forget to mention Imogen and Amber who helped serve and do the dishes. Your help made the night much easier for everyone organising the event. And lastly the staff who gave up their time to prepare the event and set up the hall for the students. It was a lovely event and a testament to the College. Continued…………..

School Council: We had our last School Council meeting for the year this week. There were lots of discussions and works approved. We have been working with staff to design a more collegiate workroom. The design not only allows staff to be more in their collaborative and professional but will be better resourced and provide a more positive environment for them to come into everyday which has a flow on effect for teaching and learning. The indoor sports centre will be getting a fresh coat of paint before the Australia Day celebrations. Also, we’ll have an arborist who will work through the school to balance out the weight distribution of the trees and tidy the place up a bit. I’d like to thank the School Council for their time and effort over the year and look forward to seeing them achieve more next year. Mobile Phone policy: The mobile phone policy has been created and will be implemented as of the return to school 2020. This policy will be shared with families as often as possible to make them aware of the rules. As the change in the rules is mandated form the State Government please be aware that there will be no room for students to argue the point. Students who bring phones to school will be required to switch them off and store them locked away for the duration of the day. Primary aged students should not bring phones to school but should they bring such a device, it will be locked away in the general office for the day. Senior school students will need to lock their phones in their lockers. The school will provide locks for this process. They cannot be accessed or used without explicit permission to do so. This includes during break times such as recess or lunch and study periods. It will work from the following procedure - Students caught breaching the new policy will be warned and made to put their phone away. Caught a second time will have they phone confiscated and locked away in the general office. Caught in breach of these rules again will result in the phone being confiscated and a parent/guardian having to come in after school to collect the phone from the general office. Students who do not follow a direct instruction from staff to put a mobile device away, will face the appropriate consequences which may include loss of privileges or even suspension. There may be exemptions to the policy but these will be clearly outlined to students and staff. A reminder that we store copies of our policies on the school website. Many of these are in the process of being updated. Recognition Evening: One last reminder from me about the evening to be held on Tuesday 17 December. This is a celebration of all that the students have achieved throughout the year and is a lovely way to finish up. Raffle tickets: Families should have received raffle tickets that they are asked to sell and return on Tuesday 17 to the Recognition Evening. There are great prizes including a family pass for zip lining which is worth more than $300. That would be a great prize to win right before the holidays. Thanks to Sarah Lewis for the organisation of the donations and also thanks to the families who have kindly donated prizes. There is still time to send in anything if you would like to contribute to the prizes. Last week of school: A reminder that on Monday and Thursday of the last week of school there are whole school excursions. Students will not have classes to attend on these days. We are only chasing a few permissions slips so if you could get them in ASAP that would be great. On Tuesday and Wednesday students might like to bring a spare change of old clothes as there is a chance they will get wet/muddy or paint on them. School will be dismissed at 2.30pm on Thursday as is the normal process for the end of term. Dates for the start of term: January Tuesday 28 - Staff return (no students) Wednesday 29- Friday 31 - Foundation-10 attend scheduled interviews (information will come home next week) - Year 11-12 Study Workshops @ Mt Elephant (information will come home next week) February Monday 3 - School resumes as normal To make sure all staff are enjoying their holidays I am placing a three week ban on work starting December 21. No emailing, planning or work talk just family and down time. Many of us will be back to business in the office early to mid-January and teachers will return January 28. If for any reason you need to contact the school you can email and we will get back to you when someone is in the office. I think that’s about it for me for the week. Thank you all for a wonderful year. I wish everyone a wonderful and safe holiday break. Please drive safely and enjoy some quality times with your families. See you in the New Year! Caitlyn Fitzgerald - Principal

Derrinallum P-12 College Community Newsletter December 13th, 2019

FAMILY STATEMENTS

Final 2019 statements have been sent home to inform families of their current position. If you have any queries or would like to set up or update a payment plan for 2020, please contact

Janette.

Mr Smith’s Maths Question Of The Week

Congratulations to Nessa Lewis (Yr 5) and Emily Vonhof (Yr 6) who

gave me the correct answer to last week’s problem.

Last week’s problem was: If my first day of Long Service leave is

Tuesday 28th January and my last day is Sunday 12th July, how

many days will I be on leave?

ANS: 167 days

That was the last question for the year. Congratulations to all

those students who saw me with their answers throughout the

year-well done.

Derrinallum P-12 College Community Newsletter December 13th, 2019

On Tuesday 10th December, I went to the University of Melbourne to be welcomed into the Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program. To get there, Val Lang kindly took me to the Wendouree Station to catch the train into Melbourne and guided me to the University of Melbourne Parkville campus. After finding my name tag and receiving a show bag, I took a seat in the lecture hall among over 400 others to learn about this program. We learned about the benefits of the program, which is about academic enrichment for students from Year 10-12, and met the founder of the program in person. Kwong Lee Dow who was inspiring to listen to, and he certainly inspired me to work towards my aspirations! We then met one of the lecturers, Mr. Andrew Zult, and participated in a negotiation activity. The activity was enjoyable, but negotiating with over 400 people in 40 groups is no easy feat! Before lunch, we had group photos doing various poses. Lunch was a choice of pizza, rice packs and food in a small bun (I don't actually know what their correct names were...), and there were large novelty games available to play. Those that wished to stay did a tour of the campus, where we saw all sorts of facilities within the campus grounds to support different degrees. There was also an optional tour of the colleges, where students live on-campus, but I had to leave to ensure I was on time to catch the train home. It was a very busy and long day, and I made two new friends there named Ishita and Mia Mulheron. All in all it was an amazing day, and I'd like to thank Val Lang for helping to and from the event and the staff and volunteering students and the University of Melbourne for running the event and showing us the grounds. Chrissy Kirk

Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program Welcome Event

Derrinallum P-12 College Community Newsletter December 13th, 2019

Last week the Year 7/8 class went on camp to the Portland area. Despite the wind and the rain we all managed to stay dry and warm in our tents at the Narrawong Holiday Park. Students participated in a number of activities across the four days, including some that were well outside of their comfort zones. Activities during the day included canoeing, abseiling, caving and surf lessons. Evening activities included cooking marshmallows on our campfire, fishing and playing hide and seek. Some of us also enjoyed singing along to Aidan’s music on the bus. The student’s excellent behaviour and enthusiasm meant that we were all able to enjoy the trip and make the most of the opportunities available. Kristy Riley – Year 7/8 Coordinator. Personal highlights from the trip: Alex: Abseiling because it ’s a fun activity. Aidan: Playing music and singing on the bus. Mia: I liked canoeing because it was something that I hadn ’t done before. Cody: Standing up in the canoe and paddling by myself. Declan: I liked surfing because it was more fun than I expected. Wilson Caving because it was something different. Ms Riley: Canoeing, even though the students tipped me out! Mr Mansbridge: Living the dream.

Year 7/8 Camp

Derrinallum P-12 College Community Newsletter December 13th, 2019

Year 7/8 Camp

Students Of The Week

Derrinallum P-12 College Community Newsletter December 13th, 2019

Wednesday Smith for her

great work on her reading

activities.

Alex Cronley for his

enthusiasm when

completing Christmas

activities.

Please return the ‘Permission To Travel On a Bus’ form that was sent to families earlier this term. This form

needs to be lodged with Gaye in the Library before students return to school in 2020.

Students without a completed form will be unable to travel on a school bus until this form is lodged with

Gaye (School Bus Co-ordinator) at Derrinallum P-12 College.

In the interest of safety for all students who travel on school buses, it is important to remember the following:

Be at the bus stop at least 10 minutes before the bus is due to arrive at your stop. Bus drivers are not required to wait if you are not there.

Provide a note for any change of bus travel. Please contact Gaye in the Library for any unscheduled bus changes.

Behave appropriately when waiting at the bus stop and whilst travelling on the school bus.

Wear your seat belt at all times.

Don’t distract the driver whilst he/she is driving.

Remain seated until the bus comes to a stop.

Never cross the road in front of a school bus. Always wait until the bus moves off before crossing the road. It’s hard to see oncoming traffic that may be obscured by the bus. Gaye Robinson-Marks - Bus Coordinator

School Buses

Brody Harper for his

positive attitude in

all classes.

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