Dernancourt School R-7 Newsletter

Welcome back to the final term of the year.  Term 4 is always an enjoyable term as the relationships and routines within the class are firmly embedded and so much progress from the start of Term 1 is visible.  There are so many special events planned that add to the enjoyment of the term – Sports Day, Book Week Celebrations, Choir Performances, Graduation, Class Excursions and more to look forward to.

Enjoy this short but action-packed term!

At the start of the 2020 school year we added Sports Day to our Term 1 calendar as we usually do, and we all anticipated that our Sports Day would occur as it usually did.  The world changed, Department for Education provided 4 extra extra Pupil Free Days in week 11 Term 1, and we knew this also meant that this day was not going ahead as it was initially planned. Then we hoped that postponing Sports Day from Term 1 to Term 4 would enable us to celebrate as we ‘usually' do. The reality for us now is that, unfortunately our traditional Sports Day celebration has been one of the casualties of the changes our school has had to introduce in response to COVID-19. 

Due to social distancing requirements, COVID planning and marshaling, along with the  need for all persons entering our site on the day to provide the tracing details we are unable to have spectators at our 2020 Sports Day.  We have not made this decision lightly - we appreciate the support we always get from our community at our special events and will truly miss this.

Our Sports Day Committee have been busy been adapting Sports Day traditions to celebrate what would for many be the highlight of the school calendar. While the day will look quite different, students are excited about some of the new events and have enjoyed learning and practising their skills during  PE lessons with Mr Lafferty this term.  We were impressed with the enthusiasm shown at today's Health Hustle rehearsal and we are pretty sure if you live nearby that you would have heard our team chants!

The atmosphere on 6th November 2020 certainly won’t be the same, however we know that our students are excited about participating in the day and will be supporting and cheering each other a little louder this year because our families won’t be with us physically to do so. We know that you will be with us in spirit and will certainly be ensuring that your child can hear your cheer in their heart as they participate in events. Class teachers will take extra photos to share electronically with you via their Facebook or Dojo pages, we will post regular point updates for you to cheer on your child’s team via our Dernancourt School R-7 Facebook page.

Please know that we share in your disappointment and perhaps sadness at missing Sports Day this year - particularly if it is a milestone first or last. This is the only way that we can ensure that our students,  staff and community continue to stay safe and healthy.

When placing children in classes, teachers spend quite a lot of time working out what they see as the best possible mix.  They, therefore, are the best people to make these informed judgments.  The first and most important criterion used to decide the makeup of a class is based on the educational needs of the children.  Class teachers, in consultation with the Learning Support Staff and Leadership, will best determine the appropriate settings.  Emotional needs, gender balance and behavioural considerations will be taken in to account.  Friendships will not be the major consideration in setting classes but are considered.

Thank you to the families that spent time documenting circumstances relating to their child's needs and reasons why they should be in a particular setting.

We again remind you that requests for a particular teacher will not be taken into consideration.  While we are in the early stages of this process, teachers have yet to be allocated year levels, and there are no guarantees that all teachers (particularly our 10 contract teachers) will be returning in 2021. It should be clear too that once classes are set they will remain that way for the year.

We thank you in advance for your understanding and the confidence you place in our staff and this process.

Thank you to our crossing monitors - 

WEEK 3  -  Devina (P12), Larissa (P14), Digby (P14)

WEEK 4 - Myrto (P11), Zara (P11), Ruby (P5)

We appreciate your time and contribution towards keeping our school community safe.

 BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT ONLINE NOW!

To book your appointment go to: schoolinterviews and use the code 3u3vs. 

Why do I need an appointment?

Due to social distancing requirements we can only have one family in the store at a time. All waiting families must wait outside the school buildings and call or text Michelle on 0409 957 815 when you arrive.  If you do not have an appointment you will have to wait outside until all appointments have been completed first.

How do I book?

The easiest way to book your appointment is to go to: schoolinterviews and use the code 3u3vs.

What if I know exactly what I need?

If you know what you need you can place an online order and collect in-store or have it sent to your child's classroom.  Simply note your child's name and classroom in the “Notes to Seller” box and the order will be delivered to the classroom. https://belgraviasportsonline.com.au/pages/uniform-shops

What if I can't get to the shop when it is open?

You can book your child an appointment time to come to the shop Monday afternoon or Friday morning and have a fitting with Michelle.  She will send home a sizing sheet so you can order online anytime.

This year due to COVID -19 the Primary Schools’ Music Festival (PSMF), in consultation with The South Australian Public Primary Schools’ (SAPPS) Music Society Board,  sadly made the decision to cancel the 2020 Festival of Music concert series at the Adelaide Festival Theatre. 

This affected all those schools who would normally participate at the theatre in September, including our senior choir who had been rehearsing weekly.   We also had 3 students who hade successfully auditioned to representing our school in the orchestra.  

 In order for the 13,000 students who participate in this program to continue to achieve their  goal to perform their learning, the PSMF decided to make a movie and rebadge this year’s program to Festival SING 2020! – a celebration of learning, collaboration and resilience during unprecedented times.  Wednesday 23 September was set aside as our concert day.  Our choir traveled to TTP cinemas to watch the movie and along with all schools across the State came together to celebrate.

We congratulate all of these students for their participation and production of this truly unique event.