Dernancourt School

Well, we are nearly there.  It is very hard to believe that there are only 5 school days left of term 4.  There has been lots happening across the school to finalise things for 2025 and plan for 2026.

 Our school concert on Tuesday night was again a beautiful night of celebration and community.  It was lovely looking out from the stage and seeing so many friendly faces – parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles and friends.  I was very proud watching our amazing students perform and enjoy their time on the stage.  Thank you to the staff for their extra efforts in organising, practicing, packing up and setting up and to Juliette for her work in putting it all together.  A fabulous night.

Thank you for your feedback on class placement.  Teachers have worked over the past weeks to carefully place students in classes for 2026, taking into consideration many different factors.  Students will be able to meet their new teacher and visit their new classrooms on Wednesday December 10.  Our staffing for 2026 is almost complete and I am confident that we will be able to announce the teaching staff on this day also. This visit will happen before recess and be followed by our whole school picnic day just before lunch.  Special thanks to our Parent Association for providing ice blocks for the whole school to enjoy on this day.

Georgina Nikolopoulos will be taking leave for all of 2026, and we wish her all the best during this time.  We also congratulate Amelia Travis, who is expecting her first child in 2026.  Amelia will remain with us in Term 1.  2026 will also see us welcome back Georgina Watkins from her parenting leave.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of our Governing Council and the parents on our committees for their help, guidance and support this year.  A great team of parents.  Our AGM for the Governing Council will be held in Term 1, 2026 and we encourage you to nominate if you would like to be part of our team.  There will be more information on this in the new year.

In exciting news, our playground work is almost complete.  Construction was completed today, with our safety inspection scheduled for Tuesday December 9.  We are very hopeful that we will be able to begin to use the equipment on Wednesday.  A very big and exciting achievement for our school.

There will be an additional newsletter with staffing announcements on Wednesday December 10 and a farewell edition on Friday December 12.

Dernancourt Delights (who are the people who have previously put on our school disco for us) have their annual Christmas Light & Laser Show on again. Operating at Karingal Rd Dernancourt (near the corner of Lutana Grove) from 8:30pm nightly between 5th and 25th December 2025 inclusive. This is their 11th Year of this show supporting the Make-A-Wish charity. Picture a crossover between a nightclub and a Christmas display and you know what is in store for you. This is not a “drive by” display. There is an immense Santa’s Workshop and garden display that are all open for a walk-through experience. If you want to know more, follow and share them on Facebook https://facebook.com/DernancourtDelights or visit them on the web at www.dernancourtdelights.com.

To support their chosen charity, you can visit https://maw.org.au/dernancourtdelights

Get ready to embrace the magic of the season at Civic Park Carols 2025, where we'll be bringing you a stellar night filled with joy, music, and holiday spirit! This is an unforgettable evening of festive fun that will captivate the whole family.

• Date: Sunday 14 December 2025
• Where: Civic Park, North East Road, Modbury

This show includes local performers who will bring the vibrancy of the festive spirit.

As we come together to share the holiday spirit, our feel-good main show will kick off at 7.30pm, featuring an excellent line up of local talent. Come and celebrate the festive season with your local community.

This year's special guests are:

• Phil Burton - founding member of vocal group Human Nature, ARIA Hall of Fame inductee and 2023 winner of Dancing with the Stars.
• Bluey and Bingo - international TV stars join us for a live stage performance featuring games, giggles and a whole lot of imagination.

Information on this year's performers coming soon.

Head on over to the Christmas Village to enjoy a wide variety of food and drinks, roving performers and children's activities.

Civic Park Carols 2025 is proud to partner up with Westfield, Channel 9, Solo Resource Recovery, and event charity partner Royal Flying Doctor Service SA NT to bring you this spectacular celebration. Their continued support helps us make this event truly magical.