Dernancourt School

                            

Friday	23rd May	Pupil Free Day	Whole School
Thursday	September 4th	Pupil Free Day	Whole School
Friday	September 5th	School Closure Day	Whole School
Friday	November 7th	Pupil Free Day	Whole School
Tuesday	2nd December	End of Year Concert	Whole School

It has been lovely to see so many volunteers working across our school this term. We have had volunteers working behind the scenes for governing council, helping with fundraising, cooking barbecues for the election, preparing gifts and running the Mother’s Day stall for students, helping with art and craft, on excursions and in classrooms with reading and general support. And… it is only week 3! We could not do what we do at Dernancourt without the support of our amazing volunteers. Thank you for giving your time to support our students.

With the weather finally beginning to cool off, a timely reminder to make sure that your child’s jumper is named and easily identifiable. With cooler mornings and warmer afternoons, we often find jumpers in the yard. They are much easier to reunite with their owners if they are named.

Thank you all in advance for your support of our Pupil Free Day next Friday (Friday May 23). On this day, staff will be engaging in professional development on maths and developing effective learners. We always look forward to learning together as a whole team on our Pupil Free Days.

EVERY DAY COUNTS! Missed school adds up to a lot of missed education. Attendance rates since Covid times have not yet recovered to pre Covid (normal) rates across South Australia. We are working to have children at school every day. Every day matters. Please let the school know via the Audiri app, a phone call or Seesaw message if your child needs to be away and if it is for sickness or for family reason. All unexplained absences require follow up by teacher/school. An exemption signed by the Principal is required for family holidays of 3 or more days. Every day counts!

UNDERSTANDING THE DISPOSITIONS OF MATHEMATICS: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS

At Dernancourt School we have a current focus on enhancing our teaching and learning of mathematics.

Mathematics is about numbers and equations AND it is also about developing a mindset that helps students approach problems with confidence and creativity. In the South Australian Curriculum, three key dispositions are emphasised to foster a positive mathematical mindset: Becoming -Resilient, Resourceful, and Reflective.

Here's how these dispositions are nurtured across the range of year levels:

Resilient Disposition - Students are encouraged to see mathematics as relevant and enjoyable. They learn to embrace challenges and view mistakes as a natural and exciting part of learning. This disposition helps us to persevere through difficulties and celebrate our growth and achievements.

Resourceful Disposition - Students develop inquisitiveness by seeking information and making connections. They learn to use their knowledge and skills, collaborate with peers, and effectively utilise tools and strategies to solve problems. This disposition encourages us to be innovative and adaptable in our approach to mathematics.

Reflective Disposition - Students are taught to reflect on their strengths and challenges. They plan and monitor their approaches, create goals, seek feedback, and value the contributions of others. This disposition helps us to be open-minded and thoughtful in our mathematical thinking.

How Parents Can Support These Dispositions:

Encourage Curiosity: Ask open-ended questions that prompt your child to think deeply and explore different solutions.

Celebrate Mistakes: Reinforce the idea that mistakes are a valuable part of learning and growth.

Promote Collaboration: Encourage your child to work with peers and learn from others' perspectives.

Reflect Together: Discuss what strategies worked, what didn’t, and what could be improved in future problem-solving efforts. By understanding and supporting these dispositions, parents can play a crucial role in helping their children develop a positive and productive mathematical mindset.

Congratulations to the following students who have completed the 2025 Premier's Reading Challenge.

J2    Aadav, Domenic, Henry, Ashlyn, Ileene, Alex, Aaliyah, Cooper, Maryam, Surveen, Charlie, Orlando, Sashwat, Joy, Meher & Jackson

J4    Malik, Janbaaz, Cataleya, Shivaay, Elizabeth, Willow, Ariella, Leah, Kanishka, Adam, Bach, William, Milana, Nelliana & Charmaine

J6    Eddie, Zeke, Emily, Dakota, Nyra, Ryder, Yamaan & Nicholas

P2    Essa

P3    Kyra

P5    Joel, Amelia, Diyan, Ayaan, Japheth, Kavish, Odin & Degmen

P7    Olivia, Owen, James & Medina

P10    Samriddhi

P12    Hiro (1st student to finish the Challenge this year - WELL DONE!), Samuel

P14    Corbin, Alyssa, Reyansh, Ella, Ziyi, Rory & Shyama

We were fortunate to have some rain this week ahead of our garden club—it was much needed for the garden. Our helpers this week were Sammy J3, Ruben P2, Jasmine P3, Reet P10 and Hiro P12. Together we planted new flowers in the pots by the front office. This area has really come to life, with the vibrant colours of the flowers adding a cheerful and refreshing touch to the walkway in to the school.

Congratulations to the following winners or our Mother's Day Raffle prizes: First prize: Lincoln in P14 Second prize: Jett in P7 Third prize: Emma in P7 Thankyou to everyone who bought tickets and supported this fundraising effort. A big thankyou also to our fabulous fundraising team of dedicated parents who sourced the prizes and put these wonderful bundles of goodness together for our lovely mums, organised the tickets on QKR and the random draw using an online Wheel of Names. Everyone's efforts and support is greatly appreciated. This year we are putting all our fundraising funds towards our new playground. We have already had very well supported fundraising efforts including Sport's Day bake sale, Kyton's Easter goodies, Easter Raffle, Democracy Sausage Sizzle and the Mother's Day raffle. Look out for our next fundraiser - our famous Family Movie Night! Information to come soon.

Term 1 - 2025 Crossing Monitors

Week 3	Chloe (P8)	Kit (P7)	Piper (P7)
Week 4	Sophia (P10)	Akshari (P10)	Ella (P10)
Week 5	Charlize (P14)	Luca (P14)	Shyama (P14)
Week 6	Mia (P12)	Belle (P12)	Luca (P12)

During week 2 on Monday our school sent 4 netball teams to compete in a Year 5/6 SAPSASA Netball Carnival day at Netball SA Stadium courts at Keswick. We had 2 girls' teams and 2 boys teams competing during the day. Our knockout girls performed well winning 3/5 of their games and finishing 3rd overall in their group. Our 2nd girls team won 1/5 of their games, while also coming close in a few others. They finished 5th overall in their group while also having three year 4's in their team as well. Our boy's knockout team performed awesomely, winning 5/5 of their games and progressing through to round 2 of School Knockout Netball. Our 2nd boys team won 3/6 of their games while also drawing one. It was a great experience for lots of the students to experience their first netball carnival and getting to spend it with lots of their friends, with a record 41 students from Dernancourt School participating. All of the students would like to thank their coaches Gabrielle Larkin, Hannah Loller, Mr. Ryall and Scott for all their efforts. Also, a big thank you to all parents who were able to attend and cheer them on as well as help with scoring during the day.

Six Dernancourt students competed in the Adelaide North East District Sapsasa Cross Country event during week 2. Well done to Rory Adams, Lynton Biggs, Luca Cook, Samuel Pollok. Also congratulations to Lucas Kiener and Tyler Stagg for finishing 10th and 8th respectively on the day.