Our official launch assembly was held on the beautiful green field one glorious Friday morning in February, and it was the perfect start to our 60th year. With performances from past and present students and with our special guests of parent alumni in the audience, it was a merging and overlapping of memories and successes with hope and excitement for what the future has in store. Hearing the alumni share stories over coffee and croissants in the DESS Café, which they fondly recalled as Mrs Livingston’s IT room, and seeing them serve the delicious birthday cake to their own children’s classes was truly special for all involved. And for our unbelievably talented past students now studying at DESC to be so proud and excited to return to us to perform, it really did encapsulate the special place DESS has in the heart of so many.

The assembly also saw the unveiling of our fabulous new logo designed by the incredibly talented Thea Pomeroy in Year 4. A beautiful logo, which manages to capture the exuberance of DESS, it is also a nod to the fact that a past student from decades ago, designed the very logo that adorns our red and white striped uniforms today. It’s the little nods to the past whilst embracing the future that we at DESS recognise as important to supporting our legacy. By doing so we nurture the emotional connection, tying our memories to the present. It is this connection that sees us have such dedicated support from our parents, without whom nothing would be possible.

From Movie Nights to Cocktail Parties, every part of our wonderful DESS community will be involved, not just in attending our anniversary celebrations but more importantly in the planning and execution of them. With teams of dedicated parents volunteering in every aspect, it is this coming together, this journey that we go on as a community which is vital in creating the ‘feeling’ that is so synonymous with DESS. Capturing and recreating a feeling is by no means an easy task, but with the involvement of our close-knit community it is certainly something we can achieve together.

There were laughs aplenty, failed rocket launches, hidden singing talents and the unbeatable duo that is Clarkson & Lohe at the much anticipated and highly sought after DESS Quiz Night, our first social celebration. A roaring success, it was a throwback to DESS Quiz Nights of the past but also a catalyst for an abundance of new friendships and memories. The fun had by all; parents, staff, trustees and alumni was plain to see, and the sense of community was nothing short of electric. Such an array of prizes available in our free prize draw showed the fantastic support we have from our wider community with more than half of those attending walking away with something other than the need to brush up on their 90’s music knowledge. To think that this was our first big, social celebration certainly left a big smile on a lot of our faces.

With no concrete way to measure the success of events like these other than by the feeling it creates in people, the quiz showed itself to be a perfect baseline for how we hope to feel throughout all the celebrations across the rest of the year. The hype and excitement surrounding the upcoming events is palpable.

Our Outdoor Movie Night where we enjoyed a film as old and as fabulous as our school was a great addition to an already buzzing calendar and the 60th Fayre, where the children from Year 1 through to 6 showcased their hard work from the past term was a brilliant way for parents to see how our anniversary celebrations have been threaded throughout every aspect of the children’s learning. Even our events rolling into Term 3 are at full speed ahead. Our 60th Anniversary Iftar is going to be an evening not to be missed, with staff and parents pulling out all the stops for a truly memorable evening involving all areas of our community.

It is community that has been embedded in our roots over the last 60 years and it is community that will continue to be, not only for the events that lie ahead this year, but for the next 60 years. By having this at the forefront of all our celebrations we will continue to nurture the ‘feeling’ that is so important. It is the time we spend together, collaborating with one another, building friendships and creating memories that is vital to ensuring our legacy lives on.

Whilst our memories of the sandy football pitch, blue castle, huge trees in the playground, shows and trips are magical, it is not these that DESS’s legacy is built upon. It is the emotional connection that is held so tightly by those of us who have been lucky enough to enter through its gates, the unquantifiable connection that can only be created by a sense of belonging. This is what makes DESS so special, this is what connects students, parents and teachers past and present and what lays such strong foundations for the future. If you would like to be involved in any of our up and coming events please do let us know. It may be that you have time to offer during the school day or maybe your company or business would like to sponsor or support one of the events scheduled. No time or amount is too little, every connection, every bit of help is truly appreciated and an integral part of what makes DESS, DESS!