27 July 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL REPORT

Farewell Mrs Walker

On Monday, 31 July, we will be holding an afternoon tea in the resource centre for Mrs Walker. This will be a wonderful opportunity for students to say goodbye. We will also be holding an adult function on 28 October at a venue to be decided.

Year 4 Camp

What wonderful feedback I have heard from our Year 4 students, staff and parents about Camp Goodenough last week. One of the Learner Protocols we talk to the children about is ‘courage’ – to not fear failure and persevere.

Many of our students showed great courage by spending so much time away from family, our staff showed courage by participating with the students in the activities, and our parents showed courage by waving goodbye to the bus and letting their child go. Camps are a great chance to grow together and help one another along in difficult times, and I think our Year 4 students have certainly achieved that.

District Sports

Yeronga State School won the final B Division Sunnybank District Athletics Shield again this year. Our athletes did the school proud with some outstanding results including winning the trifecta of relays for U10, U11 and U12 boys relays. Margaret won the 800m race, `stunning her fellow runners and the crowd with how effortlessly she made it look’, according to one onlooker. The consistency of our athletes makes such a difference. We don’t always win individually however we are often in the top placegetters. The understanding that our children have around grit and resilience means they often push themselves beyond what they thought they were capable. I am so proud of how they rise to the challenge and so disappointed to miss it this year. Thank you for all the parents who supported their children!

This is the final Sunnybank District Athletics carnival due to a restructuring of districts in the region next year. Thank you to all the officials, coaches and spectators who have made this event such a great one every year. Yeronga has a long tradition of winning at the athletics carnival and we look forward to the challenge of repeating this success in the new arena next year.

Thank you to staff who have helped the athletes prepare for the athletics season. Good luck to our athletes who are going on to representative carnivals.

Prep Enrolment 2018

There is a 2018 Prep Information session on Tuesday 8 August at 9.15am and again at 6.15pm for parents who require more information before finalising their decision about school choice for their children.

Currently 80% of places offered for 2018 have been filled by within catchment enrolments. If you are yet to enrol your child for 2018, please do so asap as we are about to begin the transition process with prep interviews.

We currently have around 40 expressions of interest from out of catchment. We will not be offering any out of catchment places until towards the end of Term 3 and then will review every 5 weeks. Thank you for your patience.

E-mail Communication

Our school community is connected, caring and supportive in the main and most communication is respectful and courteous. There are occasions however where e-mail is being used to raise issues in ways that cause harm to others within our community.

The advent of e-mail has made communication both easier and more difficult. The tone of an e-mail can often communicate an intent that is more aggressive than intended. Recently I have seen some e-mail communications, where people are expressing (or venting) frustration, often without an `assume the best’ initial position, which are disrespectful and unhelpful. Whilst this might make the sender feel better in a `I told them’ sense and they have relieved their emotions, it can cause the recipients significant distress and impact how staff perform their duties. All staff at Yeronga State School are doing their best every single day. Managing class and playground dynamics can be challenging and sometimes we make mistakes. A terse or abusive e-mail however rarely fixes anything.

I encourage you not to write an e-mail when you are feeling emotional or if you do, do not press send until you have reread it in the cold light of day. Maintaining positive relationships with class teachers and other staff members are the best way to keep communication open and helpful for your child.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parents have the opportunity to meet with class teachers over the next two weeks to discuss your child’s learning goals for this semester and strategies to support their learning. This is a great opportunity to foster the parent teacher partnership so that your child understands that everyone is united in setting them up for success. Those parents who see the teacher regularly and know how they can support their child do not need to feel compelled to come however the opportunity is there if you need it.

Parent Principal Q&A

Thank you to the parents who have caught up with me over the last term to provide feedback or seek clarification about school operations and future plans. We have discussed many topics including

• Wet weather arrangements
• Homework
• School camps
• School master plan - facilities improvement
• Nature Play
• Science Week
• Outdoor Learning Day – 7 September
• Curiosity and Powerful Learning
• Staffing models

Some of the ideas generated have already been actioned, some may never happen due to the finances. Next year I will offer the same opportunity again. Next term I am going to offer a Junior School and Senior School Principal Q&A after school. I look forward to catching up with you as we partner together to make our school a truly great school.

Junior School Nature Play

There is currently no Nature Play area for Prep and Year 1 for before or after school play. Please do not allow your children to play with sticks or stones in the Junior school area. If you would like your children to engage in play before or after school, I encourage you to stop in one of the many beautiful parks on the way to or from school, possibly with some friends. We are working to develop a Junior School nature play area and we will keep you posted on our progress towards this.

Debbie Spanner, Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL REPORT

Year 4 Camp

It was a pleasure for me to join the year 4 students on camp last week. We were certainly taken out of our comfort zones. This was the first time some students had been away from mum and dad and it was beautiful to see the resilience and grit that these students showed. They launched themselves into their duties, setting tables, dishing up and cleaning up. At each meal they learned some table etiquette and responded appropriately. They participated fully in activities such as the giant swing, obstacle course, indoor rock climbing, crate stacking and archery. Not to be outdone I gave the giant swing a go myself and hold my hat off to the students who went higher and stretched themselves when they knew what was coming. This is one very big drop and as one student said it felt as if they had left their body behind! When it came to the rock climbing students challenged themselves to climb the hardest climb and never gave up trying. They worked together to keep each other safe, manning safety ropes and cheering each other on. Year 4’s I am very proud of you all.

Life Education

Harold is on his way! The Life Education Van will be with us from Wednesday 2 August until Monday 14 August. Every class has an opportunity to visit the Life Education Van. The cost of this is $9. You should have received an invoice for this, if not please contact the office.

We are looking forward to some new programmes this visit. Here is a list of the programmes that will be run.

Robotics Club

We have our Year 5 and 6 robotics club up and running. They meet twice a week during first break on Wednesday where they programme EV3 robots and Friday when they work with drones. A big thank you to the P &C for providing two robots for the club and the school bought two robots. Without the P&C support some children would not have the opportunity to programme robots. On Fridays as team work with the drones, we are attracting quite an audience. A huge thank you needs to go to Greg Cowell who is leading and supporting our students in making great discoveries. Margot Tidey has recently joined the team and is supporting us. We would like to extend our robotics group to include year 3 and 4 students. If you have a passion in this area and are willing to give up some lunchtimes, please let me know.

Active School Travel

We encourage active school travel everyday as this helps reduce congestion around the school gate and keeps our students safe. On Fridays we record our active travelling and collect the data. Each child has a passport which we stamp and the students get prizes.

Last year we achieved 60% of our students active travelling every active travel day. Let see if we can get back up there. Active travellers walk, part or the whole way to school, stopping a couple of blocks down the road counts. They cycle, scooter, take public transport or car pool, picking up a friend, cousin or neighbour counts as carpooling, for both students. Come on Yeronga we can do this.

Debbie Cowie, Acting Deputy Principal

P & C REPORT

Cancellation Of Before You Hit Send Seminar

The P&C has recently received notification from Rebecca Sparrow that she is now unavailable to speak at our school on Wednesday 23 August. This is very unfortunate and the P&C are very disappointed that this event cannot proceed. Attendance numbers to this event were good so the P&C may look at holding another similar event next year. Everyone who purchased a ticket will receive a full refund through Flexischools.

Thank you for your understanding with this matter.

Sport Participation Vouchers

The Queensland government provides vouchers of up to $150 for children in low income families to participate in sport or club activities. Please follow the link for further details.

Jo Thomson, P&C Committee

MONEY MATTERS

Payment Box In Admin Block

The payment desk in the administration block may be unattended before school until the end of August. Please put your payments in the payment box provided. If you wish to pay using your card, payment slips are also available at the payment box for you to complete. All payments will be processed during the day by office staff.

As the office can be very busy before school commences, we appreciate your assistance in using the payment box provided rather than coming to the office. Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

QParents

QParents is a free and very convenient method of paying school invoices. If you would like an invitation please email me and you will then receive an invitation from QParents. The initial process of registering for QParents should be done on a computer and thereafter you will be able to access QParents on your phone, ipad etc.

Payments due this term include

If you have a credit on your account, please email me so that I can apply the credit to your current invoices. Credits aren’t automatically applied to outstanding invoices as we need to be advised that you give consent to your child participating in the event.

Payments can now be made in instalments via BPoint or Centrepay. If you would like to know more about these methods please contact me by phone or email nalla6@eq.edu.au.

Nicki Allardyce, Business Manager

FROM THE OFFICE

School Opinion Survey

The annual suite of School Opinion Surveys will be conducted from 31 July to 25 August 2017.

All families, school staff and a random sample of students will be invited to participate. We encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say about what this school does well, and how this school can improve. All parents will receive the invitation next week to participate.

Position Available

Due to staff annual leave we have a casual Administration/Front Desk Reception position available -Monday to Wednesday from 8.00am to 3.30pm starting 14 August 2017 to 18 October 2017. If you are interested please send a brief Resume to nalla6@eq.edu.au. Duties will include general reception, receipting (training provided) and general administration duties.

Brisbane City Council Bus Drivers Industrial Action

We have received confirmation that the planned industrial action by Brisbane City Council bus drivers is going ahead. Please be advised of the information below:

Brisbane City Council bus drivers will be participating in industrial action on Friday 28 July from 2:00pm to 6:00pm. This action will have major impacts across the network including school services.

Parents are advised to make alternative transport arrangements.

Check the Translink website, TransLink app or contact 13 12 30 for up to date information.

Parent Access For Mathletics

As part of the Mathletics program, you can log-in into the parent site to see what work your child has been set, activity names and their score as a percentage. You can also set the program to send you weekly emails showing an overview of what has been completed.

To set-up your parent access, go to the link below.

You will need your students username and password – if you have more than one student you will need to register each one separately. Complete the parent registration form and you will receive an email with your own log-in and password.

You can log in to the parent site at any time by visiting the Mathletics home page and selecting Parent sign-in.

If you have any issues with setting up access, please contact 3P Learning on 1300 850 331 or customerservice@3plearning.com.au.

EXCURSIONS

Year 5 to “Hoodwinked”

5M: Monday 07 August 2017
5JK: Wednesday 09 August 2017
5H: Thursday 10 August 2017

Time of Departure: 8:15am
Time of Return: 3:00pm
Transport Details: seat belted bus
Cost: $35.50 to be paid by Monday 31 July 2017

MUSIC

Gondwana National Choral School

Yeronga Choristers have had the opportunity to develop singing, performing and reading skills to a sound level and the most experienced are ready for further challenges. I would like to share the following information on the opportunity to work with Australia’s very best for two weeks in Sydney. The next session is January, 2018. For younger students, this can be something to aspire to in years to come. You can view the amazing work of this National Institution on YouTube.

The Gondwana National Choral School is the premier choral experience in Australia, bringing together singers, composers and conductors from across Australia. When all these talented young people come together in Sydney, in January for an inspirational and intensive two week season, the results are extraordinary.

Applications close on 11 August. Video auditions for choristers who cannot attend the in-person auditions must be received by 28 August.

Brisbane auditions: Sunday 27 August

Junior Gondwana

Conductors: Amandine Petit and Kate Albury

For many choristers, Junior Gondwana is the start of their long association with Gondwana Choirs. This treble choir is for children who display substantial musical potential wishing to develop the essential skills of good choral singing.

Gondwana Novus

Conductors: Paul Jarman and Kim Sutherland

Our newest treble choir 'Gondwana Novus’ offers more advanced repertoire and language experience to young singers who are consolidating their musical skills and ready for new challenges.

Musical Theatre

From Broadway to the West End, musicals capture the hearts of audiences every single night of the year. This module will provide an introduction into the craft of musical theatre including training in singing, acting and movement with industry professionals.

Ages: Younger group: 10 -13, Older group: 14 – 18

Junior Concert

Congratulations to your youngest musicians who performed at the Junior Showcase last Thursday evening. We enjoyed the wonderful facilities in Coorparoo State School’s Performing Arts Hall and have made new friends with the music and administration teams. The Junior Band, under Jodie Brighton, had its first ever performance opportunity, and Stradivari Strings gathered up beginner players with those mostly in their second year of learning, under the baton of Charise Holm. Our Junior Choir, Cosmio Singers, presented a delightful set of both fun and challenging songs, shining under the direction of year 6 student and Choral Captain, Helena. Thank you to String Captains Ye Jin and Eloise and assistants Lauren and Tiggy who support their junior ensembles weekly and flew the flag for Senior Leaders.

Our next performance is the Senior Showcase, for Brandenburg Strings, Senior Choir (Stella Voce) and Senior Band - Friday, September 1, at Coorparoo State School (week 8).

Friends of Music

Thank you to parents who have responded to the survey to gather interest in supporting music in our school. So far 21 families have let me know that they can assist with everything from manning doors at concerts, to developing communication strategies, photography and artwork, playing instruments and everything in between. I will leave the survey open for two more weeks, but will be in contact with those ready to go.

Our goals for Term 3 are:

1. to support the Senior Showcase with photography/video capture, Front of House, assisting Directors during tune-ups/student movement
2. to review and redevelop all recruitment and web music information
3. to begin a branding process for music at YSS

Year 3 Recorder - Semester Unit of Learning

Year 3 spend Semester 2 learning and applying a range of skills from music literacy to persistence and practice. All year 3 families were emailed an overview and information regarding supporting students for success. One of the most supportive acts is to let students practice at home - 5 minutes, 5 days a week, as a minimum. Nearly all students can now produce a good sound and have control over their instrument. They have specific goals and know the next step. As we near recruitment for the Concert Band Program for 2018, progression, home support and persistence are strong indicators of readiness for this program. Please check in with your year 3 students each week and be aware of when the instrument needs to come to school.

Mondays: 3C
Tuesdays: 3L
Thursdays: 3T and 3M.

Jane Plumridge, Music Specialist

RESOURCE CENTRE

We have had a great start to the term with lot of borrowing happening. Thank you to those who have found lost books or brought in copies/money to replace lost library books.

We are busy preparing for Book Week and have been exploring some of the title shortlisted in the children’s book of the year awards.

We are also starting to immerse ourselves with the work of Dr Cameron Stelzer who will be our visiting author on 01 September. Invoices will be sent out soon with each student asked to pay $2 for attending the author sessions.

Help Covering Books

If you are free Thursdays mornings between 9:00-11:00am and can come to the library to help cover books it would be greatly appreciated. If you are able to help at other times please come to the library, any help will be accepted.

Competition Time: Winter Writing Competition

With the upcoming release of the K. Modulon new book ‘How to Catch an Evil Hag’ on Thursday 10 August in the library, students are invited to enter a writing competition to win a signed copy of the new book and ‘The Enlightened’.

How to enter

Write a tale of cold winter days, of icy winds and frosty ways. A tale that will chill me down to the core, thrill me and leave me longing for more. Write me a story that is scary or fun. The choice is yours… just get it done!

Entries may be typed, printed or handwritten, then placed in the entry box in the library by Friday 04 August.

The 91-Storey Treehouse Illustrator Competition

Dymocks at Indooroopilly are holding a competition in preparation for the release of the new book in the Andy Griffith Treehouse Series.

WIN a $100 gift card for yourself and a $200 gift card for your school!

How to enter

Simply draw what room you would like to see in the next levels of the treehouse.

Entries need to be handed in at the library by 17 August so they can be sent to the bookstore to be included in the competition.

Faith Hage, Teacher Librarian

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

District Athletics

B Division Champions

Congratulation to the Yeronga State School Athletics Team who competed and won the B Division Championship for the fourth year consecutively, at the Sunnybank District Athletics on July 21 and July 25. Our team included, in both reserve and team member capacities:

Bill S, Alexander P, Jack N, Archie S, Aiden Y, Timo S, Liam C, Harry A, Elijah H, Oscar S, Joshua M, Joe K, Yohan B, Tomas B, Nicholas P, Clancy J, Lachie H, Noah S, Harry C, Daniel W, Cody R, Lachlan S, Damien W, Joseph K, Kiearlon P, Joshua W, Leith J, Hayley R, Edilawit K, Lauren G, Morgan J, Tahlia B, Kate M, Kyla V, Chloe F, Yar C, Georgia M, Catherine K, Myla T, Lucy C, Claudia W, Abbey G, Liina N, Celia A, Isabel F, Sigourney L, Ellie M, Huong M, Lucinda M, Alexia S, Margaret G, Ella Q, Maddie I, Eloise N, Lara D, Sienna R, Bridget C, Zoe H, Laetia G, Lauren Z, Ellana M & Caitlin R.

District Athletics Place-Getters

These people include:

Yar C who came third in the 10 years girls long jump
Hayley R who came third in the 10 years girls high jump
Oscar S who came third in the 10 years boys high jump
Joe K who came second in the 11 years boys 800m
Yohan B who came second in the 11 years boys 200m
Myla T who came fourth on a count back in the 11 years girls long jump
Margaret G who came first in the 800m and third in the 100m and 200m
The winning 10, 11 & 12 years boys relay teams
The winning 11 years girls relay team
The third placed 10 years girls relay team.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it is indicative of the commitment displayed by our team. I cannot count the number of instances of people running, jumping or throwing personal bests or displaying great courage.

Well done team Yeronga!

Congratulations Margaret!

Is there anything our Margaret G cannot do? Not only has she been to Regional Swimming for the second straight year and ran twelfth in the State Cross Country, but now she has won the Sunnybank District 800m and came third in the 100m and the 200m.

I can’t think of many people with this sort of versatility. I would have to ask Mr Johnson, who is a far greater authority than me in matters of sport, if there was ever anyone he can think of who would compare to Margaret.

Congratulations again to Margaret on her astounding outstanding achievements.

Regional Girls Softball

Congratulations to Zoe H and Lauren Z who have been selected in the Regional Softball Team. We have not had two students selected for this team while I have been at Yeronga. Also congratulations to Ellie M, Celia A and Alexandra B who also made the selectors jobs incredibly difficult.

Well done girls!

Queensland Schools Golf Championships

Best of luck to Harvey P who has been busy competing in the Queensland Schools Golf Championships this week in Toowoomba. Harvey is an extremely skilful and versatile athlete who has been looking forward to this opportunity immensely.

Best of luck Harvey!

District Events for Students Aged 10 – 12 years This Term (Except Ball Games (open to all))

Please make your children aware of these events well ahead of time so that they may consult the relevant teachers regarding their suitability and participation.

Regional Athletics - 14 & 15 August
Gala Day 1 - 11 August (Reserve Date 18 August)
District Girls Cricket – 21 August
District Boys Cricket – 22 & 24 August
Regional Boys Cricket – 4 & 5 September
Regional Girls Cricket – 6 September
Gala Day 2 – 8 September (Reserve Date 15 September)
Yeronga State School Ball Games – 12 September (To be confirmed)

Sunnybank District Sporting Trials

The representative pathway for school sport is for children from 10 to 12 years of age. Yeronga is part of a very strong district which consists of 28 schools from Yeronga State School to the Calamvale area. In contact and skill team sports those aged 11 and 12 possess the advantages of size and speed, if not skill on most occasions. Selectors are choosing those with the skill and the resilience to compete at a higher level. Remember that selectors give up their time for these trials meaning that it is important for us to send only those ready to go to a higher level. Very seldom is it appropriate to send students for experience. An indicator of readiness for participation at a higher level would be being among the best 3 or 4 players in most games for your club under 12 teams.

In order to be selected to attend a District Trial, children should make themselves known to me (Mr Bateman) for either a selection trial with the appropriate teacher or so that they may be given the appropriate forms. Remember that children must give at least two weeks’ notice that they wish to attend a district trial to allow for a school selection trial to be held in the event of a great deal of interest being shown in a particular sport.

Cameron Bateman, P.E. Teacher

CHAPPY’S CHAT

Having Courage…

Last week I went with the Year 4 students to Camp Goodenough. This camp gave plenty of opportunities for everyone to be brave as they were presented with lots of different challenges. For some, the activities were the difficult part, while for others just being away from home and their families was most challenging. Even though there were tears at times, moments of fear, and some homesickness, it was a great camp and a time to connect with others, being stretched out of comfort zones and learn to be brave.

So when was the last time that you had to be brave? There is that famous saying, “we all have to do things we don’t like at times”. Having courage isn’t just about taking a giant leap, swinging from heights in a harness, or being thrown into some crazy situation. It isn’t always about making a huge financial situation, moving away from your family or community, changing careers or doing an act of bravery in a dangerous situation.

Being brave is more often about having perseverance, making good decisions and choosing to act. It could also be facing fears of any kind and sometimes standing up for what is right and good even when the consequences are tough. Having courage is teachable and learnable and camp provides a good start to a lifelong journey of being brave. What could you do to be more courageous in your life?

"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne / Christopher Robin

Qld Father of the Year Colouring-in Competition Winners…

Thank you for so many beautiful entries in this competition. It was a difficult decision to choose just 2 winners! Congratulations to Hanna and Xanthe who were the junior and senior school winners respectively. Their entries have now been submitted into a state-wide competition with other competing schools.

Colouring-in Competition Winners

Assistance with School Uniforms, Books and Resources for 2018…

If you need assistance with getting back to school next year, please take advantage of the St Vincent de Paul Society Qld – Children’s Education Fund for 2018. Applications need to be in by the end of this term. Phone the HelpLine on 3010 1096 and ask for the St Vincent de Paul volunteers to come to your home to get your financial details to fill out an application.

Coming events…

28/7 - This Friday night!!! Chappy’s Fun Night Out screening the animated Disney movie “Moana”. Please come and support this great family night out. Cost - $6 per person.
9/10 September - Camp at School with Dad
30 September – Riverfire Event at YSHS

Blessings, Jennifer Bennett
jenniferb@chappy.org.au

MEET OUR STAFF

John Quirk

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

Working in finance for state government I decided I needed a change from working long hours for not much money. But I became a teacher instead. I like working with kids though. It’s brilliant - makes it all worthwhile (most of the time).

What other schools have you worked at or where else have you worked?

I taught secondary at Marist College Ashgrove and Yeronga SHS (but worked out primary kids are way-cooler). Before that, I worked for a bank and the state public service.

Who is in your family? What do you like to do together?

My partner Jen, children Bec (now with family of her own!), Tom and Ella, two dogs (Brownie and Sally), one diabetic cat (Skeet), and nine chooks. We walk dogs, go to movies, play occasional game of badminton. Also like to spend inordinate amount of time earnestly discussing with son time he spends on electronic devices (vs doing school-work).

What do you like to do on the weekend?

Fret about prep for upcoming teaching week.

Where is the most exciting place you have visited?

Aside from 5JK class-room? Torres del Paine in Patagonia (southern tip of Chile). It is a strange place.

ARCHIVES MATTER

Evolution of Student Enrolment

Leading into the 150th anniversary in 2021, it is interesting to look back on the evolution of student enrolment over those years.

1871 was the foundation year for Yeronga State School and the school opened with 63 students. Throughout the year an additional 23 students enrolled taking the end of year enrolment number to 86 students. These students were taught in the original school building that measured 18ft x 20ft (5.5m x 6m) with hardwood framework; weatherboards and shingles and a pine roof. Five years after opening, student’s numbers had increased by 425% to a total of 268.

The next major increase to student enrolment was 1939 and the first year of World War Two. Enrolment numbers peaked at 749 students. Within 20 years Yeronga State School realised its largest student population with 1200 boys and girls attending the school.

From the late 1970’s to present day, student numbers have fluctuated between the mid 500’s to high 600’s. In 2017 the total number of students attending Yeronga State School is 631.

Enrolment Totals

Ruth Bennett, Archives Coordinator

SCHOOL BANKING

20.07.2017 : 55 Bankers

Junior Banker of the Week - Samuel (P2)
Senior Banker of the Week - Minna (5H)

27.07.2017 : 74 Bankers

Junior Banker of the Week - Harry 2L
Senior Banker of the Week - Elyanna 4W

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Challenging Behaviour in Classic Autism - Workshop Registration - Friday 27 October.
Yeronga SHS Information Tour - Tuesday 01 August from 9:00 – 10:30am
Woolworths Earn and Learn 2017 - 26 July to 19 September 2017

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