14 March 2019

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL REPORT

READING READING READING

Yeronga SS has reading targets for each child to achieve by the end of each year that align with Regional targets. In the early years, when children are learning to read, 85% of children are expected to be at or above

• Prep - PM 11
• Year 1 – PM 19
• Year 2 – PM 26

Research clearly shows that the partnership between home and school is a significant contributing factor in how quickly and easily children become confident and capable readers.

There are six fundamental elements to learning to read:

• Oral language
• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics
• Vocabulary Knowledge
• Fluency
• Comprehension

Research has found that shared reading experiences are highly beneficial for young people. Home shared reading experiences include:

1. children reading to parents
2. parents reading to children
3. parents and children discussing, clarifying and making predictions about what is read

Benefits of shared reading include facilitating enriched language exposure, fostering the development of listening skills, spelling, reading comprehension and vocabulary, and establishing essential foundational literacy skills. They are also valued as a shared social opportunity between parents and their children to foster positive attitudes toward reading.

The home learning policy highlights our expectation of 10-15 minutes of reading daily. Beginning this term our Prep teachers will have distributed Prep packs to develop phonemic awareness and phonological awareness. We also send Home Readers home in the early years to allow parents to spend 10-15 minutes hearing their children read. We know that students who live in households where this practice is a daily occurrence develop a love of learning and have greater success at school earlier. If you are not sure how to make a shared reading session an enjoyable learning experience, approach your class teacher.

We should not stop reading with our children just because they have learned to read independently. We should continue reading with our children until they no longer wish to share reading with us, ensuring that these experiences are enjoyable, as they can influence children’s future attitudes toward reading, as well as building their confidence and competence as readers. It is worth the effort to find time to share this experience with our children in the early years and beyond.

BULLYING VS CONFLICT

Whenever a group of people gather together it is not unusual for problems to arise. Families, workplaces, clubs, schools and communities often recount incidents of `bullying’ or conflict. At Yeronga State School we use the Bridge Builders program to help our children learn the difference between conflict and bullying and to teach them strategies to develop positive relationships and interactions.

What is the difference between Bullying and Conflict?

For something to be bullying it has to meet three criteria. Bullying is:

• Deliberate
• Repeated regularly
• Has a Power Difference

Conflict is different – it happens every day, it is a normal part of life and though it is unpleasant it can have good outcomes if handled constructively. (i.e. calm down, use the Bridge Builder strategies and be an active listener). Conflict can be deliberate, accidental or a misunderstanding.

Bullying is not normal and it is never okay or to be ignored. Bullying is disempowering, to the target, and can have serious impact to all those involved and the school community. (Rowan, 2007, Yoneyama &Rigby 2006).

Young children need to be taught how to behave and interact appropriately with each other. Every day conflict provides us an opportunity to teach them right from wrong and strategies for resolving conflict that set them up for success. Labelling conflict as bullying can make a child feel like a victim and disempower them, and thus undermine an important learning opportunity.

We will never completely stop bullying but we can go a very long way to reducing it by working together. If you believe your child is experiencing conflict that they are finding difficult to resolve, please advise the class teacher so we can investigate and take action.

Empowering children for life underpins the philosophy of Jocelyn Chirnside, who developed the Bridge Builders program. You may like to participate in the parent session for Bridge Builders planned for 16 May 6:30pm, allowing you to align strategies for resolving conflict at home.

This Friday is National Day against Bullying where we as a community stand together against bullying and violence. We ask you and your children to wear an orange accessory (ribbon, socks, hairpiece, scarf etc) this Friday on free dress day to highlight how Yeronga State School is a safe, caring and inclusive school community.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION- PARKING

Following road rules and parking correctly helps our community function well. Please be mindful of what you are teaching your children when you fail to follow rules. With this in mind:

• Use the designated Stop Drop Go zone correctly - 2 minute zone (7-9am, 2-4pm)
• Please move to the front of the zone before allowing your children to exit or enter your vehicle. This helps make this zone work efficiently. Do not leave your vehicle in this zone as it significantly impacts the flow of traffic around our school.
• Park as signed – 10 minute zones etc. Failure to do so upsets other commuters and
• No parking across drive ways, preventing householders from entering or leaving. We work hard to maintain positive relationships with our neighbours. Parking across driveways is inconsiderate behaviour.
• No parking inside school grounds.
• No U-turns from the Park Rd Stop Drop Go zones.

The Brisbane City Council and Police are actively patrolling our zones. Modelling behaviour that helps our community function well and sets our children up to be kind, caring and considerate human beings is a more important incentive. Little eyes are always watching.

FACILITIES UPDATE – NEW PREP BUILDING

The education department has sourced and approved the installation of a new prep building. The building will be situated at the end of the row of current prep buildings next to the grade 1 playground. The Prep build will begin this weekend, with the removal of a section of the covered walkway to allow access. Please be aware that there may be vehicles that need to move across the walkway area from time to time and you will have to wait until all clear has been given. Thank you for your patience during this time. The building itself will be craned on site on Saturday 30 March. If you watch the skyline you may see this happening. As soon as the building itself has been brought in the classroom fit out will begin and we expect it to be finished by early Term 2. We thank for arranging for the building to be air-conditioned as part of the installation.

CONGRATULATION Mr Newby

Thank you to Mr Josh Newby for his contribution to developing future Maths teachers and ensuring our students develop a love of Mathematics. On the 24 February, Mr Newby attended the Queensland Association of Maths Teachers (QAMT) conference as a presenter to communicate the work that he put together at the end 2018 in Year 6. The presentation focused on creating a culture around the use of Mathematics in the real world. The students undertook a guided inquiry utilising the application Minecraft to redevelop a nature play area. The unit was a mathematical and digital inquiry. Mr Newby has been invited by Tierney Kennedy and QAMT to be part of a conference for preservice and beginning teachers at UQ on Friday the 15th March. This will be as part of a panel answering questions and also presenting his work.

SPECIALIST TERM OVERVIEW

Specialist teachers deliver quality learning programs weekly for our students. Parents have asked for greater insight into what is taught for each year level each term. Please see term overviews for Spanish, Classroom Music and PE to assist you in having discussions or following up with practice at home. Next term the overviews will come home with the class teacher newsletters.

Debbie Spanner
Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL REPORT

Lots on the agenda over the last two weeks at Yeronga State School- Year Three Toohey Forest Excursion, Halogen Young Leaders Day for our Student Council Representatives, Active School Travel Crew visiting the Prep- Year Two Assembly as well as Gala Day One. We hope that you have the opportunity to connect with our school community at some point during that time.

Fire Evacuation and Lockdown

During Week 7 our first ‘Lockdown’ practice for the school year took place. The procedure for a Lockdown involves everyone in the school moving inside the school buildings to a secure position. The reason for the lockdown may be anything that could cause danger to someone out in the open e.g. severe storm, chemical hazard, threat from a person in the grounds.

Following the Lockdown practice our teachers provided a ‘debrief’ to the students in their classes, in order to share an understanding of the purpose of a lockdown and to reassure students about their safety while at school.

Halogen Young Leaders Day

The Year 3-6 Student Councilors were outstanding representatives of Yeronga State School last Friday as they attended the Halogen Young Leaders Day at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. They listened to a number of inspirational speakers including Cate Campbell, Matt Cosgrove, Tim Diamond and John Couttis, who all shared their experience and wisdom gained through a range of life experiences. It was a highly interactive day for the almost 3000 participants and our students came away with a multitude of messages about how they can make a contribution as a leader within and beyond our school community. The Student Councilors will share their experiences at the forthcoming Year 3-6 Assembly.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent teacher interviews are a wonderful opportunity for you to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss their progress and learning goals for the year.

Interviews will be held during weeks 9 and 10 and an e-mail will be sent out over the next week advising you of how to book.

Active School Travel - Let’s get active!

The AST Crew launches Active School Travel

Active School Travel’s ‘AST Crew’ of super travellers were special guests at our Junior assembly last week. Our students discovered how they can actively travel to school by walking, cycling, scootering, car pooling or using public transport.

We will have our first Active School Travel Day on Friday 22nd March – so please save the date. Then every Wednesday after that will be our Active School Travel Day. Each child receives a passport and gets a stamp once a week on Wednesday, when they actively travel to school. The more stamps they accumulate, the more rewards they get! We are also having an inter-class competition, so actively travel with us each Wednesday to join the fun.

Not only will we all arrive healthier, happier and ready to learn, the streets will be safer with fewer cars. Active School Travel is one of the easiest ways to incorporate physical activity into everyday life for all children. Learning to move is as important as learning to read.

Free Dress Day

Friday 15 March (Week 7) will be a Free Dress Day. Funds raised from gold coin donations will go towards assisting the Fete Committee in preparing for the 2019 Yeronga State School Fete. The Student Council have decided upon the theme for the Free Dress Day- students are invited to come dressed up as a book or movie character. It’s a fabulous theme with so many options and we look forward to seeing many creative and innovative ideas on Friday 15 March!

Our free dress day also aligns with the ninth annual ‘National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence’ being held on Friday 15 March. The National Day of Action is an important opportunity for the whole community to reject bullying and cyberbullying and help keep young Australians safe. Students are welcome to come dressed in orange or wear orange in recognition of this day.

Upcoming Events

We would love to see you at our upcoming events during this term.

They include:

1500m race finals for students in Yr 3-6 (1.45pm Wednesday 13 March)
“Clean Up our School Day” (Thursday 14 March)
Harmony Day (Thursday 21 March)
Active School Travel Celebration (Friday 22 March)
Senior Athletics Carnival (Thursday 28 March) N.B. This is a change of date.

NEWSFLASH

1500m finals will be held on Monday afternoon, beginning with 12 year olds at 1:45pm.

Kate Paynter and Tracy Freeman

Yeronga Wunya

Yeronga Wunya (pronounced Won- yah)

Do you know what ‘Yeronga’ means in the local Aboriginal language?

Yeronga (Yugarra language) – From 'yarungnga / yarung' means 'gravelly place'. A second reference refers to 'yurong' which means rain.

‘Wunya’ (pronounced Won- yah) means Welcome/Greetings (Yugarra language).

That’s why our news snippet and greeting that we will bring to you every newsletter is called Yeronga Wunya!

Do you know that in 2016, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the “Rights of Indigenous peoples” proclaiming 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages. The overarching theme for this year is Indigenous languages matter for development, peace building and reconciliation. Read more about it here:

Find out more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island languages at the Qld State Library:

P & C REPORT

2019 P&C Committee

Thank you to everyone who attended the AGM and February general meeting on Tuesday, 19 February. We are pleased to confirm your 2019 P&C Committee team have launched into action and are looking forward to meeting everyone who can make it to our next meeting on Tuesday, 19 March:

Executive Committee

• Co-Presidents: Hamish Townsend, Kym Mansfield
• Vice-Presidents: Darren Cosgrove, Anna Rimpau
• Minutes Secretary: Julia Connors
• Treasurer: Sarai Guy

Additional Officers

• Correspondence Secretary: Anita Forbes
• Events Coordinator: Haney Yoshida
• Fete convenors: Juliet Brooks, Lauren McHutchinson

An especially big THANK YOU to outgoing Executive Members, Jo Thomson (President), Peppa Brown and Ann Leggo (Vice Presidents) and Anna Dudarenok (Treasurer). Together they have devoted many hours to supporting our school community. They have ensured P&C operations, including YOSHC, the Tuckshop and Uniform Shop are well governed, streamlined P&C administration, and introduced successful new fundraising initiatives to provide great support for our school and kids.

Thank you, also, to all the parents and friends of the school that have given hours to help at the many events, attended meetings and joined robust discussions, and those who have put up their hands for 2019.

We look forward to a fun, rewarding, and busy fete year working with you, building on the strong sense of community we enjoy at Yeronga State School. Please email the P&C team at yerongasspandc@gmail.com if you have any questions, would like to get involved, or to find out more.

March P&C meeting

The next P&C meeting will be held in the Resource Centre (school library) on Tuesday, 19 March at 7:00pm. Please come and join us to find out what has happened during term 1 and help to make plans for the rest of the year.

Tuckshop volunteers needed - urgently

Yeronga is lucky to have a great tuckshop, delivering healthy, inexpensive meals three days a week. But it all depends on volunteers and we need to find more people to help. If you have a couple of hours to spare we are in need of volunteers to help pack lunches on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings (9am to 11am) - monthly, fortnightly, and weekly shifts are available. Please nominate your choice in the 'Tuckshop volunteering' section on the first page of our 'Just One Thing' survey.

Easter Raffle

Thank you for your support for the Easter raffle. Please keep bringing in your donations and selling those tickets. Chocolate of all description, Easter craft kits, picture books and other non-chocolate items that could be included in an Easter hamper are all welcome.

If you have any gift baskets or boxes at home that you would like to get rid of, we would love those too!

Please return all sold AND unsold Easter Raffle tickets (with correct money) by Friday 29 March to the P&C Payment Box located upstairs in the Grade 1 building and downstairs in the Admin building (Block A).

Extra tickets available from the school office, YOSHC and the Uniform Shop. Lots of excitement is guaranteed when prizes are distributed to kids across the school on Monday, 1 April. Thanks again, your support for this important fundraiser for our school is greatly appreciated!

2019 P&C Memberships

All 2018 memberships lapsed at the AGM but it's not too late to join for 2019! Please take a minute to complete your online 2019 Membership form (yes, it's literally a minute or less!). There is no obligation to attend meetings. Membership numbers help us with grant applications and allows us to keep you updated with copies of monthly minutes, which often contain 'hot off the press' news from around the school and key decisions around allocation of P&C funds to support the school.

Just One Thing

Your new P&C team is excited to support our school community, and we'd love your help too!

We can all contribute something through the year, so please visit our 'Just One Thing' survey and let us know the 'one thing' you'd like to do to help at school this year. We guarantee it's fun to help!

Chess

Fancy teaching your kids to play chess but struggle to find the time to teach them yourself? Chessmates run chess classes at school every Tuesday afternoon (3:10pm to 4:00pm) and Thursday mornings before school (7:50-8:40am). Classes are only $8 each and suitable for all ages and abilities! To find out more or to book contact Ash at info@chessmates.com.au or phone 0415 256 452. Visit the Chessmates website below.

IT'S FETE!!

The 2019 Fete is taking shape and it's looking exciting! Mark Saturday the 25th May in your calendars and get set for some busy fun as we band together to create a great day out for the whole family and raise some much needed funds for our amazing school. There will be a lot of activity and communication in the lead up to the big day. To keep you updated and informed, stay on top of it all by liking our fete facebook page and keep an eye on your inbox for messages from your parent rep and the fete newsletter. There will be plenty of opportunities to help out, but if you are feeling like you want to get involved, feel free to reach out, yssfete@gmail.com

FETE LEVY and DONATIONS

In previous years, we leaned pretty heavily on the school community to donate various items to assist with the running of the fete. To keep things simple this year, rather than making multiple requests for various donations (chocolates/drinks/wine etc), all we are asking is for an optional fete levy to help us acquire some of the items needed to create a fantastic event. This is a small amount of $10 per family and saves a lot of hassles all round, so please jump onto flexischools and show your support. Of course we are always looking to re-purpose pots for plant stalls and pre-loved clothes and books for the vintage stalls, so look out for opportunities to clear out some of your junk and make it someone else's treasure! Or if your family runs a business and has something cool to donate to use towards prizes for the raffle or cent auction, we would love to hear from you at yssfete@gmail.com .

Fete News:

The fete committee is gearing up for an awesome fete this year. We are currently seeking sponsors and we need your help to spread the word amongst our local community or your affiliated organisations.

This is great opportunity to get involved, gain exposure and support our school.

FROM THE OFFICE

School Photos

School Photos are approaching quickly. They will be happening on the 4 & 5 April. All students will need to wear their formal uniform (No Senior Shirts) on the day they will be having their class photo. The Junior School (Prep-Yr2) will be having their Photo on the Thursday 4 April and the Senior School (Yr 3 – Yr 6) will be having their class photos taken on Friday 5 April.

If you have not received the school photo order form or you would like a sibling order form please come to collect a form from the office.

#Please note that the money and order form stay with the student until the photo day. Please do not put any forms or money in the payment boxes. MPS Photography take the money and order form directly from the student on the day of the photos.

Procedure For Late Arrivals

Our school rolls are marked by the classroom teachers by 9:00am daily. If your child is not at school by this time, it is highly likely you will receive an SMS indicating that your child is absent. Your child’s safety is our first priority and therefore any unexplained absences receive our immediate attention. If you receive an SMS, please contact us immediately so we can follow up your child’s whereabouts as quickly as possible. I encourage you to `assume the best’ if you know your child is at school.

All late arrivals (after 9am), from Prep through to Year 6 students, must report to the Senior school office for a ‘late’ slip before going to their classrooms. The school office logs the arrival and you will receive a slip to take to the class teacher. It is important to note that even 5 minutes late each day means your child is missing nearly half an hour of schooling a week. That quickly adds up over the course of a year. Late arrival also disrupts the teaching and learning of all students so please help by being on time.

Don’t forget Active School Travel Day at Yeronga State School

Walk, ride your scooter or bike, catch public transport (even if it’s just one stop) or carpool by grabbing a lift with another family.

It’s all about creating healthier, more active students and parents, greater road safety awareness among students and families, and safer streets and reduced traffic congestion at the school gate.

Every child should have an Active School Travel Passport which is stamped each time they actively travel.

Passports can be stamped in the Senior School (under the Grade 3 building) and in the Junior School (outside the Grade 1 building). When children accumulate enough stamps they get a great reward.

Lost Property

The piles of lost property are growing. Please remind your children to have a look in the lost property for any belongings they have misplaced. Junior lost property is located underneath the Year 1 building (in the middle) and Senior Lost Property is located under the stairs in Admin Block and there is a lost property. Yoshc also have a lost property area in their building, please remember to take a look there as well.

SPANISH

SPANISH Years 4, 5 and 6

It has been great to be able to walk through different areas of the school and hear and feel how the majority of the junior and senior students are enjoying the learning process to study Spanish as a second language. Many students not only greet others with excellent pronunciation, they are also venturing out and asking a few casual, generic questions that you would normally expect as part of the conversation in any language and from any person in the world when you briefly meet them at the working place. This is a really pleasing experience! Muchas gracias.

YEAR 4

Students in Year 4 have been working on improving their self-introduction in Spanish. They are also having fun drawing themselves and intonating questions and exclamations in a correct manner and with an excellent pronunciation. They have been mastering the ability to speak to their mates in a familiar and/or informal way, whilst, differentiating and practicing the formal way to communicate to an adult and or older relatives.

Year 4 students have recently received the assessment task due at the end of term 1. Therefore, they are very engaged in learning how to obey and give commands to others. Commands are very important in the English and the Spanish languages. Especially when we are in a classroom setting and or when we want to help others to reach a specific location. Students have been learning expressions to compliment others using adjectives and learning how to request permission to enter and or leave to the classroom.

YEAR 5

Students in Year 5 have been working on reviewing their self-introduction in Spanish. They have been using charts in Spanish and English that contain a great deal of adjectives and or manners to describe their personal and physical characteristics. They are also mastering the ability to speak about activities that they like or have an interest in. Students have been expressing their feelings in regards to activities they have experienced or that they have interest in, as well as their hobbies.

Year 5 students have recently received the assessment task due at the end of term 1. Therefore, they are very engaged in learning how to improve intonation, and pronunciation of the expressions related to their interests, hobbies, and feelings. Some of the verbs in Spanish that are normally used to express interests, feeling and hobbies are conjugated, whether in a reflective form and or with the use of the object of the preposition and indirect object pronouns. Thus, senior students are taking the opportunity to use rich content grammar as part of their learning. Students also will be learning simple structures to be able to ask questions and to offer advice to colleagues.

YEAR 6

Students in Year 6 have been working on the practice and enrichment of their self-introduction in Spanish. They have been using listed charts in Spanish and English that contain a great deal of adjectives and or manners to describe themselves physically and their characters. They have been mastering the ability to speak about themselves; whilst formulating questions to their classmates in regards to the activities they have experienced or have interest in. Students have been developing their abilities to speak about their hobbies, and to ask personal questions in regards to age, where they study, live, etc.

Year 6 students have recently received the assessment task due at the end of term 1. Therefore, we are very engaged in learning how to improve the formulation of questions and responses related to their interests, hobbies, and feelings. Some of the verbs in Spanish that are normally used to express interests, feeling and hobbies are conjugated, whether in a reflective form and or with the use of the object of the preposition and indirect object pronouns. Thus, senior students are taking the opportunity to use rich content grammar as part of their learning. Students also will be learning simple structures to be able to ask questions and to offer advice to colleagues.

The above students in years 4, 5 and 6, are a great example of a great attitude towards the process of learning a new language; also a few of them are happily showing their neat recorded Spanish notebooks as a representation of their discipline, attention and efforts studying and improving Spanish as their second and / or third language learning. As a parent, perhaps you could support your child further by practicing what we have studied and recorded in their books in class that day in Spanish for 5 minutes. Research shows that regular practice develops a good communication and understanding of a new language. Those students who pay attention in class and present themselves to class ready to learn by having their Spanish notebook, pencil case and that have practiced at home are much more successful.

Yanirza Rodriguez Cardenas – Senior Spanish Teacher

Bienvenido a semana siete/Welcome to week 7.

ATTENTION PREP FAMILIES: Update news regards ELLA (Early Learning Languages Australia) Program for Prep. Please lookout in the SchoolZine app (SZapp) to receive an ELLA information letter, parents/guardians information guide and a consent form. Please complete consent form ASAP.

Our lower primary students continue working hard during Spanish lessons.

Prep children are working hard understanding a variety of greetings. Students are encourage to use greetings learnt at home. Here are our greetings you can say with your families.

They have since moved on to exploring how to tell someone their name in different ways, counting to ten and colours.

Example work of Prep students writing their name in Spanish “Yo soy…..”

Year 1 students continue working hard learning to talk about family members. Here are some photos of our students work, demonstrating an understanding of when to apply the grammatical rules such as those relating to gender ‘Esta’ or ‘Este’.

Free Spanish app (duolingo) can be download from apple store:

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Cross Country Training

Cross Country Training has begun with the climax being the Junior School Cross Country on 8 May. Sessions will be on Mondays from 7:45 to 8:15 and Tuesdays from 3:15 to 3:45 with Mr Bateman and Fridays 7:45 to 8:15 with Mr Sutherland. These sessions are run free of charge.

A wise man said; “a run a day”. Not only has this maxim filled our trophy cabinets with district cross country trophies, but it has also meant that children wanting to participate in other sports had the baseline fitness that made those other sports easier. Following that maxim meant that coaches could concentrate much more on skills.

Gala Days

The remaining dates for these very important days are, weather permitting 22 March and 31 May. Children need to commit to training from this point as they will be required to attend all remaining Gala Days.

Met West Swimming

Congratulations again to the following students who were selected in the Met West Regional team to trial for the Queensland Team; Hayden C, Charlie V, Eadie B, Georgie B and Matilda S.

Swimming

Swimming for years 1 and 2 has begun and will finish in weeks 9 and 10 (a total of five weeks). The later than initially advertised conclusion is due to other commitments both the school and the pool had to fulfil. Students who are due to swim this Thursday will not swim due to Harmony Day Festivities and will resume the following week. Their makeup lesson is scheduled for Thursday 4 April. Students need goggles, a rashie, togs, towel, sturdy bag, spare underwear & Flip Flops (thongs). Thanks again to Yeronga Park Pool for its continued support. They not only discount our lessons, but also give us our carnivals and various play days free of charge.

Athletics Carnival

The Yeronga State School Senior (Years 3 to 6) Athletics Carnival has been brought forward one term from our usual June date to 28 March. This date is a direct impact of National Athletics being held in Darwin.

As with all of these events we would like to extend an invitation to all parents to attend this carnival. Additionally we would very much appreciate some help in officiating on the day. Last year we had a very healthy contingent of parents assisting which made the carnival a very smooth operation. If you can spare some time it would be most appreciated.

Athletics Selection Trials (Years 3 o 6)

These have commenced and the following schedule informs students and parents what will be happening in the remaining weeks. These trials are held to select the finalists and relay teams from each House for our Senior Athletics Carnival.

Yeronga State School Senior (Years 3-6) Athletics Carnival Day 28 March (changed from 25 March)

As with all of these events we would like to extend an invitation to all parents to attend this carnival. Additionally we would very much appreciate some help in officiating on the day. Last year we had a very healthy contingent of parents assisting which made the carnival a very smooth operation. If you can spare some time it would be most appreciated.

Timetable for the Athletics Carnival

The day will commence at approximately 8:45 with the march past. At 9am the boys field rotations will commence in the following order. Each rotation will take 30 minutes and these rotations will therefore conclude at 11am. While the boys are completing these the girls will be completing the heats and finals of their sprints and 200m events.

At 11:00 there will be a 30 minute lunch break
At 11:30 the girls will complete their field rotations and the boys their Sprint and 200m heats and finals.
At 1:30 there will be a 15 minute break .
At 1:45 the boys' and girls' Gifts will be held
At 2:00 The Relays
At 2:45 The Presentation

The Yerongalympics

This event is a Tabloid sports event comprised of five activities, explained below, which give first turns to children who have been in the least amount of field events.

Activity 1 The Dress up relay

A minimum of 6 children are assembled in line. On the whistle the first child will put the clothes on. They will then go over obstacles around the turnaround marker and back to the team assembly point. Once there they will give the next person in line the clothes and they will have a turn. One point for each person through. Teams keep having as many turns as possible, tallying their points, until the whistle blows to stop. The amount of times the course is completed will equal the amount of points each team has scored.

Activity 2 The Barrel Relay

A minimum of 6 children are assembled in line. On the whistle the first child will put the barrel on its edge and roll it, weaving in and out of the markers, turning around at the turnaround marker and weaving in and out of the markers back to their team. Once there they will give the barrel to the next in line so that they may complete the course. One point is given for each person through. Teams keep having as many turns as possible, tallying their points, until the whistle blows to stop. The amount of times the course is completed will equal the amount of points each team has scored.

Activity 3 The “Every Drop is Precious Relay”

A minimum of 6 children are assembled in line. On the whistle the first child will pick up the cup and run out to the reservoir over the hay bales. Once there they will draw a cup of water and take it back to their bucket and pour it in. When they have completed their turn they will pass the cup to the next person in line. Teams keep having as many turns as possible, tallying their points, until the whistle blows to stop. Markings on the bucket will indicate how many points the team has scored.

Activity 4 Rubber Boot Throwing

A minimum of 6 children are assembled in line. On the whistle the first child will pick up the rubber boot, throw it as close as possible to the target circle. The target will be two circles, one inside the other. The inner circle is worth 10 points and the outer is worth 5 points . Once they have completed their turn by retrieving the rubber boot the first person will pass the rubber boot to the next person in line. Teams keep having as many turns as possible, tallying their points, until the whistle blows to stop.

Activity 5 “Running Cheek to Cheek”

A minimum of 6 children are assembled in line in pairs. On the whistle the first pair place the gator skin ball between their faces. They must weave in and out of the markers and go around the turnaround marker and return to their team weaving in and out of the markers with the gator skin ball between their faces. If the ball should fall they must pick it up before continuing. Each pair through will score one point for their team. Teams keep having as many turns as possible, tallying their points, until the whistle blows to stop.

Yeronga State School (YSS) District Trial Selection Policy Special Consideration (Years 3 to 6)

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 need to possess the advantages of size and speed, as well as skill on most occasions. Selectors will choose 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 compete at 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.

Important Sporting Dates

YSS Athletics Trials: 15/03/2019
YSS (8-12 years) 1500m: 13 March (1:45 – 3:00)
District Boys AFL Trials: 18 March
YSS (8-12 years) Discus Day: 19 March
Regional Basketball Trial: 19 March
District Rugby League Trials: 19 & 21 March
YSS (8-12 years) 800m: 20 March (1:45 – 3:00)
District Boys AFL Trials: 20 March
Gala Day Two: 22 March
YSS (8-12 Years) Senior Athletics: 25 March
Regional Hockey Trial: 2 April
Regional Netball Trial: 2 April
Regional Girls AFL: 3 April
District Cross Country: 4 April

SPECIALIST TERM OVERVIEW

Parents have asked for greater insight into what is taught for each year level each term. Please see term overviews PE to assist you in having discussions or following up with practice at home. Next term the overviews will come home with the class teacher newsletters.

Cameron Bateman

Gala Day 1

Gala Day 1 Boys A Division Soccer

The two teams played 3 games each at Souths United Football Club on a synthetic field which was a first for many of the boys. With very warm temperatures and strong opposition the Yeronga boys certainly had to work hard and as a team to play consistent high level football for the whole day. Both teams were undefeated and demonstrated great skill and sportsmanship.

Results

Coach: Mr Curness

Gala Day – Softball

Our two YSS girls’ teams played four games each on a very hot gala day last Friday. Both teams showed wonderful resilience, sportsmanship and enjoyed taking the opportunity to showcase and practice their skills against some fierce competition. Whilst both teams came away with a draw and a win, the girls (and coach) were very proud of their efforts. We are training hard on both our strengths and weaknesses in the lead up to our next gala day.

Coach: Kate Middleton-Pol

Gala Day 1 Boys B1 Division Soccer

The Yeronga junior B1 team played 3 games and the senior B1 team played two games and two halves at Sunnybank State School. Both Yeronga teams played very well on a hot day against some tough opposition. The boys worked hard and displayed great teamwork, friendship and sportsmanship.

Results

Coach: Mr Henry and Mrs Hill

Teeball

The Teeball girls had a great day on the Runcorn fields. Although many of our competitors did not turn up because of the potential rain, the Yeronga girls played with enthusiasm and great sportswomanship. Even when play was stopped for the imminent rain, the girls were desperate to get back out there and were the first teams back on the field! Both teams had wins and losses but they saved their best for the final game of the day with Yeronga Aqua and Yeronga Green facing off. The girls battled it out and tied 12-12! Well done girls.

Boys Basket Ball - Year 5

The Yeronga basketball boys consisted of two teams who played on the outdoor courts at Runcorn High School. For many of the boys, it was the first time they had been to a Gala day and played basketball against another team. Yeronga A won 2 from 3 games and Yeronga B won 1 from 2 games of their games. Unfortunately due to a shower of rain, the court was too wet to complete the scheduled program and Yeronga B missed out on their 3rd game.

All students showed great sportsmanship and growth in their basketballs skills on the day.

We are looking forward to Gala Day 2!

Coach: Mrs Southwell.

Girls Soccer

On Friday our two senior girl’s teams and four junior girl’s teams travelled to Rochdale Football Club to compete in the first gala day of 2019. Despite some rearranging of playing schedules and intermittent rain our girls excelled. All teams demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, determination and skill and ended the day undefeated in all but two games. Well done girls!

District Touch Football

Congratulations to Hayley R on her selection in the Eastern Taipans District Touch Football team. Hayley will participate in the regionals trials at Ipswich early next term. We wish her all the best.

MUSIC

MUSIC NEWS

What’s been happening in music lately?

YEAR 2

Year 2 have been busy working on their ‘Musical Stories’ soundscapes. At the start of the term, they learnt and sang a large range of songs where the lyrics tell a story. In partners, they have then chosen one of these songs and they are currently in the process of turning this song/story into a soundscape. To do this, they have chosen some important characters or actions from their chosen story and then experimented with instruments, body percussion and other sound sources that can be played in a way to represent these characters/actions. The final step to this process is arranging the sounds in a way that matches the sequence, characters and actions of the story whilst simultaneously demonstrating an understanding of high and low pitch and loud (forte) and soft (piano) dynamics.

YEAR 3

As previously mentioned, Year 3 are continuing on with the Recorder Karate program this term. Thank you so much for encouraging the practise at home and for reminding your children to pack their recorders and music books each Tuesday morning. Consistency and practise is the key to music success. You may by now notice that your child has a collection of ribbons (or ‘belts’) around the end of the recorder. It is hoped that all students will have achieved a white, yellow and orange belt by the end of the term.

CHOIR

Choir is up and running for 2019. Some key performance dates to remember so far are:

Harmony Day Ceremony (Stella Voce and Cosmio Singers) – Thursday, March 21
Yeronga State School Fete (Stella Voce and Cosmio Singers) – Saturday, May 25 (Times TBC)

Also, now that our Prep children have found their feet, the P-1 Piccolo Choir will commence rehearsals from next Friday, March 22. Rehearsals will be during first break and they will be held in the Music Room. I will be coming down to the Prep and Year 1 eating areas every Friday to collect any interested children before bringing them up to the Music Room after they’ve finished eating.

Yours in Music,
Lauren Easey

CHAPPY’S-CHAT

Healthy Thinking…

I recently went to a seminar to hear a Clinical Psychologist speak on this great topic of Healthy Thinking and how we can choose to empower ourselves with a positive thought life. The “Friends for Life” program that I am currently teaching to all year 4 classes also teaches the importance of changing the way we behave through recognising the impact of negative thought patterns.

Understanding self-talk encourages us to learn to think in positive ways and feel more confident in dealing with daily life and the difficult situations we face. We can have “red” thoughts like, I made a mistake so I’m a failure, I always stuff up, I’m not good at anything, I have no friends so I won’t go, or it’s too hard. These thoughts won’t empower us and help us through life. So we can learn to change the “red” unhelpful thoughts into “green” helpful thoughts. Helpful thoughts are positive statements that encourage us, e.g. I will give it a go, I can ask for help, I will have fun if I try, the more that I do the better I will get.

Do you have any regular unhelpful thoughts? It might be time to think more positively and change some of those unhelpful thought patterns. We can role model to our children the importance of choosing words that help us to get up in the morning and get started with the day, no matter how difficult we think it might be. Having a healthy thought life will help bring empowerment to all that we do. I know you can do it!

Harmony Day…

Excitement is building for our special school celebration of Harmony Day next week on 21 March. Practices with our 81 flag bearers have begun and harmony inspired music is being sung around the school as each year level rehearses their item. Junior Assembly is in the morning at 9am, and Senior Assembly in the afternoon at 1:45pm, both with a flag procession, year level performances, and songs by the junior and senior choir. The assemblies are a very moving and fitting celebration of our cultural diversity, so I hope you can join with us on the day.

Still coming up this term….

Other dates to remember…

Blessings,
Jennifer Bennett

SCHOOL BANKING

Remember, to bank every Thursday to earn some great prizes.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Yeronga State High School Enrolment Information Session

The next Y-Tour will be held on Tuesday 12 March from 9.00am to 10.30am

Come along to tour the school, chat with senior administration staff and students, have questions answered.

Morning Tea provided

Please contact me on kfaul19@eq.edu.au if there are any queries.

School Calendar

Choose how to add this event to your calendar:

Apple Calendar iPhone, iPad, Mac - Download .ics file

Outlook Desktop Outlook - Download .ics file

Android Calendar Android devices - Download .ics file

Other Calendar Google Calendar, Yahoo, etc. - Download .ics file

Download Event