Week Six and Seven have flown by, as we have been involved in a range of bonus experiences here at Yeronga State School, including the much anticipated Prep Excursion in search of the Bunyip at Toohey Forest, Life Education Van visit for Prep to Year Two, SINGFEST, RACQ visit, Gala Day, SEQ Soccer Finals (girls and boys) and Year Five Bridge Builders.

Our staff have also recently been involved in a range of professional development initiatives, which have seen teachers being part of a two day seminar with Kath Murdoch with a focus on teaching and learning through Inquiry and some staff attending an Inquiry workshop with Marianne Nicholas at Mitchelton State School. This is a great demonstration of the need for us all to be constantly developing ourselves as learners and curious individuals.

Student Council- Real Life Inquiry

Our Student Council representatives in Year 3-6 have started their own ‘real life’ Inquiry in an effort to address the problem that we have related to inappropriate use of our school toilets. At the Student Council meeting they were ‘provoked’ into action by a recent photo of the toilets that was shared. See the photo below, along with the response as the group ‘tuned in’ to their thinking as real life problem solvers.

The Student Council representatives have committed to working through a problem based Inquiry Cycle, in an effort to come up with some kind of problem solving action. They will do this through conducting an investigation of this issue within our school. Keep an eye for more information as we move towards some resolutions!

AST Promotion

As a school, we participate in the Brisbane City Councils Active School Travel program. The Active School Travel program promotes road safety and sustainable and healthy travel options such as walking, cycling, scootering, carpooling and public transport. Active School Travel occurs every Wednesday, students are encouraged and rewarded for consistently travelling actively. Every fortnight, the junior and senior assembly announces the class that travels most actively to school. Teachers meet students at River City Cycles each Wednesday to form a walking train, teachers meet students at 8:10am for an 8:15am departure.

Student Council Free Dress Day- Friday 30 August

Support research for childhood genetic diseases in style, by donning a pair of your best jeans this Friday 30 August and bringing in a gold coin donation.

Why has the Yeronga State School Student Council chosen this cause?

While the majority of babies are born healthy, 1 in 20 is born with a birth defect or genetic disease and more than 160,000 children around the world are diagnosed with cancer every year. Medical research is always looking for ways to treat or prevent such childhood diseases and some of the major advances over the years have included the eradication of polio, smallpox and diphtheria.

In Australia, the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) is dedicated to finding ways to treat or prevent childhood cancers, birth defects and genetic diseases to create brighter futures for all children. However, medical research is expensive, which is why Jeans for Genes Day was born.

Over the next two decades, the Institute plans to develop new treatments for epilepsy, kidney disease, diabetes, infectious diseases and every type of cancer. They also hope to find gene therapy cures for rare genetic diseases in children.

To help pay for this important work, the organisation holds Jeans for Genes Day every year in August. On Jeans for Genes Day, much needed funds are raised across the nation for children’s medical research. The Yeronga State School Student Council has elected to support this cause by holding a Free Dress Day. We are encouraging students and staff to come along this Friday wearing their favourite denim jeans and to bring a gold coin donation!

Book Week Assembly Week 8

Each year, schools and public libraries across Australia spend a week celebrating books, and Australian authors and illustrators. Teachers and librarians will conduct activities relating to a theme to highlight the importance of reading. Across week 8, Yeronga State School will enjoy hosting its own Book Week. Below is a schedule of events that will occur in week 8 as part of Book Week:

• Monday Prep and Year 1 Cameron Stelzer Author Visit
• Tuesday Year 6 Brian Falkner Author Visit and Year 2 and Year 3 Big Dream Performance in the Hall
• Wednesday Year 4 and Year 5 Candice Lemon-Scott Author Visit
• Thursday 9am Book Character Parade for Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 in the Hall. Students have to dress up as a character from a book. They then must change back into school uniform after the character parade. We encourage parents and guardians to attend.
  
  

Head Lice ‘Heads Up’

It has come to our attention that some students in the school may have head lice.  We seek your cooperation in checking your child’s hair and scalp as soon as possible.  If we all take action at the same time, it will help enormously to stop the spread of head lice.

REMEMBER

• We can all catch head lice
• Head lice are spread mainly through head to head contact
• Mechanical methods can be used to control head lice
• You need to check with Queensland Health Child Health Centre or your local pharmacist about whether chemical preparations are effective
• To be sure, keep checking every two (2) days for ten (10) days after this time.
  
  

Camp Quality

On Wednesday the 28^th August, Yeronga State School hosted the educators from Camp Quality. It was an engaging program that helped to dispel the myths and misconceptions that are commonly associated with cancer. Our aim for all students who engaged in the program was to reduce the likelihood of bullying, confusion, exclusion and anxiety that can follow a cancer diagnosis. As a school, our hope is that we can help build a supportive school community for any child growing up with cancer. Further resources to supplement the program are available on the Camp Quality website.

https://www.campquality.org.au/

We look ahead to an exciting few weeks on the horizon with Book Week, Parent Cybersafety Info Session and Gala Day Two.

Life Education

The Life Education van recently visited Yeronga State School. Harold and Michele thoroughly enjoyed their time at our school and reported that they were made to feel very welcome. The students in 1M were particularly impressive and received a letter from Harold. Congratulations!”

In addition to the lessons in the van, all students and classroom teachers received workbooks and resources to extend the lessons delivered in the Life Education classroom. Parents and carers can find out what their children learned in the mobile classroom by going to the parent section of the Life Education website http://www.lifeeducation.org.au/parents Click on the relevant links to also check out the 'conversation starter' ideas so you can carry on discussing the lessons at home.

Have a terrific two weeks!

Kate Paynter and Tracy Freeman

Deputy Principals