Over the previous two weeks, I have watched teachers engage in year level planning and data conversations, where the level of trust and respect for each other was strongly evident, as teacher teams refined the curriculum and pedagogy for the next term’s work. This collaborative planning means that our students are engaging in quality learning opportunities. Teachers are also meeting within their TRIADS, to unpack providing quality Feedback for Learning (our current Curiosity and Powerful Learning Theory of Action), to be a key part of their daily practice.  It is these collaborative empowerment opportunities for teachers that allow us to achieve successful learning for our children.

SCHOOL PARKING

Please note the following guidelines regarding parking around our school grounds. It is vital that as a school community we give a consistent, clear message and keep our children safe. Parking in car parks within the school grounds is only for staff and relevant permit holders.

Parking Guidelines

1. STOP KISS GO- 2 minute zone- Please move to the end 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.
   
   
2. Parking options around our school
   1. Front of Dental Building – 1 hour
   2. 1 hour zone on opposite side of Park Rd
   3. 10 minute options – School Rd in front of Junior School
   4. Pool Car Park
   5. Honour Ave parking
   6. Street parking
      
      
3. Parking options for YOSHC drop off and pick up
   1. Pool Car Park
   2. Honour Ave parking
   3. Front of Dental Building –we encourage parents to use the arched entrance in the Senior School. Parents who choose to walk through the Tuckshop car park will see a designated area to the right of the gate as a way to transition safely through the shared vehicle and pedestrian space. After 4pm – Parking in Stop Kiss Go zone is legal.
      
      

HOME SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

At YSS we have a number of communication channels for keeping in touch with our school community. Please note the following about the different methods we use:

SCHOOLZINE App: 1^st place to go for information from the calendar and information is also sent out in ‘feeds’/ alerts relating to day to day events at school. Also has links to our newsletter, website and important forms and documents.

YSS FACEBOOK: Used to send out photos and short messages related to happenings within our school. This is not used as a tool for the school to respond to comments or questions- we ask parents to direct any questions through the school office (via phone or email).

QParents: Used for payments and lodging of absence from school.

STAFF EMAIL: Parent emails to staff are welcomed as a tool for communication. Please be aware that although staff do try to get to emails on a daily basis, their first priority is a responsibility to student supervision and learning.  It is advisable for any urgent information that it is best to contact the school office to ensure the message gets to your child/child’s teacher.

CONVERSATIONS BEFORE CONFLICT

Our Teacher and Teacher Aide teams took part in a ‘twilight’ professional development session last week, with a focus on the skills needed to have a ‘Robust’ conversation. A range of tools were presented to support us in addressing any potential conflict.

Difficult conversations often arise when people disagree with each other- leading to anger, frustration, avoidance or even intimidation. When people disagree it is often how they interpret the ‘facts’ and create different stories (i.e. different ways of interpreting the situation, conversation or event).

In an environment where parents are reliant on trying to interpret a child’s perception of events, we can often put our own school experience over the top of their recounts and end up escalating a problem more quickly than we intend. One useful tool shared with staff was the ‘Ladder of Conclusions’. The following five steps are suggestions help navigate through conflict and step down the ladder to come to a new understanding of how two parties could move forward for mutual success (Reference: Conversational Intelligence).

Step 1: Connect. Set the context by saying you want to ‘process’ the situation together so that you are more able to have a healthy conversation about something that has happened.

Step 2: Share stories. Each person take a turn sharing your stories about the situation (facts, feelings, thoughts, beliefs and conclusions) while listening without judgement.

Step 3: Discover impact. Discover the impact the situation had on each other.

Step 4: Discover ripple effect. Discover the ripple effect it has on others.

Step 5: Partner. Discuss how in the future you can do things differently (i.e. actions and commitments you could make with each other for a better outcome).

The ability to resolve conflict in such a manner are excellent opportunities to model being a self-manager to our children. Modelling how to manage normal emotions like anger, sadness etc in constructive ways is important to help our children to master emotional agility. The school uses programs or strategies such as Bridge Builders and Zones of Regulation to help children learn how to manage emotions and address conflict in constructive ways.  We want our children to be curious about their emotions and accept them as a normal part of life.

DOGS IN THE SCHOOL GROUNDS

Many families like to walk to or from school with their dogs. It is important to note that the school is required to file a dangerous dog report to the Brisbane City Council if anyone is bitten. Please help us keep our children and your dogs safe. The following information is found in the Yeronga State School ‘Dogs in School’ Policy:

Dog owners will

1. Ensure dogs that enter the school grounds are not known to be aggressive or dangerous.
2. Bring only one dog onto the school grounds at a time.
3. Ensure that the dog is on a leash and in the control of an adult (short leash) at all times, students are not to be placed in charge of a dog while on school premise.
4. Not tie dogs to fences or buildings or leave dogs unattended.
5. Dog owners will not take dogs onto school verandas or inside school buildings.
6. Dog owners will clean up and remove any faeces from the school grounds.

Students will

1. Be provided with a dog education program.
2. Will be educated in the appropriate ways to approach dogs. Never approach a dog without the owner’s permission.
   
   

LOOKING AHEAD- P&C AGM

The first Yeronga State School P&C meeting is being held in the Resource Centre at 7pm on Tuesday 18 February. The partnership between the P&C and the school is a vital one to help our school to achieve the 2020 Strategic Plan. The School Leadership team and the P&C Executive form a dynamic team to work closely together to provide purposeful governance of the school community.

If you would like to know more about the P&C, please do not hesitate to contact the current P&C Executive members or take a look at their recently updated website (yerongasspandc.org.au). I am looking forward to working with the 2020 P&C to help our school continue to grow from great to outstanding.

Kate Paynter

Acting Principal