Father's Day stall: Seeking gift donations by this Friday, 28 August

With less than 2 weeks until the much anticipated P&C Father's Day stall we are now urgently seeking donated gifts - approximately $5 value - for the stall please. Gifts can be given to classroom teachers THIS week, ideally by Friday, 28 August.

It is the wide variety of donated gifts that makes the YSS Father's Day stall such a special and unique activity. On Thursday, 3 September, the stall will be like a big 'lucky dip' that brings joy to children and adults alike when our children choose a gift from the stall for their Dad or significant adult. Every child will be able to choose a gift from the stall, and each is asked to please bring $3 for the stall if they can.

Thank you to everyone who has already donated gifts - your support is appreciated. If you have the capacity to do so and would like to support others in our community, you are more than welcome to donate more than one gift for each of your YSS children to help ensure there are enough for every child.

To donate $5 in lieu of a gift, please pop this in an envelope with your child's name and class into a P&C payment box (Grade 1 building or Admin building) or to a YOSHC Coordinator (a P&C volunteer will go shopping on your behalf). Should you prefer to do so, you are also welcome to make an online donation at www.bit.ly/yssdonations.

Please contact stall coordinator, Kristen, at kristenmjennings@gmail.com with any questions.

'Gingerbread fence people' painting - seeking helpers for Preps, Grade 1's and Senior Leaders

With the first two days of 'gingerbread fence people' painting complete, our grade 3 and 4 students have done themselves proud with their creative and colourful contributions.

Parents and carers are invited to be part of the fun by helping to supervise the children as they paint their 'fence people'. There are still three days of painting scheduled and extra helpers are especially needed for the Prep and Year 1 painting sessions:

• Week 8 - Monday 31 August - Year 1
• Week 9 - Tuesday 8 September - Prep (see the schedule for individual class painting times)
• Week 10 - Thursday 17 September - Year 6 Leaders.

Please signup here: www.signup.com/go/bubxRfV, and head to the P&C Facebook page for a sneak peek at some of the new 'fence people' soon to adorn our school: www.facebook.com/YerongaSSPandC.

P&C excited by Queensland Government dental building funding announcement

At the P&C meeting on 18 August, P&C members were delighted to learn that the Queensland Government has allocated funding to renovate the old dental building on YSS grounds during 2021 to meet the growing needs of our school.

Hon Mark Bailey confirmed the announcement of $8.7 million in his presentation to members and followed up by posting a video to Facebook with P&C Vice-President, Darren Cosgrove, and Treasurer, Amy Smith - view the announcement here: (www.facebook.com/1408935539376139/posts/2683538025249211/).

Thank you to the school leadership and all the P&C members who helped to advocate for this on our school's behalf through drafting emails to Minister Bailey and Education Minister, Hon Grace Grace - and joining meetings with the Ministers - and to everyone who questioned and discussed the dental building with Minister Bailey at P&C meetings to demonstrate the importance of this for our school.

'Imaginasium' nature play / loose parts play resources coming to YSS

The P&C is proud to fund the 'Imaginasium' loose parts play pod for Yeronga State School and our children.

Recently the Imaginasium supplier, Wearthy, posted a Facebook video showing the resources that will soon be on the way to YSS (www.facebook.com/1697625717152828/posts/2668681810047209/).

Thank you Immediate Past President, Jo Thomson, for sourcing the Imaginasium for our school and children. We look forward to sharing the news of its arrival! 

How the P&C supports Yeronga State School

We are often asked how P&C funds are used to support our school, which is a question we are pleased to answer.

After undertaking an extensive program of planning, fundraising and installing air conditioning in every YSS classroom from 2015 to 2019 (through fundraising, grants and profit from the P&C's businesses - Tuckshop, Uniform Shop and YOSHC), this year the P&C has provided $10,000 to the instrumental music program, and a further $10,000 for sporting equipment for the school - this is in addition to our commitment to funding the Imaginasium loose parts play container (approximately $12,000).

Soon the P&C will engage a Landscape Architect to design the 'Old Netball Courts' oval refurbishment (behind the library and hall). This project will also incorporate new P&C-funded Nature Play areas to restore the highly eroded banks surrounding the oval. We are keen to bring this project to fruition as it will benefit and provide a much needed oval upgrade and fun play spaces for all YSS children.

In conjunction with QCAN - the peak body for Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) programs in Queensland - we are also investigating how we can renovate spaces for the benefit of the school and YOSHC to ensure we can meet the growing needs of our community. It is anticipated the P&C will invest significant funds into renovating a large space so it will be more functional for both the school and YOSHC - the current front runner under consideration is the ground floor of L block (the large brick grade 1 building and the most iconic building on the school grounds). This space was the original home of YOSHC! P&C members and our school community will be consulted as plans progress.

The P&C has recently undertaken a strategic planning process and we look forward to sharing the new plan with our community. Development of Nature Play spaces and 'future proofing' YOSHC have been identified as key priorities that are important to our members and the broader school community. These will be exciting initiatives for us to progress.