Dear Families,

Welcome back to Semester 2. It is lovely to see the children and staff again. We certainly become a family of sorts and in a community like ours, that doesn’t take long. I trust you enjoyed the slower pace with your children over the break.

People comment to me all the time about the great reputation of Yeronga State School in the community. The commitment of the students to learning and the inclusive culture that has been established over time is a testament to the staff who work hard at explicitly teaching the ‘Learner Assets’ of collaborator, communicator, thinker, researcher and self-manager. Yeronga State School like all schools is diverse in the families and children it serves. This diversity is a strength and provides us all with opportunities to celebrate difference whilst learning to work, live and play together for a better world. Learning, caring, growing and achieving together!

This week we celebrated National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Celebration. NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Did you know Kalari is group of Yeronga State School first nations families and staff who meet regularly to share talents, ideas and develop strategies for strengthening and celebrating culture in our school? Another example of a great community celebrating and building on its strengths. I look forward to seeing the images captured from our special day of celebrations.

This week you will have received a link via email inviting you to complete the 2021 School Opinion Survey. Parents, students in Year 5 and 6 and all staff are invited to complete the survey online between Thursday 15 July and Friday 30 July. If you do not find your email over the next couple of days, please check your Junk folder. The SOS results data is valued information for school improvement planning. Some items are historical and provide a trajectory of school improvement over time. Other items are new and capture school community opinion relating to emerging priorities. Thank you for your participation and support.

You will notice the demolition of the internal structure of the Queensland Health Building in readiness for its refurbishment starting to make itself quite known at present. There are times when the works impact on the daily operations from the school. From time to time you will receive a message advising you of any works that may impact on your movement to, from and about the school. It is anticipated ground level works (school administration, staffroom and 3 classrooms) will be completed at the end of this year and level 1 (Curiosity Centre and 6 classrooms) completed ready for Term 2 2022.

Please look out for your invitation to book in a time to meet with your child’s classroom teacher this term to discuss their Semester 1 academic progress. These meetings are important touchpoints to ensure you as a parent have a clear understanding of how your child is progressing against the year levels standards and what areas they need to focus on in order to improve.

Have a great week,

Eunice Webb

Principal