Dear Friends,

Yeronga State School has been on an improvement journey as we work towards school vision through a conceptual curriculum. Our school vison ‘we are connected, curious and community minded learners and citizens who make a positive difference to our world’ has inspired our work evolving in partnership with the Curiosity and Powerful Learning Network schools. Today we hosted teachers and school leaders from across the metropolitan region. The purpose of the morning was to share our progress towards developing agentic learners who take meaningful action whilst growing their global competencies. Visitors saw planning processes, real world contexts and student agency within an inquiry learning framework. I was incredibly proud of our staff and students who shared the work.

Whole School Response to Support Positive Behaviours at Yeronga State School

School staff have noticed a decline in respectful student behaviour this term. It is difficult to determine a root cause for this, as by far the majority of our students have beautiful manners and excellent self-regulation. School staff and the leadership team have reviewed our whole of school behaviour expectations and have agreed a school wide refocus on routines is required in order to finish the year strong and proud. We will be doing this by;

• Reinforcing our universal standards and expectations for behaviours
• Communication to students, staff and parents regarding our process for responding to minor and major problem behaviours
• Direct teaching of respectful behaviour utilising the Department of Education Respectful Relationships Education resource

The Respectful Relationships Education Program comprises five hours of instruction developed for each year level. Specialised resources for schools and teachers include program guidelines, teaching overviews and resources for each year level. All resources encourage the use of social and emotional learning pedagogy including group work, discussion, role plays, scenario work and empathy-based inquiry. They provide opportunities for teachers to guide discussions, address concerns, and help students work through sensitive and complex issues.

By implementing the RREP, schools will give students opportunities for social and emotional learning in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, ethics, values, social norms, stereotypes, human rights, risk and responsible decision-making. A growing body of evidence shows that social and emotional learning of this nature leads to:

• improved social and emotional skills, self-concept, bonding to school and classroom behaviour
• less disruptive classroom behaviour, aggression, bullying and delinquent acts
• reduced emotional distress such as depression, stress or social withdrawal

Your support to successfully implement this important educational program at Yeronga is requested. Each newsletter will provide a snapshot of what is to be covered in the upcoming instructional program, and hopefully will provide an opportunity for your focussed discussion at home to reinforce key concepts and ideas.

It is important that as a community of adults who care deeply for the progress of our children we are clear about what the school responses are when children do act out in problematic ways. It is also important that we are clear that for some children the ability to self-manage and self-regulate emotion and behaviour is difficult and requires a variety of adult supports and adjustments. For these students, an individual behaviour or risk management plan is put in place in collaboration with parents and school and regional support staff.

Please find below examples of minor behaviours, problem behaviours and major problem behaviours and how these are expected to be managed by the Yeronga State School Staff.

Before school is particularly problematic when students arrive to school early. There is no staff member on duty prior to 8.30am and many students are sitting for long periods of time. If your child is arriving before 8.15am it is requested they be enrolled at YOSHC. Some students are arriving at school before 8.00am and sitting for 30 minutes by which time, low level but problematic behaviours are occurring. Parental assistance is expected in helping our students by following the before school expectations. These core messages will be reinforced on assemblies and in the newsletter. Your cooperation is appreciated.

National Chaplaincy Program Review

For many years Yeronga State School has received funding to support a school chaplain at the school. Yeronga State School PandC supported the role of a school chaplain and I am sure you will all agree, Jennifer’s role in our community has been invaluable especially during times of community and family distress.

At present all school communities are invited to participate in an evaluation of the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP).

The Australian Government is seeking responses to a public discussion paper, providing stakeholders with the opportunity to share their perspectives on the effectiveness of the program.

The evaluation will explore how the program is currently operating, what is working well and the place of the program alongside other investments in student and community wellbeing.

In the week commencing 29 August 2022, an online platform available on the Australian Government Department of Education website  will open for public submissions for approximately 2 weeks. All stakeholders are encouraged to respond including students, parents and guardians, school staff, chaplains, chaplain providers, school sector organisations, government officials and other people involved in the education or mental health and wellbeing sectors. Please go to the following link to participate in the survey https://dandolopartners.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5pyqFknmzew89tY

I look forward to seeing many of you at our community open day on Sunday. I can’t wait to see the family cubby constructions!

Have a wonderful spring break when it comes around at the end of next week.

Eunice Webb

Principal