Dear Families and Carers,

It was a great pleasure to induct our elected Student Leaders and Student Councillors for 2024 at our dedicated Induction Ceremony two weeks ago. I congratulate each one of these exceptional young people and call on all staff and families to encourage and support them in their role. In formal occasions our school captains and vice captains will stand alongside the leadership team when representing the school. I am very much looking forward to working with the 2024 School Captains and Vice Captains throughout this year. Congratulations to Skye Wynne and Owen Taggart (Captains) and Piper Hampsey and Sebastian Bautista (Vice Captains).

Quadrennial School Review

As previously mentioned, this year is our Quadrennial school review year. We have the opportunity every four years to reflect as a whole school community on the past four years through a lens of appreciative inquiry. We ask ourselves; What is great about our school? What will make our school even greater? How will we get there? Schoolwide consultation over the year includes canvassing the opinions and aspirations of community, staff and students and distilling this into a Vision and Strategy for the next four years 2025-2028. As part of the full school review, on the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th of May, external reviewers will visit the school and talk with every staff member, many students and parents, the PandC, local businesses, sitting Members and partners. They will develop lines of inquiry and consider the school’s priority areas for improvement over the next four years. The reviewers develop a report which is informed by the National School Improvement Tool. Again, this review is appreciative in nature and aims to identify the exemplary practices in the school and to identify potential next areas of focus for continued improvement.

Over the 2024 Year our remaining Annual Implementation Plan Priorities;

1. The development of a school vision for the use of digital technology to enhance student learning
2. That all students are able to identify their next steps for learning through self-regulated feedback
3. All staff are united and clear about schoolwide practices for managing and responding to student behaviour

Parents and Citizens Annual General Meeting

It was a great turn out to the first meeting of the year. I wish to thank our outgoing PandC Executive who have led the school through a period of significant change. Particularly the smooth transition of OSHSC, Tuckshop and Uniform Shop services to a new operational model. These vital services in schools have been maintained for families throughout and this is a testament to the support provided by the Executive. Thankyou sincerely, to Chris, Cedryk, Anna, Gil and Gulnara for your dedication and commitment over the past couple of years. We are indebted to you for your service. I welcome very much our newly appointed PandC Executive; Alex White, Kerri Mickan, Teresa Chase and Rachel Gallagher. I look forward to working with you over this very exciting year ahead for the school.

I thank Becky Wallace who has volunteered to be the Parent Rep Coordinator this year, replacing the wonderful Anna Rimpau. Shortly those parents who have put up their hand to be Parent Reps will be hearing from Becky and an information/introductory meeting will be organised for you. I am still seeking a parent representative for the following classes;

P1, P3, P4, 1LS, 1CS, 2P, 2MR, 2B, 3F, 3D, 3J, 4P, 4O, 4M, 5W, 5L, 5K, 5BS, 6D, 6W, and 6M

Please consider putting up you hand for this very important role in our community. A role description is in my last newsletter piece.

Have a wonderful week!

Eunice

Principal

Legacy Committee Workshop

Last week, year 6 students engaged in the Legacy Workshop, where they learnt about the 4 legacy areas, and explored the concepts of team work. Students committed to shared values, actions and outcomes as they embark on leaving their legacy on YSS in their final year of primary school.

Legacy committees will operate in each classroom this year, in the hope that more time can be dedicated to their goals and more actions can be achieved.

6W – Wellbeing

6HN – Curiosity and Creativity

6M – Sustainability

6D – Outdoor Learning and Play

In the coming weeks, committees will narrow down on their sharp focus of improvement for this year. Stay turned to hear about their goals!

Student Council GRIP Leadership conference

The Student Council attended the GRIP conference on Wednesday, where they had the opportunity to collaborate with other Brisbane Primary Schools about student leadership. Student leaders explored the concepts of stepping up and stepping forward to drive school improvement.

We’re excited to build on the learnings from the conference in a goal setting workshop on Monday.

Outdoor Learning and Nature Play

Our students love to play and explore in our expansive school grounds.  We would love to enhance these areas further with mud kitchens.  If you have a mud kitchen at home that you no longer require and are able to deliver it to the school grounds please contact the office. 

Prep and Year 1 Read Write Inc Parent Information Session 

When: Tuesday 23^rd February  9 - 9:30am 

Where:  School Curiosity Centre (T Block) 

Why:  To share information with families around our early years phonics and reading pedagogies as well as how you can help your child at home. 

Playground Behaviour Focus Next Week 

Class teachers will focus on the learning asset of Contribution next week. 

They will explore the following questions to illicit discussion about how we can contribute to safe and happy playtimes. 

• How can I contribute to positive breaktime play? 
• What is my role in conflict resolution? 

Staff Spotlight

Evelyn D in 4H has volunteered to coordinate a staff spotlight in every newsletter.  Evelyn strives to get to know every staff member in our school and will share fun facts with our school community via the newsletter. Fantastic initiative Evelyn, thank you!

Hello Yeronga State School community,

My name is Loretta Anderson and I am the new Guidance Officer here at school for Semester 1. I am here at Yeronga on Tuesdays through to Fridays and my office is located opposite the Inclusion rooms. I have had the wonderful pleasure of meeting many students and families already this term and I look forward to working with you all throughout Semester 1.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can contact me through the school office phone or by email: lande58@eq.edu.au

Kind regards,

Loretta

Yeronga State School Staff and Students

warmly invite you to join us

in celebrating our cultural diversity at

A Taste of Harmony Assembly and Picnic

Date:      Monday 25 March 2024

Time:     9:30 am – 10:45am

Venue:   Yeronga State School Outdoor Amphitheatre.

If it is raining this event will proceed in the Hall and undercover eating areas

Bring:    Food from your culture to share with your class

Wear:    Cultural dress or make your country’s flag and pin it to your uniform

Contact:  Sally Ainsworth EAL/D Teacher sains1@eq.edu.au

Instrumental Music Program

Instrumental Music at Yeronga is in full swing with group lessons and Senior String Orchestra and Senior Concert Band rehearsals commencing a few weeks ago. Beginner students have eagerly started practicing on their new instruments and it’s wonderful to see that many students have a great home practice routine in place. Beginner strings students will join the Junior String Orchestra this Monday the 26^th from 7:45am in the classroom music room and beginner band rehearsals will commence in term 2.

Upcoming performances:

Beginner Strings and Band evening- Tuesday March 26, 5:30pm- all year 3 strings students (Curiosity Center) and all year 4 band students (Music classroom).  

Winter Big Play- Thursday June 6, 6pm YSHS Cultural Center Hall

Big Sing- Thursday June 13, 4:30pm Outdoor Amphitheater

Alumni Profile

It is always very special for teachers to hear from past students and find out the direction their lives have taken. Heather (Huong) Mai, class of 2018, discovered her passion for violin when she joined the school strings program in year 3. She began private violin lessons in year 4 and in years 5 and 6 was the leader of the Yeronga Senior String Orchestra and Chamber Strings. After graduating primary school, she continued to play violin in the Brisbane State High School strings program and completed her AMusA with a distinction in 2022. She has now been appointed to the most prestigious role a musician at the school can have- Concertmaster of the Brisbane State High School Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra for 2024. Heather says she remembers her time learning violin in the Yeronga strings program with Mrs Eastgate very fondly as it first fostered her love for the violin and was where she learnt the fundamentals of music and how to lead an orchestra.

Congratulations Heather, we are so pleased and proud that all your hard work has lead to such success!

Kind regards,

Tamsyn Eastgate (strings) and Alex Grodecki (band)

Bienvenido a todas las familias/Welcome to all families,

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome past and new families to Yeronga State School. 

Me llamo Señora Andrea Bueno I am the Spanish Teacher for Prep to Year 6. This is my seventh year at Yeronga. I look forward in continuing to share our learning in future newsletters throughout the year and watch our students shine and support them in becoming global language learners.

The study of the Spanish language program at YSS provides opportunities for children to become more accepting of diversity, more respectful of others and more aware of their place in our multicultural society.

In correspondence with the Australian Curriculum, the process of teaching and learning Spanish at YSS focuses on ‘learn about’, ‘learn to’ and ‘I can’ statements. For example, through a variety of student-centred activities such as games, rhymes, songs, iPad applications, dialogues and collaborative hands-on projects, children learn numbers to count, tell the time, say their ages, research projects about Spanish speaking countries, etc. We have high expectations for all students.

The aim of the P-6 Spanish Language program at YSS is to equip students with communication skills and transferable language learning strategies they can use during their primary school level and beyond their school journey in learning languages. At the same time, students will gain insights into the relationship between language and culture, leading to lifelong personal, educational and vocational benefits.

Yeronga will continue using the ELLA F-2 program. The ELLA F-2 program will give students a great opportunity to expose them not just in learning a language but also cultural competence.  ELLA is a digital, play-based program that includes a series of interactive applications (apps), aimed at making language learning engaging and interesting for children in early years (P-2) of schooling.

At Yeronga we encourage students to do 5 minutes of Spanish a day. To support your child at home you can encourage them to independently or as a family practice what they are learning by checking in with them. The school has purchased ROCKALINGUA (music based Spanish learning) subscription. Click on the hyperlink to take you to the site and login in as a student. I will email login details to families. Login details have been updated, you will be able to enter the username and password or scan the QR code. All the songs are also available on Spotify.

The websites and apps enlisted are great resources to support your families journey learning Spanish. Click on the links.

Spanish town (level and topic-based website, ideal to revise vocabulary)

Duolingo (In case your children want to advance his/her knowledge at their own pace. You need to create an account)

Duolingo (Google play)

Duolingo (App store)

Duolingo Kids only on the App store for iPhones and iPads FREE app.

Video channels:  Happy Learning Spanish   and   Learning through music with Basho & friends

Prep and new families to year 1 and 2 please see attached information about the ELLA apps. (PDF)

Please do not hesitate to email me ( abuen4@eq.edu.au) if you have any questions regards Spanish.

Muchas gracias, Señora Andrea Bueno

Running Club

Running club will continue until the end of the year unless the weather makes it impossible to run safely or public health restrictions return. Sessions will be held on Mondays, from 3:15 to 3:45 and Wednesdays from 7:45 to 8:15 with Mr Bateman. Mr Sutherland will probably be holding his sessions on Fridays from 7:45 to 8:15. I will wait for him to confirm before I commit him to that time. Remember that all of these sessions will occur on the main, or years 3-6. Parents are most welcome to participate.

Regional Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to our students who competed at the Sleeman Swimming Complex on the 21^st of February to qualify for the Met West Regional Swimming Team. Congratulations to the following students;

Christopher N, Tane D-S, Natalia A, Charlotte R, Mollie W & Skye W.

I had a very limited opportunity to catch up with them, but those who attended swam their best and consequently recorded personal bests. Well Done Again!

Football Goals

Please remember, that although these goals are metal, they are not built to be climbed upon. Please do not climb on them as you will be endangering yourself, damaging the goals and be the unhappy recipient of a white slip.

Yeronga State School (YSS) District Trial Selection (Years 4 to 6)

The representative pathway for school sport is for students aged 10 to 12 years. Yeronga is part of a very strong district which consists of 28 schools (Eastern Taipans District).

In most sports we are encouraged to send only 2 students from the school that demonstrate a very high level of ability. The majority of these teams are under 12 teams. A good guide for this is:

• A representative club player
• A top performer in your sport outside of school
• Playing in higher age groups
• Consistently demonstrating outstanding performances in interschool sport fixtures and training sessions in the highest division.

In order to be considered to attend a District Trial students should make themselves known to either (Mr Bateman or Mr Curness) at least 2 weeks prior to the trials.

Important Sporting Dates Term 1, 2024

 7 February 2024 – Eastern Taipans District Swimming

 19 February 2024 - Eastern Taipans 10 to 12 Yrs District Netball

 20 February 2024 - Eastern Taipans 10 to 12 Yrs Boys & Girls District Basketball

22 February 2024 - Eastern Taipans 10 to 12 Yrs Boys & Girls District Touch

23 February 2024 - Eastern Taipans 10 to 12 Yrs Boys & Girls District Squash (nominations due)

26 February 2024 - Eastern Taipans 10 to 12 Yrs Boys & Girls District AFL

1 March 2024 - Eastern Taipans 10 to 12 Yrs Boys & Girls District Golf (nominations due)

5 March 2024 - Eastern Taipans 10 to 12 Yrs Boys & Girls District Tennis

6 March 2024 - Eastern Taipans 10 to 11 Yrs Boys & Girls District Rugby League

TBC 2024 - Eastern Taipans 11 to 12 Yrs Boys & Girls District Rugby League

8 March 2024 - Eastern Taipans 10 to 11 Yrs Boys & Girls District Hockey (nominations due)

8 March 2024 – Gala Day 1

22 March 2024 – Yeronga State School Senior and Junior School Cross Countries

Yeronga State High School

YTour Parent Information Sessions and Open Day

Join us for an immersive experience at our Y-Tours! We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to welcome you and your family, providing a firsthand look at our exceptional facilities, introducing you to our esteemed leadership team and student leaders, and showcasing the unique Yeronga difference. This event is not just a tour—it's a chance for prospective parents to engage in meaningful discussions about subjects, explore aspects of the school, and gather essential enrolment information.

All families are warmly invited to attend. Y-Tour sessions will be shared on our Facebook page, Instagram page and school website. Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at enrolments@yerongashs.eq.edu.au. Looking forward to sharing the Yeronga experience with you!

Click on the link below to secure a spot if you’d like to attend one of our YTour sessions. Thank you.

https://yerongashs.schoolzineplus.com/form/48

ENROL NOW

Please email our Enrolment Officer at enrolments@yerongashs.eq.edu.au to make an appointment for an enrolment interview session. For enrolment interviews, please bring:

Your child that is being enrolled

Birth certificate/passport/travel documents

Most recent school report card/NAPLAN reports

Enrolment application documents

To watch the Yeronga State High Video, please click the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxI0tsaM6Ss&t=2s

To watch Y Yeronga (Why Yeronga Video) please click on the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYNam89UzIY

Thank you.

YERONGA SHS ACADEMIES

Please click on the link below to find out more about our Academies. Enrol now for 2025!

https://yerongashs.eq.edu.au/curriculum/specialist-programs

Click on the link below to watch a video on our academies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk6R_wfrp5M&t=54s