Dear Families,

Semester 2 Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews will be scheduled for Monday 12 August and Thursday 15 August. Please look out for the invitation to make an interview time. This face-to-face time with your child’s teacher is invaluable for sharing the contextual information that provides a richer understanding of the individual student report that is provided to parents.

School Opinion Survey

The suite of School Opinion Surveys is undertaken each year by the Department of Education to obtain opinions about our school from families, school staff and students in target year levels (Year 5 and 6). School Opinion surveys help identify what we are doing well, and understand where we can improve.  Each school family will receive one email invitation from the Department of Education to complete the Parent/Caregiver Survey. Invitations will be sent over a number of days in the week beginning Monday 15 July.  The survey will close on 16 August.   Parents/Caregivers are encouraged to complete this anonymous survey.

Parents/caregivers who experience difficulties accessing the survey can request a new survey from the School Opinion Survey team via email schoolopinionsurvey@qed.qld.gov.au.   Parents are encouraged to check junk email folders and all active family email addresses should they not find the invitation after the week beginning Monday, 15 July. It’s important that as many parents/caregivers as possible complete the survey. Your opinion is hugely important to the school staff at YSS>

Supporting our PandC

Yeronga State School has enjoyed a long history of rich extra-curricular opportunities for our children. Not the least of which are wonderful nature playgrounds, additional music, sport and visual arts, extension programs etc. The funds raised over the years have been raised by our incredibly supportive parents. The PandC is the organisational body for this, and needs your help for YSS to be able to go above and beyond in terms of fantastic opportunities for our children. Please make sure you read the piece in this newsletter from our PandC President Alex White.

Our Recent School Review acknowledged the rich and diverse opportunities our students engage in over their years at YSS ( see the above snippet from the review report).

Have a wonderful week,

Eunice

Eyes Open Social Media – Student and Parent Workshops

Parents and carers are invited to attend a Social Media Safety Workshop run by an external company-Eyes Open Social Media. The content of the workshop is aimed at parents of the senior school, however, all parents are welcome to attend to hear the important messages. 

These workshops will run over 2 separate nights in the Curiosity Centre from 6pm. 

Parent Social Media Safety Information Session (21st August at 6pm in the Curiosity Centre)
This session covers the main risks and dangers on social media and empowers parents to make the best choices to reduce their own risks and the risks for their children. The topics covered are:
•Inappropriate material and the current laws around child exploitation material
•Identity theft; how personal information can be stolen and used against people
•Predators; how they work, what they look for and what makes a user more vulnerable
•Cyber-Bullying and the current laws
•Digital footprints and how they can be used to enhance or detract from future opportunities
•How to manage and report issues
Please note that due to the content and examples provided that this is a PARENT ONLY session

Security and Privacy Setting Workshop – Parents and Students (28th August at 6pm in the Curiosity Centre)
The is a practical hands-on session where parents and students are bring in their personal mobile devices. Participants will be shown how to add privacy and security to their accounts step-by-step for a social media site to reduce the risks and dangers that were covered in the first awareness session.

There is no cost to attend either session. 

To register your attendance, please click the link below:

https://yerongass.schoolzineplus.com/form/993 

Raise your voice – your child’s chance to have their voice heard in parliament

We are excited to announce an opportunity for our students to participate in this year's Youth Voice in Parliament week, an initiative by Raise Our Voice Australia. From October 7-10, students from across the country have the chance to have their 90-second speeches read by a federal politician in parliament in Canberra.

This year's question is:

“What do you want your community to look like in the next 10 years, and what can the next parliament do to achieve it?”

This question encourages students to reflect on their ideas for the future and is an opportunity for them to raise the issues that matter most to them. 

Submissions close on 12 August, so be sure to get writing.

Learn More: Visit the Raise Our Voice Australia website for more information on how your child can participate and to submit your speech: https://raiseourvoiceaustralia.com/youthvoice

Follow the campaign: https://www.facebook.com/raiseourvoiceaustralia 

School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI)

Families with school-aged children who do not have current internet access at home, may be eligible for the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI). To ensure all students have equal opportunity for online learning, the SSBI offers eligible families free nbn broadband access. For more information or to check your eligibility, call the National Referral Centre (Monday to Friday) 1800 954 610 or visit the SSBI website.

On August 12st and 15th, Parent Teacher interviews have been scheduled and will take place in the Curiosity Centre. They are a great opportunity for parents to connect with teachers to summarise learning that has occurred during Term 3. Please use the links below to book in 

Monday 12 August - Parent-Teacher interview Term 3 2024

Thursday 15 August - Parent-Teacher interview Term 3 2024

Hello Everyone! I'm Ananya Maheshwari, Your New Student Wellbeing Officer

I'm thrilled to join your wonderful school community as the new Student Wellbeing Officer. My journey in mental health support has been incredibly fulfilling, shaped by my Master of Counselling from The University of Queensland and a deep-rooted passion for psychology.

My approach to mental health is holistic and personalized, drawing from a blend of therapeutic techniques and creative therapies to ensure every student feels valued and supported. Creating a safe, non-judgmental space is at the heart of what I do, fostering an environment where growth and healing can flourish.

In addition to my professional background, I find joy in cooking and art—activities that not only inspire creativity but also bring people together. I am eager to meet each of you and work alongside your children as they navigate through various aspects of their school life.

Join me for Tea!

I warmly invite you to join me for a casual Cafe Morning Meet Up on Tuesday, July 30th at 8:30 am on the playground outside L Block between the Year 1 and Prep Buildings.

It's a perfect opportunity for us to connect, chat, and discuss how we can best support our students’ wellbeing together.

Premier's Reading Challenge

Premier’s Reading Challenge is on! Please download the reader form and have your completed form  into the library by 23 August. Prep to Year 3 students need to read or have 20 books read to them and Year 5 – 6 only need to read 15 books. All our students can easily make this and earn them selves a certificate.

2024 Instrumental Music Information Evening- Year 2 and Year 3 families

The 2024 Instrumental Music Information Evening for families with students who are interested in joining the school’s Strings or Band program in 2024 will be held on Thursday August 29 at 6:30pm in the school hall. Current Year 2 students are eligible to apply for the 2024 Strings program and current Year 3 students can apply for the Band program. Current Year 3 students who are already participating in the Strings program are not eligible to join the Band program next year. If a student wishes to be considered for selection in the 2024 Instrumental Music program, it is highly recommended that the student and one caregiver attend the information evening. This will ensure all families have a comprehensive understanding of the program and are aware of the commitment and costs involved.

Parents will be able to register their interest in their child participating in the program at the information evening. If you are unable to attend, you will need to email the strings teacher Tamsyn Eastgate at teast42@eq.edu.au or the band teacher Alex Grodecki at agrod3@eq.edu.au prior to the information evening to ensure that we know that your child would like to apply for the program.

Participation in Instrumental Music at Yeronga is in high demand and there are limited places available. The selection process involves aural testing of all year 2 and 3 students, consultations with classroom and specialist teachers, and physical testing on the string or band instruments that allows students the opportunity to try out different instruments and determine their physical capability for an instrument.

Double Bass workshop

The school’s two double bass students, Akira and Edith recently participated in the Brisbane Big Bass Day. About 100 double bass students and professional players across Brisbane gathered together for a full day of thunderous, low-pitched music-making. The instruments take up so much space that at the performance they couldn’t all fit on the stage!

Running Club

Running club will continue until the end of the year unless the weather makes it impossible to run safely. 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 be holding his sessions on Fridays from 7:45 to 8:15. Remember that all of these sessions will occur on the main, or years 3-6. Parents are most welcome to participate.

Qld Cross Country Carnival

Two weeks ago Phoenix L competed at the Qld State Schools Cross Country. Unfortunately injuries prevented Phoenix from doing his best, but knowing Phoenix he would have worked as hard as he could. A big congratulations to Phoenix on all of his efforts. He still has a very exciting trip to Tasmania, for National Club Cross Country Championships, to look forward to.

District Cricket Representatives

Congratulations to Finnley C, Ted H and Lucas M on being selected for the Eastern Taipans District Cricked squad. At this stage Only Ted has gone through to the second day of the trial. Congratulations to all on being selected. It is a big achievement.

SEQ Cup Soccer - Another Big Year of Football at Yeronga SS

At any lunch break, on any field, across all grades at Yeronga State School you can find the students involved in games of football. Over 120 of the Year 5 and 6 students participated in Gala Day Football again this year across a range of divisions.

Just before the holidays both the Junior and Senior Boys A Division boys teams moved onto the SEQ Cup qualifying phase after finishing in the top spot for our Gala Day Sporting Cluster. The Junior Boys lost to a very strong Graceville State School team while the Senior Boys keep their dream alive with a narrow win over Graceville.

This promoted the Seniors Boys to the Met West finals. On Wednesday they played the three other winning District teams from Met West. Super-fast games, high quality play, very passionate players and every game was a nail biter. The Yeronga team finished with 2 draws, 1 loss and 1 win.

A big thank you and congratulations to all the Yeronga players on their development and efforts this year across all teams. Also, to the teachers, coaches and parents that helped our students have these opportunities.

District Athletics

It was certainly a very exciting start to Term 3 with our school athletics team turning on an outstanding performance at QSAC last Monday and Tuesday. The students had excellent results across all events with several records broken and many students finishing with ribbons and selection in the Eastern Taipans District team.

There was a great buzz around the Yeronga camp with a mix of first-time competitors and the ones returning. You could feel the mix of excitement and nerves. The cheering and supporting for each other was awesome. The Yeronga team spirit was very evident. This was also added to by the amazing parent and family support the team had attend the event.

Just competing at this event is a great achievement and a huge experience. Running, jumping or throwing in front of a huge grandstand with a bright blue synthetic track is very different to a school oval and can help inspire dreams. Maybe Brisbane 2032?  We wish all the athletes selected in the Eastern Taipans the best for the regional trials. Finally, a thank you to all the supporters for attending the days and transporting the students.

Record Breakers:

Hyuga B: 10 Years Boys Long Jump (old record 3.71m new record 3.91m)

Phoenix L: 11 Years Boys 1500m and 800m

1500m (old record 5:08.29 new record 5:02.20

800m (old record 2:29.94 new record 2:29.68)

Top 3 results:

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 Terms 3, 2024

27 & 28 August 2024 – Met West 10-12 Years Regional Athletics Trials

A word from the P&C President

Yeronga State School has had an active and dedicated history of parents and carers volunteering their precious time for its P&C Association. This is a volunteer-driven association. It is nothing without people giving up their time to help provide benefits for the students and families of the school, and deliver a strong link between the school and the community in which it sits. The P&C has no personality without volunteers.

Without an active P&C Association, and the regular volunteers who assist, there would be no tuckshop, no Easter raffles or Fathers' Day or Mothers' Day stalls, or snow cones after athletics events, or zooper doopers on the last day of term. There would be no Trivia Night or Under 8's day parents' cafe, or Grade 6 graduation year books, or new soccer goals, or garden beds, and the uniform shop would be vastly reduced. In other words, there would be very little of the community or fun stuff that occurs beyond (and sometimes within) the classroom. The P&C Association has donated significant funds towards the music and art programmes, and donates money each year to a hardship fund to assist the School administration to manage resourcing issues for those in our community who are doing it tougher than everyone else. 

The Yeronga P&C Association, and its many sub-committees, continues to suffer from an absence of volunteers. The P&C Association employs staff now to do what used to be done by volunteers. We are extremely lucky to have dedicated staff who work in our tuckshop and uniform shop and who also volunteer many hours of their time to your school for the benefit of your children. Drop in and say thank you to our staff and volunteers in the Uniform Shop or Tuckshop. 

All parents these days are busier than ever before. This is a trend that has been increasing State-wide, not unique to Yeronga -  many community organisations, sporting clubs, and other associations have vastly reduced pools of volunteers. All of our P&C regulars are juggling kids, weekend sport, music, after school activities, jobs, caring for others, and trying to find time for ourselves and our loved ones. But, without all of this sacrifice, and without fund raising events, the P&C Association would run at a significant loss each year.  We are really only surviving now because of the stellar efforts of previous years of volunteers and P&C members. Without an increase in our current fundraising efforts, we would likely be bankrupt before this year's Grade 1's make it through to Grade 6.  

Every little bit of help that our generous volunteers give does not go unnoticed.  If everyone could do just one thing, we would all benefit.  Please reach out to the P&C Association if you can help with the End of Term event at Moorooka Community Club, or if you want to cook sausages for the Democracy Sausage Sizzle for the Queensland State Election, or you want to help organise the Colour Run or fun run for early in Term 4. You will be making a real difference and be doing some real good for your school community.  Drop me an email at president@yerongasspandc.org.au.

Alex White

President, Yeronga State School P&C Association

New P&C Secretaries

The P&C Executive couldn't be happier to announce the appointment of Ali Martin and Lisa Silvester as the new P&C Secretaries - Yes two secretaries!!  Since February 2024, the P&C Association had been without a dedicated Secretary. A massive thank you to Teresa who has been performing the dual roles of Vice President and honorary Secretary so ably for the past 5 months. Job-sharing is the way forward for our P&C Association. We have to find a way to avoid volunteers burning out, and sharing the load is more than welcome.  So, grab a group of friends, and pick an event you can help out with.  We look forward to helping out the school community with you!

Could you be our next Fete or Fun Fair Convenor?

Yeronga School has held some legendary Fetes - and a fantastic Fun Fair over the last decade and we are looking for a new team of volunteers to keep the tradition alive!  If you have the organizer streak within you, we'd love to chat to you.  There is even a comprehensive handbook to assist with what is one of the P&C's biggest fundraisers.

Please get in contact at vicepresident1@yerongasspandc.org.au to find out more.....

Not currently part of the P&C?  Sign up here  -  P&C Sign UP- to  be the first to learn about what's happening around the school.

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