Dear Parents and Carers

I would like to begin with a big thank you to Chappie Jen and the team from Hope Centre for the amazing job that has been completed on the ‘dots’ and the handball courts. Also, thank you to Sue and her volunteers for the many hours put into finishing the fence people. The school environment is richer for these initiatives.

"Our School, Your Village".

There is wide recognition that schools are an integral part of our communities and that each school reflects the diversity of the community it operates within. In fact in some places the school is the lynch pin of the community. The examples above highlight the connections between school and community.

Year 5 Camp

Last week, the Year 5 cohort, accompanied by their teachers, Miss Brown, Mrs Paynter and myself were on camp. Currumbin Valley camp provide excellent opportunities for student to step out of their comfort zone, try new things and work collaboratively in a team. We were fortunate with the great weather, the pristine surrounding and the professional camp staff. All these factors, enabled the students to enjoy a fabulous experience. It was a pleasure to see groups work together like well-oiled cogs. Ask your children about the analogy to hogs, logs and cogs. Well done Year 5.

Student Leadership 2021

The Year 5 students were given a briefing on the roles and the process. The nominations forms are available and must be back by 29 October. Organisation and punctuality are important attributes for the leadership positions. The information package was emailed to parents this week.

Quadrennial School Review

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the survey and the forums. Here is the feedback from the parent surveys: 

The table below is a draft of the priorities that staff, students and parents put forward at the forums. The bold text were the most requested.

Michelle D’Netto

Term Four is in full swing now, with a strong focus on teaching and learning, as well as our swimming lessons which are up and running. The weather is changing and it is timely to remember to be prepared for the warmer months by ensuring that students always have their school hat and full water bottle every day.

It’s been an eventful fortnight at YSS as our Year Ones and Year Twos enjoyed their excursions to Lone Pine, Year Six explored Toohey Forest and our Year Fives made lifelong memories whilst on camp at Currumbin Valley. A big shout out to the fabulous Year Five students, as well as the staff who gave their time to attend the highly successful Year 5 Camp- Ms Masselos, Mr Curness, Mrs D’Netto, Miss Brown, Mrs Paynter and Mr Hartin. Our students certainly represented all the Learner Assets of Yeronga State School well and we felt so proud of them.

Mrs Clare Triggell has thoroughly enjoyed being in the acting Deputy Principal role across Prep- Year Two during this time. We thank her for her dedication to our student, their families and our staff. Mrs Tracy Freeman is looking forward to returning to school following some well-earned Long Service Leave.

HELP YOUR CHILD HANDLE UPS AND DOWNS, INCLUDING ONLINE- TRIPLE P PROGRAM

Don’t forget to register for this online seminar which has been planned for our YSS parents and is provided by the Triple P Program. We all do our best to supervise our children’s online activities, but this Triple P – Positive Parenting Program seminar offers tips on how to develop your child’s ability to cope with problems, now and in the future, in real-life and online. The seminar is fun and friendly and only 60 minutes long, it’s FREE, and it’ll help kids AND parents take the drama out of family life (including screen time), and deal with issues calmly and more confidently. Be a part of a free online program called "Raising Resilient Children" (Focus on Cyberbullying) which is being run by Triple P on Tuesday 27th October 2020, from 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Don’t miss out - book in now at:   https://www.triplep-parenting.net.au/qld-uken/cyberbullying/

ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL DAY

Just a reminder that every Wednesday is Active School Travel Day.  Many of our students have been ‘out and about’ travelling actively to school, particularly on a Wednesday.  Winners of the interschool weekly competition get to hold the coveted gold start trophy for two weeks.  Let us see who will be next gold star travelling class!

Student Teachers at Yeronga

Play Pod

Last Wednesday teachers were engaged in professional development around our new Year 2/3 Loose Parts Play Pod.  Some classes have already been testing out its contents and we look forward to opening the Pod up at lunchtimes this week.

Year 1 and Year 2 Excursions

The Year 1 students thoroughly enjoyed their excursion to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.  They were able to explore the habitats created for the Australian native animals and now look forward to carrying out further research around an animal of their choice, through inquiry learning.

The Year 2 students loved learning through observation, exploration and experimentation at their GO With the Flow excursion in Wynnum last week.  Students explored water quality, water pollution and how to care for our water ways.

We wish you and your child/ren all the best for the next two weeks. There is certainly a lot to look forward to with Gala Days, Prep Orientation Day, Year 5 and 6 Life Education and the Senior Leader Selection process for 2021 all ahead of us!

Kate Paynter and Clare Triggell

STAFF PARKING

This is a friendly reminder to all families that the staff parking area near A Block is for staff only and for parents who have a parking permitt to use the disabled parking spot to drop their students to school. 

Please do not park or stand temporarily in the staff parking area to collect or drop off students from sick bay or to leave or arrive early. Parents must use the Stop Drop and Go Zone or side streets to leave their vehicle. 

We appreciate your cooperation and being respectful of the school requirements in this regard. The safety of our students is our top priority as it is yours. 

ROAD SAFETY REMINDERS

We are only at our 3rd week back from holiday and understand it’s been a rough and long year, but safety must come first.

As always at this time of the year, everyone is tired and looking forward to the December and January holidays. Unfortunately for this reason we have received a number of concern from our School Crossing Supervisor (SCS) that children and parents are not obeying the direction of SCS. We have number of reports of children just running across the road without waiting for our SCS direction and therefore placed at risk. Also we have received  a number of near misses/drive through  where motorist are distracted & illegally stopping in the “No Stopping” area.

We feel it would be timely to remind all parents and students to follow the direction of the School crossing supervisor (SCS)  and walk across the crossing in between the 2 barber poles for everyone’s safety.  

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

PERMISSIONS & PAYMENTS

Year 4 - Camp Permission - PGL Kindilan

A Year 4 Camp Update email was sent out on Tuesday 20 October to all Year 4 parents and carers. 

The email requested families to provide camp permission for their Student by today. If you have not yet done this please do so via the links below. 

It is essential as we are required to put final numbers into the Camp by tomorrow.

Permission Links:

Invoices will be send out tomorrow Friday 23 October. Payment of invoice must be finalised by the 13 November 2020. 

We understand that due to COVID-19 families may be experiencing financial hardship. In response to the current circumstances, the school can offer financial assistance to families that may be having difficulties paying invoices.  Please contact the Business Manager, Ruth Bennett, 3426 0333 or rbenn127@eq.edu.au if you would like some help.  Any assistance will be kept strictly confidential.

SWIMMING PERMISSION 

The first week of swimming has nearly come to an end.

Invoices will be followed up next week. We encourage all families to finalise their swimming invoices by next week.

Without payment and permission students will not be able to attend swimming lessons next week. 

The swimming note and permission links were emailed home on the 13 October. The links are also located in the SZapp under 'Forms and Documents'. 

When providing online permission please check the class links carefully to ensure the permission gets sent to the correct class. 

Year 5 & 6 - 'Talk About It' - Senior Program

Next week Year 5 & 6 students will be participating in the Talk About It session. These sessions are designed to prepare young people for the changes and possible challenges they will experience during adolescence. It provides the students with information on how to look after themselves and each other during this important stage of their development.

Payment and Permission are due tomorrow 23 October 2020.

Permission Link:

If you have not yet given permission for your student to attend please do so tonight. 

Yeronga SS

'Gingerbread fence people': Can you help this Saturday, 24 October?

Thank you to the wonderful parent volunteers who helped at the 'fence people touch ups and outlines' working bee last Saturday. The second working bee will be held at Sue and Jeremy Tape's home this Saturday, 24 October.

Saturday, 24 October: The next stage is 'touch ups and outlines' for the designs painted by YSS children in term 3. Enjoy an afternoon of light painting and chat with fellow YSS family members while adding minor enhancements (outlines) to the designs of the students (no changes will be made to students' designs). No expertise is required, just a steady hand. Please wear clothes for painting and sign up for your preferred time here: www.signup.com/go/mnpBbsF. The 'final touches' working bee will be held at the home of YSS family, Sue and Jeremy Tape, and the address will be emailed to everyone who signs up to help.

14 & 21 November: The final 'fence people' volunteering opportunity will be to add the 'fence people' to the fence! This working bee will be held at school over two Saturdays and volunteers can sign up here: www.signup.com/go/SnAFdhw.

Pictures: 'Zhooshed' fence people after the 17 October working bee

World Teachers’ Day at YSS - Wednesday, 28 October

Thank you to those who have signed up to bring a dish to help our teachers celebrate World Teachers' Day on Wednesday, 28 October. This is a great opportunity for us to show our appreciation for our teachers by providing a morning tea for them on this day.

The P&C invites you to contribute to the morning tea by donating a plate of sweet or savoury food on the day - donations can be dropped at the Senior School Staff Room between 8am & 9am on 28 October. Please click on our World Teachers' Day online signup page to let us know what you would like to bring. Thank you in advance for celebrating the amazing job our teachers do helping our children to do their best at Yeronga State School.

Boarding house update: Online form to report incidents of antisocial behaviour

In an effort to address our community's ongoing concerns regarding the behaviour of residents of the boarding house across the road from our school (117 Park Road), our Principal, Michelle D'Netto, and P&C Presidents, Kym Mansfield and Hamish Townsend, met with representatives of the Regulatory Services team within the Department of Housing and Public Works on 23 September. This is the Department responsible for licensing boarding houses in Queensland, and our meeting followed a briefing by the Department with Hon Mark Bailey.

During our meeting the Department representatives said that they have the ability to impose conditions on the operation of the boarding house if enough incidents of concern are reported to them to demonstrate that there is a risk to the community.

To facilitate the reporting of incidents to the Department, the P&C has created a simple online form (www.surveymonkey.com/r/boardinghouseincidents). We encourage all members of our school community who witness concerning, threatening or antisocial behaviour at or near this boarding house to report these to Police Link on 131 444 in the first instance. Please then record the details - including the Police Incident Report Number - in the online form. A report of all incidents will be submitted on a fortnightly basis to the Department. Working together in this way is the best chance we have to advocate for the change we are all seeking to protect our children.

Keep updated with YSS P&C Facebook and website

To keep up-to-date with the latest YSS P&C news, updates and activities, please 'like' and 'follow' the P&C Facebook page: www.facebook.com/YerongaSSPandC. It's a great source of information for our school community, and is regularly updated by the P&C team. The P&C website also hosts handy information for 'all things YSS P&C', including extracurricular activities, Tuckshop, Uniform Shop, YOSHC and more: www.yerongasspandc.org.au.

Thank you Chappy Jenny and Hope Centre for bringing colour to school grounds

If you've noticed the extra vibrancy of the 'dots' and handball courts painted on the school grounds, this is all thanks to YSS' very own Chappy Jenny for arranging volunteers from Hope Centre to freshen up the school grounds ready for next year’s 150th anniversary celebrations. 

A big THANK YOU to the Hope Centre volunteer team for working hard on a hot day to zhoosh up the grounds for our kids and school. And thank you to Bunnings Rocklea for donating the paint. It makes such a difference!

Seeking handy people to help fix vandalised YOSHC timber battens 

A few weeks ago several timber battens under the YOSHC deck were vandalised. The P&C and YOSHC team will very much appreciate help from handy members of our school community to fix the damage. The timing of this work can be flexible to fit in with the availability of anyone who would like to help. The job involves nailing and screwing timber battens, so it will be ideal if you are able to bring along a hammer, cordless drill with phillips head attachment, and galvanised nails to assist with the job. A few slats also need some paint which can be supplied by the YOSHC team. If you are willing and able to help, or have some questions about the job, please contact Alec at YOSHC on 3426 0361 or email alec@yoshc.com.

School Banking: Re-starting week 4

The P&C has been given the green light to restart school banking in week 4 of term 4. From next Thursday, 29 October, students will be able to bring in their Dollarmites banking for collection in their classrooms. Banking bags from classrooms are to be delivered to the YOSHC office for counting and banking into the children's accounts. Many thanks to parent volunteer, Allyssa Elliott, for coordinating school banking for our children.

Hamish Townsend and Kym Mansfield
Yeronga State School P&C Co-Presidents
ysspandcpresident@gmail.com 

Why Nude Food Day?

Nude Food Day is a worldwide initiative developed to encourage kids and parents to eat well and live well, and help eliminate unnecessary packaging and wrapping that goes into schools.

Nude Food is simply food that is not wrapped in foil, plastic or commercial packaging.

The best type of nude food consists mainly of fresh food, so that it is healthy and nutritious PLUS environmentally friendly.

Nude Food:

• Is quite often healthier, since packaged foods can be more heavily processed and often include unhealthy levels of added sugar, sodium and fat.
• Is better for our planet, since there’s less rubbish to go into landfill or get blown around our school grounds.
• Encourages students to think about their impact on the environment (and their health).
• Empowers students to make conscious choices about what they eat and develops good habits that are healthy for their body and the planet.

To pack a Nude Food Lunch or Snack, you will need:

• Cutlery from home is better than throwaway plastic ones
• Plastic or metal drink bottles are recommended for refilling with water
• Reusable containers for putting all of your food, snacks and drinks into
• Lunch boxes that have lots of separate sections can be useful to avoid lost lids or containers

Try to avoid:

• Zip lock or plastic bags, plastic wrap or aluminium foil
• Tetra packed drinks, single serve yoghurts and cheese
• Single use plastic forks and spoons
• Pre-packaged food, i.e. biscuits, snack bars and chips

Tips for Packing Nude Food Lunches:

• Try to involve the kids in helping decide what to take. This will help to avoid uneaten foods being thrown out, plus will save your family money as well. Also, remember to praise your child if they do eat something healthy which is new for them.
• Try to pack the lunches the night before and store in the fridge overnight to avoid the mad rush in the morning.
• If your child normally enjoys chips, yoghurt or other pre-packaged snacks, buy these in a larger format and you can decant these into smaller reusable containers or lunchbox.
• If your child does enjoy chips, why not try making your own veggie versions using sliced beetroot, parsnip or sweet potato and baking in the oven?
• Try to use fruit and vegetables that are in season. Seasonal produce is friendly to the environment as well as to your budget, as less fuels are used to transport it into your supermarket.

You might be amazed with how enthused your child can become about this...

Thank you for voting for us!

The Green Team would like to thank everyone who voted and shared the link to the Brisbane City Council WasteSMART awards.  The voting has now closed, so we just have to keep our fingers crossed and wait for the ceremony on Wednesday 25^th November to find out the winners!

Containers 4 Change

Thank you to those families who have been bringing in containers from home to contribute to our fundraising.  Since the beginning of term 3, we have already raised $390.  To make it easier for you to bring the containers in, Containers 4 Change have provided us with 50 bags for families to collect them at home.  They are located downstairs in the school office.  Half of them have already been taken, so if you’d like one you’ll have to be quick! 

If you’d prefer to take them to the collection point yourself, you can still donate the money to our school by quoting our registration number C10004300.  You can download the attached picture to your phone to have it handy!

Welcome to Term 4 of Music at Yeronga! See below for key dates and information

2021 INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC RECRUITMENT

Last week, the Year 2 and 3 children watched a demonstration of the instruments available for tuition next year. Many thanks to all present instrumental music students who were involved in these demonstrations. After this, some students received a ‘letter of notification’ to take home. It is important to know that as per the letter, if your child did receive one of these notes, they are not automatically in next year’s program. Likewise, if your child did not receive a note, they are not automatically excluded from consideration for next year’s program. These letters are just notes to let parents/guardians know that their children have demonstrated the aptitude, behaviour and responsibility required to learn and instrument and so, they should consider moving forward with the recruitment process.

Whether or not your child received a ‘letter of notification’, if you wanted your child to move forward with the recruitment process and therefore, be physically tested on an instrument, you needed to read though the information emailed to you last week and complete the SchoolZine form linked to this email. You then needed to complete and return the ‘Consent to Physical Testing’ form attached to this email. The deadline to return these was yesterday (October 21).

The Instrumental Music teachers have been forwarded these consent forms and they will soon organise a time/day to complete physical testing with classroom teachers. Final selections will be made after physical testing is complete and your child will be notified about the final result towards the end of Term 4.

BIG PLAY AND BIG SING

Finally! In what has seemed like a relatively eventless year for our ensembles, I can confirm that the Big Play and Big Sing will be held this year (in a COVID safe fashion). In order to accommodate for social distancing with our audience numbers, we have had to split the Big Play into two concerts – Strings Big Play and Band Big Play. Please take note of the following dates, venues and times. More information will be sent to you about these concerts soon.

• Wednesday, November 18 – Strings Big Play (Stradivari Strings, Brandenburg Strings, Chamber Strings) @ Yeronga State School Hall (note that the Strings concert is NOT at the High School):
• Junior Strings – arrive 5:30 for a 6:00pm start
• Senior Strings – arrive 6:30 for a 7:00pm start
• Friday, November 20 – Band Big Play (Senior Band, Junior Band) @Yeronga State High School Auditorium
• Friday, November 27 – Big Sing (Senior Choir, Junior Choir) @ Yeronga State High School Auditorium

All current members of each ensemble are expected to attend their concert in full dress uniform and each performer is permitted to bring a maximum of 2 audience members.

CHOIR REHEARSALS

With the weather warming up and a concert looming, the decision has been made to move choir rehearsals back to before school under the shade of the pergola next to the Senior Oval. Current members of Stella Voce (Senior Choir) and the Cosmio Singers (Junior Choir) have been sent an email about these changes and these students are required to attend these rehearsals each week to be performance ready. It is requested that only current members of choir attend these rehearsals due to the lack of time for new members to prepare for the upcoming Big Sing. New members are most welcome to join/re-join next year. Students will be provided with chairs to sit on for each rehearsal. The following times and days will be effective as of next week (the first rehearsal outside starting October 27):

• Tuesday 7:45 – 8:30am – Senior Choir (Stella Voce)
• Friday 7:45 – 8:30am – Junior Choir (Cosmio Singers)
  
  

Tamsyn Eastgate

(Strings Teacher)

Kalari supports the Uluru Statement From the Heart

The Uluru Statement is one of the most important documents produced in Australia. It was issued directly to the Australian people, to all of us, in May 2017, not just to politicians. The Uluru Statement, which was distilled from the First Nations National Constitutional Convention in 2017, came about as the result of over two years of dialogues with 12 regional councils and over 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants in its creation. This Statement invited all Australians to “walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.” The Statement comprises three steps towards that better future – Voice, Treaty and Truth and in future newsletters Kalari will talk about what each of these means. The Statement is quite short and readable. Check it out: https://fromtheheart.com.au/uluru-statement/the-statement.

Yuggera word of the week:

If you were outside of Brisbane over the recent school holidays you will have seen how dry the country is around south east Queensland. Our Yuggera word of the week is gadam – pronounced gud-um – the Yuggera word for ‘rain’. 

What is Kalari?

Kalari means ‘message stick’ in Yuggera language and is name of the YSS Indigenous Working Group.

Kalari aims to increase the acknowledgement and celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history at YSS, through an inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and in line with the YSS school values.

Kalari is made up of Indigenous and non-Indigenous volunteer parents and anyone can join! For more information or to get involved about contact Aren Healy at mamaaren101@gmail.com.

Athletics Trial Information

Running Club

Running club has re-commence this term, Mondays and Tuesdays 3:15 – 3:45,  but only students whose parents can collect or deliver them, in person or through YOSHC, should attend. This condition is necessary to ensure the safety of the children. Mr Sutherland has also re-commence his sessions. They are held on Friday mornings from 7:45 to 8:15. Don’t forget that the afternoon sessions, in particular, are subject to temperature maximums. High and uncomfortable temperatures and humidity will result in cancellation.

School Swimming

School swimming lessons have commenced, for Prep to Year 6,  at Yeronga Park Pool. Lessons will continue until the end of week 7 ( week ending 20 November). Please note that there will only be four weeks as lessons are unable to be held in week 5 ( from 2 to 6 November). A big thank you to Yeronga Park Pool for their cooperation in organising and teaching lessons to our Prep to Four students and for the use of the complex for our carnivals, free of charge, and our behaviour celebrations at a very friendly price.

Please send your child with all of the appropriate equipment. These items are noted on the swimming information which will be released this week.

Swimming Carnivals

I’m sure most know that the most pervasive factor in organising any event this year and into the foreseeable future is signified by the five letters COVID. Once again, as a measure to ensure continuing public health, we have to alter our usual practices. Unfortunately neither the school nor the Yeronga Park Pool complex can allow parental spectators to attend these events. However I will again need parents to help out in timing at the senior (years 3 to 6) carnival and to help marshall and start races in the junior carnivals for years 1 and 2. There will be special operating procedures for these people inside the complex which I will pass onto them before the event. If you wish to help at these events please email me cbate12@eq.edu.au . Remember that places will be limited.

Representative Sport Dates Release (Important)

As part of the “road map” out of COVID representative sport dates have now been released. Please do look below if your child is interested in any of the sports listed.

Yeronga State School (YSS) District Trial Selection Policy Special Consideration (Years 3 to 6)

The representative pathway for school sport is for children from 10 to 12 years of age. Yeronga is part of a very strong district which consists of 28 schools from Yeronga State School to the Calamvale area. In contact and skill team sports those aged 11 and 12 need to possess the advantages of size and speed, as well as skill on most occasions.  Selectors  will choose those with the skill and the resilience to compete at a higher level. Remember that selectors give up their time for these trials meaning that it is important for us to send only those ready to compete at a higher level. Very seldom is it appropriate to send students for experience. An indicator of readiness for participation at a higher level would be being among the best 3 or 4 players in most games for your club under 12 teams.

In order to be selected to attend a District Trial children should make themselves known to me (Mr Bateman) for either a selection trial with the appropriate teacher or so that they may be given the appropriate forms. Remember that children must give at least two weeks notice that they wish to attend a district trial to allow for a school selection trial to be held in the event of a great deal of interest being shown in a particular sport.

Rebel Sport Community Givebacks

Just a quick note to publicise our involvement with this scheme and how it works. For some time now Yeronga State School has been part of the above mentioned scheme. The scheme gives the school credit for purchases of equipment at Rebel as anyone who purchases equipment nominates Yeronga State School as the recipient of Community Kickbacks. I have purchased cricket equipment, Footballs and Netballs with this credit. It is an easy way to contribute resources to our school especially if you enjoy spending time and money in sports stores like myself.

Important Sporting Dates 2020

- YSS Senior Swimming Carnival 1 December

- YSS Junior Swimming Carnival 3 December

- Prep Behaviour Celebration 8 December

- Year One Behaviour Celebration 7 December

- Year Two Behaviour Celebration 7 December

- Year Three to Six Behaviour Celebration – 9 December

Cameron Bateman

Sports Teacher