ECDP funding extended beyond 2020

Last week we received exciting news in regards to the future of the Yerongpilly Early Childhood Developmental Program (ECDP), which is a part of our school. It has been announced that funding for ECDPs will continue beyond 2020. The Queensland Government announced the continued funding in the State Budget on 11 June 2019. Our school has also received an ECDP Great Start Grant. The grant provides an opportunity for us to work collaboratively with our parents, National Disability Insurance Scheme Early Childhood Early Intervention (NDIS ECEI) providers, kindy services and local schools to build on good practice so that children attending our ECDP are able to make the best possible transition to school.

 

Preservation of our New Nature’s Play Area

We need your help!

Thank you to the P&C group for the open and constructive discussion that was held at our meeting last Tuesday, regarding the situation we currently face with the opening up of the new Prep and Year One Nature's Play/ Outdoor Learning area. It was beneficial to discuss and come up with a shared and agreed vision on where to from here.

Our new Prep and Year One Nature’s Play area is proving to be very popular with the children. The Prep and Year One students have enjoyed the last month being given time to explore, work together and create within this amazing new space. Unfortunately, over the last week we have had concerning reports of children playing unsupervised in this area and also some of the new plants have been pulled out. Our Prep and Year One students voiced concern that their new area was not being respected, in the way that they had envisioned.

Therefore it is timely for us to share with the school community our expectations around before and after school play. As a whole we are focussed on how we can maintain and preserve this new area in the long term, as well as keep our children safe. We ask our school community to assist us in preserving this precious area by adhering to the following guidelines:

 

• The Prep and Year 1 Nature’s Play area is out of bounds for all children before and after school (this aligns with our procedures for the Senior Natures Play area)
• No student should be in the school grounds before 8:15am unless attending YOSHC
• All students who are not attending YOSHC should aim to arrive after 8:30am
• Children are not allowed to be playing on any playgrounds, both senior or junior prior to 8:30am (if any children in Yr 1 – Yr 6 arrive between 8:15am -  8:30am they should be seated under C Block)
• Children in Prep and Year 1 only are allowed to be on the Prep and Year 1 play equipment between 8:30am – 8:45am (this does not apply to Nature’s Play – this is out of bounds)
• Prep children should be signed in at the classroom by a parent at 8:45am.

Thank you in anticipation for your support.

Year Six Camp

Our Year Six students returned from their camp experience last week tired, but full of stories about the challenges they faced and the great spirit in which they participated in all of the challenges. We are extremely proud of these students for the fortitude they displayed and for representing Yeronga State School and their families so admirably. Thank you to the enthusiastic and energetic group of staff who accompanied the students to the Tallebudgera Beach Camp. I certainly enjoyed joining this group for two nights on camp. The ‘stand out’ memory for me is the overwhelming level of care the Yeronga State School students displayed towards each other. It was very impressive to witness our students communicating and connecting in ways that demonstrated such genuine kindness and thoughtfulness.

 

NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC week is fast approaching. It is the most significant week of the year to celebrate Indigenous history, culture and achievements. NAIDOC Week is actually held during the school holidays, however we will acknowledge it in the final week of this term and the first few week back at school next term. At YSS we will prepare for and celebrate for NAIDOC Week in the following ways:

• Free Drees Day (through the colours of the Indigenous Flag) on Friday 28 June. Gold coin donations on that day will go towards funding a visitor to present on the Junior assembly and some cultural activities for the Senior students.
• Student Council presentations at both the Senior (Week 10 Thursday) and Junior (Week 1 Thursday) assemblies.

We are fortunate at Yeronga State School to have the guidance of the members of the Kalari group, who have been very active in sharing with us ideas of how staff can recognise NAIDOC week with their students.

 

Does Your Child Have a Hat at School?

Please check-in with your child that they have a hat at school. We have a strictly No Hat- No Play policy and have noted a rise in the number of children without a hat at school. Students are required to wear a wide brimmed school hat when at outdoor play and Physical Education. Failure to wear a hat will require children to remain under the school building during the play break.

 

Carpark

As a school we are facing ongoing issues regarding the inappropriate use of the car parks on the school grounds. We remind our school community about the very clear and explicit directions around use of the school car parks. Please ensure that you are taking responsibility for your own actions and following these expectations, as it has been distressing to hear of recent incidents that have compromised the safety of our students. The clear and consistent message to our community is that the school car parks are not to be used by parents (with the exception of access to Disability Parking with a permit). The following are the guidelines for parking at Yeronga State School:

STOP KISS GO : 2 minute zone (7-9am, 2-4pm). Please move to the front of the zone before allowing your children to exit or enter your vehicle. This helps make this zone work efficiently. Do not leave your vehicle in this zone as it significantly impacts the flow of traffic around our school.

Parking options around our school:

1. Front of Dental Building – 1 hour
2. Park Rd opposite school - 1 hour
3. School Rd in front of Junior School - 10 minute
4. Pool Car Park
5. Honour Ave parking
6. General street parking

Parking options for YOSHC drop off and pick up:

1. Pool Car Park
2. Honour Ave parking
3. Front of Dental Building – we encourage parents to use the entrance located near the crossing at the Senior School. Parents who choose to walk through the Tuckshop car park will see a designated area to the right of the gate as a way to transition safely through the shared vehicle and pedestrian space.

We appreciate the assistance of the school community in ensuring that our children stay safe.

 

Report Cards

Our teaching team have been busily finalising assessment with their classes, in order to complete the Semester One report cards for all students. These report cards will be sent out to parents via email during the last week of this term. It has been my pleasure to read many of the students’ report cards for Semester One and see the wonderful achievements of our students, both academic and otherwise. It is particularly pleasing to note that our students are working hard to continuously improve on their output and achieve the best they possibly can. This has been enabled by the regular and focused feedback that is provided to the students by our teaching staff.

After you receive the Semester One report card, it would be a good opportunity to take the time to help your child to reflect upon the results they achieved and set some goals for Semester Two. Parent /Teacher interviews will be held during Week 5 and 6 in Term Three, which will be timely for discussing your child’s progress with their teacher. 

 

Attendance Matters

At this stage of the term, it is important to reflect on the importance of consistent school attendance and its impact on student learning. It is crucial that parents support the expectation that students attend school every day, arriving at school on time and ready to learn. Regular attendance at school sets up good behaviours and routines for a child’s future progression. Please ensure that your child only stays home if they are unwell. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety and should be addressed through further investigation. We appreciate the support of parents in making attendance at school every day a number one priority.

 

School Annual Report

Please note that Yeronga State School Annual Report for 2018 is now available for viewing, via the school website. This document is required to be prepared each year and provides a summary of the school for the previous calendar year. It provides a broad range of information to parents and the school community, in order to give a greater understanding of the context in which the school operates. If you are unable to access this document on the internet, you are welcome to request a copy via the school office.

 
Kate Paynter
Acting Principal

It’s been a term full of learning, curiosity and creativity at Yeronga State School.  It is wonderful to walk around the school and see the children so engaged in their learning.  The children have been using their learning assets this term to compliment the content of the Australian Curriculum.  The children at Yeronga are learning how to be great Communicators, Collaborators, Self-Managers, Thinkers and Researchers!

Active School Travel - Let's get Active!

A huge thank you to the Active School Travel leaders who are helping stamp the passports every Wednesday.  They are growing in confidence with their Self Manager skills and also their Communicator Learning Asset Skills.  A huge thank you also is dedicated to Bikeman Stu who ensures that he rides the attached route to school every Wednesday – so come and join him.  Another thank you goes out to the teachers who are walking to school every Wednesday from the designated spot – let us see how many students we can get at the walking and riding point.

Special events this term are:

• Walk or ride to school with the AST trains to receive a lucky dip prize
• Receive a raffle ticket to go into the scooter and helmet voucher prize – drawn on assembly the last week of school
  
  

Riding Train Map

Assemble at 8:20am for an 8:30am departure.

Start at the 711 the corner of Ipswich Rd/ South Street, ride down South Street, turn right into Nathan Terrace, turn left into School Rd, right onto Park Rd and then to take bikes into the tennis court to stay there for the day. Please view the map below:

 

Walking Train Map

Assemble at 8:10am for an 8:15am departure.

Meet at River City Cycle go across the overpass, over to Killarney St, turn into Park Rd then walk onto school. Please view the map below:

Deputy Principals

2019 Building Fund Appeal

Please help us air condition the WHOLE school before summer hits!

Like the village we need to raise our kids, it takes a whole community to air condition a school. We have a terrific school community that has so far raised enough money to air condition classrooms for our children in Prep, and grades 4, 5 and 6, as well as the school music building (all to be installed by the beginning of term 3). Now it’s on to the rest of the school! With your help we can create the temperature change we want to see in ALL classrooms. 

Together let's give the gift of air conditioning to our kids and teachers in grades 1, 2 and 3 before the 2019/2020 summer hits. Our terrific Fete a few weeks ago has brought us close - please will you help us get there? Children simply learn better in a comfortable learning environment.

Please make a gift today. Every gift is tax deductible and can easily be made online via the secure P&C Building Fund Appeal page, or via direct bank deposit. You’ll receive our eternal thanks, a more comfortable learning environment for your child(ren), and a receipt to claim a deduction at tax time. For more information about this special appeal and the Cool School project please see the attached letter in which we've addressed questions from our school community.

Hamish Townsend and Kym Mansfield

Yeronga State School P&C Co-Presidents
ysspandcpresident@gmail.com  

Did you know that NAIDOC week is coming up in the School holidays? NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Celebration. Yes, it used to be a day, but there is so much to celebrate, it’s turned into a week! It’s on from 7-14 July.

Yeronga State School is acknowledging NAIDOC week in lots of ways. Aunty Jeanette Fabila will be performing at this week’s junior assembly and on the last day of term, there is a free dress day. Come in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Colours – red, yellow and black, and bring a gold coin donation which will go towards funding some of the School’s NAIDOC celebrations. After the holidays, there will be some cultural activities with the senior school students. The student council will also be presenting information about NAIDOC week to all students in the coming weeks. Kalari are really grateful to the school for supporting this important week.

The theme for this year’s NAIDOC week is Voice, Treaty, Truth, which are the three elements to the reforms set out in the Uluru Statement from the Heart which came out of a constitutional convention of 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates held at the foot of Uluru in Central Australia on the lands of the Anangu people. These reforms represent the unified position of First Nations Australians, built on generations of consultation and discussions among Indigenous people on a range of issues and grievances. The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution and a Makarrata Commission to supervise treaty processes and truth-telling.  First Nations Australians are asking for their voices to be heard, and for all Australians to tell the truth about our past. The final sentence asks all Australians to walk with Indigenous peoples for a better future. You can read this short and powerful statement here:

https://www.referendumcouncil.org.au/sites/default/files/2017-05/Uluru_Statement_From_The_Heart_0.PDF

If you want to know more NAIDOC week, visit: https://www.naidoc.org.au/

There are lots of great NAIDOC events in the School holidays. Here are some you might like to attend:

https://www.naidoc.org.au/get-involved/naidoc-week-events/brisbane-city-council-official-naidoc-week-launch

https://www.naidoc.org.au/get-involved/naidoc-week-events/voices-dreaming

Yugara word of the week: Budang means mother.

Kalari Team

Date: 13.06.19	38 Bankers
Banker of the Week	William - 3D

Date: 20.06.19	22 Bankers
Banker of the Week	Cooper - 1O

Junior Athletics Day: 25 June ( 9- 11 )

Parents are very welcome to watch the sessions. Bring along your picnic rug or folding chair. Please be aware that all students need to be with their class teachers during the activities. They will need to bring along their snack, drink bottle and hat to the activities. Sunscreen should be applied before coming to school.

After roll call all classes are to assemble under the shelters next to the top oval (at the “Big School”) at 9:00am. We will complete activities at approximately 11am so the lunchbreak should run as usual. Tuckshop may be ordered using the normal system and it will not be open to sell food during the sports activity sessions. Each rotation (2 activities of 15mins) will run for approximately 30 minutes with a 5 minute change over.

Please note students will participate in their classes not age group.  The day is one of participation in, and enjoyment of physical activity and our endeavour is to ensure all children achieve this.  Many of the activities will provide the students with an insight to what skills they will need when they enter the Senior Sports Day in years to come. We hope you can join the children on the day.

Junior Athletics Day - Tuesday 25 June 2019

Time	Prep 1 & 2	Prep 3, 4 & 5	1M & 1P	1BR, 1W & 1O	2BT & 2R	2H& 2K
9:10am 9:40am	Sprints (Honour Ave)	Sprints (Shed)	Parachute	Vortex	Long Jump	High Jump
	Egg & Spoon & Sack Relays	Egg & Spoon & Sack Relays	Vortex	Parachute	High Jump	Long Jump
9:45am 10:15am	Long Jump	High Jump	Sprints (Honour Ave)	Sprints (Shed)	Parachute	Vortex
	High Jump	Long Jump	Egg & Spoon & Sack Relays	Egg & Spoon & Sack Relays	Vortex	Parachute
10:20am  10:50am	Parachute	Vortex	Long Jump	High Jump	Sprints (Honour Ave)	Sprints (Shed)
	Vortex	Parachute	High Jump	Long Jump	Egg & Spoon & Sack Relays	Egg & Spoon & Sack Relays

 

*This program is a guide and times may alter slightly on the day.              

*Children will participate in their grade level.

Yeronga A Division Football (Soccer)

Last Friday the Junior A Division Boys Football team were involved in two very entertaining and challenging games. The day was a little different to normal with each game comprising of 25 minute thirds. The key matchup of the day was always going to be the game between Yeronga and Sunnybank Hills as both teams were undefeated. The game certainly provided many memorial moments. Heading into the final third Team Yeronga was down 3 -1. During the final 25 minutes the boys produced some of the most amazing team work and demonstrated remarkable determination to finish the game 4-3 winners. Well done boys on a truly outstanding season.

Results:

Yeronga v Stretton 8-1

Yeronga v Sunnybank Hills 4-3

Gala Days

The remaining dates for these very important days in Term 3 are 23 August and 6 September. Children need to begin considering their options which include Boys and Girls Cricket, Touch, Boys Softball, Netball, Touch and AFL. Early in term 3 they will need to choose a sport and commit to training as they will be required to attend all of the Gala Days.

New District and Regional Representatives

Extra congratulations to Willow H who was selected in her second regional team; the 1500m in Athletics.

A massive pat on the back to Hayley R who was selected in the Queensland Basketball Team to compete in Bendigo in August. Best of luck to her. What an extraordinary achievement.

Important Sporting Dates

11-12 years Girls Rugby League: 21 June

Boys and Girls Regional Softball: 27 June

10 – 12 Years Girls Cricket Nominations Due: 23 July

11 to 12 Years Girls Rugby League Nominations: 24 July

10 to 12 Years Girls Regional Cricket Trial: 6 August

10 to 12 Years Boys District Cricket Trial: 12 August

Gala Day One: 23 August

10 to 12 Years Boys Regional Cricket Trial: 26 August

YSS Ball Games Day (Prep to Year 6): 19 September

Cameron Bateman
Sports Teacher

 

A life of service worth living…

As part of my “Friends for Life” lessons, I help students create a relaxation menu of things to do when we need to calm down.  It includes lists of things that help us to feel happy, and things that make us feel relaxed.  Another section is things that we can do to help others, recognising that when we do things to bless others, we are also helping ourselves. 

When we help others, our mind shifts from focusing on ourselves, and our own problems, and onto someone else’s needs.  It helps our own mental health and wellbeing and decreases stress.  It also brings a sense of belonging and reduces isolation.  And importantly, we are making the world a better place.

In an interview for the US Elle magazine (March 2018 issue), Angelina Jolie shared some of the advice that she gives her daughters… "What sets you apart is what you are willing to do for others. Anyone can put on a dress and makeup. It's your mind that will define you. Find out who you are, what you think, and what you stand for. And fight for others to have those same freedoms. A life of service is worth living".

There are many campaigns that encourage us to do good (e.g. Neighbour Day, Random Acts of Kindness Week, etc.)   These are all great, but actually to have the most impact, it is important to be giving and helping others on a regular basis, to include helping into our normal everyday life.  Wouldn’t the world be a wonderful place if we teach our children and model how to be motivated by kindness and altruism.  Something we can all be thinking about.

Inspirational Dads…

Entry into the Qld Father of the Year Competition is closing very soon with the closing date coming up on 5^th July 2019.  You might want to nominate the man in your house, or another inspirational father figure (grandfather, uncle, coach, teacher, etc).  The overall Queensland winner will win a five night family holiday at Sea World Resort and Water Park. Check out www.qldfatherof theyear.org.au for more details. 

Entertainment Book…

The 2016/2017 Entertainment Books have now expired.  If you want to order the current issue and support Chaplaincy you can order the book or a digital membership from…  www.entbook.com.au/2220w76

Dates to remember…

26/7               Chappy’s Christmas in July Movie Night screening “The Grinch”

26-27/10        Chappy’s Camp at School

 

Blessings,

Jennifer Bennett

jenniferb@chappy.org.au

 

CASH FOR CANS

THIS FRIDAY MORNING is Cash for Cans day!  Bring in your cans, plastic bottles and poppers that you've been collecting at home and help us raise money for our school!

There are three bin locations: one under the Year 6 stairs, one beside the tuckshop and one under the Year 1 building.

***no glass please***

 

Fete EcoStall

Thank you to everyone for supporting the Green Team's first ever EcoStall at the fete! We sold lots of beautiful beeswax wraps, courtesy of Sarah's Beeswax Wraps, lots of keep cups and reusable straws, lots of second hand uniforms (also available in the uniform shop) and even unnamed, unclaimed second hand containers from our lost property. Our amazing Zero Waste hamper generously donated by The Source Bulk Foods at West End was won by Jo Thomson. Enjoy the goodies Jo!

The Green Team also wanted to say thank you to the fete committee for doing their utmost to adopt the 8 suggestions we made to make our fete more sustainable. Everyone survived without balloons and plastic straws, the stall holders did their best to reduce waste, everyone did a great job of putting cans and bottles in the right bins and we even composted all the fruit waste from the Bike n Blend store. Thanks again Fete Committee for taking sustainability so seriously!

The Combined Winter Showcase

The Combined Winter Showcase will occur on Friday, June 21 at the Yeronga State High School Hall. The Showcase will commence at 6:00pm and all of our ensembles (except the P-1 Piccolo Choir) will be performing. Therefore, if your child is a member of Stella Voce, the Cosmio Singers, Senior Band, Junior Band, Brandenburg Strings or Stradivari Strings, we look forward to seeing you THIS FRIDAY NIGHT! Students will need to arrive by 5:30pm to be tuned and warmed up by 6:00pm. All performers are expected to wear their full formal school uniform.

P-1 Piccolo Choir Assembly Performance

Regular attendees to Piccolo Choir rehearsals will be singing ‘Down by the Bay’ at the Junior Assembly on Thursday, June 27. Parents/Guardians of performers are invited to watch this performance at 1:45pm in the hall.

Yours in Music,
Lauren Easey

This Saturday 22^nd June 2019 The Studio Dance and Arts will be holding an Open Day at their studio in Yeronga. The open day is going to include free dance classes, a bouncy castle, pony rides, face painting and so much more!