We’re back and it’s all systems go here at Yeronga State School! It’s so lovely to welcome new families as well as returning families back into the learning community.  Our school is once again filled with the wonder, laughter and pattering feet of children.

Assembly

Assemblies have started for the year. For the next few weeks they will go ahead via Microsoft Teams – which means children will stay in their classrooms and virtually join the assembly audience. We are looking forward to when we can all gather as a large group again for assembly.  We also look forward to parents being able to join us again as assemblies are a wonderful opportunity for parents and the school community to come together and hear about the happenings in our school – we will confirm through the newsletter when this can begin again.

This year we will continue to operate our weekly assembly as two groups:

Juniors (Prep – Year 2) – Friday 9:05am (even weeks)

Seniors (Year 3 – Year 6) – Friday 9:05am (odd weeks)

Parent Information Evenings

During Week 3, we will be holding parent information sessions to provide an opportunity for parents to find out year level specific information for the year ahead. Details are as follows:

• Junior School (Prep- Year 2) at 6pm on Wednesday 23 February
• Senior School (Yr 3-6) at 6pm on Thursday 24 February

Parent Information Evenings are a perfect opportunity to build relationships with your child’s teacher and hear information about the year ahead. Topics to be discussed include school

priorities, Curiosity and Powerful Learning, communication between parents and teachers, home learning, year level curriculum, BYOD (Year 2, 3, 4 & 5), leadership opportunities (Year 5 and 6), camps and excursion information, assessment, reporting and NAPLAN information (Year 3 and 5).

This year due to COVID restrictions, the sessions will be delivered via the Microsoft Teams platform – further information will come from your child’s class teacher.

Time Year 3/4/5/6 (including Before and After School Arrangements)

All students who are not attending Yeronga Outside School Hours Care (YOSHC) should aim to arrive at school after 8:30am. If students arrive between 8:15am – 8:30am they need to sit under C Block to read or talk quietly. No students should be in the school grounds prior to 8:15am. Parents who need to drop students at school before 8:15am need to enrol in YOSHC. It is a great safety concern to have children who are unsupervised in the school grounds. YOSHC is open every morning from 7am.

After school all students need to be collected by parents/carers at 3pm. Students remaining at school after 3pm must be with a teacher (e.g. sports training), their parent or attending YOSHC.

Parents who are later than 3:15pm collecting their children, will need to collect them from the school office. Please note that the school office closes at 3:30pm. All student and parents who

are not part of the YOSHC program need to have left the school grounds no later than 4pm usually, however due to COVID we are respectfully requesting that families leave the school as soon as children have been collected. 

We understand that family life often involves unexpected changes to routines. We appreciate the efforts our families make to manage their schedule to work within these times and thank you for your understanding around this very important safety matter.

Help keep our children safe

For your child’s safety please ensure that students only enter the school grounds via the pedestrian gates (not through any of the car parks). Cars are not to park in the school grounds. Street parking is available for parents. We also have a 2 minute – Stop, Kiss and Go area on Park Road.

The safety of our students is our priority, as these spaces have continual vehicle movement it is imperative that no student, even with and adult, walk through these areas. We thank you for your assistance in keeping our school a safe place to learn, grow and have fun.

Behaviour Expectations and Wellbeing Lessons

Mrs Fairgrieve will be visiting classrooms to teach students about positive behaviour expectations and wellbeing. These lessons are based on Yeronga State School’s Behaviour Matrix, which is on page 15 of  Yeronga’s Student Code of Conduct document, the five Learner Assets, our Wellbeing Framework, and Zones of Regulation. 

This week, the lessons have involved a variety of engaging activities to explore:

Prep – Year 2: What does it mean to be safe?

Years 3-6:What does it mean to belong?

All Year levels: Explain what whistles are for and how they will be used by staff members.  What are the expectations for the students when they hear the whistle.

Please ask your children what they have learnt about the topics above, and to tell you what they would do if they heard a whistle at school.

Our Student Code of Conduct is published on our website, and a hard copy is available from our office.

First Day of Prep

We would like to welcome all the new families to the Yeronga State School learning community. It was lovely to see so many excited (and some a little nervous) faces on the first day of Prep.  The children were settled, calm, ready to learn and were engaged in play based activities.  A favourite activity was definitely the sand pit area and the sand pit toys. 

Junior School Engaging in Play and Curiosity

The Year 1 children have been enjoying the new addition of sandpit and water play area and the eagle eyed prep children discovered some of our wildlife.  As you can imagine both of these additions in the playground proved for some very excited, engaged and happy children.

We look forward to working alongside you and your child throughout the 2022 school year.

Specialist Lessons

Specialist lessons for 2022 have started this week.  This year, students will engage in specialist lessons for Physical Education with Mr Bateman, Health Education with Mr Curness, Spanish with Senora Bueno, Music with Mrs Easey and Visual Art with Mrs Greenfield. 

We’re excited to welcome the visual art specialist lessons to our school this year.  Mrs Greenfield has transformed the art room into a wonderfully creative space.  Students in years prep to 6 will engage in a 30 minute art lesson on a rotating term basis.  Visual arts includes the fields of art, craft and design. Learning in and through these fields, students create visual representations that communicate, challenge and express their own and others’ ideas as artist and audience. Look at the great work of the students so far.

New Playground and Outdoor Learning Areas

Our new play and learning areas around the library are coming along nicely!  The area between the library and the hall is finished, and students have enjoyed using this space for some calm and quiet activities during class or play times.  The other area is very close to being ready…we can’t wait! Thank you to our wonderful P&C for organising this project for our school. 

Tracy Freeman, Stef Kirk and Lynn Wood

Welcome back to Yeronga in 2022,

Just a reminder to parents that all carparks within the school grounds are for staff parking only. Parents using the carparks for student drop off and pick up is a safety hazard. Many staff are becoming increasingly concerned that a student will be injured whilst walking through the carpark.

• For school pick up and drop off, the Stop-Kiss & Go zone is for 5 minute parking only and you must stay with your car
• For any extended parking, all day parking is available in Honour Avenue and neighbouring streets
• If parking in streets, please be mindful of our neighbours and don’t park across driveways or footpaths
• Parents using the YOSHC Service are also not allowed to access the carparks and need to park outside school grounds

The only exception to this policy is for those parents who need to use the disabled carparking spots in the A Block and the Tuckshop carpark. If you need access to the disabled carparking bay, please contact the Office.

Late Arrivals and Early Pick up

A reminder to parents that if your child is arriving at school after 9am they are required to come to admin to collect a late slip before going to class. If you need to pick your child/ren up early from school, Parents are required to come to the office to collect a sign out pass before going to the classroom. 

For student collection after 9am and before 2pm parents are welcome to park in the Stop Kiss Go Zone for longer than 5 minutes.

Medication

If your child requires medication during school hours, please make sure that you have the most up-to-date action plan (required for asthma and allergies), a letter from the prescribing doctor, the medication in its original packaging with pharmacy label and the appropriate forms filled out (see below). Additionally, if your child/ren self-administer their medication, a letter from the parents detailing their consent of this is also required. 

For emergency medication, such as asthma inhalers or EpiPens, please make sure you have filled out the administration of medication at school record sheet for Emergency Medication. For routine or short-term medication please fill out the administration of medication at school record sheet for Routine/Short-Term medication. Both of these were sent out in a Schoolzine message at the end of 2021, however more will be available in the office.  

Please drop all medication – including emergency – to the office so that it can be recorded before being sent to the appropriate classrooms.

Survey Manager

On the 31st of January and email was sent out with a request for parents to fill in a survey. This survey is the consent we require for your students to be able to access the apps detailed in the IT levy invoice you will have already received. These apps have been selected for use by the school for education and communication purposes. Please note that not all communication apps (dojo, office, seesaw) will be used and are at the discretion of the teacher.  

Additionally, without permission, your student/s will not be able to access the listed apps. The survey will remain open until the end of February. If you have any issues with the survey or have not received the email, please contact the office and we will be able to put you in touch with the most relevant person.

Event Payments

Payments Due Tomorrow

Year 4 - Big Bang Science Incursion

Students will be participating in the Big Bang Science Show next week. Payment of $8 for this incursion is due tomorrow (Friday 11 February 2022). Payment is essential for students to participate. 

Invoices were sent from rbenn127@eq.edu.au. If you have not yet made payment please do so by tomorrow. Preferred payment is via BPoint or QParents. Payment details can be found on the invoice. 

Year 6 - Chain Game

Students will be participating in the Toohey Forest Chain Game incursion next week. Payment of $15 for this incursion is due tomorrow (Friday 11 February 2022). Payment is essential for students to participate. 

Invoices were sent from rbenn127@eq.edu.au. If you have not yet made payment please do so by tomorrow. Preferred payment is via BPoint or QParents. Payment details can be found on the invoice. 

Hello and welcome to the new school year.  However you have come - excited, ready and refreshed, or struggling and exhausted, my hope is that you will find strength, support, and friendship amongst the community of staff and families here at Yeronga this year.

As the School Chaplain, I get to see the reality of how hard life can be for many people, but I also see the strength people have in overcoming difficulties.  This is particularly evident when there is supportive friends and a positive network of people in their lives.  It’s also about putting healthy practices, boundaries, and routines in place to help the daily demands of family life. 

If you have something to give, I encourage you to look out for other families that aren’t connected, new to the school, or finding life a bit difficult at the moment.  If you are in need, there are so many families who are willing to be a friend. We all need to step out of our comfort zone to build this type of community where we support each other.

I would normally have met most new families at the Welcome morning tea that I host on the first day, but that event was a casualty of covid-19 restrictions this year.  So I hope that throughout the year, there will be opportunity to meet you and say hello.  I am available to offer pastoral care, support welfare needs, and make connections to other organisations that can provide support.  Please feel free to say hello when you see me walking through the school, or contact me via email or through the school office.

Blessings, Chappy Jenny

Email – jennifer.bennett@suchaplaincy.org.au

Facebook and Instagram – Community_Chaplain

On behalf of the Yeronga State School P&C team, we wish all new and returning families a big welcome, a smooth start to the school year, and a terrific 2022, despite the interrupted start to the school year. We look forward to working with families, school staff and leadership team, and our community to support our children to thrive in their education.

We also invite you to get involved in our school community in whatever way appeals to you. To help you do this we have created the Yeronga SS P&C website and Facebook page. These help you to stay on top of all P&C and key school activities throughout the year. Please 'like' us on Facebook so we can keep you as up to date as possible with key activities for your children and you.

A great way to see the myriad of ways you can get involved throughout the year is our 'Just One Thing' survey. This offers an easy way for you to nominate the activity/ies you would like to support - simply tick the option/s that appeal to you, enter your details and submit. You can also read more about 'Just One Thing' below.

Prep Welcome Picnic

With the delayed start to the school year the Prep Welcome Picnic has been tentatively rescheduled to Saturday, 5 March, from 9:00-11:00am in the Prep playground area. We are hopeful nothing else will stop it happening this time!

This is a great morning and wonderful way to meet other 2021 Prep families in the Yeronga community. There will be mini hot dogs, snow cones and other treats for all so please pop in with your Preppie! Remember to BYO chairs, rugs and drinks.

We'd also love some help with setting up the marquees, and making and serving food items, please. If you have a couple of hours to spare this Saturday, please sign up via our 'Just One Thing' survey (question 5, second option) - you're more than welcome to tick other volunteering opportunities that take your fancy too!

P&C AGM - new date: Tuesday, 15 March, 2022

The P&C Executive team cordially invites parents and members of our school community to the 2022 P&C AGM on Tuesday, 15 March, at 6:00pm, in the school Resource Centre (library). This has been rescheduled from February in response to the delayed start to the school year.

The P&C Executive team overseas P&C businesses (Tuckshop, Uniform Shop and YOSHC) and activities throughout the school year. Executive positions include President, Vice President (usually 2 or 3 people hold this position), Treasurer and Secretary. See the 'P&C Committee roles' page on the P&C website for more information, and contact us at yerongasspandc@gmail.com if you would like more information around roles and responsibilities.

There are several P&C Executive roles that will need to be filled at the AGM. Please let us know if you are interested in any of the P&C Executive committee roles - we're keen to hear from you. In accordance with the P&Cs QLD Constitution, all nominations for executive positions should be received in writing prior to the AGM, via the P&C Executive Officer Nomination Form - please email your completed form to yerongasspandc@gmail.com.

The 2022 AGM will be followed by our first general meeting of the year. P&C meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month (except December and January) at 7:00pm in the school Resource Centre (library).

Tuckshop update

The tuckshop team is glad to be back and making delicious meals for children and staff.  Whilst it’s sad that we need cannot serve at the counter for the present time due to Covid, children will be able to spend their pocket money for treats soon enough. 

Just a reminder that if you have long standing ‘pre orders’ you will need to update your account and remove those.  Items ordered ahead if time before the Covid restrictions will be unable to be filled. You should have received an email from flexischools however we are finding there are several families who may not have seen their email to select another item. 

The tuckshop is running a limited menu only.  There is always a tasty daily special as well as sandwiches and wraps, fresh or toasted.  Meal deals are still available, all food is first break only. 

Just to recap until the 4th March:

• No cash – only flexischools orders (before 8am)
• First break orders only (no second break)
• Limited menu (Menu items are updated regularly on flexischools)
• Update any recurring long standing orders…you will need to cancel and select something from the limited menu

Uniform Shop

A big thank you from the uniform shop team for all those families that were patient with the return to school queues.  We got there and everyone has their uniforms and looking very smart.    In particular, the grade 6 and their senior polo look fabulous. 

We’ve received many pre loved donations of uniforms however we always welcome more.  We seem to be particularly low in the larger sizes 12 and up, so if you haven’t gone through your cupboard stash, we’d appreciate the spring clean over the next few weeks.

Remember, wherever possible we’d love our community to order via flexischools and our staff deliver your uniform items to your child’s class.  Please ensure you have updated your new classroom details on flexischools or your order may be delivered incorrectly.

2022 P&C Membership

All 2021 memberships will lapse at the AGM. We've made it easy for you to join the P&C or renew your membership via our online 2022 Membership form (ideally before 15 March).

It only takes a minute (or less) to complete - just completing the form to become a member helps and there is no obligation to attend meetings, although we'd love to see you if you're able. Your membership will help us with grant applications and enables you to keep updated with members-only communication like meeting minutes and documentation - a wealth of information and source of school news.

What's your 'Just One Thing' for the school this year?

The P&C is committed to ensuring every family has the opportunity to get involved and experience our active and friendly community, which is one of the things that makes Yeronga State School such a great place. Our school is as strong as everyone’s contribution.

We invite every Yeronga SS family to nominate ‘Just One Thing’ during the school year to assist the P&C to make a big contribution to our kids and school, via our Just One Thing survey. There are many different ways you can help to make our school great, big and small. It only takes a couple of minutes to click on your 'One Thing' add your contact details and press 'Done' - easy!

Yeronga State School P&C Executive Team

ysspandcpresident@gmail.com

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 fourth 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. They are supported and encouraged to learn so they can celebrate their learning during our school assemblies.   

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. All the songs are available on Spotify. Please email me for the log in details.

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)

Now also available 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

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

Muchas gracias Señora Andrea Bueno

Health Lessons 2022

This year Mr Curness will be providing all classes with a weekly 30-minute Health lesson. These lessons will compromise of both classroom lessons and outdoor activities. As well as covering the key components in the Australia Curriculum, I will be focusing the following areas across the school:

Prep, Year 1 & Year 2: gross motor/perceptual motor program;

Year 3 Basic skills (playground prep), fair play, organising games/activities, dealing with challenging playtime situations;

Year 4 Gala Day Induction and Skills program; and

Year 5 & Year 6 Basic skills and athletics skills/trials.

Running Club

Running club will resume, when school resumes normally and outside school activities are permitted, unless the weather makes it impossible to run safely, this term on Tuesdays, from 3:15 to 3:45 and Thursdays from 7:45 to 8:15. Mr Sutherland will hold 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, oval.

Regional Swimming Submissions

I would like to give recognition to those students who swam times, at our swimming carnival in 2021, that would have qualified them to have times submitted for the Regional Swimming trial in 2022. Congratulations to;

Toby A, Jackson C, Oliver C, Jesse S, Saskia A & Layla B.

Representative Sport Dates Release (Important)

The trial dates for term one of 2022 are listed below.

District Sport and COVID

Please remember the following district/regional policy if your child is attending district or regional trial in term 1:

“In light of the department’s back to school Covid Safe Plans and Practices, as well as restrictions imposed by various school venues running many of our trials, we have made a decision that NO SPECTATORS will be permitted to attend Eastern Taipans District Sports Trials until further notice.”

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.

Important Sporting Dates Term 1, 2022

15/02/2022 – Regional Golf

11/02/2021 – District Squash (10 – 19 years)

22/02/2022 – District Boys Basketball Trial

23/02/2022 – Regional Swimming

24/02/2022 – District Girls Basketball Trial

24/02/2022 – District AFL Trial (Boys)

28/02/2022 – District AFL Trial (Girls)

03/03/2022 – District Touch Trial

09/03/2022 – District Netball Trial (10-12 yrs)

10/03/2022 – Regional Basketball Trial

11/03/2022 – District Hockey (Boys)

15/03/2022 – Regional AFL Trial (Boys)

15/03/2022 – Regional AFL Trial (Girls)

16/03/2022 – District Rugby League ( Boys) 11s & 12’s

17/03/2022 – District Hockey (Boys)

18/03/2022 – District Cross Country Nominations

24/03/2022 – Regional Touch

29/03/2022 – District Cross Country

30 & 31/03/2022 – Regional Boys Rugby League (11’s & 12’s)

YSS Senior Cross Country TBA

Cameron Bateman and Hamish Curness