Dear Friends,

I trust you have found the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress helpful during Parent Teacher Interviews on Tuesday and Thursday evening. Whilst they are short they are aimed to be a snapshot of how your child is tracking socially, emotionally and academically at YSS. Learning is lifelong and innate. When we consider an infant and the internal desire and purpose to learn we can be sure, it is intrinsic to human survival and development throughout life. The phenomenon of learning. All learning is point in time. Your child may not be learning aspects of the curriculum at the same pace as their peers. Each student is on a continuum of learning for which their next step is the most important one. The parent teacher interviews are an ideal opportunity to discuss your child’s next step for learning.

The Learner Assets are embedded throughout our school and are taught and reinforced in every class. As educators, we know the words we use have a great deal of power. What we say and how we say it helps shape a child’s view of themselves as a learner and their understanding of learning itself. You may have heard your child and their teacher talking about these assets. As effective learners, we need to be THINKERS, SELF MANAGERS, COMMUNICATORS, RESEARCHERS, CONTRIBUTORS and COLLABORATORS. It can be useful to consider the learner assets as a tool kit we draw on to learn something. Different learning situations require different skills and dispositions but growing and sharpening these tools over time results in stronger learners. I encourage you to ask your child, What learner assets did you use when learning about…?  Maybe consider which learner assets you used when engaging in new learning recently.

It was being introduced to the work of South American educational philosopher Paulo Freire as a young adult that my purpose and passion for the field of education was ignited. I share with you a quote that to me sums up how the phenomenon of learning occurs;

Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world and with each other.

Have a wonderful week,

Eunice

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

A huge thank you to all the parents who attended the Parent Teacher Interviews this week.  It was lovely to see so many parents learning about how their children have transitioned into the 2023 year as well as how they are progressing in the academic, social and emotional space.

VOLUNTEERS

We are calling on volunteers to assist classes across the school in reading group time.  If you have a volunteer blue card and would love to assist in helping our children in the reading groups please email Tracy Freeman tfree19@eq.edu.au with the days/ times that you would be available.

We look forward to hearing from you – any time you could assist would be greatly appreciated!!

RWI PREP AND YEAR 1 PARENT INFORMATION SESSION

Due to parent requests, we have decided to run a repeat of the RWI information session for Prep and Year 1 parents.  The repeated session will be held on Tuesday 21 March from 5:00 – 5:30pm in the Curiosity Centre (T Block).

We are looking forward to seeing you there.

UNDER 8S DAY – Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 Parents

Our Under 8 Day extravaganza for the Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 children will take place in Term 2 , Wednesday 21 June 2023 from 9:15-10:15am.  This is a lovely community event that includes many children from local early year providers (last year we had 110 pre – school children attend), the current Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 children as well as encourages parent attendance.  Some of the activities were goo making, ball sports, bubbles, face painting, rock painting, visits by the local fire station (yes the fire truck was a big hit for all), photos, colouring, the relaxation zone, outdoor play areas and many more!!

This year will be bigger and better than ever and we are requesting a minimal fee of $5 for attendance – the invoice will be sent out at the beginning of next term.  We look forward to seeing all the Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 families attend!!

Junior Assembly Performance Timetable

Please note that Senior Assembly is on Friday 9am odd weeks and Junior Assembly is Friday 9:05am even weeks.  Please see the Junior Assembly Performance Timetable – this is a time where you can come and watch your child in a class performance that will focus on a song, dance, or work that connects with their curriculum learning.

Senior Cross Country

Another Successful senior cross country on Monday 6^th March!  It was great seeing everyone participate and give it their all! Congratulations to the following students, who placed first in their race: Aggie W, Mollie W, Esha P, Rita F, Finn C, Lachlan G, Toby C and Lukas C.

Respectful Relationships Education

As a parent or carer, you have a primary role in teaching your child the importance of respect and how to build the skills they need to establish safe and healthy relationships.

Children and young people who are well informed about relationships and sexuality are less likely to feel guilty or shameful about their bodies or their thoughts. They will understand their feelings and know what is and is not ok for them. This in turn will help protect them from exploitation and abuse.

They are also less likely to be bystanders of unacceptable behaviours. Young people will be empowered to call out unacceptable behaviour they see at school, at a party, in a workplace or in the community.

By having regular conversations about what positive, happy and equal relationships look like, you help your child build self-respect and learn to be respectful to others. These conversations will assist in building your child's social-emotional skills so they can successfully:

• engage positively with others
• develop a positive sense of self and resilience
• identify and respond appropriately to their own emotions and those of others
• accept and resolve differences respectfully
• challenge stereotypes
• understand consent and know how to seek help
• be confident in challenging unacceptable behaviours they see
• build relationships that are based on equality and respect.

By building these personal and social skills and creating a culture of respect, issues such as domestic, family and sexual violence and all forms of violence or abuse, discrimination and harassment are less likely to occur.

Your attention to these topics at home supports the Respectful Relationships Education that is taught in every classroom every day and in the explicit lessons with Mrs Fairgrieve.  This year, we want to raise awareness of the importance of respectful relationships, so you will read more about this important topic in our fortnightly newsletters.

UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS – Please check the school calendar for any further updates

10/3/23                                Gala Day – Senior Students

14/3/23                                Bravehearts Presentation – Prep and Year 1

15/3/23                                Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN starts

20/3/23-22/3/23                    Year 6 Camp

27/3/23                                Prep – Year 3 Cross Country

28/3/23                                Diverse Learners Lounge 6pm

30/3/23                                Beginner Strings and Band Concert 5pm

Tracy Freeman and Stef Kirk
Deputy Principals

YSS Easter Raffle

The annual Easter Raffle is an exciting fundraising event at YSS organised by the P and C. The raffle winners will be drawn on Friday 31st March and the prizes will be delivered to the winners in their classrooms on the same day.

Please enter your child's class (e.g. Prep 1 or 3C) after their name when purchasing tickets!

There are always lots of winners and the smiles on the faces of so many winners is heart-warming! This is because of the generosity of our community in donating all the amazing items that are made into beautiful, delicious and fun Easter hampers by our wonderful volunteers. 

We invite families to please start bringing in their donations for the Easter raffle prize hampers – the more prizes, the more happy winners we have! Anything you or your child would enjoy winning would be wonderful e.g. Easter eggs, chocolate, Easter goodies, stickers, activity and story books, gift baskets and boxes. Donations will be collected from your child’s classroom and all the funds raised will go directly to supporting our children and their school.

https://www.raffletix.com.au/?ref=e7mvc

YSS fun fair 2023 - call for volunteers

As many of our school community know, the P&C have held a bi-annual fete for many years. This fete year, however, will look a little different. On 20th May we will be holding the school’s first fun fair, with the aim of providing a fun & stress free event for a school and local community. This will look a little different from past years - with no performances, no second-hand stalls, and gasp! no bar (feel free to come to Slipstream for the afterparty).

So what can you expect from the fun fair? 

• Rides
• Inflatables
• Laser skirmish
• Animal farm
• Disco
• Food stalls and food trucks
• Craft stalls

Much of the fun fair has been organised already, but to ensure that this day is a success we still need some help from our school community and are looking for parents to coordinate the following stalls:

• Sushi
• Ice-creams
• Lob-a-choc
• Ride ticket sales

If you’d like to put your hand up to help, please email yssfunfair2023@gmail.com

If you don’t think you can commit to that but still want to get involved, we’ve set up a signup page to start getting volunteers to help at each food stall on the day. You can sign up to do that here: https://signup.com/go/otokSRO

Thank you in advance. We really need your support and any small amount of help is so appreciated. We cannot do this without you!

Any questions, just email yssfunfair2023@gmail.com

QParents and Schoolzine Apps

With multiple events happening over the school we encourage all parents and carers to have the free Szapp and QParents apps on your phone.

The school alerts parents to events and sends out reminders via the SZApp from Schoolzine.

From Term 2 parents will now be able to give permission, along with pay for invoices submit absences and view report cards on the QParents App.

As Term 1 is rapidly ending and we would like to remind you to sign up to Qparents if you have not done so already. For those with Low Document Approvals, please go and see Administration with the documents you have listed as they can approve you in person. Please email admin@yerongass.eq.edu.au if you have any issues or are unsure of your child’s EQID.

Upcoming Events and Payments

Year 1 Reverse Garbage

On Friday the 24^th of March, students in Year 1 will be participating in a “Reverse Garbage” Incursion. Payment for this is due Monday 13^th of March and payment denotes permission for attendance at this event.

Year 4 First Contact

On March 20^th and 21^st, students in Year 4 will be heading out to the Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre for their First Contact Excursion. Permission and Payment for these are both due on Friday 10^th of March.

Year 6 Camp

Students who elected to attend camp will be heading off on the 20^th down to Camp Goodenough. Any outstanding permission forms are to be handed into the teachers. Payment and Permission for this is due on Friday 10^th of March.

Senior School Swimming

Students in Grade 4 to 6 will be completing their swimming lessons from week 10 of this term. Payment and Permission is required for students to attend, both are due on Monday 14th March.

If you are experiencing any financial difficulty and are concerned that you may not be able to make full payment by the due date please contact the office immediately via rbenn127@eq.edu.au

We are here to assist and desire all students to attend all events.

Statement of Accounts

As previously mentioned we are drawing closer to the end of term and as such, End of Term Financial statements will be released in the coming weeks. A reminder that if your total is a negative amount, for example -$10.00 then this means you are in credit, if your amount is positive, for example $10.00 that means you are required to pay $10.00 to clear your child's account. 

Year 2 to 6 IT Permissions

Earlier this term, if you hadn’t given permission in 2022 for student access to the Apps used at school, you will have received an email from Camille with a link to a Survey Manager Permission Survey for App access in 2023.

If you have no yet completed this survey, please do so as it closes on the 17^th of March this year. If you cannot find the email or are unsure if this applies to you, please email cvand258@eq.edu.au

This permission will apply for all grades that use the apps specified in the survey unless there are changes to data storage, in which case a new survey will be issued. Thank you for taking the time to complete this.

Kind Regards, 
Yeronga Administration Team

Class 1LF Part One

Class 1LF Part Two