Student wellbeing
Research indicates that young people’s wellbeing is enhanced when they are strongly connected to their school. Students who are mentally and physically well are optimistic and can engage fully with life. They have a sense of purpose and of self-acceptance, while demonstrating resilience as well as the capacity to sustain positive relationships. Such connections enable students to flourish academically, socially and personally, while allowing them to develop the confidence and skills required to take their place in the world. At Yeronga, every attempt is made to strengthen students’ ties with the school and to help them build a support network across the Yeronga community – a community that is built around clear values, aspirations and supportive relationships.
Every student has a designated care teacher who students can contact directly for well-being issues. Together with other key wellbeing staff including Dean of Students — Junior Secondary, and year level co-ordinators, this teacher acts as a focal point across a larger network of support staff for students. The care teacher regularly monitors the learning and wellbeing of their students through direct contact, regular feedback from class teachers and communication with parents and guardians.
Homestay
Our dedicated International team work hard to ensure our homestay families are warm and welcoming. When you live in homestay with an Australian family, you are considered part of the family. The Australian families that take international students for homestay are generally considerate, kind people who try to understand the cultural differences between themselves and their international students.
Excellence programs
Languages
In years 7, 8 and 9, students explore Chinese language and culture. We also have a Spanish conversation club accessible to all students. In senior, there are a variety of languages which lead to university pathways as well as vocational pathways:
• Chinese general subject
• Certificate II Applied Languages (Chinese)
• Certificate III Applied Languages (Chinese)
• Studying first languages through Brisbane School of Distance Education (BSDE); for example, Japanese and German
Philosophical Inquiry
A discrete discipline taught across in Junior Secondary. Why teach Philosophy? Philosophy provides students with an opportunity to explore the ‘big questions’ in life as we teach the critical, creative and caring thinking skills they need to understand, deconstruct and synthesise the concepts and issues involved. Students study philosophy and reasoning for 60 minutes each week and over the course of a term, will have unpacked and responded to challenges or issues relevant to the world.
The Arts
Whether students have the opportunity to perform in theatre productions or help out behind the scenes, studying drama and performing arts not only engages with the creative side of the brain, it also provides an ideal balance in students’ patterns of study. Budding actors, dancers, stagehands and makeup artists from all year levels meet after school each week in the auditorium preparing for one of the true highlights of the Yeronga school year — our annual musical performance! This year, students created and performed the complex and moving story, Star Cross’d Smash based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Laptop program
At Yeronga SHS, every student receives a laptop as part of their enrolment at our school. We have prioritised this as we believe students must have the right tools in order to succeed.
Leadership opportunities
Student leadership is taken seriously at Yeronga with many roles being available across year levels for student voices to be heard. These include:
- school captains
- sport captains
- student representative council members
- social network leaders
- the Green Team
