First Day of School in 2014!

 It is so weird to start the school year in January, just after the Christmas holidays.  So my kids went to half of year 2 and 4 and in January started years 3 and 5.  When we move back to the states they will start years 3 and 5 again on the same schedule as the states.  Weird!  But aside from that little hiccup, we have loved this school.  Yeronga State School has been a great place for us!

 Here they are ready to start the new school year in their spiffy uniforms.

 Don't forget your wide-brimmed hat!  You can't play outside without it, the sun is too intense.  Especially in this January heat!!!!  And no air conditioning in the classrooms.  Thank heavens they are raised and built on stilts like true Queenslander homes, so they get better air flow.  But still...not enough!  Hot, hot, hot!

Yeronga does a lot of really great things in their school and curriculum.  My kids have loved sporting teams, swim lessons during school PE time, choir, band, German class and computer programming clubs.  One of the cool events observed in Australia is a holiday called ANZAC Day.  Similar to Veterans Day in the states.  Our school makes a really big deal of it, and it was an awesome ceremony.   All the kids bring flowers and attend an outdoor assembly.

 They honor serviceman and tell the account of Australia and the wars she has faced.  They raise the flag, sing the national anthem and invite honored guests from the community to present flowers at the school ANZAC memorial.  At the end, the crowd rises again and sings the New Zealand anthem.  Really cool.

Across the road from the school is a park called Memorial Park and it is lined with trees that servicemen's families have purchased in memory of fallen soldiers.  Each tree was planted by that soldier's family and has a plaque by it stating his or her name and lifespan.  Each class is assigned a tree.  They surround the tree while the national anthem is played and sit in silence offering thanks for the sacrifices of the veterans.

 Then as the song ends, each student places flowers at the trees base in memory of those past.

It was such a neat way to help the students connect to those people that have sacrificed so much for the blessings we all enjoy today.  I'm glad our school goes to such lengths to support that.  I love that in Australia.  Holidays are celebrated full on.  No one is ashamed to sing the anthem, wave the flag or show their pride in being Australian.  Being a part of the celebration, made me proud of those American soldiers and their families that sacrifice so much...even their lives so that I can live free in America, and enjoy all the freedoms we have been blessed with.  While I really like listening to all those voices singing the Australian anthem, I am still thinking of the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air and our American flag still waving above it all--inspiring us to keep moving forward and fighting for those freedoms that our so dear.

This is Syd's second grade class, but I thought it was really cute with all the uniforms and I love how it shows the stairs leading up to the classrooms.  Under the classrooms where the stilts are holding up the structure, is the eating area with sinks, fountains and benches for the kids to sit and enjoy morning and afternoon tea!
We love Yeronga State School!