Three schools in the Moreton Bay region have set up pop-up back-to-school vaccination clinics before the start of the new school term as part of the program to improve the vaccination rates of school-aged kids in Queensland.
Albany Creek State School, Eatons Hill State School, and Norris Road State School in Bracken Ridge (Brisbane) will open the clinics on campus from Saturday, 29 January until Sunday, 6 February.
“With the start of the school year locked in for Monday 7 February to avoid the peak of the Omicron wave, parents can take advantage of the opportunity to get their kids vaccinated,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in announcing the Back-to-School vaccination blitz.
“There is widespread community transmission of the virus reaching all corners of this state. Adding a vaccination to the back-to-school list for your child is the best defence.”
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said that the first dose would add a layer of protection for the children against the virus that could land them in hospitals if they were unvaccinated.
Photo Credit: 14995841/Pixabay
“We have already seen an excellent uptake of the vaccination for our kids aged 5 and over, but with school going back in February we want to see every child have the opportunity to get vaccinated,” Ms D’Ath said.
“Whether you are heading to a pop-up vaccination clinic at your local school, a Queensland Health hub, your GP or local pharmacy – please come forward and get yourself and your kids vaccinated if you haven’t already.
Albany Creek State School, Eatons Hill State School, and Norris Road State School join 47 other schools across the Queensland region participating in the program. To check for more Queensland Health vaccination locations visit the official site.
Albany Creek State School, along with 29 other Queensland state schools, will be taking part in a pilot project to find ways for schools to get actively involved in the Container Refund Scheme which took effect in November 2018.
Under the scheme, also called Containers for Change, eligible containers such as those made from glass, plastic, aluminium, or liquid paper board, ranging from 150 ml to 3 litres in size can be exchanged for a 10-cent refund per item.
Video Credit: Queensland Environment/YouTube
“This is a fantastic scheme and one that I would love to see school communities from across the state get behind,” Education Minister Grace Grace said.
A grant of $100,000 towards the $150,000 total cost for P&Cs Queensland—government partner in this pilot project. The project is aimed at encouraging schools to find the best way “to get involved and maximise the benefits.”
“The participating schools will trial ways to collect containers within their school communities and work to harness the energy of everyone associated with their school, including parents and carers, students and teachers.
Photo credit: Envirobank Recycling/Facebook
“P&Cs Qld will report back to the government by mid-2019 on the success of the pilot project and we hope to use these findings to encourage more schools to join the scheme,” Ms Grace said.
“We see the Container Refund Scheme pilot program as an ideal opportunity to establish on-site donation points in Queensland state schools and we will be working with Refund Point Operators on a sustainable and safe plan to maximise benefits flowing to these schools,” P&Cs Qld President Gayle Walters said.
“The scheme has the potential to provide invaluable education for our students on caring for their environment as well as providing a real boost to P&C funding,” Ms Walters said.
Photo credit: Envirobank Recycling/Facebook
In partnership with Refund Point Operators—Return.It Schools and Envirobank–Bag Drop Pilot, P&Cs Qld will work with the following state schools across Queensland:
Brisbane Southside
Chatswood Hills State School
Kimberley Park State School
Loganholme State School
Mansfield State High School
Mansfield State School
Robertson State School
Rochedale South State School
Shailer Park State High School
Brisbane Northside
Albany Creek State School
Aspley State Special School
Aviation High
Earnshaw State College
Eatons Hill State School
Mitchelton State Special School
Nundah State School
Wooloowin State School
Cairns
Balaclava State School
White Rock State School
Yorkeys Knob State School
Gold Coast
Bellevue Park State School
Coombabah State School
Sunshine Coast
Mountain Creek State High School
Townsville
Currajong State School
Pimlico State High School
Townsville Central State School
Townsville Community Learning Centre
Townsville South State School
Woodstock State School
Toowoomba
Harristown State High School
Highfields State School
Return.It Schools – Purple Wheelie Bin Pilot
Envirobank – Bag Drop Pilot
Most Queensland schools will one day benefit from this scheme, Ms Grace said.
Like other countries that offered financial incentives to boost success of their recycling programs, the current initiative could increase the approximate 40 per cent recycling rate that Queensland has now, to up to 80 percent.
Festivities will start from 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, 28 July 2018. Winter Carnival 2018 is made even mor exciting this year with afternoon celebration leading up to evening events, complete with a much-anticipated display of fireworks.
Kids of all ages are sure to be entertained as the Winter Festival includes several carnival rides, petting zoo, pig races, face painting, live band, fireworks, student performances, art displays, a wide selection of food and drinks, and more.
Photo credit: Albany Creek SS P&C/Facebook
Winter Festival is a biennial event from Albany Creek State School. The festival is open to everyone and entry to the event is free. Ride passes will be available for $30.
Despite a number of delays, Albany Creek’s Youngcare rehabilitation homes didn’t let anything stand in the way of its Opening Day on 16th of May. The new facility is located at 1 Leitchs Road. Built through a partnership with MS Queensland, an organisation providing support to people living with multiple sclerosis, the newly constructed Youngcare units will be the home of eight young people with mid- to high-care needs. During Opening Day, visitors enjoyed breakfast together and were given a sneak peek of the new facility.
Youngcare is a non-profit organisation established in 2005 to provide personal support, health care, and accommodation to young people with high care needs and teach them how to be independent while living in these facilities.
Homes in Albany Creek
(Photo credit: www.youngcare.com)
The Youngcare construction was first proposed in November 2014, but began in 2016 after planning and discussions between Youngcare, MS Queensland, and the government concluded.
The State Government provided the lot at Leitchs Road. The initial plan was to construct eight apartments, plus three open-market units for rentals to cover for maintenance costs of the accommodation. The two-bedroom apartments were designed for the residents to feel free in accepting their own guests. To help them be independent while living in the apartments, each unit is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including lighting, automated doors, entertainment systems, beds, and fingertip-controlled blinds.
Students of Albany Creek SS raised $910 (Photo credit: Albany Creek SS/Twitter)
Helping people with high care needs included more than just fixing their accommodations. State MP for Everton and former NRL Referee, Tim Mander, led a group of walkers, from volunteers to prominent figures, on a fundraising walk during Youngcare’s opening day. The walk started at the Youngcare facility and went through three different schools, including Albany Creek State School, garnering funds to help the Youngcare Albany Creek purchase a motor vehicle for its residents.
The Youngcare Story
Shevaune’s achievement of being independent (Photo credit: www.youngcare.com)
The birth of Youngcare was inspired by the touching story of Shevaune Conry, a multiple sclerosis patient. Shevaune was terminally ill at age 33, and needed special care which was not attainable by just staying at home.
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease that attacks the central nervous system, brain, spinal cord, and nerve cells, resulting to impaired speech and vision, walking difficulties, muscle stiffness and numbness, and brain activity problems.
Shevaune and her husband David couldn’t find a place that could accommodate Shevaune’s needs. They tried an aged care facility, but she did not receive the proper care. David, seeing his wife in this situation, established Youngcare together with his colleagues — Matthew Lawson, Nick Bonifant, and Simon Lockyer, with a common goal to create a “bright future” and provide extensive care to Shevaune and other Aussies with similar conditions.
Sinammon Park, Brisbane’s facility (Photo credit: www.youngcare.com)
Youngcare Wesley Mission Brisbane Apartments, the first Youngcare facility at Brisbane’s Sinnamon Park, was soon constructed. Shevaune became its very first resident. When David and Shevaune shared their story in a television documentary, support came pouring in, and patients who needed the same care as Shevaune applied for a place to stay. Since then, Youngcare has continuously expanded in Brisbane and now to Albany Creek.
Shevaune passed away in 2012, at 40 years old. Her legacy and her story lives on, not just in David’s heart, but through the various Youngcare programs that now brings extensive care to young people with conditions that have high care needs.
Youngcare’s doors for support and donations are always open to give a better life for young people battling chronic illness that require a high level of care. For more info on the programs and how to donate, please check their website.
