School’s in as Prep students start their education journey in Yarrabilba

From cheeky grins to bursts of excitement and bellies full of butterflies, South Rock State School will welcome a roll call of their first Prep students, as Yarrabilba’s newest school opens their doors for the first time in 2023.

Five-year-old Bella will be taking her first steps towards her education journey in Yarrabilba when she commences Prep at South Rock State School in a few weeks. She will be paving the way for her younger sister Harper for when she commences Prep in a few years.

Proud parents, James and Samantha Hamilton have been preparing Bella for her big day, with uniforms ironed and her school bag packed.

“Bella is the oldest of our two girls and the first to start school. She is very excited and a little nervous not knowing any friends there,” said Samantha.

“The reason for choosing South Rock State School was that it was 400m from our block, which we are currently building our home on. My husband and I then went to a few of the committee meetings and were excited to hear all the different ideas Aaron [the school’s principal] and his team had. The code of conduct is also the same ideals we wish to bring our girls up with.

“We’ve been talking to Bella about her new school and continuing her learning of writing, English and speech.”

The Hamilton family will be moving to Yarrabilba in January and living with Samantha’s parents while they finish their dream home build in The Parks.

“My parents have been there for over a year now and love it,” said Samantha.

“Yarrabilba offered big blocks and so many opportunities for our family. We have fallen in love with the beautiful natural surroundings and all the animals that live in and around Yarrabilba.

“Since being part of the committee meetings and then making ourselves part of the school P&C, we have met lots of different people and kids who will be attending the school. We also met a few other Prep students at the Prep Day they held.”

Founding Principal South Rock State School Aaron Jones said the new $68.6 million state school, located in The Parks, will cater for students from Prep to Year 6 and will feature dedicated learning and play areas.

“At South Rock State School, we will have a strong focus on building our school as a community and connecting people who are new to the Yarrabilba area. It is exciting to see families such as James and Sam, enrolling their daughter, Bella, at our school,” he said.

“It gives me a great sense of pride to see all of our new students trying on our South Rock uniform for the first time and the excitement that is clearly evident on their faces when discussing their new school. Very few people have the opportunity to be part of a new school, so, we are all very lucky. We look forward to welcoming our new students and families in January 2023.”

To be eligible for Prep, children must be aged 5 years by 30 June in the year they start Prep. Prep is the start of the early stage of learning which continues until Year 2 and is vital in forming the foundation to a child’s future success at school.

Stage One of the school will include an administration building, Prep and junior learning spaces, a resource centre, multi-purpose hall, canteen, car parking, amenities and an oval, providing excellent educational facilities to the community.

To learn more about Yarrabilba’s new primary school, South Rock State School, read our interview with Founding Principal Aaron Jones here