Filter Content
- Principal’s Report
- Subject in Focus – Languages
- Swimming Carnival
- Café Payment – Important information – Qkr App
- Beacon Career Program - Site Tours
- THA Hospitality Career Expo – Wednesday 13 March
- Congratulations to Mrs van Ruiswyk
- Congratulations to Aurora
- Thank you – Troy and Antonio from Bitlink
- Leoni Duff - Artist Visit
- QVMAG Art Rage Exhibition Excursion
- GRIP 2024 Student Leadership Conference
- Prefects Profiles
- Sid the Seagull’s Famous Fives
- World Sleep Day – Friday 15 March
- Studiosity
- Corner Stone Youth Services
- Tasmania Reads Week - 17 - 23 March 2024
- West Tamar Youth & Community Festival
- Musician Call Out & Application Form
Dear Parents/Guardians
It has been a positive and very busy Term 1. Our swimming carnival last week provided the opportunity for students to make new friends, connect and have fun whilst being physically active. The carnival provided competitive races for students wishing to be selected in the Inter-high Swimming Team and earn points for their house. Included in this week’s newsletter is a report from the swimming carnival, results and a list of swimming champions. Attendance and participation are priorities for our school carnivals and we will continue to encourage students to attend and participate. Thank you to the parents/guardians who also continue to communicate this message to their children and encourage participation in all school programs and events.
The Riverside Rippers recipients are communicated with our whole school community each fortnight. As of next week, we will be moving our Ripper awards to reflect the new DECYP values and the values our school will adopt. The values are taught explicitly in Home Group and guide our work and interactions as a school community.
F1 In Schools National Finals
Riverside High School has five teams competing in Adelaide, as part of the 2024 Australian F1 in Schools national competition. Crescent, Convergence, Zenith and Titanium are competing against schools from all around Australia in the STEM competition. Students and staff return at the end of this week so we will have a full report, results and photos in the next newsletter.
Interim Reports
On Friday, the 12th of April, we will be sending home an Interim Report with students. The report provides an indication of how your child has settled into school in each subject area and will also include a Home Group report. The report at this stage of the year does not provide achievement ratings. Parent/teacher/student interviews will be held in Term 2 with parents being offered the option of face to face or an online Teams meeting.
Relay for Life
Relay for Life will be held on Saturday at the Silverdome in Launceston. Riverside High School offers this opportunity to the Year 10 cohort each year. Thank you to our Prefects for organising the event, the staff supporting on the day and to the students who are participating. Best of luck and thank you from the Riverside High School community.
Elective/Option Subjects
As you are aware, we are now in Week 6 of Term 1 and Interim Reports are currently being completed by teachers.
Students in Years 8 to 10 who have requested a change to their full year elective subject choices have been provided the opportunity to do so by competing the ‘change of elective subject form’ and submitting this to the Assistant Principal.
From Week 8, the week beginning 25th of March, any changes to full year course options which are assessed under the Australian Curriculum Achievements Standards prove more challenging, with students missing major assessment tasks and course content due to the late change.
From Monday, 25th March, all requests to change option subjects MUST be directed to Grade Leadership Teams due to the impact the potential change has on student results.
Explaining an Absence
We really value the importance of consistent and regular attendance and have high expectations for our students in this area. We understand that adolescence is a challenging stage and that there are times when teenagers seek independence and think they know best. No matter how hard parents try, some students experience times when they can be reluctant or refuse to go to school. We know that attendance patterns are established very early in the year and that is why we have a strong emphasis on working with you to address any attendance concerns at the start of the year.
What You Can Do
- Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day, make that the expectation. Regular attendance sets up good behaviours for regular attendance at work.
- Help your teenager maintain daily routines such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep. On average, teenagers need 8-9 hours’ sleep to be healthy and alert. You may also need to monitor their use of the internet, mobile phone and TV at night to ensure they are not staying up too late or being disturbed while sleeping.
- Try not to schedule hair, dental or medical appointments during school hours.
- Schedule family trips for school holidays, rather than during term time.
- Don’t let your teenager stay home unless genuinely sick. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety. Please feel free to contact your child’s Home Group Teacher or Grade Leader if you are concerned that this may be the case.
- Monitor your teenager’s attendance and school performance. A regular check in by phone or email is a good idea. If you have concerns about your child’s attendance, please contact us through the Home Group Teacher, Grade Leader, Assistant Principal, the Social Worker or the Principal.
Explanations of absence, where known in advance, are always appreciated. A reminder that when your child is absent from school there are a variety of ways that you can communicate with us about that. These are:
- Phoning the Administration Office which is open between 8:00am – 4:00pm.
- Using the Schoolzine App, Absentee button.
- Writing a short note in the Student Planner for your child to share with their Home Group teacher.
- Sending an email to either the Home Group teacher or our school email address Riverside.High.Admin.Staff@decyp.tas.gov.au
- Sending a text message on 0418 140 427 (MGM OutReach)
Quality Teaching and Learning at Riverside High
A key element of our Quality Teaching and Learning Framework which was discussed in our last Newsletter is our use of the Gradual Release Model. This instructional model provides a detailed outline of the elements of teaching and affords us a clear sequence for learning that shows students what to do and how to do it. Research shows that the use of such an instructional model has an extremely powerful impact on students learning outcomes and fosters a common understanding of the structure of a lesson or unit and provides a consistent language for all teachers.
As you will see below, our Gradual Release Model allows students to move from an introductory section of the lesson during which their interest is gained and the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are outlined, to a stage when the key concepts, language and skills are modelled, explained and demonstrated. A collaborative learning phase follows, during which teachers actively check for understanding and provide regular feedback, to a time of independent practice which allows students to apply their knowledge and skills before unfamiliar contexts and engage in inquiry based learning. Finally, there is a review of the learning and a consideration of the next steps involved in deepening their understanding. We are finding that our consistent use of this instructional model is promoting clarity and consistency as well as high levels of student achievement, skill development and learning.
Ms Jeanna Bolton
Principal
With students studying the language in all grades, Japanese is off to a great start in 2024.
Students in Year 7 begun their study of Japanese by learning to introduce themselves. They can now confidently say their names and count in Japanese and have enjoyed counting games. They also investigated the ‘Girl’s Day’ holiday, celebrated on March 3rd, and made hinamatsuri dolls out of paper.
Year 8 students have started strong by learning and practicing classroom routines. Students worked together collaboratively to create posters for the classroom, demonstrating classroom expectations and routines. Now, students are working on short speeches to extend their speaking skills and hopefully make some new friends in the future.
Senior students in Years 9 and 10 have been enjoying the self-led, practical approach to Japanese. Every week, students have learnt a new phrase that they can use to communicate if they ever go to Japan or if they meet a new international friend. So far we have learned to ask where things are, say our names and occupations, and say what country we’re from. Students have also started investigating Japanese and Australian manners and discussing and comparing the similarities and differences.
With state competitions and other opportunities approaching, it is looking to be a fun, rewarding year for all students studying Japanese.
Crystal Coleman-Cox
On Wednesday, 6th March, Riverside High School held its annual Swimming Carnival at the Launceston Aquatic Centre. Our swimming carnival returned to its original time of Term 1. As this was the second year back with no restrictions post-Covid, it was great to see an increase in students participating throughout the day.
The main emphasis of our school swimming carnival is having student participation in a range of races, events, and games while having lots of fun with their friends. To support and encourage more students to participate, once again the water slide was operating, and novelty events such as water basketball, handstand competitions and treasure hunts were organised and led by the Health and Wellbeing Prefects. These activities were very popular with all grades and ensured our students had lots of different activities to participate in, regardless of their swimming ability.
House spirit was well and truly alive throughout the day, with students decked out in their House colours singing loud house chants, and positively supporting their peers and teammates. This community spirit and support for others is an important aspect of our school carnivals that we want to continue to foster and encourage.
There were many outstanding individual swimming performances across all four grades. It was inspiring to witness many students showing courage and endeavour to step outside their comfort zone and participate in swimming races, whether it was Division 1 races over 50m or Division 2 races over 25m. Students showed great aspirational qualities to give their absolute best in their events.
The swimming champions for 2024 are:
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | |
| Girls | Indiana | Isobel | Lucy | Matilda & Aurora |
| Boys | Louis | Ben | Archer | Oryn |
All students are to be congratulated for the outstanding way that they participated and supported each other throughout the day. Respect was always shown towards fellow competitors, officials, and the facility, which made for a hugely successful swimming carnival.
As always, there was a friendly, but fierce, rivalry between the four houses of Kingsford-Smith, Monash, Lawson, and Forrest.
The final house placings for 2024 were:
| 1st | Lawson | 1250 points |
| 2nd | Forrest | 1233 points |
| 3rd | Kingsford-Smith | 1045 points |
| 4th | Monash | 1035 points |
We would like to thank the staff at the Launceston Aquatic Centre for hosting us and the support they provided regarding the set-up of the event.
We would also like to thank the families who were able to make it along to support their children.
Congratulations to the following students, who based on their performances at our swimming carnival, have earned selection to represent Riverside High School at the NHSSA Inter-High Swimming Carnival on Thursday, 11th April, at the Launceston Aquatic Centre:
Grade 7
| Louis | Thomas | Jude | Elizabeth | Indiana |
| Oliver | Rueben | Amy | Isobel | Charlotte |
Grade 8
| Ben | Frank | Sebastian | Isobel |
| Sara | Lily | Henry | Declan |
| Ezra | Sarah | Holly | Millie |
Grade 9
| Archer | Kodi | James |
| Chilli | Amy | Lachlan |
| William | Lucy | Olivia |
Grade 10
| Joseph | Finn | Jordan | Aurora | Sophie |
| Oryn | Colby | Jack | Matilda | Lily |
Adam Sanders
HPE/Sports Coordinator
Please know that Café staff are unable to accept payment from Phone Apps or Smart Watches. To support the Department for Education, Children and Young People and School Policy of “off and away all day”, Café Staff have been asked not to accept payment other than pre-orders using the Qkr App, actual debit or credit cards, or cash payments.
The Android Phone issue using the Qkr App has now been resolved and parents/guardians can now download the App from the Google Play Store.
On Tuesday, 12 March, the CAP class enjoyed visits to Legana Primary School and the University of Tasmania Stadium as part of the Term 1 Beacon Career Program.
Tanya, Kathy and Eloise from the Beacon Foundation organised and led the site visits which helped students experience what happens in a day in a variety of roles. Representatives from VOS and the Hawthorn Football Club gave advice to our Grade 10s as they embark on a journey that will include work experience opportunities and future employment.
Adam Child
A group of 33 Grade 10 students with an interest in hospitality attended the Tasmanian Hospitality Association's Career Expo at the Tramsheds. Students were presented information about job and training opportunities in the industry along with hands-on experiences such as using a coffee machine and front of house skills including carrying plates and pouring drinks.
Adam Child
Congratulations to our Visual Art Teacher Mrs Brooke van Ruiswyk who was a Finalist in Australia’s Most Prestigious Landscape Art Prize, The Glover Prize. Brooke’s stunning painting titled Drawn Together is a representation of her family farm in the Northwest of Tasmania.
Aurora competed in the Sprint Distance in the Coles Bay Triathlon on Saturday, 2nd March 2024 (in very choppy and windy conditions).
Aurora came 1st in the Female U19 and 3rd Overall Female in the Sprint Distance.
Well done Aurora!
Year 9 and 10 students in Mr Gregory’s STEM class would like to express their appreciation for the time provided by Troy and Antonio from Bitlink who have spent the last two Friday mornings discussing advanced manufacturing technologies and running a student challenge.
The discussion on additive and subtractive technologies, linked to the work the students in the class, along with our F1 students will be doing, the students were posed with a design challenge which utilised Microbits and their moisture sensors in order to meet the task requirements. They spent the first week completing their challenge and documenting the resources and sequence of construction so that in week two, a different team could endeavour to accurately reproduce their project.
This challenge emphasised the need for strong teamwork and communication, along with how to effectively document procedures.
The organisation and resources provided by Troy and Antonio through Bitlink were fantastic and greatly appreciated by the students.
Our five 9/10 Visual Art classes were extremely fortunate as we had local artist, Leoni Duff, visiting us last week. Leoni demonstrated how she approaches a charcoal portrait and shared many of her beautiful oil paintings and drawings with the students. Our 9/10s are inspired and ready to take on their own portraits this term.
Caz Saunders
On Thursday, 8th March, students in Mrs Barwick’s and Miss Saunders’ Visual Art classes, travelled by bus to go on an exciting excursion to the QVMAG Art Rage Exhibition. Upon arrival, the class was greeted by a vibrant display of artistic expression, showcasing the talents of students from across Tasmania. The Art Rage exhibition presented a kaleidoscope of creativity, ranging from traditional portraits to 3D models. Each piece reflected the unique perspectives and voices of its artists, enabling others to gain inspiration and ideas for our upcoming unit ‘Portraits’ in Art. It was a truly valuable experience that allowed everyone to appreciate the vast techniques, styles and themes used in the exhibited work.
Isabelle 10F and Estella 10F
On Friday, 8th March, the Prefect Board and their Coordinator, Miss Saunders, attended the GRIP 2024 Student Leadership Conference. The day consisted of a range of activities and talks relating to various leadership topics which students were able to discuss. It allowed us to consider and prepare for different leadership experiences such as organising events, running effective meetings, and improving our school culture. The conference was a great opportunity to connect with and learn from student leaders from various schools across Tasmania.
The Prefect Board had the opportunity to listen to stories, lessons and advice from multiple talented speakers, as well as taking part in some fun activities. These activities allowed the Board to come out of their comfort zones, make new acquaintances and friends from schools and reunite with some old ones. The Prefect Board was also allowed to choose modules based on their own interests and there was also an optional short course during the recess break which many Riverside High School students took advantage of.
The GRIP leadership conference was a great day for everyone involved, with the Board gaining many useful leaderships skills, not only from the presenters, but also from other young leaders in the community. Many thanks to Miss Saunders for supervising and the GRIP Leadership Team for creating such a fun and informative day for all.
Megan 10G and Emily 10B
We are Finn and Ryan and we are members of the Prefect Board.
Alongside Lily, Estella, Emelia, Kacey and our Deputy Head Daisy, we makeup the Community & Student Fundraising Portfolio which falls under the school value of Respect. As Community Prefects, we are responsible for all the events and fundraising activities for our Prefect Board Legacy. In addition we also attend all grade council meetings to make sure that the students in our school are heard and that they have a say in what other fundraisers they want to do.
My name is Finn and I am a member of the Community and Respect Portfolio. I want to be first to volunteer for everything and being a Prefect is something I’ve always wanted to be. When I’m not at school, I love playing video games, in particular Mario Kart and any other types of Nintendo games you do see me out and about, you’ll find I like going to the shops in the mall and just having a browse. My leadership journey begun from my three oldest cousins, Jess, Ollie and Alice who were all Prefects here well before me and since then I’ve aspired myself to reach this leadership position.
Looking back over the last three years I’ve been a Chair Monitor and a Canteen Helper and I’ve been on both the Grade 8 and 9 Councils. I was also a Transition Mentor for the Grade 6s last year. I love doing Drama when I’m at school and last year I enjoyed participating in a variety of festivals such as the Launceston Competitions and the Deloraine Drama Festival. I want to continue to do it again this year, not only to gain more confidence, but to also improve speaking as well. This year as a Prefect, I want to listen to all ideas and see them all come alive. I will continue to be a respectful peer for everyone around me.
My name is Ryan and I am also part of the Community and Respect Portfolio within the Prefect Board. I am always actively seeking out situations where I can help to get things fixed or assist other people. I am always wanting to learn new skills and improve the ones that I already have. I love being around people that I care about and I spend most of my time with other people. Outside of school I play cricket with the Riverside Cricket Club, I also spend my time doing jobs around the house, gardening, playing video games, painting but most importantly spending time with people. I have been part of a traineeship the school cafeteria for a Certificate 2 in Hospitality. I have always wanted to help the school in any way that I can and that is what aspired me to take on the role as Prefect.
My contributions to the school and its community include being part of the Year 7, 8, and 9 Councils. I have been a chair monitor and canteen helper as well as a Transition Mentor for this year’s Grade 7 students as they transitioned into High School. I am always looking to improve and better myself so that I can help more. One of my skills that needs to be improved is public speaking which I have already had the opportunity to do this year. This year I promise to work closely with the students so that their voices can be heard and make the school community a better and more welcoming environment for students. I want to make the most out of my last year and my goal by the end of the year is to have an impact on our school. I am looking forward to this year and I promise to uphold our school values and help to make everyone enjoy the year of 2024.
