Principal’s Report
Dear Parents/Guardians
Term 1 has been extremely busy for both students and teachers. Term 1 has focused on students developing relationships with their peers and teachers, establishing learning routines and developing an understanding of what teaching and learning looks like at Riverside High School.
NAPLAN for Years 7 and 9 has now ended. Thank you to Kylie Jago and Ben Gadsby for coordinating the process again at Riverside High School and for the positive attitude and effort given by all students. Participation was excellent from all students. The administration of our tests ran smoothly, one reason being the one-to-one devices which we have for all year groups. In 2024, all students at Riverside High School have an iPad. Miss Lillian Males, AST, coordinates the ongoing professional learning for teachers in the use of the iPads for differentiation and supporting and extending students.
Staffing Term 2
I will be taking Long Service Leave in Term 2. I’m pleased to announce that Adrian Smith will be the Acting Principal whilst I’m away and Ben Gadsby will be the Acting Assistant Principal of Year 8. We have a wonderful Leadership Team who will continue to support each of the grades and lead our School Improvement Plan in Term 2.
Helmet Safety and Bikes
In Australia, wearing a bicycle helmet is mandatory for all cyclists, regardless of their age or level of experience. This law is in place to protect cyclists from head injuries in the event of a fall or collision. Helmets are essential for all students who choose to ride their bikes to school. Even if students are riding on the footpaths to school, they must be wearing a helmet. Riverside High School provides bike racks for the safe storage of bikes during the school day. If a student rides their bike to school and does not wear a helmet, we will be contacting parents/guardians. Please be aware that scooters and skateboards are not permitted at Riverside High School.
F1 In Schools 2024 National Finals
Our students have returned and achieved amazing results at the 2024 F1 In Schools National Finals. The students are being recognised in our whole school assembly on Tuesday, 9th April. Attached to this week’s newsletter is the report from the finals. Thank you to the parents/guardians who supported our students to participate. Our school community is very proud of our students’ achievements!
Tier 2 Intervention Programs
Now that NAPLAN is complete, Riverside High School will be starting our Tier 2 provisions of extension and support. The programs that our school resources are detailed below. All programs are based on evidence-based frameworks and are coordinated by our teachers.
MacqLit
MacqLit is an explicit and systematic reading intervention program for small groups of students and includes all the key components necessary for effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. In 2024, Riverside High School will again be resourcing MacqLit for both Year 7 and 8 students. The program is coordinated by Ben Gadsby, our Quality Teaching and Learning Coach, and is supported by a number of our Teacher Assistants. Parents/guardians of students selected for this program will be provided with further information.
Rock and Water Program
The Rock and Water Program aims to apply a physical/social approach to assist students in their development by increasing their self-control, confidence, self-respect, boundary awareness, self-awareness, and social skills. A specific goal for the course is teaching students life-long skills to positively deal with a variety of social situations.
Rock and Water offers a framework of exercises, concepts, and ideas to assist students in becoming the best person they can be. Topics include teamwork, leadership, body language, bullying, mental strength, empathetic feelings, positive decision making, emotional control, and positive self-image.
Mr James Beardwood, a HPE Teacher at Riverside High School, has recently completed his training in this evidence-based program and we are pleased to be offering this in Term 2 onwards.
Amity Program
The foundational concepts of the Amity program are self-worth, healthy relationships, and future-self. The aim is: 'for each girl to develop an understanding of her own personal worth, to gain tools for enjoying healthy relationships and to be equipped in life skills that will build towards a better future.' The Amity program has commenced in Term 1 and is coordinated by Darren Hanson, our Student Support Leader.
Numeracy Intervention Program
This intervention program consists of a weekly lesson of targeted teaching and learning in a small group, to extend and support students’ numeracy understandings. There will be a focus on the content strands being delivered in students’ normal Maths classes with students having access to Smart Lab and individual teacher support during this time.
The Numeracy Intervention Program will commence at the beginning of Term 2 and is coordinated by Kylie Jago, our Quality Teaching and Learning Coach.
Elective/Option Subjects
As you are aware 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 optional subjects MUST be directed to Grade Leadership Teams due to the impact the potential change has on student results.
Ms Jeanna Bolton
Principal
