Dear Parents/Guardians

In Week 3 we had our Year 9 future student leaders present their Prefect speeches to the school community. Thank you to all the students for their time in preparing the speeches and for the insightful messages they provided our community.

Every speech grabbed the audience’s attention with a question, a quote, or a powerful statement. Students shared their vision for Riverside High Schol and many detailed what they wanted to achieve and how they planned to progress the work in 2025. All students involved in the process this year have made worthy contributions to our school whether it be as a Chair Monitor, Canteen Helper and/or Grade Council Member, representing the school in sports and extracurricular activities and displaying our core values in their ways of working and interacting.  Thank you to our Year 9 Leadership Team Mr Pooley, Mr Parry and Miss Males for the management of the process.  The Prefect Board and Peer Mentors will be announced next week.

Teacher Professional Learning Day / Student Free Day Friday

On Friday, 1^st November teachers and Teacher Assistants were involved in professional learning on Tier 1 Literacy and Fluency.  During the second half of the day teachers moderated student work samples in professional learning teams and were involved in subject meetings focused on curriculum scope and sequence planning.  In 2025 all Year 7 students will be tested using Dibels and we will continue to fund our Tier 3 Literacy Intervention Years 7-10.

Athletics Carnival 2024

Our carnival allowed us to enjoy two days of laughter and participation, and the weather was amazing!  Thank you to our students for their outstanding participation in the 2024 Athletics Carnival and for the parents/guardians who were able to come along and support on the day.  The House Prefects assisted over the two days with the coordination of field events, running the barbecue, recording, and leading the novelty events.

The Inter-high Division 1 Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday, 22^nd November at the St Leonards Athletic Centre.  The HPE staff will announce the representative team as soon as possible. Parents/guardians can attend the Inter-high Carnival.  The program for the Inter-high Carnival will be shared via social media platforms once received.

State and National Representation

Riverside High School often has students who are successful in making state and national teams and representative teams in the arts, sports and academic pursuits.  We would love to share and celebrate the successes of our currently enrolled students in our fortnightly newsletter.  Please contact the student administration office if you are happy to share your child’s achievements.

School Attendance

Make sure your child goes to school, every day

Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow and connect with their mates and teachers.

It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most. Get them excited for school If you show a positive attitude and excitement towards school, your child will pick up on that.

The most common thing we hear from students, of all ages, is that school is where they can:

» spend time with their friends and teachers

» create new and fun experiences

» find their interests

» learn new things

» open up their options – for whatever future they want (whether that’s their dream job or to travel around the world). Share these positives with your child

Talk to your child about school Open up a conversation with your child about what’s happening at school. It will help you to better support their interests and confidence in learning. If you show an interest in school, they’ll know that getting an education is important and valued.

Celebrate the milestones Big and small! Celebrate milestones such as making it through the first day or week of school. And remember: all milestones look different. If it’s a big achievement for your child, it’s important to recognise it.

Set up a time to talk to your child’s teacher If you’re struggling to get your child to school, help is available. Please talk to us at school about your situation. We’ll support you, in whatever way we can.

Know when to seek help There is no weakness in admitting you need help. If your child has completely disengaged with school, and not attending at all, there is support to help you. In the first instance, talk to us at school.

Absent Days From School - Statistics

Jeanna Bolton
Principal

Families will receive their levies invoice in early March, 2025. Our composite levy for 2025 for Years 7 to 12 remains at $700. 

Refer to the following link for DECYP/Riverside High School levies and charges policy:

As mentioned in previous letters and Newsletter articles, we are conducting Launceston College enrolments on Tuesday, 12 November, allowing time for discussion and counselling in relation to subject choices for 2025.

Enrolments will take place between 11:00am and 6:00pm in Riverside High’s Multi-Purpose Room and Café. This will give both students and families an opportunity to sit with staff from the College and begin the enrolment process.

Grade 10 students will have an individual interview time for their enrolment where a 30-minute block of time is allocated. It is strongly recommended, but not required, that a parent or guardian attends this interview.

On Thursday, 31 October, Grade 10 students were provided with letters containing important information about this enrolment interview process. Please contact us if you did not receive a letter or have any questions about the process.

Grade 10 Leadership

As mentioned in previous letters and Newsletter articles, we are conducting Newstead College enrolments on Thursday, 14 November, allowing time for discussion and counselling in relation to subject choices for 2025.

Enrolments will take place between 9:00am and 12:00pm in Riverside High’s Multi-Purpose Room. This will give both students and families an opportunity to sit with staff from the College and begin the enrolment process.

Grade 10 students will have an individual interview time for their enrolment where a 30-minute block of time is allocated. It is strongly recommended, but not required, that a parent or guardian attends this interview. 

Please be aware that students wishing to enrol at Newstead College will be required to complete a ‘Course Planning Form for 2025’ with their families and, in consultation with their teachers, prior to their interviews. This document was sent home with Grade 10 students on Thursday, 31 October.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you did not receive this form or require any support.

The Grade 10 Leadership Team

Orientation Day is being held on Wednesday, 20^th November. This event allows Grade 6 students to spend the day at Riverside High School, meet their teachers and Grade 6 students from other schools. We ask that Grade 6 students assemble at Riverside High School’s Hall at 8:35am where they will be met by the Grade 9 Peer Mentors and directed to a Home Group session commencing at 8:45am. Please note that transportation to and from Riverside High School needs to be organised by parents/guardians on this day. The day will finish at 3:10pm. Whilst a BBQ lunch will be provided, students should bring their own drinks and snacks for the day.

A Parent Information Session will be held at Riverside High School on the evening of Wednesday, 20^th November commencing at 6:30pm. This session will provide parents/guardians with key information about our school and include a guided tour of our learning facilities. Our Prefect Elect will be on hand to direct students, parents, and carers. We look forward to seeing you there.

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Dudley via email karen.dudley@decyp.tas.gov.au or contact our office on 6327 6333.

House results:

1^st Place - Forrest 5237

2^nd Place - Lawson 5048

3^rd Place - Monash 4587

4^th Place - Kingsford-Smith 3613

Congratulations Forrest House!

Congratulations to the following students, who are the 2024 Riverside High Athletic Carnival Track and Field Champions.

This year’s Australian Mathematics Competition saw an impressive number of participants from our high school, with students across all grades taking part. The competition is known for its challenging questions that require not only mathematical knowledge but creativity in problem solving and logical reasoning.

We are proud to announce that several of our students achieved a Distinction or higher. In particular Nina L achieved a High Distinction, placing her in the top 5% of participants nationwide, and also ranking her as Best in School.

Nina L	High Distinction
Sophia L	Distinction
Yuxuan S	Distinction
Millie V E	Distinction
Maddie G	Distinction
Charlotte B	Distinction
Amy L	Distinction
Edie B	Distinction
Ethan F	Distinction
Fletcher J	Distinction
Ari K	Distinction
Rebecca T	Distinction

These results are a testament to the hard work and determination of our students, as well as the support provided by our dedicated mathematics teaching staff. Our school’s focus on encouraging participation in competitions like the AMC not only motivates students to stretch their abilities but also fosters a love of maths that can translate into future career opportunities.

Kylie Jago

Even though the end of the year is fast approaching, students at Riverside High are highly engaged and working hard in their Mathematics classes.

Students in Year 7 are exploring measurement. They are identifying the metric units used in Australia, comparing and converting different metrics, calculating perimeters of regular triangles, quadrilaterals, and circles, and exploring the area of rectangles, parallelograms, and triangles. Students will also explore 3D objects and how to calculate the volume of these objects.

Year 8 students have also started working on measurement this term. They have been using Pythagoras’ Theorem to calculate missing side lengths of right-angled triangles. Area and Volume will be the focus for the remainder of the term where students will need to apply their knowledge of shapes and formulas to solve questions.

Below are some images of students using clinometers in Year 9 Maths to measure angles and determine if our school Basketball Hoops and AFL Goal Posts meet the regulation heights using trigonometry. Students used their iPads to annotate their photos with the angle and horizonal length measurements to support their calculations. 

Year 9 Maths Extension students examine topics that are less often explored in the Australian Maths Curriculum for High School students. For example, in Term 4 we explored the mathematics of Matrices. The mathematics of Matrices provides some understanding of how, for instance, a computer can render and transform 3 dimensional representations of images on 2 dimensional screens. Matrices are fundamental in many other examples of applied mathematics in science, and in business and economics. The skills and ways of learning in Maths Extension translate well to help enhance overall mathematical knowledge and understanding.  It provides a great foundation for mathematical studies in and beyond Year 10.

Calculating angles and side lengths, using Trigonometric ratios, has been the work of Year 10 students this term. After revising their work from Year 9, students have been applying their knowledge to 3 dimensional problems as well as using compasses and true bearings to further develop their understanding of Trigonometry and its applications. Students will end this term by investigating financial calculations such as Compound Interest and Depreciation.

Our Maths Methods Preparation option students are starting to learn the basics of Calculus, in readiness for commencing their pre-tertiary maths courses next year. This is a challenging topic which involves analysing rates to begin with and calculating constant, variable, average and instantaneous rates, before moving onto motion graphs, then rates of change in polynomials.

We hope that all students have an enjoyable end to 2024 in their Maths classes and continue to improve their mathematical understanding long into the future.

Kylie Jago

Art is a human act. Art is Risky. Generous. Courageous. Provocative.

While it may be viewed by some as merely decorative, it is essential expression from one human to another. Creative expression is an innate need for our identity.

“Art invites curiosity, develops perspective, and with that comes tolerance of diversity and difference.”

Art nurtures the spirit and calms the mind.

Gary Tinterow, director of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Kenn McLaughlin, executive director of Stages

Learning through and about the arts enriches the experience of studying while at school as well as preparing students for life after school.

Artistic subjects encourage self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity.

Creativity can also help with wellbeing and improve health and happiness – RHS students have told us that their lessons were an outlet for releasing the pressures of studying as well as those of everyday life.

Studying artistic subjects can also help to develop critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world around us. At Riverside High School we offer a wide variety of experiences in our Visual Art rooms for students.

We follow the structure of and assess against the Australian Curriculum.

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/the-arts/visual-arts/rationale

Grade 7 students have 2 x 75-minute lessons each week. Over the course of the semester of art taster for Year 7, students are exposed to a range of materials, techniques and experiences such as: acrylic and watercolour painting, collage, sculpture, digital art, clay work and sketching. In Grade 7, students are given an introduction to the Visual Arts and are provided with an art journal for theoretical planning and some assignments. Pictured below are some examples of the Self-Portraiture unit, where students gained skills in proportion work, line, shading and more.

As an option subject in Grade 8, students have 2 x 75 minute lessons each week. They adopt a more methodical structure in their lessons and begin to develop their own aesthetic. They push boundaries and explore ways of enhancing their practice by looking at the work of artists and an assortment of styles/genres. Students start to develop more meaning in their artwork and use their art as a tool for expression. Their ceramic mugs along with their lino carvings were inspired by the works of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander artists.

In Grade 9 and 10, students also have 2 x 75 minute lessons each week. They are given the opportunity to explore the Visual Arts in detail. Students refine skills in portraiture painting and sculpture.  In 2024, students used oil paints to create beautiful Tasmanian landscape paintings inspired by a range of painters including Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander art makers. During their Ceramics Unit, students designed their own sculpture, inspired by a range of ceramic artists and styles. They persevered through the process of drying, patience, bisque firing and then painting their work. While it can be a tedious process, the disciplined method in making these sculptures is enjoyable and the end results speak for themselves. We congratulate students on their considered approach and willingness to develop skills in clay. Students also completed a printmaking unit based on the theme of trees, exploring first nations connection with trees and country, developing their drawing skills in their journals and then creating an edition of colour reduction prints.

In combination with class workshops using specific materials, along with set tasks and assignments, students are encouraged to develop their own inquiries. They are self-motivated and will now develop a body of work based on chosen themes, styles and techniques. Studying Visual Arts in Grade 10 will prepare students when making choices around the many Arts subjects on offer in Years 11 and 12.

Caz Saunders

What should you do if your child needs to leave school early?

For attendance register regulations students are required to sign out at the Student Admin Counter if they have to leave school early for any reason. Communication from parents/guardians can be via:

• Phoning the Administration Office which is open between 8:00am – 4:00pm (6327 6333)
• Using the Schoolzine App.
• 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 to 0418 140 427 (MGM OutReach)
• When LEAVING our school for an appointment, students must have a green leave form which has been signed by Admin Staff and an Assistant Principal.  The Leave Pass is preferably completed before school and must be left with a member of our Admin Team at the time of leaving.  The student must also sign out at the time of departure.   Students who sign out for appointments should sign back in at the Student Admin Counter on their return. 

Following this process ensures that students meet their parents for collection promptly without interrupting classes.   

If a student is feeling unwell or injured, the correct procedure is for them to get a signed pass from their teacher to go to the Admin office and ask for First Aid assistance.  The First Aid officer will then determine if the student is well enough to stay at school or needs to go home.  The First Aid officer will then contact parents/carers if the student needs to go home.  Could parents/carers please discourage their child from messaging or calling home during class time instead of going to First Aid.