When parents/guardians are exiting our school between 8:00 - 9:30am and 2:30 - 4:00pm on School Days, please note, turning right is prohibited. Violation of this rule may jeopardize your safety and others, and impacts on the traffic flow of our buses.

It has been a busy start to the year in the English learning area. Grade 7’s in Term 1 have focused on Making Meaning, reading a range of short stories and responding with creativity and insight through written and visual tasks. Term 2 shifted to Persuasive Writing and Speaking, where students developed strong arguments and delivered passionate speeches on topics close to their hearts. It’s been fantastic to see so many thoughtful ideas and confident voices - Grade 7 is full of great minds!

In Year 8, we started with a short story unit where students read a range of texts from both local and international authors. Students were challenged with creative tasks such as making comics, re-writing the story, and writing newspaper articles about a fictional crime. In Term 2, students completed an advertising unit, creating both print and video advertisements for their own designed product, showcasing their knowledge of persuasive techniques.

Year 9 started with a gothic narrative task in which students were asked to write a short story following the conventions of the gothic genre. This was followed by a Visual Literacy unit where students learned to decode visual messages of the world around them and make sense of colour, emotion, message and theme in visual texts. In Term 2, students have studied a movie text, exploring ‘The Hunger Games' and ‘The Hate U Give’ reflecting on the themes of the text by crafting an inquiry question relating to the themes and discussing this in a podcast or video essay format.

The Year 10’s spent Term 1 completing tasks connected to a detailed study of a major text. These texts included documentaries (Bowling for Columbine and The Cove), films (The Great Gatsby) and novels (Animal Farm and Lion: The Long Way Home). In Term 2, units were competed on Visual Texts and Poetry, with a focus on War Poetry.  This work will be further evaluated in the Year 10 exams, scheduled in week 2 of Term 3. In addition, Year 10’s will experience a Poetry in Action performance on War Poetry to bookend their work War Poets.

This week the Year 9’s and 10’s attended a performance of Bell Shakespeare – The Players, who presented two informative and engaging plays. ‘Such Sweet Sorrow’ (Year 9) and ‘Macbeth the Rehearsal’ (Year 10). These plays provided valuable exposure to the Shakespeare plays these grades will study in Term 3.

Ben Gadsby
Assistant Principal

Subject in Focus - English

Subject in Focus - English 2

On Monday, our Year 9 and 10 students attended a performance by the Players. The Players are Bell Shakespeare’s touring ensemble of professional artists who bring Shakespeare to life in schools and communities across Australia.

In preparation of their study of Romeo and Juliet, the Year 9 students viewed the play ‘Such Sweet Sorrow’ an innovative retelling of Shakespeare's classic play, with modern commentary interweaved with Shakespeare's original text. The play was an engaging and interactive experience for students and teachers that featured a cameo from Mr ‘Prince’ Downie. During the performance the actors discussed character motivations, highlighted themes and analysed language techniques and narrative devices.

With the Year 10s scheduled to study the story of Macbeth, the performance of Macbeth: The Rehearsal was an excellent introduction to the play. Essentially the students became a fly on the wall of a fictional rehearsal, with illuminating and entertaining results. They were able to discover key motivations, themes, language techniques and plot devices within an engaging contemporary narrative. They were also treated to some amazing witch poses from their fellow students, a Banquo ghost cameo and an Oscar winning performance from Mr Glover as King Duncan.

Ben Gadsby
Assistant Principal

This term, our students have truly embraced the joy and creativity of cooking, with Grade 7s starting the first ever full year optional course and the Enterprise students catering for a significant school function.

Grade 7: First Steps in the Kitchen

Grade 7 students have stepped into the school kitchens for the first time, learning essential cooking skills such as chopping, measuring and following recipes. Their enjoyment has been contagious as they’ve explored new ingredients and discovered the satisfaction of creating a product from scratch. The main focuses in Term 1 was the use of safe equipment, and understanding cooking terminology.

Grade 8: Advancing Culinary Skills

Building on this foundation, Grade 8 students have taken their culinary journey to the next level. With a focus on more complex cooking tasks, they have tackled multi-step recipes and experimented with flavours and presentation. In addition to their practical work, they have engaged in thoughtful research projects exploring the question: Why do we eat? Their investigations have covered cultural traditions, nutritional values and the emotional connections we have with food, adding depth to their understanding of the role food plays in our lives.

Grades 9 and 10 Enterprise: Real-World Catering

Meanwhile, our Grades 9 and 10 Enterprise students had the exciting opportunity to showcase their skills in a real-world setting. They successfully catered for over 100 guests at the Scott-Kilvert Memorial Assembly, demonstrating not only their culinary talents but also their teamwork, planning and professionalism. The event was a resounding success, with guests praising the quality and presentation of the food.

Prefects: Sweet Hospitality

Adding a sweet touch to Term 2, our Prefects delighted parents and teachers with freshly baked scones during the recent Parent-Teacher Interview Evening. Their warm hospitality and delicious treats created a welcoming atmosphere and highlighted the leadership and initiative of our senior students.

Exploring Early Australian Cuisine

Our Grade 9 and 10 Foods students have been exploring the rich history of early Australian cuisine, uncovering how settlers adapted to their new environment and began incorporating Indigenous ingredients into their cooking.
As part of their research, students explored traditional bush foods and the ways early settlers learned from Aboriginal communities to enhance their meals with native flavours. Their hands-on cooking sessions included making traditional damper, a staple of early colonial life, and baking iconic Australian biscuits that have stood the test of time.
This unit has not only developed their culinary skills but also deepened their appreciation for the cultural and historical significance of food in Australia.

Thor Porsbro-Pedersen

It has been a busy year of learning in the Materials, Design and Technology (MDT) area. Mr Musovic and Mr Bonney have been blown away by the improvement in student engagement, attitude and workmanship this year! There will be some wonderful opportunities for local employers to gain some excellent employees from our school in the coming years.

In Grades 9 and 10, students have engaged in several projects, either set by Mr Bonney, concentrating on skill development and following set processes or personal design dealing with planning and problem solving. Completed projects include Sash Clamps, G Clamp using recycled reo bar and a military style folding shovel.

In Wood, Mr Musovic has his Grades 9 and 10 students making a folding chair which look fantastic!

Grade 8 MDT students have been busy with a complicated folding seat project which has really challenged their measuring and marking out skills. The finished products were a credit to their perseverance and dedication.

At Riverside High School we are lucky to have an enthusiastic, hard working group of Grade 7 students who have completed numerous projects in Metal Work (metal brackets and a BBQ tool) and Wood (jewellery box, stools) to a high standard displaying their skills. They should be proud of their results.

We are looking forward to seeing what students can produce in the second half of the year.

Leigh Bonney

Our Senior Firsts Boys football team has now played six games in the NHSSA Senior Football Roster, where the team is currently sitting fifth on the ladder with a 2-win, 4-loss record. Although our win-loss record isn’t flattering, the performances to date have been very encouraging and the boys have shown a willingness to listen, learn and play with a team-first mentality throughout the six games. The best attribute demonstrated is their willingness to play different roles for the team, with a major focus on our ‘Effort Gauge’. The boys have become attuned to the correlation of our level of play to the effort they are putting into the game. We have been able to provide an opportunity to approximately 30 boys to play Senior Firsts thus far; with many of the boys showing Courage, Responsibility and Connection to the school and their peers to step up to a higher level. Many of our players are not involved in club football, so providing an opportunity to participate in Australian Rules Football continues to be a major focus of our school sports program.

Round 1:

Riverside High School 76 defeated Queechy High School 40

With a mix of boys that play club football and some that do not, our boys came together very well as a team and performed strongly in our first game against the Queechy High School team. With Ben W leading the way in the midfield, Nate C marking everything around the ground and Cross D rebounding many opposition attacks, the team was able to gather momentum and confidence as the game progressed to run away convincing winners.

Round 2:

Riverside High School 52 defeated by Kings Meadows High School 54

Playing away for the first time, the Riverside High School team suffered an agonising defeat, giving up 2 goals in the last 5 minutes to lose by 2 points. Liam O performed strongly in the ruck, Nate C was again a strong player around the ground, and Oliver G kicked 2 goals and linked up well playing across half forward.

Round 3:

Riverside High School 144 defeated Launceston Church Grammar School 6

Playing at home again under beautiful blue skies, the Riverside High School boys came out firing, flicking the ball around by hands and using excellent kicking skills to find teammates in scoring positions. Although the game was one-sided, the team once again showed great signs with their teamwork, understanding of roles, and their ability to listen to instructions. Loti N was excellent in the ruck, Oliver G again played a great role across half forward to finish with 5 goals, and Nate C continued his fine form. Many of our less experienced players continued to show growth with students like Mitch M, Charlie W, Keelan O-Q and Lachlan P growing in confidence each week. The boys continued to show great resilience, teamwork and sportsmanship.

Round 4:

Riverside High School 15 defeated by St Patricks College 88

Although we did not win the game, after quarter time we demonstrated a much-improved effort to compete against a very strong St Patricks College team. With an emphasis on our ‘Effort Gauge’ the Riverside High School boys were able to stay in the game after quarter time by competing harder in the contest. Loti N once again led the way in the ruck, Will F continued his fine form at full back playing on some very good key forwards, and Ethan S came back into the team to kick our only 2 goals as a small forward. 

Round 5:

Riverside High School 48 defeated by Queechy High School 56

In what was a hard fought and close encounter all day, the team went down to Queechy High School by 8 points away from home. This reversed the result from Round 1, highlighting the evenness of the Division 1 competition. With strong contributors all over the ground, Will F, Loti N and Charlie W have shone bright.

Round 6:

Riverside High School 39 defeated by Prospect High School 89

In extremely cold and windy conditions at Prospect High School, our boys were no match for a very strong Prospect High School team. After a slow start, Riverside High School was able to stem the bleeding somewhat, with an increase in our effort. Making his Senior Firsts debut, Angus C was our best player, continually attacking the ball and man with vigour. Lincoln W was a strong contributor through the midfield, and Lachlan P played his best game, running hard both ways to be involved on the wing.

With four roster games plus finals still to come heading into Term 3, our Senior Firsts Boys will be looking to string some wins together to ensure we finish in the top 4 to qualify for finals.

Adam Sanders
Sport Coordinator/Senior Firsts Boys Football Coach

The Riverside High School Senior Firsts Girls Football team has shown incredible growth and determination this season, led by the encouraging leadership of captains Olive and Maddison. Their guidance has helped the team develop strong cohesion and has seen a steady improvement in their skills and teamwork each week.

A standout feature of the team is the powerful midfield group consisting of Cammie, Mia, Nataya, Tori, and Kennedy, whose control and energy have been pivotal in both defence and attack.

A recent highlight was the impressive match against Prospect High School, where the team delivered a dominant performance. Olive led the scoring with 4 goals, while Tayah added 3 in just one quarter, showcasing the team’s growing confidence and attacking ability.

These girls should be incredibly proud of the improvements they have made each week, with everyone growing in confidence and ability.

Emma Groves

The Grade 8 Thursday afternoon soccer team has hit its stride this season, displaying a strong blend of talent, teamwork and tactical awareness. The players have quickly settled into their roles, achieving success not only on the scoreboard but also in their ability to collaborate and grow as a cohesive unit.

One of the most impressive aspects of the team’s performance has been their strategic use of the field. By spreading out play and passing wide into open space, they’ve created numerous opportunities for their fast-paced strikers to break through the opposition’s defence. This approach has led to exciting, high-energy matches and a growing confidence among the players.

Another standout feature is the versatility of the team members, with many players confidently taking on different positions across the field. This flexibility has allowed the team to adapt to various game situations, maintain balance, and support one another seamlessly, whether in defence, midfield or attack.

As the season progresses, the team continues to build momentum, demonstrating both skill and sportsmanship. I look forward to seeing how they develop further to finish the season strong!

Kelly Greatbatch

The Grade 8 Soccer Seconds have had a positive start to the season. For many of the students, this is their first time playing Soccer.

Our first game was a learning experience against Prospect. Despite the loss, students improved throughout the match and worked well as a team to limit their opponents scoring. The following week things clicked with the team’s first win against Star of the Sea. They were able to put together with some of the key skills learned from the opening game, such as defenders moving up the ground when in attack and helping the goalkeeper in defence.

A win at Kings Meadows was the highlight of the season. It was a competitive and high-scoring game featuring some great skills. Another outstanding effort was the win against Cressy as they demonstrated they were coachable, trying new things and positions.

We look forward to the roster resuming in Term 3 and to keep improving.

Adam Child

The senior netball roster has been in full swing with three teams heading to Hobler’s Bridge each week. The girls have been spectacular in their organisation, leadership, positive vibes and team spirit. This year we have teams in Division 1, 3 and 4 and all have seen great success so far. The Division 1 team started out in Division 2 and after grading, they landed themselves in Division 1. Apprehensive at the challenge, the girls stepped up and have seen success ever since with some highlights being a strong win against Prospect 33-22 in round 3 and dominating against an all-boys Campbell Town team in round 5. The team currently sits in 2^nd place overall. Our Division 3 and 4 teams have also remained strong throughout the roster with the 3rds sitting comfortably in 1^st place and the 4ths in 2^nd place with the highest shooting percentage in their division.

Some comments from the girls so far.

“The highlights for us so far have been the friendships made and being able to create memories for our last year of high school” Jontay

“We have seen success because we work together really well, we push each other and are super supportive.” Phoebe

“We are looking forward to spending more time with our friends, hopefully winning some more games, and hopefully making it to finals.” Lucy

Georgia Rolls & Amelia Wing

The Bay of Fires Youth Prize 2025 was open to all Tasmania students. The theme of the prize this year was “The Bush”. Our Grade 9/10 students took this opportunity to discover the colour reduction lino printing technique. They created beautiful prints based on their own, individual understanding and interpretation of “The Bush”. We had 3 finalists this year: Sophie, Sherman and Josie. We are so proud of our students and their work.

Caz Saunders

Over two exciting days, Friday, 20 June, at Newstead College and Tuesday, 24 June, at Launceston College, Grade 10 students from Riverside High School had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of college learning. These open days offered a valuable glimpse into potential classes for 2025, allowing students to explore subjects aligned with their interests and aspirations.

Students engaged in sample lessons, met passionate and knowledgeable teachers, and connected with peers from other schools who share similar academic and career goals. The atmosphere was one of curiosity, collaboration, and enthusiasm, with students asking insightful questions and actively participating in discussions. Their exemplary conduct throughout both days was a testament to the values upheld by our school, Respect, Responsibility and a commitment to lifelong learning.

Teachers and college staff praised the students for their maturity, engagement and willingness to step out of their comfort zones. Whether navigating new environments or initiating conversations with unfamiliar faces, Riverside students demonstrated the kind of leadership and integrity that will serve them well in their future educational journeys.

Following these open days, students attended the first of three Transition Days on Wednesday, 25 June. This event marked a pivotal moment in their preparation for Year 11, as they began canvassing career options and exploring pathways for 2025. With presentations from a range of providers, including vocational training organisations, industry representatives, and tertiary institutions, students gained valuable insights into the opportunities available to them after high school.

The day also provided a structured space for students to continue developing their Transition Plans, reflecting on their strengths, interests, and goals. It was inspiring to see students take ownership of their futures with such thoughtfulness and determination.

As we look ahead to the next two Transition Days, the foundation laid during these events promises a confident and well-informed cohort ready to embrace the next chapter of their education.

Grade 10 Leadership

Grade 7 students who are constantly and consistently demonstrating our school values of Courage, Growth, Connection, Respect and Responsibility. They are making the most of their learning opportunities and are a much-valued part of our school. In align with the Riverside High School vision, aiming to ensure every child is “known, safe, well, and learning”, our school sees you and we want to know that this excellent behaviour and consistent approach to being your best does not go unnoticed.

This week we ran the first of many reward lessons, where we had the opportunity to provide two students from each Home Room a chance to connect with others in their Grade and be rewarded for their outstanding start to high school. Fun and laughter were on the menu in the kitchen, as well as delicious Honey Joys and Chocolate Crackles.

Congratulations to the following students:

7A – Hugo and Callum
7B – Mackenzie and Thia
7C – Josie and Evalie
7D – Rosa and Emma
7E – Griff and Reuben

Who will be rewarded next for their effort and attitude?

Mrs Kelly Greatbatch and Miss Melissa de Jong
Grade 7 Leaders

Reconciliation Week Excursion: Bringing Now to Next

On Wednesday, 28^th May, students in manina Kanamaluka group were invited to participate in a unique opportunity to connect with Country, culture and history, led by palawa man Greg Murray. As part of our National Reconciliation Week events, Reconciliation Tasmania provided this opportunity for our students to go on a cultural guided walk through the Cataract Gorge and the QVMAG First Tasmanians exhibition.

NAIDOC Week: The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy

NAIDOC Week activities in the courtyard this week have given students an opportunity to connect with cultural practices and celebrate our First Nations peoples.

This included a visit from Marie and Joel from Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania to showcase a collection of precious artefacts from around Lutruwita/Tasmania in line with the Year 8 Geology Unit.

Activities in the courtyard included a free BBQ with seasoned mutton bird and kangaroo meatballs, ochre painting, string bracelet making and native seed planting. We were also lucky enough to see some shell necklaces kindly brought in by Mrs Pennington.

Friday will see more activities including a dancing lesson with Djuka and basket weaving with Bianca.

At Riverside we celebrate mobs from all countries across Australia and the Torres Strait Islands, but Lutruwita/Tasmania is our favourite.

Happy NAIDOC Week!

Deadly Choices: A Deadly Choice is a Healthy Choice

Manina Kanamaluka students have completed an 8-week course with a focus on Healthy Lifestyle Choices delivered by Cody and Christine.

This included a popular visit from Tyrone Roberts who is a rugby legend and Deadly Choices ambassador.

Jodi Flakemore

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

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
• 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 is injured, they need 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.