This year ANZAC Day was commemorated in our school holidays.  The Student Leaders from Riverside High School which included the Prefects, Peer Mentors and Student Grade Council members attended the service and march.  Jack and Isha, our Head Prefects, laid a wreath on behalf of Riverside High School. While Anzac Day is a time for public commemorations, it is also an opportunity for private reflection, whether people attend a community commemoration or not, we pause and reflect on the contributions service men and women have made for more than a century since the First World War. Riverside High School received a thank you letter for the support our school gave to the Launceston RSL Sub-Branch in the conduct of the ANZAC Day Civic Service.

Last week the Year 9 students in their Grade Assembly had Commodore Alison Westwood as a guest speaker.  Commodore Westwood was appointed to the role of Director General Joint Cyber Warfare – Force Development. Born in Launceston, Tasmania, Commodore Westwood joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1991 and commenced her early career as a Maritime Warfare Office, serving as an Officer of the Watch in HMA Ships Tobruk and Sydney 1996-1999. In the assembly, Commodore Westwood spoke about her time as a student at Riverside High School, her career pathway, exploring the options that are available in the defence force and pursuing your passion and interests.  We thank Commodore Westwood for her presentation and are fortunate enough to be able to have her visit again in the future.

Inter-High Athletics

The Inter-High Athletics Carnival was held at the St Leonards Athletic Centre on Thursday, 27^th of April.  Riverside High School competed in the Division 1 carnival and again placed first in the junior and senior shield and overall carnival.  We thank all students for their participation, sportsmanship and the determination which they showed when competing in the difficult wet weather conditions.

Interim Reports and Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

At the end of Term 1, Interim Reports were sent home with students. The report provides an indication of how your child has settled into their learning this year by providing behaviour and conduct ratings in each subject area. The report at this stage does not include academic achievement ratings.

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews will be held in Term 2. Details regarding how to book these interviews have been sent home with students on Monday. At the interviews, teachers will be sharing a work sample or evidence of learning from your child. We encourage all students to attend the interviews with their parent/guardian. Our interviews will be held on:

Monday, 15^th May – 3:30pm – 5:00pm

Tuesday, 16^th May – 3:30pm – 6:30pm

Special Presentation – Nathan “Dubsy” Want

This week students had the opportunity to listen to a very engaging and motivating presentation by Nathan “Dubsy” Want.  “Dubsy” will be a speaker at the Resilient Kids Conference on Saturday, 6^th May at the Door of Hope. “Dubsy” is a dynamic speaker and author who focuses on issues which relate to adolescents. Thank you to the West Tamar Council who supported the presentation to our students. The key aspects covered in each of the year groups are described below.

Year 7 Social Media Words Matter: Understanding the Impact of Online Bullying and Promoting Digital Respect

Year 8 Identity Navigating Your Identity and Embracing Your True Self

Year 9 Choices: Empowering Teens to Make Good Choices

Year 10 Respect in All Areas: Building it into Your Daily Life

Staffing

Dale Freeman has been working at Riverside High School for 18 years.  He has led the MDT Learning Area in Metals, Wood, Automotive and Design and Engineering.  On Wednesday, 10^th May, Mr Freeman will be leaving the Department to pursue other interests on the mainland.  Mr Freeman has supported many students at Riverside to gain an apprenticeship, school-based apprenticeship and work opportunities.  He will be greatly missed by the Riverside High School community and we wish him well.  As you can imagine, replacing Mr Freeman’s specialised skills in the MDT area has been challenging given the current teacher shortage.  We want to assure our families that we are doing everything possible to source a teacher for this learning area.

Student Behaviour Management Policy

Riverside High School, along with all other Tasmanian Government schools, is committed to providing students with a learning environment that supports them to be the best they can be. We work hard to provide safe, supportive and inclusive environments where your child can engage positively with their learning.

To strengthen the way that schools prevent and respond to bullying, from Term One 2023, all Tasmanian Government schools will have implemented the Student Behaviour Management policy. This policy replaces the existing Respectful Student Behaviour Policy.

The important change between the old policy and the new policy is that now all schools will have the same minimum standards for preventing and responding to bullying. The new policy also has a clear definition of what bullying is and sets clear expectations for how we support students impacted by bullying.

These changes mean that the way Riverside High School prevents and responds to bullying will meet the same standards as all other Tasmanian Government Schools. Some schools may incorporate different programs or measures to respond to bullying, but all will have the same foundation.

For more information, please see the Staying Safe in Tasmanian Government Schools parent fact sheet at https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/parents-carers/parent-fact-sheets/staying-safe/

Winter Uniform

Students are now required to wear their winter uniform.  We have high expectations in regard to students wearing the full school winter uniform and we thank parents/guardians for their continued support and encouragement of this. Our uniform supports a sense of pride, belonging and respect and also ensures students are easy to identify. 

Riverside High School Uniform Policy

The purpose of the Riverside High School Uniform Policy is to promote social equity in terms of clothing, ensuring that students are safe, easy to identify and enhancing a sense of pride within our school. Please refer to the Riverside High School Website.

Mobile Phone Policy

Just a reminder to students that mobile phones must be switched off and locked in lockers for security.  Mobile phones need to be placed in lockers before class teacher time of a morning.  Please be aware that if you need to contact your child at any time during the day this can be done via the School Admin Office.  The Riverside High School Mobile Phone policy reflects the DECYP requirements for all schools.  Students who wear ‘smart watches’ must have them set to aeroplane mode when at school.

Sun Protection Policy Riverside High School

Our school has a sun protection policy for students and staff to ensure appropriate sun protection behaviour is implemented. Riverside High School is now recognised as a SunSmart School!

Did you know that Australia has amongst the highest rate of skin cancer in the world? Damage to our skin begins when the UV Index reaches 3 or more. It builds up year after year and increases our chances of developing skin cancer in later life. As students are at school during times when ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels are highest, our school plays an important role in minimising your child's UV exposure.

Your child's health and wellbeing are very important to us. Our sun protection policy will ensure that we minimise student’s exposure to the sun and provide an environment that positively influences sun protection behaviour. The main elements of the policy include:

• All students are encouraged to wear a bucket hat when the UV Index is 3 or above (these hats protect the face, ears and neck – caps are not appropriate). The bucket hats are on sale for $19.00 at the uniform shop.
• The use of minimum SPF30, broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen is required.
• Sun protective clothing is part of the school uniform/dress code.
• Skin cancer prevention will be included in the school curriculum.
• Outdoor activities are rescheduled, whenever possible, to minimise the time outdoors when UV radiation is at harmful levels.
• The school has sufficient shade or is working towards increasing shade in the school grounds.
• The sun protection policy will be implemented throughout the year.

We are committed to the future health and well-being of your children, and your support is very important if our sun protection policy is going to succeed. You can help by acting as a role model to your children, this includes:

• adopting sun protective behaviour such as Slip! Slop! Slap! Seek! and Slide!
• talking to your child about the importance of sun protection at home;
• encouraging your children to adopt sun protective behaviour when the UV Index is 3 or above (visit myuv.com.au to find out your local sun protection times), and
• sending your child to school with bucket hat.

Should you have any questions regarding the new policy please do not hesitate to contact the school on 6327 6333 or email riverside.high@decyp.tas.gov.au.

Ms Jeanna Bolton
Principal

Start Term 2 right by making every school day count!

Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow and connect with their mates and teachers. Its where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most.

When your child goes to school every day, it helps them to:

• learn better.
• find interests.
• make friends.
• connect with teachers.
• be happier.
• have a brighter future.

We have lots in store for this term, including the start of Wednesday Sport for Grades 9 and 10, Thursday Sport for Grade 8s, Launceston Drama Competitions, House Challenge Day, Write a Book in a Day, Science & Engineering Challenge and Intra State Athletics.

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.

To find out more, visit the Anything can happen website.

Levies are one of the many ways that families contribute to our school community. Levies support student learning by contributing towards the cost of essential items and services.

Payment of 2023 levies are now overdue.

How do I pay levies and charges?

Levies can be paid:

• At the school (by EFTPOS, cash or cheque)
• Via our School Qkr App- choose Levies option
• At Service Tasmania (by EFTPOS, cash or cheque)
• Through BPAY (using the Biller Code and Reference on your invoice)
• By mail, forward your cheque, money order or credit card details to the school, with the payment slip from your invoice attached (payable to the Department of Education)
• Using Centrepay, a service provided by Centrelink.

You can choose to pay your levies by instalment by contacting the school to set up a payment plan of regular instalments. Payment plans can tailored to suit your financial situation.

Can I get help with school levies?

There are a range of options available to support families with the costs of schooling.

• You are eligible for the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) if you hold a Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card, or Pensioner Concession Card. Once you have applied for STAS, you will not need to pay any levies. You may apply online (https://www.education.tas.gov.au/parents-carers/parent-fact-sheets/fees-levies/), or collect a paper application form from your school office.
• Families receiving STAS can access the Spectacles Assistance Scheme to support children who require spectacles.

Who can I talk to about levies?

If you are experiencing financial difficulty or financial hardship, and none of the support options above will work for your family, you can contact our School Business Manager, Cynthia Pearce on 6327 6333.

Personal information relating to levies will always be treated with total confidentiality.

The levies and charges we receive from families supports our school to deliver learning opportunities for all students. Thank you for your contribution.

We are delighted to welcome Angela Fitzallen to our Grade 8 and Home Economics teams.

During the holidays two students from Riverside High represented Tasmania at the 100th Track and Field championships competing against the best junior athletes in Australia. This event was held in Brisbane over four days where PJ and Izzy contested in their respective events. 

PJ competed in the U17 400m against a field of 22, coming 7th in his heat.

Izzy competed in the U17 heptathlon (100m hurdles, high jump, shotput, 200m, long jump, javelin and 800m), 100m (5th), 100m hurdles, long jump and the U18 4x100m relay and was lucky enough to gain two medals. She attained a gold in the heptathlon making her the Australian Champion, having consistent events placing in the top three. Izzy also earned a silver in the hurdles with a big personal best. 

Congratulations to Aurora and Lachlan who competed in the 2023 Schools Cross Country Championships at Carrick on Saturday, 29 April. Aurora placed 1^st in the U/17s and Lachlan placed 3^rd in the U/15s.

During Term 1, the Short Film Making short course was enjoyed by a class of enthusiastic students keen to create short films. In the lessons, students looked at what a short film is, camera techniques including camera angles, and scripting via storyboards.

The Grade 9/10 students formed groups or decided to work individually on a film between 2-5 minutes. The ideas were varied with action, drama and comedy stories put to film as well as different ideas such as claymation and weather reporting. Finn, who was creating a weather report shot in front of a green screen, had the opportunity to speak with WIN News reporters Brent Costello and Alex Johnston who gave their advice about presenting to camera.

The course will continue in Term 4 where students will further develop their skills and create more films to present to their classmates. 

Adam Child

We had a wonderful week in Penrith, NSW, Monday, 27^th March – Friday 31^st March.

Grade 8 Team Convergence (Lucy, Nandali, Loshini, Will and Dan) placed 2nd Overall in Development Class. This is a wonderful achievement for a group of Grade 8 students.

Listed below are the results:

Convergence

Development Class Overall 2nd Place

Best Industry Collaboration

Best Managed Enterprise

Best Verbal Presentation

2nd Grand Prix

2nd Knockout Racing

3rd Fastest Lap

Peregrine

2nd Knockout Racing

2nd Grand Prix

4th Fastest Lap

Adrenaline

6th Knockout Racing

7th Fastest Lap

Adrian Smith, Richard Gregory & Annette McCarthy

Our Grade 9 Team Building and Wellbeing Day was held at Windsor Park on Monday, 3^rd April. This day was highly successful and it was wonderful to see our Grade 9 students working supportively to complete a range of team challenges. We certainly fulfilled our goals which were to enhance our students’ wellbeing and to assist them to build group cohesion and strong connections and working relationships with both their teachers and peers. Our Team Building and Wellbeing Day also allowed students to extend their communication and interpersonal skills and promote trusting and respectful relationships and reinforced our Grade 9 slogan or motto which is ‘Working Together to Create Great Opportunities’.

The event concluded with the delivery of speeches by those students who have nominated themselves to be members of our Grade 9 Council. We were thrilled that 47 students in our grade have applied to be of service to our school by being a part of this leadership group. We have been extremely impressed both by these students’ written applications as well as their speeches which showed tremendous thoughtfulness and civic mindedness as well as a strong commitment to our school and to upholding Riverside High’s values of Courage, Aspiration, Respect and Endeavour. Congratulations to all these students on their incredible efforts and willingness to give back to our grade and school. Further information regarding our Grade 9 Council will be provided in subsequent newsletters.

During the day, all teachers were asked to nominate two students from each class group who consistently demonstrated positive teamwork, support and effort. We are extremely proud of these students. Their names are:

9.1 - Imogen and Sophie 

9.2 - Isabelle and Addie 

9.3 - Wes and Emelia 

9.4 - Ella and Charlotte 

9.5 - Lily and Kenzy 

9.6 - Finn and Harvey 

9.7 - Skyla and Lachlan 

9.8 - Georgina and Olivia 

We would also like to express our gratitude to our amazing Grade 9 Team who put considerable time and effort into providing our students with this invaluable opportunity to develop their teamwork, leadership and interpersonal skills.

The Grade 9 Leadership Team

On Thursday, 27^th April, our Grade 9 students were fortunate to have a very special guest address our assembly.

Commodore Alison Westwood is a proud former Riverside High School student who was promoted to Commodore in December 2022 and was appointed to the role of Director General of the Joint Cyber Warfare – Force Development. Born in Launceston, Commodore Westwood joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1991 and commenced her early career as a Maritime Warfare Officer, serving as an Officer of the Watch in HMA Ships Tobruk and Sydney between 1996 and 1999. Following this, Commodore Westwood embarked on a career in Intelligence, deploying in various platforms, both surface and sub-surface, with Command Staff to the Middle East and as the senior intelligence officer for the Middle East Region at Australia’s Joint Task Force Headquarters. Commodore Westwood’s staff experience spans across operational and strategic headquarters levels within the intelligence community and Navy, including roles within Navy Communications and Information Warfare, Director Navy Intelligence, Submarine Operations at Headquarters Joint Operations Command and Navy personnel management.

Commodore Westwood generously shared a number of career highlights and experiences with our Grade 9 students and provided them with extremely helpful information regarding the numerous career pathways which are available in the Armed Forces. She concluded her presentation by sharing a number of insights and inspiring thoughts with us including the value of surrounding yourself with a strong team, the need to demonstrate resilience and learn from mistakes and the importance of pursuing your passions and interests.

At the conclusion of Commodore Westwood’s presentation, Emelia and Finn kindly delivered a vote of thanks and a token of gratitude on behalf of our Grade 9 students. This was then followed by a number of students having the opportunity to speak with Commodore Westwood and pose questions about the Armed Forces and future career pathways. 

We would like to take this opportunity to again thank Commodore Westwood for so generously giving up her time to address our Grade 9 assembly and provide our students with an extremely informative and inspirational presentation.

The Grade 9 Leadership Team

On Monday, 1^st May, all students in Grades 7, 8, 9 and 10 received a letter to take home explaining how to make bookings for our upcoming Term 2 Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews. Our Parent/Teacher/Student Interview Evenings will be held on Monday, 15 May from 3:30pm to 5:00pm and Tuesday, 16 May from 3:30pm to 6:30pm in Building 2 (our Grade 9/10 area, located directly above the Administration area).  This will give both families and teachers an opportunity to discuss how to best support students’ ongoing learning.  Students are strongly encouraged to attend with their parents/carers.  Interview appointments are for 10 minutes. 

Please be aware that some staff are part-time and their availability will be shown in the booking system. For these teachers and others who you may find are fully booked on the night, please make contact with them directly through our School Administration Team to make alternative arrangements.

Here are the steps involved in booking a Parent/Teacher/Student interview: 

• Go to schoolinterviews.com.au and enter the code 8t5xg. Alternatively, you can scan the QR Code featured below.
• Enter your details and select your preferred meeting type.
• Select RHS from the subject drop-down menu.
• Select the teachers you wish to see from the drop-down menu.
• Select the appointment times that best suit your family.
• Click on Finish. Your selected bookings will be emailed to you immediately. If you do not receive your email, please check your junk-mail and/or enter the event code again and check the spelling of your email address. Update your details if the email address is incorrect. Please do not delete the email you receive and keep it somewhere safe as you may need to refer to it at a later date. Please add your appointments to your calendar as we are, unfortunately, not in a position to send reminders home.
• Bookings must be finalised by Friday, 12 May at 3:00pm.
• If you need to view, cancel, change or print your bookings, please click on the confirmation email you received after you made your bookings or return to schoolinterviews.com.au and enter the code and the email address you used when you made your bookings.

We look forward to seeing you at our Parent/Teacher/Student Evenings.

The word amazing doesn’t quite sum up the performances and attitudes of the students who represented Riverside High at the Inter-High Athletic carnival held at St Leonards.

There is always a feeling of anxiousness when representing the school in athletics. There is a certain expectation from the previous teams who have represented the school, to return to school with the three shields. A lot of this pressure comes from the fact that Riverside High School has won the overall shield for the past 32 years. This year, the question was asked. Has there ever been a more successful sporting team in Australia? To go 32 years undefeated is an outstanding achievement and one that each and every team that represents Riverside at the Inter-High Athletic carnival wants to build on.

As always, our students represented the school with pride, passion and a determination to give it their best and leave nothing else behind. The message to the team before leaving the school was focused on ‘pushing yourself’. If your running in 4^th place, ‘push yourself’ to get to 3^rd, run past that person in front of you. Each time we do this, we will gain more points. If someone is catching you, ‘push yourself’ and don’t let them pass you.

The students took these words out with them and turned them into action. Not only were there outstanding individual results with athletes recording lots of 1sts, but there were also many 2nd and 3^rd places. Riverside High School won the Junior and Senior Shields and the Overall Aggregate Shield for the 33rd year in a row!

Congratulations to all the students involved. The students displayed outstanding sportsmanship, tried their best and represented the school with pride and passion.

A special congratulations to Isabella who broke the Grade 10 Girls 100m and 200m records with times of 12:24 seconds for the 100m and 25:37 seconds for the 200m. It was a real honour for Isabella’s peers and teachers to witness such a talented athlete.

A special acknowledgement of our Health and Wellbeing Prefects who attended the carnival with the team. They provided support to their peers and teachers all day, in very trying weather conditions.

Finally, thank you to Ollie who was the official team photographer. Ollie is a very talented photographer who volunteered his time to capture the amazing performances of our students throughout the day. Thank you Ollie.

Toby Musovic

We are Zoe and Izzy, and form part of the Executive team alongside Max, Isha and Jack. Zoe is the Deputy Head of Community as well as our board’s Secretary, while Izzy is Deputy Head of Wellbeing: Courage and our boards Liaison. We are so excited to be a part of such an enthusiastic board and can’t wait to bring some exciting events for everyone in 2023!

My name is Izzy. I am a member of the Executive and Wellbeing Portfolio. This role has already been such a great experience for me, from working with an awesome board and teachers, to being able to share student voice, to all of the opportunities that I am extensively grateful for. In my spare time you’ll find me at an athletics track and the rest of my time hanging out with friends and family. Track is a huge part of my life and has definitely helped me go for this role as my training group certainly bought me out of my shell, alongside my leadership journey starting in primary school expanding my goals to becoming a Prefect. I am beyond thankful for my role on this board and look forward to a year full of fun, success and growth in our school.

Hello, I’m Zoe. I am a member of the Executive and Community Portfolios. As part of the Executive Portfolio, I work in collaboration with the other executive team members to organise ideas and acknowledge events which will be discussed further in whole board meetings. As part of the Community Portfolio, I work in conjunction with the rest of the community team to implement a great sense of togetherness and belonging at Riverside High School. As mentioned earlier, I am also the Secretary for the Prefect board. As Secretary, I am responsible for helping implement clear communication among the board by recording minutes from meetings and creating an agenda which will ensure upcoming meetings run smoothly.

In my free time I take delight in several activities such as drawing, baking, traveling, producing music, programming, photography, writing and watching movies. Making time for these calming activities ensures that when I return to school, I am prepared to work diligently. I am very grateful to have received this valuable position as Prefect. I look forward to working with the Riverside High School community and am always available to listen to any student’s opinions and suggestions.

With Term 1 already past, the Prefect Board is prepared to keep up the momentum by planning and initiating a number of engaging activities for the Riverside High School community to get involved in. We, Zoe and Izzy, as well as the whole Prefect Board wish you a wonderful Term 2.

Izzy & Zoe

On Wednesday, 3^rd May, the Prefect Board along with Ms Saunders attended The Door of Hope for a Team Building and Planning Day. The Board was joined by our Principal, Ms Bolton, as well as Cynthia Pearce, our School’s Business Manager.

Ms Bolton talked to us about being leaders of our school and things we need to work towards this year and Ms Pearce talked to us about our up-and-coming Sidefest which will be held in late October.

As a Board, we participated in a range of team building exercises to bring us closer together, as well as brainstorming ideas for our legacy and ways to improve our school community.

Kate & Sungchae

On Monday, 3^rd April, we held our first School Association meeting.  The School Association is a wonderful group of parent/guardian representatives that provide feedback, ideas and support for our school community.

The School Association AGM will be held at 7:00pm on Monday, 8^th May, in our School Conference Room, followed by a general meeting.

School Association Annual General Meeting

Monday 8^th May 2023, at 7:00pm

The School Association is made up of the parents, staff and community members of a school. It is an important part of the school, working with the Principal to achieve shared outcomes for learners attending our school and for the benefit of the whole school community. Membership of the School Association provides a forum for the sharing of knowledge and skills. It provides members with a way to participate and support the school. We highly value members input and involvement.

Our Annual General Meeting is on Monday, 8^th May 2023 at 7:00pm at Riverside High School followed by our usual Association meeting. If you are interested in nominating for our School Association Committee or would like to attend our meetings, we would welcome your attendance and input. For 2023 we have several vacancies on our committee. Nomination forms can be collected from our Administration Office. If you would like further information or would like to chat to one of our current School Association Committee Members please make contact with Jo Wing, Chairperson jowing@live.com.au or Belinda Jones, Secretary belindaandpeter1@bigpond.com.

Link to School Committee Handbook; https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:2888dd95-ef95-3ba5-a66f-37f05cc517b6

Resilient Kids Conference is being held at Door of Hope on Saturday, 6^th May from 9:30am- 3:00pm.

This conference is now in its 7th year and this is the second time we have brought this national event to Launceston. This event is for parents, educators, carers, foster carers, Youth Leaders and anyone who works with children and teens.

Key presenters include:

Maggie Dent- parenting expert and author or Raising Boys and Raising Girls.

Michelle Mitchell- Tween expert and author- her latest book is 'Tweens'- what kids need now, before the teenage years.

Dr Karen Young- anxiety specialist and author of 'Hey Warrior'.

Dr Justin Coulson- parenting expert, author, and co-host of Channel 9's Parental Guidance.

Flyer and a link to purchase tickets.

https://www.resilientkidsconference.com.au/launceston-2023/

Website is:

https://www.resilientkidsconference.com.au/

Congratulations to the following students in receiving Certificates of Merit for Outstanding Effort in the Interim Report.

GRADE 7

GRADE 8

GRADE 9

GRADE 10