From the Principal
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
Welcome to Term 4!
HSC begins
This week has been a big week for our Year 12 students as it heralded the beginning of the HSC. It is always wonderful to see our students each morning and afternoon and to be able to wish them well in their exams – I don’t think it’s necessarily lovely for them but I hope the smiling faces and calm words are reassuring in some small way.
Congratulations to all of our HSC students for their positivity and strength in approaching the first week. Only four or five exams left to go! Stay well – eat, sleep, exercise and interact with family and friends in purposeful and meaningful ways to ensure you stay strong of body and mind.
A big thankyou to HSC readers and writers
Thankyou again to all of our Year 10 and 11 amazing readers and writers who are supporting students with disability provisions to complete their exams. Our HSC students couldn’t succeed without the support and commitment of these wonderful students. Also to our amazing SLSOs who work tirelessly with our students, during their exams and on camp, to ensure all students are able to access academic and physical learning experiences at Riverside. We are a very lucky school to have such dedicated and professional support staff and students.
Year 12 Graduation Flashback
It seems like forever ago that we formally farewelled Year 12 at the Graduation on Thursday 25 September. It was a wonderful, celebratory occasion attended by families and dignitaries, including Jerome Laxale MP, Member for Bennelong and Mrs Zoe Williamson, President of the P&C. There were awards aplenty, music, dance and drama performances and, amongst it all, laughter, claps and tears. We have included a collection of snaps from the evening to add to your collections.
Year 11 Camp
Year 11 students had a wonderful camp this week. It was incredible to see so many exhausted faces, despite the camp only being one night! By all accounts, the activities and experiences were excellent and supported the cohesion and resilience of the cohort in preparation for them to take on the rigours and demands of the HSC. Thankyou to the outstanding efforts of Ms Ghorra, in organising the camp, and the accompanying teachers – Ms White, Ms McNeil-Dean, Mr Gorrez, Dr Pandejee, Tara and Angelique. The girls had an absolute ball and truly appreciated the participation and energy of Ms Ghorra and her team.
Year 11 Reports
Year 11 reports are currently being finalised ready for distribution in two weeks. It is always a pleasure to read through the academic achievements of our students and to share in their successes and areas for reflection.
Exciting upgrade news!
Air-conditioning
The air-conditioning project is coming along full steam. It has been put on hold until the completion of the HSC but will begin again once exams finish on Friday 7 November. Everyone is very excited.
Yarning Circle
We are now the proud custodians of a Yarning Circle, a project completed at no cost to the school by a local business. This is a wonderful outdoor learning space to honour and respect the traditional owners of our stunning school setting and to connect our learning to the stories, customs and practices of the Wallumedegal people. Such a wonderful, enriching opportunity for outdoor teaching and learning at Riverside and one for which we are most appreciative. There will be an official opening for the Yarning Circle, in collaboration with the company, Adina Solutions, and local elders.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Louise McNeil
Principal
Year 11 Camp
Year 11 Wellbeing Education Camp at The Collaroy Centre
Year 11 students from Riverside Girls High School travelled to The Collaroy Centre on day 1 of Term 4 for their Wellbeing Education Camp. The focus of the camp was to continue developing and refining their teamwork, leadership and outdoor adventure skills.
The group enjoyed a range of activities including coastal walks, a Dance competition, high ropes and the rock climbing wall - these were designed to build confidence and resilience. Students also had the opportunity to take in the stunning beach views, sight a whale and reflect on their personal and group achievements around the dinner table in the evenings.
What the students said:
“What a beautiful view!”
"Look, it's a whale!"
"I'm feeling very calm and inspired"
“The climb wasn’t even that bad.”
“Tara is a WEAPON!”
“I liked testing my resilience to keep going, even when I was tired.”
“Can we go on CAMP again!”
A huge thank you to Ms McNeil Dean, Dr Pandejee, Mr Gorrez, Ms White, Tara Chilcott and Angelique Silk for their support and contribution to the smooth running of the camp. We appreciate your presence and mentoring of our wonderful Year 11 cohort.
Ms A Ghorra
Faculty News
Maths
Mathematics Incursion- Year 9 & 10
On the first day of Term 4, students in Years 9 and 10 had the opportunity to participate in an engaging workshop led by the team at Inquisitive Minds. This fantastic event was generously funded by our P&C.
Problems – Patterns – Pictures – Puzzles
The workshop immersed students in hands-on mathematical problem-solving activities. During the session, students:
- Extended their understanding of strategic problem solving
- Collaborated on a diverse range of original, hands-on problems
It was a delight to see the students apply their mathematical knowledge to solve these puzzles. Many prize winners were celebrated throughout the day.
Here are some comments from our students:
In year 10 Mathematics we have applied numerous areas of learning throughout the year. At Riverside we were given the opportunity to partake in the ‘Inquisitive Minds’ maths incursion, which was an interactive experience that tested both problematic and logical thinking through a range of activities. These activities motivated us to collaborate and strategically discover problem solutions in a competitive game-style environment. Each group aimed to complete these challenges for the chance to win a very generous chocolate prize. Questions completed gave points, and points brought each team closer to the prize.
The majority of students found the incursion really fun, especially with the chocolate rewards and brain teaser, mathematical challenges. The maths activities ranged from easy to difficult levels, allowing students to choose their difficulty level, therefore making it inclusive and achievable for everyone. The activities were mainly centred around probability, algebra, and other areas we have learnt throughout Year 10. Overall the incursion was very enjoyable and we hope to have more opportunities like this in the future.
10 Mathematics Applied – Zoe, Rylie and Jasmine
"Inquisitive Minds Maths was probably the first time I genuinely enjoyed Mathematics. The people gave me hints and helped me understand and apply different aspects of learning into small hints. Also since the teachers were involved, the overall community was involved and engaged. Even the kids who don't concentrate in class were very into the games and played along!!! Overall, I genuinely enjoyed my time with the people involved." student from 9MAE.
Ms E Macintyre
Co-curricular Activities
Schools Spectacular Rehearsals - Combined Dance
We welcome our students back to Term 4 with a Schools Spectacular Dance rehearsal straight away on Tuesday out at Netball Central, Sydney Olympic Park. A selected group of 16 dancers from Years 8–10 have the exciting opportunity to work with other public high schools across the state, learning choreography from The Arts Unit’s specialist dance teachers. We have many more rehearsals to go throughout Term 4 before our students perform their segment in the Schools Spectacular Shows on November 28 & 29 at Qudos Bank Arena. More information to come soon as we hope to see you there supporting our students or watching the televised version on Channel 7 in December!
Ms T Hendriks
Write a Book in a Day
On Wednesday 24 September, students from Years 7, 8 and 9 participated in the annual Write a Book in a Day challenge. Working in small groups, the students were tasked with planning and writing a complete short story - complete with illustrations, a cover, and a blurb - all within just 9.5 hours.
Each group was provided with a set of story parameters to inspire their writing, and all seven teams rose to the challenge, producing imaginative and creative pieces. Their completed books were submitted to be published and distributed to children’s hospitals across the country.
Not only was this an incredible creative achievement, but the event also supported a meaningful cause, raising funds for children with cancer. The books created will now be enjoyed by young readers in hospitals, bringing them comfort and entertainment during difficult times.
The day provided students with the opportunity to showcase and extend their skills as writers, illustrators, and editors, with the finished works highlighting both their creativity and strong teamwork.
"I had a great time writing, designing and creating a unique and original story with my team mates. The parameters for our story helped us to make it more distinct and to think outside the box. I also got the opportunity to meet kind, new people that I wouldn't have met otherwise. I enjoyed the creative freedoms and it was an amazing educational experience!." - Zara E, Year 8
"Taking part in the Write a Book in a Day event was honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I had such a great time editing the story, sketching out ideas, and connecting with my teammates. It was not only fun, but also a chance to connect with people in a really creative way. The challenge taught me how to stick to a strict schedule, follow a word count, and work within the rules. And the parameters actually pushed us to rethink parts of our original plan, and in the end, the story turned out even better than we imagined. I'd definitely do it again next year, and I'm already looking forward to it" - Sneha d-M, Year 8
“This is my 3rd year in a row participating in Write A Book In a Day, and I had so much fun. I was incredibly glad to meet and engage in the funniest and most heartwarming conversations with Amy, Zara, and Madison today. I am looking forward to working with them in this competition again in the following years.” - Dania F, Year 9
Careers
Please visit https://riversideghscareers.com/ for the latest information on careers and life beyond school. You can use this site to locate universities, TAFE and any other type of course across Australia, information about the HSC and job vacancies. Feel free to drop into the Careers office if you have any questions.
Ms J Low and Ms T Soares
Dates for the diary
P&C
If you would like to volunteer for various P&C activities, please sign up via the link below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHE1OojbX6yWoo85D7kbRofz_1TmQOixDenmj-b-AkkxoJ4Q/viewform