From the Principal
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
I hope you have all had a wonderful week.
It has been another incredible week of achievement at Riverside so I thought I would begin with some highlights…
Congratulations to the following students for their incredible performances and results at NSW CHS Athletics last week:
Eloise D - 12 Years
- 1st - High Jump
- 4th - 80m Hurdles
- 11th - 200m
Emma L - 13 Years
- 7th - 200m
Bella F - 14 Years
- 2nd - 200m Hurdles
Jacqueline P - 14 Years
- 1st - 4x200 Metre Relay 3rd - High Jump
- 6th - Pentathlon (open age)
Mikayla D - 16 Years
- 5th - Shot Put
- 6th - Discus
- 10th - Javelin
Charli N - 17 Years
- 5th - 400m Hurdles
- 6th - 100m Hurdles
Zara P - 17 years
- 1st - Pentathlon
- 5th - Long Jump
These are outstanding performances from our elite athletes who demonstrate in all that they do that commitment, dedication and pure hard work is the key to success, in all domains; physical, intellectual, creative and socio-emotional. We look forward to what happens next for these talented young women.
NSW Public Schools State Dance Festival
I had the great pleasure of attending opening night of Elevate, the NSW Public Schools State Dance Festival at the Seymour Centre on Monday night, with the added thrill of our dancers making the back cover of the program! Quite the honour. Congratulations to our dance teachers, Ms Mitchell and Ms Hendriks, for their expert and dedicated nurturing, teaching and choreography of this talented group of young dancers across four extra-curricula dance companies. They were magical and poised in a series of captivating performances, both representing Riverside, Sydney North and the State Dance Ensemble.
It was an extremely awe-inspiring production which may have brought a tear to my eyes, as the proud principal and a genuine dance fan. Congratulations for another wonderful Riverside achievement.
English Extension 2 Showcase
And, in the next instalment of achievement, congratulations to the staff and students involved in the wonderful English Extension 2 Showcase on Tuesday evening – Year 12 English Extension 2, Ms Philpott, Ms Purisima and the English faculty - such a joy to watch! The talent, quality and diversity amongst the HSC major works made for a truly captivating and engaging evening. The presentations of works by the student creators, including film scripts, poetry, short stories, podcasts and literary analyses, were a true reflection of the deep knowledge and understanding, effort, creativity and collaboration that has formed the implementation and execution of the course for the past three terms. A true credit to the dedication and commitment of the students and Ms Philpott in creating such high level intellectual and creative HSC assessment works.
Student Leadership Induction Ceremony
It was with great pleasure today that I officiated over our Student Leadership Induction ceremony for the incoming Student Leadership team and SRC. As principal at Riverside it always gives.me such pleasure to welcome in our new School and Vice Captains, Performance and Sports Captains, Prefects and International Student Leader, as well as our House and House Vice Captains and SRC members for each year group. It was a formal occasion with the student leaders and student audience treating it as such. I was proud and honoured to be able to welcome the parents of the leaders to share in this auspicious occasion. We then capped it off with a light morning tea. I am delighted that I can now formally introduce to you our Student Leadership Team for 2026:
Year 12 Graduation Week
Year 12 Graduation Week begins on Monday 23 September. All students are aware of the expectations and parameters around their conduct and phone use. There is a timetable of approved events and activities with which Year 12 will comply to ensure that this tradition remains a tradition for the years to come. It is a wonderful way to farewell Year 12 and to provide a culture whereby each successive year has the opportunity to participate in the fun and emotion of finishing thirteen years of schooling. We wish Year 12 all the best for their final week of high school next week and look forward to hosting all Year 12 students and their parents at our Graduation on Thursday 25 September at 5:00pm.
Exciting upgrade news!
Air-conditioning
It is with great excitement that I announce that installation of air-conditioning in all non-airconditioned rooms and spaces will begin on Monday. These works will continue with minimal disruption to learning, although I don’t think anyone will complain about being re-roomed under these circumstances! The only thing that will interrupt work is the HSC but, other than that, the project should be complete by the time students return to school in 2026. I am delighted that this is finally happening for our students and teachers.
Yarning Circle
We also have a Yarning Circle, a project initiated at no cost by a local business, beginning construction next week. This is a wonderful project 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.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Louise McNeil
Principal
Faculty News
Science
Honouring Our 2025 Science Cohort
This week we celebrated our 20th annual Science BBQ, an event honouring our hardworking and dedicated Year 12 Science students—and the 2025 cohort is no exception! We are truly grateful to have taught such attentive learners, students who not only shared in our passion for Science but also embraced their own curiosity in the pursuit of answers.
This much-anticipated lunchtime tradition brings together students and teachers to mark the end of a rigorous academic journey. It offers a well-deserved pause from the demands of exams and assessments and a chance to celebrate achievements in a relaxed and joyful way.
A highlight of the event was the presentation of the Charli Awards—a playful collection of light-hearted accolades that celebrate the unique personalities and memorable moments that made this year’s classes so enjoyable. These awards remind us that laughter and individuality are just as important as hard work and perseverance.
We are incredibly proud of our Year 12 Science students for all they have achieved. Their commitment, determination and enthusiasm have not only enriched their own learning but also helped foster a vibrant and dynamic classroom community. As they move into the next chapter of their lives, we wish them every success and hope they carry forward the skills, knowledge and curiosity gained from their science studies. Congratulations to all!
Ms A Nikic
Co-curricular Activities
State Dance Festival
It was an outstanding achievement for Riverside to have two successful items included in the program this year. The dancers represented their school, and the Sydney North region, with the utmost respect and pride.
As their teacher and choreographer, it has been an absolute pleasure to watch them bring their works to life and to see them take this fantastic opportunity to share the strength of dance at Riverside with the rest of the state.
Well done, Dance Company!
Ms T Mitchell
Zone Final Round 1 Premier's Debating Challenge
A huge congratulations goes to our Team A Stage 4 debaters who are the Zone Final Round 1 winners!
Emily H, Zali C, Ellie L and Amelia K showed outstanding team work and speaking skills in their online debate this week against Ryde Secondary College. Speaking for the negative team, each student displayed insight and mounted powerful rebuttals in what was a close debate. Their ability to argue at length was particularly noticeable and a result of their hard work over the past two terms.
Thank you also to Charlotte R and Jess R for timekeeping and chairperson duties.
Good luck girls in the next round of the competition!
Ms C Mulcahy
Stage 4 Debating Coordinator
Beach Volleyball
A huge congratulations to our Riverside competitors so far in the Beach Volleyball Schools Cup Tournaments over the past two weeks. Riverside has completely dominated the competition with outstanding results. This is the first time we have ever entered this tournament, and it certainly won't be the last after such fun filled days. A huge thank you to the student's coach Mr Jeremy Leung who has put so much time and energy into giving our students the best opportunities possible.
Well done to the following teams:
- Year 11 - Silver (Nina T and Grace L) and 4th place (Jasmine L. & Leanne C.)
- Year 9 - Bronze (Sophia B, Lucy H, Claudia F)
- Year 8/7 - Gold (Kiara P, Sunny I, Erin S, Claire W)
We still have Hana L & Skylar S to play in the Year 10 division so stay tuned in next week's newsletter for the results!
Ms Hendriks
2025 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge
Congratulations to our 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge Superstars!
These amazing students have turned the pages, discovered new worlds and completed the challenge.
We are so proud of your hard work and love of reading!
Year 7
- Freya B
- Emily R
- Erum S
- Claire W
Year 8
- Mila J
- Sandhya J
- Amelia K
Year 9
- Sophia B
- Dania F
- Arabel K
- Shikha S
Year 10
Sophie K
Well done, Readers!
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
Community Notices
The MQ Business Builders Camp (1–3 Oct at Macquarie Uni) is a 3-day startup accelerator for Years 9–11 students with a business idea, giving them real-world skills + a Uni microcredential.
What they’ll learn:
- How to validate an idea with customer feedback
- Lean Startup principles + building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
- Prototyping, business model design, and pitching
- Insights from real founders
- How to showcase their idea in a final pitch event 🎤
It’s a mini accelerator program co-designed by the Macquarie Business School and the MQ Incubator – a really unique opportunity for entrepreneurial teens to gain practical, future-ready skills.
More and rego here: https://events.humanitix.com/teen-business-builders-camp