From the Principal
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
Welcome back to Term 3!
This will be a particularly big term for Year 12 as they finalise their studies of all HSC courses in preparation to begin their HSC exams in mid-October.
Trial HSC Examinations
Trial HSC exams begin in Week 3 Monday 4 August. We have prepped Year 12 with study tips, wellbeing and self care tips and time management tips to prepare them for the exams. This is the last major assessment for all HSC courses and, generally, constitutes the most significant component of the assessment weightings. Suffice it to say, all Year 12 students should be working seriously and consistently to prepare themselves strongly for their exams. At the completion of exams, reports will be written and final assessment marks submitted to NESA. These, for the most part, constitute 50% of the students’ HSC result (subjects with practical components have a different percentage weighting). Year 12 Graduation will take place on Thursday 25 September from 5-7pm in the Hall.
Further to this, the Year 12 study space will be opened for Year 12 to access during study periods. This is a privilege that acknowledges the extreme pressure that many of our HSC students are feeling at this time. We wish all Year 12 well during this stressful time and, as always, remind them that we have School Counsellors, a Student Support Officer and teacher mentors available to support them through this important period of high school.
Incredible Student Achievement
I would like to congratulate Mila J, Isabela M-M, Evie W and Kira S for their outstanding efforts in being selected as finalists in the Reelise film festival competition. There is a report from Mila and a link to view their video below – voting and the video opens on Monday 28 July. Please click on the link to vote for them to support their efforts to win this competition. They are talented students and storytellers who deserve to have our backing for this wonderful achievement.
We are a team of year 8 students who have entered the REELise film festival 2025. REElise is a not for profit charity in Australia that uses film making to educate young people about mental health challenges and to create a safe environment for young people. In addition to this they run many different workshops about filmmaking and storytelling as well as hosting an annual film festival/competition for people ages 12-24
This year’s theme was “Connections”, and we entered our five minute film “Strangers in the Dark” into the competition recently. We were really pleased to find out that our film came in as one of the 20 finalists for this year and will be playing at the Ritz cinema on the 23rd of August! Now, we need your help to win, as the winners are determined through a voting process. We would be extremely grateful if you could vote for us amongst the finalists.
To vote, find the code in the description of our film in the REELise YouTube channel under 2025 finalists. You can enter the code in the voting link below. Voting opens on the 28th of July. Please tell your friends, family, and as many people as you can think of to vote for us, as it will only take a minute of your time (or 6 if you decide to watch our film.)
We would really appreciate your votes and we highly encourage you all to enter the film festival next year or any other competition as it was a hugely beneficial experience for us all and helped develop our creativity, film making, acting, communication skills and storytelling.
Thank you!!
https://www.youtube.com/@REELiseFilmFestival
Isabela M-M, Mila J, Kira S and Evie W 😁
SRC elections
Nominations for the 2026 SRC close this afternoon. It is my absolute commitment to cultivating aspiring leaders across all year groups and I have encouraged that students consider their leadership skills and attributes if considering putting themselves forward for school leadership. I had a few students come to see me to clarify my expectations of the leadership team and to discuss their leadership potential. I always enjoy these conversations with students and value the time I get to spend motivating and inspiring bright young minds and leaders. If your daughter has expressed an interest in nominating herself for the leadership team, she has all day today to get the nomination in (via the Google Doc link in her DoE email). Students will then be required to present a 2-minute speech to their peers after assembly on Wednesday. We have many leadership opportunities and I look forward to the outcomes of the election process. A date for the diary: the Riverside School Leadership Induction will be on Friday 19 September from 9:30-10:30am.
Staff changes
In Term 3 we welcome Dr Pandejee to our Maths faculty. She is a highly qualified, passionate educator who has big shoes to fill in replacing Ms Sullivan, who has taken up a position in another school. Mr Saad will also return on a part time basis.
HPGE Interviews
In other exciting news, Ms Gleeson, Ms Hendriks (Year 7 Year Adviser 2026) and I are currently in the throes of our selection interviews for students who have applied and tested to enrol in the HPGE program for Year 7 2026. It is a wonderfully exciting and inspiring process for us to meet and interview these passionate, bright young students who are committed to excelling in their learning at Riverside. We had a record-breaking 68 applicants for the program this year with all of the candidates we have interviewed so far of a very high calibre. We have also received a record-breaking number of enrolments for Year 7 next year. The secret of Riverside is getting out!
Have a fantastic weekend.
Louise McNeil
Principal
Faculty News
Science
Year 8 Science
Students of 8T participated in an experiment this week to investigate whether drinking water after physical activity changes your heart rate. Students were engaged in action learning in the stunning outside air while completing the task, which included undertaking activities that would raise their heart rate - star jumping, push ups and running, then resting and continuing to measure their heart rate. As the photos suggest, Mr Gorrez's learning strategy was a winner!
Co-curricula Activities
Girls In Property
Being part of the girls in property program was one of the most rewarding projects I have taken on. Our exploration of buildings at the top end of design, such as the Commonwealth Bank, provided insight and inspiration for our own design. The best part of the project overall was the designing process of our actual building. With the help of our industry experts, William and Oliver, who helped refine our ideas, we were able to create a solid foundation for the project we ultimately completed. Gathering price quotes, working as a team, and continually refining design features helped us gain a sense of what it would be like to take on projects in the real world. It gave school days a freedom I did not know was otherwise possible and allowed us as a group to both express ourselves in creative ways and expand on our communication skills. Overall, the girls in the property program inspired our group to unleash the creative ideas we had come up with and explore them more deeply in a setting where we felt in charge and free to do so.
We would like to sincerely thank Ms Soares, Mrs Low and Ms Hearne for all their support; Mr Young and Mr Russell for their guidance throughout our journey.
Bita A
Co-Curricular Dance
We return to Semester 2 with some great news – Company Sapphire (Twilight) and Company Topaz (By Endurance We Conquer) have been selected to perform at the State Dance Festival in September. Also, Company Aquamarine (Rise) has been placed on the reserve list for the festival. An amazing achievement by all involved. We have also been successful in our audition to perform at the Ryde Schools Performing Arts Festival in November. We look forward to these performances.
Ms T Mitchell
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