From the Principal… What a Wonderful Introduction Monday Night’S Parent Information and Dinner Night Was to the Exciting Year That Lies Ahead
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PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE 02 FEBRUARY 2018 From the Principal… What a wonderful introduction Monday night’s Parent Information and Dinner Night was to the exciting year that lies ahead. We have had some great feedback and clever ideas already shared between your homes and Riverside and the was a sense of unified confidence as discussions, presentations and questions all blended into a memorable evening where ‘community’ was the focus. Yes, we have yet to create the new name and identity of the parent/school committee that will soon be established, but the clear direction for Riverside should make the role of that group quite vivid. Most of the awesome and brilliant milestones and learning occasions at Riverside occur unrecorded. The wider family of Riverside and the community around us just misses out on seeing, hearing and celebrating these successes and even hilarious failures. Hopefully, as we connect more frequently and fully, this will happen less and less. A photo here, a funny story there, a student narrative published or a quick note home – these are going to be celebrated and shared more because the connection between us all is stronger, clearer and better. Those of you who were unable to eat and chat with us this week are welcome to arrange to meet the teachers in the weeks to come. Please do! We have handouts which may be of interest to you regarding how what and when you children will learn a huge range of things in 2018. Have you caught up with the things that are new for this school year? There are so many! We have a new choir and music teacher, Mrs Poots, who has already begun training our voices for future performances. The students have begun caring for the stretch of the Ross River behind the school. We started Genius Hour for the entire school, which is injecting some project-based learning skills into the program and will culminate, each term, with each group sharing their findings, creations or ideas with the parents which can attend on the last day of that term. Activities in Term 1 include basic carpentry, quilt-making, river ecology, gardening and cooking. We look forward to seeing these projects unfold over the next 8 weeks. Teachers have spent a ridiculous amount of time and energy in preparing for the start of this school year and I know that they believe it will be an even greater year of learning if our parents can contribute or connect more through the course of the average week. We have been so appreciative of the many parents who have already become active in reading, fruit chopping, office support, tuckshop preparations and even the careful construction of new sports equipment. Keep an eye on these newsletters through 2018 as it can be easy to just place your trust in the school and then divorce yourselves from this critical phase of your child’s life-long learning journey. The parents most involved will be the ones most appreciative of the efforts that will be expended by all the students and staff. We have excellent teachers, excellent student leaders, excellent support staff and some pretty cool events to look forward to. 50 years of Riverside Adventist Christian School. This year has been prayed over, planned for and thought about for some time. I think 2018, and not just for the nostalgic ones like me, will not quickly be forgotten. God is already a step ahead, preparing the way, I believe, so we just need to lean on His almighty arms and relax! Enjoy the caring, expert program I believe will be delivered 2018! Mr Ian Humphries Riverside Prayer From February 5, please join us on Mondays at 7pm in the Riverside Adventist Christian School library for a short time of prayer. We will be focusing on expressing gratitude to God for His goodness, praying for the school community, and listening for His leading. If you are unable to attend, we would love you to take a moment at this time to pray for the school wherever you are. Thank you! DATES TO Pick up Zone REMEMBER Please keep in mind that the pick-up and drop-off zone will continue to work as it did in 2017. The left (outside lane) is for FEBRUARY 5 those wishing to drop or pick up without leaving your vehicle. The Prayer Group Library 7pm right (inside lane) is for those who are wishing to find a park so that you can walk along the marked pathways to enter the school. The FEBRUARY 6 roundabout is a one-way, clockwise roundabout and we ask that S.A.L.T. Meeting you always consider the safety of our students and their families as you drive in and each time you move off to depart. FEBRUARY 7 Parents and Riverside Together Guitar Lessons (Postponed til FEBRUARY 19) Andrew Kaye is our guitar teacher again this year. He will be doing lessons on Thursdays and the cost $15 for 1/2 hour lesson. For FEBRUARY 12 Andrews account details and to book in please call the office. Prompt Payment Fee Deadline Arrival/Departure Times! FEBRUARY 19 Please make sure you drop your children to Riverside AFTER Jump Rope 8:20am. There is no duty teacher until that time and we want to avoid the large crowd of students that seemed to form before FEBRUARY 27 school (sometimes before 8am) in 2017. Thank you for your RACS Swim Carnival cooperation and understanding. Pick up at the end of the day needs to be before 3:35pm. If you have an emergency reason to MARCH 2 be late, please just contact the office earlier so that duty teachers Clean up Australia Day are not left standing there way past that time. (The record last year was 5:15pm!) MARCH 6 Initial Reports Riverside Way S.A.L.T. Meeting No doubt most of the students know this way better than their teachers! In 2018 we are basing our whole school values MARCH 8 program around the 8 ways. Each term, we will cover 2 of the Riverside Ways and build knowledge and learning around them. Parent/Teacher Conferences At assembly and Big Worship we will refer to the ‘ways’ and it will find its way into the classroom values themes, too! MARCH 12 Inter School Swimming Carnival MARCH 15 Mums & Dads Day MARCH 18 Queen’s Baton Relay MARCH 19 WOW - Week of Worship Queen’s Baton Relay Principal’s Award Miles Venables - Speaking positive words and encouraging others. Prep & Year 1 Eli Robertson - Keeping our class clean. Years 2 & 3 Auraya Poots - For showing kindness to others. Years 4 to 6 Elluka Robertson - Working consistently in all subjects. PIANO LESSONS WITH MRS HUMPHRIES COST: $20 for 30 minute lesson ADDITIONAL COSTS: Music books as necessary ¦ Books will cost approximately $15 each ¦ Each student will initially be required to purchase a lesson book and theory book *If your child has had piano lessons previously, and you would like them to continue using the books you already own, please contact Mrs. Humphries. PAYMENT: Payment is required four weeks in advance. DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A PIANO OR KEYBOARD? Piano lessons are most effective if your child is able to practise what they have learned. For this reason, piano lessons will only be offered to students who have regular piano or keyboard access. TIME: Lessons will be held in the school library immediately after school. Initial time slots have been filled, but if you would still like to book your child in for piano tuition, please leave your name and preferred contact details with Mrs. P at the school office, and we will endeavour to negotiate additional times. My Vocal Coach Australian Idol finalist Estelle Poots is joining the Riverside staff to deliver the singing techniques she has garnered from more than two decades of studying the voice. Estelle will be spending 30 minutes a week with each class developing their vocal technique and the skills required to be part of our whole school choir. Estelle will spend an additional 30 minutes teaching the choir as a whole. Estelle is passionate about developing children's confidence through singing, at an age where this can quickly be lost if not nurtured and supported. "Every child is born a singer with perfect vocal technique. It's remaining one that is the challenge". Estelle's own journey has taken her from singing with the likes of Jessica Mauboy and Reigan Derry in Australian Idol, to LA to study the very techniques taught to the stars. Estelle worked with internationally renowned vocal coaches Seth Riggs (Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Madonna) and Brett Manning (Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban). Estelle was the first Australian to study with Brett Manning in Nashville and she has been his international associate for over a decade. Estelle is returning to vocal coaching after having her third child and is relocating to Townsville in 2018. If your child has a particular interest in singing and performing, Estelle will be offering private lessons throughout school hours. You can contact Estelle on 042983312 to secure a free consultation as part of My Vocal Coach's 2018 introductory offer Choir On Thursday this week, all Riverside students enjoyed their first day of singing classes with Mrs Poots. Years 2-6 formed a choir for their first rehearsal. The first song the students will learn is ‘You Know Better Than I’ performed by David Campbell. If parents could support their child in familiarising themselves with this song, it would be most helpful.