Yours Sincerely,

Brendan Krueger

Foundation Principal

Year 11 Subject Selection Changes for 2023

With exams and assessment finishing for our current year 11 students it is timely for students to review their subject choices and pathways for 2024. If there are any students who would like to update their pathway and wish to change subjects for 2024, please speak with Mr Gerchow or Mr Robson before 10^th November.

USI

Any students undertaking a VET course in 2024 are required to have a USI (Unique Student Identifier). A USI is an individual’s education number for life and creates an online record of your Australian training achievements. Any students who don’t currently have a USI can apply for one at the Australian Governments USI webpage.

 

YEAR 10 EXAM BLOCK

With the start of November, we have now only a few short weeks left with our year 10 students before they start their exams and then finish school for the year. Year 10 exam block will be held from Monday 20^th to Thursday 23^rd November.

To help assist students and ensure that the exam block runs smoothly we ask that parents please take note of the following information.

• Year 10 students are only required to attend school for scheduled exams or VET catch up sessions. Students must arrive at the beginning of the exam session and are to wear correct uniform.
• When required for a scheduled exam session, students must remain in the designated exam room for the entire scheduled session with their teacher.
• Year 10 students at school at any time other than an exam session or lunch break, will be working in the designated study classroom. The study room is a supervised room and a roll will be marked each lesson. Student’s expectations are to work quietly and independently.
• Any VET students with outstanding modules of work will be required to attend VET catch up sessions during the exam block. Students will be required to attend these sessions until all required work is completed.

Todd Robson

Deputy Principal - Year 11 - Pathways & Partnerships

trobs20@eq.edu.au

We are halfway through Term 4 and the end of the tunnel is near! As we close the term, there are few remaining key agenda items that need to be completed before capping off a wonderful year within the Junior Secondary world. 

Year 7 Orientation Day:

Our current scheduled day for the Year 7 Orientation Day is Friday the 1st of December.  This is an opportunity for the Year 6 students transitioning into Year 7 to experience a full day on campus.  All students will be involved in fun curriculum activities from Period 1-3, with Period 4 being our "House Activity" session that will be run by our Year 7 Coordinator - Mrs Easdale, Sports Coordinator - Mr Clifford, & myself as HoD Junior Secondary.

Invitations have been sent out to families who have successfully completed the following:

• Returned completed enrolment forms
• Registered or attended an enrolment information session

Families who have not been sent the invitation have not yet completed one or more of the following:

• Awaiting supporting documents for enrolment forms
• Not yet returned their enrolment forms

Please be sure to also check junk/spam folders as the invitations may be here.

Year 7 2024 Transition Presentation:

We recently had the priviledge of visiting our feeder primary schools to present to future Year 7 Ripley Valley SSC students. This presentation is another process involved with delivering key information to our future students and to help nullify any concerns they have about coming to high-school. Although, most of the questions that the students and staff were asked were about having a personal laptop, and buying cool things from our Rewards Vault, so it's safe to say all students left feeling a little less anxious!

Year 8 Subject Selections:

Year 8 subject selections are all complete, and thank you to the many staff and students involved in this process. All students have been placed in their preferred electives, however, it is key to note that some electives will only run on one semester, not both - this is mainly due to student interest. If your student is looking to change their subjects, this can done in Week 1, Term 1, 2024. 

Term 4 Rewards Day:

On Monday 4th December (Week 10), students who have successfully met all the requirements will attend the Wet'N'Wild Rewards Day. For your child to attend they also need to complete the application form through the link here:

Ripley Rewards Form

Ripley Rewards Form 144.36 KB

This needs to then be sent to the following email address: YCO@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au 

Dance Academy:

Congratulations to our Dance Academy students for their final performances this year at Showcase and Awards Night! These events have wrapped up their final performance tasks for the year and they have now moved onto their choreography task. This task is where students can get creative with their dance technique as they work with their group to come up with their own contemporary routine. Students are required to demonstrated the emotion of either love or hate through their complex contemporary phrases, the use of a prop, a relationship between the dancers and the incorporation of a motif.  

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me through the email address below. Have a great remainder of the term.

Head of Department - Junior Secondary - Year 7A to 7D

jdunn232@eq.edu.au 

Moving on from RVSSC?

Are you moving on from Ripley Valley SSC next year?  Please let one of our friendly office staff know as soon as possible.  This will assist us greatly to ensure that library books, computers and accessories are returned and any refunds due to you are processed.

Student Laptops - end of year break

Students with accounts that have been paid in full, have an acceptable direct debit plan or are regularly making Centrepay payments will have access to their computers over the end of year school break.

If there is a balance owing on your account, the computers will be collected on Thursday 30/11 for Year 10 and Friday 1/12/2023 for Years 7, 8 & 9. 

Please feel free to email the school office at any time regarding balances on accounts or statements administration@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au

2024 Student Resource Scheme (SRS)

Following are the SRS parent information letters for each year level which outline the inclusions and cost of the 2024 SRS.

The invoices for the 2024 SRS will be emailed to all families by Friday the 9th February, 2024.  These invoices will be for the full amount payable for the year, payment plans are available and will be able to be set up once the invoices have been generated.

If you have elected to pay in instalments, the 3 payment due dates are

• 1st instalment due            Friday the 16th February
• 2nd instalment due           Friday the 10th May 
• 3rd instalment due           Friday the 9th of August

Payment Options

BPOINT – Use the link in the box at the bottom left corner of your invoice, this will take you directly to the payment screen to enter your details.

Phone payments using Credit/Debit card – Call 1300 631 073 Option 2. You will need your Customer Reference Number (CRN) and Invoice Number from the bottom left corner of your invoice.

In person at the office– The payment window will be open for EFTPOS, cash or cheque payments Monday to Friday 8am – 12pm (other times by appointment).

Individualised payment plans by Direct Debit - Set and forget. If you would like to set up a direct debit payment using your bank account or credit card, email paymentplan@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au with the date you want the payments to start and how often you would like the payments made e.g. weekly ($27.00 over 25 weeks) or fortnightly ($56.25 over 12 fortnights).

Centrepay Deduction - Payment by Centrepay deduction can also be arranged through Administration.

Year_7_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information.pdf

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Year_8_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information.pdf

Year_8_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information _pdf 463.81 KB

Year_9_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information.pdf

Year_9_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information _pdf 773.26 KB

Year_10_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information.pdf

Year_10_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information _pdf 759.60 KB

Year_11_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information.pdf

Year_11_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information _pdf 769.80 KB

Year_12_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information.pdf

Year_12_2024_Student_Resource_Scheme_SRS_Parent_Information _pdf 648.19 KB

Michelle Mills

Business Manager

Departing Families

As we enter the final few weeks of 2023 it is important for any families who aren't returning to the College in 2024 that all IT equipment must be returned by the end of the year. This includes the laptop, charger and case. 

• For year 10 and 11 students, please return these items by Thursday 23/11 by 2.45pm
• For year 7 - 9 students, please return these items by Friday 1/12 by 2.45pm.

These dates are at the conclusion of exams with all assessment having been completed by this point in time.

This only applies to students who are not returning in 2024. Students and families who will be returning to Ripley Valley SSC in 2024 are able to keep their laptop over the holidays as long as SRS payments are up to date. 

If you are leaving Ripley Valley SSC at the end of this year and not returning in 2024, we wish you well and thank you for your time and support in partnering with us on your child’s education journey.

Year 9 Laptop Returns

As our year 9 students transition in to their senior education pathway, they will also transition to a new laptop for year 10 in 2024. In order to support students’ transition and be able to use their device immediately in 2024, students will be given their device in week 9 of this term.

In order for students to be eligible to collect their laptop at the end of this year they must:

• Have returned their current laptop, case and charger by the start of week 9
• Be up to date with 2023 SRS payments

Any students who do not return their current laptop, case or charger or have outstanding SRS payments will be able to collect their device once these have been corrected. 

 MICROSOFT ONE DRIVE – BACKING UP FILES

A common occurrence when students bring in their devices for repair is to hear that their files haven’t been backed to anywhere other than the laptop hard drive. While this isn’t a problem in itself, it becomes an issue if the hard drive is corrupted as all files are then lost. An easy way for student to avoid this problem is to use Microsoft One Drive to back up their files and save them to the cloud as well as on their laptop. For more information on how to sync your device to back up to the cloud please follow the link to Microsoft’s support guide.

School Laptop Expectations - Being prepared for learning

We are seeing an increased number of students coming to school with laptops that have not been charged. Please ensure you have a system at home to help remind your child to put their laptops on charge each night so that they are prepared for learning each day.

Chargers are NOT allowed at school as they are a safety hazard. Student laptop batteries are made to last all day - and if they are not lasting a school day, they need to visit Tech Support.

Students are also required to bring their laptop case to school each day, and have the Ripley Valley sticker on their laptops at all times as it provides extra protection for their device. Cases are $35 to replace, and stickers are $10 to replace. If you have any questions please email:

tech@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au 

Todd Robson

Deputy Principal - Year 11 - Pathways & Partnerships

trobs20@eq.edu.au

It has been a busy term in the mathematics department with assessments, feedback and celebrating students’ achievements. RVSSC held their annual awards evening during week 3 and the following students were awarded for their excellent achievement in mathematics throughout this year. Congratulations to all students.

Year 7: Hannah R

Year 8: Christina T

Year 9: Samarra R

Year 10 Foundation and SCN: Kiera L

Year 10 General Maths: Maiya D

Year 10 Extension Maths: Rose S

Year 11: Essential Maths: Aaron D

Year 11 General Maths: Ava H

Year 11 Mathematical Methods: Seth M

As we approach the end of this term, we are heading into a busy assessment period for all our students. It is important that students continue to work diligently until the last day of school to finish the year on a positive note.

Assessment schedule for Years 7 – 10 for remaining assessments:

Our year 11 students have already completed all the assessment tasks for this year and have now started with unit 3 content. The content covered during this term will prepare students for 1^st internal assessment (IA1) in term 1, 2024 that will count towards their ATAR. IA1 is a problem solving and modelling task and makes up 20% of their final mark in General Maths and Mathematical Methods. Mathematics department is looking forward to preparing our first cohort of year 12 students next year to achieve their absolute best in mathematics and post school pathways.

General Notices:

• All students should be prepared for class, every lesson by bringing a scientific calculator, notebook, stationary and a charged laptop. Please support your child to be prepared for learning to ensure we can maximise our teaching & learning time.
• Mathematics tutoring is available every week. Tuesday at 1^st break and Thursday at 2^nd break in CG01. All students are welcome. This will start week 2 and finish in week 8.

Haranoop Singh Goraya

Acting Head of Department - Mathematics - Year 9A to 9D

hsgor0@eq.edu.au 

Term 4 has been busy in the Science department with our students fast approaching assessment periods and engaging in a variety of student experiments to demonstrate their learning. Our Year 7 students are all exploring the relationship between mass and distance trravelled in the context of spear throwers for our Physics unit. Students have been practicing the technqiue with tennis balls and dog ball throwers this week in a guided inquiry task and will start to develop their own assessment experiment next week. 

Our Year 8 students are finalising their fast and slow cooling igneous rocks experiment this week which has produced some amazing crystals. Students are comparing the properties of igneous rocks formed above and below the ground and specifically looking at crystal structure and size. After this week they will be moving into studies about the Earth's movement including volcanoes and earthquakes.

Our Year 9 students have been exploring the carbon cycle and the key impacts that combustion, respiration and photosynthesis have on the spheres of our planet. Last week the focus was on ocean acidification and acid rain and students have been involved in a series of practical experiments to evaluate data and the impact of pollutants in the atmosphere from combustion. Year 9 students will be sitting a data test in Week 7. This is a different style of exam from our traditional knowledge exams and students will be asked questions about experimental data to interpret patterns and find relationships. This is the first step into senior science skills and we are excited to be learning with them. 

Finally, a big congratulations to our Year 11 Science students who have completed their first multi-unit exam last week. Ms Newton, Mr Barclay, Ms McKendry and myself are proud of you for showing resilience and revising to demonstrate your learning this year. We will be providing exam break downs over the next two weeks and reflecting with future goal setting as we move into Unit 3 and 2024.

As part of our ongoing work in the PBL and academic excellence space, the IGNITE teaching team are working towards developing school wide strategies to support students through busy assessment periods to help with resilience, self-confidence and effective exam strategies. As students have just completed a busy exam period, the IGNITE teaching team will be surveying students across the IGNITE academy and senior sciences regarding their assessment experience. The results from this survey will then guide the development of positive strategies to support our Ripley Valley State Secondary Students to enhance their learning experiences and assessment preparedness. We look to share the deidentified outcomes of this survey with other educational professionals in the future. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please contact Anastasia Constable at azahn6@eq.edu.au.

 

Ellen Grant

Head of Department - Science - Year 8F to 8I 

egran55@eq.edu.au

Humanities

As promised, Term 4 is shaping up to be the busiest of the year! Year 11s, have just finished their last assessment item for all Humanities classes for the year, and are now moving onto learning required for their Year 12 units.

Spotlight on Year 9 Geography! The students are up to some exciting adventures with a few things happening this term. As part of the Biomes and Food Security unit, they have been conducting many hands-on field-work and activities. One such example sits around light measurement, and testing soil samples for moisture and pH levels. Students did this with the assistance of their teachers, and the results have been quite interesting. Very soon, they will also be looking at alternative food sources for protein, and will sample meal worms, crickets and scorpions for this. Permission opt out emails have been sent home to parents, please ensure you return these if you do not wish for your child to participate. If you child has a seafood allergy, they cannot participate as these bugs carry the same enzyme as seafood, and will cause a similar allergic reaction.

Cecilia Hall

Head of Department - Humanities and Languages - Year 9E to 9G

chall213@eq.edu.au

Japanese - いそがしい　です！

2025 Trip to Japan

A key element of the global competencies needed for students to thrive in this modern world is cultural intelligence. Ripley SSC believes in providing opportunities for students to learn from and with others from different cultural contexts so that they may live and work harmoniously. Students who are enrolled in Years 9-12 are eligible to come to Japan during the first holidays during Easter in 2025.

This is a trip not to be missed because of the extraordinary culture, people, specialty shops and delicious food!

Georgina Wellwood

Japanese Teacher

gawel0@eq.edu.au

The wonderful Year 9 Art class have been busy with their Clay vessel creations. 

Lorinda Stiles

Head of Department - Creative Industries - Year 8A to 8E
lstil21@eq.edu.au

Wow what a mammoth term we have had so far and we are only halfway there! It has been so exciting to celebrate our students and watch their growth as they continue to strive for excellence in the Performing Arts. Dance, Drama and Music offer our students a wide range of skills that they can transfer to all of their other subject areas including: critical and creative thinking, communication, confidence and leadership skills. Essentially, Performing Arts teaches Life.

SHOWCASE

Congratulations to all of our performers who took to the stage in our annual Showcase! It was a night to celebrate the hard work of our Dance Drama and Music students. We also featured work from Japanese and Media and who could forget our amazing teacher performances! A massive shout out to the P&C for providing food and drinks on the night. Thank you to our friends at Ripley Central State School and Deebing Heights School for your fabulous performances. And one final thank you to our community for continuing to support our students in the Performing Arts.

DANCE

Dance Academy

Year 7 and 8 Dance Academy are currently working on their choreography task. This task is where students can get creative with their dance technique as they work with their group to come up with their own contemporary routine. Students are required to demonstrated the emotion of either love or hate through their complex contemporary phrases, the use of a prop, a relationship between the dancers and the incorporation of a motif.

7 Dance

Year 7 Dance Students have recently completed their performance task. Students gained confidence in their performance skills and took the stage with great technical and expressive skills! They have now started their final task for the year, choreography. Students will take on the challenge of creating their own dance performance as they "dance through the ages". They will apply their knowledge of the Elements of Dance and cleverly use choreographic devices as they work in groups to finish their master piece.

9 Dance

Year 9 Dance students have finished their performance task and are working on their musical theatre choreography task. The students have been given a musical medley to create their own routines to. From this task students are also developing and utilising their communication, organisation and collaboration skills.

10 Dance

After success with their performances at showcase the year 10 Dance students have powered on recently submitted their choreography task. Students were required to portray their chosen social issue in their piece. Most students were brave and opted to do this task as a solo! The creativity behind their ideas and communication of their social issue were both innovate and thought provoking. The year 10's are now moving onto their final task for the year. The students will be revising all of their knowledge of dance theory so that they can prepare to respond to an unseen dance works in exam conditions. This task is preparing students for Senior Dance in year 11 and 12.

11 Dance

Year 11 Dance have been working hard studying for their final exam for the year.

Students have been viewing Contemporary dance performances and interpreting and analysing them, applying their knowledge of dance concepts and skills to decipher meaning communicated by the dancers. For the last few weeks of term, students will move into year 12 content by learning a performance routine for their Internal Assessment #1. During this task, students will refine their technical and expressive skill sin a complex Contemporary dance performance.

DRAMA

8 Drama

Exploring the world of exaggeration, characterisation and story-telling, Year 8 Drama students have written their own Children's Theatre script based on children's stories or folktales. Shortly, their written creativity will come to life as the student-devised scripts are transformed into live productions. Including humour, slapstick and high-energy performance, the Drama team are hopeful that these performances may be showcased as Children's Theatre pieces for younger students.

9 Drama

This term, year 9 Drama will be delving into the fascinating world of Realism Theatre, a genre that aims to capture life as it is, exploring authentic human experiences and emotions. As part of our exploration of Realism Theatre, we have selected the play text "Juice" by Stephen Davis as a central piece of our curriculum.

This is a powerful play specifically aimed at teenagers. It delves into the various pressures and challenges that teenagers face as they navigate the final years of high school. "Juice" offers our students a unique opportunity to explore complex human emotions and experiences through theatre. It will assist in developing their acting skills, empathy, and understanding of the world around them. I am confident that our class will have a meaningful and enriching experience as we dive into this text.

11 Drama

Year 11 Drama students have been examining shared human experience and how this is presented in dramatic works to bring people together. With their final exam for the year early this term, students have been examining work by renowned Indigenous playwright and director, Wesley Enoch. Analysing performance and examining the underpinning meaning, students will be flexing their critical thinking skills in this final assessment that mirrors the external exam they will face in Year 12. To celebrate the end of exam block, Year 11 students visited Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane to see a modern adaptation of Frankenstein. Performed by the highly energetic Shake and Stir Theatre Company, the performance included visceral movement sequences, powerful acting and engaging sound and lighting design that leapt Mary Shelley's characters from the book to the stage.

MUSIC

7 Music

Year 7 students are continuing to work on developing their skills in Soundtrap and exploring ideas for their own compositions. Lately, students have worked on developing their skills in writing lyrics, as well as sampling and looping existing songs to create new tracks. Students are building their skills towards their assessment time, where they write their very own composition.

EXTRA CURRICULAR

Dance Squad

Dance Squad will finish off the year with a team breakfast on Wednesday Week 7! With a fabulous year coming to an end, the fabulous teachers take on the mission of cleaning costumes, planning new dances, cutting music and ordering new costumes all in preparation for 2024! We are signing off for the year and can't wait to see you all back for auditions Term 1 Week 2.

 Cheer

Following The Arts’ Annual End of Year Showcase, Ripley Central’s Cheer Squad returned for a workshop with Ripley Valley State Secondary College Cheerleaders, The Raptors. The workshop kicked off with a whole group warmup before each team performed their Showcase routines. The excitement peaked when the athletes made their way down the dead mats: tumbling, flipping, rolling, and jumping. Finishing off the session, the athletes defied gravity, and their comfort zones, with some Level 1 stunting. The workshop successfully integrated the two schools, connecting our Ripley community. The Raptors hope to have Ripley Central return in 2024.

Drama Troupe

Our Drama Troupe has triumphed in their recent showcase performances. Showcasing their dedication and improvisational skills, they performed four Commedia dell'Arte pieces. Their success has paved the way for an exciting transition, as they turn their focus to realism acting and scripted works.

In their exploration of realism acting, the troupe will delve into more intricate character portrayals and explore the depths of human emotions. This shift promises a wider range of acting techniques and the opportunity to engage with deeper characters and emotions.

Vocal Ensemble

Amidst the purple blooms and festive spirit of the Goodna Jacaranda Festival, the RVSSC Vocal Ensemble stole the spotlight. This talented group recently secured the impressive Gold Award in the competition, showing great improvement from their highly commended award in term 1. We're truly fortunate to have this group of singers as part of our college community, and we couldn't be prouder of their achievements.

Participating in the Vocal Ensemble is beneficial for students as it helps develop musical skills, encourages teamwork and discipline, boosts confidence, fosters emotional expression, promotes cultural appreciation, enhances academic performance, improves social skills, nurtures creativity, sharpens memory and cognitive abilities, facilitates community involvement, opens up career opportunities, encourages cultural understanding, imparts valuable life skills, brings joy and well-being through the power of music.

Creative Generation

Earlier in the year, 9 our students participated in Creative Generations 2023: State Schools On Stage. On Saturday, 28^th October, the spectacular production was aired on Network 10 for everyone to watch. The broadcast wase a 90-minute edited version of the production, and featured a number of our students in the limelight for dance and vocal.

Nominations for Creative Generations 2024 will open over the coming weeks, and we look forward to celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Creative Generations with State Schools from all across Queensland. Stay tuned to our social media and school notices.

Jessica Starkey

Head of Department - Performing Arts

Head of Year 7E to 7H

jxsta12@eq.edu.au

Grade 9 Music

Grade 9 students have wrapped up their performance tasks to demonstrate fundamental techniques on their instrument. It has been fantastic to see their growth and development but most importantly the shift in mindset has been exceptional. In post assessment conversations and reflections, a lot of conversations have been around their growth and progression on their chosen instrument. This healthy growth mindset will put the students in a fantastic position moving towards being lifelong musicians. Moving towards the final composition task for the year, students have begun examining and deconstructing the rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic roles that make up modern compositions.

Grade 9 students performing during showcase 2023

Senior Music

Do you go to a park just for the swing? Would you like your harmony to look like a secure password? Year 11 students have begun examining Jazz and the innovative practices within that have shaped modern music making. Transitioning into the final phases of their senior music education, these concepts will shape their understanding of innovations in music and will be the basis of their first summative ATAR assessment.

In Practice students are working on identifying the key characteristic of their musical identity and how it can be represented through an original composition. This will be their final assessment piece for 2023 and we look forward to hearing their unique and personal interpretations of well-known genres.

Grade 11 Band performing during showcase 2023

James Gerchow

Acting Head of Department - VET and Digital Technology - Year 11

jgerc6@eq.du.au

James Gerchow

Acting Head of Department - VET and Digital Technology - Year 11

jgerc6@eq.du.au

Tracey Cooper

Defence School Mentor

Ripley Valley State Secondary College