Filter Content
- Principal's Report
- Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning
- Deputy Principal - Culture and Engagement
- Deputy Principal - Pathways & Partnerships
- Junior Secondary
- Business Manager
- Information Technology (IT)
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Humanities and Languages
- Creative Industries
- Performing Arts
- Health
- Digital Technology
- VET
- Student Support Services - Inclusion & Guidance Officers
- Student Wellbeing - Chaplain and YSC
- Defence News
- Uniform Shop
- Community Notices
- Upcoming Events
Dear Parents/Carers,
This week we held our annual student leader investiture ceremony and it was a pleasure to witness our new student leaders accept their added roles and responsibilities across all year levels from grades 7 to 12. This memorable occasion was made all the more special as we invested our inaugural Year 12 college captains, vice captains, sport house captains and Student Representative Council. As our new student leaders officially commence their duties, I congratulate them once more on their efforts so far and I look forward to working with them throughout 2024.
This year our college is undertaking a whole school strategic review process whereby we want to reflect on our progress over the last 4 years and plan for the future. As part of this review process, I will be seeking feedback and input from students, staff and parents/community as to what our college is doing well, what we can do better and what you would like us our college to look like in 2029. To assist us in this process students, staff and parent/community members will be encouraged to complete an anonymous survey to help us gather feedback which will help inform our future planning and 2024-2029 whole school strategic plan. To further support this process from the 16-18th April I have invited an external school review team to visit our college and speak to as many staff, students and parents/community members as possible to garner further information and feedback for what we are doing well, what we can improve and where too next.
If you would like to provide some feedback to assist us in this process, please click the link below to complete the short 3 minute survey. An email invitation will also be sent to all parents encouraging them to provide input into our college strategic plan.
College Strategic Plan Feedback Survey Link:
https://forms.office.com/r/ayVYk3Y3Pm
Once again, thank you for your ongoing partnership and support of our college and I look forward to working with you into the future as we strive to fulfil our college motto of "Achieving Excellence Together".
Yours Sincerely,
Brendan Krueger
Foundation Principal
NAPLAN - Years 7 & 9
Last week, our Years 7 & 9 students participated in NAPLAN practice tests. These tests are designed to familiarise our students with NAPLAN online and test our computer systems to ensure we are prepared for the NAPLAN tests in Week 8 and 9.
NAPLAN is a nationwide measure through which parents, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can determine how well young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning, and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.
- NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process. NAPLAN does not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. A child’s teacher will have the best insight into the child’s educational progress. NAPLAN results do not measure overall school quality.
- NAPLAN questions are directly linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics. As such, the best preparation students can do for NAPLAN is to learn what they do in the classroom every day. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.
- The assessments allow parents to see how their child is progressing against national standards in literacy and numeracy, and over time. Along with other school assessment reports, NAPLAN supports parents in discussing their child’s strengths and areas for improvement with teachers.
- NAPLAN results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students’ levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress.
- NAPLAN can support school improvement by enabling teachers to monitor their students’ progress over time against the national measure, to identify strengths and areas to improve in teaching programs, and to set goals in literacy and numeracy.
- Students and parents wishing to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN can visit the public demonstration site on the NAP website. Some past NAPLAN papers are also available.
Our school testing schedule is:
If you do not wish for your student to participate in NAPLAN, please contact Emily Prenzler at epren3@eq.edu.au or Taletha Champs at tcham77@eq.edu.au
Further information about NAPLAN is available below:
Year 7 Extensions: https://ripleyvalleyssc.schoolzineplus.com/form/250
Year 8 Extensions: https://ripleyvalleyssc.schoolzineplus.com/form/251
Year 9 Extensions: https://ripleyvalleyssc.schoolzineplus.com/form/252
Year 10 Extension: https://ripleyvalleyssc.schoolzineplus.com/form/253
Week 5 is upon us, yet it seems like only moments ago we were greeting our new Year 7s at the Welcome Parade. How quicky times flies when you are busy! Whilst I know that the first few weeks have been a blur of activity, I hope that they have also been enjoyable for our students, as they have built rapport with their teachers and settled into their classes. For our Year 7s, I trust the transition to High School has been pleasant, and that you are starting to find your place at Ripley Valley SSC. Please remember that should you need any assistance, you have an amazing team of people to call on, including your: Teachers, Year Level Coordinators, Heads of Departments, and Deputy Principals.
This Term has already marked several key events in our school calendar, with many more on the horizon. Just this week we celebrated our Student Leaders at our Investiture Ceremony and, in a few week's time, will be welcoming prospective students at our Community Open Day.
Student Investiture Ceremony:
This week we celebrated the investiture of our new Student Leaders for 2024. Attended by several special guests, parents and members of the school community, our new student leaders were presented with their badges and sworn into their respective offices. Over 70 students graced the stage, including those who had been elected as members of the: Student Representative Council (SRC), Peer Mentors, Defence Peer Mentors, House Captains, College Captains and College Vice-Captains. This year also marked the inaugural roles of Senior College Captain and Vice-Captain as we celebrated our first cohort of Year 12 students. I would like to extend a sincere congratulations to all of our student leaders. We wish you all the very best in 2024 as you represented the College and our core values of Respect, Responsibility and Perseverance.
Community Open Day:
On Saturday the 2nd March, Ripley Valley State Secondary College will be hosting a Community Open Day for all members of the public and school community. To assist in the smooth operation and running of this day, we are seeking students who are willing to volunteer their time to assist with school tours and other activities. The guided tours will take place around the College from 9:00am – 11:00am, with gates closing at 12pm sharp. If your child is able and willing to assist on the day, please complete the Schoolzine form that was sent out earlier this Term.
End of Term Rewards Trip:
On the 28th March (last day of Term 1) students will have the opportunity to participate in the Rewards Trip to Orion, Springfield. In order to qualify students must have:
- 95% Attendance (explained)
- No Suspensions and no more than 2 Administrative Detentions
- Completed all assessment
- Completed the Ripley Rewards Application Form (available in Daymap)
Student Leaders
With the introduction of year 12 this year, we were privileged to invest our inaugural College captains at our recent student investiture ceremony. Congratulations to not only our College Captains but all students who were elected to their roles this year. I look forward to working with all our student leaders this year and continuing to watch as they develop as both students and leaders.
Goal Setting
All year 11 students recently completed a Goal Setting session with Elevate Education. One important piece of information Elevate shared with students was:
- The key to sustaining motivation is to have a clearly defined goal and top performing students have goals which contain the following two characteristics
- firstly, they were very precise, specifying an exact ATAR as opposed to more general statements such as aiming to “do well” or get in the “eighties”.
- Secondly, the goals top students set tended to be written down.
Take the time this week to talk to your student about their goals. Help them to write down a clearly defined goal and post it somewhere for them to see it regularly. Once the goal is clearly defined, the next step is to develop the steps to help achieve this goal. As students' progress through senior schooling, they will have the opportunity to work with a number of staff to help them determine the steps they need in order to achieve their goals.
Senior Subjects
Senior schooling is an exciting time for Queensland students and an important step in preparing for their future. Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority has a large number of resources to support students in their senior subjects and understand the assessment processes. I encourage parents/carers to sit with the child and explore the following links to find out more information.
This section contains:
- links to subject syllabuses and teaching and assessment resources
- information about assessment and results
- information about the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
Student Drivers and Passengers
During the senior years of schooling many of our students become drivers and start driving themselves to school. Whilst this is a significant and exciting time for our young people it is critical that we know who they are.
Therefore, we request that if you have a student driver that you access the Student Driver Permission form and complete with your student and submit as soon as possible. This is to ensure the safety of your student.
It is also important that as parents/guardians you understand that we have a duty of care for all our students and that your son or daughter does not drive other students in their car without the prior appropriate permissions. Once again this is to protect the wellbeing of all of our students. If your child will be transporting other students, it is important that the Permission to be Transported by a Student Driver form is completed by all passengers and their parents/carers.
We would also like to remind all parents that students are not permitted to leave the school grounds without written permission from parents provided to the administration. It is not acceptable for students to leave the school grounds at any time during the day to get 'things' from their cars.
As a school we appreciate any support and reinforcement of these expectations from parents/guardians. Thank you for your ongoing support in this area.
If you have any questions about students driving, please contact Mr Todd Robson - Deputy Principal.
Todd Robson
Deputy Principal - Year 11 & Year 12 - Pathways & Partnerships
I hope that all new and existing RVSSC students and families have set into our College and the wider community. A reminder that there are many key events that have happened, or are happening this term.
Excellence Academy Trial Days:
- Trial 1 - Friday 22nd March (Week 9, Term 1)
Students who are interesting in applying to participate in one of the Excellence Academies can do so via the link below:
As a part of Ripley Valley State Secondary College's commitment to student success, all Year 9 students and their parent/carer will participate in a Pathway Preparation Plan (PPP) meeting. This meeting is a critical aspect of the transition into the Senior Phase of Learning. The Pathway Plan is finalised at a compulsory interview held with a member of the College's Leadership Team. At the interview Year 9 students and their parent/carer will have the opportunity to discuss future pathways, study options and career goals for your child's future education.
We are so excited to welcome our next lot of Dance Academy students! This year we have a composite 7 and 8 class with new and existing Academy students. Our Academy students have kicked off this year with a theory unit where they have been analysing and evaluating Dance. Students have now moved onto their performance piece commencing their Musical Theatre routine. Students have been loving embracing their inner Elle Woods and expressing their acting skills whilst dancing.
Year 9 Dance Academy have got straight into their first performance task learning their jazz routine. This performance has challenged students to stylise their movement by channelling key origins of the jazz style through influences such as Bob Fosse. We can't wait to see this number on the stage at our first eisteddfod of the year.
Football Academy:
Our Football Academy students had numerous competitions that occurred in Week 5, and was a big week for all Football/Futsal students. This saw us compete in Yagera District Futsal (Yagera), Veto Sports School Futsal League (SFL) and what would've also been Queensland Football Schools League (QFSL), if weather permitted so. See below results from the week.
Yagera:
Congratulations to our Year 7 Boys/Girls, Year 9 Boys and Open Boys who were victorious at last week's Yagera District Interschool Futsal. There were also numerous other fantastic finishes for other RVSSC Teams that competed:
- Year 7 Girls – Champions!
- Year 7 Boys – Champions!
- Year 8 Girls – 3rd
- Year 8 Boys – 6th
- Year 9 Boys – Runners-up
- Year 10 Boys – 4th
- Open Boys – Champions!
SFL:
Last week also saw some of students' back-up and play a second day worth of Futsal at the Veto Sports School Futsal League. See below the results of SFL Gala Day 1:
|
Girls |
|
|
Boys |
|
|
|
Opponent |
Score |
Player of the Match |
Opponent |
Score |
Player of the Match |
|
St John’s AC |
1-8 |
Cali S |
St John’s AC |
2-4 |
Nikau K |
|
St Ursula’s College |
7-1 |
Cherie Y |
Highfields SSC |
2-5 |
Tyson P |
|
Kenmore SHS |
5-3 |
Cherie Y |
Kenmore SHS |
4-5 |
Kai F |
Our girls head into SFL Gala Day 2 in 5th Position on 6 Points, and our boys currently in 8th Position with 0 Points.
QFSL:
Our round 1 fixture against Varsity College was postponed due to weather conditions. Round 2 will see us go against Loganlea SHS (away) on Tuesday, 27th February (Week 6). Matchday information was released Wednesday with team lists also available on Daymap. Good luck to our QFSL Teams!
eSport Academy:
Welcome back to another thrilling year of esports at RVSSC! Round 1 of The FUSE Cup is around the corner, where selected Year 7 & 8 academy students will face schools from Ipswich and Brisbane for a chance to advance to the state and national finals. As a powerhouse in Rocket League, RVSSC has a strong tradition of success, and we're excited to see our teams perform their best in the coming weeks. Best of luck to all our competitors! We are also very excited to be running some fun activities on the upcoming Community Open Day on March 2nd. If you're interested in seeing what esports is all about here at RVSSC, come and hang out in the esports room!
Ignite Academy:
Ignite has had a busy start to 2024, welcoming our first full cohort of Year 7-9 students. We have already been out and about in our community and are well into our Term 1 units of work.
Year 7s have started the year looking at flood mitigation, renewable resources and the impact of the natural environment on the people living in them. We have completed presentations within the classroom exploring the human and financial impacts of the 2011, 2022 and 2024 floods on local communities.
Year 8s are hitting the books, learning the ins and outs of academic writing and referencing as they explore microplastics, their impacts and how we can reduce these impacts to plants and animals.
Year 9s are putting their best foot forward and designing prostheses for dogs and cats. They are currently in their final design and research stages and are almost ready to start construction!
We were lucky enough to have Engineers Without Borders UQ attend during Week 5 to complete workshops with the 7s and 9s around their topics. The students enjoyed the day and took away new perspectives to support their assessments.
Ignite also had the honour of presenting to the Ipswich City Council Environment and Sustainability Committee regarding our work across 2023-4. The Committee was impressed by the quality of the students' presentations and are looking forward to seeing our what our Academy has instore in 2024. Congratulation Leilia and Campbell on a fantastic effort! You can watch their work here: Ipswich City Council - Environment and Sustainability Committee Meeting | 1st Feb 2024
Should you require any further information, please reach out via the email contact below.
Head of Department - Junior Secondary - Year 7A to 7E
2024 Student Resource Scheme (SRS)
Thank you to all families that have already made payments or set up payment plans. If you have elected to pay in instalments, the first payment date was due Friday 16th February. The remaining 2 payment due dates are:
- 2nd instalment due Friday 10th May
- 3rd instalment due Friday 9th August
Statements will be emailed at the end of this week, please note that if you have already made a payment or set up a payment plan through direct debit or centrepay these statements are for your information only. Statements will be sent again prior to the instalment due dates.
Any missed payments will be followed up in the coming weeks.
Following are the SRS parent information letters for each year level which outline the inclusions and cost of the 2024 SRS.
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.
Michelle Mills
Business Manager
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 & Year 12 - Pathways & Partnerships
As we approach the halfway mark of the term, our focus begins to shift from teacher-lead, direct instruction, to student lead drafting and assessment. It is therefore very important that students are attending as many English lessons as possible, and catching up on missed lessons when they are absent.
Student engagement and attendance is also instrumental in demonstrating student ethical scholarship practices. Ethical scholarship means that students are responsible for ensuring the work they submit is their own. Submitting a draft on time is only a small part of the process and students need to be demonstrating their knowledge throughout the process by meeting check points, completing work in class where teachers can see the process and acknowledging sources of support including peers, tutors and even generative AI platforms.
If students require extensions, or are absent for assessment, please ensure they are completing the relevant forms and providing the relevant documentation for their year level. Your first port of call is your child’s Head of Year, as classroom teachers are not in a position to grant extensions.
Over the last 4 weeks, our students have been engaged in a number of fantastic learning experiences and opportunities.
Getting to know students at the start of the year is always fun – but finding the right activity to get the most information about students is sometimes tricky. This year Ms Diesing challenged her Year 9 English class to introduce themselves using only six words; to publish their own Six Word Memoir. Ms Diesing was amazed at the depth of understanding that can be gained from just six words. What a fantastic way to learn about the young people we work with! Please find below some of the memoirs of our year 9A English class.
7A dived into the delicious world of descriptive writing. To help us develop our use of imagery, we were each given a cookie and the task to describe it in great detail. We saw the intricate designs stamped into it, smelled the sweet aroma, heard the sound of chunks cascading onto the desk and felt our patience being tested to the limit before finally tasting the tantalising treat. Then we got to work crafting a paragraph describing the afternoon.
On 15th February 2024 our Year 11 General English students engaged with a virtual guest speaker, a PhD Candidate at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology who is currently writing a thesis about the misrepresentation of individuals and groups by the media. Jonathon Barratt provided students with real world experiences by outlining his research process, what he considers when looking at representations, and answered students’ questions our students. This was an excellent opportunity as our year 11’s begin planning for their first Year 11 English assessment. We look forward to their submissions in the coming weeks!
Thank you to Ms Marks and Ms Brown for their contribution to this edition.
We have had a great start to the year with high engagement in mathematics classes. The mathematics faculty and all mathematics classes have been busy as we are preparing for our first round of assessments for this year. Students have been working well in class and it has been great to see high engagement of students in homework activities through Mathspace to review and consolidate their learning. Here are a few photos of Ms Jarred's year 7 students consolidating their learning in maths class through various activities.
Students in years 7 - 10 classes are all doing an exam for this term. All exam dates can be found within the Daymap assessment schedules and assessment schedules that have been provided to students. Any changes to the assessment dates will be communicated by teachers and will reflect on Daymap assessment schedule.
Our year 11 students have recently started working on the Problem Solving and Modelling task (PSMT). Students will writing individual reports for these tasks. Students have been provided with exemplars to support them in writing these reports and students can also access exemplars available on QCAA public website and other resources to do well. We encourage all Y11 students to make the most of this formative assessment opportunity to better support their attempt at this task in Y12. Some ways that students can better engage with the feedback cycle is to ensure they are providing a complete draft on the draft due date, be sure to review all teacher feedback on the final submission and seek lots of teacher feedback in class or at tutoring.
Year 12 students have already submitted drafts for the PSMT and will be receiving feedback from teachers to improve their report for final submission. Year 12 students in General Maths and Maths Methods will also be doing their IA2: Exam in week 10. This exam will make up 15% of their year 12 grade for maths.
Some general notices:
- All students MUST bring a scientific calculator to class every lesson and will require this for the exam.
- Mathematics tutoring is on every Tuesday (1st break) and Thursday (2nd break) in CG01. All students are encouraged and welcome to attend.
Haranoop Singh Goraya
Acting Head of Department - Mathematics - Year 10A to 10D
Ellen Grant
Head of Department - Science - Year 9F to 9I
Hajimemashite – Nice to meet you.
Year 7s have learnt about senbazuru where we have a thousand paper cranes hanging in our school library. Not only is the mythological tsuru revered as the bird of happiness in Japan, it is also considered to live for a thousand years. The Year 7s have been getting to know each other by using Japanese greetings, and they made their individual wishes in front of the origami paper cranes as they start their first year at Ripley. Year 7 have participated in exchange online zoom lessons which are exciting and challenging as the two groups try to communicate in English and Japanese. This week, the topic is comparing snacks in Australia and Japan.
Year 8 are being proactive in their learning as they practice using new vocabulary for busy schedules. They are also creating presentations for Mr Kawana and Mr Yamazaki (teachers from our sister school in Japan) who will visit our school on the 14th-15th March. It will be these sensei first time to Australia.
If your child wishes to go on the Japan Trip 2025, EOIs are now open on the school website: https://ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au/extra-curricular/cultural
Confirmation of your child's participation is provided upon payment of the deposit by the 22nd March 2024. For further enquiries, please contact Ms Wellwood at gawel0@eq.edu.au
Cecilia Hall
Head of Department - Humanities and Languages - Year 7F to 7I
Georgina Wellwood
Japanese Teacher
Calling all potential sponsors!!! The inaugural RVSSC Go Kart in-school team is looking for your support. Do you want to help students be part of an adrenaline-packed event? If you or your business are passionate about supporting students to get into Engineering, Mechanics, Technology or Racing, we want to hear from you!
Contact Mr. Clarke at Bclar413@eq.edu.au to explore sponsorship opportunities and join us in fuelling the future of karting excellence!
Let's make this event unforgettable together! ? #RVSSC #GoKart #SponsorshipOpportunity
Head of Department - Creative Industries - Year 9A to 9E
lstil21@eq.edu.au
DANCE
7/8 Dance Academy
We are so excited to welcome our next lot of Dance Academy students! This year we have a composite 7 and 8 class with new and existing Academy students. Our Academy students have kicked off this year with a theory unit where they have been analysing and evaluating Dance. Students have now moved onto their performance piece commencing their Musical Theatre routine. Students have been loving embracing their inner Elle Woods and expressing their acting skills whilst dancing.
9 Dance Academy
Year 9 Dance Academy have got straight into their first performance task learning their jazz routine. This performance has challenged students to stylise their movement by channelling key origins of the jazz style through influences such as Bob Fosse. We can't wait to see this number on the stage at our first eisteddfod of the year.
7 Dance
Grade 7 Dance are coming to the conclusion of their theory unit. Students now have a wealth of knowledge on the elements and dance ready for their exam in which they will analyse and evaluate an unseen dance routine. They will begin their practical unit with some very excited students ready to get moving! Students will have to show perseverance in the dance room to learn their performance, as well as building confidence in order to perform in front of their peers.
10 Dance
Year 10 Dance students have immersed themselves in the dynamic and energetic style of Hip Hop. The classroom is buzzing with rhythmic beats and creative exploration as students dive into the intricacies of this vibrant dance style. In the first 5 weeks students honed their technique, mastering the foundational moves and embracing the expressive nature of Hip Hop. Now the class is focusing on refining their performance skills, emphasizing stage presence, synchronization, and storytelling through movement.
Cert II Dance
Our Certificate II in Dance is well under way! Students are finishing up their first project where they learnt about the human muscular and skeletal system, basic dance techniques and how to develop physical fitness. They are now dipping into Project 2 beginning with their Jazz Performance.
11 Dance
Year 11 Dance Students have been eagerly introduced to senior dance through the style of Jazz. Over the past few week's they have been building their technical skills such as: kicks, turns and leaps in preparation for their Jazz performance task due later this term.
12 Dance
Year 12 students have been working diligently on perfecting their technical and expressive skills for their first assessment performance of 2024. Students dove into the world of contemporary dance, communicating the political message of anti-discrimination and developing empathy for the human experience. This dance involves a high level of complex movements with a fast-paced tempo that students must sustain from beginning to end. Partnering sections have seen the dancers work as team to problem solve spacing, formations and lifting work. The students are very excited… and a little nervous… to be presenting their task for submission this week.
DRAMA
8 Drama
This term year 8 students are exploring Australian Indigenous Theatre while developing their acting skills in vocal expression and physical manipulation in order to believably portray a role. Understanding the elements of drama and transforming this knowledge into a practical performance, assists students in their ability to create dramatic meaning while engaging an audience. Students are enjoying the play text 'Honey Spot' as it follows the story of two teenage students who strike up a friendship that is void of any judgement. It explores themes of racism and reconciliation, providing moments where students can connect to the characters experiences. Students are working towards a performance task which will showcase their acting skills and ability to engage an audience.
9 Drama
In year 9 Drama, students are exploring the style of Melodrama, including the stereotypical stock characters of a Hero, Villain, Damsel and Sidekick. With fainting, master plans and bumbling slapstick, the classroom has been full of laughter as students use acting skills like physicality and vocality when improvising engaging scenes. Students will then view a recorded live performance and, using their knowledge from the unit, analyse the actor’s manipulation of Elements of Drama and Melodramatic conventions to create engaging dramatic action.
12 Drama
Year 12 Drama and Drama in Practice students have started this term delving into the power that performance has in appealing to, and creating, social change. Through exploring styles like Contemporary Political Theatre, Epic Theatre and Absurdism, the class has begun to consider their context, how this sits within our global context, identifying issues of concern to modern society. However, it hasn't all been serious and straight-faced. With nonsensical play being a key convention in Absurdism, there have been many moments of joy as the students play with the absurdity of our existence. The class are excited to show their humorous and thought-provoking plays at RVSSC's first Drama Night at the end of this term.
MUSIC
10 Music
Grade 10 music are exploring the concepts of global radio and how genres can be represented and unique ways depending on the country or culture. Students are preparing their own radio show that examines, deconstructs and justifies the use of genre characteristics and how they are replicated and innovated throughout all parts of the world. With the task being due in 2 weeks! Mr Ezzy is looking forward to their first project of their own unique radio segments. Next term students will create a transformative cover version shifting a song from one genre to another.
12 Music
It has been an extremely busy term for grade 12 music with students presenting their IA1 performances in week 2. All students chose a piece of music that demonstrated innovative musical concepts and performed to an invited audience. All students performed extremely well and demonstrated their outstanding development throughout their high school musical careers. Whether the students were taking five or flying us to the moon Mr Ezzy is extremely proud of how much our students have achieved.
Moving into preparation for IA2 the senior music class has begun working on modernism composition techniques and deconstructing the core of what it is to write music. These practices have pushed the limits of creative thinking with some fantastic original compositions being the result. Each week our students have been writing a unique composition and sharing it with peers for feedback to better develop their own sense of style.
Music in practice has been working away on multi-layered compositions and learning what it means to be a one-man band! Later this term students will recreate a piece of music but all parts (including vocals) will be performed and recorded by the student. This technique of performance is an industry standard and much more prevalent within the music tech sector. Students are rising to the challenge and we look forward to hearing their performances later this term.
Instrumental Music
Instrumental music is back in full swing with lessons and rehearsals in the normal routine. The program has had a large number of new members join this year with many already participating in Concert Band and Stage Band. With performances coming up in early term 2 it is essential all students are learning their individual parts during practice to ensure rehearsals are effective.
The instrumental program would also like to welcome our brand-new percussion teacher Mr Osman! Mr Osman comes with a wealth of teaching experience and we look forward to seeing what the new percussion ensemble will sound like in the coming terms.
If you child is interested in participating in the instrumental program, please send an enquiry email through to the Instrumental Co-ordinator Mr Ezzy: Dezzy9@eq.edu.au
EXTRA CURRICULAR
Dance Squad
Dance squad kick started the year off with an extensive Saturday rehearsal where they completed the choreography for their Musical Theatre. This was a mammoth effort from everyone involved and we are so proud of the effort from all students at what was a very long day. We have since jumped straight into weekly rehearsals with students deep diving into exciting new routines for the year. Students have been learning a new Jazz and Contemporary and are super excited to have our first ever Student Choreography piece! This involves students taking full creative control through choosing music, costumes, choreography and formations to create a cohesive hip hop routine. We can't wait to see all of these routines completed and on the stage at our first eisteddfod for the year early next term.
Cheer
Cheerleading is back! Cheerleading try outs were held in Week 2 with great success. The 2024 Ripley Raptors Cheerleading Squad are in the early phase of the season, where they are focusing on building trusting relationships with their team, working on individual tumbling technique and learning a range of new cheerleading skills. The key to their success this year will be trust, perseverance and adoration for all the aspects cheerleading has on offer. This year we have a clear goal of competing at Super Nationals in November but our main focus is on athletes' safety first.
Drama Troupe
Ripley Valley State Secondary College’s Drama Troupe have hit the ground running in 2024 with an outstanding number of students at auditions. Showcasing characterisation, improvisation and communication skills, our Troupe members have been working hard from the get go. Beginning with character and tension development in scripted scenes, our ensemble has worked together with excellent creativity and collaboration. We are excited to see their confidence and commitment shine in their performances at RVSSC's first Drama Night at the end of Term One.
Vocal Ensemble
The Ripley Valley State Secondary College Vocal Ensemble has completed auditions and commenced rehearsals, marking the beginning of their musical journey. At their first rehearsal, members learned vocal techniques and discovered their voice types, ranging from bass to soprano.
With their first performances approaching, the ensemble has begun learning four pieces to kick off the year. Through teamwork and dedication, they are preparing to showcase their talents and captivate audiences with harmonious melodies.
As they eagerly anticipate their debut, the ensemble embodies the transformative power of music and the importance of collaboration. Stay tuned to see the Vocal Ensemble take to the stage later on this year!
Creative Generation
Creative Generation - State Schools On-stage (CGEN) gives students, teachers and school communities the opportunity to be involved in a professionally produced, award-winning arena spectacular. Since its inception in 2005, the large-scale event has grown from a cast of 550 students to more than 1800 and is nationally renowned for its outstanding and vibrant display of state school talent.
This year, we have students auditioning across Dance, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop and Featured Choir, which is fantastic for our school. Once auditions are done, rehearsals begin in early Term 2, and continue on weekends until ‘Show Week’ in July. As our third year of participating in CGEN, it is very exciting to have a number of students involved, and we look forward to seeing the awesome performances in July.
Jessica Starkey
Head of Department - Performing Arts - Year 8E - 8H
Term 1 is absolutely flying by and it has been great to see all of our students settling back into the swing of things and engaging in their classwork. We hope that all new students to the school have found their feet and are experiencing the positive school culture on offer here at Ripley.
Our year 7 students in HPE have been busy getting to know their peers on a deeper level by participating in human bingo activities. This activity is part of their learning around understanding more about their personal identities and learning important communication and personal skills that will assist them throughout their lives.
All of our assessment schedules have now been finalised and can be found on Daymap.
Exciting News from RVSSC Year 7 Students from Mr Sogathur!
Our Year 7 students at RVSSC have kicked off the year with a blast in their Digital Technologies class! They've been diving into some seriously cool projects and here's a sneak peek into what they've been up to:
Digitech Excellence:
They've been mastering Excel skills by creating tables with weekdays and step counts. Not only that, but they've also learned how to create formulas for calculating totals and averages like pros!
Getting around - Student Day Map:
In an exciting venture, our students accessed the Student Day map to gather vital information such as timetables, subjects, attendance records, and assessment details. They've analysed their search procedures meticulously, even updating their progress with screenshots on OneNote for future reference!
Exploring Network Topologies as they build their students networks (Pun intended)
Delving into the details of computer networks, our enthusiastic learners have explored the differences between various network topologies. From the reliable Ring topology to the versatile Bus and Star networks, they've explored the significance of computer networks!
Robotics Adventures:
But wait, there's more! Some of our most eager students took their learning to the next level by constructing a robot from scratch! From assembling the chassis and motors to integrating ultrasonic and light sensors, they've built a marvel of modern technology. Now, the real fun begins as they embark on the exciting journey of coding their robots to perform complex manoeuvres!
We couldn't be prouder of the enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication our Year 7 students are showing in their Digitech class. It's clear that the future of technology is in very capable hands with these bright minds leading the way! Stay tuned for more updates on their incredible journey! #RVSSC #Digitech
James Gerchow
Head of Department - VET and Digital Technology - Year 11 & Year 12
- White Card Training - Monday 25th & Tuesday 26th March
- Interview to Impress - Friday 19th April
- Gold Coast Careers Expo - Thursday 2nd May
- Brisbane Careers Expo - Friday 24th May
- 2024 RVSSC Careers Expo - Tuesday 4th June
- Year 10 Work Experience Week - Monday 17th June till Friday 21st June
- Year 10 SET Plans - Wednesday 31st July
If you are interested in participating in any of the events listed, either as a student participant, as a stallholder at our RVSSC Careers Expo, and/or as a host for work experience, please email pathways@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au
I look forward to seeing all of our student successes throughout 2024 and supporting students on their pathway to the future.
James Gerchow
Head of Department - VET & Digital Technology - Year 11 & Year 12
Set yourself up for a great year
By Andrew Fuller
Make this the year that you will remember for
the rest of your life as the time you really set
yourself on the pathway to success. There
are several sure-fire ways to make this the
best year so far.
Build Positive Relationships with
everyone you know
Parents, teachers, friends, everyone! One of
the ways of reducing your stress levels is to
set out to have as many positive friendships
this year as you can.
Challenge yourself
You are much, much smarter than you know.
If you practice doing your best in life you will
succeed because very few people ever
practice doing their best.
Discover your learning strengths at
www.mylearningstrengths.com and build on
them to steer yourself towards success.
To do your best you have to get out of the
habit of predicting that things won’t go well
for you. Success in life is about doing more
of what works for you. If you look for what’s
going to go wrong, you will always find it. If
you look for what works, life often gets a lot
easier.
Prepare yourself for learning.
Thinking positively isn't enough for
successfully achieving goals. Implement
ways to reduce distractions, at least for some
time every day, otherwise learning will
become a frustrating experience.
Sadly, not everyone in your life will be a well-wisher
in your self- improvement and
learning plans. They may intentionally or
subconsciously distract you from your goal.
Get enough sleep.
Getting enough sleep helps you to manage
stress, stay happy and also increases your
marks. You need at least 8 hours and
sometimes as much as 9 and a quarter hours
a night.
Eat breakfast
A lot of people skip breakfast, but you often
learn best at school in the morning, and it
helps to have some protein in you, to feed
your brain. A lack of protein can actually
cause brain fog.
Do the most important things first.
Get into the habit of being effective. Make a
to-do list each week. Ask yourself the
question, ‘What is the one thing I could do
this week in each subject area that would
improve my results?’ Then do it.
Your time is valuable.
Many people muck around in school and
then wonder why they have to do so much
work outside of school. If you can focus and
listen well while at school you can save
yourself endless hours. Some people find if
they sit at the front they are less distracted.
Teachers want their students to do well.
Watch your teachers closely. Observe the
things that they emphasise or repeat. Take
notes of these things. It is a fair bet that
these things will feature in tests and exams.
Small Shifts Create Big Effects.
Do a little bit often. Succeeding at school can
be easy if you do a little bit each day. The
best learning occurs when you do repetitive
interval training. This means do a little bit of
practice every day. Interval training is
especially powerful in subjects like maths
and the sciences.
Focus and immerse yourself.
For at least some time every day switch all
forms of technology off and focus on
whatever you're studying.
Don't try to watch TV, listen to music or gaze
at a screen at the same time as learning
something. Technology is not going to be
there in exam rooms, so you need to be
practiced at performing without it,
Don’t try to predict the future.
Most students are really bad at predicting
how well they are going to do. In fact, they
are hopeless at it. So don’t spend the year
thinking how awful your results could be. Just
do the most important things first and do
them regularly.
Be curious.
Think of someone you know who always
seems to know interesting things- weird
facts, strange occurrences, funny jokes, and
whacky stories. Try to be one of these
people. Look out for and learn things that are
fun and interesting.
Play more.
Get active, break out into a sweat now and
then. Lack of blood flow is a common reason
for lack of concentration. If you've been
sitting in one place for a while, stand up and
stretch or bounce one of your legs for a
minute or two. It gets your blood flowing and
sharpens both concentration and recall. Even
if you are really busy three twenty-minute
bursts of exercise a week makes a massive
difference to your stress levels, happiness
and sleeping.
Decide to be happy.
Lots of people wait to be happy. They wait
for the situation to be right. Or they wait for
the right friends to show up. Some people
spend their entire lives waiting to be happy.
Decide to be happy now. Have a look at the
things in your life you can feel lucky that you
have. Appreciate the people who like you
and love you. Make the most of the moment
and seize the day. Have a fantastic year.
Janet Ingram
Guidance Officer - Years 10, 11, 12
studentservices@ripleyvalleyssc.eq.edu.au
Emily Leschke
Guidance Officer - Years 7, 8, 9
Inclusion
Louise Marshall
Acting Head of Department - Inclusion
Student Services
We are half way through the term and what a term it has been, it has been great getting to know new students over the past few weeks and supporting them.
Pastoral Care
As a school chaplain, Kristian's role is to provide emotional, spiritual and social support to the students and wider school community. One of the ways this is provided is support with one-on-one pastoral care conversations. If you would like me to provide support for your child, please email Kristian at katki121@eq.edu.au.
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club, one of the extra-curricular programs of the school and we are back up and running. Breakfast Club runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:15-8:45 am. If you want to help out with this, please let us know.
Chaplaincy Committee
The Local Chaplaincy Committee is the supporting and guiding body behind the Chaplaincy Service helping to shape it to meet the wellbeing of the school community here at the College. If this sounds like something you would like to attend, our next meeting on Thursday the 16th of May at 4pm here at the college. Please get in touch with Kristian if you'd like additional information.
Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP)
The RAP Program kicked off this week, thank you to those who are participating, we are looking forward to the remainder of the program.
Looking forward to the rest of the term.
We have now hit the halfway mark of term one, and as the weather, hopefully, begins to cool down, our focus will soon turn to the first major military commemoration for the year, ANZAC Day.
However, the first few months of the year see other, less well known or publicised anniversaries and commemorations, that are important to Australia’s history.
On February 19, Bombing of Darwin Day.
On this day in 1942, Darwin, in northern Australia, was first bombed by Japanese warplanes. The people of Darwin suffered terribly during this time and many civilians were evacuated. Two air attacks were carried out that day, and between February 1942 and November 1943, a total of 97 air attacks were carried out across Darwin.
To this day, this action remains the largest and most devastating modern attack by a foreign power on mainland Australia. Bombing of Darwin Day is a time for us to recognise and remember the allied service personnel and civilians who suffered through that experience.
February 24: The National Day for War Animals
The Purple Poppy recognises the extraordinary loyalty and courage of all animals who serve alongside our military in times of war and peace. On the frontlines of conflict protecting and supporting our diggers, or in the homes of veterans living with the trauma of service, these, often unsung heroes have earned a place in the hearts of all Australians. The Purple Poppy also recognises the valiant work of search and rescue, and law enforcement animals that have served our communities and kept us safe for hundreds of years.
For more information on Australia’s military history, search https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/
Defence Member and Family Support is a sector of the Australian Defence Force that provides Defence families with numerous programs and activities with an aim to support them as they face the unique challenges of being a Defence family.
https://www.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families
To contact the Defence School Mentor: Tracey Cooper
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 0800 - 1430hrs
Email: tcoop203@eq.edu.au
Phone : 3819 5333
Tracey Cooper
Defence School Mentor
Ripley Valley State Secondary College
