Dear Ripley Valley Community,

As we move into the final weeks of Term 3, I’m proud to share some exciting achievements and upcoming events that highlight the incredible talent and dedication within our school.

Celebrating Excellence in STEM

Congratulations to Isaac Atabila, who has received the prestigious Peter Doherty Award for Excellence in STEM Education. This state-level honour recognises Isaac’s outstanding contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and includes a $5,000 scholarship to support his future studies. Isaac’s achievement is a testament to his hard work and passion, and we are incredibly proud of him.

Staff Achievements – TeachX Awards and HAT Certification

Our staff continue to lead the way in educational excellence. This year, two of our teachers have been shortlisted for the Queensland TeachX Awards, which celebrate exceptional teaching across the state.

In addition, three more teachers have achieved Highly Accomplished Teacher (HAT) certification, bringing our total to five HAT-certified staff—the largest group of HAT teachers in any school across the Greater Ipswich region. With fewer than 4% of teachers nationally reaching this level, this is a remarkable accomplishment and reflects the strength and quality of teaching at Ripley Valley.

Annual Awards Night – Celebrating Student Success

We are also looking forward to our Annual Awards Night, which will be held on Tuesday, 22nd October. This special evening is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our students throughout 2025. A number of new and traditional awards will be presented, recognising excellence across academic, cultural, sporting, and leadership domains. We look forward to sharing this memorable occasion with our students, families, and community.

Thank you for your continued support as we celebrate the success and growth of our school community.

Yours Sincerely,  
Brendan Krueger
Foundation Principal
Ripley Valley State Secondary College

Brendan Krueger

Foundation Principal

Year 10 SETPlan Update & Reminders

Thank you to our Year 10 families who participated in the Senior Education & Training Plan (SETPlan) interviews. Your involvement plays a vital role in supporting your child’s future learning pathway.

Following student subject selections, a small number of subjects were unable to run due to low enrolments. An additional Biology class has also been created. On Monday, 25 August, an email was sent to all Year 10 families outlining these changes. Please ensure you have reviewed this information and contact the school if your child requires any adjustments to their senior subject choices.

As a reminder, if your child is working towards meeting a prerequisite requirement for their chosen pathway, now is a critical time for them to apply themselves. Supporting your child to meet deadlines, engage with feedback, and seek further clarification where needed will greatly assist them in reaching their academic goals.

Finally, a reminder about our uniform policy. We ask for your support in ensuring students arrive at school in the correct uniform each day. The policy is available on our website and in the student diary. In particular, we remind families that:

• Students must wear their ties correctly 

• Uniform items should be worn as prescribed (e.g., skirts are not to be rolled up)

We appreciate your continued support in maintaining the high standards and professional dress code expected at Ripley Valley State Secondary College.

2025 Student Resource Scheme (SRS) - final instalment now due.

Thank you to those families who have already made payments or set up payment plans. 

For those families who are paying the Student Resource Scheme (SRS) in instalments, the final instalment is now due.

Statements have been emailed, 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 each month.

Following are the SRS parent information letters for each year level which outline the inclusions and cost of the 2025 SRS.

Our Year 7 students have been busy bringing Japanese culture to life in the classroom! For their latest assessment, they stepped into the role of chefs and cultural ambassadors, creating their very own obento lunch. Each student carefully designed and prepared a beautifully presented meal, reflecting the Japanese values of balance, nature, colour, and creativity. The excitement didn’t stop there—they also presented their obento to the class, explaining the cultural significance and inspiration behind their choices. It was a wonderful celebration of language, culture, and delicious food, with students showing off both their culinary flair and growing confidence in Japanese.

International Student Program 2026 

Expressions of Interest welcome!

Candice Vidotto

Creative Industries Head of Department

csawa2@eq.edu.au

Performing Arts

Dance Academy

Ipswich Performers Dance Festival Results!

What an incredible day and night of performances from our talented dancers at the Ipswich Performers Dance Festival! We are so proud of everyone’s hard work, teamwork and energy on stage.

? 1st Place

7 Dance Academy – Entertainment

? 2nd Place

8 Dance Academy – Contemporary

9  Dance Academy – Jazz

? 3rd Place

Combined Dance Academy – Jazz

Very Highly Commended (VHC)

Certificate II in Dance – Contemporary

7 Dance Academy – Lyrical

7 Dance

Students have been hard at work developing both their technical and expressive dance skills in preparation for their upcoming performance task. This assessment challenges them to learn popular dance movements set to fun, upbeat music, while also focusing on rhythm, spatial awareness, coordination, and expression.

As they prepare to perform their routines for an audience of their peers, students are building not only confidence but also pride in their ability to express themselves through movement. The process encourages growth, mastery, and visible progress, while the creative and rhythmic nature of dance helps foster a positive self-image. Each dancer is able to showcase their own unique style and celebrate their individual accomplishments

9 Dance

Year 9 Dance students have just wrapped up their performance task, showcasing their skills in the energetic and dynamic style of Hip Hop. A big thank you goes to Jaimi from The Creative Edge, who brought her expertise and passion to our workshops, making the learning experience both fun and inspiring.

Students will now move into their next challenge, a project task that dives deeper into the origins and evolution of Hip Hop dance. They’ll explore how global trends have influenced the style over time and consider how these trends shape the way we choreograph today.

Using this research as inspiration, students will collaborate to create their own original group choreography, blending historical knowledge with modern creativity.

11 Dance

Year 11 Dance students have been pushing their creativity with their latest assessment, the Dance Film Clip project. This demanding task required students to not only choreograph their own original contemporary routines, but also step into the role of teacher, passing their choreography on to a group of peers.

From there, the challenge continued as students took their work beyond the studio, filming on location to bring their artistic vision to life. They then entered the editing suite, carefully shaping their footage into a polished multimodal presentation. Each film clip had to communicate clear choreographic intent while also addressing complex choreographic problems.

With this intensive project soon coming to completion, students will next turn their focus toward the evaluation of professional contemporary performance, further building their analytical and critical dance skills and preparing for their final exam.

7 Music

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right — our Grade 7 music students are certainly having the time of their life as they dive into learning the guitar. This term, they have been focusing on the fundamentals of the instrument, building skills that make popular songs accessible and fun to perform. From learning basic chords to strumming patterns, students are discovering how quickly they can turn simple techniques into music they recognise and enjoy.

What’s been most exciting is the way students are taking ownership of their learning outside of class. Lunchtime rehearsal rooms have been fully booked as students practise, collaborate, and refine their playing in preparation for assessment. Their enthusiasm is clear — not just in the effort they’re putting in, but also in the supportive peer relationships being built through music.

As a result of this energy, we are thrilled to now have two new junior pop/rock groups forming within the school. These groups will provide even more opportunities for performance and creativity, showcasing the teamwork and passion that has been growing among our Grade 7 musicians. We can’t wait to see where their musical journey takes them next!

11 Music

Our Grade 11 music students have been deeply engaged in exploring how social, political, and personal identities can be represented through music. This unit has encouraged them to think about how music reflects culture and lived experience, while also being a powerful medium to communicate messages and influence audiences. Students have been listening critically, discussing meaning, and applying these ideas to their own work in creative and thoughtful ways.

ATAR Music students are finalising their integrated projects, which involve researching a chosen identity, examining how it is represented across multiple songs, and then bringing these findings together through an original performance or composition. This process challenges them to connect theory with practice, demonstrating not only their analytical skills but also their creativity and musicianship. Each project reflects a unique perspective, showing how identity can be explored in many different and meaningful ways.

Music in Practice students are focusing on how to represent their own identities through performance and how their artistic choices can shape the viewpoints of their audiences. They are developing confidence in expressing themselves while also considering the impact their music has on others. Across both pathways, all students are working very hard, and we are looking forward to seeing their ideas finalised and brought to life in the coming weeks.

Instrumental Music

Our Instrumental Music students are busily preparing for their final concerts and performances of the year, while continuing to expand their skills and techniques in exciting new ways. Each section of the program has been working on specialised units designed to both challenge and inspire, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to grow as a musician.

Percussionists have recently begun their drumkit unit, developing coordination, rhythm, and ensemble awareness, while pitched percussionists are focusing on the dynamics of playing together as a group. Brass and woodwind students are exploring world music, broadening their understanding of global traditions and styles. Meanwhile, our string players are experimenting with new and innovative techniques, including slap bass, to add variety and creativity to their playing.

While the emphasis remains on learning and developing musicality rather than rushing toward deadlines, regular attendance at rehearsals is still essential. These sessions provide students with the chance to refine new material, work collaboratively, and prepare confidently for upcoming performances. We are excited to see all their hard work come together as the term draws to a close.

Dance Squad

Ipswich Performers Dance Festival Results!

What an incredible day and night of performances from our talented dancers at the Ipswich Performers Dance Festival! We are so proud of everyone’s hard work, teamwork and energy on stage.

? 1st Place

Dance Squad – Jazz

Dance Squad – Contemporary

? 2nd Place

Dance Squad – Entertainment

On top of these fantastic results, we were also awarded Most Entertaining in the Year 12 & Under category – such a wonderful recognition of the fun, energy and performance quality our dancers bring to the stage! Congratulations to all of our dancers!

Musical – Legally Blonde

The stage is set, the costumes are ready, and our cast is giving it their all as technical rehearsals kick into high gear! Lights, sound, set, and performance are coming together to create a show you won’t want to miss. The energy in the theatre is electric, and excitement is building as we head towards opening night.

A massive shout-out to our hardworking students, dedicated staff, supportive families, and amazing volunteers, this production wouldn’t be possible without you. It truly takes a whole community, and we are so grateful for everyone’s involvement.

Tickets will sell out fast, don’t wait! Secure your seats now at Trybooking.com

and be part of the magic. This is going to be an unforgettable celebration of talent, creativity, and community spirit!

Supporting Students with QTAC Preferences

Our Year 12 students have been working closely with the Guidance Officers and senior schooling team to prepare for their next steps beyond school. Over the past few weeks, students have received support in understanding the QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre) application process, exploring university and TAFE pathways, and refining their preferences.

In this process, students have been encouraged to not only consider their dream course, but also to check subject adjustment factors, course prerequisites, and offer rounds. Many students have already lodged their applications, and some have even received early offers from UniSQ through their participation in the Head Start program. We will continue to meet with those who require further guidance.

Our goal is for every student applying through QTAC to receive an offer. To support this, students have also been advised to include pathway courses in case they do not receive their expected ATAR. Information about upgrading course options has been communicated to all Year 12s, and I will be in contact with students and families where additional pathway preferences may need to be added as a precaution.

Parents and caregivers play an important role in this process by discussing options at home and ensuring applications are submitted on time. QTAC applications are now open, and it is essential that preferences are lodged by 30 September 2025 to be considered in the first round of offers.

We encourage families to:

• Sit down with students and review their preferences together.
• Contact the university directly if there are questions about prerequisites or entry requirements.
• Reach out to me if additional support is needed.

We are proud of the effort our Year 12s are putting into shaping their future pathways and look forward to celebrating their achievements in the months ahead.

Supports for Students at University

I have recently received several enquiries about how students are supported at university. At school, students are accustomed to both academic and social-emotional support, and families may wonder whether the university experience is different. Many parents recall a “sink or swim” approach from their own studies.

Modern universities, however, provide a wide range of structured services to meet the needs of their students. Each university has a wellbeing department with staff dedicated to academic, personal, and career support.

At the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ), students can access:

Wellbeing Supports

• Multi-faith chaplaincy
• Student counsellors
• Mental health nurse
• Student wellbeing advisors
• Accessibility and disability support, including Learning Support Plans (with medical documentation)
• Clinical psychologist (fees may apply)

Career Supports

• Career counselling for prospective students
• Employability and skills development for current students and recent graduates (up to 12 months post-graduation)
• Résumé support and work experience programs

Learning Advisors

• Academic support across a wide range of disciplines (First Nations College, Maths, Arts, Business and Law, Education, Engineering, Sciences and IT, Health, UniSQ College)
• Assistance with assignment writing, unpacking assessment tasks, and developing study strategies

Modern universities ensure students do not need to “swim alone.” If your child experiences difficulties, please contact the wellbeing department at their institution. Contact details for the UniSQ Wellbeing Team are included below.

Celebrating our Teacher Aides in Week 8

Week 8 is Teacher Aide Appreciation Week! At RVSSC, we paused to celebrate our outstanding teacher aides with messages of gratitude from students and staff across the College. Our TAs are the quiet achievers of every great lesson, and their impact is felt in classrooms, corridors and beyond.

Every day, teacher aides:

• support learning in-class and in small groups, clarifying concepts, pre-teaching vocabulary and checking for understanding

• support with scaffolded tasks and model strategies for reading, writing and numeracy

• help students regulate and refocus with calm prompting and positive routines

• adapt resources and use assistive tech to make learning accessible for all students

• provide practical support during practical subjects, yard duty and excursions to keep students safe and engaged

• assist with assessment access (e.g., readers/scribes, breaking tasks into manageable steps)

• collaborate with teachers to prepare resources and provide timely feedback to students.

At RVSSC we recognise the vital role our TAs play in the lives of students and the positive, lasting impact they have on our College community. Thank you for your dedication, skill and care—our school is stronger because of you.