Principals' Message 2022
Hello to our school community and visiting guests, welcome to the 2022 school year at Riverside Education Support Centre. Since the school first opened in 1995, we have excelled at the provision of education for a diverse range of students and this year will see more of the same.
Sixteen students graduated at the end of 2021, all successfully passing through our transition programs to begin their new phase of education as high school students. We are proud of the way our girls and boys have matured during their primary years and we follow their progress with great interest. Our enrolment numbers have been growing year upon year, but with the unusually large size of the 2021 graduating cohort, the 2022 starting enrolment is slightly down.
Parents commence their child’s schooling filled with the hope of maximising their potential to live a meaningful, successful and contributory life. Sometimes that pathway is different to what is expected, leading to a re-evaluation of learning and behavioural indicators that may point to the need for a specialised learning environment. New enrolment inquiries are always welcomed. Every child is valued for their unique expressions and abilities; every child has the best possible opportunity to flourish. Once you have satisfied Department-approved criteria for enrolment at an education support centre such as ours, your journey with RESC can begin.
Our team of more than 50 skilled teachers and allied professionals across ten classrooms are committed to teaching and supporting your child to learn to the very best of their ability. Team stability and high morale means attention is properly directed to enhancing school programs and activities, to the benefit of all students and families here at Riverside ESC. Furthermore, in this time of pandemic uncertainty, our team is confidently well-positioned to deliver education to your child at home if that scenario arises.
Recognised as an Independent Public School, our school undertakes regular reviews overseen by the Department of Education. Our most recent review was conducted late in 2019, details of which can be seen on our Annual Reports and Reviews webpage. Described by past reviewers as an exemplary school, we adhere to a program of regular internal evaluation of our effectiveness to maximise student learning, supported by the School Board and our parent community. . Each year, we are humbled by the inflow of commendations as parents and carers comment on the “incredible strides” taken by their children.
In 2022 we are guided by FOCUS 2022 and STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS 2020 - 2024, both of which are initiatives of the Director General of Education’s Classroom First Strategy - they promotes effective leadership and teaching while maximising the care and development of each and every student. Key statements in the focus document, held to the fore by our school, include:
• Provide every student with a pathway to a successful future;
• Strengthen support for teaching and learning excellence in every classroom;
• Build the capability of our principals, our teachers and our allied professionals;
• Support increased school autonomy within a unified public school system;
• Partner with families, communities and agencies to support the engagement of every student; and
• Use evidence to drive decision-making at all levels of the system.
Our website continues to facilitate communication with our school community and beyond. It is the primary source of new enrolment inquiries (including from international and interstate families) and receives thousands of page visits every year.
In closing, we remind parents and carers our door is always open to discuss educational matters relating to your child. For our mutual convenience it is always worthwhile ringing first to set up an appointment.
All the best for 2022.
Jim Douglas, Principal Tamarra Rekman, Deputy Principal