Principals' Message 2023
Greetings to all members of the Riverside Schools community and to online inquirers visiting our website for the first time. Since Riverside Education Support Centre opened in 1995, we have excelled at the provision of education for a diverse range of students and 2023 will see us continuing to strive for excellence in support of every single student.
The consistent characteristic of all education support centres is diversity and inclusion, and this year is no different as our enrolment profile changes due to the large inflow of new kindy and pre-primary students. We commenced February 1 with 82 enrolments, our highest number since inception, comprising about one third in each of Kindy/Pre-primary, Junior Primary and Senior Primary.
Thirteen students graduated at the end of 2022, 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 school caters for students with a wide range of educational needs, typically our students present with Intellectual Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Global Developmental Delay or a range of physical or mental health disabilities. We encourage you to call and make an appointment to discuss the individual needs of your child and how we may be able to address these at Riverside ESC. Our team of more than 50 skilled teachers and allied professionals across ten classrooms are committed to teaching and support your child to learn to the very best of their ability.
Recognised as an Independent Public School, our school undertakes regular reviews overseen by the Department of Education. Our next review is scheduled for Term 2 this year and we look forward to publishing the results and identifying opportunities for improvement. 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 many commendations from parents and carers who speak of the “incredible strides” taken by their children.
In 2023 we are guided by FOCUS 2023 and STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS 2020 - 2024, both of which are initiatives of the Director General of Education’s Classroom First Strategy - they promote effective leadership and teaching while maximising the care and development of each and every student. The 6 Key Statements in the focus document, held to the fore by our school, are:
• 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 we recommend you call ahead to set up an appointment.
All the best for 2023.
Jim Douglas, Principal Tamarra Rekman, Deputy Principal