Principal's Message
Since its humble beginnings in 1987, Riverside Secondary School has grown to become a choice school in the north with its excellent track record. In 2009 and 2015, the school received the prestigious MOE School Distinction Award which was no mean feat. This award recognises high-achieving schools with well-defined processes that lead to sustained achievements in student outcomes. Since then, the school continues to strive for excellence.
Leading Riverside
In my professional career over the years, I have played different roles – a teacher, curriculum designer, policy-maker and school principal. I was formerly the Director of Curriculum Policy and a Director at the Educational Technology Division at the Ministry of Education. In my MOE HQ stints, I had the opportunity to formulate and shape education policies, and worked across different schools from primary, secondary and junior college levels on curriculum, assessment and educational technology.
What has been constant throughout my career is my unwavering commitment to the holistic education of children. I am cognisant that each and every child is unique and different. Being an educator is about growing the child as an individual with his or her own self-worth and the moral integrity to do what is right even when no one is watching. We know that education is more than just equipping students with knowledge and skills. At Riverside, we believe in anchoring our students in strong school values (Respect, Service, Synergy, Passion, Integrity, Responsibility, Innovation, Tenacity) to guide their actions in their daily lives, as a student, as a son or daughter, and a member of the community.
Growing the Students
“Students to know who they are, have a zest for life, and always do good. Values are at the core and they are equipped with the relevant competencies to navigate the changing world.”
In Riverside, we aim to grow every Riversidian as a Future-Ready Learner, one who is equipped with essential life skills to be a self-directed and collaborative learner.
This premises on a strong academic foundation. Our students excel at the national examinations in terms of eligibility for post-secondary education and quality distinctions in subjects. This is testament to the quality teaching and learning at Riverside.
We have a unique Riverside media literacy curriculum. Students are equipped with essential media literacy skills to curate, connect and create. Students are also equipped with cyber wellness knowledge and they develop digital fluency to navigate the digital space.
We continue to place emphasis on student leadership development. Student leaders have come together to work on meaningful causes and contribute to the community through the Values in Action (VIA) programme. Student leaders worked on assignments to apply the leadership knowledge and skills learnt through the leadership modules they attended.
We focus on engaging the student voice. Platforms are created to encourage student-led initiatives, such the annual peer-led Riverside Model United Nations Conference (RSMUN), level dialogue sessions, and student-initiated VIA. Student leaders are also invited to share their perspectives to co-shape the school plans.
Students are also developed in growth mindset. Through growth mindset, we want to cultivate in students a love for learning and resilience to face any challenges. Students are taught positive habits, such as help-seeking strategies and how to receive and act on feedback. In addition, other life skills such as time management, sleep management and goal-setting are taught.
Growing the Teachers
“Good teachers are masterful learners, who constantly grow in their professional craft, find meaning and joy in their work, and spark curiosity in their students.”
Riverside teachers form communities of practice among themselves to learn, design lessons and reflect using students’ works regularly. Teachers explore student-centric pedagogies, create one-to-one learning experiences, and design better assessment tasks. Learning is joyful.
Riverside teachers are designers of learning experiences.
They design Self-Directed Learning, encouraging students to take ownership of their learning. For instance, in Mathematics learning, teachers leverage technology to get students to inquire, annotate, make notes, discuss and share ideas. The learning process is captured. Students engage in self-paced learning by viewing the recorded lessons anytime, anywhere at their own pace.
They design Collaborative Learning, where students are encouraged to work together in groups to co-construct meaning with their peers. For instance, in Geography learning, students use tools such as Geographic Information System (GIS) to conduct investigation in the field and create digital maps of Woodlands neighbourhood collectively.
They design for Personalised Learning, where students’ individual needs are catered to. For instance, to build oral communication skills in English Language and Mother Tongue Language, students record their own oral recordings and upload them to the MOE Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) and receive individualised marks and feedback.
Our RSS teachers are trailblazers. Several schools made requests to visit our classrooms and to learn about our teaching and learning practices. We have hosted a number of primary and secondary schools, and shared our good practices at national, zonal and cluster levels. Our teachers also have also presented papers at local and international conferences.
Onward and Beyond
In line with MOE movement on Future of Learning, the school is well positioned to take the students into the next lap. We are a forward-looking school with a responsive curriculum that develops the future-ready learners and grow the 21st century educators.
We have strong partnerships with experts from MOE HQ, an amazing Parent Support Group, enthusiastic Riverside Alumni and a highly supportive School Advisory Committee. These partners have enriched our students’ learning.
We look forward to the new year with optimism and excitement to work closely with various partners in education to provide a quality educational experience at Riverside.
Yours in education,
Ms Tham Yoke Chun
Principal