Personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) is mandatory from Kindergarten to Year 10.
PDHPE provides students with opportunities to explore issues that are likely to impact on the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others – now and in the future. Students also participate in challenging and enjoyable physical activity, improving their capacity to move with skill and confidence.
In Year 9 and 10, elective courses available include:
- Physical Activity and Sport Studies (PASS)
- Dance
In Year 11 and 12, courses available include:
- Community and Family Studies
- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
- Dance
Year Sport
In Years 7 and 8, students experience an integrated sports program conducted by specialist physical education teachers during PDHPE classes in the mainstream timetable. This program focuses largely on skill development and team skills through team sports.
In Year 9, students participate in a range of recreational and team sports on Monday afternoons, supervised by PDHPE teaching staff. Often, external instructors are available to run many of the recreation sports. During winter, students may join school grade sport teams, which compete against five other public high schools in the North West Zone.
Recreation sports can include:
- Badminton
- Boxercise
- Croquet
- Cross Fit
- School sport
- Tennis
- Yoga
Grade sports include:
- Oz Tag
- Netball
- Soccer
In Year 10, students rotate between recreational sports throughout the year. This takes place on a fortnightly basis on Wednesday afternoons. Often, external instructors are available to run many of the recreation sports. Sports include salsa, self defence, yoga and school sport.
Carnivals
The school provides opportunities for all students to participate in traditional sporting carnivals at a school level. These include swimming, cross country and athletics carnivals. Further representative opportunities at zone, regional, combined high schools (CHS) and all schools levels are available for students who excel in these areas.
Representative Knockout Sport
Opportunities to participate in Sydney North (regional) and state wide CHS knockout competitions are available to students across a variety of sports. Students are required to trial for under 15 and open knockout teams.
Knockout sport can include:
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Gymnastics
- Hockey
- Futsal
- Netball
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Water polo
- Volleyball
Camps
Year 9 ski trip is planned annually for the July holidays and is open to interested students in Year 9. This is a unique opportunity where students take part in a six day and five night snow experience. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves in ability groups to navigate the ski slopes of Thredbo. This experience allows students to enhance their balance, flexibility, endurance and mood as they sharpen their skills on the snow. This is a fun and memorable camp for students to build character and enhance a range of fitness components in a social environment.
Other opportunities
Throughout the year there are also other opportunities to be involved in sport and physical activity.
- The school colour run is held every year. The colour run involves all staff and students in Years 7-12.
- Fitness club runs once a week before school for interested students in Years 7-12. The program is run by Riverside PDHPE teaching staff.
- Gala days are organised for Year 7 and 8, to provide further skill development and team experience in a competitive setting against schools which belong to the zone.
- Year 7 students participate in a weekly intensive swim school program in Term 4.
