RIVERMOUNT WINS EKKA PRIZE FOR STUDENT WORK

Rivermount College has taken out the prestigious Top School award at this year’s Brisbane Exhibition – the sixth successive year in which the Yatala College has won the title.

The competition is open to primary school children from throughout Queensland and attracts around 5,000 entries each year, with the best entries displayed at the Ekka. It is based on key learning areas of the primary curriculum, such as Science, English, Mathematics and the Arts. Each student’s work is judged individually and places are awarded in a range of sections, ranging from short stories, poems and posters to model construction, photography and powerpoint computer presentations.

This year, six Rivermount College students won first placings in their various sections: Samantha Nielson (Year 5 - Weather), Hannah Lonergan (Year 5 – Music/biodiversity), Charlotte Kinsella (Year 6 – Newspaper report), Hayley Faulkner (Year 6 – Types of Energy), Iris McMarson (Year 6 - Energy), Sienna Wood (Year 6 – Music/energy) and Celina Wood (Year 7 – Music/energy).

Another eight Rivermount students were awarded second placings and nine were given third prizes. In total, 31 Rivermount students were named as individual prizewinners.

The cumulative result of these individual prizes was the announcement of Rivermount College as the top school of the Ekka for 2008 – a title the college has won each year since 2003.

Principal Dr Nancy Hillier said all primary level students and teachers should be congratulated on the result. “It is marvellous to see so many of our student winning individual prizes in their sections – and what struck me particularly was that all of the individual section winners this year were not the same people who won last year,” she said. "This shows the tremendous depth and quality that Rivermount College students are able to display in this sort of state-wide competition. And it’s fantastic to see that their combined efforts have again led to the honour of Rivermount College being named top school at the Exhibition. It is a classic example of the value of team work and how each member contributes their own talents to the success of the whole team. I am very proud of all of our Rivermount College students who submitted work of such a high standard and I congratulate them and the teachers who guided them. The challenge is now ahead of us for 2009 – to retain our title and be named champion school in Queensland for the seventh year straight,” Dr Hillier said.