Principal's Weekly Update #27
Week 8– Third Quarter | March 8, 2026
Week of March 9-13, 2026
Greetings Pirate Families,
As we enter Week 8 of the third quarter, we are quickly approaching the final stretch before the quarter ends. This is an important time for students to stay focused, monitor their grades, and take advantage of opportunities for extra help. We encourage families to continue checking Infinite Canvas and communicating with teachers to ensure students remain on track for success.
Inspirational Quote of the Week:
"Great schools are built on strong relationships, high expectations, and a shared commitment to student success."
With Pirate Pride,
Dr. Gloria Woods-Weeks
Principal
Important: Homeroom Attendance & Spring Registration
Spring registration for the 2026–2027 school year will begin in the coming weeks and will be facilitated through Homeroom. Stay tuned for more information to come.
It is extremely important that students attend Homeroom during this time. This is when counselors will share course offerings, graduation requirements, and guide students through selecting their classes for next school year.
Please note:
· If a student does not attend Homeroom, courses will be selected for them.
· If a student wants the opportunity to choose their own classes, they must attend Homeroom.
Homeroom is not optional during registration season or any other time.
PTA
The next RHS PTA meeting will be held Tuesday March 10 at 6:30 in the RHS Media Center.
Upcoming Events & Important Reminders
· March 9 - 13 - Semester 2 - MOY Benchmark
· March 10 - ACT make-up
· March 10 - Senior Meeting for Graduates 1:20 pm
· March 11 - Music in Our Schools Concert 7pm
· Spring registration for the 2026–2027 school year will be facilitated through Homeroom. It is extremely important that students attend Homeroom during this time. This is when counselors will share course offerings, graduation requirements, and guide students through selecting their classes for next school year. Please note:
- If a student does not attend Homeroom, courses will be selected for them.
- If a student wants to choose their own classes, they must attend Homeroom.
·
Riverside High School 2026 Prom will be held Saturday, May 2
- Theme: Enchanted Swan Lake
- Location: Hilton Durham Near Duke University (3800 Hillsborough Rd.)
- Prom Time: 8:00pm-12midnight
- Ticket Prices: Early Bird Special: March 9th-29th, 2026
§ Single Tickets $65.00 -- Couple Tickets $ 110.00
§ Regular Price Tickets: March 30th-May 1st, 2
§ Single Tickets $80.0 -- Couple Tickets $125.00
§ All tickets will be purchased online with no exceptions.
· Panorama Social Emotional Survey
The Spring Panorama SEL survey closes on March 9, 2026. We strongly encourage participation so student voices and experiences can be heard. The link is available on our website. Students will use their Student ID as the access code.
Shout Outs & Celebrations
- Congratulations to Elliot (Ellie) Anderson, David May. Jesse May and Elisabeth (Libby) Pormann for their performances as part of the Eastern Region Orchestra last weekend at ECU
- Thank you to Ms. Duncan and all the students who presented and performed yesterday in the African American Heritage Program.
Class of 2026 – Cap & Gown Orders
Graduates of the Class of 2026 must order their cap and gown no later than March 13, 2026 to ensure delivery to the school on April 28, 2026.
Cap and gowns will be distributed following the senior meeting on April 28. Orders placed after March 13 will not arrive until early June. Please do not delay in placing your order.
Athletics Updates
Congratulations to several Riverside teams for an outstanding week of competition!
The Men’s Tennis team earned a strong victory over Orange High School, while Men’s Volleyball continues to impress, remaining undefeated in non-conference play.
The Women’s Soccer team had an excellent week, securing wins over Walter Williams High School and Garner.
Softball also showed resilience with two exciting come-from-behind victories against Cary and Wake Prep Academy. In addition, pitcher Grace Arrington reached an impressive career milestone, recording her 200th strikeout.
On the lacrosse field, the Men’s Lacrosse team earned victories over Cary High School and Roxboro Academy. Lucas Dodge led the Pirates to victory with multiple goals. On the women’s side, Emily Heffernan helped power the Pirates with two goals in their game against Garner.
This Week in Athletics at Riverside
March 9
- Men's Tennis: Hillside at Riverside – 4:30 PM
- Women's Lacrosse: Jordan at Riverside – 6:00 PM
March 10
- Baseball (Varsity Only): Felton Grove at Riverside – 6:00 PM
- Softball: Aletheia Giants at Riverside – 6:00 PM
March 11
- Women's Soccer: Cary at Riverside – 5:00 PM / 6:45 PM
- Men's Volleyball: Eno River at Riverside – 6:15 PM
March 12
- Softball: Green Level at Riverside – 6:00 PM
Volunteer: Our athletics programs depend heavily on volunteers to help with game day entry, concessions, etc., during all home game day events for all sports. Please consider taking the time to VOLUNTEER HERE!
Keep our Kids in the Game Donation: Help us keep our students competing on 30 Varsity & Junior Varsity teams at Riverside by donating during this special fundraiser. Your gift of $203 provides the equivalent of the expense for one student to participate in one season this year. Did you know that Durham Public Schools only provides 14% ($15,000) of the funding needed to run our Athletics program at Riverside? The other 86% of the funding comes from ticket sales, sponsorships and fundraisers. That means the Athletics Department and the Booster Club need to produce over $89,000 in revenue this year to support our students. 100% of donations through this effort will go directly to the Booster Club to help our kids. ALL gifts make a difference. DONATE HERE!
Corporate Sponsorships: Do you or someone you know have connections to a local business? A number of sponsorship packages are available and we would love to proudly display your logo all over Riverside High School! Please see the attachment and contact the Booster Club for more information!
Stay Connected
Follow Riverside High School on social media for updates, celebrations, and reminders!
📸 Instagram: @riversidepirates | 💻 Website: www.dpsnc.net/riverside
Make it a great week, Pirates! Roll Pirates Roll!
--Dr. Woods-Weeks, Principal