Principal's Weekly Update #33

Greetings, Pirate Families,

We hope you had a wonderful weekend and are ready for a strong and focused third week of the fourth quarter. As we continue moving toward the end of the school year, this is an important time for students to stay engaged, keep up with assignments, and finish the year on a high note.

Reminders for the week:

• End-of-Year (EOY) benchmarks, begin Monday and Tuesday. Remind students to bring their charged devices on Monday and Tuesday as well.
• Course Registration is underway. Students must be present and on time during their scheduled homeroom sessions to complete registration. If they are absent or late, courses will be selected for them.
• Please encourage your student to check grades regularly and communicate with teachers about any missing assignments.
• Attendance remains critical, every day counts as we wrap up instruction for the year.
• Upcoming final exams and end-of-year activities are approaching. More details will be shared soon, so please stay connected.
• Seniors should continue monitoring announcements and deadlines related to graduation and post-secondary plans.

We are proud of the effort our students and staff continue to show each day. Let’s keep the momentum going as we work together to ensure a successful finish to the school year.

Inspirational Thought for the Week:
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” — Robert Collier

Thank you for your continued support!

Have a great week ahead,

Dr. Gloria Woods-Weeks
Principal

• Congratulations to Major Bond, Major McPherson and all of our JROTC students for earning a program evaluation score of “Exceeds Standards,” the highest possible recognition of a high school JROTC program as evaluated by the US Air Force. Special recognition was given to Cadets Jairus Mathieu and Ameshia Warren as Top Performers for the unit. Also, Cadet Grace Range was given a challenge coin by the evaluator for her performance leading the Color Guard.
• Congratulations to Ms. Taylor, Ms. Boliek, Ms. Moore, Mr. Holley and the entire crew and cast of Mary Poppins the Musical for a practically perfect run of performances this weekend. Bravo to everyone!
• Congratulations to senior Robert McDonald who signed his NCAA Letter of Intent to study and play basketball at North Carolina Wesleyan.
• Congratulations to the men's volleyball team for hosting and winning the 2026 Bull City Invitational.
• Shout-out to our senior athletes who were recognized on Senior Night for Track and Field.
• Shout-out to the Croasdale Garden Club for flying kites with students from our Exceptional Children classrooms on Thursday.
• Shout-out to the RHS Athletic Ambassadors for helping facilitate Field Day at Club Boulevard Elementary.

• Report Cards - All students received Quarter 3 report cards on Monday, April 13. If you have any questions or concerns the teacher of record is your first point of contact.
• Benchmarks - RHS will follow the EOC Benchmark schedule on April 20 and April 21.
• Class of 2027 Senior Portraits - CADY Photography is hosting an information session on Senior Portraits this Tuesday, April 21 at 6:00 pm in the Media Center.
• National Honor Society Induction Ceremony - Tuesday, April 21 at 6 pm in Auditorium.
• Course registration for the 2026-2027 School Year - The final day to register for classes is Thursday, April 23; find information on how to register on our school website.
• Senior Night for Tennis - Thursday, April 23 at 4:30 pm
• Pirate Push Interest Meeting for Families of Rising 11th Graders - Learn more about our program where 11th graders enroll in college courses taught by Durham Tech professors onsite at Riverside High; Monday, April 27 at 6 pm (Online).
• April 29 is an Early Release Day.
• Final exams - June 4-10 - Traditional Calendar High Schools w/ semester courses and CDM

Senior Decision Day Volunteer Request: Hey Parents! I am planning a Decision Day celebration for seniors on April 30th during 1st period. This is to recognize all their hard work and celebrate their post-graduation plans. I am looking for volunteers to help set up the day before, assist on the day of, and break down after the event. Please sign up at the link below if you would like to volunteer!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0448AAAE28AAFBC16-62900126-decision

Decision Day, April 30th, during 1st period in the Media Center: Please have your students register to attend Decision Day. All students must register to be able to attend! Even if you are not planning to attend, please fill out this form, so we know what your student will be doing post-graduation. Here is the link for students: https://forms.gle/B2j3FxQW27LjCzHN9

Parents: Please make sure you and your students have completed FAFSA (through studentaid.gov) if your student is planning on attending college, university, trade school, or community college. FAFSA is necessary to receive financial aid, including scholarships, grants, work study, and loans. If you do not complete FAFSA, you will not receive financial aid to help pay for college. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to Ms. K. Email: osk3@duke.edu

Parents of Juniors and lower classmen - I have created a presentation with voiceover explaining the main components of the college application process and important things to know that I highly recommend watching to get a head start in planning for and thinking about the college process.

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xHdbXVRjokTg971vPguamRNCgGnR-TJK/view?usp=sharing

Additionally, here is a checklist for juniors: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Oj2ERdaNXFKbmlzQo2SvLwlayjYfCNxE3SPI41n5VqM/edit?usp=sharing

Upcoming events in April:

April FAFSA office hours: Come get help on FAFSA and understanding your financial aid letter

• Thursday April 23: Lunch A, B, & C in the Media Center
• PRIZES EVERY WEEK THE MONTH OF April FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED FAFSA (If you have already completed, you can enter the raffle by filling out the form) (raffle entry)

Check out my newsletter for SCHOLARSHIPS, upcoming events, and helpful information.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1skBzvx-KMGqiLjElJRODLcNw1_N8j7wCF47njoPv9Vs/edit?tab=t.0

College Acceptances and Scholarships

Have your student submit their college acceptances and scholarships here to be featured.

We are excited to share another strong week for Pirate Athletics, highlighted by impressive team performances, individual achievements, and continued success across multiple programs.

Our Women’s Soccer team delivered a dominant 9-0 victory over rival Northern Durham in the “Battle for the North.” Freshman Emily Heffernan led the charge with three goals. The team is in second place in the conference, marking one of the strongest conference performances in the past eight years.

Men’s Volleyball had an outstanding showing in pool play at the Bull City Classic this past weekend. Carter Buchanan and Noah Mecagni led the offense with six kills each, while Jacob Feller contributed 22 assists and added three service aces. The Pirates now hold a 13-3 record as they head into the final stretch of the season.

Men’s Golf continues to show steady improvement, with both team and individual scores trending in the right direction. Several athletes are positioning themselves well for potential postseason opportunities.

In Men’s Tennis, Senior Alex Abrams-Garrett was named Player of the Match in a strong performance against Chapel Hill. The team will compete in open play at Sanderson on Monday and will host Page later this week for Senior Night.

Our Track and Field team competed in two meets last week and continues to build momentum. Multiple athletes recorded personal and season-best performances, placing themselves in a strong position for regional qualification. Highlights include Alex Gray’s second-place finish and Baylis Healy’s eighth-place finish in the 1600m at the Apex Relays. The boys’ 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams also posted season-best times.

Baseball continued its dominant conference run with a 13-3 win over East Chapel Hill. A seven-run fourth inning fueled the victory, with key contributions from Cameron Harper, Griffin Kovalesky, Micah Harris, and Jesse May. The Pirates are now 6-0 in conference play and will compete for first place in a key matchup against Chapel Hill this week.

Softball also had a big win, defeating Hillside 17-6. Grace Arrington recorded nine strikeouts over 5.2 innings. Paisley Russell had an outstanding performance at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four runs, three RBI, and two stolen bases. Catherine Clark also made a significant impact, reaching base four times while scoring five runs and adding two stolen bases. They are also 6-0 in conference play and currently in 1st place.

Athletic Department Booster Club Scholarship is now open!!!

The Riverside Athletic Booster Club will award one graduating (senior) female and male student athlete a $500 scholarship to support educational expenses.

This scholarship recognizes the recipient's all-around stand-out qualities as an athlete, leader, student, and citizen. Coaches, teachers, parents, and teammates are encouraged to nominate a student athlete who excels on and off the playing field. Nomination deadline: May 8, 2026.

Link to nominate: bit.ly/boosterclubscholarship

We’re heading into another exciting week of Pirate Athletics. Below is the full schedule of contests for the week. We encourage everyone to come out and support our student-athletes!

Monday

• Softball vs. Southern — Riverside, 6:00 PM
• Women’s Lacrosse vs. Carrboro — Riverside, 6:00 PM
• Men’s Tennis (Pre-Regional) — Sanderson, TBD

Tuesday

• Men’s Volleyball at Eno River — 5:00 PM
• Women’s Soccer at Hillside — 5:00 / 6:45 PM Middle (School Night)
• Baseball vs. Chapel Hill — Riverside, 5:00 / 7:00 PM
• Men’s Lacrosse at East Chapel Hill — 6:00 PM

Wednesday

• Women’s Lacrosse at East Chapel Hill — 7:00 PM
• Men’s Tennis at Williams — 4:30 PM

Thursday

• Track & Field at Chapel Hill — 5:00 PM
• Men’s Volleyball at Millbrook — 6:30 PM
• Men’s Tennis vs. Page (Senior Night) — Riverside, 4:30 PM

Friday

• Track & Field at Cary Academy — 5:00 PM
• Baseball at Chapel Hill — 5:00 / 7:00 PM
• Softball at East Chapel Hill — 5:00 PM
• Men’s Volleyball vs. Hillside (Senior Night) — Riverside, 5:00 / 6:15 PM
• Women’s Soccer vs. Cedar Ridge — Riverside, 5:00 / 6:45 PM

Thank you for your continued support of Riverside Athletics. Let’s pack the stands and bring the energy all week long!

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