Principal's Weekly Update #7

Greetings, Pirate Families!

We are entering our seventh week of school, and what a wonderful week it was for our Pirates! Homecoming Week brought tremendous school spirit, energy, and opportunities for our students to come together as a school community. Thank you to our students, staff, families, and community partners who helped make the week such a success.

As we move into the next week of the semester, let’s continue to keep our focus on what matters most: Every Classroom. Every Student. Everyday. We want every student to be present, engaged, challenged, and supported each day.

“The future depends on what you do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Let’s continue to make those small efforts count—one classroom, one student, and one day at a time. Keep the main thing the main thing.

With appreciation, Roll Pirates Roll!

Dr. Gloria Woods-Weeks

A special thank-you to Ms. Harvell, Ms. Salas, Mr. Hayes, Ms. McKoy, and our Student Government Association leaders for an amazing Homecoming Week filled with Spirit Days, the pep rally, and a wonderful Homecoming Dance. Your leadership and energy helped make Homecoming special for our entire school community.

Congratulations to the Riverside High School Homecoming Court!

Please join us in congratulating our 2026 Homecoming Court! We are proud to celebrate these outstanding students and the school spirit, pride, and Pirate tradition they represent.

Freshman Prince: Greg Karnowski
Freshman Princess: Erin Weaver

Sophomore Prince: Thomas Medley
Sophomore Princess: Emery Webb

Junior Prince: Ivan Kaiser-Potter
Junior Princess: McKenzie Garrett

2026 Homecoming King & Queen KING — Joshua Elmenshawi
QUEEN — Kenya Laney

A special celebration for Joshua and Kenya as they represent our school as the 2026 Homecoming King and Queen!

To our entire Homecoming Court, thank you for representing Riverside High School with Pirate Pride. We hope this is a memory you will cherish for years to come!

Congratulations to our Homecoming Court!

Congratulations to our volleyball, tennis, and cross-country teams, who celebrated Senior Nights this past week. We are proud of our senior student athletes and grateful for the dedication they have shown throughout their high school careers.

Congratulations to sophomore orchestra member Libby Pormann, who participated in the Southeast Honors String Festival at UNC-Greensboro. We are proud of her hard work and dedication and the way she represented Riverside and DPS.

North Carolina Honors Chorus

Congratulations to Ms. Boliek and five outstanding Riverside chorus students who earned places in the prestigious North Carolina Honors Chorus, selected from students across the state:

• Marelvi Dominguez-Santos — Alto 2
• Annie Sanderlin — Alto 2; highest score in her voice part in the entire state and a second-year Honors Chorus recipient
• Cindy Combs — Alto 1
• Ben Davis — Tenor 2; second-year Honors Chorus recipient
• Adrian Juarez Pineda — Tenor 2; second-highest score in his voice part in the entire state and a second-year Honors Chorus recipient

We are incredibly proud of these talented musicians!

Pirates Giving Back

A shout-out to the Riverside Men's Basketball Team for visiting Eno Valley Elementary and encouraging students to read, learn, and believe in themselves. October is Volunteer Month for Riverside Men's Basketball, and our student-athletes are demonstrating that leadership extends beyond the court. Thank you for serving, leading, and giving back to our community.

During halftime of Friday's Homecoming game, our Riverside community honored and remembered Steven Perry, a former Riverside Pirate student and football player who later served as a North Carolina State Highway Patrol Master Trooper.

Steven tragically lost his life earlier this year while serving and protecting the citizens of Durham County. We were honored to share a slideshow recognizing his service, his life, and his lasting legacy as a Riverside Pirate.

Once a Pirate, always a Pirate.

• Our school attendance last week: 82.91%

• Goal for next week: 95%

• Reminder: Every day matters! If your student will be out, please let us know.

Our Goal: 95% Daily Attendance

Every day a student is in class is another opportunity to learn, participate, ask questions, build relationships, and make progress.

Families, please help us reach our 95% daily attendance goal by:

• Making sure students attend school every day and arrive on time.
• Scheduling appointments outside of the school day whenever possible.
• Monitoring your student's attendance regularly.
• Encouraging students to make up missed work promptly.
• Communicating with the school when your student is absent.

Being present matters. Every day counts!

PSAT — Tuesday, October 6

The optional PSAT for 11th-grade students will be administered Tuesday, October 6, at 9:15 a.m.

Students taking the PSAT should report directly to their assigned testing room at 9:15 a.m. Testing room locations are posted in the A/B hallway.

Early Release — Wednesday, October 7

Riverside will have an early release at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7.

Please plan for your student’s transportation accordingly.

Department Chair Meetings - Wednesday, October 7 - All Day

Underclassmen & Faculty Photos — Friday, October 9

Underclassmen and faculty photos will take place Friday, October 9. Additional details will be shared with students and families.

Senior Night — Friday, October 9

Join us Friday evening as we celebrate with our seniors in Cheerleading, Football, and Marching Band during Senior Night.

Seniors: Your Finish Line Matters!

Every senior is expected to meet with their counselor—no exceptions.

Senior meetings are an important opportunity to review graduation requirements, credits, post-secondary plans, and the steps needed to successfully cross the finish line.

Senior meetings are taking place through October 9. Students should schedule their meeting with their assigned counselor using the counselor's Calendly link. Counselor Calendly links are available on the Riverside High School website. See article on our website, Our goal is simple: We want every senior to finish strong!

Mi Éxito, Mi Camino Post-Secondary Exploration Fair

Students and families are invited to the Mi Éxito, Mi Camino Post-Secondary Exploration Fair on:

Saturday, October 10 | 12:30–4:00 p.m.
Emily K Center

This event will provide students and families with opportunities to learn more about academic and career goals after high school graduation. Please see this flyer for more details on this post-secondary event for students and families to learn more about academic and career goals after high school graduation.

FAFSA Family Night

Monday, October 26 | 6:00–7:30 p.m.

Seniors and senior families are invited to join us for FAFSA Family Night. Families will learn more about the FAFSA process and have an opportunity to receive one-on-one assistance completing the form.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Riverside students are invited to participate in the 2026 Congressional App Challenge Jumpstarter, an opportunity for students to learn more about the competition, develop ideas, and receive guidance from local computer science professionals.

Saturday, October 10 | 9:00–11:00 a.m. | Raleigh

No prior coding experience is required, and students of all skill levels are welcome.

Space is limited, and registration is required. The registration deadline is Tuesday, October 6 at 6:00 p.m.

Ticket to Play for winter sports is now open for:

• Indoor Track and Field
• Basketball Cheer
• Men's Basketball
• Women's Basketball
• Wrestling
• Swim and Dive

Families should:

1. Complete the student's DragonFly profile to 100%.
2. Upload all required documents, including a current physical.
3. Submit the Ticket to Play Google Form once the DragonFly profile is complete.
4. Monitor the email listed in DragonFly for any requests for additional information or corrections.

Pirate Athletics

We are proud of our Pirates and the many ways our student athletes continue to represent Riverside!

Men's Soccer

The Pirates earned a dramatic 4–3 comeback victory over Southern Durham, scoring the winning goals in the final three minutes of the game.

Women's Tennis

The team defeated Person High School and improved to an impressive 12–2 overall record.

Women's Volleyball

Sophomore Halle Curtis has emerged as a strong offensive leader, leading the team in kills per set last week. The Pirates also earned victories over Northern Durham and Southern Durham.

Football

The Pirates continue their season with quarterback Taylen Lea, who completed 4 of 14 passes for 55 yards, including 33 receiving yards to Dakari Monds. Josh Eleminshawi led the ground game with 72 rushing yards.

Women's Flag Football

Congratulations to the team on defeating Northern Durham to bring home the Battle of the North Trophy! The Pirates enter this week undefeated at 5–0.

This Week in Pirate Athletics

Monday, October 5
• Women's Tennis — Playoffs
• Field Hockey — Senior Night
• Women's Flag Football

Tuesday, October 6
• Women's Volleyball
• Men's Soccer
• Cross Country

Wednesday, October 7
• Field Hockey
• Women's Volleyball

Thursday, October 8
• Men's Soccer
• JV Football
• Women's Volleyball
• Women's Tennis Playoffs

Friday, October 9
• Football vs. Hillside — Senior Night, 7:00 p.m.

Please check the Riverside website and athletic social media for the most current schedules, locations, and updates.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our students and school. Your involvement matters, and together we can ensure that every Riverside Pirate has the support, opportunities, and encouragement needed to succeed.

Let's make Week 7 another great week at Riverside!

Every Classroom. Every Student. Everyday.

Go Pirates!