Primary Specialists

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Welcome back to all students, we hope you had a safe and enjoyable holiday. We are looking forward to a very busy semester. 

Welcome back Ms Evans to the PE team. Ms Evans will be replacing Mr Woods classes until the end of the year. Ms Evans is looking forward to seeing you all and working with you again.

Over the next few weeks, the Prep-2 students will be focusing on the one and two handed strike. By learning this fundamental motor skill , the children will be able to learn the rules and participate in  tee-ball and tennis.

The Year 3 & 4 students will be developing their skills in the one and two handed strike, where they will have the opportunity to participate in baseball, hockey and cricket.

The Year 5 & 6 students will also focus on the one and two handed strike preparing them for softball, hockey, cricket, tennis and bat tennis.

The district athletics team (for children in Years 3-6) will be posted on the gym door within the next two weeks. Children will then have the opportunity to train for their events leading up to the district athletics sports on 22 August, with the back up date 23 August. More information will follow very soon on Xuno for those selected children.

Looking forward to seeing your happy faces and positive attitude this semester :)

The PE team

MUSIC

Dear parents and students,

We are excited to share some updates from the Music Department! This term, our focus for Prep to Year Two students is on beat and rhythm activities. Through engaging and interactive sessions, our young musicians are learning the fundamentals of music by clapping, tapping, and moving to different beats. These activities help them develop a strong sense of rhythm and enhance their musical coordination.

For Year Three to Year Five students, we are building their experience in percussion ensembles. They are exploring a wide range of percussion instruments, including drums, xylophones, and shakers. By working together in small groups, our students are learning to listen to each other, follow a conductor, and create harmonious rhythms. They are not only having fun but also developing teamwork and communication skills.

In Year Six, we are excited to introduce our students to the world of music creation through GarageBand. This innovative software allows our young musicians to explore various musical genres, experiment with different instruments, and compose their own original pieces. They are learning the basics of music production, such as layering tracks, adding effects, and mixing sounds. We can't wait to see the incredible music they will create!

We are incredibly proud of the progress our students have made so far, and we look forward to witnessing their continued growth and passion for music. Thank you for your ongoing support, and we encourage you to explore music at home by engaging in rhythmic activities, attending concerts, and encouraging your child's musical creativity.

Warm regards,

The Music Department

Media Art with Mr Howarth

In Media, students are taking skills learned in prior lessons and applying them to new tasks. In particular, we have been focusing on:

Preps: Students have begun exploring how media can be presented as fiction or non-fiction. Using “Ask the Storybots” as a mentor text, the Preps are understanding how media can inform as well as entertain.

Year One: In Year One, we are exploring the different way stories have been told over time. They are analysing this by reading and viewing different Aboriginal Dreamtime stories. Students have seen how stories told thousands of years ago through paintings or dance thrive today via books or videos. 

Year Two: The Year Two students have been out in the yard taking photos of tomato cans for the purpose of print advertising. They are taking into consideration focus, positioning, size and frame.

Year Three: Introduction to still-image narratives. Students are exploring how a sequence of pictures can tell a story, despite an absence of text or dialogue.   

Year Four: Students have been editing their montages of daily life as a school student. This has included a focus on sequencing and trimming clips so as to stay within the prescribed run time.  

Year Five: The Year Five students have begun filming their short, short films. A focus is put on using multiple shot types, camera movements and perspectives. 

Year Six: Using the short film "American EID" as a mentor text, students are developing empathy and observing the commonalities between cultures.  

Visual Art

Welcome back, parents! We hope you had a wonderful holiday break. As we kick off the new term, we're excited to share that all grades are diving into exciting art topics in the art room.

The first week back in the art room was dedicated to celebrating NAIDOC Week. Our students delved into the rich significance of Aboriginal elders, learning about their wisdom and cultural importance. They also explored the vibrant Indigenous colour palettes, imagery, and symbolism, incorporating them into their artwork as a way to honour and respect the diverse cultures and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Preps, Grade One, and Grade Six students are exploring the vibrant world of pop art. 

Grade Two and Grade Three students are diving into the imaginative realm of comic art.

Grade Four and Grade Five students are unleashing their creativity through the captivating world of street art. 

We can't wait to see the incredible masterpieces our students will create!

Spanish.

Dear students, parents, and school staff:

We are excited to welcome you to the third term of the school year. We hope you have enjoyed a well-deserved break and are ready to dive into new knowledge and exciting experiences.

During this term, students from Preparatory to Grade two will be consolidating their knowledge of emotions, parts of the face, weather, and numbers from 1 to 20 in Spanish. They will learn to express their feelings in Spanish, identify different parts of the face, describe the weather in various situations, and master counting and basic operations with numbers from 1 to 20. It will be a term filled with laughter and learning!

Grade three and four  students will embark on a fascinating journey to learn about transports, countries, and the location of Spanish-speaking countries in the world. They will explore different modes of transportation, learn about the cultural diversity of Spanish-speaking countries, and discover how geography influences our lives. Get ready to take off to new horizons!

For students in Grades 5 and 6, the focus will be on food, clothes, and shopping. They will learn to describe their favourite meals, clothing items, and engage in shopping activities in Spanish. Additionally, they will work on mastering numbers from 1 to 100, allowing them to confidently navigate everyday situations involving numbers. It will be a delicious adventure of learning!

Throughout this term, we will strive to provide all students with an inclusive and stimulating learning environment. Our dedicated teachers will be here to support them every step of the way, ensuring they reach their full potential. Together, we will achieve great things!

We have begun reviewing and expanding upon previously learned vocabulary and then using this in genuinely communicative activities using what they know in a meaningful way. Students are starting to use phrases and questions that are already helping them to increase their Spanish input in class, as well as express their needs and share their thoughts in Spanish.

This term students will continue working towards:

• Familiarization with the sound system of the Modern Spanish Language
• Learning to identify and write letters and words using the Spanish alphabet.
• Making comparisons with the English alphabet, words and connect it to Spanish.
• Using Spanish to interact with each other.
• Repeating both formal and informal modelled language
• Introducing themselves, their family and exchanging greetings with teachers and peers
• Consolidating their learning by engaging with different text types and experiences
• Using visual cues to ask and answer questions.
• Vary their responses by combining sentences, phrases, or words.
• Responding to simple instructions and classroom routines
• Reading and writing short sentences independently

In addition, using ICT, students can access Rockalingua, the Spanish learning school-based app to practice what they are learning at school. 

We are looking forward to an exciting term learning about the language and culture of the Spanish speaking community.

Congratulation to our Spanish learning community at Saltwater p-9 College.

Adios….

Señor Javi and Señor Pastén.

DANCE.

Welcome back everyone, and hope you had a great break and holiday. 

This term we have picked up where we left off in term Two, and continued working with the Year Three and Year Four students. In class we have been working on various tasks structured around developing accountability, ownership, responsibility, problem solving and time management. Paired together wth a fellow classmates, students were provided with set criteria guidelines, but instructed to change the order and add on their own combinations also at the end of the task. This highlighted students understandings and attention to detail in the initial instructions given. Communication, compromise, and teamwork were important factors in achieving the tasks within the time frame set. Upon discussions and feedback given, students were able to reflect and identify the connection made to other elements in the outside world, and the effect this has on the outcome.

Victorian State School Spectacular.

Our superstar cast have started the term very well with great enthusiasm and energy as we get closer to the big show! Our dancers are set to head into their final combined schools Hub rehearsal next week at Keilor Basketball stadium for their first dress rehearsal. This will see many more other schools joining us, as we put on the finishing touches before heading to John Cain Arena on Thursday 7th September for our first tech rehearsal. All students have been working extra hard and have set the benchmark higher yet again than on previous years. They approach every rehearsal and commitment at full potential, as they proudly represent themselves, each other, their families, school and the Saltwater community.

Thank you to all family members and staff for your support throughout this journey, it's very much appreciated. Thank you also to Miss Danielle Colling for all her hard work and dedication this year with our amazing dancers, and it's great to have you back on board.

The Victorian State School Spectacular is at John Cain Arena on Saturday 9th September for two shows at www.ticket.com.au/spectacular.

Saltwater College is located in 'Quadrant 1', VSSS recommends booking seats in Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 47, 48, 49, 50 to ensure the best view of our school. Tickets are $40 for an adult and $20 for a child under 15. hope to see you there! :)