Year Seven-Nine
Coaching Parade Campus
Leadership Update
It has been a fantastic and eventful term across Years 7–9, with students demonstrating great effort, resilience and school spirit across a range of academic and extracurricular activities.
Our Year 7 and Year 9 students approached the recent NAPLAN assessments with a positive attitude and should be commended for their focus and effort throughout the testing period. We are proud of the way students conducted themselves and engaged with the process.
We have seen some excellent achievements in sport.
At the Hobsons Bay Division Swimming Competition, selected students from Years 7–9 performed strongly, with Lincoln N and Mehad R (Year 9), Tanya T (Year 8) and Jun Ming Y (Year 7) progressing through to the Western Metropolitan Region round. This is a fantastic achievement, and we wish them all the best in the next stage.
Our Year 8 and 9 students also represented the school in the Hobsons Bay Division Volleyball and Tennis competitions. A special mention to our Year 8 Girls Tennis team, who performed exceptionally well and were the winners of their competition, progressing to the Regional round. All students showed great teamwork, determination and sportsmanship, winning a number of matches and representing the school with pride.
Year 9 students have also been busy with the 3x3 Basketball competition, with selected Basketball Academy students competing in the FIBA 3x3 Cup at Eagle Stadium. The team performed strongly against high-quality opposition from across the state, securing several wins and gaining valuable experience.
In addition, our Year 9 Café students have been developing their skills through Code Black barista training. Students have been learning and practising their barista techniques, which they are now applying to help run our recess café program. This has been a fantastic opportunity to build real-world skills and confidence.
Finally, our Year 7 students have successfully completed their Term 1 elective rotations. It has been wonderful to see such strong participation and enthusiasm as students explored a variety of subjects. Next term, all students will have the opportunity to experience two new electives as part of their continued learning journey.
We are incredibly proud of all students for their efforts this term and look forward to another exciting term ahead. We wish all students and families a safe and restful break and look forward to welcoming everyone back for an exciting Term 2.
Year 7 and 9 Camps
We are excited to be preparing for our upcoming Year 7 and Year 9 camps! The Year 9 Camp will take place in Week 7 (1st–3rd June), followed by the Year 7 Camp in Week 10 (22nd–24th June).
Limited spots are remaining, so we encourage families to secure their place as soon as possible. Please note that deposits to secure your child's place, are due by 13th April for Year 9 and 24th April for Year 7.
Further information, including camp details and consent forms, can be accessed via Xuno.
Science
Reminder: Sign up for the Big Science Competition 2026
Our school will be sitting the Big Science Competition (BSC) in 2026.
This exciting online competition gives students the chance to test their scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills.
Key details:
Sitting dates: 4–15 May 2026
Application deadline: April 21
Format: Online
Duration: 50 minutes
Students interested should approve the Xuno form.
We encourage all interested students to sign up and be part of this fantastic science opportunity.
Maths
Year 7
At the beginning of Term 1, Year 7 students engaged in focused preparation for NAPLAN, building confidence in numeracy skills and familiarising themselves with question formats. This provided a strong foundation for the learning that followed throughout the term.
Across the term, students explored a range of key mathematical areas, including Number, Algebra, Measurement, Area, and Volume. In Number, students strengthened their understanding of operations with integers and fractions, while in Algebra they began forming and solving simple expressions. Measurement topics included working with units and applying formulas to calculate area and volume in practical contexts.
A significant focus this term was on probability, where students developed both conceptual understanding and practical skills. We began by exploring the language of chance, including outcomes, events, and likelihood, before progressing to representing probabilities using fractions, decimals, and percentages.
Students engaged in a range of hands-on and interactive activities, including coin tosses, dice experiments, and a popular Skittles investigation. Through this activity, students explored experimental probability by collecting and analysing real data, then comparing results to expected outcomes—reinforcing ideas of variation and reliability.
We also introduced two-way tables, enabling students to organise data and calculate probabilities involving two variables, further strengthening their analytical reasoning.
It has been excellent to see students growing in confidence and actively participating in discussions and problem-solving tasks.
Some exciting photos from our classroom activities—including the Skittles experiment—have been uploaded, so be sure to have a look!
Year 8
As we reach the end of Term 1, Year 8 students have made strong progress across a range of key mathematical areas. The term began with a focus on number, where students strengthened their understanding of positive and negative integers and applied efficient mental and written strategies across the four operations.
Students then explored exponent laws, developing their understanding of powers and applying these laws to both single and multi-step problems. This provided a foundation for more advanced concepts, including square numbers, square roots, and algebraic thinking.
More recently, students have been working within the measurement strand, solving problems involving the area and perimeter of regular, irregular, and composite shapes. There has been a strong focus on problem-solving, with students applying their knowledge in a variety of contexts and explaining their reasoning.
To conclude the term, students will explore the area and circumference of circles and apply their learning to real-world scenarios, including designing their own measurement-based problems.
Looking ahead to Term 2, students will continue to build their number skills by exploring irrational numbers, converting between fractions and terminating and recurring decimals, and solving problems involving percentages, including profit and loss.
Year 9
As we approach the end of Term 1, it has been a busy and productive period for our Year 9 Mathematics students. They began the term by preparing for NAPLAN, revisiting a range of key mathematical concepts and strengthening their foundational skills.
Following this, students explored the topic of number, with a focus on writing both very large and very small numbers using scientific notation. To support their understanding, they practised rounding numbers to the leading digit and developed their skills in working with significant figures, rounding to two, three and four significant figures.
As part of their introduction to algebra, students were introduced to working with indices, including multiplying and dividing numbers with powers. This has set a strong foundation for their next stage of learning, where they will begin applying index laws to algebraic expressions.
Looking ahead to Term Two, students will continue their study of algebra. They will explore exponent laws in greater depth, simplify algebraic expressions, and begin factorising.
We are very proud of the effort students have shown this term and look forward to building on this momentum in the coming weeks.
Basketball Academy
It has been an incredible start to Saltwater’s very first Basketball Academy program. Our Year Seven to Nine students have taken real ownership of this exciting initiative, building it from the ground up. From designing the team logo, to voting on the school team name, to selecting the uniform they will proudly wear in Term Two, students have been at the centre of every decision.
Congratulations to Dion Gomez (Year Seven) for submitting his original design, which will leave a legacy for future generations at Saltwater P-9 College.
Term One – Skill Development
This term has been all about building strong foundations and elevating our game. Students have been actively developing the key skills needed to become confident, composed and intelligent basketball players. Our focus areas have included:
Warm-up and cool-down strategies
Dribbling under pressure
Shooting techniques
Defensive footwork and positioning
Rebounding and boxing out
Offensive movement and spacing
The energy, effort and improvement shown across all year levels has been outstanding.
3XCup
Recently, a select group of Year Nine Basketball Academy students proudly represented Saltwater at a three-on-three competition at Eagle Stadium. With over fifty teams competing, including elite sporting schools, our three teams rose to the challenge. Each team competed with determination, resilience and teamwork, representing our school with pride against strong opposition.
Coming Soon
There is plenty to be excited about as we continue to grow the program:
Victorian Secondary Schools Challenge – End of May
Year Eight – Victorian Institute of Sport guest speaker
Year Nine – Victorian Institute of Sport sports science excursion
Year Nine – Primary school basketball clinic
Years Seven to Nine – Interschool Sports in August
Wood Technology
Year 7 Students Take Flight with Creative Design Project
During Term 1, Year 7 students embarked on an engaging design project, creating model aeroplanes as decorative desktop ornaments. The task challenged students to follow a structured design brief while applying the principles of the IB design cycle.
Using digital portfolios on Google Classroom, students documented each stage of their work, from initial ideas through to final production. The project provided hands-on experience with both hand and power tools, allowing students to develop practical manufacturing skills.
A strong emphasis was placed on precision, with students practicing accurate measuring, marking, and cutting techniques. The project not only enhanced technical abilities but also encouraged creativity, planning, and reflection—key components of the IB learning approach.
Overall, the term’s work showcased the students’ growing confidence and craftsmanship, resulting in a collection of unique and carefully constructed model aeroplanes.
Year 7 Students Race Ahead with CO₂ Dragster Project
In addition to participating in the Woodwork elective program, Year 7 students have also embraced Wood Technology as part of their enrichment studies. This term, students have been immersed in an exciting STEM project—designing and building CO₂-powered dragsters.
The project brings together science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and craftsmanship, giving students the opportunity to explore the physics of motion while developing practical workshop skills. Through this hands-on experience, students gain a deeper understanding of how theory connects to real-world applications.
Students began by investigating key scientific concepts such as aerodynamics, friction, and Newton’s laws of motion. These principles formed the foundation for their dragster designs. Once their ideas were developed, students moved into the workshop to begin construction.
Using a range of tools and techniques, students are carefully crafting their dragsters, focusing on precision, accuracy, and quality finishes. The project does not only strengthened their technical skills but also encourages problem-solving, creativity, and innovation.
Enrichment - Volleyball
Students in the Volleyball Enrichment subject have been hard at work this term refining their skills and developing strong teamwork. Each year level has a designated training session in their timetable. Year 7s training on Tuesday Period 1, Year 8s on Wednesday Period 1, and Year 9s on Thursday Period 1.
Our Year 9 and Year 8 teams recently competed in the Term 1 interschool sports competition. While our school did not progress to the next round, the teams achieved many wins and consistently demonstrated excellent teamwork and sportsmanship. Our Year 7 students are set to compete in October, and we wish them the very best of luck.
Year 9 Girls
Aaleahya (C), Ava, Eseta, Fleur, Keira, Lizzie, Roxy, Hannah, Lizzie
Year 9 Boys
Lincoln (C), Keanu, Lucas, Mehad, Fainlov, Steven, Tawhiri, Mehar
Year 8 Girls
Mason (C), Marlo (C), Miguel, Zane, Ilyas, Ari, Aarav
Year 8 Boys
Zainah (C), Aziah, Honey-Lee, Zara, Rakaia, Sarisha, Ayaana, Sasha
All students involved in the program are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their brand new playing jerseys, which they helped design in collaboration with AKU Sportswear. Each student will have a name and unique number displayed on their back. These are expected to arrive early in Term 2 and can be worn on training and match days. We would also like to sincerely thank all families for their ongoing support of their children in this program.
