Prep Visual Art

In Week 3, our Prep students celebrated 100 Days of School by creating and decorating their very own 100 Days Smarter Crowns. Students carefully coloured, cut and decorated their crowns, using a variety of creative patterns and bright colours to make each one unique. It was wonderful to see their creativity and enthusiasm shine as they proudly wore their crowns to celebrate this special milestone.

We loved celebrating 100 Days of Learning together!

The Department of Education is inviting young Victorians to showcase their creativity for the opportunity to design next year’s Prep bags. The theme for the 2027 Prep bags is ‘My Year of Prep’. The winning artist’s design will feature on the front of the 2027 Prep bags, which will be given to thousands of students starting Prep at a Victorian government school next year. Please refer to last week's newsletter for more details.

In Week 4, our Foundation (Prep) students had the opportunity to create a piece of artwork inspired by this theme. They carefully planned and designed their artwork, which was then taken home for families to enter into the competition if they wished. Well done, Preppies! We saw so many amazing designs, with lots of creativity, effort and hard work going into each artwork. We are so proud of the wonderful designs you created!

Year 1 Visual Art

In Week 3, our Year 1 students explored the concept of community and discovered how artists record and represent important places through their artwork. Students identified different features that make up a community and discussed places that are meaningful to them, such as parks, schools, libraries and local landmarks. They then created detailed drawings of a place that is special to them, using their observation skills and creativity to capture its unique features.It was wonderful to see the variety of places our students chose and to hear the stories behind why these locations are so meaningful. Their artworks reflected both their creativity and their growing understanding of the communities they belong to.

In Week 4, Year 1 students recapped their understanding of what makes a community and reflected on how communities have changed from the past to the present, linking their learning to our Inquiry unit. Together, we discussed the different needs of a community and the important role buildings play in supporting the people who live there. Students then worked collaboratively to design and create a brand-new building that would meet the needs of their community. Using creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills, they shared ideas, planned their designs and had lots of fun bringing their unique buildings to life.

Year 2 & 3 Visual Arts – Weeks 3 & 4

Over the past two weeks, our Year 2 and 3 students have explored the power of symbols and storytelling

through art. Building on our learning from NAIDOC Week, students discovered how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples use symbols to share stories, knowledge and connections to Country, culture and community.

Inspired by this learning, students created their own symbolic artworks to tell their personal stories. Using their imagination, they designed

meaningful symbols to represent themselves, their families, friends, school and community. Through discussion and creativity, students reflected on the people, places and experiences that are important to them, learning that art is a powerful way to communicate identity, ideas and belonging.

It has been wonderful to see each student's unique story come to life through thoughtful symbols, creative designs and imaginative expression.

Year 4 Visual Art

In Weeks 3 and 4, students continued exploring their Unit of Inquiry on migration and exploration through the exciting world of sea animals! Students thought about how creatures such as sea turtles and fish migrate and explore the ocean and how artists can use the elements, principles and processes of art to share ideas and stories.

Students became Thinkers and Inquirers as they sketched their creative ideas in their art journals. They revisited the clay techniques learned in Week 2, including pinch, coil and slab techniques and considered how they could use these techniques to bring their sea animal ideas to life in clay.

As Communicators, students began planning how their artwork could tell a story about migration and exploration, while showing creativity and making thoughtful choices about their clay creations.

Spanish.

¡Hola a todos! News from the Spanish Classroom 🇪🇸

This term, students across Saltwater P–9 College have been developing their confidence in Spanish—one greeting at a time!

Our older students have been learning essential vocabulary and practising how to introduce themselves in Spanish. They have learned how to choose the correct greeting for different times of the day, including “¡Buenos días!” in the morning, “¡Buenas tardes!” in the afternoon and “¡Buenas noches!” in the evening.

Students are now confidently using these greetings with their classmates and teachers around the school. They have also been practising simple introductions and questions such as “Me llamo…” (My name is…) and “¿Cómo te llamas?” (What is your name?).

Meanwhile, our younger learners have continued their joyful introduction to Spanish through engaging songs, videos, movement and repetition. Music is a wonderful way for young students to develop an ear for a new language, and it has been fantastic to see them singing along and learning new words naturally.

It has been a wonderful start to the term filled with learning, laughter and language development.

¡Sigan así, estudiantes!(Keep up the great work, students!)

Physical Education

It has been a busy and exciting few weeks in Physical Education, with students developing their soccer skills through fun, game-based learning experiences.

Across all year levels, students have been focusing on kicking, dribbling, trapping and passing while learning how to apply these skills in modified games. Using the Game Sense approach, students have been encouraged to make decisions, work together as a team and solve problems in realistic game situations rather than simply practising skills in isolation. It has been fantastic to see students growing in confidence, showing excellent teamwork and demonstrating great sportsmanship throughout each lesson.

As our soccer unit comes to an end, our Year Prep–6 students are looking forward to beginning an exciting Australian Rules Football unit. Students will continue to build their game awareness while developing skills such as kicking, handballing, marking and teamwork through a range of engaging Game Sense activities and modified games.

Soccer Clinic Year 2-6

A highlight of the term was our Year 2–6 Soccer Clinic, where students took part in a one-hour session led by professional coaches. The energy and enthusiasm from the moment the session began was outstanding. Students were fully engaged as they worked through a variety of activities designed to improve their dribbling, passing, shooting and ball control.

It was great to see throughout the sessions the positive attitude, effort and willingness of our students to challenge themselves. Whether they were experienced players or trying soccer in a more structured setting for the first time, every student embraced the opportunity and represented our school with pride.

District Athletics Update

Congratulations to all of our students who proudly represented our school at the District Athletics on Tuesday 4th of August.

The day was filled with determination, resilience and outstanding sportsmanship as students competed against schools from across the division in a range of track and field events. Whether competing in sprint races, middle-distance events, relays, jumps or throws, every student gave their best effort and represented our school with pride.

Throughout the day, our students displayed excellent teamwork by encouraging one another, celebrating each other's achievements and demonstrating respect towards competitors and officials. It was wonderful to see students stepping outside their comfort zones, embracing new challenges and showing perseverance regardless of the result.

A special congratulations goes to those students who achieved personal best performances and to those who have qualified for Divisional Athletics. Your dedication, commitment and hard work have been rewarded, and we wish you every success in the next stage of competition.

Welcome to Week Four of Wellbeing!

This two weeks we continue to focus on Emotional Literacy, helping students build the knowledge, language, and skills to recognise, understand, express, and manage their emotions. Alongside developing their personal strengths, students are learning that recognising emotions in themselves and others is an important step towards building positive relationships, resilience, and a strong sense of belonging. As part of this learning, students are creating a Belonging Tree, where they identify emotions that can sometimes be difficult to manage and explore practical strategies to self-regulate, de-escalate strong feelings, and make positive choices.

Foundation students are learning to use the Zones of Regulation to recognise and name their emotions, expand their emotional vocabulary, and identify personal strengths that help them manage challenging feelings.

Year One students are developing a greater understanding of their emotions and learning appropriate ways to express their feelings. They are also exploring positive coping strategies that help them recover from setbacks while recognising the personal strengths that support their wellbeing.

Year Two students are strengthening their emotional awareness by recognising how their strengths help them manage everyday situations at school. They are practising the skills of active listening, sharing ideas, working collaboratively, and interacting respectfully to build positive relationships and participate successfully in the classroom.

Year Three students are developing their ability to recognise emotions in others by interpreting facial expressions and body language. They are learning strategies to manage social and emotional changes while strengthening their self-regulation skills.

Year Four students are exploring how friendships change as they grow older. They are identifying the emotions that can arise during these changes and practising positive strategies to build, maintain, and navigate healthy friendships.

Year Five students are reflecting on their experiences at school and at home while building resilience through recognising and applying their personal strengths. They are exploring the connection between emotions, thoughts, and behaviours to strengthen their sense of belonging within the classroom and wider school community.

Year Six students are examining how emotions influence decision-making in friendships, peer groups, and family situations. They are learning to recognise that emotional responses can sometimes be unpredictable and are developing strategies to respond thoughtfully, regulate their emotions, and make responsible decisions.

Student Leadership

Back in Week 6!