Primary Specialists
Prep Visual Art
To conclude Term One in Prep Art, our students participated in a whole school Harmony Week collaborative Art activity. We unpacked what Harmony Week is and then students used their creativity to create a flower and filled these flowers with orange and yellow colour. These colours signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. We focused on developing our fine motor skills of colouring and cutting. These beautiful flowers were added to a Prep - Year 6 Art Harmony Week 'garden'. In Week 9, students reflected on their successes throughout the term, revisiting and celebrating all their amazing work they've done and what they've learnt this first term. We went on a gallery walk past our Lunar New Years dragons and lanterns and through the main building to see their self portraits which binded our Art Essential Agreement. Students had fun participating in an engaging Easter activity to finish the session. Well done Preppies. I am so proud of your learning and growth this Term. Parents, please don't forget to check out our Art Schoolbox page. It is regularly populated with what's been happening in Art. Happy Easter and holidays to you and your families. Be safe over the Easter break and I'll see you all next term!
Grade 1-6 Visual Art
Congratulations to all our amazing artists for completing the first term in art! Ms Fankhauser, Ms Nishani and Ms Mancini are so proud of you for being diligent and trying your best, having a go and trialling out new techniques and using different materials to complete your art pieces. Term 2 brings more for you to enjoy, particularly within the textile area. We do ask parents to donate any spare wool and send in new socks for a project that will be completed by Year 4. We wish you all a great break and look forward to seeing you for a fun filled Term 2.
Harmony Day
Grade 1
Students in Year 1 have continued to complete the patterned backgrounds for their final term’s artwork; their self-Portraits. They began to draw and colour their faces while thinking about their prior knowledge of the elements including line, shape, form and colouration. Students conducted a learning walk to view their peers work and then reflected on their own work adding final details before completion.
Grade 2
Students in Year 2 have been exploring shapes, pattern and colour, while leaning about how lanterns hold significant cultural symbolism. Students learnt that lanterns represent various aspects of life, tradition, and celebration and drew their own versions using handouts and resources. Some students have begun to decorate their lanterns, using crayons, markers and coloured pencils. In our final week of term students reflected on the terms learning through a group discussion and viewing their work during a learning walk.
Grade 3
In Year 3 students continued to complete their Indigenous symbols and patterned artworks. Some students have used oil pastels and washed the background with coloured food dye. They learned that oil pastel repels the food colouring, because they contain a waxy component. In week 9 students discussed the terms learning and went on a learning walk to view each other's artwork.
Grade 4
Students in Year 4 continued to finish their drawings of Russia's St. Basil's Cathedral by applying their knowledge of line, pattern, value, space, and contrast. Working on this project has been enjoyable for the pupils, and some have added coloured watercolour backdrops. After finishing this project, students collaborated to create a flower garden display for the school's 'Harmony Day,' display board.
Grade 5
In Year 5 students have continued to complete their final personalised artwork that is divided into sections, highlighting the various art elements. They continued to consolidate their learning of line, space, shape, colour, form, texture and value. Once completed students were issued with a range of flowers that they could choose to colour and cut out to contribute to the school's ‘Harmony Day,’ display.
Grade 6
Students in Year 6 continued to investigate their own identities through the creation of divided self-portraits. They drew symbols and icons to show who they are, their cultural background, and their hobbies. They started to add colour, precise lines, and details to their portrait's and reflected on their own art, after going on a learning walk.
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:
Year One: In Year One, students are learning about a different Dreamtime story each week. We are making connections to the way stories survive over time, how they are told today, and the ways in which we can still share stories to help them thrive.
Year Two: Students are exploring different angles and perspectives when shooting, including how we have our subject pose.
Year Three: The Year Three students have thoroughly enjoyed taking their foundational knowledge of shot types and using in-device editing to make those shot flourish.
Year Four: We are continuing our analysis of Thalu to explore Aboriginal history. Recently, students have explored Indigienous bush survival methods.
Year Five: Year Five students are half-way through filming their short film projects. We have taken pause to review what we have shot and plan what we will still need to shoot as we resume next term.
Year Six: We are beginning our assessment task, where we will create an art piece that reflects one of our personal or community value.
Spanish
Dear Students and Families at Saltwater P-9 College
As we approach the end of term one, it's time to reflect on the wonderful journey we've embarked on together in learning Spanish. It's been an exciting time filled with new discoveries, language skills, and cultural connections.
Throughout this term, our primary school students have delved into the basics of Spanish vocabulary. From everyday items to common phrases, they've grasped the building blocks of this beautiful language. What's more, they've been making connections between Spanish and their own culture, seeing how language bridges us to different parts of the world.
One of the most exiting aspects has been learning how to greet people in Spanish. From "¡Hola!" to "¡Buenos días!", our students have enthusiastically embraced the art of saying hello. It's heart-warming to witness their confidence grow as they exchange greetings with each other in class and beyond.
In addition to greetings, our students have been practicing introducing themselves in Spanish using short sentences. It's amazing to see them share a bit about themselves in this new language, from their names to their favourite activities. Each introduction is a testament to their growing language skills and creativity.
Furthermore, our students have been actively engaging in asking and answering questions in Spanish. Whether it's about the weather, food, or hobbies, they've been honing their conversational skills and learning to express themselves more fluently in Spanish.
As we prepare to head into the holiday break, I want to commend our students for their hard work and dedication during this first term. Your enthusiasm for learning Spanish has been truly inspiring, and I'm excited to see where our journey takes us in term two.
So, as you enjoy your well-deserved break, I encourage you to keep practicing your Spanish whenever you can. Whether it's greeting someone in Spanish or having a brief conversation with family and friends, every little bit helps reinforce what we've learned so far.
I look forward to continuing our Spanish learning journey together in term two! Until then, have a fantastic holiday filled with fun, relaxation, and plenty of opportunities to practice your Spanish skills.
Felices Vacaciones..
Adios
The Spanish team
Music
Dear Students and Families of Saltwater P-9 College,
As we near the conclusion of the first term, it's a moment to celebrate the achievements and growth we've witnessed throughout the year.
Music has been an integral part of this journey, providing our youngest learners with ample opportunities for self-expression through singing, movement, and the sheer joy of music.
For our older students, this term has been about diving into the depths of musical theory, where they've explored the intricate form and structure of music, while also sharpening their listening skills to discern changes in pitch and instrumentation.
In the recent weeks, the excitement and challenge have soared as our fifth and sixth graders embarked on the journey of forming chords to kickstart their exploration of playing the ukulele. It's been a mix of joy and perseverance as they've embraced both the triumphs and tribulations of learning a new instrument.
Let's continue to foster this passion for music and learning as we move forward into the next term.
Warm regards,
Steve Saxton
Mandarin with Miss Xiong
For Mandarin, we keep using unique Accelerative Integrated Methodology (AIM) to help students to explore traditional Chinese culture and language. We have different focus on:
Year 1-2:
In the initial years, students focus on mastering the fundamentals of Mandarin, starting with the basics of counting numbers 1-10. Utilizing Chinese hand gestures, students gain a deep understanding of the meaning and origins of each gesture. Building upon this foundation, students enhance their mathematical skills by learning to add numbers from 1-19 in Mandarin. Engaging activities such as the Chinese Dragon Number Game and Word Wall Game reinforce their learning experience.
Year 3-4:
As students’ progress, they delve further into number counting from 1-19, now incorporating sentence construction using these numbers. Students not only master the basic counting rules but also learn to express themselves in Mandarin, for instance, inquiring about ages. Through a combination of online games and worksheets, students strengthen their ability to recognize Chinese characters and pinyin, enriching their language proficiency.
Year 5-6:
In the advanced stages of our program, students expand their knowledge of Chinese counting rules, encompassing numbers 1-10, 11-19, and 20-99. Writing skills are honed through engaging activities such as the Counting Bubble Tea worksheet, fostering both creativity and proficiency. Additionally, students participate in comprehensive reviews of their acquired knowledge through interactive platforms like the Kahoot! Game, ensuring a solid understanding of Mandarin concepts.
Physical Education
During P.E our year 3-6 students have been working hard on fine tuning their skills in our athletics events. We are looking forward to putting these skills to the test when we have our athletics carnival during term 2.
Some of our swimming students had the opportunity to go to Geelong and represent Saltwater at the regional swimming championships. Well done to all, this is an incredible achievement to make it to this level.
Our Prep - year 2 students have finished off their bouncing and ball skills. They have been displaying confidence during their P.E sessions and we look forward to further developing this in term two. The P.E team would like to wish everyone a safe easter break and look forward to having everyone back refreshed in term 2.
DANCE.
Students in dance have completed a successful term working on memory retention and expansion, while exercising their creative ideas and visions throughout a combined class effort. Students were given set combinations and criteria to begin with, and one by one they came forward with their own ideas and visions to contribute to what was already set out. Each class created a totally different outcome and routine which were all amazing and effective in their own right. Through this exercise students were able to learn the relevance and importance of teamwork and how effective it is, and also discuss and make the connections through the various IB Learner Profiles. Collectively everyone worked together closer than before, and embraced the concepts provided and discussed while adding to it open their minds to a new way of thinking, performing, and progressing.
Dance Extensions and Wakakirri students have been rehearsing weekly learning the choreography provided, and have been preparing for an intense term 2 ahead. The team has been working hard and have bonded and come together well as each rehearsal progresses. The talent in the room is amazing and I know these students will represent our school and community so well come the big dance at the end of July!
VSSS dancers recently had their first combined schools Hub rehearsal which was held at St Albans Meadows School. The Saltwater VSSS team joined 5 other schools in the first of 4 Hub rehearsals leading up to the State School spectacular to be held in mid September. The students embraced the new experience held for most of the team, and faced the challenges head on to meet expectations presented in rehearsals. Our dancers held themselves well and respectively, while executing the choreography to it’s fullest and setting the personal bar high for their first day. We are proud as a school and teacher to see them all start so well, and we can’t wait to see how they evolve as time goes on!
Well done to all students in classes and in the programs on an amazing first term and for all you’ve achieved, proud of you and your efforts and look forward to an even better Term 2.
Have an awesome break and a Happy Easter to all, stay safe and enjoy the time with family and loved ones, and look forward to seeing you all again soon! :)
