Primary Specialists

Prep Art

During Weeks 5 and 6, our Prep students worked hard to create an Art Essential Agreement. They explored the element of lines and applied their understanding of different types of lines to create drawings that reflected each attribute of the learner profile. The students did a fantastic job, and it's clear how well they are adapting to the new routine of the art room while demonstrating principled behaviours. Great work, Preppies!

Year 1&2 Art with Ms Ancona:)

 As we embark into the midway mark of term one, our Years 1 and 2 continue to produce some creative artwork!  Our excellent displays related to the 'Year Of The Snake, 2025", demonstrate budding artists 

and the representation of their unique artistic style!  Such a pleasure to view, indeed! Our focus in week 4 to 6, continues on our journey in our Art space, with; safe practises, shared understanding, created within our Essential Agreement, and celebrating art through the "Elements of Art."

 In particular, we will be focusing on Line and Colour.  I can't wait to witness further.

Excellent work was produced while enjoying the process on the way. Most importantly, well done, Year 1s and 2s. I'm so proud of you all! I am indeed encouraged by your devotion, excitement, and smiles while learning through artistic expression. Thank you, your happy Art Teacher, Miss Ancona :)

Year 3 ART

Students were introduced to basic watercolour techniques using warm and cool colour schemes. 

Students analysed artworks by Pablo Picasso, August Friedrich Albrecht Schenck, and Amedeo Modigliani, focusing on how colour can convey emotions such as sadness and grief. They then explored how to use colour, shape, and line elements to express their feelings through abstract portrait drawings. 

Year 4 ART

Students explored complementary colours and observed how colour pairings such as red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple enhance vibrancy and contrast. 

Students studied the work of artist Sandra Silberzweig, analysing her use of colour and style. They then began sketching their own Sandra Silberzweig-inspired portraits in their art journals. 

Year 5&6 Art

In Visual Arts, students have begun their Term 1 core units, focusing on identity and representation.

• Grade 5 explored collage in digital and physical forms, using layering techniques to create a self-representative final piece.

• Grade 6 is analysing advertising in the film industry and applying design techniques to craft self-representative artwork.

We look forward to seeing their creativity unfold!

Physical Education 

Saltwater P-9 Swimming Team at the District Carnival

Last Thursday, our swimming team competed in the District Swimming Carnival at Werribee Outdoor Pool. Each student represented Saltwater P-9 with pride, displaying responsibility and giving their absolute best in every race. The team finished second overall —what a fantastic achievement!

A huge congratulations to the following students who made it through to the next stage:

Mila Lei

Mikayla Liu

Christine Liu

Zoey See

Lachie Clendenning

Dylan Clendenning

Harper Liu

Jun Ming Yuen

Helen Shi

Anna Wu

Atharva Rawat

Dustin Vegter

Melody Sun

Esabella Cong

Ella Zhou

Eloisa Sierra-Perez

Best of luck to these students at Divisional Swimming, when they return to Werribee Outdoor Pool on the 6th of March.

We're also excited to announce our Swimming Captains for 2025! These students have been selected for their outstanding leadership and dedication. Congratulations to Helen Shi, Lachie Clendenning, Hannah Sheat, and Jun Ming Yuen!

Media Art with Mr Howarth

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

Prep: The Prep students have been exploring their feelings and what they look like, sound like, and feel like, and taking photos to demonstrate them. 

Year One: In Year One, we explore how stories have been told over time through the lens of Dreamtime Stories. We have explored how stories have survived for thousands of years through oral retelling, music, dance, cave paintings, etc. 

Year Two: We continue exploring different shot types in the yard and working with partners. Currently, we are exploring medium and long shots.

Year Three: In Year Three, we use our photography skills to represent different areas of our school and present them using programs like PowerPoint.

Year Four: We continue analysing Thalu to explore Aboriginal history. This has included the history of stockmen in Australia and Aboriginal sporting icons. 

Year Five: In Year Five, we are exploring the evolution of media over time. To begin, we have examined animation and video games.

Year Six: Students have been planning and drafting their own podcasts. Their focus has been developing a topic of interest, choosing a genre and potential talking points. 

Spanish

Hola Familias!

Our students have been enthusiastically expanding their Spanish vocabulary in the past few weeks while having fun and engaging in interactive learning experiences. One of the highlights has been learning songs in Spanish—music is a fantastic way to reinforce language skills, improve pronunciation, and make learning more enjoyable! Singing helps students memorize new words, recognise patterns in the language, and develop confidence in speaking Spanish.

Our Prep to Grade 2 students have been practising greeting each other in Spanish. Through songs, role-play activities, and games, they are gaining confidence in using greetings like hola (hello), Buenos días (good morning), and adiós (goodbye) in real-life situations.

Grades 3 and 4 have been revisiting past vocabulary while taking their learning further by reading and writing short sentences in Spanish. They are beginning to connect words and phrases, helping them build a stronger foundation in spoken and written Spanish.

Our Grade 5 and 6 students have reinforced their prior knowledge while diving deeper into cultural exploration. They have been learning about their culture and comparing it to traditions from Spanish-speaking countries. This has sparked great discussions and reflections, helping students develop a broader global perspective.

We are excited to continue learning and having fun in Spanish class. I appreciate your support in encouraging our students on their language-learning journey. ¡Vamos a seguir aprendiendo juntos! (Let’s keep learning together!)

¡Hasta pronto! (See you soon!)

Señorita Alejandra y Señor Pasten

s

Music

Hi, parents and students!

I’ve got some exciting updates from the Music Department! Each term, a group of students from P-6 comes to our music room for a weekly session.

For Prep and Grade 1 students, we’re focusing on beat and rhythm activities. They’re learning the basics of music by clapping, tapping, and moving to different beats. This helps them develop a strong sense of rhythm and makes them more coordinated.

Grade Two and Three are learning about percussion ensembles. They’re exploring different percussion instruments like drums, xylophones, and shakers. They work together in small groups to listen to each other, follow a conductor, and create harmonious rhythms. They’re having a blast and learning teamwork and communication skills.

In Grades 4 to 6, we’re taking their skills to the next level by playing more complex ensemble music and even composing their original pieces.

We’re so proud of how far our students have come, and we can’t wait to see what they do next. Thanks for your support, and we encourage you to get involved in music at home by doing rhythmic activities, going to concerts, and encouraging your child’s creativity.

Cheers,

The Music Department

Wellbeing

Hi all! 

Students have been working very hard the past few weeks, focusing and reflecting on their emotions, the ways students act on these emotions, and whether there are different ways we could act when feeling a negative emotion. 

Grades 1 + 2

Grades 1 and 2 have focused on learning about emotions and identifying how someone feels based on their facial expressions. Students have provided evidence of understanding through games, such as “Emotions Bingo” and “Emotions in my Home” tasks. 

Grades 3 - 6

Grades 3 to 6 have focused more on stress as an emotion and overcoming stressful situations. Students have provided evidence of learning through role-playing and group poster-making. 

DANCE.

Dance has been going great in the studio with all the Year 4 students over the last few weeks. We have been working on spatial awareness through movement while incorporating various elements, such as directional changes, and using all room dimensions. Through the dance combinations given, we exercised facing all different directions throughout the routine, highlighting rotations the students were working on in class. After the routine was set, we would start facing different directions again, altering their sense of direction, where the front was, and which way to turn. This challenging yet fun exercise encouraged students to think outside the square and push the boundaries even more.

Following this class, we worked on collaboration, communication, creativity and teamwork. This was an exercise where students pushed themselves creatively as they came up with different steps and combinations, which were then taught to the rest of the class. Students, one by one, would suggest other steps and combinations, which we would add to the dance and eventually build a whole routine that they created as a class. This created open-minded thinkers who challenged and applied themselves in unfamiliar territory, only to realise the positive outcomes of it all. Through this they began to apply themselves more so, pushing the boundaries for more creative ideas while eager to share with others. This allowed others to drop their guard, become risk-takers, and do the same. Collaborations are in all areas of life, and our journey, and this has helped students gain confidence and creativity in many different ways.