Primary Specialists
VISUAL ARTS
FOUNDATION
During the past few week's students observed the Spanish custom of, ‘All souls day’ or in Spanish - Día de los Muertos. They also learnt about Diwali and the significance of this cultural celebration. They applied their artistic skills and knowledge to colour their very own sugar skulls and Diwali lanterns and various rangoli and lotus designs.
Students also created ‘Remembrance Day’ Poppy Landscapes. They began with reusing scrap paper and used red crayons and oil pastels for colouring in the poppies. Some students thought about drawing extra poppies to their landscapes. We finished with making a collaborative display.
YEAR 1
Students in Year 1 also explored 'The Day of the Dead' or in Spanish - Día de los Muertos. They had a choice of 3 activities to choose from, including sugar skull colouring, Papel Picado’s and tissue paper marigolds to fold and make.
During ‘Remembrane Day’ week, students created poppy landscapes. They began by thinking about where to draw their poppies and where to arrange them on their recycled paper. Using red and black acrylic paint, students sponged over the petals. Once dried we arranged each piece to make a field of poppies.
YEAR 2
In week 5 year 2 and 3 students used the recycled paper flowers they made during week 3, to decorate a portrait of Frida Kahlo. Students arranged the flowers they made on Frida’s hair, and they chose whether to use a plain Frida template or a ‘sugar skull’ Frida template. Once decorated the portraits were glued onto coloured backgrounds.
Students also continued to explore colour layering and collage techniques to create a transparent stained-glass artwork. They thought about complimenting colour schemes and discovered that layering colours, creates new colours. Some students created rows of differing colours to make patterns, while others created a repeated pattern of colour. Some students also decided to create their own landscape or shape designs.
YEAR 3
In week 6 and 7, Year 3 students continued to reuse recycled paper for paper weaving, while thinking about the importance of sustainable art practices. They revisited the 3 R’s and looked at the importance of recycling materials to produce new artwork.
YEAR 4
In weeks 5,6 and 7, Year 4 students continued to think about ocean life and how to create realistic sea life, through detail. Students used the principles of scale, depth and perspective within their art, when they thought about the size of the subject matter ( tropical fish) and where it appears within the composition. Some students chose to place their fish in the foreground, making it appear larger, as opposed to placing the seaweed in the mid and backgrounds, where it appears smaller. They discovered the further it is from the viewer, the smaller it appears!
YEAR 5 and 6
Over the past few weeks, students in the upper years focused on the importance of celebrating - Día de los Muertos or ‘Day of the Dead’. They looked at the significance of this celebration to the Spanish culture and why it is celebrated.
In the following week’s students continued to develop their skills in colour harmony for their folded paper designs. They looked at colour choices to use in their artwork, and how this can impact their audience’s feeling and emotional reactions. Below are radial symmetry designs, showing paper colour choices and arrangements chosen to form the paper sculptures.
YEAR 6
In the past few weeks, students continued to develop their skills in manipulating plasticine to make various shapes, textures and patterns for a landscape. They explored working with this new material and used plastic modelling tools to apply and texturise the plasticine onto card.
Last week, we also held our first ever Saltwater College P-6 Art show! As anticipated, this was a huge success and showcased the talents of our budding artists. Congratulations to all our amazing students, the whole school community are so very proud of your efforts, perseverance and hard work throughout the year.
Physical Education
It has been an exciting few weeks in P.E with lots of different activities and events happening. We have been lucky enough to have Baseball Victoria come to our school and run baseball clinics with all year levels across at Brookdale Reserve. This is to gather interest for a new baseball club that will be forming in the near future. We encourage all students who might be interested in joining this to come see the P.E team for more info.
Following on from our winter sports we have also had AFL Victoria attend to run some clinics for students who may have missed out. This was a great opportunity for students who may want to start auskick in the coming months. We look forward to a having an action packed end to term 4 with lots of event sand activities happening. Just a reminder for students to ensure they have their hats and drink bottles for P.E with the warmer weather starting to kick in.
Dear Parents and Students,
We're delighted to bring you the latest highlights from our Spanish class, where the past weeks have been filled with engaging and enriching activities.
Dynamic Language Learning through Music, Videos, and Games
Our students have been on a fascinating journey of learning the Spanish language through a variety of mediums. From catchy songs to informative videos and interactive games, each class has been an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the language in a fun and captivating way. Making connections to their own culture has been a key focus, allowing students to relate personally to the language they are learning.
Exploring Cultural Celebrations of Spanish-Speaking Countries
In addition to language acquisition, our students have delved into the vibrant tapestry of cultural celebrations from Spanish-speaking countries. It's not just about language; it's about understanding the traditions and customs that make each Spanish-speaking community unique. This cultural exploration not only broadens their horizons but also fosters an appreciation for the diversity within the Spanish-speaking world.
Building Foundations: Common Verbs and Short Sentences
Our upper-grade students have been diligently working on mastering the most common verbs in Spanish. This focused approach aims to provide them with a strong foundation in the language. They are not only learning these verbs but are also actively applying them by constructing short sentences. This hands-on practice is instrumental in developing their oral and written language skills.
Creativity Unleashed: Día de Muertos (Día de Todos los Santos) Artwork
A highlight of recent weeks has been the creative expression of our students in relation to the Día de Muertos (Día de Todos los Santos) celebrations. Students have showcased their artistic talents by creating and colouring works of art that capture the essence of these cultural celebrations. This hands-on experience not only reinforces their understanding of the traditions but also allows them to express themselves artistically.
Looking Ahead: Continued Practice and Learning
As we reflect on the past weeks, we are excited about the journey ahead. The enthusiasm and dedication of our students are truly commendable. We look forward to continuing our exploration of the Spanish language, with a focus on practical application and real-world communication. The skills they are developing will undoubtedly serve them well in their language learning journey.
Thank you for your continued support. We are eager to continue practicing and learning Spanish together in the coming weeks.
Best Regards,
Señor Pasten.
Music
There have been exciting developments in our music classes over the past few weeks.
All of the classes have been actively engaged in playing multi-instrumental songs using various percussion instruments. These include tuned percussion instruments such as xylophones and boomwhackers, as well as untuned instruments like hand drums, claves, and maracas.
In addition to practicing their Christmas songs, students in Grades Prep, 1, and 2 have been working on their singing skills, learning simple songs, and expanding their understanding of written symbols that represent beat and rhythm.
Grade 3 students have been focusing on a song called "Can you dig that crazy gibberish." They are not only singing this song but also playing an ostinato, which is a repeated phrase, on the xylophone as an accompaniment.
Last week, Grade 4 students took the opportunity to review their musical knowledge by reflecting on all the topics we have covered so far. They also practiced playing the African song "Funga Alafia" on both drums and xylophones.
In Grades 5 and 6, we have introduced the Garage Band application, which allows them to create structured musical pieces using digital loops of various instruments. This task encourages their creativity without requiring a high level of musicianship. It also gives them the freedom to explore concepts like musical form, texture, dynamics, and more.
Overall, it's been an exciting and productive time in our music classes, with students actively engaging in various musical activities and exploring different aspects of music.
MEDIA ART
Preps: Using episodes of "Bluey" as a mentor text, students are identifying the different features of a narrative. When learning about main characters, we explored what it is that makes a character the central focus of a story and how we can distinguish them from supporting characters.
Year One: After a few weeks of examining Dreamtime Stories, students have explored stories from other cultures and how they have shaped the world we live in today. This has included the story of the Chinese Zodiac and its connection to Lunar New Year, and the Greek and Roman Gods, with their connection to the planets, Valentine’s Day and brands like Nike.
Year Two: The Year Two students have completed their print ads, taking photos of tomato cans, creating a slogan, selecting a fancy font, and putting it all together. Next, they will create radio ads for the same product.
Year Three: Students have been planning and shooting their own still-image narratives, based on an animated short about falling asleep in class. These innovations on a text allow the students to utilise the skills they have learned earlier in the term and communicate stories in new ways.
Year Four: In Year Four, we are analysing the children’s TV show, Thalu. Students have been using their critical thinking skills to identify character traits and motivations, symbols and metaphors, and narrative conflicts.
Year Five: The Year Five students are wrapping up their short films and will now be progressing to editing their pieces in order to present to the rest of the class.
Year Six: Following our final line of inquiry, “The meaning of artifacts, heirlooms and traditions”, students are sharing their own important family traditions and objects
DANCE.
It’s been a crazy but amazing couple of weeks with dance at Saltwater. The dance extension program and the Victorian State School Spectacular dancers, had the honour and privilege of being invited to perform at the Positive Schools Principals Conference of Victoria. On Thursday the 9th November we had 40 of our amazing students depart school at 6.30am to head to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre for their performance for the Principals conference. The message in the performance was about self belief, accountability, positive thinking and affirmation, and overcoming obstacles to reach your goals! Year's 3 to 7 performed and together and left the audience amazed and happy to have witnessed such a powerful message and performance.
On Friday 10th we had the VSSS dancers perform taking the audience on a ride through their 2023 Victorian State School journey throughout the year! This was highlighted by a video showreel playing at the same time consisting of footage, phots, and the routine choreography that matched up with the dancers while performing at the same time.
The energy and performance quality on both days by all students and dancers was amazing and on another level. Our principal Jackie Daniali, fellow assistant principals and staff, were so proud and received huge feedback on the amazing performance the students delivered. Such a proud moment for all!
This was followed up the next weekend on Saturday 18th November by both groups, as they had the chance to perform and showcase their routines, skills, and talents to their families and friends, and the rest of the Saltwater community at our first school carnival! The dancers delivered an amazing performance showcasing all their hard work, time, effort, and dedication from this years dance extensions program and VSSS journey. Everyone loved the performance just as much as the students loved being on stage also, and the energy and atmosphere was on another level! Proud is an understatement and I can't wait to see what else these hard working passionate students can deliver next!
Christmas Carols rehearsals are in full swing, with everyone coming into the studio to create and put the finishing touches on their choreography for the big show. Students are excited and ready to perform and share their Christmas spirit and festivities with you all! See you soon!
