Primary Specialists
Visual Art
Prep
Over the past two weeks, our Preps have been working on completing their 3D paper sculptures, each depicting one of their favourite journeys. These creations showcase their understanding and application of the new 3D paper technique skills they've learned. I was truly amazed by the creativity and imagination our Preps showed in bringing these sculptures to life. They then applied these skills to create some festive Christmas crafts, adding a fun and seasonal touch to their work.
I'd like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you, Prep parents, for your incredible support this year in helping set your child up for success. It’s been such a joy to watch the growth, learning, and fun unfold over the year. Wishing you and your wonderful families a safe and joyful Christmas. Please don’t hesitate to come say hi next year—I’d love to see you all! Happy holidays to all! Miss Crane.
Visual Art Years 1 to 6
Congratulations to all Saltwater College artists for showcasing such incredible talent in our Art program this year! Your creativity and dedication have truly been inspiring.
We wish you all and you families a very Merry Christmas and a safe and joyous New Year. We can’t wait to see you again in 2025 for another amazing year of artistic expression and growth.
The Saltwater College Art Team
Grade 1
During weeks 9 and 10, Grade 1 students have consolidated their paper folding techniques and combined their knowledge with other paper techniques to start celebrating the Christmas season. Students began to investigate symmetry and the concept of Japanese Notan Design. Notan design is a Japanese art form that looks at balancing light and dark and looking at the shapes and patterns within an image.
Grade 2
During weeks 9 and 10, Grade 2 students created a Christmas landscape using various mediums such as watercolour and tissue paper. The blue water colour was washed over white card to create the backgrounds and tissue paper was torn and pasted onto white paper which was used to make create the Christmas trees.
Grade 3
In Weeks 9 and 10, Grade 3 students continued to consolidate their learning and making a connection between radial symmetry and art across cultures.
Students continued to work on their own mandala and showcase their understanding of radial symmetry and colour harmony.
Grade 4
In Weeks 9 and 10, Grade 4 students continued their exploration of colours and how colour can have deeper meaning.
Students then created artwork using the colours red and green to begin celebrating the Christmas Season.
Grade 5
In Week 9, Grade 5 students continued to explore the work of Suzan Shutan and created a collaborative paper loop artwork, using recycled paper. They consolidated their learning of card and paper techniques to build texture and volume in art.
In week 10 students designed and assembled a snowflake using paper tubes and rings, practicing cutting and arranging techniques for a festive decoration.
Grade 6
In Week 9 and 10, Grade 6 students finalised working on their dragon eye, adding background details around their ‘eye sculptures’ to create a cohesive, blended effect.
Once they completed their final pieces they too designed and assembled a snowflake using paper tubes and rings, practicing cutting and arranging techniques for a festive decoration.
Goodbye from Ms. Nishani
It has been wonderful working here at Saltwater College these past 4 years, meeting your lovely children and setting up the Art department. I have loved working with all your children and will miss them dearly as I move on to teach High school Art at another school. I wish all my students and their families the very best in life and hope they all believe in and follow their dreams and live the lives they dream of. There were so many talented artists that I taught in my time here and I have loved seeing them grow in amazing artists over the years. Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday and a fantastic New Years.
From Ms. Nishani xo
Spanish Class.
As Term 4 comes to a close, it’s been heartwarming to see our students’ continued enthusiasm for learning Spanish. Throughout the term, they have embraced the opportunity to develop their language skills while embodying the attributes of the IB learner profile, such as being communicative, open-minded, and reflective.
This term, students explored the richness of Spanish-speaking countries, learning about their culture and traditions. They also practiced essential conversational skills, including asking and answering basic questions in Spanish and creating dialogues to introduce themselves to others. Engaging in simple conversations has boosted their confidence and ability to communicate in Spanish effectively.
In the classroom, our daily “Good Morning” and “Farewell” routines have provided meaningful opportunities for students to use Spanish in real-life contexts. These activities encourage consistency and help them build a strong foundation for practical language use both inside and outside the classroom.
As we head into the holidays, we encourage students to continue practicing their Spanish at home. Our school-based app, Rockalingua, is a fantastic resource filled with interactive games, songs, and videos that make learning fun and accessible. It’s an excellent way for students to stay connected with their Spanish learning while enjoying their break.
We are incredibly proud of the dedication and growth our students have shown this year. Wishing all our families a joyful and relaxing holiday season. ¡Felices fiestas!
The Spanish team
Physical Education
In P.E, Saltwater students had the opportunity to participate in a Tennis clinic ran by the Australian Alpha Tennis Academy. Students were exposed to a range of activities and new techniques taught by professional tennis coaches and players from the academy.
Students showed curiosity when asking the tennis professionals questions about their achievements and displayed a courageous approach when trying a new activity.
The last week of school students will be revising games and reflecting on what they have learnt and achieved throughout 2024.
We wish all students a safe and eventful break!
From the P.E team
DANCE!
Dance has finished off a huge year with great success and amazing performances by everyone at this years Saltwater College’s Christmas Carols! Classes came into the studio over the last few weeks to learn and perfect the choreography for their Christmas carol, and then took to the stage over two big nights to perform to the hundreds of people in the Saltwater community. Everyone did an amazing job singing and dancing their hearts out, to the pride and joy of family’s watching in attendance.
The Wakakirri and VSSS students combined this year to sing the classic Christmas song “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” by Andy Williams, and they’d not disappoint. We created a fun and uplifting cheerful routine to perform, and students involved gave it 200% love and energy all the way through! It was the very first time dance extension had performed at the Saltwater Christmas Carols, and we are thinking this might need to be an ongoing tradition for years to come! So much fun and such a special moment!
Our national award winning Wakakirri performance was asked by our principal Miss Daniali, to help close the Christmas Carols performance on both nights. This was a huge honour and proud moment for all students and staff involved to bring this memorable performance to the stage to our Saltwater community one last time. Changes were made to help accomodate our huge cast to the carols stage provided, which helped elevate the performance to a new level yet again. This was such a beautiful moment for all involved, and made even more special to share it with our family and friends also.
We would like to thank you all our amazing dance extension students for an amazing and successful year, and congratulations on all your achievements along the way. You have all raised the bar once again, which sets the scene for what is yet to come for a jam packed 2025! We are proud of each and everyone of you and with you the absolute best for Christmas and the New Year! Thank you to all our readers also for sharing this journey with us, and we look forward to doing it again next year! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! :)
Music
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As the year draws to a close, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the incredible musical journey we’ve embarked on together. It has been a year filled with joy, growth, and harmonious melodies, and I am so proud of each and every one of our talented students.
Our primary school music program has continued to provide a nurturing environment for our young musicians to explore their passion for music. Through collaboration and teamwork, our students have created magical moments during group performances, learning to listen, support one another, and blend their individual talents into beautiful harmonies. These experiences have not only enriched their musical abilities but also fostered camaraderie and friendship.
Highlights from the Year
Grade Prep
Our youngest musicians spent time exploring rhythms, listening to orchestral instruments, and becoming familiar with the characters and sounds from Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. This timeless story helped connect sounds with emotions, engaging students’ imaginations while building their language and prediction skills.
Grade 1
Students experimented with creating their own rhythmic pieces using traditional musical notation, challenging each other to perform rhythms by reading one another’s work. This hands-on approach built confidence in both rhythm and teamwork.
Grade 2
In Grade 2, students ventured into melody creation by drawing notes on the music staff and articulating pitch while reading their peers’ compositions. They also explored pitch and melody using glockenspiels and Boomwhackers, fostering curiosity and creativity.
Grade 3
This year, our Grade 3 students focused on learning the recorder, performing simple songs, and even writing their own music. In recent weeks, they’ve challenged themselves by creating and playing original melodies, demonstrating growing proficiency in reading and interpreting music notation.
Grade 4
Grade 4 students have taken significant steps in music composition using Noteflight to create original melodies. By exploring fundamental music theory concepts like melody, harmony, and rhythm, they’ve composed cohesive pieces that showcase their creativity and understanding. Many of these compositions are available to enjoy on the School’s Grade 4 SchoolBox page, where they’ve received encouraging feedback from peers.
Grades 5 & 6
Our senior students spent half their time in music learning to play Ukelele's and then delved into the world of digital music production, using GarageBand to create soundtracks for short video clips. They explored how to layer instruments, manipulate dynamics and tempo, and match sound to visuals. This project fostered collaboration and artistic expression, with students crafting soundscapes that brought their videos to life. Some even experimented with custom loops and samples, showcasing their technical and creative growth.
As we approach the end of the year, we celebrate the outstanding achievements and personal growth of all our students. Their dedication and passion for music—whether through composition, performance, or production—have been truly inspiring.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and I wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and harmony!
Warm regards,
Steve Saxton
Primary Years Music
Mandarin with Miss Xiong
Exploring Chinese Culture: Chinese Zodiac and Mulan
These two weeks, our students embarked on an exciting cultural journey to learn about the Chinese Zodiac and the animated movie Mulan. They explored the origins and significance of the 12 animal zodiac signs, discovering how each sign represents unique personality traits and plays a role in Chinese traditions. Students also identified their own zodiac signs based on their birth years and discussed the cultural meanings behind them.
To deepen their understanding, we watched Disney’s Mulan, a film that beautifully portrays themes of courage, family values, and cultural heritage. After the movie, students engaged in thoughtful discussions, comparing the story to real-life Chinese traditions and reflecting on how Mulan’s bravery and selflessness inspire them.
This immersive learning experience allowed students to develop a greater appreciation for Chinese culture and fostered meaningful conversations about cultural diversity. You can continue the discussion at home by asking your child about their zodiac sign or their favourite moment from Mulan.
We’re delighted to see our students display such enthusiasm and curiosity for this language and culture. Thank you for your support throughout the year, and we wish you a wonderful holiday season!