VISUAL ARTS

Prep Art

Welcome back to Term Three Prep families! We started off Term Three with great excitement. Our Prep students had a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with Tamay Beam, a remarkable Indigenous artist and one of our Saltwater community members. To celebrate NAIDOC Week, Tamay worked closely with our Prep students over three days: Tuesday 16th, Wednesday 17th, and Thursday 18th. Together, we created a stunning piece of art that tells a story about NAIDOC Week, Indigenous culture, and the unique spirit of our Prep students at Saltwater P-9 College. Whilst this masterpiece was happening, the remainder of the class engaged in native animal and boomerang stencil artwork where they created a story through symbolism. What a powerful and unforgettable experience for our students. This collaborative masterpiece is in the process of being completed and will be showcased at the entrance office of our school building. A massive shoutout to Tamay for her incredible work, we are so grateful for your time and this opportunity, as are our students and their learning. In Week Two, our Prep Art students integrated their studies with the Prep team's fourth unit of Inquiry, focusing on the Central Idea: Understanding the needs and wants of living things. During their Art sessions, students firstly reflected on their native animal stencils from Week One and then delved into the world of Pop Art and inquired into various Pop artists. This exploration will inspire them in the coming weeks as they will produce Pop Art representations of living things.

VISUAL ARTS

Grades 1-6

Welcome back to Term Three Grade 1-6 Art. It's been lovely to see our students, happy, engaged and back at school, excited about upcoming art projects.

During the 1st week all students celebrated NAIDOC Week, learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. This year’s 2024 NAIDOC Week slogan is ‘Keep the Fire burning.’

Students began by viewing a short video on the many achievements made by the First Nations people, followed by a short discussion on the many achievements they have made, particularly within the Art industries.

Students were offered a choice of various colouring sheets to complete, using different mediums such as crayon, pencil, marker and oil pastels. They explored different techniques and textures while engaging and appreciating Indigenous art and culture.

Grade 1

In Week 2, Grade 1 students began unpacking the difference between living things and Non living things. They created a T chart within their journals and collaboratively discussed what makes something living and Non-living. Students then recorded their findings and drew pictures of some living and Non-living things.

Grade 2

In Week 2, Grade 2 students used black Texta to create designs and decorate the Koru flag. They used inspiring images from the New Zealand artist Raewyn Harris and chose different mediums to colour their images.

Grade 3

In Week 2, Grade 3 students learnt about the historical significance of the printing press and compared it to modern printing methods. They learnt about block letters and practiced drawing lettering within their art journals.

Grade 4

In Week 2, Grade 4 students began exploring the pop art movement, particularly the style of Andy Warhol and began to understand the impact that this movement had on media and advertising.

Grade 5

In Week 2, Grade 5 students observed and learnt about the artwork of Paul Klee, using his work to inspire the creation of their own shape city scapes. They used their prior knowledge of the elements shape, line and colour and recorded their ideas within their art journals.

Grade 6

In Week 2, Grade 6 students started to look at what a creative cycle is and how artists begin their art by firstly recording ideas. During this term they are looking into a futuristic theme where creatures are of mechanical origin. Students were asked to begin thinking about sketching mini-beast inspired by the book Mechanica by Lance Balchin.

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.

Welcome to Term 3 Spanish Class!

Dear students and families,

We are thrilled to welcome you to Term 3 in our Spanish class! This term, we will continue our exciting journey of learning Spanish. Our focus will be on enhancing our basic conversational skills, learning how to ask and answer simple questions, and using everyday greetings to interact with our teachers and peers.

Basic Conversational Spanish: We will work on developing our ability to engage in simple conversations in Spanish. This includes practicing useful phrases that you can use in everyday situations, both in and out of school. You will learn how to introduce yourselves, talk about your families, and share your favourite activities.

Asking and Answering Questions: Understanding how to ask and answer questions is crucial for any conversation. This term, students will learn to formulate common questions and respond to them with confidence. These skills will be incredibly useful both in the classroom and in real-life situations!

Greeting Teachers and Peers: Greetings are an essential part of any language. We will continue to practice how to greet our teachers and classmates in Spanish. You will learn different ways to say "hello," "goodbye," and other common phrases to start and end your day.

Facts and Culture of Spanish-Speaking Countries: In addition to language learning, we will also explore the rich and diverse cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. You will learn interesting facts, traditions, and festivals that make these countries unique. This cultural knowledge will help you appreciate the beauty and variety of Hispanic cultures.

We are excited to start this thrilling journey with you. Learning Spanish is not only fun but also a valuable skill that will open many doors for you in the future. We look forward to seeing all of you in class and sharing many learning experiences together!

Looking forward to seeing you all in Spanish class. ¡Adiós!

DANCE.

Term three is off to a great start as the Year 1 and Year 3 classes begin their dance journey. Everyone has tackled all tasks set out in the first two weeks with great energy and enthusiasm, and have left open minded, connected, and excited for more. We have worked on exercises which have covered everyday elements such as communication, time management, problem solving, being open minded and creative, while keeping all students engaged and focussed to meet their goals. All students have done a great job in their initial start to the term and program.

WAKAKIRRI...(Dance)

Our dance extension and Wakakirri students have started term three in fine form! I have never seen such a huge diverse group of students work together so well without being prompted or told. Upon entering the studio for their full day rehearsals, I walked out to find everyone counting out and going through all the choreography and routines together on their own. 100% energy and commitment from all, encouraging and cheering each other on through every step of the way. Proud as a teacher is an understatement, and so grateful for every student here. Full day rehearsals where we worked in final details, choreography, props, positions and transitions, and all else needed to bring this concept to life. Our students will represent our Saltwater community and hit the big stage next Friday 2nd August along. This will be Saltwater College’s debut performance to a sold out theatre on the final night of shows, as they join and perform in the Wakakirri Project for 2024. Sending a massive “chookas” to all our students for an amazing night ahead! :)

VSSS...(Dance)

Our Victorian State School Spectacular dancers have started this term off well, continuing their design and artwork as part of their VSSS costumes. Our students have created some amazing artwork reflecting their individual interpretation of JOY that will be painted on one of their tops for the massive showcase in September. Thanks to extra help and guidance from one of our secondary art teachers Miss Feleppe, students have been able to work as a team in the art room as she guides them through the process to help complete their shirts. Rehearsals will commence early next week before attending their final combined schools Hub rehearsal next Friday 2nd. The final touches are being put into action to help prepare them for their huge showcase on September 14th at John Cain Arena.

Music

Year One

We wrote a "Sound Song" by using combinations of short and long sounds in a pattern, then represented the song with drawn shapes. Next, we played the song with a shaker, drum, hand claps, feet stomping, etc.

Year Two

We began writing simple rhythmic ostinatos using combinations of notes of different lengths in patterns. Then, we played them with a shaker, a pair of claves, hand claps, feet stomping, etc.

Year Three

We continued to explore the recorder and added singing a simple song, using the pitch of the recorder to guide our voices to a consistent note.

Year Four

We began using our knowledge of musical elements to create four bars of melody on Noteflight, focusing on the duration of notes and how changes in duration can make our music more melodic.

Year Five

We started creating music on GarageBand, with the main task being to create a soundtrack for a short piece of video.

Year Six

We continued creating music on GarageBand, focusing on producing soundtracks for short video pieces.

Physical Education

Dear students and families,

Welcome back to Term 3, the P.E team hope you enjoyed a well-deserved break and are ready for an exciting Term ahead.

To begin Term 3, students from P-2 will continue learning FMS (fundamental motor skills) with a focus on two-handed strike. Students will be learning the correct technique including focusing on the ball, using their preferred hand grip, standing side on to the target and learning to step towards the target as they rotate their hip and shoulder during the strike. The students will start making connections between a range of sports that incorporate the two-handed strike including baseball, cricket, softball and rounders. We look forward to seeing the students’ progression over the next few weeks.

Students from 3-6 have started the Term revising the technique for two-handed strike. Once the students have consolidated the skill, they will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge over the next few weeks in a range of games including softball, T-ball and cricket. We look forward to observing the students apply their skills in a range of striking and fielding activities over the Term.

paraphrase 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.

ChatGPT

Mandarin with Miss Xiong

For Mandarin, we use the unique Accelerative Integrated Methodology (AIM) to help students explore traditional Chinese culture and language. Our curriculum is tailored to different year levels:

Year 1-2: Students start with mastering the basics of Mandarin, including counting numbers from 1-10. They learn the meaning and origins of each Chinese hand gesture, deepening their understanding. Building on this foundation, they learn to add numbers from 1-19 in Mandarin. Engaging activities like the Chinese Dragon Number Game and Word Wall Game reinforce their learning experience.

Year 3-4: Students continue with number counting from 1-19 and begin constructing sentences using these numbers. They learn to express themselves in Mandarin, such as asking about ages. Online games and worksheets help them recognize Chinese characters and pinyin, enriching their language proficiency.

Year 5-6: Students expand their knowledge of Chinese counting rules, including numbers from 1-10, 11-19, and 20-99. Writing skills are developed through activities like the Counting Bubble Tea worksheet, fostering creativity and proficiency. Comprehensive reviews using interactive platforms like the Kahoot! Game ensure a solid understanding of Mandarin concepts.

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