Year Eight 

Science

This term, our Year 8 students will be diving into the fascinating world of physics, with a special focus on Energy and Heat! Throughout the term, students will engage in hands-on experiments, interactive discussions, and creative projects that explore the different forms of energy, such as kinetic, potential, and thermal energy. They’ll investigate how energy is transferred, transformed, and conserved in everyday life—whether it’s understanding how renewable energy powers homes or examining the science behind how heat moves through different materials. As part of this unit, students will also look at real-world applications, from the efficiency of appliances to the role of energy in global sustainability. With plenty of opportunities for independent learning and collaboration, this term promises to spark curiosity, foster critical thinking, and deepen their understanding of the physical forces that shape our world! Stay tuned for exciting updates on their discoveries.

Food Technology

In Term 4, students will be exploring a variety of cooking concepts and recipes. We will begin with essential kitchen skills, focusing on safe knife practices, general kitchen safety and hygiene. Understanding these fundamentals is crucial for fostering a safe cooking environment and ensuring our students can enjoy their time in the kitchen with confidence.

As the term progresses, students will engage with the MYP design cycle to create a special staff morning tea. This project will involve researching recipes that meet specific criteria, allowing them to apply their newfound knowledge creatively. Each student will have the opportunity to develop their own unique recipe, which they will prepare and present to our Saltwater staff in Week 8.

We are excited to see our students expand their knowledge and skillset, and we look forward to the delicious results of their hard work.

English

This term, Year eight students are embarking on an exciting English unit focused on persuasive writing techniques. As part of this unit, students will learn how to craft compelling arguments, and are now beginning to develop their understanding of different rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos to engage and persuade their target readers and audience. 

These persuasive techniques directly connect to their Humanities study, where students are learning about business and marketing strategies. In this interdisciplinary approach, the persuasive techniques they are mastering in English will directly support their upcoming task of creating and promoting a mock business model later in the term in their Humanities class. 

We are looking forward to seeing how these young entrepreneurs use their persuasive powers both in the English classroom and in the business world!

Maths

This term has been packed with exciting new concepts where the students have been exploring the world of geometric reasoning. Here’s a summary of the key topics that they been learning about and how they can apply them in everyday life. 

Congruence of Plane Shapes using Transformations 

Congruence is a relationship between shapes that are identical in size and shape, but may differ in position. Two shapes are congruent if one can be transformed into the other through transformations like: 

Translation: Sliding the shape to a new position without rotating or resizing. 

Rotation: Turning the shape around a fixed point. 

Reflection: Flipping the shape over a line. 

Conditions for Triangle Congruence 

The students have been learning about conditions that help determine whether two triangles are congruent. These conditions include: 

Side-Side-Side (SSS): If all three sides of one triangle are equal to the corresponding sides of another triangle. 

Side-Angle-Side (SAS): If two sides and the angle between them in one triangle are equal to the corresponding parts of another triangle. 

Angle-Side-Angle (ASA): If two angles and the side between them in one triangle are equal to the corresponding parts of another triangle. 

Angle-Angle-Side (AAS): If two angles and any side in one triangle are equal to the corresponding parts of another triangle. 

Right angle-Hypotenuse-Side (RHS): If the hypotenuse and any other side in one right angled triangle are equal to the corresponding parts of another triangle. 

These congruence conditions help in solving various geometric problems and are useful in real-life applications like engineering and architecture. 

Properties of Quadrilaterals 

Quadrilaterals—shapes with four sides—are everywhere! In class, the students have been exploring how the properties of different quadrilaterals can be established using congruent triangles and angle properties. For example: 

Parallelograms have opposite sides that are both parallel and equal. 

Rectangles are special parallelograms with four right angles. 

Rhombuses have four equal sides and opposite equal angles. 

Squares combine the properties of a rectangle and a rhombus—four right angles and four equal sides. 

In the coming weeks, the students will continue exploring how geometric reasoning can be applied to more complex shapes and problems to find the unknown sides and angles.