Primary Specialists

Spanish

🐧 Prep

Preps have been learning about el invierno (winter)! They watched a Spanish video about winter called "Invierno", then had fun with a color-by-number activity, where they colored a cute penguin (el pingüino).They’ve also started learning how to talk about time in Spanish—such as how to say what time it is and simple daily activities.

🌍 Years 1 & 2

Year 1 and 2 students learned about el invierno and partes del cuerpo (body parts), and even created their own amazing monsters using Spanish vocabulary!

⏰ Years 3 & 4

These students focused on las rutinas (routines) — like brushing teeth, waking up, and going to school — and continued learning about body parts in Spanish through interactive games and group work.

🧠 Years 5 & 6

Our senior students have also been working on las rutinas and expanding their vocabulary for las partes del cuerpo. They’re learning how to describe their day and use Spanish in real-life contexts.

It’s been fantastic to see so much creativity and enthusiasm in every year level.

¡Buen trabajo a todos y todas!

Gracias,The Spanish Team

Saltwater P-9 College.

Mandarin

As Term 2 comes to an end, our Mandarin classrooms have been full of fun, colour, and creativity! From Prep to Year 6, students have been busy exploring some of China’s most important traditional festivals :

春节 (Spring Festival), 清明节 (Qingming), 端午节 (Dragon Boat), 重阳节 (Double Ninth), and 中秋节 (Mid-Autumn). 

Through stories, hands-on activities, music, videos, and games, students learned why these festivals are celebrated and how people in China enjoy them each year. It’s been a joyful cultural journey, and we’re so proud of everyone’s curiosity and enthusiastic participation.

Prep

Our youngest learners were introduced to traditional Chinese culture through music, movement, and creative play. They mimicked dragon boat paddling and learned about 粽子 (rice dumplings) to celebrate 端午节(Dragon Boat), and clapped along to rhythm games while discovering key words like “月饼” (mooncake) and “重阳” (Double Ninth). These music-based lessons provided an engaging and supportive entry into Mandarin, helping students build confidence and curiosity.

Year 1 & 2

Students in Year 1 and 2 had lots of fun learning about traditional Chinese festivals through hands-on activities. They made origami zongzi (rice dumplings) for the Dragon Boat Festival, created moon-phase wheels for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and wrote thank-you leaves to show love to their grandparents for the Double Ninth Festival. These creative tasks helped them understand the meaning behind each celebration. Along the way, they picked up key Mandarin words and had fun saying phrases like “Happy New Year!” and “Happy Double Ninth Festival!” to each other with big smiles.

Year 3 & 4

This term, Year 3 and 4 students learned why each festival is celebrated and when it takes place during the year. Students enjoyed learning key Mandarin phrases and characters for special foods, traditions, and activities. For example, they coloured characters like “月饼” (mooncake), “粽子” (rice dumpling), and “红包” (red envelope) for 春节. They also practised saying greetings such as “新年快乐！” and compared Chinese celebrations with their own. Through videos, games, and group work, students built a stronger understanding of Chinese culture.

Year 5 & 6

This term, we explored when and why each festival is celebrated and discussed their cultural importance in Chinese communities. Students learned key vocabulary like “红包” (red envelope), “粽子” (rice dumpling), and “月饼” (mooncake), and used these words in class discussions and sentence building. They also watched videos, read short texts, and reflected on how Chinese people celebrate with family, food, and customs. Many students shared thoughtful ideas and comparisons with their own cultural experiences.

This term in Mandarin, students from Prep to Year 6 explored five important Chinese traditional festivals: Spring Festival, Qingming, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn, and Double Ninth. Through music, craft, storytelling, and language games, younger students learned key words and greetings while engaging in hands-on activities. Older students dived deeper into the cultural significance of each festival, learning related vocabulary, practising full sentences, and reflecting on Chinese customs. 

Across all year levels, students compared these traditions to their own, making learning more meaningful and relatable. It’s been a joyful and enriching term full of discovery, language practice, and cultural appreciation.

Prep Art

What a fantastic last two weeks in Art. In Week 9 and 10, students inquired into how they use different materials and textures to make a caterpillar. They made a connection to textures, emotions and colours through this activity.  A massive thank you to all our parents for donating recycled materials and clean, long socks over the last few weeks. I really appreciate it. The classes success was reflected upon the donations given. Thank you for making this possible and for bringing this project to life. Students had lots of fun exploring

different textures and reflecting upon how these textures made them feel. Collectively, all classes then went to a vote to name their special texture caterpillars, which brought a lot of excitement. Well done superstars. 

Year 1 & 2 Art 

Week 9 and 10 sparked a burst of creativity in the art room, with students bringing imaginative ideas to life.  Our artistic journey centered on optical illusion art, providing a fantastic opportunity to explore how patterns, lines and textures can be manipulated to trick the eye- turning 2D images into magical 3D illusions. 

In week 10 these intricate patterns evolved into Dreamtime story art, with a heartwarming collaboration between our year 1 and year 2 artists.  The result?  A stunning rainbow snake- a vibrant and meaningful masterpiece.    Brilliant teamwork really does make the dream work!  

Year 3 & 4 Art 

During Weeks 9 and 10, Year 3 and 4 students continued to build on their understanding of one-point perspective, drawing on the skills and knowledge developed earlier in the term. They worked to finalise their 'room' drawings, which were first started in Week 6, applying techniques such as the use of horizon lines, vanishing points, and spatial awareness.

In addition to their interior scenes, students also explored perspective in landscape settings. They used rulers, grey lead pencils, and oil pastels to create artworks that demonstrate depth and dimension. When prompted, most students are now able to identify the horizon line and vanishing point in their work and are beginning to understand how perspective is used to create a sense of space in visual art.

Visual Art  - Grade 5/6

Over the past two weeks, Grade 5 and 6 students have begun working on their final watercolour pieces for the term. Drawing on the techniques and planning they've developed throughout the unit, students are now bringing their ideas to life in artworks that reflect personal meaning and creative expression. These projects will continue to evolve over the coming weeks and be completed by the end of term.

Music

As we approach the end of Term 2, it’s a wonderful time to reflect on ten vibrant weeks of music-making and creative expression. This term, music has provided students with meaningful opportunities to sing, move, listen, and collaborate—fostering joy, confidence, and connection through sound.

Foundation (Prep)

Our Prep students have begun their musical journey as performers, learning through listening and teamwork. They explored the etiquette of being both a performer and an audience member, and enjoyed singing, clapping, and playing simple percussion instruments. These joyful experiences are helping them understand how to participate in a group while expressing themselves through music.

Grade 1

Grade 1 students learned and performed simple songs for their peers. Using body percussion and voice, they explored keeping a steady beat and refining their work through peer feedback. They particularly enjoyed playing the boomwhackers and working together to stay in time.

Grade 2

In Grade 2, students performed a range of melodic pieces on tuned percussion instruments. Their efforts culminated in performances of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and You Are My Sunshine on xylophones and glockenspiels, showcasing their developing musicality and ensemble skills.

Grade 3

Grade 3 students learned and rehearsed the Ghanian folk song Obwisana, with 3F proudly performing at Monday’s Lower Primary Assembly. They explored the structure of an ensemble, balancing tuned and untuned percussion instruments while arranging themselves visually and musically to enhance collaboration. Each class reviewed their own progress and made thoughtful decisions about when they felt ready to perform.

Grade 4

Students in Grade 4 worked on the traditional song Che Che Koolay, rotating through instruments and discovering how their parts contributed to the whole ensemble. They also discussed and practised performance etiquette from both performer and audience perspectives—deepening their understanding of communication and connection in live music.

Grade 5

Grade 5 students performed full-class arrangements of the African song Funga Alafia, with 5E presenting their piece at the Upper Primary Assembly. In addition, students worked in smaller groups to create original ensemble pieces, applying the skills and insights gained from their large group experience.

Grade 6

Grade 6 students performed the West African song Sansa Kroma as a whole-class ensemble. They also created and presented original pieces in smaller groups of 3–4 students, demonstrating initiative, collaboration, and creativity.

As we conclude this rotation, we celebrate the outstanding progress and musical growth of our students across all year levels. Their dedication, creativity, and teamwork have been truly inspiring.

Let’s continue to nurture this love of music and learning as we move into our next set of projects and creative adventures!

Warm regards,

Mr Saxton

Primary Music Teacher

Saltwater P-9 College

Wellbeing

Years 1 & 2

Students in Year 1 and 2 have been learning about teamwork and the strategies they need to work successfully in a group. Students were given various scenarios, problems and activities where they needed to work positively in groups. Students were also able to identify their own strengths by completing a Reflection of Self task where they were to write their strengths, talents and/or gifts. This task was set specifically to highlight to students that everyone is special and unique in their own ways which assisted in their confidence when working in teams. Using these positive thoughts allows for students to then complete their final 2 weeks of Wellbeing classes which involve creating a small play, story, poster or drawing on a topic of choice that they shared with the class as a positive ending to the term. 

Years 3 & 4

Students in year 3 and 4 have also been working on teamwork along with problem solving. They have completed a variety of group activities and challenges where the task cannot be passed unless all team members worked together. Some of these activities included a Stranded on an Island task where they were to follow certain rules and combine their problem-solving skills to survive on the island. Students have also been working hard on planning, creating and presenting either a talent or something fun to share with the class to end the term positively. 

Years 5 & 6 

The Year 5 and 6 students have also been working on challenge group tasks where they have needed to be partnered up with students they may not interact much with in their class. Their focus has been on building their confidence to speak up, showcase their talents along with putting differences aside and facing challenges to achieve a common end goal. Students have worked on and improved their self-awareness along with expressing their creativity through presenting a talent or group project to the class as a positive way to end the term. 

MEDIA - with Mr. Brendan Howarth

With the conclusion of Term Two, we wrap up a successful Media unit for many of our classes!

Preps have made connections to narrative structures and devices through watching familiar TV shows like Bluey.

Year One students wrapped up their study of cultural stories and legends with a viewing of Hercules. 

Year Two students have represented many of the IB attributes through their photography, wrapping up with "caring". 

Year Three students, having represented different parts of our school in slideshow presentations have created pieces focusing on topics of their choice. 

In Year Four, we completed our analysis of the TV show Thalu and its connections to Aboriginal history. 

Year Five students finished their exploration how media has evolved over time with a look at photography and cameras. 

Year Six successfully completed their podcasts on a topic of their choice, having planned, drafted, recorded, and edited their work. 

In Semester Two, all classes who have already had Media and/or Music will now have Wellbeing classes. 

Physical Education 

Regional cross country 

Over the past fortnight, five outstanding students represented Saltwater P-9 College at the Regional Cross-Country event in Keilor. Congratulations to Ava Pelaez, Dahamsa Dissanayake, Sai Sivesh Baleji, Patrick Siriphromphan, and Zoey See for their exceptional efforts. All students showcased remarkable sportsmanship and determination. A special congratulations to Zoey See, who has qualified for the State Championships later this year!

Winter Sports Gala Day

Our Year 6 students recently participated in the Winter Sports Gala Day, held at Saltwater Reserve and Eagle Stadium. It was a day filled with enthusiasm and competitive spirit as students engaged in various sports, including AFL 9’s, Soccer, Tee Ball, Netball, and Hockey. We are proud to announce that the AFL 9’s Girls, Soccer Boys, and Netball Girls teams won overall on the day and will advance to the next stage at the beginning of Term 3.

DANCE.

We’ve had some fun classes in dance over the last two weeks! We have been working on building connections and teamwork, problem solving, following guidelines, and time management. Students were placed in mixed groups and all given the same 2x8 counts of choreography to learn and remember before being given the task and guidelines.

Everyone worked together to create their own choreography within a certain time frame, while incorporating the 2x8 counts of combinations that they had just learnt. 

Working with fellow students they don’t normally work with created obstacles for some, but also created new ways of thinking, communicating, problem solving, and compromising, to help combine and achieve the goals set out in the time allocated. Upon completion of this task, we collectively discussed the challenges that were met along the way, while working out solutions to help overcome and achieve the desired results. Students understood the relevance of these tasks and the connections they can make to their own personal journeys, both now and in the future. 

VSSS.....(Dance)

After the success of the third and final hub rehearsal here at Saltwater for the year, students were treated to a week off from rehearsals before returning this week to get back into training. It was great to have everyone back in the studio working together and running through all the routines once again. No one has missed a beat, and this amazing team has picked up exactly where they left off. Next term we head to Keilor Basketball stadium in August for our forth and final combined school hub rehearsal along with many other schools, before heading to John Cain Arena for the big show. More fun is yet to be had, and our dancers are excited and all set to go! 

Wakakirri.....(Dance)

Rehearsals have been full steam ahead as we get closer to the end of the term! Saltwater College hits the stage and performs in the very first week of Term 3 on the Tuesday 22nd July. Tickets went on sale through the Clocktower Centre in Moonee Ponds this week, and the whole event was completely sold out within 6hrs! The very first night of performances for this years Wakakirri event in Victoria is set to be a huge night, and our amazing dance extension students have been working very hard to deliver another amazing performance for you all. 

This years theme is Mind Over Matter-Tales Of Inner Strength. Throughout this journey students have not only picked up the choreography and directions for our story, but have also gained so much knowledge and insight to the theme and what’s behind it all. So many important elements such as overcoming adversity, self belief, confidence, perseverance, patience, focus, and staying true to yourself and what you love. We are so proud of this years cast and their progress, and we can’t wait to see them represent our school and community on the big stage soon!