Year 7-9 - Coaching Parade Campus
Year Seven Update
After returning to the classroom following an engaging week of camp activities, our Year Seven students have enthusiastically begun creating their own Google Site to showcase their learning across all core subjects. Through this project, students have not only reflected thoughtfully on their academic progress, but also developed valuable web design skills. They have demonstrated great care and creativity in building professional, well-organised webpages that highlight their achievements and growth this year.
We are also looking forward to our upcoming Student-Led Conferences, scheduled for May 21st, 2025. These conferences provide a valuable opportunity for students to take ownership of their learning journey by sharing their progress and goals directly with their families. Families should have already received invitations to book appointments with subject teachers, and we encourage all families to secure a time to meet and celebrate their child’s achievements.
Year Eight Update
We’re proud of the way many Year Eight students have been engaging in their learning and contributing positively to class discussions and activities. As we move through the term, we encourage all students to stay actively involved by coming to class prepared, asking questions, and making the most of every learning opportunity.
A friendly reminder that being in full school uniform and attending all classes is an important part of being ready to learn. These routines help build a focused, respectful environment where everyone can do their best. We appreciate your ongoing support in encouraging your child to take responsibility for their learning and to stay connected with what’s happening in class.
We’re also looking forward to our upcoming Three-Way Conferences on Tuesday, May 21st. Students have been working hard across all their subjects to prepare their learning portfolios, which will be shared on the night. If you are unable to attend, we still encourage you to take the time to sit down with your child at home and have them guide you through their digital portfolio — they’re very proud of what they’ve achieved!
Thank you for your continued support.
Year Nine Update
This term, our enthusiastic Year Nine students kicked off their first of many fundraisers with great success. The theme, “What It Means to Be Australian,” sparked creativity and school spirit, with students dressing up and engaging in the celebration. A sausage sizzle accompanied the event, drawing a fantastic crowd and plenty of support from the school community. The Year Nine cohort would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who participated by dressing up or purchasing a sausage and drink.
Looking ahead, our next exciting fundraiser—Anything But a Bag Day—will be held on June 13th. Students are encouraged to get inventive and carry their belongings in anything but a bag! Prizes will be awarded for the most imaginative entries, so start planning your creations now!
Another important event on the horizon is the upcoming Student-Led Conferences, scheduled for May 21st, 2025. Families should have already received invitations to book appointments with subject teachers. Year Nine students have been diligently preparing by updating their portfolios and creating Google Sites to showcase their learning and achievements.
We look forward to seeing many parents at this valuable opportunity to connect, celebrate progress, and support student learning.
Mandarin Update
大家好!
This year Saltwater introduced Mandarin Chinese as a LOTE subject, marking the first time the school has offered the subject in Years Seven, Eight and Nine. As many students are new to the subject, classes began with a focus on the same foundational concepts.
During Term One students focused on the theme of identity. Students learned how to greet each other, ask and respond to questions about names and ages and generally describe their identity in Mandarin.
Class activities gave students the chance to use their speaking skills in practical and engaging ways, such as lining up in age order using only Mandarin. Students also began writing in both Pinyin and Simplified Hanzi to describe aspects of their identity, including their nationality and the languages they speak.
Students also learnt about ways they can express their identity through Chinese culture in their first term, including that of their Chinese Zodiac animal, in which students learnt about the Chinese folktale of “The Great Race”.
Starting off Term Two, students have started their unit on family and learning vocabulary surrounding family members in Mandarin Chinese. Students have been learning how to describe individual family members and how to describe who they have in their own immediate family.
First Language and Background Speakers
A number of students have joined the Mandarin program this year with a strong grasp on the language, often due to prior experience or family background. For select students, they have been using their more advanced language skills to complete exercises on Education Perfect platform. Through this website, students have looked at a variety of different written and spoken Mandarin texts – including articles, surveys, text messages, and podcasts – to demonstrate their comprehension capabilities. In Terms One and Two, students have focused on the topics of School Life, Chinese culture and values and Chinese family. Students expanded and built upon their current vocabulary through learning more Chinese Idioms (成语) and topic-specific vocabulary.
We’re looking forward to seeing all the students continue to grow in confidence and skill in their Mandarin studies for the rest of the year.
Digital Technology Update
The Digital Technology curriculum teaches students how to think critically and creatively using digital systems. It helps them understand how computers work, how to write code, and how to design digital solutions to real-world problems. Students learn important skills like problem-solving, data handling, and safe and ethical use of technology—preparing them for a future where digital tools are part of everyday life.
Year Seven Highlights
This semester in Digital Technology, our Year Seven students have been developing their coding confidence through a mix of creative challenges and hands-on tech. They began the year revising their block coding skills by designing their own problems and working out how to solve them through logical sequencing. Building on this, students applied their coding knowledge to Micro:bit microcomputers—programming them to display messages, create animated emojis, and even sense and show the temperature around them.
Students also had their first introduction to Python, one of the world’s most widely used programming languages. Through interactive exercises and mini-projects, they explored how to write basic Python code, gaining insight into how real-world applications are built. Many students showed curiosity and persistence while learning to think like programmers—debugging errors and breaking down problems step-by-step. The students finished the term by coding their own online text adventure.
To round out the term, students had the opportunity to use Spheros to practice their driving abilities, navigating the robots through a range of courses and challenges. These engaging tools also provided an extra layer of challenge for those students who wanted to extend themselves by applying their block coding and Python skills to control the Sphero’s movements with precision. It was a great way for students to combine fun with hands-on learning in a collaborative setting.
Year Eight Highlights
The Year Eight students have been busy deepening their understanding of how computers work and how digital solutions are created. They began by building on their Python programming skills, with a focus on using variables and decision-making structures. These foundational skills were then applied in hands-on projects using Micro:bit computers, where students programmed devices to sense temperature and sound, and even respond to voice commands—connecting real-world sensing to their code.
The students also extended their block coding abilities through the development of their own online arcade games. They applied logical thinking and creativity in Minecraft, completing escape room-style challenges that encouraged collaboration and sharpened their problem-solving abilities. Alongside these projects, students explored how computers store information, learning how binary code is used to represent text, numbers, and images in digital systems.
Now, students have shifted their focus to solving real-world problems using the skills they’ve developed. Each student has selected an issue they care about and will work towards designing a digital solution by the end of the semester. We’re looking forward to seeing their ideas come to life through apps, games, or smart devices, as they apply their growing tech expertise in meaningful and creative ways.
Year Nine Highlights
Over the semester, our Year Nine Digital Technology students dived into the foundations of the web by exploring HTML—the core coding language behind the World Wide Web. They began crafting their own web pages while learning about the importance of using digital content responsibly, especially around copyright and image use. This grounding gave them a strong base for building thoughtful and ethical digital content.
Building on their skills from previous years, students extended their block coding knowledge by creating their own online arcade-style games. They also participated in Minecraft-based escape room challenges designed to stretch their problem-solving and logical thinking in creative and immersive ways. These activities not only supported their technical skills but encouraged collaboration and critical thinking in engaging digital environments.
More recently, students have been investigating how Artificial Intelligence is becoming embedded in our everyday lives, exploring how machines learn and how AI can help solve real-world problems. With this in mind, each student is now selecting a real-world issue they care about and are to design a digital solution by the end of the semester. We’re excited to see what innovative and thoughtful ideas emerge as they continue developing their projects across the rest of the Term Two.