Year Eight
English
In English this term, Students will be unpacking the language of Shakespeare. Students will explore how modern terms were invented or popularised by the bard and how this has influenced our modern We will also be looking into the effect of setting and character and how these influence a narrative.
This week we headed to ACMI to watch Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and our viewing focused on the modern elements of the film and how these strengthen a viewer's understanding of the story without making changes to the original language.
Students will be assessed this term on how well they adapt a scene from Romeo and Juliet into a different time and place.
It was very exciting to listen to the students on the bus on the way home debate who was to blame for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and if they felt it could have been prevented.
Science
Year Eight students have started this term continuing to learn about Biology. This week, Students have been focussing on Sexual Reproduction of a Flowering plant.
Students carried out dissections on flowers and were able to identify the male and female parts. They learnt how to differentiate between a flower that turns into a fruit and those that are merely colourful to attract a pollinator, such as a bee. They also looked into germination and what are the right conditions are for this process to occur and when photosynthesis begins.
Physical Education
In Term Four for Health and Physical Education, Year Eight Students will be focusing on developing their skills and game sense in the sports of Cricket and Softball. Each week, students will practice skills specific to each sport, apply the movements in game-based contexts, and implement their personal and social skills to assist with fair play and inclusiveness.
Year Eight Students will also be introduced to our last Health unit of Mental Health. During this unit, we will explore what a positive mental health is, how to recognise and implement various coping mechanisms, and other strategies to assist with an individual’s wellbeing at home, school or in the community.
Food Technology
Over the last month of classes, the Year Eight Students have been using many different skills from sauté to baking. As part of the Design and Technology course, Students were given a short project to research, design, and prepare a healthy burger for the school canteen. I am proud to say that the Students did an excellent job and came up with some delicious and nutritious burger variations. They also got to make hand made chips, which was a big hit.
Once the burgers were cooked, the Students took part in a peer evaluation session, where they tasted and evaluated each other's burgers based on factors such as taste, texture, and presentation. This was an excellent opportunity for them to share feedback and learn from each other's successes and challenges.
In addition to the healthy burgers, the Students also had the opportunity to refine their cooking skills by making several varieties of muffins and ANZAC biscuits. They followed a recipe and used proper measuring and mixing techniques to prepare the dough.
I have had several Students come to me saying they are now cooking a family meal once a week, with some using recipes that we have done in class, or a family favourite.
Robotics and Coding
Congratulations to Aidan Huang, who recently won a national coding competition!
Since 2022, Saltwater College has partnered with CS in Schools, whose mission isto provide a relevant and meaningful Computer Science pathwayfor Secondary Students whilst building industry connections with schools. As part of this program, Year Eight Coding Elective Students created their choice of a Chat Bot or Battle Simulator program in the Python coding language. Aidan's Battle Simulator program demonstrated high quality programming skills, creative flair, and design excellence. His game was recognised as the best entry in the Intermediate Competition. Aidan will soon receive his prize - a Nintendo gaming console. We could not be prouder of Aidan for this phenomenal achievement.
Visual Art
We're thrilled to welcome back our Year Eight Students to the art studio for another exciting term of creativity and exploration. This term, our focus is on the captivating world of Street Art, a powerful medium that artists use to make social commentary and drive positive change in our world.
Our journey began with a thought-provoking question: What is the difference between 'street art' and 'vandalism'? It's a question that has sparked intense discussions, deep thinking, and open-minded inquiry among our Year 8 students. They've dived headfirst into exploring these terms, dissecting images, and examining the motivations behind them.
In our classes, Students have been presented with a variety of street art and graffiti images. They've embraced the role of inquirers, seeking to understand why some works are celebrated as art, while others are labelled as vandalism. These discussions have been marked by a genuine willingness to learn from one another and communicate their prior knowledge.
It's been a journey of discovery as we have explored the power of street art as a medium for social commentary. They've uncovered the voices of artists who use the streets as their canvas to convey important messages, provoke thought, and inspire change. Our Year Eight cohort is demonstrating the qualities of critical thinkers as they examine the motivations and impact of street artists on society.
Throughout this Term, we look forward to seeing our students embrace their inner artists and engage in their own street art projects. They will have the opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas on pressing social issues through their creative works.
We are also excited to promote the below Art showcase for Homestead Senior Secondary College. I am sure students would love to visit our neighbouring school to get an idea of what senior Art looks like.
