From the Primary School
Natanya Milner – Head of Primary
Maths Basic Skills Program
In today’s world things are continually changing. When we compare our children’s education to ours, the classroom and curriculum are vastly different. Blackboards are out and interactive whiteboards are in. Traditional textbook work is out and computers and ipads are in. Encyclopedias are out and the internet is in.
However, one thing that remains the same is the need for children to have the fundamental basic skills of Mathematics. Building a solid foundation is vital for children to succeed.
Basic facts knowledge is important because it:
Ø Aids estimation and mental calculation
Ø Develops conceptual understanding
Ø Strengthens connections within and between strategies
Ø Is key to working confidently with operations
Ø Aids speed, automaticity and accuracy
Ø Allows for students to more readily and easily apply their knowledge in higher order tasks.
This year, Katie Narunsky and Stacey Rosenfeld have spent many, many hours preparing a program for the class teachers to use with their students to strengthen the automaticity of the children’s basic skills. I am so grateful to Katie and Stacey for their time and expertise. The early feedback has been hugely successful. We have piloted the Back to Basic Skills Program with Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and now Stages 2 and 3 (Years 3 – 6) have been added.
Last term when the program was rolled out in Years 1 and 2, we witnessed great success. The data showed improvements in all classes, and we saw a huge 40% average improvement in one class alone.
We look forward to the students benefiting from the program and sharing with you their successes. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Mathematics teachers for embracing this program but HUGE thanks must go to Katie and Stacey for their incredible efforts to create, share and monitor the progress of this program.
Staffing news
Jackie Blum
Jackie Blum has been working at Emanuel School in various roles since 2008. She began as a classroom teacher and has more recently been working part time in the Primary library. Jackie will be leaving Emanuel on 9 August. We wish her all the very best in her next steps and thank her for her work and support over the years.
Roslynn Pardy
Roslynn Pardy returned to Emanuel this year as an extension Mathematics teacher with a loading of one day per week. I’m pleased to advise that she will be here for an additional two days per week in the role as Primary Library teacher until the end of the year. We are thrilled that Roslynn will be returning to us for more days per week and I know she will be an asset to our library.
Colleen Elkins
I wish Colleen a huge mazal tov on recently completing her Masters of Education (Gifted Specialisation) at UNSW. Colleen has managed her role at Emanuel and her studies with absolute grace and we are thrilled that she has been able to achieve this wonderful outcome. Well done, Colleen!
Sophie Poisel
Another big congratulations goes to Sophie Poisel, our Year 5Y teacher and innovation leader. Sophie has recently been awarded the NSW Premier’s Commonwealth Bank STEM Scholarship. Sophie’s work and passion in the area of innovation have led to an outstanding application for her to visit a number of schools and conferences throughout America and Canada over a three-week period next year. Her topic is ‘Reimagining education through innovative curriculum design and new pedagogies’. The $15000 scholarship is an exciting opportunity to develop Sophie’s knowledge further and we are excited for her to return and share her learning with us. Watch this space as there are wonderful innovations being planned for 2018 at Emanuel.
Project Heritage has begun
It has been fantastic to begin this year’s Project Heritage program. The Year 6 children have been busily preparing for and conducting their interviews with various important members of our community. We received a lovely email from one of our Living Historians, Heather Joffe, who wrote, “I congratulate Emanuel’s Year 6 group who interviewed me yesterday. They were all interested, respectful, friendly and a pleasure to talk to. I look forward to my next interview.” Thank you, Heather and well done to our Year 6 students.
Mitzvah Meals
Thank you to Hazel Gordon and all of the Mitzvah Meal cooking team who volunteer and lovingly prepare meals for our community when they are experiencing challenging times. I receive such heart-felt emails and phone calls from the families who receive them. Thank you so much.
State Futsal Competition
Futsal players (L to R) Ethan Hirst, Jesse Gothelf, Coby New, Shai Farhy and Leo Latter
This week a group of Years 5 and 6 students attended the State Futsal Competition in Penrith. Congratulations to the boys who represented the School so well and experienced wonderful successes in games throughout the day. Thank you to Adam Ezekiel and Stuart Taylor for organising the team’s participation.
Dates and events
Deborah Blackman – Keep Them Safe parent presentation
When: Thursday 10 August 7.30-8.30 am
Where: Primary Library
Who: All parents who have not attended in the past or parents who would like a refresher
Why: Essential strategies for child protection and protective behaviours as well as offering ways to raise these conversations with children
Students: Supervision will be provided for K-6 children
BBQ Day
When: Monday 21 August
Why: Raising money for Prince of Wales Children’s Hospital
Cost: $3.50 for sausage sizzle
Booking: On the day, students need to bring a sealed envelope with the correct money inside (no change will be given). On the front, please write the child’s name and the order. The options are listed below:
Canteen: The canteen will be closed and we request that students do not bring dairy.
- Sausage sizzle $3.50
- Gluten free sausage sizzle $3.50
- Vegetarian sausage sizzle $3.50
Circle of Friendship Day
When: Monday 29 August
Why: Raising money for Sydney Friendship Circle
Cost: Gold coin donation
Dress: Plain clothes day, purple theme
Calendar links
Term 3 K-2 Assembly items
- 11 August (Week 4): 1B Miss Hynek’s Class
- 25 August (Week 6): YK Hebrew
- 8 September (Week 8): KH Ms Yunis’ Class
- 22 September (Week 10): School closed for Rosh Hashanah