From the Primary School

Emma Clemens – Deputy Head of Primary

Make A Difference (MAD) projects

In our Primary Wellbeing program students work collaboratively across the grade to plan and implement a Make A Difference (MAD) Project. The purpose is to use the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as part of The Leader In Me to develop a project that will bring about a positive impact in the lives of others. Below are some examples of how students use 7 Habits to plan for their MAD Projects:

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Proactive language: I can, choose to, I am going to, I will.
Transition person: Having a positive impact on others.

Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind

Mental and physical creation: Picturing how to make a difference
Mission statement: What are you hoping to achieve?

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Big rocks: What are the important first priorities?
Roles and responsibilities: What roles will members of the class take on?

Habit 4: Think Win Win

Win win agreement: What will be the win for you and those in need?
Mutual benefit diagram: What will be the benefits for you and those in need?

Habit 5: Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood

Empathetic listening: Consider the perspective or viewpoint of your charity or organisation.
Circle of viewpoints: Talk to someone from the organisation or charity to hear about their needs.

Habit 6: Synergise

Celebrating differences: What skills do your class members have to help?
TEAM: How can you achieve more as a team (Together, Everyone Achieves, More)?

Habit 7: Sharpen The Saw

Reflect: How has this project helped you to sharpen the saw?
Think about how this has renewed your body, heart, brain or soul.

Each year group has had a different focus for their MAD Projects. Below is a summary of each project:

Year K – acts of kindness: Acts of kindness by appreciating and thanking others through writing thank you and congratulations cards

Year 1 – friendship circle: Good deeds to others in order to make a difference in our school community through a secret buddy project

Year 2 – Our Big Kitchen and food safety: Baked challah and sold to the Emanuel community to raise money for those in need through Our Big Kitchen. Baked honey cookies during Rosh Hashanah which Our Big Kitchen distributed to patients in hospitals. Also developed presentations for Years K-1 on a range of topics including food waste, sharing food, littering, food allergies, being healthy and the canteen

Year 3 – environmental conservation: Caring for the environment at home and in school including growing plants, composting and establishing a worm farm. Also worked to promote recycling initiatives in the School and at home, such as waste-free lunches

Year 4 – Generosity Abroad: Supporting Generosity Abroad with a presentation to students by Genna Radnan. ‘Step inside experiences’ to understand the life of a student in Kenya. Picture books written by students for the children in Kenya.

Year 5 – war on waste: Considering one of the problems that Australia faces regarding waste and pitcing a 90-second solution using STEAM skills. Selected students entered their pitch to the ABC Splash Competition.

Year 6 – elderly: Class visits to Montefiore Home to engage and interact with the residents. This builds upon connection with Project Heritage.

Night of Instrumental Music

On Tuesday students across the Primary School performed at the Night of Instrumental Music. This was a wonderful showcase of string ensembles and concert bands. The night also featured string, wind and percussion performances from our Instrumental Program which involved every student in Years 3-6. The quality of music was incredibly high and the students should be very proud of their performance. Thank you to Diana Springford and Joanne De Araujo for organising and planning the concert. Thank you also to the Music Department for their incredible work with the students and to Ofer Levy for taking photos.

Asylum Seeker Centre

In Week 9, a group of Years 5 and 6 students will be visiting the Asylum Seeker Centre in Newtown. This initiative has been led by Alice Milner and Miriam Stubbs-Goulston in Year 5. Over the coming weeks the Primary School will be collecting items to support refugees and their babies. We are asking families and students to bring in baby items such as wipes, formula and nappies which can be donated to the centre. The items can be dropped off in the Hebrew and Jewish Studies Department up until 4 December.

Fit-a-thon

Today the Primary School participated in the ‘Fit-a-thon’ where students were involved in a range of fitness activities to promote engaging exercise in order to foster a healthy lifestyle. Students have been asking for sponsors in preparation for this event. We are very appreciative of family and friends who have supported this initiative. The JCA matches the funds raised to allow us to purchase resources for the School. Thank you to Talia Hynek, Stacey Rosenfeld, Katie Narunsky and Stuart Taylor for organising the event.

Healthy Harold

This week Years K-3 participated in the Healthy Harold program presented by Life Education. This program is directly related to the Personal Development and Health curriculum and empowers students to make safe and healthy choices. Kindergarten students learnt about personal hygiene, choosing healthy food, staying active, sleep and safety at home. Year 1 learnt about being healthy through physical activity, nutritious diet and how your body responds to different environments. Year 2 learnt about body systems, vital organs and managing peer pressure. Year 3 learnt about self-worth, communication, managing stress, medicines and drugs and the consequences of their misuse.

Healthy food

In Week 2 I wrote about the importance of healthy eating for fostering healthy bodies and brains in our students. This article followed a presentation for parents by Michele Chevalley Hedge. In her presentation, Michele addressed the health concerns associated with sugar. Some of these include gut issues, suppressed immune system, exhaustion, hyperactivity, concentration difficulties, acne, inflammation, changed hormones, raised cholesterol and Diabetes. Recently we have observed a number of Primary School students bringing lollies to school. Can we please ask that lollies are not brought to school so that we can continue to promote the importance of healthy eating for the wellbeing and benefit of our students.

Innovation Showcase

We are very excited to invite you to the Primary Innovation Showcase on Friday 24 November from 8.15 -10.00 am. The Showcase will commence in the Angles Leadership and Learning Centre (LLC) where students from Primary ICT Clubs and selected Years 5-6 class projects will exhibit their work from throughout the year. This will be followed by a presentation in the Millie Phillips Theatre which will include awards for students. To RSVP please use this link by Wednesday 22 November.