Natanya (Tany) Milner – Head of Primary

Staffing 2018

I wanted to ensure that our community is aware of the staffing changes in the Primary School for 2018. We are thrilled to have a wonderful team for next year. As you are aware, Emma Clemens begins her maternity leave and will be replaced by Meghan Carroll for next year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Emma for her 3.5 years of amazing dedication and support. She has been an outstanding Deputy Head of Primary and I feel blessed to have had her by my side. She has made significant developments in the Primary School’s wellbeing programs and remains an organisational wizard with the way she manages the day-to-day running of the Primary School. I wish her and Tim all the very best as they start their family together. We look forward to hearing all their news and meeting their baby. We look hope to welcome Emma back in 2019.

Talia Hynek is also taking a year’s leave next year as she pursues her passion to explore and travel the world. We wish Talia all the very best for her adventures and look forward to her safe return in 2019. We thank Talia for her dedication to Year 1 and the energy that she brings to work each day. She has led many exciting initiatives including the K-2 Play Leaders and special events such as the Camera Word Party and Colour Day. Happy travels, Talia!

Due to Talia’s leave and Meghan’s new role, we had two spaces on the Primary School teaching staff. We are thrilled to be able to welcome Emma Buzo and Roslynn Pardy back onto our teaching team. They both have a long and happy association with the school, having fulfilled various roles over the years. Both have been classroom teachers at Emanuel previously. Roslynn has also been involved in our library programs and gifted and talented programs and Emma has been a specialist drama teacher at Emanuel too. We look forward to having them both back as full-time classroom teachers next year.

As you may be aware, our Year 5 Yavneh teacher, Sophie Poisel, has been promoted to be our Innovation Leader next year. We are so excited about the opportunities that this brings. Sophie has led so many wonderful initiatives this year and we look forward to seeing what develops in 2018. We are thrilled to announce that Lara Kepitis will be joining our team. She is also well qualified in Gifted and Talented Education and innovation and has most recently been teaching in the OC program at St Ives North Public School.

Next year we will also welcome Alex Hone who joins the music team whilst Susan Longney is on leave. We look forward to working with Alex. For those of you who haven’t heard, Susan and Nick Longney welcomed their beautiful baby girl, Shoshana, to the world last week. We are thrilled to hear they are all healthy and happy and we couldn’t be more excited that they chose a Hebrew name! Mazal tov, Susan and Nick!

We are excited that Nicolle Rubin will become a full-time staff member next year. This will allow for more support in the Primary School office and there will be some changes in the structure of the roles. All attendance and Primary office liaison will happen through Nicolle from next year as Holly Dillon takes on some other roles.

Thank you, Anne

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Anne Hastings all the very best for her retirement. It has been such an honour to work with her and be able to learn from her over the past eight years. She has been incredibly inspirational and supportive and I am so grateful to her for her wisdom, advice, expertise and dedication. I wish Anne a wonderful retirement filled with health, happiness and adventure. I am sure we will keep in touch with her so she is able to see the fruits of her labour in the years to come.

Presentation Day (K-2) and Presentation Evening (Years 3-6)

We look forward to welcoming you to our end-of-year celebrations. It is compulsory for the students to attend their presentation event.

K-2: 12 December – 9am start – children to arrive at school as usual by 8.15am

Years 3-6: 12 December – children at school and in their classrooms at 5.45pm for a 6pm start.

We ask all the students to be in full summer uniform with black leather school shoes. Years 5 and 6 children are asked to wear their blazers (ties are not needed). All boys are asked to wear an Emanuel kippah.

 Picnic Day and Emanuel’s Got Talent

Our final day of school for students is Wednesday 13 December. Weather permitting, we will spend the morning at Centennial Park. The canteen will be closed on this day so please ensure your children come to school with their food and water for the day as well as a hat and sunscreen. Students are to wear sports uniform. We will return to school in time for ice blocks and our Emanuel’s Got Talent show. At 3.15pm, we will prepare for our Guard of Honour to farewell Year 6 and any other students leaving Emanuel. We would love to welcome any parents to our Guard of Honour at 3.15pm. Unfortunately, there isn’t room for us to invite parents to Emanuel’s Got Talent. We hope you understand that in order to be fair to all parents, we would need to send away any parents who come to school to attend. This is awkward and uncomfortable for the staff so we are very grateful to you for not putting us in this position.

Year 6 Pathways

As this is being sent to you all, we are currently involved in our Year 6 Pathways Graduation and Shabbat Service. I would like to thank Adam Carpenter, Rebecca Gaida and Stacey Rosenfeld for organising this event. It is always a highlight of the school calendar and a special way to pay tribute to our Year 6 students and families for their hard work, commitment and support. I wish our Year 6 students all the very best for High School and we look forward to hearing about their future endeavours. I thank them for their leadership of the Primary School throughout 2018.

Uniforms 2018

Just a reminder that we return to school next year with summer uniform again for Term 1. Year 5 students move to new uniforms and require blazers too. Please see the uniform shop advertisement for their holiday opening times.

Mazal Tov, Alexander

Alexander Kirievsky, in Year 5, has recently received acknowledgement for his hard work at the Maroubra Russian School through the NSW Community Languages Schools Program. Mazal tov, Alexander!

Ronald McDonald House

By Ethan Berkovic, Coby New, Jono Riesel, Alexis Demos, Lucy Klein and Talia Rabin.

This term, we have been visiting Ronald McDonald house every Monday after school as an active mitzvah. We have gone to play with the children who are receiving ongoing medical treatment at the Children’s Hospital. We played with them to not only make them happy and give the parents a break, but to make us feel that we truly did something to help the community and the people around us. This was a really rewarding experience and we really enjoyed putting a smile on everyone’s faces. A special thank you to Katrina Riesel for organising this, and taking us every week.