Andrew Watt

Showcase of talent and perseverance

Mazal tov to Saachi Owen for receiving the Emanuel School Visual Arts Acquisition Prize

The HSC Visual and Performing Arts Showcase is one of the highlights of the school calendar, where our Year 12 Drama, Dance and Visual Arts students present their major works to a large audience. Teachers, students, parents and grandparents were privileged to view a range of outstanding artistic creations and performances and hear from our our Guest of Honour, Ashanti Fogden.

Albert Einstein once said that the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination. Very few people who have not gone through the process of creating a Major Work will fully appreciate the creativity and imagination required, to design something fresh and unique. Add to this the huge commitment of time, thought, design, effort and perseverance that is required to finish this task. Inevitably, things will go wrong somewhere in the creative process. We are very proud of the way that our students have displayed resilience and grit, to finish the job. I am in awe of these students, and of their capacity to sustain a rigorous and authentic creative process, all the way through to this point. The works of art and performances this year are outstanding. 

Mazal tov to those Year 12 Visual Arts students who received the following Awards for their work:
Olyvea Akres – The S&S Prize – Display of Technical Sensitivity
Sarah Sharwood – The Eckersley’s Prize – Articulation of Ideas & Concepts
Saachi Owen – The HSC Visual Arts Acquisition Prize

Parents play a pivotal role in supporting their children through the entire process; when they are tired, anxious and emotional, or when they are ready to give up and pack it all in. Parents share the load and feel the pain, and we remain very grateful for all that they have done in supporting their children to bring these performances and works of art to life. We also owe a debt of thanks to Samantha Bauer, Eytan Messiah and their team of staff, who have worked tirelessly to support and inspire our students throughout the creative and design process.

Erin Nabarro, Lara Rutstein, Noah Klein and Tia Mallinick performing their original work, Hear to Help

The Future of Education Study

Social researcher, Mark McCrindle, conducts regular surveys of both education leaders and parents, to assist schools to make informed strategic decisions regarding the future of education in Australia. In an age of digital disruption and rapid automation, employers are looking for workers who possess a broad range of transferable skills. These adaptive skills require creativity, problem solving, effective communication and critical thinking. It is expected that by 2030, workers will spend 30% more time learning on the job; 100% more time at work solving problems, 41% more-time critically thinking, 77% more time using science and maths skills and 17% more time using verbal communication and interpersonal skills.

McCrindle’s findings reinforce the need for schools to adapt to these challenges and engage students, by incorporating teaching methods and styles of learning that promote greater interaction and collaboration in lessons. Schools that foster an experiential, hands-on approach to learning will help students cultivate the skills they need to be workplace ready. An important function of our School is to provide students with life-long skills that they can apply in all situations. The report reinforces the need to prioritise the development of problem-solving, communication, creativity and critical-thinking skills in students, to enable teachers to meet the growing demand for valuable life-long skills, which will also equip them for the changing workforce. Our strategic roadmap, with its focus on driving deep and authentic learning, seeks to develop the 6 C’s – adding collaboration, citizenship and character to the above list.

Night of Song

A large and appreciative audience were treated to a wonderful range of performances at our major annual choral concert. In total, 155 students performed, and this year, for the first time, the concert had a theme, with all items coming from the genre of ‘musical theatre’. The evening featured all our choirs, from Kindergarten to our Senior Chamber Choir, as well as some soloists and duets. Our student musicians accompanied many of the performances. The enjoyment of the performers was evident and the depth of talent across age groups was also impressive. Our choral music program is very strong, and we are grateful for the leadership of Danny Burley, the architect of this evening, and to Adam Majsay, Elizabeth Birrell, Alex Hone and Alice Girle. Click on the Music Matters page for a galley of photos.

Mazal tov

• Year 3 teacher, Julia Tritsch, has been selected to participate in a Teacher Exchange Program in Israel in December with The Australian Arava Partnership. Julia will work in the Primary School in Sapir in the Central Arava. 
• Ashley Kim, Year 7 and Gideon Grunseit, Year 10, auditioned successfully to participate in the 3-day HICES Music Camp and performed at different concerts on Wednesday evening: Ashley performed at Town Hall, while Gidon performed at Foundry 616.
• Jewish Care’s entire Love Bites team were so impressed with how the Love Bites sessions were received last Friday. They said the students were completely engaged with them and the content of the program (which can be very confronting at times) and were respectful throughout all the classes and workshops.
• Outstanding performances at the CDSSA Athletics Championships from our four Age Champions, Aiden Kanevsky 12 years, Eden Levit 14 years, Georgia Kahane 16 years and Greg Allen 18 years. Also an amazing performance from Danielle Rutstein breaking the longstanding 16 years high jump record with a 1.54m jump.

Quote of the Week

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”

Andy McIntyre