Andrew Watt

Our Caring Community

In the midst of what has been a very sad and challenging week for our School community, there have been glimpses of light, as our parents, staff and students have joined together to support Teoh Bader and his family. The outpouring of grief and loss has seen a flow of cards, gifts, food deliveries, messages of support and visits. We have also seen our futsal team wearing shirts to commemorate Alexi, and our Food Technology students have been busy baking cakes and preparing meals for the family. Our memorial in reception has seen large numbers of our students write messages to the family, sharing their fondest memories of Alexi. Parents are also invited to write a message in the journal, before we take it to the Bader family next Friday.

Our staff, supported by a team of external psychologists, have guided our students through the initial shock and feelings of loss, and conducted a Parent Support session. The additional student support will be ongoing, for the remainder of the term. We are very fortunate to be part of a close-knit community that unites to share their grief and support those facing difficult times.

The Funeral Service, held at Emanuel Synagogue yesterday, was attended by large number of Emanuel school parents with their children. Our School Executive, staff and an Honour Guard of our Madrichim also represented our School. We were very proud of our students, as we have been all week.

Over the last few weeks of term, for the majority of students, life will gradually settle into familiar routines. Our School psychologists, Kim Slender and Belinda Gold, remind us that while it can be helpful to know that children go through a series of stages in the way they perceive death, it is important to remember that, as in all growth processes, children develop at individual rates. It is equally important to keep in mind that all children experience life uniquely and have their own personal ways of expressing and handling feelings. It may help to tell your child that different people believe different things and that not everyone believes as we do, e.g., some people believe in an afterlife; some do not. By indicating our acceptance and respect for others’ beliefs, we may make it easier for our children to choose beliefs different from our own but more comforting to them.

Remember that grief and the processing of it, comes in waves, it is not a linear experience, and often we are hit by a wave when we least expect it.  Processing grief is about riding those waves. So, in summary:

• be sensitive to your child’s desire to communicate where and when they are ready
• try not to put up barriers that may inhibit their attempts to communicate
• offer them honest explanations when you are upset 
• listen to and accept their feelings 
• role model self-care.

We look forward to welcoming Teoh back to school, aware that this is only the beginning of the journey for the Bader family. As a community, we remain committed to supporting them and wish them long life.

May Alexi’s memory be a blessing.

Year 6 World Expo

This week a wonderful display of the children’s creativity and thinking was showcased in the 6H World Expo presentation evening. This is a culmination of many hours of thought, study and creative exploration. The students used their geographical knowledge to invent a new country that was realistic enough to emulate a true place and society. The creation of the map, the population distribution, climate, animals and a system of government etc were all part of the comprehensive brief followed by the students. Most importantly they had to make it realistic enough that it was believable, and they had to showcase the depth of their understanding of real places. In addition, students had to justify their creative choices. Mazal tov to our students for the quality of their presentations.

Quote of the week

“The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think – rather improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other people.”

Bill Beattie

Mazal tov

• Kayla Parks, Year 5, placed 1^st overall in the IPSHA Individual Gymnastics Level 8 competition and also placed 1^st in four other events. Other 1^st places went to the Level 1 and Level 2 womens gymnastics team. Well done to all our gymnasts.
• Ben Maserow, Year 7, recently played in the Swans Joss State Trials in Albury in the under 13 Team Blakey coming in 3^rd place.