Andrew Watt – Principal

Reflections on a difficult journey

Students, parents and staff alike may experience significant ‘bumps’ or ‘curveballs’ along their life journey. Last year was very challenging for Joshua New (Year 12 2019), as he struggled to complete his HSC under a cloud of illness. A resilient and mature young man, Joshua has shared his reflections in a message to Year 12 students, in which he encourages us not to dwell on the past, but rather make the most of the present and be thankful. He talks about the value of not being alone, but rather part of a close-knit and supportive community. I found his message inspiring and especially encouraging for those of us going through difficult times.

There are many excellent adolescent mental health support services available:

• Lifeline Crisis Hotline: (13 11 14) for 24-hour telephone crisis support
• Lifeline Text: (0477 13 11 14), available 6:00 pm – Midnight (AEST) 7 days a week 
• Eheadspace: (resources and information for families, schools and health professionals)
• Headspace: Bondi Junction: (9366 888) 
• Kids Helpline: (1800 55 1800)

NSW Curriculum Review

Many parents will have heard the Premier’s announcement of significant educational reforms, with a new school curriculum to be delivered over the next four years. areas and career pathways by 2022.The reforms are based on the recommendations of the NSW Curriculum Review led by Professor Geoff Masters,  the first significant review of the NSW curriculum since 1989. The planned reforms include:

• stronger foundations in literacy and numeracy with new English and Maths syllabuses for Kindergarten to Year 2 by 2022
• more time for teaching essential knowledge and skills in each subject by 2022
• Year 11 and 12 learning will be better linked to future work and study with new key learning areas and career pathways by 2022.

There will be very few teachers disagreeing with the premise of reduced subject matter and renewed focus on foundational skills in the early years! There is also talk of eliminating the ATAR.

The NSW Education Standards Authority has published condensed and in-depth versions of their response to the review which you may find interesting.

Important notice about Term 3 fees

The School is continuing to assess the rescheduling of camps and excursions that were cancelled due to COVID-19. Any refunds for events that will not be held will be refunded onto the Term 4 fees.

Peter Drew poster donated to Emanuel 

It was at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia, when Miri Heitner (Hebrew teacher) watched Peter Drew on ABC news. Peter, an Adelaide artist and an activist, had created a unique poster after experiencing a big change in his life. The tradition (each Sunday) of dining at the home of his partner’s grandmother (87 years old), came to a halt. Peter’s poster, bearing the words “Together Soon Enough”, is inspired by our human need for physical affection. Peter observed that: “It is ironic that in order to protect the ones we love; we have to be distant from them.” He was happy to send Miri a poster and spread the message of hope amongst the Emanuel community. The poster is located at the entrance to the Jewish Studies/Maths staff rooms.

Virtual tour of School

It has been a while since parents, grandparents and alumni have had the opportunity to visit our beautiful school grounds. We’ve created an online tour of the School and I hope that you’ll enjoy being virtually transported to the spaces that the children explore and enjoy everyday.

Mazal tov

Our High School and Primary School Chess teams places 1^st in the local heat of the Sydney Academy of Chess Online Competition and Daniel Melamed, Year 10, came 1^st in the High School tournament.

Quote of the week

“Little by little, one travels far.”
J.R.R Tolkien