Andrew Watt – Principal

A forum to voice our collective support for equality, inclusivity and a culture of respect

International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 provided an opportunity to challenge and call out gender bias, inequality and a toxic culture of harmful behaviour. Our Social Action Va’d took it upon themselves to organise a special program for High School students, around female empowerment. Student-led and designed initiatives like this align well with our commitment to tikkun olam, working towards repairing our broken world. Our collective voice carries great power and can transform attitudes, behaviour and culture. We encourage our students to stand up for inclusivity, kindness and respect, and to speak out against the sometimes-toxic culture that can pervade the social life of adolescents.

As pointed out by Chanel Contos, the creator of the Teach us Consent petition, it is the micro moments, where disparaging comments are made and left unchallenged, that make the difference. Her message, released on IWD, speaks about what perpetuates the attitudes towards gender and sexuality that normalise poor behaviour. Chanel identifies catcalling, inappropriate touching, objectifying women and shaming people for their sexuality, as key factors. I spoke about this at our High School assembly this week and have shared an excerpt of my message below:

We are very lucky to live in Australia, a country where the attitudes towards women – and the options open for women to pursue a career in virtually anything -are a vast improvement over many countries, both developing and developed. However, there can be no room for complacency, as clearly, there are still many issues yet to be resolved in Australia, around equal opportunity, equal pay and other forms of gender discrimination and violence. Sadly, in recent weeks, we have been following media reports, highlighting allegations of a culture of sexual assault within our Federal Parliament. Many young women have recounted distressing stories of their experiences when they were at school…of disrespectful and criminal behaviour at parties and gatherings, whilst under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, of predominantly young males taking advantage of or pressuring young women into physical acts that they later regretted, and have left them scarred. There are similar reports of abuse and pressure within same sex relationships. This is a cause for great shame and must not be allowed to continue. Let’s see how we can be part of the solution, rather than add to the problem! This is not just a battle for females to engage in – all of us need to take part in supporting gender equality… together, our voice is powerful, and we need to be a positive force for good.

Cabaret

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Kol Hakavod to the students who starred in the High School Cabaret on Monday. It was a fantastic evening of song with a touch of humour and so much talent. Congratulations to Sam Bauer, Head of Drama, and Danny Burley, Assistant Head of Music, for organising this highly entertaining evening and to the amazing performers who outdid themselves. 

A new Primary School Innovation Leader

I am excited to announce that Carrie Thomas (formerly Grieve) has been appointed to the position of Innovation Leader (K-6), commencing from the beginning of Term 2. Carrie is a well-respected and much-loved member of our teaching team who has taught across a variety of Primary School year levels. Her previous experience includes being the ICT and Gifted & Talented Educator at an International school in China and she has led various coding and technology clubs at Emanuel. Within this role, Carrie will be responsible for curriculum-based projects connecting technology and innovation to classroom learning. She will also lead a number of extra-curricular initiatives and external programs. Carrie will liaise with industry experts and other schools to ensure we remain at the forefront of learning in this area. We are excited to welcome Carrie into this new position and look forward to many exciting initiatives and projects.

As a result of this appointment, Carrie will no longer be the teacher of 2 Tzfat from the beginning of next term. We are delighted to confirm the appointment of another outstanding educator into this role. Felicity Cox will join us from the start of term. An experienced teacher, Felicity is most recently from Wenona and prior to this has taught in various schools in Sydney, Canberra and London. We look forward to welcoming Felicity to the team.

Mazal tov

Quote of the week

“Gardens are not made perfect by singing ‘Oh how beautiful,’ and sitting on the shade.”
Rudyard Kipling – English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist