Andrew Watt – Principal

An evening to remember! 

Despite the disappointment of being cut short by COVID, the long-awaited (originally scheduled for 2020) production of Grease exceeded expectations. Audiences were treated to a high-energy, colourful, and often humorous performance, with outstanding, original choreography and vocals. The more elderly amongst us found ourselves singing along and clapping to once-familiar songs. The performances were both enjoyable and memorable, showcasing the amazing depth of talent that resides within a relatively small High School.

The key roles were performed by Remy Waller (Danny) and Mariah Lewy (Sandy), along with the Pink Ladies (Zoe Nebenzahl, Rebecca Pillemer, Jayda Sacks and Gabrielle Utian) and the T Birds (Eden Glass, Jamie Schneider, Coby New and Myles Cohn). Other key characters were performed by Chloe Biller, Jasmine Barea, Scott Reuveny, Lori Allen, Daniel Langman, Eden Grynberg and Alice Milner. Our outstanding ensemble team, dance company and band (supported by Maayan Granot, our Stage Manager and her team) made a significant contribution to the success of Grease.

Thank you and mazal tov to Director/Producer, Samantha Bauer, Musical Director, Danny Burley and Choreographer, Dean Vince for a wonderful production.

Nitzavim Seminar: Preparing our students for leadership 

It was great to see many our Year 11 students opting to take part in a two-day leadership development program this week. The Seminar aimed to foster a strong sense of cohesion and investment in the Year 11 cohort, as they approach their senior year in leadership. In the program, students learned the value of collective responsibility in building a culture of leadership amongst their cohort, and how that filters down to the rest of the School. Our students were encouraged to develop their ability to communicate and collaborate with one another, whilst coming to a shared understanding of Emanuel’s Jewish leadership values. This program lays the groundwork for the Va’adot (committee) system that will enable these students to lead in different aspects of the High School. Many thanks to Adam Ezekiel, Kobi Bloom and Daniel Samowitz, for their leadership of this special event.

Good Design Awards Exhibition

This term, Year 4 has been learning how to think like a designer. The students were inspired by a visit from Dr Brandon Gien, CEO of Good Design Awards Australia, who shared a series of excellent designs and what made them successful. Year 4 was encouraged to think deeply about the initial stages of design; to question how one can collect data and information to help us understand and properly define the issues we notice. The students then considered what it means to truly brainstorm, to ideate! They spent time unpacking a problem they noticed within the community, at school, at home or even in the wider world. From this point, they dived into the world of materials and their specific properties. Being a good designer requires you to select appropriate materials for your prototyped solution. So, after exploring this, building their prototype models began. The students used recycled materials to construct their model but also sketched what a real product would be made from. Students put on their “environmentally conscious” hats and thought deeply about selecting more natural materials where possible. Lots of hard work went into the construction of their designs which were displayed at the exhibition. Our thanks to Lauren Butler, Claudia Sceats and our guest judges.

Art Camp – National Art School

Our Year 9-11 Visual Arts students enjoyed the opportunity to attend Art School. Six workshops on painting, printmaking and ceramics were conducted on Friday and Monday, at the National Art School. It was an impactful experience for students and teachers alike. Our entire Visual Arts Department was involved, and we thank Eytan Messiah, Louise Heilpern, Rebecca Keong and Chrystal Rimmer.

Stay safe and enjoy the break

As we reach the end of another busy and productive term, our students and staff will depart to enjoy a well-earned break, albeit within 25 km of our back yards. Best wishes to all Emanuel School families –  stay safe, mask up and have for a relaxing and enjoyable break. To our Year 12 students, we hope that you can maintain a wise balance between your study and time off to relax and rejuvenate.

Mazal tov

To our Year 7A Chess team for winning their Division – The Metropolitan East Region –  in the JNSW Inter Schools Chess Competition, comprised of seven rounds of chess. The team will now progress to the next round of the competition.

Quote of the week

“My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”  Forrest Gump