Andrew Watt – Principal

Maintaining good communication

We value our relationships with parents and thus have established clear lines of communication, should a parent have a query or concern. Our Complaints Handling Policy includes a Parent Guide in the appendix, which outlines who the initial point of contact should be, across a range of areas. The guide also provides the steps parents can follow if the matter is unresolved and requires escalation. Our aim is to provide an initial response within 24 hours and to keep the lines of communication open and constructive.

Progress report on our construction site

Hoarding has been erected around the borders of the construction site, with a new walkway established from Kindergarten to the Administration Building. We are confident that we will receive our construction certificate from Randwick Council shortly and in the interim, we will continue to develop the new landscape. We have already removed the electricals and telephony from the Adler Building and placed underground cabling, in preparation for construction to commence.

Our Year 5 and 6 students have settled down well in their temporary, capacious classrooms within the Brender Moss Building. Toilets, lockers, and bag racks have also been relocated. When our Primary School students move back into the new building, our High School will benefit from additional and larger classrooms. We are playing a long game!

Update on COVID- related matters

The low case numbers experienced across the first two weeks of term has come as a pleasant surprise. However, we will maintain our vigilance with the ‘basics’ – cohorting, physical distancing, hand sanitising and mask wearing. Parents have been provided with a daily case count (see COVID-19 Resources/Case Dashboard, on the Parent Portal at 3.00 pm), which will alert them to a positive case within their child’s Year Group/grade. Ironically, close contacts are required to monitor closely for symptoms – which is what parents do anyway!

Our Learning Continuity Teacher is meeting online with a group of students who are isolating at home. These students are supported to complete set work, which allows them to remain connected to the School. We have maintained most of our calendar events, albeit moving some online. Our Medical Advisory Panel will meet with our SAT (which also serves as the COVID response team) mid-term, to review our current practices, and any required adjustments will be made accordingly.

High School Swimming Carnival

Sadly, due to COVID restrictions, our swimming carnival was reduced to those students who wished to trial for a place in our swimming squad, to compete in the CDSSA Swimming Championships. The event was held at the Drummoyne Swimming Centre, and despite blustery conditions, there were strong individual performances. Congratulations to all students who participated, and we wish our swimming squad well as they prepare for the upcoming representative events. Thanks to Ray Francis, his team of staff and the Year 9 Physical Activity and Sport Science (PASS) students. A full report is recorded in this issue of Ma Nishma.

Thanks to Ofer Levy for the wonderful photos. 

Being good neighbours – derech eretz

Our campus is located in a densely populated residential area with narrow streets, which can become easily congested. Our neighbours have requested, in the 12-month construction period, that we minimise parking by use of public transport and shared rides. Whilst this is not yet advisable, due to COVID restrictions, we hope to be able to take some steps to reduce the traffic congestion. As advised in our Traffic and Parking Policy (TPP), please do not drop off students in any other location than the GWTF, unless you are parking a kilometre away. Please do not drop off your children on the opposite side of Avoca Street, or in Market Street, and do not turn right onto Avoca Street from Stanley Street. Our Year 12 students have been instructed to park outside the restricted parking zone (see TPP). Your support with safe traffic management would be sincerely appreciated.

Mazal tov

Vic Alhadeff’s father Salvatore with his fiancee, Becky

Letters From a Troubled Past

Vic Alhadeff, Emanuel grandparent and former CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, has written a play about his father’s Holocaust story which is scheduled to be read next month at the ARA Theatre (known also as the Monkey Baa Theatre) in The Darling Quarter.

Vic’s father, from Rhodes Island, was informed that his fiancee had been murdered at Auschwitz and she believed he had perished. Fast-forward half a century and he discovered that she was alive and well. Tickets for Letters From a Troubled Past are now available. The production will also feature at the Jewish International Film Festival at the Randwick Ritz on Sunday 20 March and Sunday 3 April at 4.30 pm.

Quote of the week

“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”~ Elie Wiesel