Andrew Watt – Principal

As next week quickly moves towards Pesach, this will be the final edition of Ma Nishma for the term. From the view from my top floor office, the Waxman Gates and from the assembly stage, it has been a time of renewed connections, of expressing joy for the small things, and a slow return to our pre-COVID standards of behaviour and appearance. We have much to be grateful for, not the least of which is our energetic, creative and inclusive school community. Wishing you a special time with your friends and family. Chag Pesach Sameach.

Reflections on the NAPLAN debate

As the dust settles after the recent National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing regime, it is a good time to reflect on both the benefits and the drawbacks of this annual standardised test of literacy and numeracy capabilities. First and foremost, we see NAPLAN as but one small part of the picture. The tests are not designed to capture the personality, character or skills of our students – nor their strengths in performing arts, sport, creative arts or languages. The value of NAPLAN lies in its provision of national data, to track progress on a national level, in addition to school data that can provide feedback on our teaching and learning programs. The data on each individual helps to assess their progress and diagnose learning needs. NAPLAN also provides data that can encourage student improvement (this is why it has been conducted earlier in the year). It offers teachers insights into how students can perform independently and it can allow young students a chance to experience working under test conditions.

The NAPLAN data for each school is placed on the MySchool website. Sadly, this website can become a one-stop shop for parents, who compare the results of various schools, and base their decisions on where to send their child on this fairly blunt assessment tool. As the entry point into many schools coincides directly with the Year Groups tested by NAPLAN (Years 3, 5 and 7), the irony is that the initial results may actually showcase the educational outcomes of their previous school.

The shortcomings of NAPLAN include that:

• The data becomes outdated, due to the long time between testing and receiving the results.
• The classroom culture can change from a focus on creativity and deep learning, to a “teach to the test” approach.
• The time taken out of a normal classroom routine to prepare for and administer the tests can be viewed as excessive.
• The School’s performance profile can be manipulated, by removing weak students from NAPLAN testing.
• Standardised testing can be viewed as ‘high stakes’ and generate anxiety in some students.

At Emanuel, the NAPLAN data is but one valuable piece of the jigsaw that allows us to build an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses of each of our students. Our Allwell testing and our ongoing formal and informal assessments also serve to guide us in making data-informed decisions as we design our individual learning plans and our differentiated lessons.

Life is a cabaret, old chum – Come to the Cabaret 

The Millie Phillips Theatre was filled with the sounds of music, as our talented vocalists, supported by our piano accompanists, performed to a rapt audience. It was a wonderful, thoroughly entertaining showcase of our performing arts talents, with 10 solo and duet pieces, from well-loved musicals. Performances included You’ve got a friend in me, My Grand Plan and At Last. No one left the evening disappointed!

Putting on a Cabaret is no small feat, and we are grateful for the tireless work of our Head of Drama, Samantha Bauer, who organised the entire program. Thank you also to Adam Majsay, our accompanist, to Ben Marshall, who looked after the light and sound and to Ofer Levy, for his outstanding photography. And of course, mazal tov to our Cabaret performers! For more details and photos, please click here.

Pesach celebrations 

Primary and High School students took part in a number of activities and events in preparation for Pesach.

Primary celebrations took place on campus on Friday, ranging from demonstration Sederim to interactive classroom activities. You will find more details on this in Ma Koreh and Primary News.

Years 8, 10 and 11 participated in Pesach peulot (informal classes) during Jewish Studies, led by the Informal Jewish Life Team. Years 7 – 9 will have a joint Pesach Seder on the last day of term and the Year 12s will have the traditional Chocolate Seder celebration, to explore the themes of fair trade and modern slavery.

More swabs
More matches
More hope for Murray

Murray Foltyn, a loving husband and father of two young children, is battling a rare blood cancer. He is URGENTLY seeking a matching blood stem cell donor. However he does not currently have a match in his family or the worldwide registry.

IF YOU ARE 18-35, REGISTER NOW. YOU MIGHT JUST SAVE A LIFE.

Here’s how:

1. Head to the Strength to Give website and click on the ‘register now button’
2. Click ‘I have an appeal code’
3. Follow the prompts, and when asked, enter the code matchformurray
4. That’s it! You’ll be sent out a swab kit in the mail.

Swab your cheek, send it back and you might just save a life.

Firsts Basketball team with Head of Basketball and coach, Aidan Zlotnick and assistant coach, Jesse Koslowski

Alumni – A to G and end at B

We tell our Year 12 students that it’s OK not to know exactly what your five year plan is or even what you want to do when you put your pen down at the end of your last HSC exam. Some graduates’ journeys are quite linear, while others start at A, go to G and then end at B. 

We’re looking for Emanuel Alumni to share their study and career experiences with our Senior students in an informal Q&A style setting. Our Careers Space event is on Friday 19 May 2023 from 8.30 am – 11.00 am at school. If you’re an Emanuel graduate and are happy to share a few hours of your time, please complete this short form and our Careers Advisor will be in touch.

Mazal tov

Our Firsts Basketball team defeated Reddam in overtime, to take out the 2023 CDSSA Basketball Championships. A magnificent effort from both the starting five and the bench! Well done to all these players and their coach Aidan Zlotnick.

Quote of the week

“If the purpose of learning is to score well on a test, we’ve lost sight of the real reason for learning.”
~ Jeannie Fulbright