Term 3 promises to be another busy and action-packed learning journey. As always, there is much for our students to look forward to.

Some highlights of the term will include a trip to Jilkminggan, Twilight Concerts, Year 10 Machaneh Ayekah Camp, HICES Music Festival, Drama and Visual Arts Showcases, Year 9 Ski Camp and Years 8-10 Machaneh Krembo Hebrew Camp, to name but a few.

We will shortly be selecting and inducting our new Madrichim team and farewelling our current, outstanding student leaders. Towards the end of term, we will farewell our special and genuinely talented Year 12 cohort, who have served us well and have almost reached the end of their journey. 

Principal’s Awards for Outstanding Academic Achievement and Effort

I am very proud of the large numbers of students in each Year Group who received a Principal’s Award. These awards are based on data extracted from the Semester 1 Academic Reports and are intended to recognise and celebrate outstanding individual achievements and effort. Our Academic Reports typically include a mixture of positive feedback and strategies to improve academic performance. The value of the report feedback is not simply to reflect on past achievements, but to also reflect on actions that can be taken in the future. Our students have been encouraged to set goals for Semester 2 and develop the concrete actions that will be required, to meet those goals.

The Principal’s Awards for those students who achieved recognition for both Outstanding Academic Achievement and Effort were presented at our High School Assembly. A very few students were recognised with a Gold Principal’s Award, highlighting a perfect run of both effort and achievement grades, across every subject – an impressive feat! Principal’s Awards for either Outstanding Academic Achievement or Effort will be presented at our House Assemblies.

Parent Speaker Series

Our Parent Speaker Series launches on 2 August 2023 and features a line-up of dynamic experts in their fields. We are particularly pleased to have secured Grace Tame – Australian of the Year, advocate, activist and survivor. Grace is dedicated to eradicating child sexual abuse in Australia, and supporting the survivors of child sexual abuse. We encourage all parents to attend this talk which is on Monday 21 August 2023. For further information on the impressive presenters and to book your place in our Speaker Series, please click here. For more about Grace Tame’s talk and the issue of Consent and Respect, please click here.

Important news from the Parents and Friends Association (P&F)

For many years, our Parents and Friends (P&F) Committee has supported and enhanced the relationship between the School and key stakeholders such as families and the wider school community, for the benefit of the students’ overall development and learning. 

Our P&F have recently conducted an extensive review, involving our Executive and our School Board. As a result of the review findings, the P&F will now operate under the School’s administration. Under this structure, the P&F will be governed by a Charter. It will maintain its purpose to engage, connect and represent the views for parents and carers while also contributing to some fundraising for facilities and other initiatives. The intention is to see the P&F working more cohesively with our administrative team and more closely aligned with our strategic goals. It will also mean that the School will provide support to the P&F in financial management, marketing, and administrative capacities. For more information on the Charter, and for the opportunity to provide feedback, please refer to the Parents and Friends Association article in this edition.

Welcome to our new staff

• Ryan Oakes will cover Ray Francis’ PDHPE lessons across Semester 2. Ryan has a Bachelor of Science (Sport Science) and has taught for many years in the UK. He has spent the past two years as the Head Coach and Education Program Lead for the North Walsham Rugby Club in Norfolk, England.
• Ofira Walker is joining our Hebrew team from Masada College. Ofira is an experienced Hebrew teacher and a qualified Early Childhood teacher. She recently completed a Certificate 4 in Education Support.

We hope that they will both enjoy and contribute to our Emanuel School education experience.

Canteen closed for Tisha B’Av

The canteen will be closed on Thursday 27 July 2023 due to the Fast Day, Tisha B’Av. Please note that students will need to bring in any food they would like for the day.

Mazal tov

• The Emanuel High School Chess A team participated over the holidays in the NSW Under 18 Junior Chess championship. This is a very intense five-day tournament and the boys did spectacularly well – Joshua Barnett came 2nd place, Oscar Salek – 12th and Max Tsipris – 16th.
• I received a heartfelt letter from Giant Steps, thanking Gia Jocum, Year 11, for her ongoing volunteer work with the organisation. During the past school holidays she assisted an artist to create a beautiful mural at the Giant Steps Campus in Gladesville and helped with the Giant Steps volunteers morning tea. I was delighted to read the conclusion of the letter which stated: “it is wonderful to see young people who embrace a culture of giving”. Kol Ha’kavod Gia.

Quote of the week

“Evil thrives in silence.” ~ Grace Tame, The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner