Andrew Watt – Principal

As Term 3 concludes, we can look back with a measure of both satisfaction and pride on the plethora of events and programs that our school community has enjoyed. Our Instagram has been active daily (sometimes twice daily!), reporting on student achievements and experiences across our Jewish life, community service, guest speakers, sport, performing arts, debating and so much more. Our Year 12 students will be preparing for their HSC Examinations and they will carry with them our best wishes for both maintaining a disciplined study program and for a successful outcome.

As we exchange our tracksuit pants and puffer jackets for summer wear, my hope is that families and friends will enjoy much anticipated overseas travel or a well-deserved rest. 

May you have a good year, be sealed in the Book of Life and happy holidays! 

Our Annual Project Heritage Presentation Day 

With the generous support of nine ‘Living Historians’ – some of whom are also Emanuel grandparents – our Year 6 students have engaged deeply in researching their life stories.

Project Heritage brings together elders in our community with its youth, transmitting Jewish heritage, culture, values and history to inspire our current generation of young Jews, the future of the Jewish people.

On Wednesday morning, each Year 6 student group presented what they had captured from their conversations with the Historians and their ensuing research. It was clear through the presentations that our students had learned much about how events from the past have shaped the lives choices and actions of each of the historians. Each year Project Heritage has a profound impact on all who attend the presentation day.

Many thanks to Leanne Creswell, Eamon Lukins, Jessica Neutze, Adam Carpenter and Gena Yeomans – and of course, our Living Historians.

Reflecting on Yom Kippur

To mark Yom Kippur, all students came to school in white on Friday, symbolic of angels. The High School students  sang beautiful, melodic songs in anticipation of Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which is known as the Shabbat of Return. Afterwards, the students continued with the theme of ‘Sleep and Wake’. They watched a student-led skit about Jonah waking up and being thrown into the waters and then were invited to think about what they are waking up to in their lives.

At this time of year, Judaism has always employed the sound of the shofar as a wake-up sound to the soul. Therefore we brought in a musician, who led the students in an experiential sound journey with Didgeridoo, world flutes, singing bowl and hand pans, as well as the sounds of the Shofar. This was a powerful way to move into the Yom Kippur frame of mind, after which students reflected on their wishes and longings for the year ahead.

Year 7 Shorashim 

The culmination of many hours of individual research was captured at this special event, which commenced with parents, family and friends viewing each student’s album, followed by the official speeches. Student presentations then took place across several classrooms. The term ‘shorashim’ means ‘roots’, and our students have taken a deep dive into their origins and family stories. Their hardcopy albums along with their family research will provide a significant family archive from generation to generation (Le’Dor Va’Dor).

Each student was asked to consider the following questions when completing the project:

• Who am I: Where am I from?
• What is my Jewish Identity?
• What are my family’s history and story?
• How did my family get to Sydney?
• Why are my roots important?
• What are the elements of design I need to produce a high quality project?
• How can I carry out effective research?

Kol Hakavod to our Year 7 students, for their outstanding work, and a big thank you to Rebecca Gaida, Garry Case and our Jewish Studies team.

Preparing our Year 12 (2024) for what lies ahead

After successfully completing their Preliminary Courses, our Year 12 (2024) students will commence their HSC studies on Day 1 of Term 4. This significant milestone was recognised by an afternoon preparation session, led by our Director of Studies, Julian Abelson, our Careers advisor, Claire Pech, and our Heads of House. This will be followed by another Preparation Day on 10 October, followed by a Year 12 Parent and Student Information Evening on 11 October.  The aim of these events is to provide clear advice, outline our expectations and reinforce what supports will be in place to ensure that our students can perform at their best and be the best that they can be.

Sensational Athletics results

The scorching heat at Sydney Olympic Park on Tuesday didn’t hinder an extraordinary display of talent and determination, as seven Emanuel AICES representatives made their mark at the NSWCIS Athletics Championships. Our athletes achieved sensational results, participating in a range of events including the 100m, 200m, 400m, discus, shot put and 4x100m relay.

Major highlights of the day included:

• The Emanuel Open Boys Athletics Track Relay Team – Jett Sher, Aden Goodridge, Shai Farhy and Zac Urbach – won the highly competitive 4x100m Relay Race in 43.72 seconds, securing the position of the fastest Open Boys 4x100m relay team in the State for NSWCIS.
• Emanuel School athletes walked away with a total of five gold medals, a silver medal, and a bronze medal.
  • Zac Urbach secured two individual gold medals – the first in the 200m, impressively breaking the existing NSWCIS record in a time of 21.70s, and then in the 100m, recording his personal best time of a speedy 10.84s;
  • Aden Goodridge displayed exceptional skills by claiming two gold medals in the Long Jump and 400m; and 
  • Alex Kirievsky placed second in discus and third in shot put in the under 16 category. He also achieved his personal best distance of 41.17m.

Our High School Band Tour

On Thursday, our Band toured three Public Primary Schools, where they delivered a concert of a variety of repertoire to introduce the Concert Band and music more generally. Some of our students are presenting little solo performances, to introduce each instrument. There is also an opportunity for the Primary students to conduct the Band. Our Co-ordinator of Music Events, Remi Owen, is leading this wonderful initiative, and he is well supported by Julian McKay, Jess Yendell and Ben Cohen (alumnus).

We received the following feedback form a teacher at the first school we visited:

Remi Owen has been such a pleasure to work with to organise the performance, and seeing the band in action today was brilliant. Every single student (and staff member) was engaged, entertained, and loving each and every song. The performance from your students was absolutely outstanding, an easy 10/10! Thank you so much for the opportunity for our school to be involved. The students and teachers haven’t stopped raving about it, and we would love to be part of it again in the future if the opportunity arises.

STEPtember

Everyday in September, six Emanuel School staff have challenged themselves to step out for STEPtember, a virtual challenge that invites participants to reach the goal of a minimum of 10,000 steps daily throughout September. All funds raised contribute to life-changing research, treatment, services, and assistive technologies that empower people living with cerebral palsy to lead their fullest lives. 

Congratulations to the top three staff steppers so far this month:

1. Ryan Oakes – 272,964
2. Aidan Zlotnick – 264,208
3. Michelle Favero – 255,971

Collectively the team has tracked 1,290,000 steps over three weeks and should hit 1,800,000 group steps before the end of STEPtember. 

Mazal tov

• We had received notification that the following HSC Drama students have been nominated for ONStage, an annual showcase of outstanding group and individual Drama performances. We are very proud of the following students who were nominated for their Individual Performances: Ma’ayan Granot (Behind the Wheel), Ruby Miller (Falling) and Scott Reuveny (Fine Young Men), as well as Tess Endrey, Ma’ayan Granot, Ruby Miller, Scott Reuveny for their Group Performance of The Crown.
• Eden Levit, Class of 2023, has been selected as a Macquarie University Leaders and Achievers (MLA) Scholar. Earning the title of an MLA Scholar is a significant achievement. This scholarship was founded to acknowledge students who have attained exceptional academic achievements and exhibited leadership abilities that hold great importance not just within the university but also on a wider scale. Only 20 Leaders and Achievers scholarships are offered each year across the whole University. Eden will receive a scholarship for the length of her chosen course of Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Psychology. 
• Liberty Waldner, Jaime Keyser, Elias Davis and Jayden Segal won their knockout debate against Loreto Normanhurst in the Australian National Virtual Debating Competition. The team is through to the finals and we wish them the best of luck. Well done!
• Sophie Rule of Year 6 was awarded Honours in her AMEB Violin examination. A wonderful achievement.

 Quote of the week

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. ~ Michael Jordan