Andrew Watt – Principal

Making sense of this week’s events

This has essentially become a week of national mourning for Jews across the world. I would imagine that many of us are still struggling to come to terms with the tragic events unfolding in Israel, the distress and shock of which have reverberated across the globe. Statements of solidarity and support have streamed in from the governments of many countries, who recognise both the magnitude and impact of this attack on Israel. For many, the future seems less certain and we are left to pick up the pieces, supporting and grieving with those who have lost loved ones and their homes. As some of our Emanuel School families and staff mourn the death of relatives or friends, the fear for the safety of those we know currently serving in the IDF is ongoing. On top of this, our community has contended with anti-Israel rallies across our major cities, leaving us feeling unsafe in our own homes and suburbs.

Now more than ever, we need to do what we do best; that is, to provide ongoing care and support for families in need, both within our community and in Israel. We are encouraged to stand with Israel. For our part, we are committed to maintaining a safe, calm and caring learning environment for our students. In addition to our counselling services, students can seek support and advice from their teachers, the Director(s) of Students or, in the High School, their House Tutor or Head of House.

I wanted to reinforce two great pieces of advice recently provided by our counselling team:

1. Children look to the adults in their lives for emotional cues about what is happening in the world and how to respond. They look to us for a sense of safety and security, and it is important to try to provide a calm and reassuring presence for your children. This does not equate to trying to hide your emotional reactions entirely from your children. It is okay for them to see you upset and you might even talk to them about how you are feeling and what you are doing to manage at this time. They may learn better how to cope with their feelings through watching you.

2. It is helpful for children to have age-appropriate factual information about what is happening in Israel at present. While we all want to protect our children and some parents may feel unsure about talking about the current situation with their kids, it is not possible to prevent conversations or media about the conflict from reaching them. As such, we would encourage you to talk about the conflict with your children at home so that you can help support them and provide appropriate information. This will allow you to understand better what they know, how they are feeling, giving them space to ask questions and get support from you to process and manage their reactions in a healthy way.

It is also important that our parents and carers look after themselves, in order to look after their children. It is easy for us, the adults, to get lost in the social media and the torrent of devastating news and horrific images. At times like these, we sometimes need to remind ourselves of the things we usually tell our children, like ‘go to sleep early, eat well, get some sunshine and limit your screen exposure.’

Wishing us all strength through this time.

2023 HSC Examinations have commenced

The first of many HSC Examinations was held on Wednesday. There was a sense of relief that the day had finally arrived, and that the ordeal would soon be over. Despite the cloud hanging over our school community, our students were resolute, focused and well prepared. They carry with them our best wishes for a successful outcome.

Mazal tov

Berry Inter-schools Equestrian Championships

Avalon Gold represented Emanuel School at the annual Berry Inter-schools Equestrian Championships, where she placed overall Reserve Champion for Year 9, across NSW. Avalon and her horse successfully competed in a number of events earning eight places all up including:

• Sporting 1st place
• Show jumping 90cm height 2nd place
• 5 x other 2nd place ribbons for sporting, dressage, jumping (75cm), cross country and hacking

A great achievement for her and her beautiful horse Prince Memnon (Toddy). Well done to a great team! 

NSW All Schools Athletics Championships

During the school holidays, Zac Urbach and Eden Levitt competed at the NSW All Schools Athletics Championships.

Zac won his heat in the in the 19 years 100m sprint with a new personal best of 10.83s and qualified fastest for the Final out of the heats. In the Final, Zac won gold 10.84s, coming from behind and narrowly beating his nearest competitor by one hundredth of a second!

Eden Levit won a silver medal in the 19 years 100m and a bronze medal for the 19 years 200m.

Mazal tov to both Zac and Eden. We look forward to hearing of your future successes as Emanuel Alumni.

Quote of the week

Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means ~ Ronald Reagan