Andrew Watt – Principal

My commitment

Whilst I have flagged my retirement at the conclusion of the 2024 school year, I remain committed to maintaining a strong focus on both our key strategies and school operations until my departure. Much of the year remains and there is much to do to ensure that we finish the year well with strong academic, wellbeing and co-curricular outcomes. I am very thankful for our warm, connected and inclusive Emanuel School community and will conclude my time with many warm memories and a great deal of satisfaction with what our Board and leadership team have achieved over the past six years.

Parent Code of Conduct

Each year our parents are encouraged to access and read our Parent Code of Conduct. The Code is revised regularly and provides important information on how best to respond to our leaders, staff, other parents and students. Adherence to this Code is important to promote positive and productive relationships within our School community and to support the School’s values and ethos. Parents need to be always mindful that they are role models to their children and should act accordingly. Parents are expected to behave as appropriate role models at all school events and excursions.

Parent Lounge: Your Gateway to Streamlined School Communication!

By now you should have heard about TASS, our new student management system (SMS) that will, in time, completely replace Edumate. We will be rolling out the new features of TASS in regular updates in Ma Nishma. We will include the answers to questions that are relevant to you and which will take you on the journey to smoother, streamlined communication with the School.

Why TASS?

We know that you are time poor, receive far too many emails and want clear and timely communications from the School. While Edumate, our current SMS, has served us well, it is not able to provide the features that will enable us to respond to these needs.

TASS is able to provide many features that will give you more time to focus on the things that matter, and less time on keeping track of correspondence, your child’s academic progress and extra-curricular permissions, to name a few.

I’ve heard of the Parent Lounge. What exactly is it?

To use an analogy, TASS is the engine that drives the Parent Lounge. The Parent Lounge will be the one place you will need to go for all your electronic interactions with the School. In short, the Parent Lounge will be an efficient, smooth and simplified way to keep track of your children’s academic lives.

Next week we’ll share some new features of the Parent Lounge and how they’ll help us all to communicate more efficiently. 

Our Kids Giving Back

Our students were among 1 200 young people who assisted in providing over 11 500 hot and cold meals, breakfast boxes, snack packs, care packs, writing empathetic, positive messages to 15 charities around Sydney. The following students demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities, compassion, and a strong sense of civic responsibility, embodying the spirit of giving back: Levi Abitz, Evie Brodovcky, Jesse Churnin, Mika Churnin, Aaron Eisenberg, Allen Feldman, Noam Greenberg, Koah Holloway, Goldie Israelstam, Joa Israelstam, Ivy Kery, Leo Marishel, Sam Levitt, Ava Lotkin, Isabella Lotkin, Guy Oken, Mai Oken, Amelia Samuel, Katya Sandy, Nathan Shammay, Eli Stern, Eve Wicks and Stevie Zurnamer.

Kids Giving Back would love to see many more of our students involved in ‘giving back’ through serving in any of the following opportunities:

• Service-Learning Programs – Incursions and Excursions
• Little Helpers Saturday Program – K-2 students
• April School Holiday Community Programs

Detailed information can be found at https://kidsgivingback.org.

Gifted & Talented Information Evening

All parents who are interested in the School’s Gifted & Talented programs should attend the Information Evening on Wednesday 13 March 2024 from 6.45 pm – 8.00 pm. Visit the Gifted & Talented article in this week’s Ma Nishma to access the booking site and further information.

‘You’ve never mattered more’

Coming together as a community has never mattered more. JCA invites you to join the community at JCA’s 2024 Campaign Event on Sunday 7 April 2024. The event will commence at 3.30 pm with guest speakers, Nova Peris OAM OLY, and international antisemitism authority, Dr Sharon Nazarian. Other prominent members of our Jewish community will join them. 

Tackling antisemitism and the hate that has enveloped our community since the October 7 attacks in Israel is more important than ever.  To book, click here.

Mazal tov

Mazal tov to the following students on their success:

• Our firsts Basketball team defeated Moriah 85-76. Always a fantastic afternoon of great spirit and team work! Next week we play Reddam. Watch this space.
• Dylan Pal and Aviv Smily were selected to the ASISSA Boys Football Representative team and Jake Chesler was selected as a shadow player. Vitaly Miron narrowly missed selection in the ‘Probable v Possible’ game and must be congratulated for being a good sport on the day.
• Riley Carr and Aviv Farhy were selected into the Junior Girls 2024 CDSSA Touch Football team that will be competing at the AICES Touch football championships later this term.
• The Emanuel Open Girls Touch Football Team were crowned Easts Oztag Champions.
• Amelie Trope was selected into the Open Girls 2024 CDSSA Touch Football team and Ashley Urbach was selected as a shadow player.
• Jonah Rafael was selected as a shadow player for the U15 Junior CDSSA Touch Football Team.
• Encouraged by her marathon last year, Year 11 student Leah Grunseit, along with Ashleigh Gold, also Year 11, took part in the True Grit 10km Obstacle Challenge, running through the bush and getting very muddy!

Quote of the week

“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” Serena Williams ~ Tennis Champion