Anne Hastings – Principal

What a week it’s been for performances and exhibitions! I particularly enjoy this time of the year when our HSC students are exhibiting their works and demonstrating their skills and learning that they have accumulated over their years at our School.

HSC Visual Arts Exhibition

Wednesday evening saw the display of our 13 HSC Visual Arts Bodies of Work. Huge congratulations go to each of the students. The final results are stunning, showing such diversity, deep conceptual thinking and art making skills. These works are developed over many months and it takes great perseverance, courage and patience, along with creative skills, to bring each one to fruition. Each of the students started with a blank page, and have brought their works to fruition showing sensitive, artistic and thoughtful comments on their worlds. Congratulations to the Visual Arts class of 2017: Ricky Blank, Ronan Collins, Hannah Dukes, Jemima Firestone Greville, Brianna Gadeley, Lexee Gordoun, Pnina Hagege, Arthur Krite, Eitan Meshel, Aarin Regan-Lacey, Mikayla Sacks, Joel Shagrin and Sage Zimen.

Huge congratulations and thanks also go to their teacher, Eytan Messiah, for his tireless energy, encouragement, advice and patience throughout the process. The end result of the combined efforts is a diverse and meaningful HSC showcase of the culmination of artistic study over the years, of which we are very proud.

HSC Drama Showcase

Immediately after the Visual Arts Exhibition on Wednesday evening the HSC Drama class gave their individual and group-devised performances to a packed theatre. What an amazing night of entertainment it was. The students’ performances were so polished and confident. Congratulations to each student (Shoshana Blackman, Maya Burich, Paris Freed, Isabella Kidman, Monica Pinchuk, Talia Rubinstein and Charlie Wrublewski) for their great achievement and hard work in bringing their performances to this very entertaining and accomplished outcome. 

Huge thanks also go to their teacher, Sam Bauer, for her considered guidance, hard work and valuable feedback that helped this wonderful series of performances become so professional.

 Night of Song

What a delightful evening this was last night! From the very first song by Max Rose in Year 3 through to the last by the Junior Choir, the audience was enthralled by the polished, confident and engaging performances from students, young and ‘old’. I’ve always marveled that students can stand up in front of a large audience and sing with such accomplishment – clearly, they’ve been very well prepared and have rehearsed their performances to the point that they are confident in the outcome. And we witnessed the wonderful outcomes of their work and talent in an evening that entertained from start to finish.

Congratulations to each student who performed, whether individually or in a choir, and special thanks to Danny Burley who organised the whole event, along with accompanying, preparing and encouraging the students along the way. I’d like to especially mention our Year 12 singers, who have been involved in the choral side of the school for many years, and for whom this was their last Night of Song: Shoshana Blackman, Chloe Corne, Kerryn Finn, Sally-Ann Janks, Sophie Lew, Talia Rubinstein and Jesse van Proctor.

 HICES Music Camp

Benjamin Cohen, Casey Flior and Joshua Moses

We had a small number of students attend this camp. They joined with hundreds of students from other HICES (Heads of Independent Co-educational Schools) schools to learn new repertoire over three days and then perform at St Andrews or the Town Hall on Wednesday evening. I was lucky to be able to see the performances of one of the stage bands in the Jazz Academy, ably lead by our Mr Gwilliam. Adam Cranko (drums), Aron Jaffe (trumpet) and Joshua New (saxophone) gave polished performances and clearly made very valuable contributions to their bands. Three of our younger students, Benjamin Cohen, Casey Flior and Joshua Moses from Year 7 participated in the instrumental and choral section and performed superbly at the Town Hall the same night. Congratulations to the boys for their involvement in this large event and a big thank you to David Gwilliam for his leadership and commitment to Music and this event in our Music calendar.

 Sydney University Research

I would like to let you know that Dr Yona Gilead from the Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies at the University of Sydney is carrying out a study into our students’ perspectives of the complexities of their Jewish, Australian and globalised identities. Yona is particularly looking at how Emanuel School is successful in imbuing a sense of pride in our students for their Jewish heritage. This study, which covers students in Years 5 through to 11, has the endorsement of the School. As well it has been approved by the University of Sydney’s Human Ethics committee.

As part of this study Yona Gilead will be inviting both you and your children to take part in this study. Being in this study is completely voluntary for both you and your children. You and your children’s decision to agree or disagree to participate in this study will not affect your relationship with the School, the researcher or anyone else at the University of Sydney now or in the future. Please read more details in the Sydney University Research page.

Mazal Tov to

• All of the students in each of our HICES Debating teams (Junior, Middle, Senior and Open), who have made it to the Quarter Finals round in the HICES competition – an amazing feat!
• Our HSC Visual Arts students for completing their Bodies of Work to such a high standard
• Our HSC Drama students for their polished performances in the Drama showcase
• All of the alumni who gave their time for our E-Zone Careers morning (see story in the Careers page)
• All of the students who presented solos at the Night of Song (Max Rose, Lara King, Lucy Klein, Noa Blair, Zoe Nebenzahl, Erin Nabarro, Coby and Joshua New, Angel Mitrani, Sally-Ann Janks and Talia Rubinstein)

Coming up

• Comedy for a Cause, Saturday 19 August, 7 pm, MPH
• Year 11 Examinations, 21 – 25 August
• Book Week, 21 – 25 August
• Book Week Author Talk – parents, grandparents and friends welcome – Wednesday 23 August, 1:10 pm, High School Library
• ‘Jerusalem, Islam and the Temple Mount’, a talk by Adi Gefen-Adler, Sunday 27 August 2:30 – 4:30 pm, Primary Library
• Alumni and Senior Chamber Choir Concert, Sunday 27 August, 5 pm, Millie Phillips Theatre
• Safe Partying, a talk by Anne Ferfolya (Senior Constable, School Liaison), Tuesday 29 August, 7 pm MP Theatre
• HSC Music Showcase, Thursday 31 August, 7 pm, MP Theatre
• Fathers’ Day breakfast (7:00 am – 8:20 am, MPH) and stall

Quote of the week

I always wondered why somebody didn’t do something about that. And then I realised I was somebody.” [Lily Tomlin]

 Best wishes for an enjoyable and relaxing weekend.

Shabbat Shalom