Andrew Watt

Putting Derech Eretz in action

I have been told that the term Derech Eretz is central in Jewish ethics and relates strongly to our interpersonal relationships; to our culture of care, kindness and common decency. We encounter many examples of this care and common decency within the Emanuel community on a daily basis. Occasionally, we encounter behaviour that strikes a discordant note, as it does not match Derech Eretz. For example, our attitude towards our neighbours, as we seek to drop off and collect children, does not always display common decency. This week, I received a report of a parent who parked their car in a driveway and when the neighbour returned home and requested that they move the car, they refused. I have been sent images of another incident when a parent parked across a driveway and refused to move. Several of our neighbours have approached the Council and are seeking to introduce restricted parking. This would have a significant impact on our staff. I have raised similar concerns on a number of occasions and can only ask again, that we apply Derech Eretz to those outside, yet in close proximity to our School.

High School Athletics Carnival

We were fortunate to enjoy a break in the wet weather, as we gathered in the sun at Hensley Athletics Stadium, Pagewood, to enjoy a day of fierce but good-natured competition. For many, this annual inter-house sport competition is a highlight of the term, allowing a break from daily routine and an opportunity to both participate and to cheer for their House. I had the opportunity to watch the 200m and 100m events, and was impressed with the speed and technique of our top performers, and the high participation rate. Thank you to Ray Francis and his PDHPE team for organising this event – and to those staff who supervised, encouraged and cheered from the sidelines.

B’Tutta from Musica Viva visit the Primary School

On Thursday we were fortunate to have B’Tutta, a four-piece percussion ensemble, visit the Primary School for 2 concerts. With style, energy and atmosphere, they played marimba (sometimes three players on the one marimba), vibraphone, drum kit, crotales, woodblocks, and just about everything else you can scrape, strike or shake. Our students were grooving, playing unfamiliar instruments, using body percussion and singing, and B’Tutta even managed to make an ensemble of our classroom teachers improvise a strangely cool soundscape.

Independent Study and Learning

Organisational skills and exercising self-discipline in relation to study do not come easily to many, especially young people! However, completing work and study at home plays an important role in reinforcing and consolidating learning, which becomes increasingly important when progressing through High School. We seek to support families by running a series of study skills workshops, some of which took place last Thursday:

• ECES (Prue Salter) Study Skills – Year 7
• Study Skills Kick Start, Elevate Education (EE) – Year 8
• Junior Time Management (EE) – Year 8
• Memory Mnemonics (EE) – Year 9
• Study Sensei (EE) – Year 10
• Student Elevation (EE) – Year 11
• Ace your Exams (EE) – Year 12
• Finish Line (EE) – Year 12

Prue Salter, an experienced educational consultant, offers some great advice on how to build efficient study habits. She talks about the two types of work in High School: There is the obvious work, the compulsory work that the teacher specifically requires students to complete – homework, working on assignments, preparing for tests and assessments. But students who get good results in school take a larger measure of responsibility for their learning. This means that the nights where they do not have much compulsory work, they also do independent learning. These are the additional things to do, if no other schoolwork has been set, to improve understanding of course content. This is what students who get good marks are doing; they are just not talking about it to their friends! Examples of independent learning include reading, reviewing what has been learnt at school that week, making a mind map about what you have been learning, and reading ahead in the textbook. Some nights there will not be time to do any independent learning. Other nights, students will have no homework and will spend the whole time allocated to schoolwork for that night working on independent learning tasks. The teacher may even give you a sheet that has suggestions of independent learning work for that subject. If students are unsure, they can always ask. This means that in High School, students can never say: “I have nothing to do”. This really just means: “I have nothing compulsory to do at the moment”.

Randwick Speed Limit Changes

Randwick City Council have advised us that that are installing new signs in some roads in Randwick, reducing the speed limit to 50km/h. For further information and a list of the streets affected, please visit www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/about-council/news/news-items/2018/may/reduce-your-speed-on-randwick-roads-new-50kmh-limit 

Mazal tov

• Miriam Itzkowitz for initiating a highly successful Autism Awareness Day. Miriam addressed the High School assembly and organised a range of activities such as the sensory disco to raise awareness. She also coordinated a Bake Sale to raise funds.
• Karen Davids, 2017 graduate, she has been nominated for the Young Writers Showcase. Her work has been chosen for publication in the latest Young Writers’ Showcase. 
• High School A Chess Team weekly Inter-Schools’ Chess Competition.They are in an extremely competitive division and out of 4 weeks of 4 potential points per week, they are on 13.5 points coming 2nd in their division. The Primary A-team is on 14 out of 16 points.

Quote of the Week

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Calvin Coolidge