Andrew Watt

Climate rally

I was a very happy and inspired Principal on Wednesday when I witnessed our Primary and High School students stand up for climate action during their student-led rally at school. The Primary Green Team had worked hard to develop the event concept, create posters for the rally and spread the word to their peers. The result was a resounding success with speeches from a Year K student, up to Year 11. Our special guest, Dr Kerryn Phelps AM MP, was so impressed with the students and their commitment to making a difference. I believe that it was the highlight of her week.

Emanuel Primary School News Team

Student voice is strong at Emanuel. Our Primary School students, under the guidance of Sophie Poisel, have been keen to embark on a project that will present news in video format to our community. Their first report has been recorded and will be released today!

On their leadership planning day, Year 6 Green Team Leaders, Chelsea Opit and Jethro Igra, were inspired by the student climate strikes of Greta Thunberg and others around the world. They wondered how we could do something like this at Emanuel. This week over 200 students were involved in our first ever climate rally. We were fortunate to have the Honourable Dr Kerryn Phelps AM MP to join us and listen to the voices of our students and to talk to our leaders one-on-one, after the event. The newly formed Primary News Team was there to capture the action. Click on the photo to play the news item.

Student leadership in our High School

Our Year 11 students recently participated in a presentation from myself, our Informal Jewish Life staff leaders and several current Madrichim, that reflected on the guiding principles behind how our Madrichim team lead and influence our student culture. Prior to the leadership elections, it is important that we highlight the type of leadership that we hope to see in our future student leaders. Year 11 heard that:

• The leadership team should reflect the diversity within the student body – the quiet, the ‘nerdy’, the sporty, the creative, the thoughtful and reflective, those with a passion for their Judaism;
• Our leaders do not all have to be impressive ‘up front’, as there is much work to be done behind the scenes, and public speaking is but one of many abilities;
• Our leaders need to understand the cost of leadership, in terms of the additional time required and having to make difficult decisions;
• Our leaders need to have integrity so that their actions outside school, when no one is watching, match their behaviour in the classroom and playground; and
• Our leaders should be motivated more by how they can serve others and put the needs of others first, rather than by the power or glory of the position.

Our students were challenged that, as there will be approximately 63 students who will not attain a position within the Madrichim team, each Year 11 student be an informal leader. They will be looked up to by the younger students as their role model and what they say and how they respond, will influence others. In the words of Albert Schweitzer, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.”

Communication with our teachers

We continue to place a high value on the health and welfare of our staff. Having happy, rested and engaged teachers has a significant impact on the type of culture we desire at Emanuel; a culture of calm, care and high expectations. Our teachers work very hard throughout each week and often in the evenings, preparing lessons, marking work, engaging in professional reading and supporting students with wellbeing concerns.

I have asked that teachers provide an initial response to parent emails within 24 hours. I have also asked our teachers not to respond to emails (from parents or students) over the weekend or in the evening unless there is a genuine emergency. This ‘pause’ from the intensity of the role will provide an opportunity for our teachers to spend time with their families and switch off from the demands of the role.

Mazal tov

• Alex Machlin, Year 7, competed in Dressage and Show Jumping at the Equestrian NSW 2019 Interschool State Championships this week. Alex was the sole pioneer of the Emanuel team and was competing against students many years older than her. We are proud of her and her faithful steed, Royal Romance Jewels aka Jimmy.
• Emanuel’s team for the World’s Greatest Shave raised $8000 for Leukaemia research. What an amazing achievement. 
  

Quote of the week

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Anonymous