Festival of Instrumental Music

On Tuesday evening we held our first ever Festival of Instrumental Music. This combined the Night of Strings and the Night of Instrumental Music, and featured all of the K – 6 students in the Instrumental Program, along with the High School students in the extra-curricular music programs. We saw the range from the smallest beginners with their tiny instruments right through to the most accomplished musicians, our senior students, in a display that was a wonderful demonstration of how skills develop over time. The culminating performances of ensembles such as the Copland Band, the Clarinet quintet and the Stage Bands were examples of the power of collaboration, persistence and rehearsal under the guidance of inspiring teachers and tutors. 

I congratulate our Music Department, under the leadership of David Gwilliam, on the success of the evening and particularly for their patient encouragement of the students over time as they move from beginner to expert on their instruments. 

Networking Breakfast

We held our first of these for Semester 2 this week on Wednesday at Bondi’s Little Space. This is an opportunity for parents to meet members of the community, discover connections and learn about others’ careers and work lives, as well as to hear about some of the School initiatives. This round of breakfasts focuses on careers and our outreach programs, particularly our students’ trips to Israel, the Year 10 Chavayah and Year 11 March of the Living (see page 21 for more on this). 

There’s one more opportunity for a Networking Breakfast this year – this coming Wednesday morning at KPMG in their new office block at Barangaroo. Please email Sonia Newell urgently (snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au) if you would like to join this event.  

New Counsellor

We are very pleased to welcome Belinda Gold to our welfare team for students. Belinda has started with us as our new part-time Counsellor, assisting Kim Slender. She is a qualified and experienced Counsellor who most recently has been working in this role at Kesser Torah College. She has also worked at Mandala and Jewish Care. Belinda will be working mainly with our K – 6 children on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Canteen

Our new canteen is working very hard to bring students the range of variety, as well as freshness and great taste, in the food they sell. Please read the Canteen Corner on page 34 that outlines some of their products.

Mazal tov to:

• Brandon Kaye (Year 10) who won the essay competition conducted by the Australian Jewish Historical Society (NSW) which used a theme focused on Jewish servicemen and women from the First World War. Brandon is one of five winners of the competition (all equal first) who each received a monetary prize.
• Our Middle and Senior Debating teams in the HICES Debating competition, who have reached the semi-finals. Good luck to them for their next round this week!
• The junior boys futsal team who won the final of the Jewish Schools Gala Day (see page 15)
• Our Science staff who brought amazing things to the students for Science week last week, inspiring students to learn more about how things work and creating much interest and enjoyment (see page 13).

Coming up

• Year 11 Examinations 29 August to 2 September
• Year 10 Zionist Camp, Tuesday 30 August to Sunday 4 September
• Years 7 and optional   Year 8 parent teacher interviews, Tuesday 30 August, 4 – 8 pm, MPH
• Gesher Networking breakfast, Wednesday   31 August, CBD, 7:30 am
• Fathers Day Breakfast, Friday 2 September, MPH, 7 am
• P & F Trivia Night, Saturday 3 September, MPH, 7 pm
• Senior Chamber Choir and Alumni Concert, Sunday 11 September, 5 pm

Quote of the week

‘The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one’. [Malcolm Forbes]

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend.

Anne Hastings