Music and Dementia
Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations
Friendship Circle (FC) Walk 2023
It was perfect weather for last Sunday’s Friendship Circle Walk, when the community spirit came through in full force as several hundred people joined in for the Friendship Walk and Family Fun Day at Vaucluse Public School. The sun was shining and the streets were coloured purple around Vaucluse and Watsons Bay. Along the route, the community was able to learn key words in Auslan, and it was fantastic seeing families and friends stopping to practise signing.
A message from the organising committee: “We are so grateful to everyone who supported the Friendship Walk and Friendship Circle. Times are hard for many, but you have proven that every little bit counts. Thank you to every single person who has donated, told their network about Friendship Circle and our mission, who volunteered, and came along on Sunday to raise awareness and show their support for disability acceptance and inclusion. Huge shoutout to our Walk committee, suppliers, and corporate sponsors. Our goal of $200,000 was reached on Sunday thanks to your incredible generosity. We would love to make our stretch goal of $225,000 to beat last year’s achievement. Our Walk page and all fundraising pages will remain live until Thursday 28 September 2023, if you’d like to help us reach our stretch goal. Thanks to your donations, we will be able to take our programs to the next level, supporting families with children with a disability in our community, and changing the lives of young people with and without disabilities. This would not be possible without your kindness, generosity and continuous support for Friendship Circle”.
Emanuel School was well-represented at the walk with current and past parents including Ilana and Jeff Akres, Les and Jacqui White, and Laurie Smith as well as past students Lana (Goltsman) Shelest and Chad Pashut, along with current students Mia and Alice Berkovic with Mum Nicola, and cousins Chloe and Georgia Fisher who all walked with their grandma Sue Lipman. Even Lana’s dog, Charlie, enjoyed wearing his purple T-shirt for the Walk.
Grandparents and Friends newsletter
If you are an Emanuel grandparent of Pre-school, Primary and/or High School, you should have received an email with the latest newsletter. We thought parents might also like to read the August issue, which is full of wonderful photos and details about some of the amazing events at School so far this year – all you need to do to access the newsletter is to click here.
Please check if your children’s grandparents received it and, if not, I’m sure they’d love you to pass it on to them.
Research into Music and Dementia
Watch this short interview with alumna Dr Zoe Menczel Schrire (Class of 2012) a
post-doctoral research associate at the Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Sydney. She also says “We are looking for participants over the next two years for our research project, a world-first study determining whether music can prevent dementia.” Click on this link if you would like to read more about the project and/or register your interest for next year if eligible.
UNSW Centre for Ideas
Don’t miss this event on Thursday 7 September 2023
UNSW Centre for Ideas presents a thought-provoking program of event and digital content, bringing the globe’s leading thinkers to UNSW Sydney and also presenting UNSW to the world. On Thursday 7 September 2023, you can hear Emanuel alumnus Sam Koslowski (Head Madrich, Class of 2012 and Guest Speaker at High School Speech Night 2022) and Zara Seidler, co-founders of The Daily Aus, unpack the big business of youth-focused news, and reveal how digital platforms are transforming the news landscape. The Daily Aus has cracked the code on resonating with young people, distilling the big news stories of the day into accessible, bite sized pieces. From fearless journalists to savvy entrepreneurs, witness the rise of a new generation that’s leaving a lasting imprint. Register Now
Sam and Zara’s new book No Silly Questions: The Daily Aus explains how the world works (and why you should care) is out on Saturday 5 September 2023. You can pre-order the book here.
Primary Grandparents and Friends Day
Friday 8 September 2023
Just one week to go until our very special event, where grandparents and special friends of our Primary students will spend the morning with our students to help celebrate Rosh Hashanah and share in classroom activities, followed by morning tea.
Check out the details below:
More than just a meal
Members of our School community, both students and adults have experienced the joy of preparing meals at Our Big Kitchen (OBK) in Bondi. Here is a wonderful article “Meet the Slavins” in this week’s edition of Plu61JMedia.
Remember September 2023
September has just begun and it’s not too late to sign up for this worthy campaign. Alumnus Ben Wilheim (Class of 2008), founder of Remember September hopes our School community will get behind this campaign again this year and choose one of their challenges during this month of September to help raise awareness about pancreatic cancer and raise funds for research that will hopefully help find a cure. The theme is Give It Up or Move It for this month. You can give up caffeine, chocolate, sugar or alcohol, or you can walk 68 km during September for Australians living with pancreatic cancer. Please note, all donations over $2 are tax-deductible. Together, we will remember those we’ve lost and stand with those fighting to survive. What will you give up this month to help with most worthy cause?
Body Image and eating disorders – Navigating healthy behaviours
Tuesday 12 September 2023
In today’s era, surrounded by media influences and societal pressures, many children and adolescents grapple with body image concerns and could be at risk of developing eating disorders. Recognising these challenges, JewishCare have partnered with the Tikvah Clinic to host an enlightening session aimed at providing parents with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to foster a healthy self-image in their children. Past parent, Specialist GP at Tikvah Clinic, Dr Karen Spielman is one of the Guest Speakers at this event.
If you feel that this talk could be beneficial, either for your own understanding or to better support your child, you are invited to attend this free event. Additionally, even if you believe your child isn’t directly affected, the session will offer valuable insights into the world our children are navigating, allowing us to be more empathetic and proactive parents. Book here.
Shabbat Project 2023
Save the date
Friday 3 November 2023 – Saturday 4 November 2023
Last week saw the launch of the Shabbat Project 10th anniversary campaign, where the Chief Rabbi and the Shabbat Project team presented the plans for Shabbat Project 2023, to make this year‘s international event fresh and truly memorable. Watch this space for more details.
We look forward to sharing our news and yours, so if you have photos and/or news you would like to share with us, please send to Sonia Newell.
Shabbat shalom, stay safe and have a great weekend.