Natanya Milner – Head of Primary School

A staffing update

It is with mixed feelings that I write to let you know that Meghan Carroll has resigned as Deputy Head of Primary. Meg has been on maternity leave this year and doesn’t feel she is able to return to the role in 2023 with her new family. I am so grateful to Meg for her wonderful work and dedication over the years. She has been an outstanding Emanuel teacher and leader and she will be sorely missed. We will invite Meg back to school to farewell her later in the year.

With Meg’s resignation, we have advertised two new roles in the Primary School. One is the Director of Students (K-6) which is a role that focuses on student management and wellbeing. The other role is the Director of Primary School Operations which oversees the day-to-day organisation and running of Primary. We are excited to announce that Carrie Thomas will be our Director of Students from 2023 and we are currently advertising the other position. Mazal tov, Carrie. She has been doing an outstanding job as Acting Deputy Head of Primary and I look forward to continuing to work closely with her in the future.

I am also thrilled to announce that Josh Aghion has been permanently appointed to the role of Innovation Leader. Josh has been an excellent addition to our staff and has quickly become an integral member of our teaching and leadership teams, bringing a creative and innovative lens to all that he does. 

JCA International-athon

Our JCA International-athon is wrapped up for the year and I am blown away by the amazing communal support. The Primary School community raised $9,892.05 which will be matched dollar for dollar by the JCA. This therefore means that we will have almost $20,000 to spend on Primary School projects. The SRC will begin to discuss ideas for this money. As JCA’s matching only happens in the 2023 allocation, we will only see these projects through next year. With the new building and playground being opened, I have no doubt that there will be some wonderful ideas to consider.

Thank you to all the children and families for their support, enthusiasm and generosity. I would also like to thank the organising committee of Josh Aghion, Hayley Chester and Nicole Esra, led by Katie Narunsky and Stacey Rosenfeld. What a sensational outcome!

Sport and Recreational camp

This year’s Sport and Recreational camp for Years 3, 4 and 5 took place this week. It was the first time in three years that we have managed to have the camp and therefore none of the students had been before. This exciting adventure included outdoor and indoor activities, friendship building and many opportunities for games and fun. I hope that the children all enjoyed the camp and all the wonderful activities. As you can imagine, these camps take a huge amount of organisation and energy from the teachers and Emanuel staff. Thank you to Carrie Thomas and Gena Yeomans for co-ordinating the camp. I would also like to thank the teachers who spent these days and nights away from their own families to take care of our children. A huge thanks to Shirley Arad, Hagit Bar-On, Lauren Butler, Adam Carpenter, Felicity Cox, Katie Brody, Rebecca Gaida, Emma Hill, Talia Hynek, Tanya Jeckeln, Orly Mizrahi, Samantha Rogut, Claudia Sceats, Stuart Taylor, Carrie Thomas and Gabi Wynhausen.

Father’s Day

For those of you who were involved in last week’s Father’s Day breakfast and stall, I am sure you join me in thanking the P&F for their amazing efforts. The breakfast was delicious and there were so many wonderful activities on offer from a photo booth  through to sporting activities with our Year 11 students. The organisation was huge and I am so grateful to the P&F and all their wonderful volunteers for the sensational morning. Special thanks goes to the organisers of this event: Tali Fisher, Amy Friedlander, Lisa Greenberg, Sally Greenberg, Justine Hofman, Ben Opit, Lynn Ross, Carly Rothman and Keren Rockman for
co-ordinating this fabulous morning. Thank you to Ofer Levy for taking professional portrait photographs, which will be shared soon.

BBQ Day

Last week’s BBQ Day was a fun reminder of the wonderful (and delicious) traditions from pre-COVID times. This was only possible due to the fabulous SRC planning and P&F volunteers who generously gave their time to cook and distribute the sausage rolls. Thank you to Richard Fine, Corinne Franks, Amanda Isenberg, Michael Keller, Salina Keller, Dan Lywood, Evelyn Marczak, Glynn Prosser, Sarah Reid, Tara Stern and Lisa Strous.