New Parents Welcome Breakfast speech by Head Madrichim, Amelie Trope and Joa Israelstam

Joa: Good morning. My name is Joa Israelstam and I am the Primary school Head Madrich for this year. 

Amelie: And my name is Amelie Trope and I am the High School Head Madricha. We are so excited to be speaking to you all today about this place we like to call our second home… 

Joa: It is nice to speak with new parents because we know how exciting this moment can be for you and your children. Being at a new school can be overwhelming sometimes but we hope you children find it easy to settle in like we did.

Amelie: I joined Emanuel in Year 8 after moving from a few schools and it immediately felt right. I was surrounded by such a welcoming community and from the beginning felt a real appreciation from all my teachers. Year 8 however, was a weird year where we ended up spending most of the year behind a screen without seeing anyone. Even though it was tough having not known many people and being forced onto zoom, this did not stop, in fact it really exemplified, the care and assistance from teachers, but also how welcoming my peers were. 

Joa: I have been at Emanuel for six fantastic years and I am here to tell you that you are in the right place. At Emanuel School I have felt included, and had a strong sense of belonging since the very first day. From the teachers, to the environment and the friends I have made, it has truly been a great introduction to school and learning. I have been given loads of opportunities to shine and have had a wonderful and challenging learning experience. 

Amelie: Emanuel fosters the most welcoming environment where everyone here feels safe, not only to learn but to provide each unique individual with their own space to engage in their own passions. In High School, there is such a large range of extra-curricular activities which form such a large part of your High School experience. For me, it’s been my involvement in a variety of sports which enabled me to form so many new connections with students in other Year groups, and be so involved in school life. And, the range of curricular activities really caters for all. 

Additionally, this welcoming environment allows students to constantly feel safe and supported and we’ve recently seen the strength of this over the past few months with Emanuel’s support of Israel. In High School, discussion groups were initiated to create a space where students felt comfortable to come and voice their opinions, ask questions or just sit and listen. We had weekly blue and white non-uniform days where we raised funds for the United Israel Appeal, went sent cards of hope to the parents of the hostages and have learnt new songs, prayers and Psalms which we sing and recite at Shabbat, Assembly and Tefilah, just like Kian and I did for us this morning. And recently, we’ve had amazing visitors come and speak to students about their experiences since October 7. We have been overwhelmed with their positivity and just how much our support means to them. In Year 10, I spent six weeks in Israel with my Year group on Chavayah. It was a transformative experience and consolidated our connection to the Holy Land, our collective history and our people. We learnt that, regardless of where you live – be in in Israel or the Diaspora, we are united.

Joa: Extra-curricular activities are a big part of our wellbeing at Emanuel. I’ve personally been involved in cross country running, debating training, basketball, choir and two different school bands. Although it has been very busy I have enjoyed it immensely and these things have given me important life skills including Perseverance, Dedication and amazing public speaking skills.

Amelie: One thing Emanuel prides itself in, is the key value that ‘you don’t need a badge to be a leader’. This notion allows everyone the chance to get involved and help out. For example, running activities for Tutor groups or helping to lead Shabbat, Tefilah, Birkat Hamazon and even Ruach on Friday mornings. There really are numerous opportunities in school where you have the chance to lead regardless of your titles or even your year group. What’s so special about this is that it’s not just the Madrichim body leading the School but it’s my whole Year 12 cohort together. 

One of my absolute favourite memories of High School was becoming a Peer Support Leader and assisting with the transition of the Year 7s. Running activities each week for them, and going on camp was such an amazing experience to not only further develop our leadership, but gain key skills about trust, teamwork and perseverance whilst making treasurable connections with the Year 7 cohort. 

Joa: I feel extremely lucky to have such an amazing group of friends. This means that every single day is filled with fun, laughter and learning together. Most of my favourite memories come from being together with my friends, whether it be at school camps or doing activities together outside of school. One of the memories that comes to mind is at camp, playing touch football with all my friends and one of the teachers from Year 5. It was such great fun.

Amelie: We’re so glad we got to share with you a small taste of what Emanuel offers and we’re so happy to welcome you to the Emanuel community. 

Joa: Thank you!