Welcome to a new year at Emanuel. I am very excited to be here and look forward to meeting many of you in the coming weeks. I am also incredibly grateful for the warm welcome I have received from the Emanuel community so far and for the support of the staff in helping me settle in. It always seems to me that a school never quite feels right until it echoes with sounds of students and staff as they go about the business of learning. So, it was with joy and anticipation that I heard our Year 7 students arriving through the gates on Wednesday morning, followed by the whole school on Thursday and Kindergarten this morning.
As part of my welcome to staff and students this week I have shared a bit more of my story. When my appointment was announced there was the sharing of some of my professional achievements but this week, I have focused on helping the School to get to know me a little more as a person. Having grown up in regional NSW in an era when the concept of Reconciliation was yet to emerge has left its mark on me. I am an advocate for the teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures and am delighted to see culture represented in the environment in which we work and learn as a community each day. I believe that as a community we need to continue to actively work towards Reconciliation and giving First Nations peoples a voice in matters that impact them.
While I have held significant leadership roles across a number of schools in Sydney, these do not reflect all of my experience as an educational leader. I have lead students hiking through Cradle Mountain, Sea Kayaking in New Zealand, Art Design Tours spanning three countries and been immersed in learning on country in Arnhem Land. I have done this because these are the trips where not only do I get to see a different side of the students I work with, but they get to see a different side of me. I have a firm belief that these experiential and immersive learning experiences should hold as much weight as the more traditional curriculum in the provision of a truly holistic education for our students.
I shared with the School this quote: “The strength of a school comes from its stories and traditions but the future of a school rests in its relevance and innovation.” I look forward to getting to know the stories and tradition of Emanuel and I encourage each of you, as we get to know each other, to share with me the stories and traditions you hold most dear. These are important to the life of the school and what it means to be part of that community.
According to research conducted by the demographers at McCrindle the best schools are more than just educational institutions, they are communities of learning. These are the schools where despite the increasing commodification and fee for service mindset that is growing within society, they remain in partnership with parents to stand in alignment in navigating the challenges of raising young people. These are the schools where community is fostered, belonging is experienced and there is a commitment from all to building a thriving learning community. This is my vision for Emanuel. Yes, we will strive for personal academic excellence for each student, but they will also be supported in the development of their values and ethics as we grow the whole person to live our school motto “Mind, Body, Spirit”.
I was delighted to read about the fabulous achievements of our Year 12 2024 cohort. Here is the link for those who may have missed it.
As we come to the end of our first week with all staff and students back on campus it is important that we take a moment to pause and reflect on the recent release of four more hostages, totalling seven in this recent ceasefire agreement. For the families of the hostages that have now been safely returned there is the intense joy and relief of having them safely back at home. They will need much time and care to heal from the ordeal they have suffered since October 7.
Within our community and in Israel, this ordeal is far from over. As more hostages are released this will be the end of the hope for many families that their loved ones will be returning to them. Everyone is holding multiple feelings at this time and the joy is accompanied by the pain of the losses. Never has it been more important that we demonstrate our care and compassion for our community. We pray for peace, for all the hostages to come home and for the healing for all to begin.
Wishing you a safe and relaxing weekend.
Shabbat shalom
Mazal tov
I am delighted that my first mazal tov is to share that Erin Archer, our Sports Administrator, has been selected as Vice Captain for the Australian Mixed Oztag Team. She will compete in the Trans Tasman Series in New Zealand in April. I look forward to sharing more news of Erin's success in the coming months.
If we want to fight antisemitism, let us walk tall and proud as Jews, and let us work with all humanity to banish hatred forever.
