Volume 24 Issue 38 - 02 Dec 2016

From the Principal

Anne Hastings

Anne Hastings – Principal

Chavayah

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Students at lookout

After a week with the Year 10 students on Chavayah in Israel I’m writing this on my way home. The students are having a wonderful time and are learning so much by being immersed into Israeli history, culture, religion and politics. The program is very well thought through and clearly the teachers, madrichim and leaders of Alexander Muss High School in Israel are very experienced in providing impactful educational experiences for students from around the world. Our students are well cared for, with a nurse available to attend to their various colds and aches most hours and a doctor on hand as necessary. Students have suffered a little from jet lag and the dryness of the air (it has not rained for eight months here!), but are in very good spirits and are very much enjoying their time and learning a lot. 

I had not appreciated how cohesive and comprehensive the educational program is. Here is an excerpt from the AMSHI information to parents:

“The AMHSI Israel program unfolds the living drama of Jewish history using the land of Israel as its classroom.  The aim of the trip is not merely to examine the facts of the past and to see sites but to weave them into an historic narrative, one that teaches students about themselves and their place in Jewish history today. This trip enables our students to confront the issues and role models that shaped Jewish history and Jewish life and allows them to draw conclusions relevant to their own lives. We believe that the historical narrative method has proven immeasurably more effective than the conventional arrangement of experiences in a thematic, modular format or traveling around the country based on the geography. Many of our tiyulim (field trips) are chronological, enabling us to tell the story of the Jewish people and provide students with not only a journey throughout the land of Israel but also a journey through Jewish history and culture, as well as see and understand the modern Israel that they are now living in. The focus of the first unit is on the Biblical period.”

Students have the benefit of the expertise and wisdom of Israeli teachers who have been especially selected for their competence, knowledge and ability to get on well with young people. They provide a balanced view, often looking at issues from a number of perspectives and not imposing their own opinions. It was a great privilege for me to be able to join the program for a week.

I would like to thank all those who stepped in to assist while I was away, particularly Adam Majsay, David Camp and other members of the Executive.

Parking

Imagine this scene … It’s late, you haven’t had dinner yet and you rush home from work with the groceries and the kids to start dinner. You turn into your street and … there’s someone parked so far across your driveway that you can’t drive into your yard. You drive around and around the block trying to get a park and eventually get one a few streets away. You drag all your groceries, work bags and the kids to your home just as a person is getting into the offending car with their children, clearly having just been to an event at the school up the road. You express your frustration to them and receive, not an apology, but a few insults to add to the evening. These wouldn’t be Emanuel parents, I would think … or are they? (This happened this week in Market Street)

It is quite natural for our neighbours to be upset when their driveways are blocked or cars are parked illegally, since it really becomes a hardship just to get to their front door. It is not good role modelling for children to see members of their family do the wrong thing and inconvenience our neighbours, and it’s even worse if they witness some derogatory words pass between the two sets of people. These actions go against the values of the School and we do value the support of our neighbours.

Here are some guidelines:

  • Give yourselves some extra time to find a park before an event, everyone knows that parking can be difficult for a big event at the School
  • Don’t park across driveways or too close to the corner
  • Don’t double park or in any way park illegally
  • Never get into an argument with our neighbours about something you’ve done that inconveniences them.

My apologies to all those who make sure they do the right thing – there are just a few people who are giving us a bad name with our neighbours.

 Mazal tov to:

  • All the Years K-6 children and those who starred in Seussical this week, and particularly those who have been rehearsing for months as part of the main cast. I have heard that it was a fantastic production
  • Susan Longney and Brooke Oldfield for managing the production from beginning to end, making sure that it was a resounding success
  • Diana Springford and Danny Burley, for their strong support of the Primary students’ Production
  • All others who helped out with Seussical this week.

 Coming up:

  • Year 9 Three-way learning conversations, Monday 5 December, 12:00 – 3:30 pm
  • Year 8 Three-way learning conversations, Wednesday 7 December, 12.00 – 3:30 pm
  • High School Speech Night, Wednesday 14 December, 7.00 pm, The UNSW, Clancy Auditorium
  • Last school day of Term, Wednesday 14 December. High School students finish school at 1:10 pm, Primary School students finish at 3:30 pm
  • HSC results are released Thursday 15 December, ATARs on Friday 16 December

 

Best wishes for a relaxing weekend.

 

From the Primary School

clemens-emma

Emma Clemens – Deputy Head of Primary

Seussical success by Ruby Miller

This week we had three fantastic performances of Seussical. The musical is about an elephant called Horton who finds a dust speck with little people who live on it called Whos. Horton tires to save the Whos but the Wickersham Brothers take Horton’s clover that has the dust speck with the Whos. Meanwhile Gertrude who is a bird with a one-feathered-tail, tries to impress Horton. She grows a tail in order to get his attention. Horton then lands up looking after an egg that has been laid by Mayzie La Bird. Horton faithfully looks after the egg until it hatches into an elephant bird. The story is about friendship and loyalty. As Horton says: “I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant’s faithful one hundred percent”.

Being a member of the cast has been a wonderful experience. I played the role of the Cat In The Hat, acting as the narrator for the show. I really enjoyed playing this role because the character is really bubbly and full of excitement. It was difficult learning all the lines, but once I knew the script I could really focus on becoming the character. I’m extremely sad that the show has ended, but it was an amazing opportunity for all of the Primary School. It is very special to be able to perform as a whole school from Kindergarten to Year 6.

We thank Mrs Longney for producing the musical, Ms Buzo and Mrs Oldfield for directing the play, Ms Springford for conducting the band and Mr Burley for playing piano. Thank you to all the parent helpers who assisted with the costumes and makeup. Thank you to the Primary School teachers, in particular Mr Adrian and Ms Rosenfeld, for making the set. This musical was an unforgettable experience.

Innovation Showcase

We are very excited to host our inaugural Primary Innovation Showcase on Thursday 8 December. The purpose of this event is to provide an opportunity for our Primary School students to exhibit the projects they have been working on during ICT extra-curricular activities. Hannah Beder who graduated Emanuel in 2012 will be speaking about her experience completing an internship at Google in Seattle. Ethan Cohen, Year 12, will be speaking about how he has pursued his passion for ICT in High School. Avi Freed, Year 9, will exhibit the projects completed in Years 9 and 10 IST. Some of these projects include websites, virtual reality scenes with Google Cardboard, software games, 3D animations and a Lego robot. Showcasing these projects will provide the younger students with an opportunity to see how and where they can advance their passion for ICT in High School. The showcase will also include an exhibit from ASI Solutions demonstrating HP Sprout and zSpace. Our 3D printer will also be on display for students.

  • When: Thursday 8 December 8:15-9:20 am Parent showcase
  • When: Thursday 8 December 1:10-2:00 pm School student showcase
  • Where: Angles Leadership and Learning Centre and Millie Phillips Theatre
  • Who: Primary School ICT Clubs including Year 2 Coding Club, Years 3-6 ICT Club, Years 5-6 Coding Club, Years 3-6 Lego Robotics and Young Engineers Coding Club

Spotlight art exhibition

On Sunday we had the opening of the Primary School art exhibition, Spotlight. The exhibition showcased a selection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, prints and fibre artworks created in Visual Arts classes this year. It was an honour to hear Rach Kirsten, Lecturer, School of Education from the University of New South Wales, present to the students, parents and staff at the opening. Her expertise and knowledge provided greater insight into the different artworks and their meaning. The Primary School students have had the privilege of visiting the exhibition in their classes throughout the week. Thank you to Louise Heilpern, Eytan Messiah and Nickcole McGlinn for organising such a fantastic exhibition.

Seven Habit Wars by Myles Cohn

A long long time ago at a school not very far away, there lived thirteen Madrichim. They were struggling to think of a creative idea to teach the kids about the 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People. Then they came up with the idea of making Star Wars parodies because there are 7 Habits that fit with the seven Star Wars movies. So they split into groups and got to work. Below are links to the videos for each of the 7 Habit Wars.

  1. The Proactive Menace (The Phantom Menace) – Eliza and Lori

The Evil Empire wants to trade with Planet Earth. But Planet Earth doesn’t want to trade with them. So the Evil Empire gets angry and sends robots to fight against them. The Evil Empire is reactive and lazy and don’t come to fight Planet Earth themselves. In this video we used the fact that the Jedi army was proactive and made up its own solutions, but the Evil Empire was reactive and didn’t come up with a solution.

The Proactive Menace 

  1. Attack of The Mind (Attack of the Clones) – Remy and Anton

The Clones want to attack the Evil Empire without planning ahead about how to defeat them. But the Jedi taught the clones about ‘beginning with the end in mind’ – by having a plan to defeat the Evil Empire.

Attack of The Mind

  1. Revenge of the Organised (Revenge of the Sith) – Lily and Rachel

Obi-Wan needed to do his homework but Padme had this cool game that distracted Obi-Wan from ‘putting first things first’. Obi-Wan realised that if he ‘put first things first’ he would achieve his goals to become a Jedi knight.

Revenge of the Organised

  1. A New Win-Win, We Hope (A New Hope) – Amanda and Issy

Darth Vader has kidnapped Princess Leia and is only thinking of himself and how he could win. Obi-Wan shows Darth Vader about how he and Princess Leia could both win. This would make it a ‘win-win’ solution. Their ‘win-win’ is that Princess Leia is given some of the toys that are owned by Darth Vader and Princess Leia doesn’t tell the Jedi about the plans that could destroy his toys.

A New Win Win – We Hope

  1. To Understand You Must Seek First, Then To Be Understood (The Empire Strikes Back) – Vicky and Eden

Luke is very excited for his Jedi training but when he finally gets there he doesn’t listen to Yoda and instead follows what he thinks is right. In the end he learns that he should be listening to Yoda because once he listens he can be understood.

To Understand You Must Seek First, Then To Be Understood

  1. Return of Synergy (Return of the Jedi) – Eden and Myles

On the planet Endor, Luke and his friends get captured by the Ewoks. The Ewoks initially think that Luke and his friend are the enemy. They decide to work together and use their own special talents to defeat Darth Vader and his Storm Troopers.

Return of Synergy

  1. The Saw Awakens (The Force Awakens) – Myles, Casey and Vicky

Princess Leia finds a young girl named Rae who is ‘sharpening the saw’ by doing fun activities in her spare time. Princess Leia thinks that she will be able to destroy Kylo Ren who is destroying free time all over the galaxy. In the final battle Rae wins because she has spent time ‘sharpening the saw’.

The Saw Awakens

Basketball competition

On Wednesday, 16 Years 5 and 6 students competed against Moriah College in a social basketball game. It was a wonderful opportunity for these students to have some additional game practise in a friendly but competitive setting. The students played extremely well and represented Emanuel proudly. Thank you to Adam Ezekiel and Stuart Taylor for organising these games amidst a very busy last few weeks of school.

Giving back

The students at Emanuel are renowned for finding opportunities to give back to the community and support those in need. I was so proud to hear that Jack Simon recently donated $200 to Generosity Abroad, a non-profit organisation that aims to provide education, skills and vocational training, health, literacy, clean water, employment, aid relief, and support to people in Africa. Generosity Abroad is run by our School Nurse, Genna Radnan, and is the focus of the Year 4 Make A Difference (MAD) project.

Upcomingdates

  • 6 December: Catch up photo day
  • 7 December: Year 6 Fete, Years K-5 attending
  • 7 December: Gymnastics Display, 7:00 am Bunnerong Gym
  • 8 December: Innovation Showcase, 8:15-9:30 am Angeles Leadership and Learning Centre and Millie Phillips Theatre
  • 9 December: Year 6 Pathways, 12:45-4:00 pm MPH and Millie Phillips Theatre
  • 9 December: Years K-2 Puppet Club assembly item
  • 12 December: Year 6 Gratitude Day, Homebush Aquatic Centre
  • 13 December: Years K-2 Presentation Day, 9:00-11:00 am MPH
  • 13 December: Years 3-6 Presentation Evening, 6:00 pm MPH
  • 14 December: Primary School Picnic Day at Centennial Park and Emanuel’s Got Talent Quest

Year 6 Fun Day

unknown-1Donations please

Year 6 will be holding its annual Fun Day on Wednesday 7 December.

The Fun Day is held each year as the major fundraiser so that Year 6 students can present the Primary School with a farewell gift.

We are urgently seeking donations for our White Elephant Stall. Please send in any unwanted items such as books, games, DVD’s, jewellery… anything at all really! Perhaps you work in a business that has surplus items to donate? All donations gratefully received!

This event is for all K-5 students to attend and is held during school hours.

Thank you for your support.

Diane Clennar, Karon Rom, Meagan Best and Anna Economou

From the Head of Jewish Life

                                      

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

What’s in a name?

The name of this week’s parashah is Toldot. In Hebrew, names, like words, are of critical significance.

Generally, the name of the parashah derives from its opening words. Thus, the introductory words, in this case, are “these are the toldot of”. Toldot means ‘generations’ (line, descendants).

At the very start, we are told of the birth of Jacob and Esau to Isaac, son of Abraham, and his wife Sarah. The parashah concludes with Jacob setting off to find a wife leading to the expansion of the genealogical line into the twelve tribes. It is the core of this parashah, however, that carries, perhaps, the greatest significance of its name, Toldot.

In this parashah, we see that Rivkah, the mother, favours Jacob, while the father, Isaac, shows his preference for Esau. This causes sibling rivalry and a fracturing of the family. Not surprisingly, we see in the next generation that Jacob, in turn, favours Joseph over his other eleven sons, likewise, resulting in great friction between the brothers and a shattering of the family. Jacob in this parashah deceives his father Isaac and so in the following generation Jacob is deceived by his sons.

The current generation begets the future generation in more ways than one.

Significantly, the word toldot, which means generations also means consequences. This parashah is alerting us, as its name suggests, that one’s descendants are the consequences of one’s actions. While the Genesis narrative is replete with the reproductive saga of our matriarchs and patriarchs, it is the child himself who is of greatest consequence in the story of our people.

Speaking of the Genesis narrative, our Rabbis say ma’asei avot siman le-banim “The actions of our ancestors are a sign for the children”. The child’s challenge, in every generation, is to determine which actions signal a replication of the deeds of one’s parents and which prompt a repudiation of the same. Every generation, our Torah teaches, is of consequence.

Devar Torah – Daniel Samowitz

sammo

Daniel Samowitz – Jewish Life Madrich

Toldot – my brother

We return to the story of twin brothers Jacob and Esau, sons of Isaac and Rebecca. Interestingly, Isaac and Rebecca missed one of the prime rules of parenting. If parents feel some favouritism, they are never to show it, but they did. The Torah states that Isaac loved Esau and Rebecca loved Jacob. They each had their favourite son.

The parashah tells us that Isaac and Rebecca endure 20 childless years, until their prayers are answered and Rebecca conceives. She experiences a difficult pregnancy as the “children struggle inside her”. God tells her that “there are two nations in your womb,” and that the younger will prevail over the elder.

Esau emerges first, Jacob is born clutching Esau’s heel. Esau grows up to be “a cunning hunter, a man of the field”, Jacob is “a wholesome man,” a dweller in the tents of learning.

Returning exhausted and hungry from the hunt one day, Esau sells his birth right (his rights as the firstborn) to Jacob for a pot of red lentil stew. This really brings up the question of how good can red lentil stew really be? How do we look at this act from Jacob? If my brother is so hungry and tired and I make him sell me his birth right just to eat what does that say about me?

Isaac grows old and blind, and expresses his desire to bless Esau before he dies. While Esau goes off to hunt for his father’s favourite food, Rebecca dresses Jacob in Esau’s clothes, covers his arms and neck with goatskins to simulate the feel of his hairier brother, prepares a similar dish, and sends Jacob to his father. Jacob receives his father’s blessing. When Esau returns and the deception is revealed, all Isaac can do for his weeping son is to predict that he will live by his sword.

There are so many fascinating ideas or dilemmas that come out of this week’s parashah, but for me this idea of how do we as parents, educators, madrachim, peer support leaders and so on deal with this dilemma of our love and connection with our sons, daughters and students. In this parashah I think Isaac and Rebecca are showing us what not to do, but I was recently reading Janusz Korczak book How to Love a Child and came across this idea:

“Understanding their uniqueness: This is the key to nurturing children. We need to understand the ‘spark’ in each child, respect the ‘mystery’ in each child and therefore, while we try to understand and work with their uniqueness we should not try to reduce each young person to a totally understood human being. We need to lead each child to where s/he needs to go. It is not about ‘making you into something’, rather about helping ‘make you what you can make of yourself’. With that idea, treating each child as unique and loving them for who they are, seems like the right path. Perhaps we may have favourites but if we connect with the uniqueness and difference of each child then we can allow them to make of themselves whatever they choose.”

Ma Koreh

Parashat HaShavua

This week’s Torah portion, Toldot, revolves around the sibling rivalry of the twins Esav and Ya’akov and the role played by the parents, Yitschak and Rivkah in this complex family dynamic. Most sibling problems do not reach the mythic proportions in this Torah portion. Yet even on a more limited scale, they can be pretty intense. Maybe there is something we can learn from the rather extreme example the Torah offers us. The key is in Esau’s words: “Do you have but one blessing,my father?”

The answer, in fact, for parents is “no”.

Each of us, has many blessings to offer, and each child needs different kinds of blessings from his parents. Focusing on what each child needs rather than on distributing our attentions fairly can sometimes take the edge off the competition between siblings. We as parents might be better off starting from the realisation that the love that we have to give is not a limited commodity which we divide equally, but rather an endless blessing that is received differently by each of our children.

TALK TO YOUR KIDS about the problem of sibling rivalry.

CONNECT TO THEIR LIVES:

  • Do you ever feel that things are unfair between you and your brother and sister?
  • Do you feel that your place in the family birth order (first, middle, last) put you at a disadvantage? 
  • Do you feel your gender has put you at a disadvantage?

By Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses www.myjewishlearning.com/article/when-siblings-fight/

Chavayah

Our Chavayah students have landed in Israel safely and are enjoying the best that Israel has to offer. It is hard to believe that in less than a week, they have experienced so much!

Here is a taste of what our students have been up to:

  • A visit to the ancient Cannanite and Israelite village of Tel Gezer
  • The madness of Machane Yehuda on Friday afternoon
  • Shabbat in Jerusalem, visiting the Kotel on Friday night and different synagogues on Saturday
  • A hike in the Yizrael Valley at Har Gilboa with a swim at the natural spring at Sachne
  • A hike at the Sataf Trail in the hills outside Jerusalem.

We look forward to hearing more about their adventures!

 

From the Head of Music

David Gwilliam

David Gwilliam – Head of Music

Private music tuition and Infant Strings program

Please note that in 2017, the cost of individual private music lessons will be charged at a rate of $41.00 per half-hour lesson (plus GST, if the tutor is registered to pay GST). Lessons shared in pairs will cost $21.50 per student per half-hour lesson (plus GST where applicable). The Infant Strings program for students in Years K-2 will continue to be charged at $250 per term, which includes the loan of an instrument.

Thank you to those who have already advised us of changes to private tuition and Infant Strings program enrolments for next year.  The schedules for Term 1, 2017 will be created shortly. All students receiving private music tuition at Emanuel will be automatically re-enrolled into tutor schedules for next term along with students commencing lessons for the first time. All students enrolled in the Infant Strings program will be automatically re-enrolled, unless they are Year 2 students who will be entering the Year 3-6 Instrumental program next year.

If your child intends to discontinue, formal notification must be given using the online discontinuation form, otherwise parents will be liable for fees for next term. The due date for intention to enrol or discontinue for Term 1, 2017 is today.  Please use the links below to make changes.  Please contact David Gwilliam, Head of Music, by email to music@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions.

Links to online forms

New enrolment requests for private tuition: tinyurl.com/PrivateTuitionEnrolment

To discontinue private tuition:  tinyurl.com/PrivateTuitionDiscontinuation

 To enrol into the Infant Strings program:  tinyurl.com/InfantStringsEnrolment

To discontinue Infant Strings program:  tinyurl.com/InfantStringsDiscontinuation

 

Musical Instrument Stocktake and Maintenance Day

springford-diana

Diana Springford – Instrumental Program Co-ordinator

Musical instrument stocktake and maintenance day: Tuesday 6 December 

Students in the Primary Instrumental Program (IP), Infants Strings Program (ISP) or in High School, who are borrowing a musical instrument from the School, are required to bring this instrument with all its parts and accessories to the Music Department on the morning of Tuesday 6 December, before 8.15 am. Students should follow the signs and place their instrument in the appropriate room for stocktake, cleaning, maintenance and check-up.

Exception: Students using their instrument for Years 6 or 5 IPshould take their instrument to IP first, and immediately after IP they should drop the instrument off in the appropriate room.

Students in Years 3 or 4 IP should collect their instrument from the stocktake room immediately before IP and take it home with them after school, if the maintenance check has been completed.

Students should assume that they can take their instrument home with them that afternoon. If  an instrument needs out of school repairs, the student and their parents/ carers will be notified on the day.

We will ensure that students have an instrument available for the end of school performances.

No instruments may be left at school during the holidays.

 

 

High School Cricket

Wilbur Shield

The Wiburd Shield is a prestigious cricket competition conducted by the NSW Schools Cricket Association. Emanuel School, as part of NSW Country and City Schools Cricket Association (CCSCA), entered an enthusiastic team which performed with great pride.

emanuel-team-vs-aus-catholic-college

Emanuel School vs Australian Catholic College

emanuel-vs-oakhill-college

Emanuel School vs Oakhill College

The Shield is a 40-over knockout competition open to teams of students 15 years or under.

In round one Emanuel was up against the Australian Christian College (ACC) from Marsden Park. The match was played at our home ground, Queens Park. ACC went into bat first and came up against some fierce bowling from Jake Greenberg and fantastic fielding by the whole team. ACC was all out for 87. 

jake-greenberg

Jake Greenberg

Emanuel’s batting performance was equally impressive declaring at 3 for 110. Jake Greenberg 39, Ethan De Melo 37 and Jake Hyman not out 19. It was a resounding victory for Emanuel.

Moving into round two, Emanuel travelled to Oakhill College, Castle Hill, complete with their full-sized electronic scoreboard. The boys realised that this school took their cricket seriously. Losing the toss, Emanuel was sent to field where the temperature rose quickly to a sizzling 36 degrees celsius.

Our bowlers worked hard with many of the boys having an opportunity to bowl.

After a tough 40 overs for Emanuel in the field, Oakhill College finished with 7 for 194.

Emanuel went in to bat opening with Oskar Beck and Rishon Cross who both performed well under enormous bowling pressure. Dark clouds loomed and the rain and cold came as our team batted through the dismal weather conditions, barely able to see the ball.

ben-leslie-top-scorer-against-oakhill-college

Ben Leslie – top scorer

Forty long overs were played out with Emanuel 8 for 127. Top scorers were Ben Leslie 49 and Oskar Beck 19.

Great sportsmanship throughout the competition was evident. It was a fantastic experience for all our young cricketers – bring on the Wilbur Shield, 2017.

 

Sharon Fairfax

PDHPE Assistant

 

High School Sport

Reed Kristy

Kirsty Reed – Sport Co-ordinator and PDHPE Teacher

High School Sporting Events Next Week

 

Monday

Morning

Running group

Years 7and 8 Basketball Development Squad

14s boys basketball training

 

Afternoon

Cricket Development Squad

Pilates

 

Tuesday

Morning

Girls fitness

Afternoon

Open boys basketball training

Wednesday

Morning

Boys fitness

Afternoon

Beach volleyball

Kickboxing/boxing fitness

Thursday

Morning

Boys fitness

Afternoon

Rockclimbing

Years 8 and 9 girls netball

Friday

Morning

Swimming squad

16 boys basketball training

Surfing

Years 10 and 11 girls touch football training

Sunday

14 boys basketball competition

16 boys basketball competition

Open boys basketball competition

 

 

High School Jilkminggan Trip

Whitcombe David

David Whitcombe – HSIE Teacher

In Week 4 of Term 4, 17 students from Years 9 and 11 visited Jilkminggan, a remote community in the heart of the Northern Territory.

If you will be in Year 9 to Year 11 in 2017 and would like to go on the trip please email dwhitcombe@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au to express interest.

Here are a few student reflections of the recent 2016 trip;

This Jilkminggan trip was a once in a lifetime experience. It opened my eyes to the real issues in the Aboriginal communities and it gave me a great insight into Aboriginal culture. My highlight of the trip was definitely being with the kids in the classroom and the bond we developed over only two days. The kids are all very down to earth and have very little resources but make the  most of it. There is so much we can learn from each other and being there made us realise how lucky we are. Jared Kleviansky, Year 9

This short trip left me with a lifetime of knowledge and involvement that many people will never know or experience. The highlight of the trip was meeting the children at the Jilkminggan school. We spent two days with these kids and relationships blossomed the more time we spent with them. I also learnt some astounding things about Aboriginal culture that I had no idea existed. It is extremely important that everyone knows the extent that these people have gone to to maintain the land and keep their traditions through generations. Nina Brown, Year 9

The Jilkminggan trip was such a life-changing experience which completely exceeded my expectations. The trip opened my eyes to the wonders that our country can bring us, how fortunate we are living in this society, but also, how much we need to change. Meeting the children from the Jilkminggan community was absolutely incredible, the smiles which were constantly on their faces and their bright and happy attitudes to their lives was so amazing to see. This trip has taught me so much, and even though it might sound tacky, the trip really taught me about myself as well. Jordan Blackman, Year 11

Jilkminggan 2016 was one of the most incredible, eye-opening and best experiences of my life. I loved everything we did each day. Going to Jilkminggan School was a highlight for me. Playing with the children, teaching them in the classroom and making connections with them was so special. As well as all the amazing activities that were arranged for us, we also were driven and guided by an incredible tour guide, Mike, who was unbelievably knowledgable. Tia Mallinick, Year 9

I would classify the five days in the Northern Territory as a wake up call. Visiting the small Aboriginal community of Jilkminggan in conjunction with various other cultural and fascinating activities we took part in throughout the week, opened my eyes to a new world and way of living. The lack of knowledge I had on the Indigenous people of Australia, the original owners of this land, was significant. The days we spent at Jilkminggan school inspired me to gain further knowledge on the Aboriginal people. The trip was fun and enjoyable but more than that it was a lesson and an encouragement for me to open my eyes and realise how fortunate I am and how much Australia still needs to strive to achieve equality. Isabella Kidman, Year 11

The trip was about learning about Aboriginal culture, the problems that Aboriginal communities face In Australia and some things we could do to improve and solve these issues. Our tour guide, Mike, explained these throughout the trip and encouraged us to find solutions to these problems. He also told us about environmental issues not only affecting Australia but the entire world. Daniel Van Sluys Erlich, Year 9

Jilkminggan was no doubt one of the most, if not the most, amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life. Never have I felt such a strong connection with such beautiful children. They would jump on top of us, play with our hair, make up little handshakes and hold our hands wherever we went and at the end of the day, they were some of the happiest kids I’ve ever met. The unforgettable experiences we had with our tour guide Mike, father and daughter, Graham and Celina, and many more Aboriginal people gave us an inside perspective that we never would have otherwise had. One week there gave me so many stories to tell, ones that I won’t only remember for the rest of my life but that I will tell to my family to make sure they know the truth about these amazing Aboriginal communities. Eden Sadra, Year 9

The trip to Jilkminggan was enlightening, captivating and a perfect example of cultural diversity. There were countless highlights along the way, however one that particularly stood out to me was the pure happiness the Jilkminggan kids shared with us, even in the most remote and uncomfortable living conditions. I strongly believe this should be a wake up call to all of society that relies upon the mundane for a moment of bliss. Rather go for a stroll within nature, share a story with your friends or travel the world and discover the fulfilment that’s bestowed upon you when other magical cultures share their stories with you. Karen Davids, Year 11

For me the trip was not only enjoyable but it was also incredibly inspiring. I was amazed at how the kids had so little but were still so happy and full of so much life. It goes to show that we don’t need all the materialistic items that we think we need to make us genuinely happy. Throughout the trip I began to realise how little we know about their culture but how much the Aboriginal people know about ours. I found this slightly confronting as we are technically living on their land that they have been living on for much longer than us. This inspired me to want to learn more, and for other people to learn more too. Chloe Ben-Mayor, Year 9

David Whitcomb, HSIE Teacher

 

 

White Ribbon Walk

White Ribbon Walk

The following entry was written by Year 9 students, Rachel Turtledove and Ella Springer. Together with 15 of their peers they participated in the White Ribbon Walk. In their reflections below they apply Jewish principles and values we learned in class this term regarding עריבות-Being responsible for one another.

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

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Ella Springer

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Rachel Turtledove

White Ribbon is an organisation that aims to raise awareness of and stop domestic violence and abuse against women. The White Ribbon movement came to Australia over a decade ago, and White Ribbon Australia has grown massively since then.

On 25 November, White Ribbon Day, there were events all over Australia for people to get involved in. The extremely important issue of violence against women is not spoken about often enough, which is why it is even more important for everyone to be involved in ensuring that the numbers of women who are victims of domestic violence and abuse decreases in any way possible. Our way was to participate in the White Ribbon Walk, along with a number of other students from Years 9 and 11.

The walk was organised by Randwick City Council and started at High Cross Park in Randwick and ended up at Coogee Beach. It was a protest to help raise awareness of domestic violence and money for victims, relating to the Jewish value of כל האפשר למחות – whoever can protest the wrongdoings of another is required to do so. From our participation in the White Ribbon Walk, we learned כל היכול להציל, that we must save people in any circumstance of victimisation, when we can. It was quite surreal to be walking with so many other people, men, women and children, who were all marching in white to show their support.

We arrived at Coogee Beach where there was a barbeque and refreshments, and Adam Goodes, Councillors, police members and officials spoke about the issue. Through our participation in the walk, we were already helping to stop domestic violence and abuse against women.

It was an eye-opening, fulfilling event that we were all very proud to be a part of, and overall a great experience for everyone who wanted to be an איש, an upstander, instead of being a silent partner, שתיקה כהודאה. Thank you to Mr Whitcombe and Sophie Lew in Year 11 for presenting us with the opportunity to be involved in the walk.

By Rachel Turtledove and Ella Springer

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Gesher

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Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Emanuel Sport does not finish just because you have left the School!

Lunchtime next Tuesday will see a flurry of activity in the MPH and on the outside basketball court for our third annual Student versus Alumni Sports Challenge. The 2014 and 2015 events were boys-only futsal games so we are very excited that this year, for the first time, we will also have a girls team event!

Amy Altman, Sports Madricha has been busy organising the student teams whilst alumna Sarah Beder (Class of 2015), a member of our Gesher Committee this year, has been recruiting past students for the alumni teams.  We thank Martin Rembson, Head of Rabin, who will referee again this year.

We hope to see lots of students, alumni and staff in the MPH and on the outside basketball court cheering on the soccer and netball teams. 

Good luck everyone!

Sonia Newell | Development Officer

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2014 Inaugural Alumni versus Students Team

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2015 Team

 

Scholarships for 2018

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Kornmehl

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Terry Aizen – Director, Kornmehl Pre-school

Drumming circle

Last week, we all enjoyed a dynamic and creative drumming workshop with Lance and Maxine from the Drum Circle. They engaged the children in an extraordinary drumming and creative/imaginative experience. The ‘drum circle’ used non-verbal communication and encouraged active listening. Each child was taught how to play the various rhythms and beats on their bongo drum whilst realising his or her own importance within the greater whole of the group. 

Their attention was also directed to the vibrations that the drums make. The children put their hand to one end of the drum whilst hitting the drum with the other hand, allowing them to feel the vibrations. Maxine spoke to the children about music and sound and how music moves through sound waves called vibrations.

“I can feel the sound….” (Jordan)

What a wonderful morning! How lucky the children are to have had such a special cultural experience. 

I loved the drumming.  The man drummed so much … I just danced. It was the best.

Some of the benefits of the drumming workshop included:

  • Group bonding
  • Non-verbal communication
  • Stress release
  • Hand, eye and ear co-ordination
  • Building self-esteem
  • Co-operative rather than competitive
  • Left and right brain integration
  • Promoting socialisation
  • A multi-cultural experience

Parent/teacher interviews

The Dolphin and Starfish groups have now completed all their parent/teacher meetings. We hope that the parents found the time productive and meaningful. It is a lovely way to bring a very busy year to a close and we value this important time to reflect and chat to parents.

More parent survey comments

The children at Kornmehl are very wise and honest and we wanted to share a few more comments from them about Pre-school:

Liam: At Kornmehl we have a slide. My three teachers are good because they teach us stuff. They look after me and help me solve problems. I like playing on the slide, playing on the Pirate ship. I’ve learnt to write my name.

Sri: I like doing Shabbat at Bush School because you get to have nature while you’re having Shabbat. And you’re sitting in a nature place with everyone, not just in a normal place. So Shabbat is very special. I’ve learnt that you have to listen to each other because if the other person doesn’t listen to you, its dipping in your bucket. But if you want to fill the other person’s bucket you can say “Are you ok?” Give a cuddle and listen to each other. And in that way, both buckets are filled. 

Jack: Kornmehl is a place to be safe because your teachers and the guards keep you safe. You get to make friends. You learn about lots of things, like sport, hammering, crystals and science. I like playing outside with my friends.

Jessica: Kornmehl is a safe place because there are lovely teachers. I like to play with the girls. At Morning Meeting we can sit and relax and we can ask some questions. I’ve learnt how to let mummy go without crying.

Sol: Kornmehl is a Pre-school and you get to play. I like to play Hide and Seek. My favourite activity is ‘Making’. I make things out of recycling materials. I like Morning Meeting because we talk. We talk about insects and starting school. 

Nava: I like that we have Rosh Hashanah and that we got to have apples dipped in honey. I like having the Challah and the wine when I was on the Shabbat table. I like singing “I’ve got a Shabbat feeling”.

Seussical

The Pre-school children were very privileged to be the guests-of-honour at Friday’s rehearsal of the Primary School musical, Seussical. The children sat mesmerised and engaged with all the wonderful costumes, singing, music and story line. We thank Emma Buzo and Susan Longney for inviting us and wish them all a big Kol Hakavod on an amazing job so well done.

Concerts

All three groups have been practising for their concerts next week. They are all very excited to share this special time with their mums and dads.

The Seashells concert is on Wednesday 7 December at 9.30 am in the Pre-school. This is for parents only. Morning tea will be served after the concert and the event will conclude at 10.30 am.

The Dolphins and Starfish will have their concert and graduation on Thursday 8 December at 6 pm in the MPH. Parents and older siblings are invited to join us to celebrate this special time together. Dinner will be served for the children after the concert and light snacks for the parents. The evening will conclude at 8 pm.

Bush School family picnic

We invite all Kornmehl families to join us down at Centennial Park on Friday 9 December for our final Bush School experience of the year. This will take place from drop off until about 11 am. Please bring some snacks and drinks and join us to experience the wonders of nature with your children.

What is school readiness?

School readiness involves engaging in activities on a daily basis to ensure that a child develops the appropriate skills required to aid optimal learning when they start school. While learning is an important aspect to be ready for, so too is the readiness to play and socialise with a range of children. The development of these foundation skills allows teachers at school to expand and further develop a child’s skills in the specific areas of social interaction, play, language, emotional development, physical skills, literacy and fine motor skills.  

Building blocks necessary to develop school readiness include:

  • Self-regulation: The ability to obtain, maintain and change emotion, behaviour, attention and activity level appropriate for a task or situation
  • Sensory processing: Accurate processing of sensory stimulation in the environment as well as in one’s own body
  • Receptive language (understanding): Comprehension of spoken language. Your child will need to be able to follow instructions and understand what teachers are saying
  • Expressive language (using language): Producing speech or language that can be understood by others and being able to communicate what they know, want and need to teachers and peers.
  • Articulation: The ability to clearly pronounce individual sounds in words
  • Executive functioning: Higher order reasoning and thinking skills
  • Emotional development/concentration: The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and regulate emotions. Your child also needs to be able to deal with the structured nature of a classroom and be able to focus on tasks, follow directions from teachers and cope with transitions from one activity to another.
  • Social skills: Determined by the ability to engage in reciprocal interaction with others (either verbally or non-verbally), to compromise with others and to be able to recognise and follow social norms
  • Planning and sequencing: The sequential multi-step task/activity performance to achieve a well-defined result
  • Social maturity and independence: This includes going to the toilet by themselves, dressing and being able to follow a structured classroom routine. Your child will need to be able to deal with challenges like not always being the winner and complying with what a teacher asks of them, even if they do not want to.
  • Motor co-ordination: Your child will need well-developed co-ordination skills to dress and undress, unwrap lunch, use a pencil and scissors and participate confidently in learning activities that require eye-hand and motor co-ordination.

Some points to consider:

  • Does your child get easily frustrated when expectations are placed upon them?
  • Does your child struggle to follow instructions in daily activities?
  • Does your child rely on you to do self-care tasks such as dressing?
  • Is your child toilet trained?
  • Does your child have poor receptive and expressive language skills?
  • Does your child have difficulty understanding consequences for their behaviours?
  • Is your child interested in looking at books and/or doing sit-down activities?
  • Can they make an independent decision and follow through on this?
  • Do they separate well from their carer?
  • Do they interact with other children?
  • Can they recognise and express their feelings and needs?
  • Can they concentrate on a task?
  • How do they deal with frustration?

Taken from Kids Sense Child Development

Mazal tov

We wish a hearty mazal tov to Terry Aizen on the birth of a second beautiful grandson, born last week.

 

From the Parents and Friends

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Sharon Schulz, Ruby Berkovic, Susie Rosen and Jennifer Opit

As we prepare to step away from our roles as co-Presidents, we do so with confidence in our amazingly awesome replacements, Jennifer Opit and Ruby Berkovic, who will take over the reigns at the start of 2017.  

Both Jen and Ruby have been on the P&F for some time now as either volunteers or class parents or both and between them have five children at Emanuel in the Primary School. With their combined passion, energy and amazing team of volunteers to support them, we are confident that they will love the role as much as we have.

 

THE P&F EXECUTIVE IS LOOKING FOR A NEW TREASURER

  • Do you have bookkeeping or basic accounting experience?
  • Like to be part of a great community of volunteers?
  • If you are keen, we would love to hear from you at emanuelp&f@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Our last P&F meeting for the year will be held on Tuesday 6 December in the High School Library at 7:00 pm.  All are welcome.

Susie and Sharon