Volume 24 Issue 34 - 04 Nov 2016

From the Principal

Anne Hastings

Anne Hastings – Principal

This week saw two wonderful evenings that displayed our students’ talents and achievements, with the Night of Song on Tuesday evening and the Writers’ Awards last night.

Night of Song

From the very first performance through to the last, the Night of Song shone with the joy of singing. Each of the 14 individual students performed their items with poise, confidence and great skill, showing courage in standing up in front of an audience and entertaining them. The six choir items were also a great treat for the audience. The students obviously loved performing their songs and engaged and uplifted their audience, who left the MPH humming along to their own song at the end of the evening. A huge thank you and congratulations go to Danny Burley who was the organiser of the evening, having auditioned, coached and accompanied most of the students. The other singing teachers and accompanists, Susan Longney, Adam Majsay and Brendan O’Mahony also deserve great praise and gratitude.

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Writers’ Awards

Last night we gathered in the Angles Leadership and Learning Centre to view some of the impressive writing of our Years 7 – 12 students. Entertained by our clarinet trio of Lachlan Corne, Joshua Amoils and Diana Springford, the audience spent some time reading samples of the students’ work before going in to the Millie Phillips Theatre for the award ceremony. As always, the English teachers (David Camp, Michele Frank, Hannah Chedzey, Helen Philp and Kim Woolf) spoke eloquently about the literary journeys of the different year groups and the HSC Extension 2 English students (Gabriel Jammy, Omri Goldberg and Asher Klein) entertained with descriptions of their journey from first draft through to polished major works. Seeing the students’ thinking and creativity with language on paper provided another uplifting experience. Many thanks to our wonderful team of English teachers (including Jo Burden who was on the Jilkminggan excursion at the time of the Awards) for their guidance of the students’ learning this year.

HSC Examination Feedback from Teachers

Our class of 2016 has been sitting their HSC examinations over recent weeks. Here is some feedback from their teachers about the papers.

Extension 1 and Extension 2 Mathematics

The Extension 1 Mathematics paper was a fair examination. The multiple-choice section had no surprises and tested all content areas. The long-answer section had some difficulties early on, including the exponential growth question and a trigonometry question involving perpendicular lines. However, as the paper progressed the questions became more manageable, with the difficult topics of binomial theorem and projectile motion much easier than previous years. The simple harmonic motion question related to tides and was a throwback to the 2004 HSC, and the Mathematical Induction question factorised nicely for those students who persisted. Overall the exam allowed the stronger students to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar situations.

The Extension 2 Mathematics paper was a challenging paper this year, especially as it occurred from 2 to 5 pm on a Friday afternoon. The multiple choice section contained questions which tested students’ understanding of topics rather than learning particular methods off by heart. The long-answer section contained questions which were evenly distributed over the eight different topics. The first four questions were relatively straight forward and included significant content from the Extension 1 course, which was unlike previous years. The questions were phrased differently, but for students who knew their work well, this should not have been an issue. The final two questions contained some difficult parts and allowed the stronger students to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar situations. The overall feeling of the students as they left the examination room was neutral, with some commenting it was the best paper it could be and others it was the hardest since the James Ruse 2015 Trial paper.

[Caroline Laumberg]

Extension 1 English

The examiners are definitely challenging students to think outside the square and to not reproduce their learned responses. These are the most challenging questions I have seen but that may be a good thing as our students have been encouraged to think. Hopefully they did that successfully in the time allowed. Both the critical and, more so, the creative response required a number of elements to be considered.

[Michele Frank]

Extension History

The History Extension HSC Examination paper was well received by the class. All five students felt that it offered them ample opportunity to discuss what they have learnt and use their favourite quotes and historians. They were asked to consider the extent to which ideas about historical evidence have shaped approaches to the writing of history and the challenges faced by historians writing about the crusades, including the challenges posed by their own perspectives and contexts.

[Sally Cove]

Geography

The HSC Geography exam was fair and gave the students a chance to show off what they had learned. The essay questions, worth 40% of the paper, were very clear and our students would have been able to write impressive responses. The challenges of living in mega cities, ecosystem processes and impacts on global viticulture were the options on offer. The short-answer section worth 40% was also fair but did expect the students to know every single dot point and content word in the syllabus. A few questions here assessed  lateral thinking as a geographer. The multiple-choice skills section focused on maps and climate graphs of Namibia which was coincidental, as their teacher has close links to that country and visited there in September this year, which actually helped them answer Question 5, “A tourist wants to visit Windhoek during a warm and dry period… when would it be best to visit?” The answer was (c) September-October (when Mr Whitcombe went). Overall, as one Emanuel Year 12 student said, “It was a solid exam”.

[David Whitcombe]

Mathematics

On Friday afternoon on 21 October, Year 12 Advanced Mathematics and Extension 1 students wrote the Mathematics HSC examination. Many were nervous as this was the first year that the formula sheet was allowed in this examination and as a result many thought that it would be more difficult. The multiple-choice questions had a number of unusual questions and were geared towards an understanding of the underlining principles rather than simply applying a formula.  Questions 11, 12 and 13 tested an understanding of concepts from the Preliminary and HSC courses. Question 14 contained a ‘finance’ question in the form of a question about insect populations.

In Question 15, the second last question on the paper, students had to use calculus to find the volume of an egg and find the probability of winning a game with an 8-sided die. The integration of topics provided the opportunity for students to extend and apply their understanding. 

The final question of the examination asked students to find the rate of growth of yabbies in a dam. This question looked more difficult than it was as from initial face value, the unfamiliar looking function might have worried many students. The paper was definitely designed to test understanding and problem solving skills over rote learning. On the whole it was an interesting and fair examination.

[Alice Henry] 

Mathematics General 2

The Mathematics General 2 course is now into its third full year. The examination consists of 25 multiple choice questions followed by five 15-mark theory questions.

The 2016 General 2 HSC examination provided a clear link to syllabus outcomes. It afforded students the opportunity to demonstrate the levels of achievement outlined in the course performance scale, thereby aligning their performance in the examination to the standards developed for the course.

Despite feeling the usual nerves that accompany any examination, the Year 12 General 2 class of 2016 embraced the challenge head on. The students thought the paper was very fair, commenting that that there wasn’t anything that they were unprepared for. Whilst a few of the multiple-choice questions were tricky and a couple of the theory questions needed to be deconstructed and broken down into more manageable tasks, the content was accessible and fair to all students.

[Neil Furman]

Mazal tov to:

  • Alice Milner, Ariella Tracton, Jake Harpaz, Jamie Schneider, Erin Nabarro, Zoe Nebenzahl, Paris Freed, Mariah Lewy, Amber Langman, Krista Simmons, Aaron Khedoori, Joshua New, Koby New, and Talia Rubinstein, who sang individually at the Night of Song
  • The Infants, Junior, Senior Girls Chamber, Senior Chamber and Senior choirs who also sang so beautifully at the Night of Song
  • All of the students who were nominated for Writers’ Awards, and each of the students awarded Most Dedicated Writer and Writer of the Year

Coming up

  • AHISA Principals’ Meeting at Emanuel School, 7 November, 8 am – 2 pm (80 Principals from independent schools around NSW in attendance)
  • High School House Music Festival, 8 November, 6 pm, MPH
  • East Timor Information evening, 9 November, 5:30 pm, Millie Phillips Theatre
  • Years 9 and 10 Music Soiree, 10 November 5:30 pm, Millie Phillips Theatre
  • Year 12 2017 Parent Information Evening with Dani Klein, 14 November, 7 pm
  • Year 10 Drama Showcase, 21 November, 7 pm, Millie Phillips Theatre

Quote of the week

‘Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.’ [Arnold H. Glasow]

Best wishes for a relaxing weekend.

Anne Hastings

 

From the Head of Jewish Life

Devar Torah

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

את האלוהים התהלך נח – And Noach Walked with God

With Which God are We Walking?

When God is about to destroy Israel, for the people’s betrayal in the incident of the Golden Calf, He says but two words that asks us all to decide with which God are we walking:

הניחה לי /Hanichah li – “Let Me be”.

Seeing the word נח (Noach/Noah) in God’s request, our tradition sees God asking Moshe to be like Noach and not intervene. When God says, אמחה את האדם “I will blot out the human race”, He goes unchallenged by Noach, so that we soon read וימח את כל היקום -“He blotted out all existence”.

Moshe’s response is of one walking with a different God. God’s planned destruction of Israel is met by מחני מספרך /“Blot me out of Your book”. Whereas Moshe intercedes for his people, Noach, and the God with whom he walks, sees no one else but himself/Himself. The result is that Moshe’s God repents (וינחם/va-yinachem) of the evil he proposed against his people, whereas God’s repentance (וינחם/va-yinachem) that He created humans, in the time of Noach, leads to their destruction.

Perhaps it is the use of the word וינחם/va-yinachem repent, which contains the word Noach, in both the case of Moshe and Noach, leading to two critically different results, that explains the Kabbalist, Isaac Luria’s assertion that Moses was a reincarnation of Noach who served to rectify  (“tiken”) his sins and the cosmic damage he created.

 If we walk with a God that excludes our walking with our fellow human beings, we bring  destruction to humanity and our world. Through human intercession, the biblical God is seen as evolving; His error needing rectification even as does that of humans. Remarkably, in speaking the words: “For they are the waters of Noach, for Me” to the prophet Isaiah, our tradition sees God as now understanding that Noach is to be seen as a partner in bringing about the flood and not being a partner to those he might have saved from its destruction.

What does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”.

Prophet Michah

 

 

Student Devar Torah

The following Devar Torah was written by Mikayla Sacks and delivered at our High School Tefillot.

Sacks Mikayla

Mikaela Sacks

This week’s parashah is Noach. In this Torah reading, God instructs Noach – the only righteous man in a world consumed by violence and corruption – to build a large wooden ark. God says that a great deluge will wipe out all life on Earth; but the ark will float upon the water, sheltering Noach and his family, and two members (male and female) of each animal species (according to one version of the story).

Rain falls for 40 days and nights (there are versions of this), and the waters churn for 150 days more before calming and beginning to recede. The ark settles on Mount Ararat, and from its window Noach releases a raven, and then a series of doves, to see if the flood is over. When the ground dries completely – exactly one year after the onset of the Flood – God commands Noach to exit the ark and repopulate the Earth.

Noach builds an altar and offers sacrifices to God. God swears never again to destroy all of humankind because of its deeds, and sets the rainbow as a testimony of His new covenant with humanity. God also tells Noach that murder is deemed a capital offence, and while people are permitted to eat the meat of animals, they are forbidden to eat flesh or blood taken from a living animal.

Noach plants a vineyard and becomes drunk on its produce. Two of Noach’s sons, Shem and Yaphet, are blessed for covering up their father’s nakedness, while his third son, Cham, is punished for taking advantage of his humiliation.

The descendants of Noach remain a single people, with a single language and culture for ten generations. Then, they defy God by building a great tower to symbolise their own invincibility; God confuses their language so that they can’t communicate with each other, causing them to abandon their project and disperse across the face of the earth, splitting into seventy nations.

The Parashah of Noach concludes with a chronology of the ten generations from Noach to Avram (later Avraham), and the latter’s journey from his birthplace of Ur Casdim to Charan, on the way to the land of Canaan.

Now that I’ve finished relating the summary of Noach from Chabad.org, I ask you, what does this actually teach us? Well, we all know the story of Noach and the ark, as well as the story of God confusing the people’s language. The story of Noach’s ark teaches us about the importance of being righteous people. It also teaches us about the importance of trust – how we must trust each other in order to receive the greatest benefit. The parashah also teaches us the importance of humility, and not taking our lives for granted.

Another way to understand this Torah reading is to consider Noach as the father, so to speak, of modern technological advances and progress, due to his building of the ark. This then demonstrates the benefits of technology and how it can assist humans and our lives on this planet. Judaism has no basic argument against the rise of technology, and Jewish society is willing to strive towards physically improving the human condition of life on Earth. However, Judaism recognises that true psychological and spiritual comfort can’t be found in the iPhone 7, for example.

On the other hand, God promised there to be no more floods on Earth of this scale, however, considering it as a metaphor, we now have the flood of technology, which one could argue, is out of control. Technology could have the potential to destroy humanity.

So hopefully you’ve all been following up until now. So now I’ll ask again, what can this parashah actually teach us? Well, Noach, I believe, brings up the issue of technology and that while it can be extremely beneficial to the growth and progress of humankind, it can’t be relied upon and has the potential to destroy humanity. If you’re lucky enough to have parents who bought you the new iPhone 7 for your birthday, while you can enjoy the new…well whatever IS new about it, remember to give your mind a break, put the phone away, and appreciate the world around you and the people within it, because after all, they want to speak to your face, not your phone. And plus, you never know if it’s just going to explode anyway.

Ma Koreh

Noach 6:9 – 11:32

Parashat Noach shows that the actions of one person can make a huge impact and difference in the world. Jewish tradition debates whether Noach was a truly righteous person. He saved himself while others of his generation perished in the flood. Some believe he should have sought to help others better their lives and avoid destruction.

What do you think?

Bnei Mitzvah Mazal Tov

  • Dean Reuveny
  • Tal Boskila

The Shabbat Project

We are only a week away from the The Shabbat Project and the excitement is building!

Why not try something different on Shabbat.

Turning off (screens): Switch on… to nature, friends, family, reading or sleeping

Blessing the children: This is a beautiful way to connect families and share a message of love

Nachas moments: Have each person at your Shabbat table share a highlight or special moment from that week

Oneg Shabbat: It is a mitzvah to make Shabbat a day of joy, delight and pleasure: so eat delicious food, socialise with friends and family, rest, relax, treat yourself and loved ones to make Shabbat a day of delight! 

Challah

Please don’t be daunted at the thought of making your own challah. See this website for recipes and techniques. www.thechallahblog.com

Every baker wants to know the secret to making the best challah but the biggest secret of all is the opportunity we have for blessings while making the challah dough. During this time, we can talk to God and ask for what we need. You can also ask for blessings for your family and friends. The gates of mercy are wide open so take advantage of this opportunity!

Havdalah

Why do we smell the besamin (spices) during Havdalah?

As Shabbat ends, our soul feels depleted and sad as the holiness of the day comes to an end. There is an idea that we receive an enhanced soul (neshama yeteirah) on Shabbat. Havdalah is the time when our enhanced soul departs, which also brings a sense of sadness. Therefore, we smell the spices to uplift our soul and to comfort it.

 

From the Director of Studies Years 7-12

Majsay Adam

Adam Majsay – Director of Studies 7-12

3-Way Learning Conversations

Years 8 and 9 parents received a letter this week outlining the details of the upcoming 3-Way Learning Conversations (3WLC) that will take place in December. The 3WLC is a new initiative we are implementing, designed to provide a forum for students, parents and teachers to engage in an active discussion, led by the student, about the student’s learning goals. By providing an opportunity for rich, reflective dialogue, we hope to build our students’ self of agency in their learning. 

Much academic research has identified that when students need to exhibit and discuss their learning, they take a greater role in thinking about their learning, and it means more to them. One of our aims is for students to develop more independence in their learning and the 3WLC will provide the opportunity for this. Emanuel School promotes approaching life with a growth mindset, and with students identifying what went well and what they need to improve on, this attitude is reinforced. 

 Anticipated outcomes:

  • Greater student ownership of their learning
  • Promotion of student independence in planning for the conversation
  • Enhanced student thinking about their learning
  • Clearer development of students’ learning goals
  • Student acknowledgement of and pride in their learning
  • Greater parent knowledge and understanding of student learning
  • Stronger teacher understanding of students’ learning
  • Information to support the evaluation of teaching programs

Years 9 and 10 Examinations

What do you do in the few days before an examination? 

At least a few days before the examination, make sure you do the following: 

  • Plan out how much time you should spend on each section of the test.
  • By looking at past papers, get a feel for the types of instructions that will be on your paper.
  • Do some exercise so you can burn off the pent-up energy that can come before exams.
  • Look after your body – lots of water to hydrate your brain, healthy food, decent sleep.
  • To calm nerves, make mental pictures of yourself sitting down and doing well in the test.
  • Organise any equipment you may need: extra calculator batteries, pens, rulers and so on.
  • Ensure you know what equipment is allowed in the test or exam.
  • Focus on reviewing the key points, perhaps a condensed version of your summaries.
  • Practise as many past test papers as you can get your hands on.
  • Check the timetable to ensure you have a clear picture of when each exam is being held.

 The night before the test or exam:

  • Pack your bag with everything you will need for the next day, ensuring you have all necessary equipment.
  • Plan what time you need to leave to ensure you have plenty of time for unexpected delays.
  • Don’t go to bed too late – you need to make sure your brain is fresh and alert.
  • Spend some time looking through your notes briefly.
  • If you have a number of exams, check the timetable to doubly confirm the date, time and location of the exam.

The morning of the test or exam: 

  • Visualise success. Before you get out of bed close your eyes and picture yourself going into the exam, doing well and coming out pleased with your efforts.
  • Review your notes. You are not doing intense study at this stage, just looking through and reminding yourself of the main things you want to remember.
  • Eat breakfast. Your brain needs fuel so eat a hearty breakfast so you can focus and concentrate in the exam.
  • Be on time. Make sure you leave enough time for contingencies so you won’t be late.
  • Avoid negativity. Don’t stand around in the group discussing what you did and didn’t study.

You can learn more about exam techniques  at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with these details:

username:   emanuelschool

password:   20achieve

 

Put the U in Emanuel

10425-woolf-max

Max Woolf – Head Madrich

Fellow students, teachers

You might have been wondering about the mural on the far wall.

The Madrichim and House Captains came together for the first time late in Term 2. We were asked to decide what the focus of our time should be.

There were a lot of good ideas circulating, but through discussion, one principle was common to everything we were saying – the concept that you don’t have to be that same as anybody else to be valued at Emanuel. We want everyone at Emanuel to express their individuality.

We don’t judge you on your academic ability alone. We like that you play touch footy or netball or swim, are in the band, join the musical, sew on Tuesdays, visit Monte, volunteer at Respite, sing in the choir, support gender equality. That you’re kind to your friends. That you listen and hear your teachers. We are building a community of individuals, and we invite you to join us. We are putting the U in Emanuel.

This school is a place which is made great by the contribution of individuals to the whole.

When we made the mural at the end of last term, we intended it to be a reminder. A reminder when you walk past that we value who you are.

And so when you pass that wall, we would like you to ask yourself: “What of myself would I like to see become part of this School?”

Help us put the U in Emanuel.

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Max Woolf

Head Madrich

Visual Arts

Photographic and Digital Media (PDM) Exhibition

The Visual Arts Department is excited to hang its first show in the Angles Leadership and Learning Centre. The works on display showcase what Year 9 Photographic and Digital Media students have achieved in Terms 2 and 3. These works range from 15th Century Dutch painting-inspired works, to site studies around Sydney. Students captured the historic Paddington Reservoir, heritage-listed Newington Armoury and the industrial White Bay power station, Rozelle. Come and see the broad range of photographic modes used, including traditional film, digital photography and lomography. Students have refined their technical, compositional and post-production skills to bring you this incredible show.

We hope that you will come and support them and enjoy the exhibition. The works will be on display until the end of Week 5.

Ms McGlinn, PDM Teacher

The work pictured is by Oskar Beck

 

 

oskar

Rabin Bugle

Rabin House

 

Shabbat Shalom Rabinites

I hope you are all settling back into your school routine. It’s crazy to think we are already almost half-way through the term! Inter-House Music is just around the corner and we can’t wait to get on stage and sing at the top of our lungs and show all of our House spirit in a swarm of blue and black. So much effort has been put into the musical items and we can’t wait to showcase our awesome singing, funky dancing, and amazing spirit to the other Houses. Our House Captain, Gabriel Kichkin claims: “Next Tuesday will go down in the history books as one of the greatest House Music events ever” – quite a statement from our Captain. Term 4 is filled with musical events and Rabin House would like to commend and congratulate all students who participated in the Night of Song – Emanuel School certainly has talent.

Our senior students are entering their final week of HSC examinations and we wish them the best of luck. They have all put so much effort into studying and each and every one of them can be very proud of their effort and commitment. 

Last week the Term 3, Merit Awards were handed out and it was great to see so many Rabinites get awards and recognition for their effort. Rabin House would in particular like to commend:

Jade Berson

Ari Merten

Jessica Turtledove

Rachel Turtledove

Chelsea Rutstein

Maddalena Grigoletti-Labi

These students took home all four Merit Awards; Community Conscience, Participation in the Life of the School, Excellence in Classroom Behaviour and Uniform Presentation. This is a great achievement and there will hopefully be even more Rabinites getting all of these awards at the end of this semester.

Rabbinate becomes World Champion!

Chelsea Rutstein has achieved the amazing feat of becoming World Record Holder for the International Game Fishing Association, Adult Ladies Division. This is an amazing achievement and we are all so proud of her. Chelsea was presented with the award at the School assembly and it was inspiring to hear how Chelsea has followed her passion in a committed and humble manner. Congratulations Chelsea!

Peer Support

The new Peer Support Leaders were inducted this week. These leaders play an important role at Emanuel and we congratulate Jack Mane, Tai Oshlack, Sean Torben, Alanah Borman, Lauren Faul and Kiara Rosen-Tal who will take on a special role and support the younger Rabinites over the next twelve months. Rabin House would like to commend all students who put themselves forward for this role. There are a limited number of positions as Peer Support Leaders and it is great to see our Year 10 students show so much care and engagement. There will be many other leadership opportunities for the Year Group during their senior years and we are sure that the Group will make the most of their time at Emanuel.

That’s the Bugle for this week. Enjoy the weekend and don’t forget to practise the song and the dance moves for Inter-House Music Competition next week.

 Jenna Kaplan, Rabin Bugle Reporter

High School Sport

Reed Kristy

Kirsty Reed – Sport Co-ordinator and PDHPE Teacher

Monday

Morning

Running group

Years 7-9 girls touch football training

Years 7/8 basketball development squad

14s boys basketball training

Afternoon

Cricket development squad

Pilates

Tuesday

Morning

Girls fitness

Years 7-9 boys touch football training

Afternoon

Easts touch football competition

Open boys basketball training

Wednesday

Afternoon

Beach volleyball

Kickboxing/boxing fitness

Thursday

All day

AICES 15s girls tennis trials

Morning

Boys fitness

Years 10/11 boys touch football training

Afternoon

Emanuel-Moriah basketball challenge

Rockclimbing

Years 8/9 girls netball

Friday

All Day

AICES 15s boys tennis trials

 Morning

Swimming squad

16 boys basketball training

Surfing

Years 10/11 girls touch football training

Sunday

14 boys basketball competition

16 boys basketball competition

Open boys basketball competition

 

 

Maccabi National Swimathon

Swimming, swimming, swimming

Emanuel School will once again be entering a team into the Maccabi MS National Swimathon. This event aims to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis and also for the upcoming Maccabiah Games 2017, of which many Emanuel students have been selected. This team is open to all members of the School community and there is no minimum amount of time or distance that each person is required to swim. Each registration requires a donation of $25 for a student or $40 for an adult. Once registered, each participant can start to raise funds for a great cause. Our goal is to raise $3000 in 2016.

When: Sunday 4 December 7:00am to 7:00pm

Where: Moriah College

Team: Emanuel Marine Mammals

Registrations:  msmegaswim.org.au

All enquiries may be directed to Kristy Reed (High School Sports Co-ordinator) kreed@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

swim-a-thon-emmanuel-2016-copy

 

Supporting Type 1 Diabetes – student fundraiser

Hello family and friends

4172-nabarro-kaila

Kaila Nabarro

My daughter Kaila who is in Year 3, was diagnosed in February this year with type 1 Diabetes. It has had a profound effect on Kaila’s life and our family.  Her blood glucose requires management 24 hours a day with multiple needle pricks and insulin injections. It is not uncommon to either require a midnight injection of additional insulin or a sugar treat. All meals are measured and counted to match her insulin and activity.

Currently there is no cure for type 1 diabetes. JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) is the major funder for finding a cure for type 1 diabetes and a world without type 1 diabetes. JDRF’s major fundraising event is One Walk. Kaila has chosen to support JDRF One Walk to help raise funds for a world with ‘type none’ diabetes.

To support Kaila we would be thrilled if you could join us, Team Kaila & Friends, on the walk and/or kindly make a donation to support Kaila.  Every dollar raised will go towards finding a cure and returning Kaila & others to a normal life.

Link for One Walk 

walk.jdrf.org.au/index.html#nsw

November 13 
Check in 9 am, start 10.30 am
5km walk, Cathy Freeman Park, Olympic Park

Kaila’s link for all donations to JDRF One Walk – mail-track.everydayhero.com/track/click/30190481/jdrf-walk-nsw-2016.everydayhero.com?

We would love to see you there and thank you for your kind support.

Kaila’s Mum, Dad and family

From the Deputy Head of Primary

Emma Clemens

Emma Clemens – Deputy Head of Primary

Brain Plasticity and Movement

Medical Daily recently published an article about research conducted at the University of Illinois that demonstrates a correlation between exercise and the brain size of children of 9-10 years. Their MRI studies showed that physically active children have a larger hippocampus and had higher results in memory tests. Exercise impacts our cardiorespiratory capacity, muscular strength and motor ability. This in turn impacts the brain and therefore academic performance. Children who are more active are more cognitively alert. Studies in North Texas and Spain had similar results. These studies revealed that students with superior motor ability and cardiorespiratory fitness also had higher reading and mathematics test results. Cardiorespiratory exercise include swimming, tennis, skipping, jogging, soccer, netball, basketball and cycling.

An article by Hottling and Roder in Neuroscience and Behavioural Reviews echoes a similar message about the benefits of physical exercise on neuroplasticity and cognition. The human brain adapts and changes by altering its neuroplastic properties when learning new skills. Physical exercise triggers processes that facilitate neuroplasticity, which in turn enhances the brain’s capacity to respond to cognitive training. The authors concur that increase in cardiovascular fitness has neurocognitive benefits.

Given the immense benefits of physical exercise on our health as well as cognitive ability, what is your family doing to stay fit and active? Are there opportunities you could use as a family to exercise together? On the weekend perhaps you could consider going on a walk, playing a game of tennis or going for a bike ride together. Don’t discount incidental exercise though, such as walking to school, to the shops or to a local restaurant rather than driving the car.

In the Primary School we place a high priority on exercise. Students in Years K-2 are involved in one PE and two Gross Motor lessons each week. Students in Year 3 have two PE lessons a week and students in Year 4-6 have one PE lesson and Thursday training and competition sport. Adam Ezekiel also runs our wonderful EActive program that provides additional opportunities to be a part of extra-curricular sport groups. Teachers are constantly looking for opportunities during school to engage students in incidental exercise, for example they may allow students to go for a quick run around the playground or play for a few minutes on the basketball court in order to foster opportunities for students to develop active and healthy bodies and minds.

Physically active children are not only more healthy but also have enhanced cognitive results. Given the health and cognitive benefits of exercise, how can you and your family plan to be more fit and active this term?

Chess Success

On Friday Jesse Herdan, Jesse Gothelf, Daniel Melamed and Zac Sidley competed in the Metropolitan Inter-Region Chess Finals. The boys played at Emanuel against St John’s Park Public School and won the competition 7-1. This is an incredible result and puts them through to the State competition. On Sunday Jesse Herdan, Jesse Gothelf and Daniel Melamed also completed in the Knox Grammar Interschools’ Competition where they tied second overall with Ironbark Ridge Public School. Congratulations boys on such a fantastic effort and thank you to Colleen Elkins for your ongoing support of the team.

Excursions

This week students in Years K-4 all attended an excursion or incursion. Excursions are a wonderful opportunity for students to further their learning beyond the classroom. Below are a list of the excursions that students attended. Thank you to all of the teachers who have been so instrumental in planning and organising these exciting learning opportunities. 

  • Year K: Sydney Observatory to learn about meteorology through weather experiments
  • Year 1: Calmely Hill City Farm to learn about animals, the land and livelihood of farmers
  • Year 2: Centennial Park excursion to learn about mapping and types of parkland
  • Year 3: Recycling incursion to learn about composting and recycling
  • Year 4: Zoo excursion to learn about biodiversity and animal habitats

Night of Song

On Tuesday evening a number of students were involved in the Night of Song concert. It was a wonderful evening with performances ranging from solo items to choral pieces from the Infants, Junior and Junior Chamber Choirs. Thank you to Danny Burley for organising the concert and conducting a number of items. Thank you to Susan Longney and Adam Majsay for conducting their Junior and Senior Chamber Choirs and to Brendan O’Mahoney for accompanying a number of items. Thank you to David Gwilliam and Joanne De Araujo for their ongoing support behind the scenes to make the event possible.

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A-thon World of Mathematics

On Monday and Tuesday next week the Primary School will be participating in the annual A-thon. The focus for 2016 is Mathematics. Students will spend a day engaged in hands-on Mathematics activities and will have the opportunity to participate in an incursion presented by World of Mathematics. Parents have received a student sponsorship form via email and students have also received a physical copy for their parents this week. Every dollar raised through the A-thon is matched by the JCA. The money raised will go towards a Primary School initiative or improvement in 2017. Thank you to Helen Maynard, Stacey Rosenfeld and Katie Narunsky for organising this fantastic event.

Upcoming Dates

  • 7 November: A-thon World of Maths Years 4-6
  • 8 November: A-thon World of Maths Years K-3
  • 8 November: IP Information Morning, 7:30-8:20 am, Millie Phillips Theatre
  • 9 November: Years 4-5 Football Gala Day, 8:30am-3:30 pm, Trimbell Park
  • 9 November: Year 3 Excursion Centennial Park
  • 9 November: Years 6-7 Transition Day
  • 10 November: Year K 2017 Information Evening, 7:00-8:30 pm Kindergarten classrooms
  • 11 November: Remembrance Day
  • 11 November: Year 6 Science incursion, 1:00-2:00 pm The Aron Kleinlehrer Performing Arts Centre
  • 14-16 November: Healthy Harold visits Years K-3
  • 15 November: Year 2 Instrument trials/Blow tests
  • 18 November: Year 2 Pathways 8:20-9:30 am Millie Phillips Theatre and Angles Leadership and Learning Centre
  • 18 November: Year 5 Leadership 2017 forms due

Term 4 K-2 Assembly 2:00pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre

  • 11 November Week 5: Year K Eilat (Mrs Buzo’s class)
  • 25 November Week 7: No Years K-2 assembly
  • 9 December Week 9: Years K-2 puppet club

 

Primary Musical – Seussical

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Kornmehl

aizen-terry

Terry Aizen – Director, Kornmehl Pre-school

The term has begun with lots of exciting investigations and projects underway. The children have all returned after their holiday refreshed, full of energy and confidence and ready to go. The term is no doubt going to fly by very quickly and soon we will be at the end of another year! Already so much learning has occurred over the past few weeks and the classrooms are a buzz of activity, investigations, learning and researching.

National Children’s Week

Children’s Week is an annual event celebrated in Australia to bring about an awareness of children’s rights, wellbeing and talents.

We discussed and shared our thoughts about Children’s Week and what this means and were blown away by some of the children’s insightful comments:

What does Children’s week mean?

It’s a special week…It’s like a party, a week is one week to celebrate stuff! To celebrate big stuff and little stuff! Lola (age 4.10)

Adults are at their work and children go to school to play. Nathan S (age 4.4)

You have to celebrate Children’s day. It’s fun! Zoe (age 4.10)

What is a child?

Mayan: A boy and a girl

Jordan: When you are a baby you are a child and then you grow up

Ella: A child is a children

Sienna: You must be at school

Aaron: I like being a child cause I get to do craft

Manu: I get to do painting

Shayna: I get to go to the Easter Show

Jack: You’re lucky that you have a mum and dad. We’re lucky we have toys cause not much people have toys

Nathan: Going to school

Aaron: I like being a kid cause I get to have my day off on Wednesdays with Oma and Opa and have treats

How is a child different to an adult?

Toby: We are smaller

Zoe: We have different hair colour

Maayan: We wear different clothes

Ryan: We wear different shoes

Tyler: Some people have dark skin and some people have light skin

Nathan S: Some are fair

Maayan: Adults go to work and kids don’t, they go to Pre-school or school

Aaron: Adults are older

Jack: Children have smaller eyes

Ori: Children are smaller, adults are bigger

Jessica: A child has shorter hair than their mummy

Jack: They do different things. They get earrings. Children don’t get earrings.

What is it like to be a child?

Mimi: It’s fun, you can have fun at a birthday

Zoe: Children play

Henry: Children play and Dads fix

Ella: Children can do pretend things

What can we do to celebrate children’s week?

Elly: We can have a party

Maayan: We can have a show, like puppets, music or dancing

Stella: We could go to the movies

Nathan P: We could make our own stage and put decorations on the roof and dance to music

Nathan S: Adults can take you wherever you like. I would like to go to the cinema and watch a movie again

Mimi: We could play outside

Henry: We could watch our iPad in the night when our parents are sleeping

Tyler: I would like to see the dinosaurs at dinosaur land

Maayan: We could go on a ferry

Ella: We could go to a fair

Care Packs

A big thank you to the Kornmehl Pre-school and Emanuel School families for their generous support of our Care Pack Project. We collected a record 1630 Care Packs, from 23 different schools. These have all been collected and distributed to 24 Pre-schools in outback NSW. We also set aside 30 Care Packs to send to Jilkminggan Pre-school when the Year 6 families and teachers went during the holidays. I am told they appreciated the packs very much and we can all feel very proud for the amazing Tikkun Olam we have participated in with this special project.

Seashells Excursion

On Thursday, the Seashells went on an excursion to the Botanic Gardens. They participated in a workshop called Mini Beasts. During the workshop the children got to see a variety of small creatures and learn about their habitat and special features. After the workshop, the children had a lovely ride on the little red train that takes you through the beautiful gardens and explains what you can see on the way. The children loved this train ride. We had a picnic lunch on the lawns of the garden, surrounded by beautiful plants and a spectacular view. Many thanks to our wonderful parent and grandparent helpers who accompanied us – Serge Smagarinsky,  Zoe Boothman, Natalie Tanne, Leora Ross, Nicola Berkovic, Zvi Berkovic and  Bassina Farbenblum. Your help was much appreciated.

Orientation Visits for Year K

Orientation visits to Year K started two weeks ago and will continue for the next two weeks.

The children were all very excited to walk up the hill and meet their teachers from Year K. Ms Buzo and Mrs Yunis were very warm and welcoming and all the Kornmehl children settled very easily and soon selected an activity to participate in at the table.

We have been discussing starting school. Mixed feelings are being shared among the children…feelings of excitement, feeling worried because they won’t know their teachers and classmates, a bit anxious because: “I don’t really know what happens at school”, feeling reassured: ” I know a lot of people at the School”, ” I know the School because I’ve been there before” and so on. We’ve also been discussing how we feel about this being our last term at Kornmehl. We believe that when children share their feelings and thoughts, they realise they are not the only ones feeling that way. This exercise is helpful and reassuring for the children. 

National Recycling Week

We are very excited about National Recycling Week coming up soon. This will take place next week from the 7 -14 November.

We hope that your collection of recycled materials is growing as well as your ideas and plans for your own unique and special Channukiah made out of recycled materials. At the start of recycling week, parents are invited to come in and spend time with their child, making and creating their Channukiah. These Channukiot will then be on display at the end of the year concerts for all to view and then be taken home in time to celebrate Channukah.

National Bandanna Day

Last Friday the Pre-school was filled with the colour of children wearing bandannas. We raised money for Canteen to help support teenagers suffering from cancer. Many thanks to all the families for their wonderful support. We raised $240.

Student Visitor

Please join us in welcoming Jessica Avino, a stage two Diploma student from TAFE. We hope her time with us will be rewarding.

Make time to play by Brene Brown

When you look back at your fondest memories, you may find they are often memories of times when you played, times when you found yourself having a good belly laugh, when you played games or did something fun with others! Each person has their own memories and those happy, playful times interwoven into the day to day stuff of life add interest and vitality.

What do you remember from your childhood? Was there time spent camping, fishing, playing board games, swimming, playing tiggy, water fights? The list of possibilities is endless and most of these activities are inexpensive. Children are wonderful teachers and they remind us when we most need to take time out from the responsibilities of living, earning and raising families. We miss out on moments of connection when we tell them: “We’ll play later or I don’t have time right now”.

Playtime creates connection

It’s so easy to place greater value on working hard or getting everything done and forgetting about the equal value of enjoying healthy fun and laughter. This is a big part of the work-life balance equation. Working too much can result in too little sleep, short tempers and strained relations. The antidote may be simply making time to play. These moments of connection build memories that last a lifetime.

Can you put a play date on the calendar this week? Decide on an activity and honour it as top priority. Ideally, it will involve others in the family. Perhaps it will be a picnic on the weekend, simply making a game out of the veggie preparation or spending an hour playing games with the family. Whatever it is, it will be time well spent!

“A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.” Roald Dahl

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Eden Marczak (4), Poppy Berkovic (4), Amy Speiser (4), Ryan Janet (4), Nava Weiss (5) and our special teachers Lindi Bloch (Starfish) and Renee Schneider (Dolphins). We hope you all had a very special day.

 

 

 

 

Gesher

Sonia Newell

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Giving Back

There are so many ways to get involved with our wonderful School.  On Wednesday afternoon we had two visitors to our campus – one a past and the other, a current parent.

Gregory Krasovitsky wanted to give back to the School in a volunteering capacity, as a way to say ‘thank you’ for the amazing opportunities the School offered to his and his wife Marlene’s sons when they were students here. Michael Krasovitsky was Head Madrich in 2005 and is now a Medical Registrar at the Prince of Wales Hospital Group, whist his brother David finished here in 2007 and is now a fully qualified Solicitor.  Gregory recently retired as a Mathematics teacher with a background also in Engineering and kindly offered to provide Mathematics mentoring to some of our High School students. Head of Mathematics, Michelle Lyons-Zwarenstein arranged that Gregory would run some ongoing sessions once-a-week with a small group of Year 10 students and on Wednesday afternoon, Joshua Amoils had a one-on-one session with Gregory. Joshua says: “The problem solving and geometry that Gregory introduced me to is a new way of logical and creative thinking that I’ve never seen in curriculum Mathematics. The development of this skill leads to insights and innovative, exciting solutions to problems. I am excited to work further with Gregory”.

Natalie Knoll, a successful business woman and wife of our Gesher Committee Chair and Board Member Daniel Knoll, spoke to our Year 12 Business Studies students about entrepreneurship and business, highlighting the road to success of Bird & Knoll www.birdandknoll.com . Natalie engaged the students in her story about building a business and about her formal studies and previous work in her journey to now, with the students asking lots of interesting and relevant questions.  

Chloe Corne
Natalie Knoll provided our business class with a real-life example and understanding of how a business functions. She enabled us to apply our knowledge and made some valuable points that will help us to write and excel in our upcoming exams. 

Pnina Hagage
Natalie was the perfect insight to a practical example of a business that became successful in a very short time. Whilst we as students have a long way to go, she had great advice that allowed us to access words of wisdom that no textbook could ever provide. Thanks Natalie! 

 

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Joshua Amoils and Gregory Krasovitsky

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Natalie Knoll Pnina Hagage and Jordan Fidler wearing Bird & Knoll scarves

2016 NINE AND DINE GOLF EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Unfortunately we have had to cancel our Nine and Dine golf event scheduled for 17 November due to poor registration numbers.  We are however, planning some very exciting School community events for 2017 and hope you will join us for them. Stay tuned!  

If you have some news you would like to share, please send to: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

 

 

Careers

Claire PechHow Technology is disrupting the Future of Careers by Rowan Kunz

Two weeks ago I attended an Annual Careers Advisors Conference and we had a talk by Rowan with some fascinating facts I wanted to impart to our students. Last week I shared the first part of that summary and this is Part 2.

 

 

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So what skills do our students now need?

  • Re-think the world of work as we (adults) know it
  • The life-long job has gone
  • Young people need different skills from what their parents needed
  • Young people will have 17+ jobs in (at least) five different career industries
  • Young people need a portfolio of skills:
    • They need to be global
    • They need to be flexible
    • They need to be multidisciplinary.

Future Growth Arenas (identified by Alex Ross in The Industries of the Future)

  • Robotics (automation) – will play a key role in supporting aged care which will be a $410bn industry by 2020

  • Genomics – DNA Sequencing – expecting huge growth to $22bn by 2020

  • Big Data – Language/agriculture/finance/robotics/genomics – improving efficiencies.

  • The Internet of Things – $19bn per year industry

  • Cyber Security – $175bn industry by 2017 (next year!)

What does it mean for young people, where should they focus?

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  • The STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths)
  • Multicultural thinking
    • Foreign languages
    • Technical languages (e.g Python programming language)
  • Coding skills
  • Maker spaces – places for students to work collaboratively and creatively
  • Volunteering experiences

Degrees for the future

  • Cyber security
  • Computer science
  • Bio/Mechanical Engineering
  • Biotechnology

    Which careers are future proof as far as we can see?screen-shot-2016-10-26-at-11-44-06-am

Enterprise Skills

Examining 4.2 million online job listings, what do employers want?

  • Enterprise and communication skills (communications, presentation, teamwork, creativity)
  • Digital literacy
  • Entrepreneurship (not in the buzz word way but in its true form) of being able to undertake a grand project, from start to finish
  • Career Skills – Linkedin, Brand Creation, Brand Identity

I hope this gives you all food for thought.

Khan Academy

This website features an extensive video library, practice exercises, and assessments. It covers K-12 Mathematics, Science, Finance, History and more: www.khanacademy.org/

Jobs of the future: Examining workforce trends

www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/Latest-news/Education-news/Jobs-of-the-future-examining-workforce-trends.

Design Centre Enmore

Anyone who wants to get into fashion and design should attend this open day at the end of November from 10 am to 3 pm at the Design Centre, 110 Edgeware Rd, Enmore. The Centre is open for two days and students get to see major works and get inspired. You need to leave your TAFE prejudice at the door, as anyone in the fashion industry knows this Centre is a world class leader producing designers such as Alex Perry, Nicky Zimmerman and Dion Lee to name a few!

sydneytafe.edu.au/newsevents/events/design-centre-enmore-open-day-2016

 TEDx talk – Why some of us don’t have one true calling

This is a great TED talk about not knowing your calling in life as you have lots of interests. I found this interesting and in light of the multidisciplinary nature of skills of the future, this will ease anyone’s anxiety at now knowing “What you want to be when you grow up”!

www.ted.com/talks/emilie_wapnick_why_some_of_us_don_t_have_one_true_calling

 

 

From the Parents and Friends

Emanuel goes camping

Last weekend, 70 adults and children from Emanuel attended our second family camping trip of the year at Cattai National Park, over Friday and Saturday nights.

With rain predicted, we all soldiered on and the rain found a way to move around us, leaving us in a pocket with perfect camping weather. 

We had a range of children from Years K through to Year 8. Everyone had a fantastic weekend filled with great fun, swimming, bike riding, making damper and enjoying one another’s company in a relaxed environment.

It was wonderful to see the children of all ages and years engaging together at this community gathering.

We look forward to setting two dates for further camping trips in 2017.

Lindi Bloch

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The next P&F meeting is next Tuesday 8 November at 7:00pm in the Senior Library. All welcome.