From the Principal

Anne Hastings – Principal

Our students, new and experienced Emanuelians, have settled into the year so well. It’s normal for them to be tired in the first few weeks of the year, since they have to adjust their body clocks from sleep-ins in the mornings to being at School ready to be thinking and active by at least 8:15 am. The very warm, humid weather has provided another challenge for them and their teachers, but they are all managing admirably.

Year 11 students and staff participated in a workshop last week that was given by Lisa Maltman of the Sleep Connection.

She talked about the modern-day sleep thieves, such as our habits of using technology before bed, our busy lifestyle and poor time management, cultural and family impacts, working too late, intense exercise before bed, poor food and drink choices. Teenagers in particular want to go to bed later and get up later. 

The following are some of her ‘smart sleep’ tips

• Prioritise your sleep and have a routine bedtime to aim for
• Have a one-hour break between work/use of electronics and sleep
• Make sure the bedroom is an electronics-free zone at night
• Keep your bed for sleep (ie students should not be studying on their bed)
• Set aside thinking and planning time – keep a pen and paper beside the bed
• Exercise daily
• Have bright light in morning, dim light in evening
• Limit sleep-ins to one hour extra on weekends
• Restrict any afternoon naps to 20 mins 
• Avoid caffeine after 2 pm/limit alcohol
• Go to bed when sleepy
• Get rid of the snooze button on any alarms – get into the habit of getting up straight away when the alarm rings
• Seek help if you are concerned about your sleep health.

Jazz on the Hill

Our very successful afternoon of good music and company is coming up again on 26 March from 2 – 5 pm. Please see the Gesher page elsewhere in this Ma Nishma for booking details or click on the link http://tinyurl.com/JOTH2017

Student success

Mazal tov to:

• Nathaniel Spielman, Adam Shul and Maximilian Mora-Chow, for being invited to join one of the 12 ensembles for the Sydney Youth Orchestra
• Ms Maxine Chopard, for managing the challenging task of organising the photographs of all of our students and staff in the last week with great competence and equanimity

We love to recognise our students who have special and notable achievements within and beyond school. Parents are welcome to email me on principal@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au with the details, for inclusion in this section of Ma Nishma.

 Coming up

• Primary Meet the Teacher evening, Monday 13 February 6:00 – 8:30 pm (see Primary page for more details)
• Year 10 Parent and Student Information Evening (including Chavayah information), Wednesday 15 February, 7 pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre
• Years 7 & 8 Camp, Tuesday 21 – Friday 24 February
• Year 9 Parent and Student Information Evening, Tuesday 21 February, 7 pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre
• Drugs and Alcohol Presentation with Paul Dillon, Wednesday 22 February, 7 pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre
• Year 8 Parent and Student Information Evening, Tuesday 28 February, 7 pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre
• New Parents Welcome and Year 7 Parents Meet the Teacher, Monday 6 March

Quote of the week

“The Past is to be respected and acknowledged, but not to be worshiped. It is our future in which we will find our greatness”. [Pierre Trudeau (1919 – 2000)]

Best wishes for a restful and reinvigorating weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

Whom to Contact

Margaret Lowe – Deputy Principal

Whom to contact if you have a query or problem

Years K-6 parents

Step 1

For a welfare or academic issue one approaches the class teacher.

Step 2

If the issue is not resolved with the class teacher one approaches the Deputy Head of Primary (Emma Clemens), or the Director of Studies (Helen Maynard) for an academic matter.

Step 3 –  (Unresolved problems)

Head of Primary (Natanya Milner)

Step 4

If the problem is still unresolved after Step 3 one approaches the Principal (Anne Hastings). If the matter that you wish to discuss is particularly sensitive or an emergency of some sort, you may wish to contact a senior person in the first instance.

Years 7-12 parents

Step 1

For a welfare issue one approaches the House Tutor.

For a classroom/subject issue one approaches the class/subject teacher.

Step 2

If the subject issue is not resolved with the class teacher one approaches the Head of Department. If the welfare situation is not resolved with the House Tutor one approaches the Head of House.

Step 3 –  (Unresolved problems)

Years 7-12: Director of Studies – Subject/Curriculum matters (Adam Majsay)

Years 7-12: Deputy Principal (Margaret Lowe)

Step 4

If the problem is still unresolved after Step 3 one approaches the Principal (Anne Hastings). If the matter that you wish to discuss is particularly sensitive or an emergency of some sort, you may wish to contact a senior person in the first instance.

Jewish life queries

For answers to questions about Emanuel’s Jewish life, one approaches the Heads of Jewish Life (Rabbi Daniel Siegel for Years 7-12 or Adam Carpenter for Years K-6)

IT issues

Step 1

Approach the IT staff

Step 2

If the issue is not resolved with the IT staff approach the ICT Manager (Zoran Taleski) for technical issues, or Director of eLearning (Garry Case) for educational issues.

Step 3

If the issue is not resolved approach the Business Manager (Jillian McCormick).

Step 4

If the problem is still unresolved after Step 3 one approaches the Principal (Anne Hastings). If the matter that you wish to discuss is particularly sensitive or an emergency of some sort, you may wish to contact a senior person in the first instance.

Board issues

The governing Board of the School is responsible for ensuring that the School’s aims and ethos are established and implemented, as well as determining the strategic objectives and the direction of the School. Any general matters relating to Board issues can be addressed directly to the President of the Board in writing. Matters to do with fees or other financial matters should be referred to the Business Manager.

Grievances

The person who is ultimately responsible for dealing with a grievance identified by a parent at Emanuel School is the Principal or the Principal’s appointed delegate. If the issue is not dealt with appropriately by the Principal, the parent can make a written appeal to the President of the Board.

Board issues

Any general matters relating to Board issues can be addressed directly to the President of the Board in writing. Matters to do with fees or other financial matters should be referred to the Business Manager.

Whom to contact about absences from school

Please email absence@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au or telephone 8383 7311 by 8 am on the morning of an absence or when requesting early leave or late arrival. For longer absences please email the Head of Primary, Natanya Milner for Years K-6 students (nmilner@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au) or the Deputy Principal, Margaret Lowe for Years 7-12 students (mlowe@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au).

Arriving late, leaving early?

Arriving late?

Email absence@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au by 8am on the day your child will be late

Need to leave early?

Email absence@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au by 8am on the day your child needs to leave early

Not coming to school?

Email absence@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au by 8am on the day your child will be absent

Taking more than five days off?

Email Darryl Bourke PA to the Principal, dbourke@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au at least two weeks prior to your requested leave dates. You will be sent a form to fill in and return before approval is granted (or otherwise) by the Principal.

Margaret Lowe

Deputy Principal

From the Primary School

Emma Clemens – Deputy Head of Primary

Child wellbeing and parenting, part 1

Over the summer holidays I read a fantastic book called The Bonsai Child by Judith Locke. Locke is a clinical psychologist and former teacher who specialises in parenting and child wellbeing. Whilst the content was at times quite confronting, Locke provides many incredibly insightful and helpful tools for parenting and teaching.

There has been considerable research into the most effective parenting and teaching approaches. Baumrind, Maccoby and Martin all identify two key factors that determine parenting style:

•  Responsiveness: Tendency to be loving and responsive to a child’s needs
• Demandingness: Using rules and consequences to demand appropriate behaviour

 High and low levels of these two factors have different outcomes for children. Authoritative parents and teachers are loving but also expect children to act and behave appropriately. This is the ideal method of parenting and teaching. It builds resilience, security and enhanced wellbeing for children.

Locke discusses how she has observed a shift in the expectations, rules and consequences for children of the 21^st century. We have a tendency to be highly responsive to children, where any hint of anxiety or lowered self esteem becomes cause for great concern. Also we can be extremely demanding, expecting our children to be the most popular, achieve the highest results or be the most successful athlete. Conversely we can be extremely low in demandingness, expecting our children to do very little. Locke believes these changes to demandingness and responsiveness can cause a chain reaction for children. Being responsive to children and having high expectations is excellent for children. However, being overly responsive, having extreme expectations or over helping children can be unhelpful for children.

Judith suggests a range of strategies to foster authoritative parenting and teaching. Some of these include:

• Develop confidence: Belief in yourself gives greater strength to cope with adversity. Confident children do not rely on other’s responses or require constant praise.
• Assist with self-regulation: This is the ability to choose constructive and appropriate behaviours and emotions particularly when faced with opposition or disappointment.
• Step back so they step up: Help children develop responsibility and maturity by gradually encouraging them to become more independent.
• Develop resilience: The capacity to bounce back from adversity is assisted by confidence from loved ones. But it is primarily developed through facing challenges and learning to cope.

Primary swimming

This week, Year 3 students commenced their swimming program at Allsorts Fitness and Wellbeing Centre. This program runs for seven weeks over the course of Term 1. Next week on Thursday 16 February we have our Years 3-6 Swimming Carnival at Des Renford Aquatic Centre. Students need to arrive at school as normal. Buses will depart from school for a 9.30 am start at the Aquatic Centre. Students will return to school by 2.45 pm. Parents are welcome to attend the carnival. Students must wear their swimming costume and sports uniform with House shirt to school. House swimming caps will be provided at the carnival. Students are to bring a towel, underwear to change into, plastic bag for wet items and goggles (optional). Please send vegetarian recess, lunch and a water bottle. Parents are asked not to purchase food from the shop at the Aquatic Centre for their children. If you have any questions regarding the Swimming Carnival please contact Stuart Taylor (staylor@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au).

Years 3-6 Instrumental Program

In Week 3 we commence our wonderful Instrumental Program (IP) for Years 3-6. Years 3 and 6 have IP on Tuesdays and Years 4 and 5 have IP on Wednesdays. When students arrive at school they should take their instrument and IP practice books down to the Music Department. If you have any questions regarding Years 3-6 IP please contact Diana Springford (dpsringford@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au). All music ensembles and private tuition will commence in Week 3.  For further information please refer to the Ma Nishma page from the Head of Music.

Meet the Teacher

On Monday 13 February you are invited to Meet the Teacher. This is an opportunity for you to meet your children’s teachers and hear about some of the initiatives at Emanuel for 2017. Please see the timing and venues below:

• 6.00-6.45 pm: Years K-2 meetings in classrooms
• 6.45-7.30 pm: All parents to hear about whole school initiatives in the Lehrer Family Multi-Purpose Hall (MPH)
• 7.30-8.15 pm: Years 3-6 meetings in classrooms
• 8.15-8.45 pm: Northern Territory Information Evening for Year 6 parents in Year 6 classrooms

Assembly schedule

Years K-2 assembly will commence in Week 4 and Years 3-6 assembly will commence in Week 5. We welcome parents to attend Years K-2 assembly on Friday of Week B (even weeks) at 2.00 pm in the Millie Phillips Theatre. The Years K-2 Assembly schedule with class items will be published in Ma Nishma in the coming weeks. At this stage the 1^st class-item is likely to be towards the end of Term 1.

Upcoming dates

• 13 February: Meet the Teacher, classrooms and MPH 6.00-8.45 pm
• 15 February: ASISSA Basketball, St Andrews Cathedral 1.00-2.15 pm
• 16 February: Y3-6 Swimming Carnival, Des Renford Aquatic Centre commencing 9.30 am
• 17 February: London Klezmer Quartet Performances for Years K-6
• 22 February: Years 6 and 7 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Parent Information Night, Maria Tirabosco High School Library 7.00-8.30 pm
• 23-24 February: Year 6 Leadership Camp, Allsorts Fitness Centre and Emanuel School
• 24 February: Crazy Hat Day
• 24 February: P&F Camping Trip commences, early leave for participating students at 1.10 pm

Primary Leadership

Lior Misrachi – Jewish Studies Teacher and Primary Student Leadership

It has been an exciting start for the student leaders of 2017! Every Year 6 student had a specialist leadership portfolio including Chess, IT, Art, K-2 Play and many more. Portfolio leaders have been receiving their leadership badges and it has been lovely to see the pride with which they wear them. One student, when asked where his badge was, looked horrified and said: “These badges aren’t for sports uniform! I only wear it on my shirt collar!” We will continue to present portfolio badges into Week 3.

All leaders will also receive their leadership badges after the Leadership Experience on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 February. The Leadership Experience is a two-day training seminar for our Year 6 Leaders. On Thursday, they will be off site participating in a variety of exciting activities focusing on team work, communication and other aspects of leadership. On Friday, we will be on campus and the students will have time with their teacher mentors to set goals and plan for the year.

We wish the student leaders of 2017 much success in their endeavours and may the skills they learn this year see them in good stead for their futures.

Leah Wolf

Alix Cane

Ella Hart

Lior MIsrachi

Jewish Studies Teacher and Primary Student Leadership

Primary Mathematics and a world of magic

Helen Maynard – Director of Studies K-6

We consider our grouping in Mathematics along with all subjects to be flexible. This means that students may change groups depending on their needs. We talk frequently with students and parents about the notion of ‘best fit’ and this is what we strive for in our groupings. We want students to be challenged at a comfortable level to ensure understanding and growth.

Teachers regularly use a variety of strategies to ‘check in’ with students’ progress and adjust groups accordingly. Teachers will do a range of observations and formal assessments to ascertain whether any students need to change their groups.

Naturally, staff will need to take time to get to know students who are new to Emanuel School before they are placed in groups.

The magical world of READING!

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” 
 Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

As we are all aware, reading opens up worlds we could be never be part of, it provides knowledge and most importantly makes us laugh and cry. Books are truly magical.

The influence of parents modeling a love for reading cannot be underestimated. There are many strategies and ideas that can be utilised at home to open up the world of reading further for your child/ren.

How to raise a curious reader:

• Begin reading to your child at birth
• Let your baby play with the book
• Be animated. Use different voices and facial expressions as you read. Make it fun! Choose books that use word repetition, rhymes, and predictable text
• Decide on a regular time to read each day; even five or ten minutes gets children ready to read on their own
• Before reading the book together, have your child take a ‘picture walk’ through the book and make predictions about the story. This can also work for older students before they read a chapter
• Encourage a love of words by playing rhyming and word games, singing silly songs, or writing stories together
• Satisfy your child’s curiosity by choosing books that support your child’s interests, from dinosaurs to wizards
• Re-read your child’s favourite books whenever asked. After several retellings, ask your child to tell you the story
• Involve your child in the reading by asking questions! Ask “what” questions; avoid questions that require a simple “yes” or “no” answer. You might ask: “What do you think will happen next?” Remember to give your child time to think about the question and respond
• Take your child to the library to check out books and attend story time
• Subscribe your child to a weekly magazine of interest to them
• Read the newspaper together
• Model quiet reading time
• Books make fantastic presents
• Compare and contrast books and movies as a family
• Get siblings to read to and with each other.

The following link provides a multitude of ideas that can be used across many age groups:

www.readingrockets.org/article/18935/ 

Often teachers are asked to recommend good books for students to read. The link below has a list compiled by teachers of the top 100 books children must read before leaving Primary School:

www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/100-fiction-books-all-children-should-read-leaving-primary-school-%E2%80%93

Enjoy!    

Helen Maynard

Director of Studies K-6

From the Director of Studies K-6

Helen Maynard – Director of Studies K-6

Save the Dates – Parent Teacher Night – K-6

Please save these dates: This term the Parent Teacher Nights will be on Monday 27 March and Wednesday 29 March. We look forward to discussing your child/ren’s progress.

K-2 Reading Groups

This semester we will be using explicit, systematic synthetic phonics to teach reading and spelling. The premise is that children need to understand that spoken words are made up of sounds. They then need to learn what the sounds are and how each one is spelt. As per synthetic phonics, Kindergarten will start off with just a small group of sounds and letters, which the children will practise reading and writing. Then the program gradually and systematically adds more sounds, letters and words to ensure students have an in-depth understanding of the complexities of the English language.

As we are setting up this system, we are reconsidering the best way to establish reading groups. We will be in touch with parents about this in the coming weeks.

Mind Quest

Mind Quest for Years 1-6 students

What is it?

MindQuest is an exciting enrichment program designed to challenge and extend gifted and talented Primary students and has been running for nearly two decades.

When is it?

The weekend of 1 & 2 April

Where is it?

St George Girls High School, Victoria Street, Kogarah

Cost:

$195 for both days

For more information about programs being offered and other dates during the year, please visit: http://mindquest.net.au/

Please collect a brochure from me if you are interested.

Colleen Elkins

Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Today’s tomorrow

This Devar Torah was delivered as part of Year 11 Parent Information Night and Year 10 (2016) Prize Presentation

Erev tov

On Speech Night I shared the findings of The New Basics Report of the Foundation for Young Australians.

The Report reads:

“The changes we have been predicting are now on our doorstep … providing beyond doubt the growing demand for young workers to be enterprising individuals.”

For enterprising individuals, tomorrow is here today.

This week’s Parsahah is called BeShallach, meaning ‘sent, referring to the opening words of our Torah reading: “And when Pharaoh sent Israel forth from Egypt”.

Soon after being sent forth, the Israelites face their first challenge in seeing the future in the present.

Pharaoh’s armies are bearing down upon them from behind and the Promised Land is lying before them. Their present, however, reverts to their past and they are unable to see the future.

The Torah text relates:

“As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites caught sight of the Egyptians advancing upon them. They became very frightened and cried out to God. They turned to Moses saying: ‘Was their a lack of graves in Egypt that you brought us out here to die? Why did you take us out of Egypt…it is better for us to be enslaved in Egypt than to die in the wilderness’.”

For these Israelites their future becomes lost as they remain enslaved to their past. The Torah tells us that these Israelites never entered the Promised Land.

What did Moses do at this critical moment?

We read: “But, Moses said to the people, ‘Have no fear…stand and watch God deliver you’.”

Here at Emanuel we always ask our students about being a good dugmah, an examplar, a role model.

Was Moses being a good dugmah?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides the following definition of an enterprising individual:

“One marked by an independent energetic spirit and by readiness to act.”

Moses is here displaying neither attribute, in fact he appears to be the opposite of an enterprising individual.

And, God is more in agreement with Merriam-Webster than He is with Moses.

God says to Moses: “Why do you cry out to me. Speak to the Israelites, tell them they must move forward”.

God is piqued. Moses does not see that the people are at a crossroads and that they must act, that only their enterprising selves can bring them a future different from their past.

Moses too, as we know, remained with these Israelites and did not cross over to the Promised Land.

We can give you awards but we cannot hand you your future. In giving you awards, we encourage you to work towards your future in the present. 

As you begin Year 11 we say to you: “Be enterprising, as this week’s parashah asks us to be”.

Carpe Diem, Seize the Day, understanding that tomorrow is here today.

Ma Koreh

Weekly Torah Portion:

Parashat B’shalach Exodus 13:17 – 17:16.

This week’s parashah continues the Exodus story, as the Israelites leave Egypt and cross the Red Sea, whilst the pursuing Egyptian soldiers perish in its waters. The Israelites struggle with their new-found freedom and the physical challenges of a life wandering in the wilderness. They complain to Moses and to God about the lack of food and water in the desert, and God provides both water and food in the form of manna, to sustain the Israelites.  

Family discussion

If you were one of the Israelites with Moses, how would you feel upon seeing the Egyptian army drowned? How do you feel when someone who is your enemy is hurt or defeated?

Does complaining get results or just release tension? What are some other options aside from complaining about a situation? 

Yiddish word of the week

The heat and humidity of the past week has resulted in some serious perspiration across Sydney. In Yiddish, to sweat is to שוו׳ץ shvitz. Like many Yiddish words, shvitz has developed over time to have a number of different meanings and usages. One might go to the sauna for a shvitz. Active wear, elevated heart-rates and workouts at the gym are also a shvitz. And shvitz can also be used to mean worry or panic.

Hebrew word of the week

Last week we wished all our new and returning Emanuel families the traditional Hebrew welcome of ברוכים הבאים berukhim haba’im. One of our School values is that of community –  קהילה – kehillah. Our Emanuel School קהילה is made up of our students, staff, parents and families and each of us together create that unique Emanuel School ‘vibe’ that one feels when part of our קהילה. We value our School and students to be actively engaged and involved in the various communities we are part of: the Emanuel School community, the Jewish community and our local Australian community.

Year 5 students reflecting on Jewish wisdom found in Pirkei Avot

Year 5 students are continuing to reflect on the questions raised by the 2^nd Century CE scholar, Shimon Ben Zoma, who asks us what constitutes a good person and a meaningful life.

Ben Zoma asks: ““איזהו גבור – Who is wise?”

Year 5 student responses:

• someone who faces challenges and his/her fears
• a person who stands up for his/her beliefs
• someone who stands up for other people
• a person who risks his/her life for others
• someone who can admit his/her mistakes and learns from them.

Ben Zoma responds: “הכובש את ׳צרו – one who controls his/her desires”

Story for Tu BiShvat – the New Year for the Trees

The Talmud (Talmud Bavli – Masechet Ta’anith 23a) records the following story:

“One day Honi was journeying on the road and he saw a man planting a carob tree; he asked him, ‘How long does it take [for this tree] to bear fruit?’. The man replied: ‘Seventy years’. He then further asked him: ‘Are you certain that you will live another seventy years?’ The man replied: ‘I found [ready grown] carob trees in the world; as my forefathers planted these for me so I too plant these for my children’.”


Click on the link for an animation of this story: www.bimbam.com/tu-bshvat/

Discussion questions for your home and family:

• What lesson is this story teaching us?
• What do you do in your life that reflects this teaching?
• How might this story connect to contemporary issues and challenges facing humanity and the environment?

From the Head of Music

David William – Head of Music

Ensembles and private tuition

All music ensembles and private tuition will commence in Week 3. Please refer to the Music Routine section of the Calendar Digest (accessible via the parent portal) for the ensemble schedule. Parents and students will receive by email a link to access their private tuition schedule.  Please save/bookmark this link and check the schedule regularly as lesson times are liable to change.

Years 3-6 Instrumental Program

In Week 3 we commence our wonderful Instrumental Program (IP) for Years 3-6. Years 3 and 6 have IP on Tuesday and Years 4 and 5 have IP on Wednesday. When students arrive at school they should take their instrument and IP practice books down to the Music Department. If you have any questions regarding Years 3-6 IP please contact Diana Springford (dpsringford@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au).

Links to online forms  

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

To discontinue private tuition for Term 2 (it is now too late to discontinue for this term): http://tinyurl.com/PrivateTuitionDiscontinuation

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

To discontinue the Infant Strings Program for Term 2 (it is now too late to discontinue for this term): http://tinyurl.com/InfantStringsDiscontinuations

From the Specialist Learning Centre

Your child’s wellbeing

Welcome to families new to the School and welcome back to more familiar families.

If you have external professional reports pertinent to your children, please ensure that copies of them are given to the School, as soon as possible. This information is used to ensure that teachers have a multi-faceted view of students, which in turn means that there is an opportunity to enable inclusion to the best of our abilities, within a mainstream environment.

We are aware that there is sometimes hesitation in providing information for fear of students being ‘labelled’, which in many minds means that their boundaries are automatically seen as limited. Given the professionalism and experience of Emanuel teachers and psychologists, this is not the case. What we are seeking is the full picture of a student so that we can meet her or his needs.

Paediatricians, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and external psychologists often ask parents to ask teachers to fill in forms of various sorts.

While we are happy to do that, please be aware that, in your child’s best interests, we need time to devote to this to provide the most meaningful information.

This being the case, at least two weeks’ notice is needed for completion of forms. We will ensure that completed forms are received by the relevant specialist.

The School procedure is that all external reports and requests for information should be directed in the first instance to myself in the case of all matters related to possible learning issues, possible ADHD, Dyslexia and social and emotional issues that seem to emanate from these. Reports on more general and specific psychological issues should be directed to Kim Slender or Belinda Gold, our School Counsellors.

It is important for your child’s wellbeing and safety at school that we are aware of any medication being taken, be it for physical, learning or psychological reasons. Please inform the nurse of any matters in this regard.

If you are reluctant to give any of the information about any of the above, please chat with one of us about your concerns.

We look forward to partnering with you in your child’s best interests.

Dr Lynn Joffe

Director of the Wolanski Family Specialist Learning Centre

Educational and Developmental Psychologist and Specialist Teacher

PhD (B’ham), COGE – Cert Gifted Ed (UNSW), Dip Teaching Dyslexic Students (UK)

Cert TfU 1 & 2 (Harvard)

Ms Kim Slender

School Counsellor

Psychologist 

BA Hons Psychology (UNISA)

MA CFT (UNSW)

Ms Belinda Gold

School Counsellor

BA Fine Arts (Sydney University)

Grad Dip Counselling (ACAP)

Cert Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy (ICAPP)

Ms Genevieve Radnan

 School Nurse

Registered Nurse (ACU)

High School Sport

Kristy Reed – Sport Co-ordinator and PDHPE Teacher

High School sporting events next week

Monday

Morning

Year 7/8 basketball development squad

14 boys basketball training

Year 8-12 girls touch football training

Afternoon

Pilates

Beach volleyball

Tuesday

Morning

Running group

Year 8-10 boys touch football training

Afternoon

Sydney Schools Cup Interschool Futsal competition

Open boys basketball training

Touch football competition

Wednesday

All day

CDSSA representative teams basketball and touch football trials

Morning

Boys fitness

Afternoon

Cricket development squad

Thursday

Morning

Girls fitness

Years 11-12 boys touch training

Afternoon

Rockclimbing

Years 9-10 girls netball competition

Friday

Morning

Swimming squad

16 boys basketball training

Surfing

Sunday

14 boys basketball competition

16 boys basketball competition

Open boys basketball competition

Rabin Bugle

Shabbat Shalom Rabinites!

A new year!

The first two weeks have flown by and you should hopefully by now be settling into your new routines and finding your classrooms on time. We have a great year ahead of us. Rabin House would like to give an extra warm welcome to the Year 7 cohort, who have just begun their High School journey, and the new students who have joined our House. We have new Tutors for our youngest Rabinities – Mr Furman and Mrs McAndrew. They will guide and provide invaluable advice for these students during their passage through High School. Rabin House commends the Peer Support leaders who came in early from their holidays to spend time with the Year 7 Tutor Groups. The Peer Support leaders will lead weekly activities and help guide the Tutor Groups through exciting activities at Somerset Camp.

Well done to our Peer Support leaders Alanah Borman, Sean Torban, Kiara Rosen-Tal, Tai Oshlack , Lauren Faul and Jonathan Mane.

Alana Borman

Sean Torban

Kiara Rosen-Tal

Tai Oshlack

Lauren Faul

Jonathan Mane

There are so many fantastic events and opportunities on offer at Emanuel School and we encourage all of you to try new things and to step out of your comfort zone. Rabin House has already had two House assemblies with Friendship and Teamwork as themes and it is great to see you all join in, participate and keep our special spirit going. We have also handed out the new Rabin pins, and it has been nice to see so many of you wearing them on your uniform during this week.  

We have three eventful weeks ahead. Next week Rabin House has exciting guest speakers visiting us. In Week 4, Years 7 and 8 go to Somerset Camp and the Annual Swimming Carnival is held in Week 5. Rabin House is doing well in the race for the Ezekiel Cup. We championed home the Athletics Carnival in style and finished close second at Inter-House Music, so this could be the year we take home the Cup.

As always, if anyone in our House wishes to contribute to the weekly article, they should email Mr Rembson. We would love to hear about your achievements in any field, and will ensure your fellow Rabinites acknowledge them accordingly!

We hope everyone has a great weekend and leave you with a few practical reminders in regards to late arrival and leave:

Arriving late? 

Your parent/carer must email absence@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au by 8 am on the day you will be late.

Need to leave early?

Your parent/carer must email absence@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au by 8 am on the day you need to leave early.

Not coming to school?

Your parent/carer must email absence@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au by 8 am on the day you will be absent.

Taking more than five days off?

Your parent/carer must email email dbourke@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au at least two weeks prior to your requested leave dates. Your parent/carer will be sent a form to fill in and return before approval is granted (or otherwise) by the Principal.

HIGH SCHOOL JILKMINGGAN TRIP 2017

High School Jilkminggan Trip 2017
29 October – 3 November: Week 4, Term 4

Bookings are now open

David Whitcombe – Outreach Program Co-ordinator

Our annual High School trip to the Northern Territory is a five night adventure, including one night in Darwin and three nights in Mataranka. The highlight is two full days spent with the children of Jilkminggan, firstly at their school then swimming and playing with them in their local river. This will be the 7^th annual High School trip and every year the bonds between Emanuel and Jilkminggan become stronger. There are only 18 places available. It will again be led by Mike Keighley from Far Out Adventures, Mr Whitcombe and another teacher. 

 

The trip includes two other Aboriginal cultural and educational experiences, firstly ‘Pudukul’, a family run experience in the bush outside Darwin and an Aboriginal painting experience just outside Katherine. We also enjoy an eye-opening croc-boat tour on the Adelaide River, just outside Darwin on the first evening. On the way back up to Darwin on the last day we visit Edith Falls and then enjoy Mindil Beach Sunset Markets in Darwin before flying home. It is a brief but powerful journey which introduces students to Aboriginal children and some of the issues facing their lives in remote communities. The total cost is $1800 including flights ($1150 without flights). Travel insurance is not included in the price. 

 

Years 9-11 students are invited to pay a deposit of $900. The trip will open up to Years 7 and 8 students if we do not have 18 participants from the older years.

 

Please contact me at dwhitcombe@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au if you are interested in joining the trip. If there is something holding you back, please let us know and we will see if we can help. 

 

Letters will soon be emailed to all students in Years 9-11. The first 18 students to pay the deposit will be heading to Jilkminggan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emanuel Film Festival

From the Maria Tirabosco Library

Karen McAndrew – Teacher/Librarian

Online resources

The Maria Tirabosco Library offers access to digital databases, encyclopedias, newspapers and magazines, reading suggestions for Years 7-12, research tips and more. For further details, follow the Libguides icon on your portal page or go to http://libguides.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/hsl

After school help

The High School Library is open three afternoons a week to assist students with their learning needs. All High School students are welcome to these sessions and Years 5-6 may also take advantage of these services with their parents’ permission.

Tuesday 3.30 pm – 5.00 pm (Open Time with Ms Chopard)

Wednesday – Thursday 3.30 – 5.00 pm (Homework help with Emanuel Alumni)

 High School families: Take the Fiction Challenge

We’re looking for keen readers to encourage not-so-keen readers to participate in a Family Reading Challenge. Summer is the perfect time to encourage your children to find a cool spot to relax and read. We all know that fiction can transport us to worlds both true and imagined, trigger curiosity, develop empathy and improve literacy, so why not Take the Fiction Challenge.

So here’s the challenge: encourage your family to read a combined total of 17 fiction titles in 2017, then share a short review of your favourite book (reviews of Young Adult Fiction will be published in Ma Nishma).

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

This week we welcome back our current Year 12 students to the careers space and I introduced our year’s schedule. We discussed the choices we are making this year and how this may not be the definitive choice in their career. This is another step in the process of making solid career choices, that are as informed as possible.

I have been analysing the list of university offers from the main round in January. It was so exciting to see the variety and calibre of university places given to our Year 12 students from 2016. Some of the highlights were:

• 51% of students getting into their 1^st preferance
• A further 23% getting into their 2^nd preference
• Many new students heading off to UTS
• Students going to ANU for joint degrees, engineering and advanced science
• Many students taking up places in Communications degrees
• Students making it to undergraduate Medicine and Law, as well as the UTS Insearch diploma
• Many students going to UNSW for fine arts, design and architecture
• Students gaining access to early entry schemes from Macquarie University (Business Leadership) and also Charles Sturt University (Agriculture).

It is very encouraging to see that nearly three quarters of our students are getting into their 1^st or 2^nd preference. It is a testament to realisitic preference choosing and their doing so well, that access into these courses is not an issue. It also gives hope and faith to those current students who feel that at this stage their chosen path is out of their reach. I wish everyone well in the beginning of this year and ahead.

Gesher – connecting you with the Emanuel community

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Community connections continue

As I mentioned on this page last week, we are delighted to welcome so many new children to our School this year, a number of whose parents were Emanuel students.

Max Robertson just started in Year 5.  He is pictured here, so proud to be wearing the Emanuel uniform!  Max’s mum, Silvia Robertson (nee Malki) and her older brother, Jack Malki, finished Year 12 here in 1995 and 1993 respectively, whilst younger brother Daniel was here until Year 10. Their father, Max’s grandfather, Albert Malki, has his name on the Founders Board which hangs in the hallway of the Administration Building. There are so many familiar names on that Board of current families who were part of the very early days of the School.  Next time you come to Reception, have a look at the Founders Board – you too might see some familiar names.

Isaac Greenberg started in Kornmehl last week.  He is pictured here with his mother, Lisa Greenberg (Shapiro), from the Class of 2001.  Isaac’s father David Greenberg is also an Emanuel alumnus (Class of 2001).

Jazz on the Hill 2017
Sunday 26 March, 2-5 pm

This is an opportunity to be with friends and family, listening to the musical talents of a variety of members of our community, in a casual and relaxed atmosphere.  Bookings are now open:  http://tinyurl.com/JOTH2017

Check out these photos from last year’s event. 

We look forward to seeing you at this event, where primary-aged children will be entertained with supervised activities whist you enjoy the music.

If you have news to share with us, please send to: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

The year has started off extremely well, with all our new Kornmehl children and families settling in very well.

Kornmehl has been a buzz of activity and it’s been lovely welcoming back many past parents as well as getting to know new parents and children.

The beginning of the year is always one of mixed feelings and lots of excitement. Here at Kornmehl, your children are in a warm, loving and nurturing environment and their journey will be filled with lots of learning about life, values and friendship, and about the world around them. This journey is a collaborative effort from parents, educators and of course the children and we look forward to sharing 2017 with you all.

Below are some tips to help with the settling in of your child to Pre-school:

Starting Pre-school can be exciting for your child. But anxiety and tiredness are normal too – there’s so much for your child to get used to. You might notice that your child isn’t eating as much, or wants to sleep more. He/she might even seem less happy than normal.

Your child might be worried about finding friends, knowing what to do or being separated from family. He/she might get upset when you leave them.

Your child might also worry about what you’ll be doing while they are at Pre-school. Will you be doing something special – will they be missing out?

Separation anxiety is a healthy and protective emotion. It is the child’s way of saying: “You are my safe base and I need to develop trust and confidence in alternate carers”. Although you may be feeling as anxious and emotional as your child, try to stay cheery and confident as children will pick up on your feelings of apprehension.

It is important to always let your child know when you are leaving. Tell your child you are going and will be back after rest time. For some children, this will work. Although tempting, slipping away when your child is distracted can lead to him/her becoming very anxious and not letting you out of their sight on the next visit. 

Open communication between parents and the educators is crucial. It is important to share information. Parents can give the staff information about the child and in turn the staff can talk to the parents about the child’s experiences in the setting. Children get confidence from seeing warm, positive and friendly interactions between important people in their lives, like their parents and teachers. Good communication with your child’s educators also helps you share relevant information and helps the teachers know how best to respond to your child.

Always discuss your concerns with the educators. Together you can agree on and put into place strategies to support your child during this time. You are the safe base from which your child can branch out and explore the world, grow and learn and become socially and emotionally confident. Getting off to a good start will help you support your child through this very important period in their lives. Research shows that when the settling in period is positive for the child, it can not only impact on their happiness throughout their time at the Pre-school, but also on how the child views future transitions. Children who have a positive start are more likely to feel good about themselves as learners and have a sense of belonging to the Pre-school community.

We have begun by establishing the routines for each day and explaining to the children what ‘rules’ we have at Kornmehl. We have discussed sharing and caring for each other, and how we all need to work together at tidy up time, how we need to take notice of each other’s words and how we all sit together at morning meeting and value each other as individuals by listening and sharing ideas. Routines can help your child feel safe and secure, particularly when new things are happening

Playball

Playball for the Starfish and Dolphins began last Monday morning at 9.30 am and 10.15 am respectively. The children were so enthusiastic and excited and co-operated beautifully with Al and Terry, their playball coaches. Everyone came back from Playball with huge smiles on their faces. Please make sure your child is here on time for their lesson on a Monday and they must wear socks and sneakers and appropriate cool clothing. The Seashells will be starting Playball in Term 2.

Educa

We hope parents have all signed up to our new online communication system called Educa and have downloaded the app for your smart phones. We hope too that you are enjoying receiving the Daybooks as well as individual posts for your children through this system. Please feel free to comment back to teachers on the posts you read and give your own input and thoughts on what was written. We appreciate this opportunity to share in dialogue with parents about your children’s learning.

All the Pre-school policies are located on Educa for parents to read and familiarise themselves with as well as important Pre-school dates on the Educa calendar. All notices, reply slips, newsletters and interesting articles can be found on the Educa Dashboard.

Cultural diversity

“The Early Years Learning Framework talks a lot about diversity of culture and emphasises the importance of cultural competency to support the development of every child’s sense of ‘belonging, being and becoming.”  (NQS, Professional Learning Program). At Kornmehl we believe that when we honour and celebrate different cultures and diversity, we learn to appreciate and live with difference and we become aware of what we gain from acknowledging differences 

This week the children have been learning about and celebrating Chinese New Year – the Year of the Rooster. The children will be learning about Chinese culture, food and writing.

Parent information night

We invite all parents to join us on Thursday 23 February at 7.30 pm in the Pre-school for an informative and interesting evening. During the evening, parents will have the opportunity to hear all about our program, philosophy and values, as well as spend time with their child’s teachers, to hear what their children do during the day and how we structure our morning and afternoon programs. The evening will conclude with a question-and-answer session and a cup of tea or coffee.

Working in collaboration and partnership with parents and families is critical to achieving our learning outcomes for each child. “Partnerships are based on the foundations of understanding each other’s expectations and attitudes, and building on the strength of each other’s knowledge.” (Framework, p.12.)

Parent Club and Class Parents

I am thrilled that our co-ordinators of our Parent Club this year will be three dynamic and energetic Mums – Gayle Stein, Lissa Prosser and Sharon Miller. I am excited to work with them all and know that the year is going run smoothly with their help and support.

We are looking for two class mothers to help co-ordinate social events in each group for the children and families as well as gather support for fundraisers held during the year.

Our 1^st Parent Club meeting for the year will be held on Thursday 16 March at 9.30 am in the Pre-school. All parents are welcome to attend.

Kornmehl family picnic

Our annual family picnic will take place on Sunday 5 March at 9.30 am at Centennial Park bike track. Please bring along your bikes, food, picnic blankets and balls for a fun time with other Kornmehl families.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at this lovely social event.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Micah Pozniak (4), Vitaly Miron (3), Courtney Kadish (4), Tomer Codorean (4), Simon Smagarinsky (4) and Aviv Smily (4). We hope you all had a lovely day.

From the Parents and Friends Committee

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

We hope all of your families have settled in nicely to the new school year!

P&F camping trip