From the Principal

Anne Hastings – Principal

We had a very special ceremony to welcome our new and very beautiful Ark to the School on Tuesday. As a School that does not have a lot of excess space, our new mobile Ark provides a new flexibility for prayer spaces. Built lovingly from red and white cedar, with intricate carvings on the doors, this will be a long-lasting and significant addition to the School (see photo on Rabbi Siegel’s page).

We are very grateful to Paul and Lisa Werner and their family for instigating this project and making a significant donation to bring it to fruition. We also thank Brian and Leon for the care and dedication with which they created our Ark. Thank you also to Rabbi Siegel and Shira Sebban, for following the creating of the Ark closely throughout its development, for liaising with the creators and with Paul on such a regular basis, and ensuring that the outcome is one of which we will all be proud and which will stay in the Emanuel School community for many, many years. Many thanks also to all the students and staff who contributed to our moving ceremony on Tuesday.

Goals for 2017 and beyond

In the second half of 2016 we (all staff and the Board) began considering the future focus of the School. We agreed that the main areas to ensure that our students will be well prepared for their future should be:

• Enterprise skills and community connections
• Cross-curricular, real-life problem solving
• Inquiry-based, project-based learning
• Collaboration
• Resilience
• Creativity and critical thinking
• Confidence with making/inventing/learning through trial and error
• Personalised learning and student choice

Putting all these areas together, we’ve decided on the theme of Building Innovative Thinking and Personal Growth, for our next strategic plan.

In this context we see innovation as thinking of, and then implementing, a better way of doing things, rather than completely new and different inventions. It’s a mindset that sees people having a positive, ‘can do’, problem-solving attitude towards continuously improving their lives, work and that of their organisation or workplace.

With this in mind we have developed a set of goals for 2017. Tany Milner talks specifically about the areas of focus for the Primary School this year in her article, which I commend to you. The following are the main areas for our school as a whole:

• Develop the detail of our strategic plan for the next five years
• Further our path towards building innovative thinking in students and staff
• Develop a MakerSpace P – 12
• Continue to focus on STEM thinking (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
• Build our mentoring programs further (eg UNSW Engineering students)
• Increase connections with the outside community, particularly within the STEM areas
• Explore enterprise skills and their place in our teaching 7 – 12 (focus group)
• Continue our quest to develop global citizens through strengthening our East Timor, Jilkminggan and Israel programs and expanding to other connections
• Build knowledge and understanding of world issues (eg Geography Global Citizen Leadership project in Year 10)
• Enhance the engagement of students, particularly around Years 7 – 8
• Further focus on Literacy (Reading/Spelling) K – 12
• Implement cross-curricular projects and inquiry-based learning 7 – 12 (eg Music/Visual Arts, JST/D&T in 7 & 8)
• Encourage students to take responsibility for their learning (3-way learning conversations 7 – 12)
• Enhance collaboration skills, provide more opportunities for collaboration
• Staff professional learning through focus groups and other Professional Learning activities
• Develop Student Leadership programs further 6 – 12
• Review Jewish Studies and our approach to chaggim K – 12
• Enhance the CyberSafety education program 7 – 12
• Improve our record keeping for individual students in relation to wellbeing, welfare and academic progress
• Ensure consistent communication to students and parents through our online learning platforms 7 – 12.

Student success

Mazal tov to:

• Talia Rabin (Year 6) who competed with great success at the NSW Maccabi Swimming Championships at the Des Renford Leisure Centre on 12 February. Talia made a clean sweep of the 100m Open Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 200 Individual Medley and 50 Freestyle and was named the Swimmer of the Meet.
• Talia (Year 12) and Michael Rubinstein (her dad), who delivered 300 roses to patients in Prince of Wales on 14 February
• All of the Emanuel School JNF Green Sunday callers for their work on the phones last Sunday
• Eden Levit, (Year 6) who won Gold and defended her title at the Sydney Branch Surf Life Saving Championship. For a third year in a row, Eden beat out competitors from 15 other clubs, winning gold in the Beach sprint.  Eden will defend her title of State Champion at the Championships in Newcastle in March
• Chloe Corne (Year 12) and Gabriel Sebban (Year 11) for their significant part in the Ark Dedication ceremony on Tuesday.

Talia Rabin

Talia Rubinstein

Eden Levit

Coming up

• 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

‘Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.’ [John Steinbeck (1902 – 1968)]

Best wishes for a restful and reinvigorating weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Ani Tefillati

I am my prayer

This week our entire school community gathered together to celebrate Hanukkat HaAron, the dedication of our new Torah Ark. It is particularly auspicious that we dedicated the Aron at this time, for the weekly Torah reading, Yitro, recounts the giving of the Aseret Ha Dibrot (The ‘Ten Commandments’) which are to be housed in the Aron HaKodesh, the Holy Ark.

Two words grace the front of this beautiful ark, Ani Tefillati. These words, deriving from Psalms, mean “I am my prayer”.  

As we engage in prayer, and particularly as we open the Aron to access the Torah – the root source of our ethical and moral tradition – these words remind us to make our prayer our life’s journey. As Jews, we are to inform our living with our prayerful aspirations which reflect the teachings of our shared heritage. We share here the reflections of our students as to what the words Ani Tefillati mean to them.

Jesse Carpenter, Year 6

What ani tefilati means to me is that we should try to be the words of our prayer. When we sing a prayer for peace, like oseh shalom, we know that peace does not magically appear in the world.  So, what is the point of praying then? If we want the words in our prayers to become reality, then we must do something about it. Prayer acts as a reminder for us and inspires us to be the words of what we pray. When I pray for peace, my attention becomes focused on peace. The prayer oseh shalom focuses my mind and my heart on the concept of peace, which can then lead to my actions, beyond words, working towards peace. This what it means to be our prayer.

Tess Endrey, Year 6

When I say a prayer, it helps me to be mindful, and allows me to be grateful, for all the good in my life. Prayers allow us to connect our minds and our hearts with the words we are saying. When I say the Shema, I think about God being one and what it means for us all to be one and interconnected. Prayer reminds us that we must bring our Judaism with us wherever we go. When we say our prayers, it allows us to respect our tradition. When we say the morning blessing she asani bezalmo – we are made in God’s image – it reminds us that we are all different but connected and each person deserves to be respected and honoured. Afterwards, we say malbish arumim…God provides clothes for the needy. This prayer is saying that it is up to us to help in providing for the needy. We must be the words of our prayer and make our prayers real. We should not sit back and wait for God or someone else do it. It is all up to us all to be the words of our prayer.

Eitan Meshel, Year 11

Ani Tefillati – I am my prayer, is a reminder to me that our words shouldn’t be weightless – what we do is more important than what we say, and what we ask for.

The emphasis on the value of mitzvot shows just how important our actions are. Atonement is not simply the apology, it is also the attempt at fulfilling mitzvot, working to achieve the good things that brings us closer to repairing the damage we have done.

In Judaism, it is our actions that resonate far more than the words themselves. Beginning with Bereisheet, Genesis, humans are depicted as being bestowed with the exclusive powers of knowledge and conscious decision making, (symbolised by the Tree of Knowledge) enhancing our ability to engage in informed and mindful actions. 

Therefore, what we say to God, what we ask for and what we wish for, must be everything we stand for. This is not done through speech alone, but also through the actions that we know we’re responsible for. When we say “I am my prayer”, it is the promise that we are loyal to our words, and that our intention reflected in action is always good, despite our flawed nature. Judaism demands we strive for greatness, realising our best selves together with living in the service of others through a life of action.

Sienna Amoils, Year 11

In Judaism, when we pray, the siddur (prayer book) often reminds us to reflect upon on our actions, think about the things that we desire and consider all that for which we might be grateful. When was the last time you thought of the infinite extraordinary factors that enable you to exist and enjoy life, right here, right now? There is much for which we should be thankful but there is also much for which we should strive.  

What’s special about individual prayer is that it exists in every one of us, irrelevant of our faith or belief in God because this prayer reflects the truest versions of ourselves. These prayers are reflections of everything we know and everything we understand. Our individual prayers, shared aloud in the light of day or whispered to ourselves in our darkest nights echo our deepest hopes, wants and needs. It is in this way that our prayers reflect us. 

The challenge arises when the things we are seeking do not match the things we pray for – when we do not reflect our prayer; when as individuals we pray for good health and feed our bodies harmful chemicals; when we pray for happiness and only focus on the negative, when we pray for peace and understanding and condemn difference and diversity. 

Prayers are good starting points, but often opportunities can only bring change for those seeking them, unafraid of what that may truly mean. Our prayers are only realised when we act on them and live by them. Israel doesn’t exist today only because we’ve been praying for it for 2000 years. Rights for minorities don’t exist because people only prayed for them. Change doesn’t happen only because of prayer. 

So, we should always strive to make our actions reflect our gratitude, thoughts, hopes and dreams, just as much as we pray for them. To be our prayers, we must strive to make them our way of life, so that one day we can truly say Ani tefillati. I am my prayer.

Devar Torah

Liahm Simon

Na’asseh veNishma
We will do and we will hear

Below is the Devar Torah written and shared by Liahm Simon (Year 11) with his peers in our Monday tefillot.

We are taught to hear and do, and not to ask questions. We are taught that sometimes it’s best not to ask questions, and Judaism says the same.

In this week’s Parashah Yitro, the Israelites arrive at the foot of Mount Sinai. God then commands the people of Israel to prepare themselves for the giving of The 10 Commandments by purifying themselves.

The People of Israel hear this commandment from God and immediately respond, without thinking about it. They listen and do what he says. Throughout the next 43 parshiyot, Bnei Yisrael will blindly follow God and listen to everything he says and do everything he says, all culminating in the final loss of faith through the building of the golden calf, all because they blindly listened to God (tradition says they believed it would be 40 days before Moses descended, but they didn’t know it would also be 40 nights not 39). So, on the 40^th night and the 41^st day, when Moses did not descend from the mountain they built the golden calf, recognised as a cardinal sin on the part of the people. This event is a culmination of what starts in this week’s Parashah Yitro. The Jewish nation has forgotten to question and properly understand the doings which they must undertake.

There is no set path to take in life, every person’s path is different. This is why in Parashah Yitro we receive the pillar of Judaism – whatever type of Judaism, whatever your personal beliefs are, whether you’re in the diaspora or in Israel, whether you are secular or religious, Orthodox, Haredi or Reform, every single type of Judaism begins with the understanding that there are 10 dibrot (commandments) that we must follow every day. From respecting our parents, to honouring the Shabbat, to reminding us not to kill or steal.

Some rabbis have said in their commentary that the 10 dibrot are given in a basic form so that we should not alter them or change them by asking too many questions, because the longer they are the more would be up for dispute. Even keeping the Shabbat is not written like we might believe it is written, that you shall honour and remember the seventh day by not working, by your workers not working and your animals not working. It is a day of rest. It does not state all of the 39 forbidden actions but instead just acts as a reminder that for every six days of work you shall have a seventh day off.

However you may want to interpret it is up to you – you can question and ponder, but Judaism says you must have a rest. If rest, to you, is not driving and not using electricity, that is up to you, and if it is relaxing by the pool, that is also ok. There is no set right way or wrong way, that is what Judaism teaches you. But there are also times where you need to stop questioning and relax. The pillars of Judaism are pillars of humanity, so Judaism is asking you to fight for yours’ and others’ humanity.

In today’s world, we can choose our fights, we have the freedom to question and speak what we want and when we want. This freedom is not a right, it is a privilege and it is a privilege that each of us is lucky enough to have. But my question to everyone here is, do we use this privilege? Do we fight for what we believe in? Do we take action or do we act as an innocent bystander? The Torah today teaches us that there is time to follow what you are told, just like there are times in life to say yes and move on. But when is the right time to question and when isn’t? What is the right course of action to take when you do not know what to do? Do you stand up for yourself or do you stand up for what you believe in because sometimes these two things can mean you take two different types of action.

Some people believe there is nothing more important than education, some believe the most important part of your life is access to good healthcare, but what Judaism teaches you and what Emanuel, our School, teaches you is that whatever your passion is, pursue it, do not let your dreams be dreams, do not let someone tell you that you are wrong but you must question them and fight for what you believe in. So, when God says said Na’she V’nishma, do first and understand later, it does not just have to mean blindly follow someone else, it can mean follow your instincts and find out what that is later.

Ma Koreh

Weekly Torah Portion:

Parashat Yitro Exodus 18:1 – 20:23

This week’s parashah is named after Moshe’s father-in-law, Yitro. Yitro advises Moshe to delegate leadership roles to other capable people in the community, to ensure his leadership and responsibilities do not wear himself out (so he can have time with his family and to ‘Sharpen the Saw’). The Israelites continue their travels in the wilderness and camp at the base of Mount Sinai. Moses ascends the mountain to receive the Aseret HaDibrot (The 10 ‘Utterances’ – also known as the 10 Commandments). The whole community of Israel stands at the base of the mountain, which trembles with lightning, thunder, fire and the sound of Shofar blasts to experience the revelation.

Family discussion

Why are rules important? What would our world be like without rules?

What are the ’10 Commandments’ for your own family

 Yiddish Word of the Week: Kvetch

Kvetch – to complain, grumble, express one’s unhappiness, discontent.

A person who constantly complains is a kvetch.

We have all heard kvetching before and quite possibly we do it ourselves (but only rarely and when absolutely warranted). We unfortunately come from a long line of kvetchers. Recently we have been reading in the Torah about the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, constantly kvetching to Moses and God about the lack of food and water and reminiscing on how good life was as slaves back in Egypt. A bit of a kvetch every now and then may be helpful and therapeutic, but offering solutions and acting to make changes are often more constructive.

Hebrew Word of the Week: קודש

This week the whole school came together for a special dedication ceremony for our new school Ark, called in Hebrew ארון הקודש – Aron HaKodesh. The shoresh (root letters) for the Ark are ק ד ש – which describes something separate, unique, holy and connected to God. These shoresh letters form many other Hebrew words, which all connect to the concept of being separate, special, unique and holy.

* The Jewish wedding ceremony is called ק׳דוש׳ן – Kiddushin

* We acknowledge the sacredness of Jewish festivals by reciting ק׳דוש – Kiddush

* In the blessing before performing a mitzvah we say אשר ק׳דשנו במצוות׳ו – asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav vezivanu – who sanctifies us with God’s commandments

* The land of Israel is called אדמת קודש – Admat Kodesh, Holy Ground

* The Hebrew language is called  לשון הקודש – Lashon HaKodesh, the Holy Language

* The Jewish people are also known עם הקודש – Am HaKodesh, a Sanctified people

* A dedication for something הקדשה – hakdasha

* Mourners recite the prayer קד׳ש – kadish to remember their loved ones.

Year 5 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 עש׳ר – Who is rich?”

Year 5 student responses:

• someone who is kind and full of love
• a person who is kind, honest and well respected
• a person who is happy and enjoys their life
• someone who has made great achievements in their life
• a person who tries and gives their best
• someone who works had and gives to others.

Ben Zoma responds: “השמח בחלקו – one who is happy with what he/she has”

From the Primary School

Natanya Milner – Head of Primary

Meet the Teacher

Thank you to all the parents who attended our Meet the Teacher event on Monday night. It was a wonderful opportunity to begin the year by looking at the goals and focus areas for the Primary School and to welcome parents into our classrooms. There has been so much exciting change in the Primary School over recent years and we begin 2017 with different classroom spaces for each grade compared to just a few years ago. Since I began at Emanuel 10 years ago, this is the first year that there are no demountable classrooms for Primary!

As discussed at Meet the Teacher, our main focus areas for Primary this year include:

Innovation: We will be looking for opportunities to improve our current programs and systems as well as innovating and introducing new opportunities for our children. We are excited to be investigating the possibility of a MakerSpace on campus for students to tinker and explore creatively and technologically.

Reading and Spelling: Our Years K-2 teachers are incorporating a more synthetic phonics approach into their literacy programs. This includes an explicit and systematic way to develop sound-to-symbol recognition for reading and writing. We are excited to be building this further approach into our K-2 classrooms.

Mathematics: This year we have added a period of Mathematics to our timetables each week. With the additional time, we will be focusing upon the automatic acquisition of basic skills so students are able to then apply these quickly to assist in solving more complex problems.

Assessment: We are currently investigating the introduction of digital portfolios into some grades. This would allow us to share your children’s learning in more varied and environmentally friendly ways and in a more timely manner.

Hebrew and Jewish Studies: We are trialling new Hebrew resources in Year 3 that incorporate more technology applications into our Tal Am program. We are also looking forward to conducting an in-depth analysis of the integration between Hebrew and Jewish Studies programs in order to create even greater alignment and opportunities. 

Wellbeing: We look forward to continuing with recent innovations in the Wellbeing arena. The Leader in Me, Make a Difference (MAD) projects and Mindfulness programs will all continue. The teachers look forward to working on a framework to maintain the careful balance between creating articulate and empowered students whilst still developing listening skills and respectful relationships.

Swimming Carnival

This week’s Years 3-6 Swimming Carnival was a wonderful success with many students participating eagerly in a number of events. The House spirit was impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing both the sportsmanship and healthy, competitive spirit. Thank you to those of you who joined us for the day. A special thank you goes to all the staff who assisted and especially to Stuart Taylor, Adam Ezekiel and Sharon Fairfax for their huge efforts to co-ordinate and run the day. Thank you also to the wonderful Ofer Levy for taking such amazing photos which will be available to you at no cost. Look out for the email with information on how to access these from Ofer.

Primary EActive and Extra-Curricular Activities

There are many before, during and after school activities that have now begun for the term. The huge range of activities – from Sports to Drama and Languages, from Art to Touch Typing – is really a tribute to the Emanuel teachers who have committed themselves to the development of these wonderful offerings. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Adam Ezekiel and Emma Hill for co-ordinating these activities for our children. I would also like to remind you all that Emanuel Out of School Hours (EOOSH) is also available in the afternoons. I have heard fantastic reports from the children who have been participating. Feel free to sign up via the website: www.emanueloosh.net.au/

Upcoming Dates

• 22 February: Years 6/7 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Parent Information Night, 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 students at 1:10 pm
• 1 March: Year K Pathways Parent Information Night, Angles Leadership & Learning Centre 7:00-8:30 pm
• 2 March: Year 2 excursion Vaucluse House, 9:30 am-1:30 pm
• 2 March: Year 3 Swimming, Allsorts Fitness Centre 1:15-2:45 pm
• 2 March: Year 4 excursion Central Park, 8:50-11:50 am
• 6 March: New Parent Welcome Evening, 7:00-8:30 pm
• 7 March: Year 3 excursion Taronga Zoo, 9:00-3:00 pm
• 9 March: Ta’anit Ester, canteen closed
• 9 March: Year 3 Swimming, Allsorts Fitness Centre 1:15-2:45 pm
• 10 March: Years K-6 Purim celebrations

Year 6 Leadership

Year 6 Play Leaders have fun with Year K

Mariah Lewy

Lucia Meyer

Year 6 K-2 play leaders have been given some lovely Kindergarten students to buddy up with. We have been teaching and playing with these students.

We are hard workers and love looking after children. As we teach the Kindergarten children they also teach us something each day. We come to school saying: “I’m so excited to see you Year Ks!”.

When we see the Kindergarten children, they come running up to us and give us the biggest hug you can ever think of. We eat and play with the Year Ks sometimes in the playground and sometimes in class.

We think the Year Ks are the best children we have ever looked after in my life. They are kind, smart, caring and have very nice manners.

We can’t wait to work with the rest of K-2 this year!

Mariah Lewy and Lucia Meyer, Year 6

Mentors of the Year 6 K-2 Play Leaders: Katie Narunsky and Talia Hynek

Purim cards for the IDF

Rebecca Gaida – Jewish Studies Teacher

10,000 letters for 10,000 soldiers

Last week in Jewish Studies, Year 3 made some cute cards to send to the International Young Israel Movement in Jerusalem as part of their ‘10,000 letters for 10,000 soldiers’ campaign to send in Mishloach Manot baskets for Purim. Sending Mishloach Manot (food gifts to friends and those in need) is one of the Mitzvot (commandments) of Purim in order to make sure that everyone has enough food to have a little feast on Purim. A big thanks to Julia Tritsch for finding out about this great organisation!

From the Head of Science

View from the Kleinlehrer Family Science Building

Jennifer Sellinger – Head of Science

Welcome to the start of a scintillating and stimulating new year in Science. Already things are heating up in the K-block, with Year 7 learning the skills they will need for High School Science, including the ever-exciting lighting of the Bunsen Burner – always a highlight of the school year. The search for the ferret-rustling culprit has begun and Who Stole Annika? is the Science question in every Year 7s mind as they make their important observations and inferences in their quest for justice.

Year 8 have been expending energy as well – bounding around the Waxman Drive as foxes and rabbits. It was most amusing to watch them desperately competing for food and trying to survive the rigours of life in the wild! They have started with ecology and are pursuing understanding of the topic in a variety of ways, including food webs made of string and various other similar activities. This week they are also heading out to Homebush to investigate what it would be like to make a Home Among the Mangroves – particularly if you are a bacteria or a plant.

Year 8 students making food webs

The seniors are well on their way in their new courses and it is very interesting and encouraging to see them tackling the distinctly harder version of Science in Years 11 and 12. They are now expected to be very precise in their terminology, to understand and use Science terms fluently and to develop a deeper and more rigorous understanding of the particular Science disciplines that they have chosen. Whilst some of the content should be familiar, particularly in Year 11, the stakes are now higher and the level of knowledge expected is both broader and deeper, making senior Science a challenge for all – hopefully one they are eager and ready to accept.

It is important not to forget the playful and creative side of Science and we are tapping into the students’ immense enthusiasm for STEM with our 2017 entry into the annual Technion Rube Goldberg Machine competition. This international extravaganza sees Jewish schools across the Globe designing, constructing and filming wacky and creative machines to ultimately do a particular task – in this case to reveal a message about Earth Week. We reached the finals last year and have set ourselves a goal to make an even bigger, longer and more stable machine this year. We have a wonderful team consisting of both veteran machine-makers and enthusiastic newcomers and the ideas are flying!  The ideas are all on paper as yet, but construction starts today and I will bring you illustrated updates as they come to hand. There is always room for more enthusiasts so if anyone is interested in joining our team please feel free to come and see us in X03 any lunchtime between now and 15 March – bring your lunch!

As always at the start of the year our brains are buzzing with new ideas, excellent activities to try and conversations to have with our students. We are enjoying the fresh beginning and the bright enthusiasm of our students and are looking forward to a vibrant, interesting and informative year in the Science building!

Rashi Times

Eden Sadra

Olyvea Akres

Hey guys, Eden Sadra and Olyvea (Liv) here! We are thrilled to let you all know that we are your new editors for the 2017 Rashi Times. We are so excited to be back at school to start a great new year.

We are both in Year 10 and enjoy so many of the opportunities we get at Emanuel. I (Eden) am a real humanitarian and love subjects like Geography, HSIE and English. I also used to dance competitively which was a huge part of my life for a very long time. I (Liv) enjoy the structure of academic subjects like Mathematics and Science but still have a creative side that is greatly influenced by Emanuel School and the freedom I am given here.

We started school this year in full swing with new teachers and new students.  We welcome the following students to Rashi House: Year 7: Luca Calderon Havas, Brody Elbourne, Ben Rozen, Jessica Rubin, Jayda Sacks, Yakir Sadra, Isabel Sarraf, Deborah Winter; Year 8: Tara Israel, Year 10: Lola Phillips and Year 11: Adam Shul.

On Monday 13 February we had a great fundraiser co-ordinated primarily by Michal Wolstein as well as the rest of the Year 11 cohort who have recently returned from their jam-packed Chavayah Israel trip. The fundraiser was in honour of the charity Save a Child’s Heart, which is a worldwide organisation that provides urgently-needed heart surgeries to children in developing countries. They have saved over 4,000 children and continue to train doctors to be able to perform these time-sensitive and difficult surgeries. The activities at lunch were centred around Valentine’s Day with song dedications, face painting and card writing to the children undergoing surgeries in Israel or to friends. Let’s hope the people’s sweet messages ‘touched the hearts’ of those children in Israel.

Some more exciting news is the upcoming annual musical production of Legally Blonde. rehearsals have been underway for a couple of months now with the main cast working hard through the holidays to learn their songs. They are on the way to a brilliant and entertaining performance. It’s a huge undertaking but with a cast as dedicated and hard-working as this year’s they will surely do Emanuel very proud. After all, Genevieve Goldman is the star of the show!

We all heard Ms Hastings speech at the beginning of last week about setting goals for this year and we know that Katie and Maya have their eyes on the prize for Rashi. With the Swimming Carnival coming up in just a few short weeks let’s all bring House spirit and Rashi pride so we can win that Ezekiel Cup.

That’s it from us this week. Have a great weekend.

Liv and Eden signing off

Rabin Bugle

Shabbat Shalom Rabinites

Wild animals and celebrations – it has certainly been a fun filled and interesting week.

This week, Rabin House welcomed guest speakers from Taronga Zoo to our House Assembly. The presenters spoke on the importance of marine care and entertained us with their wealth of knowledge. They also brought along cute animals who captured the audience. Caring for animals is a particular passion of Eli Picker, Year 12 Rabin, who together with Mr Rembson and the House Captains, planned the event. Eli has over four years volunteered at Taronga Zoo through their YATZ Program. The youth volunteers range from years 13-19 and it is a great learning experience. Eli comments “I do this because I really like animals and I also like to teach people of all ages about the importance of wildlife and what we can do to limit how we impact the environment. Volunteering is a great chance for me to see what it is like behind the scenes at one of the most famous zoos in the world, to have fun and learn more about animals. I would recommend this experience to anyone who is 13 or older. Over the years, I have got a chance to look after many different animals ranging from birds and koalas to seals and sea-lions.”

Rabinite of the Year!

There are many students in our fine House who throughout last year acted in a fine spirit & displayed character, resilience, camaraderie and achieved success in an area that they are passionate about. The Rabinite of the Year Award is aimed at Rabinites in Years 7-10 and is a chance for our House to celebrate and acknowledge these students’ achievements. Head of House, Tutors and House Captains nominated students during the final two weeks of 2016 and this week, with all Year Groups present at our House Assembly, we celebrated their effort and actions.  

2016 Nominees

Year 7: Teoh Bader, Hannah Corke, Aiden Hoenig Georgia Kahane, Doran Lee, Saya Oshlack, Jared Robinson, Jonathan Schach, Ariella Tracton, Jessica Turtledove, Jade Berson, Elenor Labi, Cayla Miller, Cooper Levit, Rebecca Nebenzahl, Guy Rein and Sophie Sawicki.

Year 8: Lachlan Corne, Ethan De Melo, Gabriella Goodridge, Jake Greenberg, Amber Langman, Jamie Orleow and Danielle Rutstein.

Year 9: Joel Aaron, Greg Allen, Maddalena Grigoletti-Labi, Rachel Jammy, Adena Sheps, Paris Spennato, Daniel Van Sluys Erlich, Tia Mallinick, Sienna Meyer, Chelsea Rutstein, Lara Rutstein, Sarah Sharwood and Rachel Turtledove.

Year 10: Edan Amsalem, Reece Berelowitz, Romy Berson, Aaron Ellis-Bloor, Lauren Faul, Jake Harpaz, Jake Langman, Jonathan Mane, Danielle Miller, Tai Oshlack, Kiara Rosen-Tal, Jonathan Sinani and Sean Torban.

The 2016 Rabinite of the Year is Lachlan Corne!

Lachlan (opposite) has throughout the year displayed character & camaraderie and given 110% in all House events, ranging from House Music to Athletics. He takes initiative, radiates enthusiasm and approaches all matters in a humble manner. Lachlan has stood up for his ideals and throughout the year supported his friends and peers across the year groups. Congratulations Lachlan!

Sport Success

Danielle Rutstein (pictured)  has continued her sporting efforts in fine style and Rabin House congratulates her on being invited to the upcoming NSW State Championship and the Australian Junior Championships. Danielle will compete in both the high jump and long jump events. We congratulate Danielle on qualifying and we will be cheering for her in the weeks ahead.

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.

Kol Szenes

The week that was in Szenes House:

• Years 7 and 8 are getting excited about Camp Somerset, which will take place next week, from Tuesday to Friday. We wish them a wonderful time and look forward to hearing about their excellent experiences.

• On Monday, a group of Year 11 students, (from Szenes House: Liron Smith, Madeline Weinstein, Michal Wolstein and Sonia Redman, together with Gal Cohen-Kvatinsky, Romy Berson and Lauren Faul from other Houses), organised a plain clothes fundraiser for Give your Heart Day for Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) in Israel. SACH is an international non-profit organisation which provides lifesaving cardiac care to children from over 51 developing countries and offers comprehensive training to medical professionals from these countries. SACH has saved the lives of over 4000 children – let us help them save more. Our group wanted to carry on with this, so that we did not just forget our fundraising after Monday. So we have created an Emanuel Team Fundraiser to sponsor a child! Her name is Samira, and she is a three year old girl from Darisyam, a small village in Tanzania. She was admitted to the Wolfson Medical Center through SACH for evaluation and repair of her congenital heart disease in May 2016. We are fundraising to assist with her recovery and continued health. Let us all work together and give our heart out to those who need it.You can donate to help Samira here: www.classy.org/team/104926

• Alex Burman (11) spoke in a recent assembly about the importance of donating blood. Alex donated blood last year and encouraged students over the age of 16 to consider giving blood also. Alex was inspired to give blood as his mother started regularly doing so when she was 18 and his grandmother at 20. Blood donations will occur during lunchtime on 26 and 27 February.

• Ruach is alive and well in Szenes House! During our House Assembly this week Year 11 students, Liron Smith, Gabriel Wolf, Allegra Goldman, Jade Reuveny, Dheanna Eller, Sonia Redman and Michal Wolstein performed a dance, which was co-ordinated during their Chavayah trip to Israel.

Quotation of the week

 “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”
~Winston Churchill

 Enjoy the weekend.

Szenes House

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Over the last few weeks we have been having information nights for the senior years and I have been speaking about resources that are available for use as research tools. Here is a summary for those who missed the evenings or for those who would now like to begin this research process. They are all suitable for Years 10-12 students.

UAC: www.uac.edu.au/ 

This is the site I use the most. This is where all of the university courses are listed. You can do easy searches for courses of interest based on names, universities, subject areas and ATARs. 

Job Jump: https://jobjump.com.au/
Password is Emanuel

This is a great browsing, searching site to find out more about certain industries. You can look up videos, find out about industries, look at job prospects, salaries and lots more. I find this site fantastic. 

Emanuel School Careers
http://emanuelschoolcareers.com/

This is a great one-stop-shop site for parents. You can use this especially if you need clarity on the school/university system. Find out about all Australian universities, bonus points, how the ATAR is worked out and more. 

Last week Year 12 students, discussed social media, online presence and how important it is in the careers space. Compared to previous generations, this is an added agenda and consideration for our students.

Anyone who leaves their social media profiles open, and their content accessible by the public, is opening themselves up to criticism by a potential employer. What is now important is your own brand and how you market yourself. Our current students are entering a work force that is more based on small-project and contract-based work, so flexibility and marketability are going to be key.

There are a few hard and fast rules, as cited by Jim Bright of ACU Careers Department:

1. Decide what is it you have to offer
2. What do you want?
3. Know your audience
4. Put yourself and your content out there
5. Be consistent and focused
6. Understand different platforms
7. Develop a style and stick to it
8. Keep going
9. Review how it is going.

I encourage all students to be very mindful of what they put up on social media. Be mindful of commenting on others’ social media presence. I have heard too many stories of interviews going very well but some basic background checks let them down due to social media commentaries. It is a great idea to start keeping your profiles private but also watching what you say and how you say it. To read more go to www.theguardian.com/careers/social-media-boost-professional-profile?CMP=&et_cid=45084&et_rid=7688737&Linkid=How+social+media+can+boost+your+professional+profile

Gesher

An Emanuel great-grandmother is the subject of a winning 2017 Tropfest Award

Olga Horak

Canberra filmmaker Cecilia Rumore has won this year’s People’s Choice award at Tropfest in Sydney last weekend.  Her four and a half minute documentary, Another Olga, was the first recipient of the award to be decided via Facebook poll at the short film festival. The film centres around Holocaust survivor Olga Horak who migrated to Australia in her 20s after living through the horrors of Auschwitz, Dresden and Belsen concentration camps. www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-13/canberra-filmmaker-takes-out-tropfest-peoples-choice-award/82652488

Olga is the great grandmother of Maddison (Maddy) and Hannah Green, who both attend Kornmehl Pre-school.  Another Emanuel connection for the girls is that their father Ben Green is an Emanuel Alumnus (Class of 1999) whilst their uncle, Jake Green, Ben’s brother, finished Year 12 here last year.

Aged 91, Olga has written a book titled Auschwitz to Australia and she still volunteers at the Sydney Jewish Museum three times a week, where she speaks to High School students and other visitors about the Holocaust and how we must never forget.

An Emanuel grandparent helping our environment in the wider local community

Cedric Amoils

EVERY morning, as the sun rises over Bondi Beach, Cedric Amoils voluntarily spends hours picking up rubbish left behind on the sand. From children’s toys, cigarette butts, coffee cups and even a kitchen scale — the unsung hero has seen it all. The retired Bondi resident said it all started three years ago when his doctor told him he should start exercising. “I started walking on the beach but I hated what I saw,” Mr Amoils, 80, said.  Wearing plastic gloves and carrying a bag, Mr Amoils began picking up everything he found on the sand and never stopped. “It’s mainly discarded water bottles, coffee cups and plastic,” he said.  “Sometimes there are shoes too. In the early morning, you can see the high water mark so I walk along and pick up everything. I leave the toys on a bench near the children’s pool and the cuttlefish bone on the north end for people who have birds. My message to people is to please be aware that the beach belongs to all of us and try and take with you any little thing that you find on the beach.

Mr Amoils said he donated undamaged items he found on the beach to the Wayside Chapel for the homeless. “When I find money, I put it in a little jar at home and when it gets up to $20, I go give it to the homeless,” he said. “I do the same with sunglasses or goggles I find.” (Shaya Laughlin, Wentworth Courier, 2 February 2017)

Note: Cedric’s grandchildren are triplets Ashne, Sienna and Joshua Amoils in Year 11.

We love to see photos of our second generation Emanuel students and I featured some of these new students in the last couple of editions of Ma Nishma. Another second generation student is Alicia Butt who has just started Pre-school at Kornmehl.  She is pictured opposite with her parents, alumna Samantha (née Finger) Class of 1998 and Daniel Butt and her sisters Emma in Year 3 and Lexi in Year 1. The Finger family has a long history with the School – Michael Finger, Sam’s father, was a member of the first Emanuel School Board and her brother Adam is also one of our alum from the Class of 2001.

Grandparents Committee

We are seeking expressions of interest from our grandparents to join a Grandparents Committee that will meet as often as required (probably about once per term) at the School. The purpose of the committee is to consider how to build the network of grandparents and help them feel more connected to the School. This may involve consideration of ways to enhance communication between the School and our grandparents, furthering our database of grandparent contacts, organising a grandparents’ event or advising/giving feedback on our current Grandparents’ Day. 

The Grandparents Committee would be a sub-committee of Emanuel’s Gesher Committee, which is charged by the Board with bridging the School and the community, including alumni, parents, grandparents and friends. The remit of the Grandparents Committee is not prescriptive. The Chair of the Grandparents Committee would be a member of the Gesher Committee and attend the Gesher meetings (six times per year). 

Please pass this information on to grandparents and if they would like to be involved, please ask them to email: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Don’t forget our upcoming afternoon of live jazz, food and much more.
Jazz on the Hill, Sunday 26 March 2pm to 5pm.  

Bookings online:  http://tinyurl.com/JOTH2017

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

Sibling enrolments 2018

Deborah Beder – Enrolments Manager

Sibling enrolments 2018

If you have a child you wish to enrol for 2018 and have not yet submitted a registration for him/her, please contact the Enrolments Office at enrolments@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au or call via the switchboard on 8383 7333 as a matter of urgency.

We will shortly start contacting those on the waiting lists for 2018 and would like to ensure we have included all siblings of current students.

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Welcome to Week 3. We hope you and your children are all settling in nicely to Term 1.

P&F Camping Trip

Purim Disco

Class Parents