From the Principal

Anne Hastings – Principal

Farewell to Kate Geoghegan

Kate Geoghegan has been teaching HSIE at Emanuel for the past six years and leaves us at the end of this term to move with her family back to Ireland. Kate came to us as an early career teacher and quickly impressed us all for the way in which she so competently managed the many duties of a teacher and earned the great respect of her colleagues and students. We are sad to see her leave us, but happy that we’ve had the benefit of her expertise and enthusiasm over these years. We wish Kate all the very best for her life back in Ireland with her family and for her ongoing career as a teacher there.  

Curriculum Conference

On Wednesday evening of this week we held our first Parent Curriculum Conference. Those who attended found the evening very stimulating and informative, and gave very positive feedback about the various sessions they attended. This was a great opportunity for parents to become more up-to-date with the global and local changes in education and our plans to ensure that our students are well prepared for their lives beyond school. It was another example of our aim to ensure that parents are well informed participants in their children’s education. We’d love to see more parents at our next parent conference.

I’d like to especially mention the work of Adam Majsay and Helen Maynard, our Directors of Studies, who put the program together and each gave engaging presentations. In addition, Eytan Messiah and Sophie Poisel gave an inspiring presentation that shed light on our approaches to building innovative thinking in our students. Tany Milner also supported the evening and spoke of the plans in the Primary School to further build innovative thinking in the immediate future. Many thanks to all of these staff members for their great dedication to our School and for giving their time so generously to this event.

Final lessons today for Year 12 students

Today sees the final formal lessons for our class of 2017. On Monday and Tuesday of next week there will be final celebrations, House farewells, Year Group activities, the Final High School Assembly and the Graduation Dinner. Once the excitement of these days settles down (the students are encouraged to take two days of rest over Rosh Hashanah), the students will have three weeks to do their final study and preparations for their HSC Examinations, which fall over 3.5 weeks starting from 16 October. Students will have access to their teachers during this time and are encouraged to continue to use their teachers’ advice and support during this time. We also encourage students to work in study groups, assisting and challenging each other as they practise past papers and build their confidence in responding to the range of questions that can be asked.

This time of the year also sees us saying farewell to a number of families, 32 in fact this year. Many of these families have had a long association with the School, having had a number of their children with us over the years. Many have also been significantly involved in supporting the School through their actions on the Board, the P & F, or in many other ways, and have been regular and appreciative attenders at the many school events. I’d like to specifically mention the Doctor, Wrublewski, Davids, Altman, Feher, Regan Lacey and Janks families who have been with us for 15 or more years, along with all of the other families who have been strong advocates and supporters of Emanuel School. We will miss you, and thank you all sincerely for your generosity in giving your time and great support to our School over the years. 

Year 12 reports

The links to Year 12 students’ final academic reports were sent out this week. These provide a significant resource for each student as they are working towards their final HSC examinations. I recommend that the report comments are read carefully and the teachers’ advice noted and implemented in the coming weeks to ensure students are prepared as well as possible for these important examinations. 

Grandparents Day

This was a huge success, with the MPH being full to capacity with loving grandparents and friends today. The children loved having their grandparents with them in their classrooms and all the grandparents and friends enjoyed the presentations, songs and classroom visits immensely. Huge thanks go to Hagit Bar-On, Adam Carpenter, Stacey Rosenfeld and Sonia Newell for their superb organisation of the morning. Thanks also to all of the Primary teachers for organising and running engaging lessons in the classrooms and for hosting such large groups of visitors so effectively.

Our LINC building

Our architects have entered the LINC Building, Emanuel School, project for an award for the bi-annual Randwick Architecture and Urban Design Awards under the Best Public Design Category.

You might remember two years ago, the Science Building at Emanuel School received the People’s Choice Award.  Again, the LINC Building is up for People’s Choice Award. You can vote for the LINC Building using this link.

www.yoursayrandwick.com.au/urbandesign2017/survey_tools/peoples-choice-awards

Mazal Tov to

• Our Zero Robotics Team who gained first place in the Australian competition! Students involved are Ethan Moliver, Adena Sheps, Dylan Herdan and Dan Bethlehem. The competition was managed locally by Sydney University and involved 42 teams. The competition is run by MIT America and NASA and involved programming robots to compete against other teams. The challenge was to recover items from a broken satellite whilst taking pictures of the opposing team.
• Coby New (Year 6) for his Fred Hollows Humanity Award
• Adena Sheps (Year 10) for her winning entry to the Science 50:50 Careers Blog Competition, following on from the STEM Careers Week held in collaboration with Women in Engineering at UNSW. Her entry will be published on Friday, 10 November 2017 on the site:  https://science5050blog.wordpress.com/ 
• The HSC Music 2 students, Robert Feher, Shoshana Blackman, Jesse van Proctor and Darren Sacks, for their engaging and very competent performances at the Showcase on Tuesday evening
• Year 7 students for their Shorashim projects and last year’s winners of the UIA prize, Ruby Hurwitz and Alexis Joffe (Year 8)
• The Year 6 and Year 7 students who competed in the Inter-School Chess competition this week
• The Year 11 Drama students for their wonderful performances on Monday evening
• The Mathematics Department for their successful Numeracy week last week

Best of luck to

• Aaron Ellis-Bloor (Year 11) for his LMusA Examinations on the saxophone in the coming week. The Licentiate in Music, Australia (LMusA) is a diploma awarded by examination to outstanding candidates in the fields of musical performance and music theory by the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB).
• Sonia Redman (Year 11) for the Grand final of the Mikolot Public Speaking competition on Monday.

Coming up

• Year 12 Graduation Assembly, Tuesday 19 September, 8:15 am
• Year 12 Graduation Dinner, Tuesday 19 September, 6 pm
• Last day of Term 3, Wednesday 20 September (school finishes at 1:10 pm, Erev Rosh Shanah)
• First day of Term 4, Tuesday 10 October
• Year 12 2018 Preparation Day, Tuesday 10 October
• School closes for the last days of Sukkot, Wednesday 11 October, 2:50 pm
• School closed for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, Thursday 12 October and Friday 13 October
• Primary Jilkminggan trip departs Sunday 15 October
• HSC Examinations begin, Monday 16 October

Quote of the week 

‘Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.’ [George Bernard Shaw]

Best wishes for an enjoyable and relaxing holiday with your children.

I wish you Shanah Tovah and well over the fast.

From the Primary School

Natanya Milner – Head of Primary

The past week or so has been incredibly busy and when I consider all that has happened, I can’t help but think how lucky we are to be a part of this special school. When I meet prospective families, I am often asked about the size of the school. I truly believe we are the ‘perfect’ size. We are small enough to know and care for our students as individuals but large enough to offer a range of social choices and extra-curricular opportunities. The reality is though, that we are not a huge staff and therefore, each staff member works so hard to ensure all these events and activities happen. The result is an incredible outcome for our students. Let’s take a look at the past week or so.

 Excursions, incursions and experiential learning

Last week, Years 3-5 attend a fabulous Sport and Recreation Camp. I have been on many of these over the years and this one was absolutely wonderful. It was so special to see the children challenge themselves and support each other. The teachers really enjoyed watching the children interact in this unique environment and I was so proud of how well the children represented Emanuel by displaying respect and responsibility. Enjoy these photos:

Other opportunities over the past week have included the Year 6 visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum, the Year 3 Science incursion and Year 4 students meeting the author, James Roy. Each of these opportunities connects with the Grade’s learning to build deeper and more meaningful connections and understandings.

Connections and community

As you are well aware, Emanuel has a strong commitment to community building and values connections with our parents and friends. It is remarkable when I reflect on the past week but here is just a taste of what has taken place.

Year 6 students’ Project Heritage was a magnificent showcase of student learning at its best. The children interviewed their Living Historians and spent the term preparing biographies, poems and a range of other activities to form the basis of their presentations. They learnt so much about world and Jewish history, values and traditions. These presentations were such special tributes to the historians and their connections with the children. Thank you to the Year 6 children, class teachers, Music, Art and Jewish Studies Teachers for bringing this project to life.

This week’s Parent Curriculum Conference was a new event that we trialled as a way to offer parents a range of topics connecting to our current foci at Emanuel. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to share our programs across Years K-12 and explain our future priorities and directions. Thank you to Adam Majsay and Helen Maynard for leading this event and to all the Emanuel teachers who prepared and presented on the evening.

Friday’s Grandparents and Friends Day is a highlight in our calendar and it is heartwarming to see the children share Shabbat- and Rosh Hashanah-themed activities with their special visitors. It was a beautiful way to end the week and begin our Rosh Hashanah celebrations. Thank you to Hagit Bar-On, Adam Carpenter, Sonia Newell and all the Hebrew, Jewish Studies and Class Teachers who were involved in this event.

Our wonderful Year 4 Teacher, Lauren Wigan, is getting married in the holidays and the Year 4 parents and students organised a beautiful celebration for Lauren that included songs and dances, videos, gifts and beautiful warm wishes. Mazal tov, Lauren. We wish you and Tony a lifetime of happiness and health.

Year 4 celebrate with Lauren Wigan

The P&F’s Monday Morning Cooking Club demonstration on Tuesday night was a fantastic night of cooking, eating and laughing. We all walked away inspired to try some great new recipes for Rosh Hashanah. Thank you so much to our P&F presidents, Ruby Berkovic and Jen Opit, for their amazing commitment, energy and ideas.

RUOK? Day has become a tradition at Emanuel and this year saw the High School organise fruit as a kind gesture for the Primary School children. Thank you to Ashne Amoils for her wonderful efforts. The staff were also lucky to have a lovely event to remind us all to take care of each other and ourselves. Thank you, Michelle Favero, Charlie McAskill and Genna Radnan for organising this.

Photo days are always a hectic time but allow us to have such special memories of the activities in which our children have been involved. Thank you to Maxine Chopard and Emma Clemens for organising these for us all.

I could not possibly mention all the above events without thanking Holly. She is involved in all that happens across the Primary School and has made so many of this week’s events a reality. From co-ordinating Project Heritage to assisting with the Parent Curriculum Conference organisation, I really don’t know what I would do without her. Thank you, Holly.

Pursuit of excellence

Whilst each of the above events includes an element of the pursuit of excellence, this was truly highlighted this week in our participation in the CIS Athletics Carnival. Mazal tov to each of the children who represented ASISSA at CIS. A special mention goes to Alexander Kirievsky who came first in the junior discus and Eden Levit who was a 100m finalist and came third in the 200m final. Thank you to Stuart Taylor for organising this event for us.

Emanuel’s Debating Cup has also become a highlight in our week and this week’s debate was no exception. Mazal tov to all the children involved and thank you to Lauren Wigan for her organisation of this internal debating competition.

Some 2018 staffing news

I am thrilled to announce some of the staffing news for 2018.

As you are aware, Emma Clemens will be on maternity leave next year. We are excited to welcome Meghan Carroll (currently teaching Year 4) into the Deputy Head of Primary role for 2018. Emma and Meghan will work closely together in Term 4 and I have no doubt that Meghan will be wonderful in this new position. Roslynn Pardy will replace Meghan as a classroom teacher for 2018. We look forward to welcoming Roslynn back to a full-time classroom teaching position.

Sophie Poisel has recently been appointed to a new role for 2018 as the Primary School Innovation Leader. This role will include working with teachers on STEAM-related units and introducing various curricular and extra-curricular opportunities in innovation, design and computational thinking into the School. We also look forward to opening our ‘Imaginarium’ or ‘Maker Space’ in 2018. We will share more ideas at the beginning of next year. 

Frozen Nudie juices

The Primary School teachers have made the decision to stop Nudies being sold at the canteen for Primary School students. We apologise for any inconvenience as we know they are popular but from Term 4, we ask parents to only order unfrozen juices or ice blocks for Primary students. The reason for this decision is because they require scissors to be opened and this is problematic on the playground. Also, the students are usually unable to finish these in the designated time and are returning to class with half-eaten, melting juices. We appreciate your support and understanding with this as we are aware it will not be a popular decision.

Holiday time

As there won’t be a Ma Nishma next week, I wish you all a happy and safe holiday break. Shana Tova to you all and I wish you well over the Fast. May you have a meaningful and special Yom Kippur. We look forward to seeing students return to school on Tuesday 10 October in summer uniform. This will be the day of our Term 4 lice check. I would also like to remind parents that this is a short week as we close at 2.50 pm on 11 October and remain closed on 12 and 13 October for the end of Sukkot.

Shana Tova u’metuka

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

A firmly rooted future

Last Thursday night as I was listening to the שורשים/Shorashim (Roots) presentations being shared by our Year 7 students with their peers and their families, I was experiencing the opening words of this week’s parashah, addressed to our ancestors, as they were about to enter the Promised Land.

“You stand this day, all of you before the Lord your God, from your elders to your children, to enter into the Covenant.”

Our school parents and grandparents, assembled to learn how their children and grandchildren, our Emanuel students, recognised and celebrated their family’s past, while appreciating, at the same time, how it would firmly root them in the future.

Our parashah adds:

“It is not with you alone that I enter into this covenant, but with both those who are present with us this day and those who are not present today.”

The word שרש (root) is related to the word שרשרת (chain). Roots are of no consequence if not feeding a live tree which bears fruit for future generations. “Choose life”, our parashah tells us, “so you and your children may live”. Our future is predicated on a past that lives in the present.

That afternoon, our Year 7 students were excitedly rushing about setting up their שורשים/Shorashim projects. One student accidently bumped into another, severing a branch from the family tree he constructed. Mr Dean, standing by the student, came to his assistance and together they repaired the tree. That evening our students, in sharing the tales and journeys of family heirlooms, at the same time were relating the strength of family bonds, history and traditions. Our branches flourish where our roots remain strong. As we say of our people’s traditions and our shared covenant, represented in our Torah, “It is a tree of life, to those who hold fast to it”.

We applaud our Year 7 students for their dedicated efforts in theirשורשים / Shorashim projects and their commitment to a future firmly rooted in a living past.

Devar Torah

Isabella Flax – Year 10

Joshua New – Year 10

Isabella: Nitzavim-Vayelekh is the shortest double parashah in the Torah: shorter than most other single parshiyot. In Nitzavim, Moshe describes the Covenant between God and the Israelites, urging the Israelites to uphold the Covenant and honour the Torah so that they may be rewarded with life in the Land of Israel. Moshe gathers the Israelites to enter them into a covenant with God. He warns of the exile and desolation of the Holy Land that will result when Israel abandons God’s laws, but assures them that they will eventually repent, and God will then return His people to the Land. This portion also talks about freedom of choice and an approach to change our ways for the good that later developed into the mitzvah of teshuvah.

Joshua: In the second half of the parashah, Vayelekh, we read of Moshe’s last days as he tells the people of Israel that he has turned 120 years old and is not allowed to proceed into the Land of Israel. He passes on leadership to Yehoshu’a and writes out the Torah (the teaching spoken to the people) and gives it to the elders of the Israelites. He then tells the Israelites that on every seventh year, all of the people of Israel will congregate for Sukkot and the king will publically read the Torah to the people. The final thing we are told in this Parashah is that Moshe warns the people that the people of Israel will stray away from their covenant with God and when they do, God will hide himself or herself or itself from the people and they will face many evils and troubles.

Isabella: Ok, so now to talk about the first half: Nitzavim. The part I found the most interesting talks about communal responsibility. In the parashah, it says: “The hidden matters are for God to deal with. However, the revealed matters are for us and our descendants forever to fulfil all the words of this Torah.” One interpretation of this is that our secret sins are between us and God only, as we cannot possibly be punished for something we had no idea about. However, if someone was to know about wrongdoing and didn’t do anything to stop it, then this would go against the values outlined in the Torah. So, how can we relate this to ourselves?

In our own lives, we have all seen others doing the wrong thing and been faced with the dilemma if we should report them or not. Whether it’s bullying, cheating on a test, or something else entirely, we’ve all had to decide whether or not to be a bystander. While sometimes it may seem like we should take the easy way out, this Torah portion asks people to do whatever they can to stop others from wrongdoing. Basically, the Torah is asking us to take responsibility not just for own actions, but the actions of others.

Joshua: In Vayelech, the one thing that was quite strange was that unlike previous situations in the Torah, in this parashah God didn’t tell the people of Israel that they shouldn’t stray from the Torah, but rather that they will, and these are the consequences. This in a way contradicts what has been said in Nitzavim: God is in a way saying that the Israelites should just sit back and let their fellow people stray from their religion, when just before he had told the people to take action and as Bella said, try to step in against things like bullying, cheating or in this case, abandoning the Torah. One very strong message that we can take from these parshiyot and apply to our everyday lives comes not from within the actual readings, but rather from their names.

The name of the first parashah, Nitzavim, means ‘You are standing’, while Vayelech, the name of the second parashah, means ‘And he went’. These two names contradict themselves, as someone can’t be standing still and going somewhere at the same time. However, one way that these two names together can make sense is that you must stand firm in what you believe, which in essence is what God wants from the Israelites, as He hopes that they do not stray from their Covenant with God. Once you are firm with your beliefs, you must then be proactive and an upstander, going towards what you believe in.

Villawood Detention Centre visit

Recently Sara Bortz with fellow classmates accompanied by Emanuel parent and Board member, Shira Sebban, and I, visited refugees being held at the Villawood Detention Centre. We thank Mrs Sebban for helping make possible this impactful learning experience for our students. Sara’s words echo those of this week’s parashah which remind us: “You all stand together… including the stranger in your midst”.

Rabbi Siegel

Our visit to Villawood

Sara Bortz – Year 11

Villawood Detention Centre, as its name suggests, is a place of detention. It is a place where refugees, people who have fled their homes because it became too dangerous for them to live there, are held while they await acceptance to be integrated into Australian society. It is highly secure, in fact it is controlled by the Australian Border Force, the same government department that regulates who comes in and out of the country. These people aren’t criminals. They simply want to be safe. So why are they treated as if they’ve done something wrong?

An 18-year-old Iraqi boy who loves Mathematics is now denied an education in Villawood Detention Centre because he is no longer considered a child. An Afghani man in his 20s claimed to have been assaulted by a guard, and just a few days later he was charged with assault himself. A young Iraqi man named Mohammed was the only member of his family who left home. His parents and his siblings stayed in Iraq. He and his case manager have finished all the required processes, checks and documentation for him to be moved to community housing, but, over a month later, he hasn’t heard anything from the immigration officials.

Yes, we may come from different countries, we may speak different languages, we may have different cultures and we may practise different religions, but we have something in common –  we are all human. We all have the right to be acknowledged, we all have the right to be heard, we all have the right to be safe, to be free, to be seen, to be loved. We cannot turn on our fellow humans. We cannot neglect them or make them feel unworthy or unwanted or undeserving. We cannot be free while those around us are suffering. 

We are the citizens of this country, and therefore we are accountable for the decisions our government makes. As the future leaders of the country, and as global citizens, we have an obligation to advocate for justice and to fight for the rights of our fellow humans. While it may be difficult for us to change the minds of our local Members of Parliament, we can still have an impact. We can visit places like Villawood Detention Centre and talk to the people who need us to stand up for them. We can be the voices for those who are not heard. We can be the proof that from little things, big things grow. From small actions, larger impacts can be realised.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Studies Primary

Weekly Torah portion

Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilekh Deuteronomy 29:9 – 31:30

In this week’s double Torah portion, Moshe continues his final speech and message to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Land of Israel. The people are reminded that the mitzvot are not a removed, abstract concept, but rather they are close to all, not in the heavens but “in your mouth and in your heart”. The Torah reminds us that we have freedom of choice and that whatever our choices, our actions have consequences for ourselves, others and the world around us. Our choices can have positive outcomes and impacts, which the Torah describes as berakhot/blessings or they can have negative impacts, which are described as kelalot/curses.  

Family discussion  

• What does it mean to have the Torah in “your mouth and in your heart”? How would this guide one’s behaviour and actions?

Ella Kirschner

Lilia Joseph

Year 6 visit the Sydney Jewish Museum

This term in Jewish Studies students have been learning about the rich and diverse Jewish world of Europe before WWII, and how that world was impacted during the 1930s with the rise of Nazi Germany. This learning connected to Project Heritage, as our amazing living historians shared their lives with our students, with many Historians’ lives affected by the Shoah. Project Heritage culminated on Monday of this week, with a special presentation by the students to their historians in the presence of their parents.

Visiting the Sydney Jewish Museum provided a powerful opportunity for students to make connections between their learning in Jewish Studies, the living historians of Project Heritage and personal family histories. Our visit to the newly renovated museum included a guided tour, where students learnt from the Museum’s guides and explored the exhibits and artefacts. We were also privileged to hear the survivor testimony of Jacqueline Dale, who survived the Shoah as a child in France hidden by the French underground. Our visit concluded with a Q&A session led by Simon Holloway, one of the museum’s educators. This open forum allowed us to ask questions and draw on Simon’s knowledge and expertise in this area.

Student reflection

Yesterday we went to the Sydney Jewish Museum where we saw many sad and inspirational things. One of the main concepts that we heard about was how many people risked their lives to save people who otherwise would have perished in the War. After visiting the exhibition in the museum we listened to a survivor called Jacqueline. She told us about her history. We learnt about her deepest sadness and also her happiest memories. After this we were invited to ask questions. While doing this we felt that our hearts were melting – we felt sorry for all the losses in the Shoah and to the survivors that experienced the devastation of this tragedy. The museum contains a memorial to the 1.5 million children who were murdered in the Shoah. The memorial is a continuous drip of water, representing the lives of the children and our tears.

By Ella Kirschner and Lilia Joseph 

שנה טובה

Wishing you, your family and the world a new year filled with peace and blessings

Shorashim shines brightly

Shorashim 

This year’s Shorashim evening gave our Year 7 students the opportunity to showcase the fruits of their labour – the beautiful records of their family histories and journeys. The project was a wonderful example of the innovative collaboration between departments, as the Jewish Studies albums also included Family Trees with names and titles in Hebrew for the first time and the display tables also boasted the creative and eye-catching Design and Technology ‘My Family and Me’ element of the Shorashim projects.

During the formal proceedings, the United Israel Appeal (UIA) Shaliach, Adi Gefen-Adler reflected on his own Shorashim project experience when he was at school and highlighted the strengthening of the connections the project makes between generations. Adi then presented the awards and a $1000 Israel Program voucher each to last year’s UIA Shorashim project winners, Ruby Hurwitz and Alexis Joffe. Mazal tov!

Here are some thoughts and comments from the evening:

Ilan Meshel’s artefact is a Medal of Honour that his great-grandfather received for fighting in WWII. His grandmother said: “It is extremely important that my grandson is so interested in my father’s life. I am so proud of him for taking such an interest.”

Ben (BJ) Shapiro’s great aunt: “The Project is a wonderful idea because they have the history of the family forever. Things get lost over the years and this is a wonderful way to preserve it.”

Michael Strizhevsky’s grandmother said: “The artefact that Michael wrote about is a mini Torah which we smuggled out of Russia. It is passed down to each Strizhevsky male. Michael will be the 6th generation to be the Torah’s custodian when he celebrates his Bar Mitzvah in December.”

“I really enjoyed walking around and seeing everyone else’s Shorashim albums, but it was also great to watch people in our Tutor Group’s presentations. I enjoyed all of the presentations in my Group. I thought they were all well-structured and I learnt a lot. I really liked the whole evening.

“My advice for next year’s Shorashim students would be: “Please don’t stress because that is the worst. I promise it’s not that bad and you learn a lot. Also, don’t leave it until last minute because that will be really stressful and you don’t want that. I hope you all learn as much as you can and good luck!” Eden Grynberg

“It was really nice seeing the MPH full of the albums, projects and artefact cards which brought smiles to a lot of our faces that all our hard work was being put on show. I enjoyed looking through albums and listening to other presentations, and some were very funny and engaging too. For all next year’s Shorashim students, my advice is to just enjoy it and have fun. You will definitely learn something, don’t stress too much. It’s worth it, so don’t waste it!” Tammy Kurlansky

“The Shorashim evening was so lovely. Thank you so much for all of the work the Jewish Studies and Design and Technology departments have put into getting the students ready. I wish I had more time to look through all of the albums. The ones that I did manage to look through were amazing. My Tutor Group did a really good job presenting their work and parents were very supportive.” An email from Sarah Jenkins, Year 7 Rashi Tutor

A big thank-you goes to the staff who came to support the students during the evening and listen to their presentations; Garry Case, Lara Ephron, Neil Furman, Sarah Jenkins, Karen McAndrew and Rabbi Siegel; to Michelle Favero for the lovely photographs, to the Maintenance and Security teams, Ben Marshall and Esti Lipson for helping prepare for the event and to all the students and their families for helping create such memorable family histories. We hope you enjoy them for many years to come.

Shana Tova U’metuka

!שנה טובה ומתוקה

Daphna Levin-Kahn, Rebecca Gaida and Becky Goldberg

Year 10 Ayekah

Daniel (Sammo) Samowitz

Year 10 Ayekah

Last week, our Informal Jewish Life team and the Israeli madrichim, with the support of our Emanuel faculty, ran Machaneh (camp) Ayekah for Year 10 students, and it was incredibly powerful. The name of camp was changed from Zionist Seminar to Ayekah?, which is the first question God asks of the first human, Adam: “Where are you?”. This was our frame for camp. We related to questions like: “Where are you in life? Whom do you choose to surround yourself with? What do you believe in? Do you live your life according to what you believe? Ayekah?”

I really loved camp, it’s the place I love myself the most. I love being that weird 30 year old dude who’s dancing like a seven year old and having so much fun, I love talking to the students about things like the world is theirs to create and find meaning in, because it is – to create whatever they choose. I was able to understand that while talking about Judaism, Israel, Zionism and responsibility for the Jewish people and our community, all topics I love, Machaneh Ayekah and Judaism in the Emanuel school are about learning to “love thyself and learning to love thy neighbour”. Ayekah to me is to choose to believe in yourself, to improve your individual and self-worth, to make you feel unique, special and loved.  I’m sad that sometimes it takes a camp to remember how special our students, our community and our school is.

Rabbi Siegel instilled in us a quote that I cannot stop thinking about and I know I’m not alone.

It’s from the Kotzker Rebbe: “If I am I because I am I and you are you because you are you then I am I and you are you but if I am I because you are you and you are you because I am I then I am not I and you are not you”.  

The quote to me is the need to believe in oneself, the need to connect to others, to love; but first of all to be an individual at peace with who you are, to be authentic and be able to bring that authentic self to others.

I saw in your children life, I saw creativity, love, solidarity and freedom. I am proud to be a part of this community, I am proud to be a partner in educating our students about the values and the ethos of Emanuel School. I hope one day I will have the opportunity to send my children to Emanuel School. The Madrichim’s (Guides) role wasn’t that difficult because it was the students themselves who chose to believe in themselves.

Ayeka

Primary EActive

Adam Ezekiel | PDHPE Teacher and Acting Head of Rabin

Primary Term 4 extra-curricular activities

Inter-School Chess Semi-Finals

Jesse Herdan – Year 7

Sydney Academy of Chess inter-school semi-finals

On Friday, 8 September, two Emanuel chess teams departed for the International French School to participate in the inter-schools’ semi-finals of the Sydney Academy of Chess, for which both the High School and Primary School qualified in a local heat in Term 2.

The competition was split into two divisions, Primary School (K-6) and High School (7-12). Our primary team was mostly in Year 6, however our High School team had to play against students much older than them as it was made up solely of Year 7 students.

Our teams did exceptionally well, with our High School team achieving 4^th place and our Primary School tying for 2nd place with two other schools on 20 points, behind Neutral Bay on 21.5 points. Our Primary team has progressed to the finals.

More details about scores can be found at the following link:

https://sydneyacademyofchess.com.au/tournaments/interschool/2017/international-french-school-sydney-0

Individual prizes

Primary

Sol Biton came 4^th scoring 6/7 (second on points and fourth on tie-break)

Jesse Gothelf tied 5^th, on 5.5/7

High School

Daniel Melamed came 4^th, scoring 5/7

Jesse Herdan placed 3^rd, achieving 5.5/7

Ms Elkins: We are exceedingly proud of our team’s performance as well as their support of one another throughout the day.

Jesse Herdan

From the Primary Library

Mrs Ginnette Cameron-Gardner – Teacher/Librarian

Part of the Primary Library program is for the students to learn and practise the use of the Online Catalogue and locating resources. Another part is for the students to recommend books to each other and also recommend books for purchase for the Primary Library.

Currently the Primary Library is a hive of activity, with students looking up the online catalogue, checking what is available, locating the books, recommending them to others or filling in suggestion forms for the Primary Teacher Librarian to purchase books they have read and recommend highly. 

Photographs taken during the Year 3 lesson with Roslynn Pardy show the Year 3 recommendation board being completed by the students. Another shows Orlando and Sam looking up the Online Catalogue to check whether the library holds the books they have at home and which they want to recommend to other students and/or for the Primary Library to purchase.

The students’ excitement at being part of the book selection process is good to see. It keeps the collection vibrant and up-to-date and reflects their interests for study and recreational reading.

The Primary Library collection includes books that support the curriculum and have a strong collection of resources that reflects our links with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and our respect for their culture. This is evidenced not only in books of the Dreaming but also books by contemporary Aboriginal authors and illustrators such as Sally Morgan, Anita Heiss, Doris Pilkington and Bruce Pascoe.

Bruce Pascoe was born of Bunurong and Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Education. He is a member of the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative of southern Victoria and has been the director of the Australian Studies Project for the Commonwealth Schools Commission. 

Seahorse by Bruce Pascoe is a favourite as it is a lively story set on the beach of Seahorse Bay. Jack, his dad Vince, sister Tanya, and mum Carla, camp there whenever possible and enjoy diving, snorkelling and fishing. When Jack discovers a sunken boat he and his father decide to salvage it, but are they being watched? Who is that man with the binoculars? What does he want? The story is action-packed and also includes some outstanding descriptions of underwater sea life and the wild beach.  At 110 pages it is an exciting story for Middle Primary students.

There are many books in the Primary Library with which it would be wonderful to curl up in a chair and while away the hours in the coming vacation. Hoping to see you here filling up bags with holiday reading. Wishing you a restful, energising vacation.

Holiday Reading Fun

Helen Maynard – Director of Studies K-6

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. 

As we come into a holiday break it provides more time to enjoy reading – hopefully in the sun. I came across this holiday reading challenge and thought I would share it, as it may be a nice thing to do as a family. You could use this challenge or construct one as a family.

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!    

Year 11 Drama Showcase

Samantha Bauer – Head of Drama

Year 11 Drama Showcase

On Monday night Year 11 Drama students shone brightly on stage.

Their work reflected a range of dramatic styles, from slam poetry to melodrama and black comedy.

The audience went on a journey through Hell with Hannah Shteinman, heard about Zev Shteinman’s Stag Do, watched Mia Nahum lock and unlock the door in OCD, found Princess Pretty Face with Tomer Belkin, sat Vigil with Sonia Redman and were politely asked to leave Genevieve Goldman’s wedding!

Included in the program was the class’ self-devised group performance. Titled Sabotage, the piece portrayed the competitive and dehumanising nature of the fast food industry as the McPorto workers searched for the golden burger recipe to save their jobs.

Congratulations to the Year 11 Drama class of 2017 for their fabulous work.

What a wonderful way to end the preliminary course and start preparing for the HSC Drama!

High School Mathematics

Michelle Lyons-Zwarenstein, Head of Mathematics

Numeracy Week 

From the Head of Science

Jennifer Selinger – Head of Science

View from the Kleinleher Family Science Building

My view was enhanced this week when Daphna Levin-Kahn (Jewish Studies Co-ordinator in the High School) mentioned to me that she had seen an excellent piece of writing by one of our Year 8 students. On investigation, I found that Yoni Amsalem had produced the letter reproduced below in response to a Performance of Understanding that we had set on organ donation. In the task, the students are asked to research the various parts of the body that can be donated, including when they can be donated. They are then asked to provide their opinion on donation in some way. The opinion is supposed to be persuasive and they are asked to include the Science they have researched as well as any other information that they feel is relevant. We value the students’ thought processes as well as their ability to process and communicate information from a variety of sources. Yoni’s contribution combines the Science that we were looking for with an admirable depth of research into the Jewish view of organ donation and shows a depth of thought that I thought was worth sharing here. Well done Yoni!

Yoni Amsalem – Year 8

Dearest Imma and Abba

I am writing this difficult letter because it is easier for me to put all of this into writing than to talk to you face-to-face about this challenging topic. I am writing this formally in case one day you need to use it to show a medical team so they also know what my wishes for my body are. I realise that the decision about whether to donate my organs is a very personal one and that should this decision come about, it will do so at an incredibly difficult and emotional time for you both. I am hoping that this letter will help you know how I feel and what I want done.

I realise that as we are Jews, there is a religious perspective to consider. I have done quite a bit of personal research into this. I understand that the Orthodox rabbinical perspective is somewhat mixed regarding this topic. There is an argument regarding the exact timing or what constitutes death. My understanding is that Rabbis argue whether death occurs when the brain stops functioning or the heart. Most Rabbis seem to agree that the Halacha supports death occurring when the heart stops beating. I find this difficult to completely agree with because people can be kept alive on a life support machine but if their brain is no longer working then they are already dead. If the machine is turned off, then the person will quickly die.

Jewish law also says that we should not desecrate or alter the body after death or delay its burial. I find this a difficult thing to process in relation to organ donation. I understand in this case that the removal of the organs may be considered a desecration however it is also hoped that this would take place in a clinical and respectful manner. I also find it difficult to justify this law against the greatest Jewish law of Pikuach Nefesh or the importance of saving a life. As I write this, I am torn between my desire to respect my body and have it buried whole or be able to perform the greatest mitzvah in saving someone else’s life.

From what I understand of the organ donation process, the organs to be harvested must be collected when they are still functioning and in order for this to occur the person must be connected to a life support machine. The person would then be taken to an operating theatre where their organs are removed from the body and the life support then turned off. This is what I personally struggle with the most. Deep down in my heart of hearts, I believe that if that person is warm, their heart beating and lungs moving air in and out then they are still alive until the time their organs cease functioning. Jewish law has a state called gosses which is when a person is expected to die within 72 hours. The law states that no one should interfere with the dying person or in any way precipitate their death. It is difficult for me to argue therefore that the act of switching off a life support machine is not interfering with the gosses. Despite this, from my reading I gather that even within the Jewish community there is a variety of opinions which essentially comes down to perspective.

You may be wondering why I am even considering this difficult issue. The best way I can explain this is to tell you that I recently read an article on organ donation and discovered that 7000 Americans die every year waiting for an organ transplant. Even here in Australia, about 1400 people are on a waiting list for a suitable organ without which they will most likely die. I also learnt that one organ and tissue donor has the ability to transform up to ten lives and that in 2016, 503 dead organ donors and their families saved the lives of 1,447 people. Reading this, it is hard to deny the benefits of organ donation.

When I investigated this further, I discovered a number of facts I had not been aware of previously. I guess I always knew that hearts and lungs could be donated but I hadn’t realised that also commonly donated are cornea and other eye tissue, kidneys which can be donated from a live donor and even parts of a liver which I learnt is able to regrow in the host’s body. The fact that the liver has this ability is especially important for transplants to children who need smaller organs. It is difficult for me to argue against the value of saving a child’s life.

I want to thank you both for your patience with me as I have worked through this process on paper to help me work out my own feelings and wishes. My overall desire is to be able to help others and I guess the ultimate mitzvah is to be able to save another person’s life. Obviously my preference is to do this whilst I am alive but I think that I would also like this to be the case if I was to die. It is obviously a problem for me when considering the Jewish law and how that relates to what defines death. My preference would therefore be that organs be collected as soon as my heart stops beating. I believe there is a way when the heart can be allowed to stop beating but then is restarted for the purpose of collecting the organs. I think this might be ok. However, this is a lot about perspective and yours’ is important in this decision. If my decision offends your own religious or personal perspective, then I absolutely respect your right to make a decision you can live with.

Your loving son

Yoni

Year 11 PDHPE Camp

Year 11 PDHPE camp

Last week those students who elected to study the Stage 6 PDHPE course attended not only an educational but also a physically challenging three-day camp at the Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation.

In Year 11, students have studied a range of fitness components and fitness testing and at this high-class facility they were able to put their fitness to the test and engage in a wide variety of elite testing.

Another component of the course requires students to participate in a range of fitness options and Narrabeen provided us with the perfect opportunity to engage in canoeing and a very challenging high ropes course.

The facility immersed the students in an environment of elite athletes and we had the privilege to see the Australian Rugby 7s teams and to watch several Manly Sea Eagles’ training sessions.

The camp was a huge success and we look forward to cementing this camp as a regular fixture in the Year 11 PDHPE calendar.

Kristy Reed and Heath Morley

High School EActive

Kristy Reed – High School Sports Co-ordinator

High School EActive

Term 3 proved to be a busy and exciting term for the EActive program, with a large number of students involved in the program. The Term 4 summer program commences on Monday 16 October and concludes on Friday 8 December.

Bookings for Term 4 are now open. Places are expected to fill up quickly so it is important that registrations are completed at www.trybooking.com/FNNJ

Activities offered in Term 4 include:

•  Boys basketball training and competition
• Girls basketball training and competition NEW!
• Girls netball training and competition NEW!
• Girls fitness
• Boys fitness
• Touch football training and competition
• Swim squad training
• Gymnastics
• Beach volleyball
• Years 7/8 boys and girls basketball development squad
• Pilates
• Cricket training.

 If you have any questions please email Kristy Reed (High School Sports Co-ordinator) on: kreed@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Sydney Schools Cup

Kristy Reed – High School Sport Co-ordinator

Sydney Schools Cup

As the term comes to an end, so too does the Term 3 Sydney Schools Cup program. Congratulations to the three Years 7/8 boys basketball teams who have been playing weekly fixtures against other independent schools each Tuesday afternoon for Terms 2 and 3. Under the guidance of our School Coach, Hank Foster, the teams have had a very successful tournament.

Congratulations also to the dedicated group of Year 7 girls who have been involved in the volleyball program. As host of these fixtures each week, I was very pleased to see such improvement in the skill level in this new sporting option, as well as the comradery amongst not only the Emanuel students involved but also between the teams of the visiting schools. Much thanks to Abigail Lax for her excellent coaching throughout the term.

In Term 4 the Sydney Schools Cup will be offering a girls futsal competition and a boys cricket competition. This will be open to Years 7/8 girls and Years 7-9 boys. The competition will once again be held weekly on Tuesday afternoons. If your child is interested in competing in this competition please have them contact me for further information.

Kol Szenes

Word of the week

CONFRERE comrade, colleague

Mazal tov to:

• Szenes students who auditioned this week for the ‘X Factor’ category of our House Music Competition.
• The madrichim who organised Dancing in the Dark – Szenesians include: Gabriel Wolf, Joel Epshteyn, Jade Reuveny, Gabriel Sebban, Allegra Goldman, Michal Wolstein and Danielle Kramer
• The HICES Debating champions – Emanuel School! Many of the debaters are in Szenes House.
• Shoshana Blackman, Charlie Wrublewski and Maya Burich (Rashi) for their OnSTAGE nomination!
• Year 7 Tutor, Ms McMahon on her wedding last weekend!
• Many HSC major works have been showcased over the past few weeks including students of Drama, Music, and Visual Arts. Well done to the following Szenes students:

Drama:

• Paris Freed
• Monica Pinchuk
• Shoshana Blackman
• Charlie Wrublewski
• Isabella Kidman
• Talia Rubinstein

Music:

• Shoshana Blackman
• Jordana Blackman
• Talia Rubenstein
• Robert Feher

Visual Arts:

• Aarin Regan-Lacey
• Sage Ziman
• Hannah Dukes

 Coming up:

• Szenes House will be holding our traditional breakfast on Monday morning in the MPH to celebrate our Year 12 Graduating Class of 2017. They are looking forward to their yellow gerbera! We will miss you Year 12.
• Rosh Hashanah celebrations will take place next week.
• Ms Philp’s (Year 8 Tutor) wedding during the holidays.
• The holidays, which is super exciting, and also super sad. This is because the Year 12s are graduating. We wish them luck and hope they make lots of great memories after High School.

Quotation of the week

“You can’t live a positive life with a negative mind.” Anon

Have a great weekend everyone, Shana tova!

Maybe spend it with your confreres?

Szenes House

Puzzle

Try to make as many words as you can out of this word!:

PSEUDOPSEUDOHYPOPARATHYROIDISM

Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism is the longest non-coined word in any major English dictionary. It is a genetic disease, very similar to pseudohypoparathyroidism (where it gets its name from).

Rabin Bugle

Adam Ezekiel | PDHPE Teacher & Acting Head of Rabin

Class of 2017

1. Today you are you, that’s is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you!
2. Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened!
3. Why fit in when you were born to stand out! 
4. Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s a great balancing act!
5. Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting… so get on your way!  

Farewell Jake Harpaz

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Last week we had our last careers session with Year 12 students. I ran a quiz for the group to ensure that students were up to date with all dates, preferences and contact details. Important points to note:

 Who can I contact now?

•  Do your research – there are many employees available at future students’ departments to answer your questions
• UAC has a huge fleet of staff to speak to current Year 12 students about any questions they have about preferences, log-ins, payments and more. You can contact 1300 ASK UAC – they are extremely helpful.
• You can contact university departments. There are staff there dedicated to helping answer your questions.
• Most universities have an ASK facility on their contact pages for emails. They also usually have a 24-hour turnaround policy.
• Don’t rely on your peers/contacts for information, especially last years’ or previous year groups, as the new year brings new information.
• A great way to research a course and to see how it is made is to Google the words “Handbook” + the University + the full degree name for e.g. “B Media/B Design”

Parent Q&A

This week Adam Majsay and I ran a Parent Q&A session for our current Year 12 parents who had any questions about preferences, university/tertiary applications, HSC questions and many more. We went through the variety of questions and hope that parents left the school more informed then before they arrived.

I wish all of the Year 12 students the best of luck in the their examinations, their up-coming graduation and of course, their tertiary choices.

I will be on leave for Weeks 1 and 2 of Term 4 but after that I am available for students at any time throughout to Term 4 to answer any questions.

Safe partying

Safe partying

Do you know the laws pertaining to you when you host a party for people under 18 years of age? The link below takes you to the NSW Police website that provides up-to-date advice for members of the public.

www.police.nsw.gov.au/online_services/party_safety/safe_party_tips

Here are a few very important things to know (taken from the website):

Let the police know that you are having a party by completing the Party Registration Form online. Access the form through the NSW Police Force website and lodge at least 72 hours prior to the party being held.

Consider how the party will be advertised. Don’t use the internet, SMS or email distribution lists, online notice boards or social networking sites. If word of the party has spread, you will need to take extra preventative measures (ie. change venue, more adult supervisors, hire a security guard, ask neighbours to notify you of any unusual behaviour).

If uninvited people attend the party, ask them to leave. If they don’t leave contact the police on 131 444. If it is an emergency call Triple Zero (000).

Think about adult supervision/security for your party. Who will you use? How many? Have visible supervision or security.

Be aware that it is an offence for alcohol to be served or provided to people under the age of 18.

Ensure under 18s do not have access to alcohol. Confiscate BYO alcohol from under 18s.

If under 18s do consume alcohol/drugs, contact their parents and have them collected from the party.

End of term reminders

Maxine Chopard – Assistant to the Deputy Principal

School special buses

Summer uniforms

Term 4 is the return to summer uniforms for both Primary and High School students. Many students may have experienced a growth spurt during the winter months so skirt lengths may need to be attended to before returning to school. Girls can choose from shorts or skirts and Midford is well stocked to cater for needs.

School bags

Connecting our Community – Gesher

Sonia Newell – Development Office

A celebration

Today we held a very special celebration, when our Years K to 6 students spent the morning with their grandparents and special friends, sharing songs and activities for both young and old!  Here now are just a few photos…

Holocaust survivors within our community

A recent article by Sophie Deutsch in the Australian Jewish News opens: “Whilst there are many thought-provoking portrayals of the Shoah, ‘Last Witnesses’ sets itself apart from other Holocaust films with its moving message that bears strong relevance to youth today”.  Past Emanuel parent, Judy Menczel, is the producer and director of this powerful documentary which, if you missed it on Compass, ABC TV, you can see on: www.iview.abc.net.au

There are also other Emanuel community connections in this film. One of the survivors interviewed is Emanuel School grandparent, Litzi Lemberg, who only discovered at the age of 46 that she had been a child survivor. She is now the chairperson of the Child Survivors of the Holocaust group in Sydney. The documentary features tracks by well-known pianist and performer Leonie Cohen who is one of our music tutors here at School and also compositions by alumnus Sam Weiss (Class of 2012), whilst Judy’s daughter, alumna Zoe Menczel Schrire (Class of 2012) was Production Assistant.

More Screen Talent

Alumnus Jamie Hilton (Class of 1997) is one of the producers of the film ‘Breath’, with Simon Baker directing this film adaptation of Tim Winton’s novel ‘Breath’, set in mid-70s coastal Australia. Jamie heads See Pictures, which is one Australia’s busiest production companies. His theatrical debut was Claire McCarthy’s ‘The Waiting City’, shot in India in 2009 and starring Joel Edgerton and Radha Mitchell. Jamie was the executive producer for Julie Leigh’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’, selected in Official Competition Cannes 2011, selling in all major territories. He produced the supernatural thriller ‘Backtrack’ starring Adrien Brody and Sam Neill, released in 2015 and has also produced over 100 shorts, music videos and commercials. His films have screened and won awards at Cannes, Toronto, Sydney, New York, Rome, Paris and London. 

Judy Menczel

Jamie Hailton – Class of 1997

Zoe Menczel Schrire

Leonie Cohen – Pianist

Friendship Circle

Members of our Emanuel community supported the Friendship Circle walk last Sunday morning in a variety of ways – some by doing the walk and others by helping with some of the entertainment stations for the children, whilst Year 7 students Joshua Moses and Casey Flior provided some of the musical entertainment. More than 1300 people attended this event, raising over $100,000.00 that will go towards providing assistance and support for families of children and young adults with disabilities.  It is not too late to donate: www.sydneyfriendshipcircle.org.au/walk

Wishing you and your family, Shanah Tovah Umetukah (a good and sweet year) and well over the Fast.

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

Connecting our Community – Gesher

Nathaniel Knoll – Class of 2016

Kids Kicking Cancer fundraiser

The Australasian Zionist Youth Council (AZYC) is the roof body that unites the seven Zionist Youth Movements across Australia and New Zealand. The AZYC facilitates a support network between Betar, Bnei Akiva, Habonim Dror, Hashomer Hatzair, Hineni, Netzer, Tzofim and two pluralist youth organisations in the small communities of Adelaide and Canberra.

We create a powerful platform so that youth movements can continue to establish a connection between Judaism, Zionism and the youth of our communities, irrespective of the religious affiliation and political belief. The AZYC continues to strengthen the Jewish communities of Australia and New Zealand through education and cultural connection to the community and provides an outlet for youth to socialise and learn in a Jewish context.

The AZYC 2017 Shnat cohort is made up of 100 participants who are communally engaged and active. Our aim for this campaign is to raise funds so that each individual riding will be able to support a child through the Kids Kicking Cancer program. The AZYC has come together with Kids Kicking Cancer Israel to help raise donations for the families in need to make sure the programs in Israel continue running, as well as creating new centres all around Israel. The participants on Shnat 2017 (AZYC Gap Year Program) will ride the ANZAC trail to raise funds for Kids Kicking Cancer.

The funds raised in this project will go towards helping Israeli children and their battle with cancer. Kids Kicking Cancer is a non-profit organisation that holds weekly classes for children who have been diagnosed with Cancer. The classes are about the mind-body techniques found in the martial arts. Their mission is “to ease the pain” of very sick children, whilst empowering them to heal physically, spiritually and emotionally. Through an innovative program that merges modern integrative medicine with traditional martial arts, Kids Kicking Cancer addresses the overwhelming needs of children with illness. Specially trained Black Belt martial artists teach breathing, visualisation, and relaxation techniques, in addition to traditional martial arts moves to help empower the children and provide them with a sense of power, peace and purpose. Martial arts classes, support during hospital and clinic procedures, uniforms, and transportation to and from classes are provided to families at no cost.

For more about this fundraiser and to donate: www.jewcer.org/project/azyc2017/

From Kornmehl

Alexandra Levy

Rosh Hashanah

We have been learning about the festival of Rosh Hashanah and all its beautiful rituals and traditions. We have been learning lots of new songs related to this rich festival.

The children have been working on their Shofar blowing skills and through perseverance and practice are beginning to master the art of shofar blowing and making cards for Rosh Hashanah. To inspire their artwork, apples, pictures of bees, shofarot and honey jars have been positioned on the table. They have been encouraged to look closely at these objects and represent them in their own unique ways. Black textas, watercolours and collage materials were the art mediums provided for the children.

Literacy was also incorporated into the experience where the invitation to copy relevant words in English and in Hebrew was given. This was a good opportunity to discuss language conventions, for example, we write from left to right in English, but from right to left in Hebrew.

Post box visits

With the Rosh Hashanah cards stamped, addressed and ready to go, the three groups ventured down to the local letter box to post their special cards. We discussed what we put on the envelope, and how the post person knows which house to deliver the card to. We also had a look at a You Tube clip which explained the journey of our mail and how it gets from one place to another. On the clip we saw all the different machines that are used to sort through the mail.  

The Seashell, Starfish and Dolphin groups walked to the post box to post our special Rosh Hashanah cards to our families to wish them a Shana Tovah.

Shabbat

This term parents have been joining us for Shabbat each Friday morning when their child is sitting at the Shabbat table. It’s always very special to share Shabbat with parents and the extended families. We value this time together. The children always feel so proud and happy to have their mishpacha join us and participate with enthusiasm and joy.

Parent involvement

Involving parents and grandparents in the life of our Pre-school adds enormous benefits and value to our program. We work hard to establish collaborative partnerships with families, recognising how important this is for each child to thrive, gain confidence and develop their emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. We invite parents to be a part of this journey through many different and varied avenues, these include: Parent Club, Parent Partnership forms, Parent surveys, baking and cooking, gardening, Bush School, reading books, sharing a talent or hobby as well as inviting them to have input into our program through suggestions and ideas shared with educators.

Educators recognise that families are children’s first and most influential teachers. Partnerships are based on the foundations of understanding each other’s expectations and attitudes, and build on the strength of each other’s knowledge.

It is very clear and evident to see, as we approach the end of the Term 3 of the year, how happy and settled the children are; how familiar they are with routines and expectations; how friendships have been established; how much trust each child shares with their educators and how much wonderful learning is taking place through the creative arts, through music and movement, through imaginative play and outdoor explorations. The list is endless…the possibilities endless…the fun and learning endless!

We are thrilled to have parents accompany us on this exciting journey with their children.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Luca Schwartz (4) and Ethan Kachtan (5). We hope you both had a very special day.

Emanuel Midford Uniform Shop

Casual Position Vacant

The Emanuel School Uniform Store requires a casual sales assistant to assist during the busy periods. This position would ideally suit an ex-student or uni student (or perhaps a parent) who is flexible with their hours. The successful applicant must be able to commit to several key dates throughout the year, in particular from mid November till mid December, and from mid January through to mid February 2018, with the possibility of extra hours throughout the year, particularly at winter/summer uniform change-over.

Please send a short one page CV to Karen at emanuel@midford.com.au

PLEASE NOTE WE WILL BE OPEN

FROM 8AM UNTIL 12 NOON 

ON WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Hi Everyone,

Mums at the Movies

Auction 

Camping trip

Monday Morning Cooking Club