From the Principal

Anne Hastings – Principal

This week has been a particularly busy one, with our usual day-to-day events punctuated by some end-of-year culminating activities:

• On Sunday morning, I attended the NAJEX Remembrance Day ceremony at the Jewish Museum, accompanied by two of our Madrichim, Tomer Belkin and Nadja Avshalom, who laid a floral tribute. Later that day, I went to the last AHISA (Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia) dinner followed by the meeting the next day at Inaburra School, Menai.
• On Monday evening, I attended the Writers’ Awards (see the page in this bulletin for the list of award winners and more description). This is always a very uplifting event, with the students’ written products on show for all to read. I’m always struck by the development in the students’ writing skills, who are so carefully guided and challenged by their English teachers. A huge thank you to each member of the English staff: Joanne Burden, Hannah Chedzey, Michele Frank, Kim Woolf, Helen Philp and David Camp, for their work in bringing the awards night to us so expertly and their ongoing strong guidance of our students’ writing.
• On Tuesday evening I joined the P&F committee for their last meeting of the year. This has been the first year for Ruby and Jen as co-chairs, and they, along with their committee, have worked hard to bring to us the wide range of community and fund-raising events. The P&F is such an important part of the heart of a school – its strength and involvement demonstrate that of the community. We are so grateful for their dedication and such strong support for the School, and particularly thank Ruby and Jen for their leadership and commitment this year.
• Tuesday also held our final Jewish Life committee meeting for the year. This is one of the Emanuel Board committees that meets termly to discuss a range of issued related to Jewish Life, Hebrew and Jewish Studies. This meeting was largely devoted to a discussion around the teaching of Hebrew in the Primary School.
• During the day on Tuesday we held our Year 7 2018 Transition Day (see the article in this bulletin), in which the incoming Year 7 students experienced some High School lessons, the Amazing Race around the School, and got to know some of the teachers and their Peer Support leaders from Year 10. Many thanks go to Miranda Minton and her team for her planning, organisation and management of the day.
• On Wednesday evening, after attending my final HJEI (Heads of Jewish Educational Institutions) meeting at Kesser Torah College with my colleagues from all the other Jewish schools, the Executive and Board of our School came together for the evening to discuss the results of the extensive parent survey that was completed last term. I will begin providing for you some summaries of the Parent Survey Report, so that you can see the broad perspectives of our parents in relation to the many different aspects of our School.
• On Thursday evening, after attending the community Kristallnacht commemoration, there was the final Marketing meeting of the Board sub-committee, in which we worked together to develop the marketing plan for 2018.

So, all in all, it was a busy, varied and fulfilling week!

Visual Arts HSC Success

We heard earlier this week that Brianna Gadeley’s (Year 12 2017) artwork has been nominated for ARTEXPRESS! This is the HSC Exhibition of exemplary Visual Arts works from across the state that happens early in 2018. A photo of her work is here and the description is below. Congratulations to Brianna and special thanks to her teacher, Eytan Messiah, for his dedication in assisting all of his students throughout the development and completion of their artworks.

BRIANNA GADELEY

Title: The Beholder’s Eye

Medium: oil paint and gold leaf on panel

Through our eyes, you and I have the luxury of vivid colours, but through the eyes of a dog we can understand a world through an alternate, dichromatic lens. The biological confinement to this colour spectrum illustrates the literal contrast between a dog’s experiences and our own. The anonymity of the hands and the point of view allow the audience to place themselves in my perspective, reaching out and making contact with the dogs. My work depicts the unspoken nature of interaction and how it forms the language upon which unbreakable bonds are forged. The use of gold leaf captures the moment of mutual connection, framing the canine expressions with our tactile engagement. Through vision we gain insight, but only through interaction do we truly connect.

HSC Examinations

Our final comments on the recent HSC examination papers, which finished on Tuesday, follow:

Visual Arts

The Visual Arts examination is split into two equally weighted sections; three short responses on artworks unseen until the examination and one extended response to the students’ choice from six questions. In order to best answer both sections, Visual Arts students need to balance a sharp knowledge of content with a clear ability to creatively interpret complex artistic systems on the spot. This year, Section 1 presented a range of challenges that engaged students’ capacities to interpret traditions and innovations, the formal elements/principles of art and the relationships that are formed between an artwork and its audience. This section presented students with a booklet of “unseen” artworks comprised of three paintings, an interactive video installation and a performance-based work. To fully appreciate the nuances of these questions and artworks, students needed to unpack the aesthetic and conceptual qualities of the works, paying special attention to the captions provided beneath each artwork.  For Section 2, the majority of our students selected either Question 7 or 8. These both focused on the socio-political implications that artists and their works have in our cultural contexts. Students were familiar with these notions, having encountered them in their Trial Examination as well as previous assessments.

Eytan Messiah

Chemistry

The paper had mainly straightforward questions straight from the syllabus dot points. There were a small number of significantly harder questions, which connected several dot points or tested the students skills in reading the questions carefully. There were quite a few questions that drew on students’ mathematical skills.

 Feedback from a student:

“The exam was stimulating as it largely homed in on the dot points that required understanding rather than rote learning”.

Miranda Minton

Physics

The examination started in a very straightforward way, but got more challenging as it went on. There were a number of challenging questions, which required students to synthesise information from a number of different parts of the course and to demonstrate a real understanding of the Physics. There were also quite a lot of mathematical questions. Overall, it was a difficult but fair paper.

Jenny Selinger

Parent survey – report

Last term all parents were sent a survey link for our biennial survey. We had 308 responses, with the following profile:

Here is an overview of the satisfaction ratings for Key Areas from all parents. We were very pleased that all areas were at least high, with the overall satisfaction a ‘very high’ at 84%I’ll include further details from the report in the coming weeks.

Mazal tov to:

• Tomer Belkin and Nadja Avshalom (Year 12 2018) for their participation at the NAJEX Remembrance Day commemoration
• Zac Greenberg, Ariel Odes, Claudia Berman and Gabriella Goodridge, for representing Emanuel School through CDSSA in Basketball in the AICES Basketball competition
• Each of the students who were nominated for Writers’ Awards, and those who gained the Writers of the Year and Most Dedicated Writers Awards for 2017

Coming up

• Year 10 Drama Showcase, Monday 13 November, 7 pm
• Night of Instrumental Music, Tuesday 14 November, 6 – 7.20 pm (Primary), 7.35 – 8.20 pm (High School)
• Years 9 and 10 Examinations, Wednesday 15 November – Friday 17 November
• Evening of Refugee Voices, 16 November, 6 pm
• House Music Concert, Monday 20 November, 6 pm
• Volunteers Assembly, Tuesday 21 November 8:20 am

Quote of the week 

‘Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.’

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

From the Primary School

Natanya (Tany) Milner – Head of Primary

Our brains

I have recently been reading about the human brain and neuroplasticity. We are so lucky to live in an age when we have developed a deeper understanding of the brain and how it works. Some time ago, it was the view that ‘ability’ was a fixed measure in people and therefore growth or human capacity was considerably limited. More modern research has shown us different ways that we are able to build capacity and ‘grow’ our brains.

The prefrontal cortex of the brain controls our ‘executive functioning’ which includes functions such as creativity, planning, perseverance, comprehension, problem solving, reasoning and impulse control. There is evidence that suggests that a well-developed prefrontal cortex can lead to better academic and life outcomes.

Here are some suggestions for ways to improve the prefrontal cortex:

• Use hooks to assist your memory (acronyms, mnemonics and silly sentences can help)
• Learn new skills that require intense focus eg. juggling, playing a musical instrument, sport and dance
• Play logic and problem solving games – especially ones that require working memory, quick decision making and strategic thinking eg. rummy, chess, crossword and number puzzles
• Get plenty of sleep and exercise
• Build positive emotion through expressing gratitude and looking for positives (increasing dopamine engages the brain)
• Try to stay calm and avoid negative drama (which engages the amygdala and can hijack the prefrontal cortex’s ability to think clearly).

Sasha Novy – Year 3

Mazal tov, Sasha

Over the weekend, Sasha Novy attended the JKA – SKC national karate tournament in Melbourne. He achieved outstanding results including winning two individual gold medals and one silver group medal. What an outstanding achievement! Mazal tov, Sasha. We are so proud of you.

Mazal tov, Lucia

Well done to Lucia Meyer who was part of a team of 39 Kids Giving Back volunteers who cooked, packaged and delivered over 350 warm, nutritious meals to local shelters and individuals in need this past Sunday. Lucia took part in our Community Cook4Good Program with her family and is commended for giving up her time to help others. Thank you, Lucia.

Changes to Presentation Evening

In response to the Year 3-6 Presentation Evening survey, we have decided to change the format for this year. The teachers value the opportunity to acknowledge each child for his/her growth throughout the year and will therefore still be creating a certificate for each student. These will be handed out in the classrooms. Only the students receiving an award will be given these on Presentation Evening. We would like to ensure that families are aware that this is still a compulsory school event and all children are to attend. We will again seek feedback on this new format after the event.

Fit-A-thon

We are looking forward to next Friday’s ‘Fit-A-thon’ (17 November). On this day, the children will be involved in numerous fitness activities to promote healthy lifestyles and the different types of activities children can be involved in that can keep them fit and healthy. You would have received an email requesting permission for your child to be involved as well as a sponsorship form. We would be so grateful if you would encourage your family and friends to support this initiative. We are fortunate that the JCA matches our funds raised so that anything we raise is doubled. In the past, this has allowed us to purchase a number of additional items for the School, from further reading resources through to playground equipment. Thank you to Talia Hynek, Katie Narunsky, Stacey Rosenfeld and Stuart Taylor for co-ordinating this event for us.

Excursions galore

What a busy week for excursions. Despite the rain, our spirits weren’t dampened as we had Year K and Year 6 visit the Sydney Observatory, Year 2 visit the Royal Botanical Gardens and Year 4 visit Taronga Zoo. Each of these excursions has connected to the students’ learning and allowed them to develop deeper understandings of their class Science topics.

Aiden Merten with his Volcanica’s flag and information stand at World Expo

World Expo

Year 6H shared their Geography learning with us this week through their creative World Expo presentations. I thank the students and Anna Economou for their wonderful efforts to learn about different countries around the world before using their knowledge and skills to create their own countries.

Kindy orientation 2018

Our final Kindy orientation session took place this week and it has been wonderful to meet next year’s children and families as we prepare for 2018. There have been a number of interesting and informative activities planned and I would like to thank all the staff involved for their planning and efforts.

Night of Instrumental Music – 14 November

This exciting event will showcase some of the School’s many instrumental music ensembles. It will celebrate the journey of learning a musical instrument by featuring musicians of all ages and abilities. For our Year 3 Instrumental Program (IP) students it will be their first school performance on their new instrument.

The concert is a compulsory activity for all members of the ensembles listed below, for all Infants String Program students and for all students in Years 3-6. Performers are only required to attend the section of the concert in which they are performing (details of attendance requirements are below), but everyone is warmly encouraged to join the audience to watch the other half of the concert.

The first half of the concert (6.00 pm – 7.20 pm) will showcase our Years 3-6 Instrumental Program (IP) ensembles, our Years K-2 Infants String Program (ISP) instrumentalists, and our middle school extra-curricular instrumental ensembles. Primary School students should arrive at 5.30 pm and are welcome to leave at 7.20 pm, at the end of the first half of the concert.

The second half of the concert (7.35 pm – 8.20 pm) will showcase our High School school extra-curricular instrumental ensembles, and grandparents, parents and students are warmly welcomed to stay and watch.

Innovation Showcase – 24 November

We are very excited to invite you to the Primary Innovation Showcase on Friday 24 November from 8.15 -10:00 am. The showcase will commence in the Angles Leadership and Learning Centre (LLC) where students from Primary ICT clubs and selected Years 5-6 class projects will exhibit their work from throughout the year. This will be followed by a presentation in the Millie Phillips Theatre which will include awards for students. To RVSP please use this link  by Wednesday 22 November.

Calendar links

Next week’s calendar link

2017 calendar link

 Term 3-4 K-2 Assembly items

• 17 November (Week 6): KE Ms Grieve’s class
• 1 December (Week 8): Year 1 Hebrew

From the Head of Jewish Life

A good death

A reporter for The Times, a British newspaper, asked a prominent member of the Jewish community and of the House of Lords, “Most people, when they reach their 92^nd birthday, start thinking about slowing down. You seem to be speeding up. Why is that?” The Lord replied: “When you get to 92, you start seeing the door close, and I have so much to do before the door closes that the older I get, the harder I have to work”.

Our parashah, Chayei Sarah (the Life of Sarah), which opens with the death of Sarah, tells us, immediately after he buries his wife, that: “Avraham was old (zakein), advancing in years”. In burying his life partner, Avraham is confronted by his own mortality. In the very next verse, we are told that Avraham calls upon the “zakein of his house”, his senior servant, to help him put his house in order, which includes the critical responsibility of finding a suitable wife for his son, to carry on his line now that he will soon join Sarah. The door is closing for Avraham, and he heightens his engagement in preparing for the future of his household and loved ones.

A Talmudic story relates:

One day, Honi the ‘Circle Maker’ was walking on the road and saw an old man planting a carob tree. Honi asked the man: “How long will it take for this tree to bear fruit?”

The man replied, “Seventy years.”

Honi asked: “And do you think you will live another seventy years and eat the fruit of this tree?”

The man answered: “Perhaps not. However, when I was born into this world, I found many carob trees planted by my father and grandfather. Just as they planted trees for me, I am planting trees for my children and grandchildren so they will be able to eat the fruit of these trees”.

Avraham was able to prepare for his progeny because he was able to harvest the fruits of his own lifetime. Avraham lived challenging God and challenging himself. He was not afraid of dying because he was not afraid of living. When Avraham does die we hear that it is at a “good ripe age, old (zakein) and contented”.

The word zakein, meaning “old” (and elder), connotes, within the Jewish tradition, one who is wise (“zeh kanah chachmah”- this one has acquired wisdom). Wisdom is acquired through experiencing and learning from life. A Yiddish saying teaches us:

Old Age to the Unlearned is Winter, to the Learned it is Harvest Time

Perhaps it is significant that our parashah, which describes the death of our first matriarch and patriarch, goes by the word ‘Life’. For the wise, it is life well lived that makes for a good death. 

Student Devar Torah

Liat Granot – Year 8

Chayei Sarah

This week’s parashah, Chayei Sarah, is less exciting in comparison to some of the recent parshiyot. For example, in parashat Vayera, Ishmael is banished and almost killed and in the ‘binding of Yitzchak‘ he is almost killed as well. So there have been a lot of ‘fun times’ happening in the bible at the moment. 

But let’s get back to this parashah. The first main thing that happens is that Sarah dies at the ripe old age of 127. Yep 127. But it was biblical times so this is totally plausible. Anyway, the second main thing that happens is that Avraham sends his servant to find a wife for Yitzchak and while he does this there is a midrash that Yitzchak secretly goes and finds a wife for Avraham. Now what’s really sweet and nice about this is that both men, grieving for the loss of their mother/wife, go and find a woman for the other to love. 

Now although that isn’t a very modern way of dealing with grief or marriage, it does give us some insight into human nature itself. We as humans are very social creatures who need a lot of love, communication and affection to keep us sane. Their first instinct is: “I need to find my father/son someone to love and take care of him”. Yitzchak marries Rachel and Avraham marries a woman named Keturah. They have six sons together and they all live happily ever after. 

Although Avraham and Yitzchak’s relationship wasn’t very strong after Avraham ‘kind of’ tried to sacrifice him, they each tried to comfort one another in a difficult time and I think that is really beautiful. 

I would like everyone to just close their eyes and think about one thing – what can you do this week to bring more love and peace into the world? If we all work together to be more like Avraham and Yitzchak and bring more love into this world, imagine how much happier this world could be. 

Ma Koreh

Avraham’s life changes instantly

Weekly Torah Portion:
Parashat Chayei Sara 23:1 – 25:18.

When Sarah dies at the age of 127, Avraham’s life changes instantly. He purchases land in the town of Hevron and buries Sarah in the cave of the Machpelah. To secure his family’s future, Avraham sends his servant, Eliezer away from Canaan, back to his homeland, to find a wife for his son Yitzhak. Eliezer decides that whoever offers to give him water and then waters his camels will be the person to marry Isaac. After Rivkah’s act of kindness in providing water to Eliezer and his camels, Eliezer meets Rivkah’s parents who agree for her to marry Isaac. Eliezer and Rivkah return to Avraham and Isaac marries Eliezer. Isaac loves Rivkah and finds comfort with her following the death of his mother.

Family discussion

• Share stories of how members of your family met each other and married.
• What are the most important qualities that we should consider in our friends and partners?
• Avraham wants Yitzhak to marry someone from his own kin, from his father’s homeland. Is it still important to marry someone from the same tribe, nation or religion? Why or why not?

Avraham models the mitzvah of כבוד המת – Kavod HaMet (Honouring the Dead) by burying Sarah in a respectful manner. Explore the following links to learn more about Jewish customs and rituals relating to death and mourning.

• Death and Mourning in Judaism: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/category/mourn/
• The Mourner’s Kaddish prayer: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/kaddish-a-memorial-prayer-in-praise-of-god/

Give your Rosh a workout: Online Jewish quizzes…

How much do you know about Jewish views on the Afterlife and the Messiah?

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/quiz/ceremonies-for-newborns/

Year 4 student work: Reflecting on the journey of the Israelites by Liberty Waldner

Liberty Waldner, Year 4

THE ISRAEL TELEGRAPH ??

A LONG JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND

The slaves, were crying and calling out, the hot sun beat on their faces, as the Egyptians whipped them and shouted at them.

The Israelites had been slaves for 400 years and each one hated it. 
They were forced into labour and treacherous work. They barely had enough to eat and drink and many died from disease and illnesses…

But that was the past, now the Israelites were on a journey that would change everything…

The Israelites had a leader called Moshe. God had spoken to him and told him that he had to free the people of Israel.

The Israelites were in the Midbar, a huge desert. The Israelites complained and moaned, they did not believe Moshe could actually save them.

Food was scarce and water even more scarce. The only food that they had was manna. Manna fell from the sky every morning. The Manna tasted like anything you wanted it to. The Israelites stayed there a little while.

The Israelites walked in the desert as the sun beat against their faces.
They reached Mount Sinai.

Moshe stood before The Israelites at the top of Mount Sinai.

The Israelites stood at the bottom of the mountain, waiting to see what would happen.

Moshe was given The Aseret HaDibrot (The 10 Utterances) on stone tablets. He stood on Mount Sinai holding the commandments. “We have received The Aseret HaDibrot, they are our teachings they are our guides and God has given them to us,” he cried to The Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai.

The Israelites have arrived at the outskirts of Israel, the promised land.
Twelve scouts were chosen, 1 from each tribe.
They were sent in to the land and were told to search the land and bring back information.

The scouts searched and explored the land for 40 days. On the 40^th day the scouts returned with information about the land. Ten of the 12 scouts bought news saying the land was horrible and no one could live there. This angered and upset the Israelites. The Israelites started shouting at Moshe. They asked him why they were lied to and told that this was a good land.

Then the other two scouts, Yehoshua and Calev spoke. They said: “The land is lovely and there are great farming grounds”. With that they presented some fruits that they had found while scouting the land.

Then God spoke. “I promised this land to you. You shouted and rallied against Moshe and for this you must now wander for 40 years. One day for each year”.

After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Moshe stood up and spoke to the Israelites: “I am growing old and weary. I shall soon die and you will need a new leader. Hosea who has just been crowned Yehoshua, will lead you as I have. You shall respect him and always remember The 10 Commandments that we were given on Mount Sinai”. A few days later Moshe died. God buried him on Mount Nebo. No one knew where he was buried…

Important: 2018 HSC Disability Provisions (DP) application process

Important notice for all Year 12 students, Year 11 accelerants and their parents

2018 HSC Disability Provisions (DP) application process

The application process for Disability Provisions will begin in Week 5.

Disability Provisions (DPs) are allowances determined by the New South Wales Standards Authority (NESA) on the basis of a detailed application. The rationale for DPs is to create a level playing field for all students, taking into account any factors that potentially disadvantage them relative to their cohort. They are not intended to provide any undue advantage.

In considering the relative impact of an academic, emotional, medical or physical issue, information related to any disability is submitted to NESA and reviewed by a panel of experts in related fields. Teachers’ comments, observations and information about the overall performance of students are also collected and analysed as part of the application process.

As outlined at the Year 12 Information evening, any student who thinks he or she might be eligible is reminded to make an appointment with Mr Dean or Dr Joffe, as soon as possible.

Both individual and group sessions may be required for data collection, depending on the reason for the application. Students will be advised of times for individual sessions. Whilst every effort will be made to use timetabled study periods for data collection, students are advised that they must be prepared to meet at other times if requested (with notice).

The process of data collection and submission of applications requires rigour and can be lengthy. Students who do not adhere to advertised timelines and notification of sessions should be aware that this might result in a delay in their applications being submitted.

Dr Lynn Joffe, Director – Specialist Learning Centre and Eliah Dean, Disability Provisions Co-ordinator                       

Happy Birthday

Print 35’s 25^th birthday celebration

On 2 November, 11 Emanuel students went to Jewish Care to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the creation of Print 35. For those of you who don’t know, Print 35 is a branch of Jewish Care that hires people in the Jewish community who are disabled or have special needs.

We were then able to take a tour and look at all the behind-the-scenes of what Print 35 does. Everyone has a desk and seems to be very hard at work. For those of you who have purchased or seen serviettes at supermarkets with Jewish symbols on them, these were all made and packaged at Print 35. Everyone has a special role. One person placed the serviettes in the plastic, one person sealed it, one person stuck the labels on – it’s all very collaborative.

The celebration itself was amazing. There were pictures everywhere of the growth of Print 35 over the years and they showed its amazing progression since Day 1. After the behind-the-scenes peek we were treated to drinks and snacks and time to socialise with the other attending schools (Mount Sinai, Moriah and Ascham) as well as the hard-working folk at Print 35. During this time of social gathering and mingling we were huddled together and given the honour of watching a cluster of very cute small children from Mt Sinai perform a very cute dance and two equally sweet songs.

Once the performances were performed and the photos were taken, there were speeches given by the various workers who helped keep Print 35 running. There was one worker, Benny, who had been working there for all of the 25 years, which is absolutely phenomenal! Benny met his wife at Print 35 eleven years ago, and now they have been married for eight years!

What is really great about Print 35, is that they allow people who aren’t necessarily as able as others to work and give them a chance to work on new skills and they are also payed for this work. This is beneficial for two reasons:

It gives these people something good, useful and productive to do and this can help them afford things like housing and food.

Print 35 is an amazing place to volunteer too, and we would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in helping the less fortunate members of our Jewish community. This was such an eye-opening experience that has really positively influenced us to get better involved in volunteering and helping those in need.

Miriam Itzkowitz, Year 9 and Tomer Belkin, Year 11/12

Too many kids without breakfast

Emanuel School Oz Harvest Food Drive

Later this term, Year 7 will be visiting Oz Harvest to better understand how they help with Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World).

To say thanks and express our support, we are having a dry food collection on Waxman Drive from 9 November – 1 December. 

If you want to check out what Oz Harvest is up to: http://www.ozharvest.org/

What you should bring?

Oz Harvest has told us that a main focus for us could be to help children who often do not get breakfast or a decent lunch. They suggested:

• Breakfast: Milo and milk mixes are very popular, cereals, jams and spreads (vegemite and honey), biscuits like SAOs
• Lunch: Two minute noodles are top of the list, tinned meals (spaghetti, beans) and anything that can quickly be heated that is non-perishable.

Other items gratefully accepted are:

• Pasta, rice, whole grain cereal
• Canned vegetables (ring pull)
• Canned fruit (ring pull)
• Canned protein foods like tuna, salmon, chicken, beef stews – (ring pull)
• Biscuits (sweet and savoury)
• Long life juice/poppers

• Dried fruits

• Tea/coffee.

We appreciate it a lot – as will they!

There will be boxes for your lovely donations on Waxman Drive by the main gate from now until Week 8.

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom

By Mirabelle Mirvis, Sacha Rosen, Tammy Kurlansky, Luca Moses and Anna Gil-Munoz
The Year 7 Food Drivers

Fit-a-thon: ready, set, GO!

Get ready, set, GO!

This year we are holding a Fit-a-thon on Friday, 17 November, Week 6.

A permission email with information and sponsorship forms attached has been sent home to all K-6 parents.

The Fit-a-thon will involve the students walking/jogging/running around a course in Queens Park and having their Fit-a-thon score cards stamped at checkpoints. Students will also be able to take part in a variety of other activities at home in the weeks leading up to the Fit-a-thon, including going for a walk, spending some time outdoors and riding a bike/scooter. All students will have brought home a Fit-a-thon score card this week, to record their extra fitness activities. This card should be brought back to school on 14 November in readiness for the event on Friday.

When: Friday 17 November

Time: 11.10 am – 1.10 pm (K-2) and 11.10 am – 2.30 pm (3-6)

Where: Queens Park

What to bring:  K-2: water, hat and sunscreen, 3-6: water, hats, sunscreen and a packed lunch.

Why: To raise money for our School and to increase our fitness

The JCA will match us dollar for dollar so let’s start collecting sponsors now. Sponsorship forms and monies are due back on 24 November (Week 7)

The Fit-a-thon Committee
Stacey Rosenfeld, Talia Hynek, Stuart Taylor and Katie Narunsky

Representative sport news

Great results and team work

Junior Boys Cricket Team

This term Years 7 and 8 students have once again had the opportunity to engage in the Sydney Schools Cup interschool competition. The Emanuel Junior Boys Cricket Team have been playing each week on Tuesday afternoons in Centennial Park. This has proved to be an excellent opportunity for the students to play regular cricket for the School and to prepare for the Wiburd Shield Cricket competition.

In round one of the Wiburd, Emanuel played a highly skilled team from St Luke’s Grammar School, Dee Why. The team was led by Jake Greenberg, one of the School’s most experienced players. Although the opposition proved to be too strong, the boys had an amazing day and look forward to participating again next year. Thank you to Adam Ezekiel for coaching the team on the day.

Year 7 Girls Futsal Team

The Emanuel Year 7 Girls Futsal Team have also been playing each Tuesday afternoon at Moriah College. This newly-formed team is training each Friday and has made significant improvements in team work and skill level. In recent weeks’ games I have seen excellent goal keeping from Lara McCorquodale and some very strong tackling from Jasmine Barea. I look forward to once again seeing positive team work and a great performance at their game next week.

AICES Basketball

Last Wednesday four of our best junior basketball players represented the CDSSA at the AICES Basketball Championships at Hills Stadium, Castle Hill. These elite players were selected at trials earlier in the year for a representative team that comprised of students from the 11 schools in our sporting association. The Emanuel School basketball coach, Hank Foster, was responsible for preparing the 15 years CDSSA Girls Team on the day. I would like to thank Hank for his ongoing work at Emanuel and the CDSSA. Congratulations to team members Claudia Burman, Gabriella Goodridge, Zac Greenberg and Ariel Odes.

Opportunity: FFA Football coaching courses

Are you ready to share your skills?

Football has proved to be a popular sport within the Emanuel community. The High School Sport program supports students to not only play sport but to also become active participants within their community through umpiring, refereeing and coaching. As part of the development of our students and coaches the following Football Federation Australia (FFA) approved courses are being provided to the to Emanuel community:

Miniroos Certificate (formally known as the Grassroots Coaching Course)
• Practical based course
• Aimed at coaching players aged 5-9 years of age
• 8.30 am, Sunday 19 November 2017, Queens Park
• Cost: nil

Skill Training Certificate
• Practical and theory based course
• Aimed at coaching players aged 9-13 years of age
• 11 am, Sunday 19 November 2017, Queens Park
• Cost: $90 standard fee of FFA course

Game Training Certifictae
• Practical and theory based course
• Aimed at coaching players aged 13-17 years of age
• 11 am, Sunday 4 March 2018, Queens Park
• Cost: $90 standard fee of FFA course

The courses are open to students in Year 10 and above, and also to our School coaching staff. For further enquiries please email kreed@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

An Evening of Refugee Voices

High School sporting events

Monday

All day

Round 2 Douglas Shield Cricket Match

Morning

14s boys basketball training

Year 7/8 basketball development squad

Year 7-12 girls touch football training

Afternoon

Emanuel/Moriah basketball challenge – round 3

Beach volleyball

Pilates

Tuesday

Morning

Years 7-9 boys touch football training

Afternoon

Sydney Schools Cup interschool girls futsal competition

Year 7-12 boys and girls Easts touch football competition

Wednesday

Morning

Boys fitness

14s boys basketball training

Gymnastics

Netball training

Afternoon

Cricket training

Thursday

Morning

Girls fitness

Years 10-12 boys touch football training

Lunch

Firsts boys basketball training

Afternoon

Rock climbing

Years 7-9 girls netball competition

Friday

Morning

16s boys basketball training

Surfing

Lunch

Years 7/8 Sydney Schools Cup futsal training

Sunday

14s boys basketball competition

16s boys basketball competition

Emanuel School Writers’ Awards 2017

Amy Altman, Emanuel School Writer of the Year, with David Camp, Head of English

“A word after a word after a word is power.”
Margaret Atwood

The Emanuel School Writers’ Awards were held in the Lehrer Family Building (MPH) on Monday 6 November. Students were recognised on the night for the high quality of their writing throughout the year, with their work displayed around the MPH. Their works included essays, short stories, feature articles, book reviews, poetry and even one short film. On the night, two winners were chosen from each year group – a Most Dedicated Writer and a Writer of the Year. Our Most Dedicated Awards go to the students who have worked to improve their writing or who have shown great consistency in their writing this year. Our Writer of the Year awards go to those students who have produced the most consistently excellent writing this year. 

Below are the winners for 2017:

Year 7: 

Most Dedicated Writer: Eden Glass
Writer of the Year: Anna Davis

Year 8:

Most Dedicated Writer: Jonathan Schach
Writer of the Year: Jessica Lowy

Year 9:

Most Dedicated Writer: Jemma Salamon
Writer of the Year: Mimi Silberstein

Year 10:

Most Dedicated Writer: Isabella Flax
Writer of the Year: Adena Sheps

Year 11:

Most Dedicated Writer: Isabella Brockwell
Writer of the Year: Sonia Redman

Year 12:

Most Dedicated Writer: Sophie Lew
Writer of the Year: Amy Altman

Year 10 Drama Showcase

Year 7 2018 transition day

Year 6 into Year 7 transition day

Year 6 into 7 transition day was a blast. The Peer Support Leaders were thrilled to welcome the 2018 Year 7 students to High School. With around 15 kids having never been to Emanuel before, it was everyone’s job to make them feel welcome, and the new students seemed to settle in well.

Similar to previous years, the worries were much the same with homework being among the top. The top excitements were of course laptops, lockers and camp.

The students were introduced to the Executive and Head Madrichim during the regular High School assembly and took some sample classes in the subjects of Design and Technology, Science, PDHPE and History. This gave them the opportunity to experience a day in the life of an Emanuel High School student as well as getting to know the teachers they’ll be seeing next year.

At the end of the day students were put in groups of four to complete the ‘Amazing Race’ around the School. The aim of the game is to find all staffrooms and key people in the School while gathering advice from each one. The students found the race fun and inspirational.

All in all, the day was a great success with the Year 6 students participating in a wide range sample lessons run by High School staff and completing other activities to help ensure their transition into High School is as smooth as possible. The Peer Support Leaders had the opportunity to get to know next year’s cohort of Year 7s and are looking forward to cementing connections with the students as they continue to bond throughout their first semester of High School. Big thanks to Ms Minton and Samo for organising and running this incredible day.

Ben Leslie and Eden Sadra, Year 10 Peer Support Leaders

From the Head of Music

David Gwilliam – Head of Music

Private Music tuition

Please note that from 2018, the cost of individual private music lessons will be charged at a rate of $42.00 per half-hour lesson (plus GST, if the tutor is registered to pay GST).  Lessons shared in pairs will cost $22.00 per student per half-hour lesson (plus GST where applicable).  

Thank you to those who have already advised us of changes to private tuition and Infants String Program enrolments for next year. The due date for notification of changes or intention to discontinue for Term 1, 2018 is Friday 24 November. Please notify David Gwilliam, Head of Music, by email to music@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au of any changes to lessons or if your child intends to discontinue. If written notification regarding discontinuation is not received by the end of term, parents will be liable for fees for next term.

The schedules for Term 1, 2018 will be created before the end of term.  All students receiving private music tuition at Emanuel will be automatically re-enrolled into tutor schedules for next term along with students commencing lessons for the first time.

Links to online forms  

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

To discontinue private tuition at the end of Term 4 http://tinyurl.com/PrivateTuitionDiscontinuation

To enrol into the Infant Strings Program for 2018: http://tinyurl.com/InfantStringsEnrolment

To discontinue Infant Strings Program at the end of Term 4: http://tinyurl.com/InfantStringsDiscontinuations

Night of Instrumental Music

Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award camp

Ray Francis – Head of PDHPE

Congratulations to the silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award group who completed an excellent three-day canoeing adventurous journey on the Hawkesbury river last week.

This was the last of the two journeys required to complete this section of the award, and the group was lucky to have perfect canoeing conditions on the Hawkesbury.

The stars aligned with both winds and tides working in our favour to make paddling a pleasure.

Camping on the river banks at night, cooking around the camp fire, night fishing and star gazing in addition to the nightly ‘tribal’ meeting to reflect on our day, were all aspects of an excellent adventure.

Mazal tov to our group who represented the School admirably, showing great care for each other and the beautiful environment that we travelled through.

Gesher: Who wants to be in a movie?

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Jamie Hilton (Class of 1997)

I received this request from alumnus Jamie Hilton (Class of 1997)

Calling friends, family and film fans

We’re filming a movie and need your help. ‘Standing Up For Sunny’ is a comedy, set in the world of Stand Up and we’re asking family, friends and film fans to appear in our film. The film features some of Australia’s top actors as well as US actor RJ Mitte who plays Walter White “Junior” in Breaking Bad. 

If you would like to spend a day with us all, be in the movie, have some laughs and get to see the inner workings of a movie then we’d love to have you – please click here to sign up. http://signup.com/go/JaSxxWa  

If you are unavailable for 22 and 23 November, these are the other dates when we require people: 

• 4 December – Seymour Centre
• 7 December – Clancy Theatre
• 8 December – Seymour Centre

Share with your friends – the more the merrier.

A feel good story – Margaret Olley 

Facebook and the Sydney Morning Herald are both excellent places to find amazing stories, and here now is one that includes a connection with past parent, David Stein.

The Lismore car boot market, known locally as ‘The Booty’, is a treasure trove of the old, the rare and the downright oddball.

On a summer’s morning in 2013, The Booty didn’t disappoint for local artist Stefanie Bassett.  While flicking through a plastic sleeve of old sketches she paused on a striking little painting that caught her eye. A small signature in the far right corner read “Olley, 1947”

With the store owner’s asking price of just $20, Stefani handed over a $20 note and he piped up: ‘You know someone said that it reminded them of a Margaret Olley painting … if it turns out to be an Olley, you owe me a beer’,” Bassett recalled.

The painting was last month, after a four-year on and off search, finally identified as an early work from one of Australia’s most significant still-life and interior painters, Margaret Olley, which could fetch thousands of dollars at auction. 

Most of Stef’s attempts to find out more about the authenticity of the painting ended up nowhere, until finally, a friend in Sydney showed the painting to one of her friends, former google executive, Christopher Mulch, for his thoughts. Mulcahy was stunned. “I was walking out the door at the end of the dinner party, I was the last person to leave and Bek said: “Hang on a second,” and went over to her book shelf and started pulling out all these books,” Mulcahy said.  “At the bottom of the pile was a folder and she pulled out this Margaret Olley painting!”

Mulcahy contacted The Herald which had recently published an article on a possible renaissance masterpiece discovered in a North Shore home. The Herald pointed him in the direction of one of Australia’s most respected art conservationists, David Stein, who has worked with major auction houses to restore and authenticate art works.

Mulcahy sent Stein an email with an image of the work. Stein said he immediately identified it as an Olley.  “My reaction to the email was ‘wow, that is fantastic, it really looks like an Olley, I’d really like to look at it in the flesh’,” Stein said. “As soon as I looked at it, I could see the nature of the materials and the condition was all consistent with the period and the authorship.”

The work is not considered one of Olley’s major paintings, and would likely sell for between $8,000 – $10,000.  Not bad for a $20 purchase!

Here is the link to read the whole article: www.smh.com.au/nsw/margaret-olley-painting-bought-at-car-boot-sale-for-20-20171102-gzdcqq

This painting by renowned Australian artist Margaret Olley, was discovered at a car boot sale for $20. Photo: Louise Kennerley

David Stein is restoring the painting by renowned Australian artist Margaret Olley. Photo: Louise Kennerley

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

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Last week I was at Knox Grammar School with a group of Careers Advisors who formed a working party. It was fascinating to hear how other careers services work in schools around Sydney and to see what we all do collectively to try and meet the needs of our ever-changing student body. One commonality was the stress we felt our Year 12s were under, the increasing pressure on students and the fact that at the age of 18 it is simply impossible to have clear ideas about the future. We all felt it was only after university and some work and life experience that individuals had a much better idea of their own skills, strengths and preferences.

Year 12 

Now that the Year 12 students have officially finished their HSC, the universities have their eyes on ATAR day and institutions will be putting on information days to answer questions. 

The aim of these days is to make sure that by the due date, only a couple of days after the ATARs are distributed on 15 December, students’ preferences are in the correct order for their tertiary choices. 

ANU is also running a Sydney-based Information day that weekend www.anu.edu.au/study/events/anu-sydney-advisory-day-1.

UNSW

The UNSW is hosting showcases for Built Environment 2017. Anyone interested in Town Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Product/Industrial Design would learn a lot at these end-of-year showcases.

www.be.unsw.edu.au/event/2017-graduation-exhibitions?_cldee=Y3BlY2hAZW1hbnVlbHNjaG9vbC5uc3cuZWR1LmF1&recipientid=contact-831b6229e34fe71180f970106fa39b51-cee35e097ede40e7a336cd1e07cf5564&esid=3330087d-c8bd-e711-8133-70106fa11a21 

For ANU the link is www.anu.edu.au/study/events/anu-sydney-advisory-day-1 or search for ‘ANU advisory day’. Just make sure you click on the Sydney event as they are also having sessions in Melbourne and Canberra around the same date.

Every year I try and break down the barriers to views about TAFE. At school we need to remember that university is not for everyone and for some students, TAFE is without a doubt the best option. If you like learning practical subjects or new skills, or if you like working in smaller groups, most of the vocational subjects e.g. childcare, nursing and trades can be studied at TAFE and are the best places for that. I would encourage anyone who likes the sound of these more vocational options to seriously consider TAFE as the best course of action for them.

TAFE

Sydney TAFE business course information sessions

Courses range from entry-level programs across many discipline areas right through to advanced diplomas linked to degrees. See all their events at http://sydneytafe.edu.au/newsevents/events 

Find out about their business-related degrees and courses at http://sydneytafe.edu.au/careers/business-management  

TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore open day

Open day is on Wednesday 6 December 2017 and Wednesday 31 January 2018 from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm at 110 Edgeware Rd, Enmore

Join any one of the information sessions for Entertainment, Design & Illustration, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design & Decoration, Jewellery, Object Design & Manufacture, 3D Animation & Concept Art at TAFE NSW Design Centre, Enmore. 
www.facebook.com/events/155878185001144/

Kornmehl news

Excursions

In the past week, all three groups have been on excursions into the wider community. Both the Seashells and the Dolphins have been to the zoo and the Starfish went to Calmsley City Farm.

The build-up to the excursions consisted of discussions, sharing of ideas and thoughts about what we might see and do as well as involvement in making beautiful creative artworks. On our return, there has also been much reflection and follow-through.

The children and teachers travelled on the Emanuel School bus, Otto, which was a huge highlight of the trip. On our arrival at the zoo, we found a shady picnic spot to have our morning tea. We walked around and saw the elephants, lions, giraffes, gorillas and lots more animals including the new tiger enclosure. We were all so excited to see the elephants, especially the new baby elephant, Tukta. 

We watched the seal show and the Dolphins got to go to the bird show as well.

Just before we left to come home the children went on the Sky Safari. The views were spectacular and we all had a great time.

Our excursion to the farm began with a tour of the farm nursery, where the children got to pet and look at lots of different baby farm animals. We then all had a go at milking a cow. We learnt about different kinds of cows, such as Brahman, Jersey and Highland. We visited the sleepy pigs and went on a very bumpy tractor ride around the farm. We also saw a camel, donkey, lamas, koalas, wallabies, wombats, turkeys, ducks and chickens. After lunch we had a stockwhip demonstration, followed by a working dog show. The dog herded all the sheep into an area and we enjoyed the sheep shearing show. Wow – so much in one day! It was a beautiful day and the Starfish children were engaged, enthusiastic and involved.

Many thanks to all our wonderful parent and grandparent helpers. We really appreciated you joining us on all these excursions.

Kindy orientation

The children have been excited to participate in orientation visits up to Year K at Emanuel School. They have entered the classroom confidently and are eager to explore their new surroundings and get to know their teachers.

This week is their last visit, and we thank Carmen Yunis and Carrie Grieves for welcoming the children and making them feel comfortable and safe.

National Recycling Week

We are very excited about National Recycling Week coming up. We invite all parents to join us during the next few weeks and spend time with your child on arrival in the mornings, making something out of the recycled materials provided. We will provide glue, tape and paint. We hope you will enjoy the time to construct something together. We are looking forward to displaying all the amazing constructions during our concert weeks.

Playball

Playball this term has continued to provide the children with many different gross-motor activities and ball skills. The coaches, Jenny and Al, are able to challenge the children physically and extend their skills. The children look forward to Playball on a Monday and enjoy their time very much. This term parents are invited to an open session of Playball to observe what their children have been learning.

The Starfish open lesson will be on Monday 13 November at 9.30 am.
The Dolphins open lesson will be on Monday 20 November at 9.30 am.
The Seashells open lesson was held on Monday 27 November at 9.30am.

Concerts

The children from all three groups have begun preparing for our end-of-year concerts. They are getting very excited to perform for their Mums and Dads.

The Seashells concert will be held on Wednesday 6 December at 9.30 am in the Pre-school. Morning tea will be served after the concert.

The Starfish and Dolphins Concert and graduation will be held on Thursday 7 December at 6.00 pm in the Lehrer Family Building, Multi-Purpose Hall of Emanuel School. A light dinner and snacks will be served afterwards in the Pre-school. The concerts are for parents only.

Bush School family picnic

We invite all Kornmehl families to join us at Centennial Park on Monday 11 December for our final Bush School experience of the year. This will take place from drop off until about 11.00 am. Please bring some snacks and drinks. Come and experience the wonders of nature with your children.

Building emotional resilience

Emotional resilience is our ability to maintain an even, consistent and predictable approach. Emotionally resilient people understand what they’re feeling and why. They are therefore in a better position to control their own behaviours and reactions. Their optimism and belief that they are in control of their lives help them to avoid erratic behaviour and be consistent. They don’t see themselves as victims. When obstacles and challenges arise, as they inevitably do, emotionally resilient people are optimistic that they will overcome the challenges and grow and learn from them. While we’re probably born with a certain amount of emotional resilience and it is part of our personality and predisposition, it can be further developed. This is an important concept and belief.

 What does resilience look like? 

There’s probably not one way to describe what resilience looks like and, of course, no-one is resilient all of the time. There are some characteristics that we might expect to see in a child who is coping well or is resilient. For instance, they might:

• use positive self-talk for encouragement
• capably express their feelings and thoughts
• not hide away from strong feelings
• have helpful, age-appropriate strategies to manage their emotions if they are upset
• rearrange their plans to work around an unexpected situation
• use a trial-and-error approach in their daily life
• remain hopeful and keep on trying if something doesn’t work out
• know when to stop trying if they decide the effort is not worthwhile
• actively ask for help if they need it.  

Can you build resilience to specifically help kids deal with stress? How might schools and parents achieve this?

Building resilience really comes through the development of social and emotional skills, which include coping skills. These are the same skills that will help children deal with stress, so it follows that building resilience will really help kids deal with stress. When teaching social and emotional skills (such as understanding and managing emotions, getting along with friends, and making good decisions), it can be useful to draw on some of the actual stressors that children are facing in their real worlds. Schools have a range of social and emotional learning initiatives they use to explicitly teach these skills and practise them throughout the school day. This way, they can learn practical skills to use in the real world. It’s also important not to ignore basics like helping children sleep and eat well, as we know these are associated with stress.

Educators and parents can play a really important part in their modelling and approach during stressful times. Children learn (and take cues) from the adults around them, so it’s important for adults to be mindful of how they approach stressful situations and the skills they use to resolve challenges. They can also play an active role in supporting children during stressful times. They can do this by facilitating problem-solving steps to work through situations positively. Over time, these skills can then be developed by the child so they are able to more independently resolve difficulties. Chatting about what happened afterwards can also help to reinforce the learning and remind the child that things can turn out okay even when it’s been a bit stressful.

The focus on social and emotional skills is really important for children’s resilience. These are the skills that help children to understand themselves, to manage a wide range of emotions, and to seek help when necessary. Teaching children to accept that all feelings are okay is an important aspect of this, and enables them to express things such as frustration or worry.

https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/health-and-community/enewsletter/building-resilience-cope-stress

WIZO tzedakah collection

On Friday, the Pre-school collected tzedakah for WIZO – World International Zionist Organisation. This money is sent to Israel to help brighten the future for those in need. WIZO supports women, children, families and the elderly in communities across the country.

Many thanks to all our Kornmehl families for their generous support.

Happy birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Miri Kuper (5) and Nadav Mermelshtayn (4). We also wish a very happy birthday to Justine Robertson, who celebrates her birthday on the weekend. 

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Hi Everyone,

Hope you have had a good week and managed to stay dry!

Auction 

There is only one more week before the P&F auction closes. There are some amazing bargains to be had such as a seven night holiday at Thredbo worth over $4000 (bidding is currently at only $1400), a stunning luxury scarf by Bird & Knoll at a steal at the moment (bid is $180 – RRP: over $300) and an overnight stay at the stunning QT Hotel in Sydney worth over $400, currently standing at $280. Don’t miss the opportunity to bid for these prizes and more while helping to raise funds for the School. Bid today:
www.32auctions.com/EmanuelSchool2017

Camping fun

The P&F camping trip took place last weekend. Sixteen Emanuel families braved the rain and had a wet, but wonderful, weekend. Thanks again to Lindi Bloch for co-ordinating it. Here are a few quotes from the weekend:

“Camping was wet and muddy but that didn’t stop us from having fun. The best part for me was swimming in the beautiful river. I also liked spending time with different people and of course eating pancakes for breakfast.”

Jemma Adler (Year 3)

“Truth to be told it was a wet weekend, but that didn’t stop us from cooking up a storm, swimming and catching up with each other while the kids are bringing as much mud as they can into our tents! The highlight for me was the travelling talent show, well shepherded by Grant!”

Avi Sharabi (parent)

Have a great weekend,

Jen and Ruby