Volume 26 – Issue 33 - 17 Nov 2017

From the Principal

Anne Hastings – Principal

Night of Instrumental Music

On Tuesday evening the MPH was a large performance space, with every child from Years 3 – 6 showing how well they had learnt to play their musical instrument in the Instrumental Program this year. The Years K – 2 students stole the show with their performances on tiny violins and violas as part of the Infants Strings Program. There were Concert Bands and String Ensembles for each year group, as well as Junior and Senior Bands and Jazz Ensembles. To have over 50 young children playing together on their instruments that they’ve only been learning for one or two years, and sounding pretty good together, is an amazing feat. Much credit goes to the patience of their teachers and perseverance of the students.

Learning a musical instrument provides so many more lessons than just the acquisition of musical skills, which in itself is important. The students learn that they can improve by continually practising, that working together with others results in a much better result than they can have by themselves, but also requires them to be aware of and support each other, and that over time they can progress and master their techniques so they can then concentrate on other aspects of their performances.

Congratulations to each child who has worked hard to further develop their skills so they can come together with their year group and delight us all with their music. Many thanks go to Diana Springford and Jo de Araujo for their wonderful organisation of the event, and to the Music teachers and Tutors who have guided the students through the year towards mastery of their musical instruments.

Refugee evening

Last night saw a wonderful evening of talks and discussion from a panel of refugees and people who work with them. People who attended felt that it was an exceptional evening of learning about the issues faced by refugees in Australia. Congratulations to Rabbi Danny Siegel for his organisation of the evening and to Hannah Shteinman for her work in setting up and chairing the evening so superbly. In the words of one of the attendees:

Sometimes, we get caught up in our own lives and get overwhelmed by our trivial problems and we forget there are people out there who are experiencing hardships we could never imagine. What resonated the most for me was that they kept persevering despite almost insurmountable obstacles and they stand before us so grateful to be alive. What truly inspiring individuals.”

NAJEX Presentation

On Wednesday morning at our Assembly, Roger Selby from the NSW Association of Jewish Service and Ex-service Men and Women addressed the High School, telling the students about the organisation and presenting an award to a Year 11/12 student. NAJEX this year has provided a Youth Leadership award to each Jewish school for a student who has demonstrated the qualities of integrity, Loyalty, Courage, Innovation and Teamwork. 

Jade Reuveny

From a very large group of students who have demonstrated such qualities at our School, we nominated Jade Reuveny for this award. Congratulations Jade, your award is very well deserved! We are very grateful to Roger for taking the time to come to our School for the presentation of this award.

HSC Examinations

A couple of final comments on the recent HSC examination papers, appear below.

Economics

This paper offered students a range of extended responses to select. Most of the Emanuel students chose an essay that dealt with the government’s policies to create a low inflation environment. This would have included an explanation of monetary policy and microeconomic reform. The other extended response that was popular with our students involved their case study on an emerging nation and how the globalisation process has effected the standard of living. Many Emanuel students had chosen China, Vietnam and India for their case study. 

A large part of the short answer section dealt with income distribution and challenged students to explain why Australian women accumulate less wealth than their male counterparts. Students were also asked how the Federal Budget could be used to influence income distribution. 

The 20 multiple-choice questions assessed how well students understood ideas such as international competitiveness, the Terms of Trade, a depreciation of the Australian currency and the labour force participation rate. 

Overall the paper rewarded students who can relate the syllabus to the Australian and global economy in 2017. This year’s HSC students had plenty of scope to talk about subdued inflation, stagnant wage growth, trade surpluses and a domestic economy that has created over 250 000 jobs. 

David Bartlett

Society and Culture

This paper challenged the students with a range of contemporary examples in order to test their understanding of both the core concepts and research methodologies. The short-answer questions prompted the students to describe nature in a country, which allowed our students to write about Afghanistan or Japan in their response. The Depth Study questions provided students with the opportunity to relate the methodologies of content analysis and interview to their focus studies of Hip Hop and Buddhism respectively. Our students would have been able to recall their assessment task which required them to interview a Buddhist proponent to respond effectively to this question. 

Allison Lee

Parent survey – report

The page below summarises where parents who responded to our survey identified areas of high performance and areas for review. The Executive team and the Board have reviewed the survey report and are very pleased with the extensive list of high performing areas, while noting those areas for review and using the results to develop plans for areas of focus in 2018.

 

Mazal Tov to

  • The PDM (Photographic and Digital Media) classes and Year 5 for their beautiful photographs on display in the LLC
  • The Year 10 Drama students and their teacher Sam Bauer for their inspiring performances on Monday evening
  • The new senior basketball team for the determined effort against Moriah
  • Elia Berelekhis (Year 9), Jordan Fleischer (Year 8), Luca Calderon Havas and Jack Smagarinsky (Year 7) for their tenacity and success in playing in the 15 years AICES Tennis tournament
  • Leo Carroll, Jordan Behr, Joel Ehrlich (Year 10) and Gidon Grunseit (Year 8) for their surfing success at the AICES Surfing competition
  • Our Douglas Shield Cricket team for their strong showing against St Andrews
  • Danielle Rutstein (Year 9), who competed at Little A’s Centre Championships this weekend in four events and came

    Danielle Rutstein – Year 9

    home with four gold medals in Triple Jump (new PB), Long Jump, High Jump and 100m. 
  • Jake Langman (Year 12), who was invited to participate in a North Sydney Council film project. Together with his friend they created, filmed and edited a short movie called “Sketch” which will be featured in the Story To Screen Project.
  • Amber Langman (Year 9), who successfully auditioned for the 2017 Royal Randwick Busking Festival. She will be performing two songs on Saturday 18 November which will help raise money for The Sydney Children’s Hospital
  • Aron Jaffe (Year 12) and Max Salamon (Year 4) who each played the Last Post and Revellie on their trumpets – Aron at Montefiore and Max in front of the whole school
  • Adena Sheps (Year 10) for her successful Science Blog on STEM (see the Careers page).

Coming up

  • House Music, Monday 20 November, 6 pm
  • Volunteers Assembly and Morning Tea, Tuesday 21 November, 8:15 am
  • Year 10 Chavayah leave and Sydney Experience begins, Wednesday 22 November
  • Community Farewell for Anne Hastings, Sunday 26 November, 5:30 pm
  • Dani Klein – Parenting during the HSC, a Presentation, Monday 27 November, 7 pm

Quote of the week 

‘Music is a discipline, and a mistress of order and good manners, she makes the people milder and gentler, more moral and more reasonable.’ [Martin Luther]

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

 

 

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

The lying truth

Driving home from school yesterday, I was wondering what I might say for my Devar Torah this week.

Then, stopping at a red light, I got my answer. There, across the way, in big letters on a church door it said: “Come as you are, you are always welcome”.

My first thought was: “Come as you are”? Well, who else could I be coming as?

Then, with the light turning green, came my second revelation. Ya’akov, in this week’s parashah, does not come as he is. To steal the first right of inheritance from his brother, Ya’akov deceives his father and comes as his brother Eisav, to get the blessing of the first born from him.

Putting goat skins on his hands, Ya’akov comes as his hairier brother, Eisav, before his blind father Yitschak. But his father senses something is amiss and says: “The voice is the voice of Ya’akov, but the hands are those of Eisav”. Yet, he blesses Ya’akov.

The Rabbis have great difficulty with this dilemma. Being dishonest and deceiving, not coming as you are, makes you a winner. Is this the message of the Torah?

The Rabbis offer the following insight and teaching. Jacob did come as he is. He was a trickster and deceiver and did not seek to trick anyone into thinking he was not. Ya’akov was honest in being dishonest.

Ya’akov was not rewarded for his trickery and deception. In the very next parashah, his father-in-law deceives him, then his wife deceives him, then his children deceive him.

The Bible, throughout, tells us no one is perfect, not our Patriarchs nor our Matriarchs, not Moshe, not even God. Yet, no one is beyond redemption, beyond positive change – if you come as you are. Only in coming as you are, good or bad, can you become who you might be.

Only in seeing his son as who he was, a deceiver, could Yitschak bless and help him grow into whom he might be.

So, yes, come as you are, for you are always welcome for whom you are and for whom you might be.

תתן אמת ליעקב – Grant truth to Ya’akov

Mikhah: 7:20

 

Devar Torah

Tomer Belkin – Year 11/12

Today’s parashah is called Toldot or ‘generations’. In it we are reintroduced to Yitschak and meet his wife Rivkah. Like Avraham, they run into a bit of a bump when trying to make a baby, until their prayers are answered and they conceive. Rivkah has a pretty tough time being pregnant and she is informed by God that “there are two nations in her womb” and that her youngest will prevail over the eldest.

Business goes on per usual until the twins are born, and her son Eisav comes out first, with Ya’akov clutching his heel FORESHADOWING. Anyway, Yitschak ends up favouring Eisav, whilst Rivkah ends up favouring Ya’akov.

Now Eisav grows up to be a “man of the field”. He’s all ‘hunty’ and grr grr masculine and probably wrestles with bears when he gets bored, whilst Ya’akov remains “a sedentary man” who likes to “dwell in the tents”.

Cut the scene to one day, Eisav comes home from a tough day at the field, and boy oh boy is he hungry. So hungry in fact that he starts begging Ya’akov for some food, to the point where Ya’akov convinces him to sell his birthright, as a firstborn, for a bowl of red, lentil soup. Now flash forward a whole lot of time. Yitschak is old, and blind, and probably super wrinkly. He knows he’s going to die soon, so he wants to bless Eisav with the blessing of the first born before he kicks the metaphorical bucket. Rivkah is aware of this situation and she is all like “What about Ya’akov?”

So whilst Eisav is out bulking or farming or drinking whatever the biblical equivalent to protein shakes are, Rivkah gets Yitschak to go grab some baby goats so she can make him his favourite meal. She also uses the goatskins to cover Ya’kov’s face and hands to simulate the feel of his hairier brother. Yitschak suspects but ends up blessing Ya’akov. Eisav then comes back, is made aware of this… tomfoolery, and Eisav can do nothing but weep as he vanishes into history. Eisav is super mad at Ya’akov, end scene.

Now I have to admit I had a bit of struggle with how to relate to this parashah, because the ‘moral’ that was most obvious to me was that if you lie… it’s ok? I didn’t agree with that at all. I personally think that honesty is the most important thing at all times. No matter the situation, we can deal with every circumstance without lying.

What do you think? Is it ok to lie at all? When is it ok to lie?

 

Gabriel Sebban – Year 11/12

This week’s parashah, Toldot, is hectic and definitely one of the more exciting Torah portions.

This is the story of Yitzchak and Rivkah. Like Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivkah can’t have children, but finally succeed after 20 years of trying. Unfortunately, Rivkah experiences a difficult pregnancy, as, according to God, she has “two nations in her womb”, and that the younger child will “dominate” the elder child. Rivkah has yet to fully understand what God means.

The day of the birth comes, and Eisav emerges first with Ya’akov following close behind, clutching his brother’s heel. The Torah then skips over their growing up and returns with Eisav being a “proficient hunter, a man of the field”, whereas Ya’akov is “quiet/sedentary” or a couch potato compared to his brother. Now that’s a massive juxtaposition! To further this divide between the two, we find out that Yitschak prefers Eisav to Ya’akov, and Rivkah prefers Ya’akov to Eisav. One day, Eisav, who’s been out at the gym, or the biblical hunting and gathering equivalent, comes home, and he is FAMISHED. You know how sometimes you’re so hungry you’d sell your soul, but not actually because that’s a bit crazy. Well get this, Eisav did that, selling his rights as being the firstborn son to Ya’akov, just for a pot of red lentil stew, because why not, hey? The funny thing here, is that it was Ya’akov’s idea that Eisav gives him his birthright as a trade, and so in a sense, Ya’akov is the real hunter here. A hunter of the mind and spirit, rather than being.

Suddenly, Yitschak is old and blind, and can tell that he’s going to die soon, and so wants to bless Eisav before he does. Little does he know, but Rivkah thinks that she’s a bit of a “trickster”. What she does is she gets Ya’akov, and dresses him in Eisav’s clothes, and covers his hands and neck with goatskin to simulate the feel of his hairier brother. Rivkah then prepares Yitschak’s favourite dish, and gets Ya’akov to give it to him. Yitschak, being old and blind, still isn’t fooled by this biblical social experiment, but decides to bless whoever this person in front of him is anyway; and so he blesses Ya’akov instead of Eisav, giving him mastery over his brother. Eisav then returns and and all they can do is cry. Ya’akov scrams and we get left on a bit of a cliff-hanger.

Now, onto those life lessons. Every story has its morals, and this one, as you probably guessed, is no exception. There are so many fascinating things that this parashah brings up, but what is probably most important, is that Eisav sold his entire inheritance for a bowl of soup. Wait, what? Why? Huh? We, ourselves, are very similar to Eisav, being unable to see into the future and only wanting to satisfy our immediate needs. Let’s give a good old example. Cat videos. We all love cat videos, spending our time procrastinating on Facebook rather than working. We need a test. Will watching this cat video directly impact our lives tomorrow? Well yeah maybe the world will end if we don’t watch it and actually we’ve been tasked by the government to watch cat videos in order to achieve world peace… BUT what are the chances? Isn’t studying for that massive exam that’s coming up way too soon WAY more likely to affect you and your future, if only to improve your habits that could help you succeed later in life? We need to learn from Eisav’s example of what not to do, and instead constantly question our actions to deem what is most important for our lives and our future.

Kristallnacht

Sara Bortz – Year 11/12

Our High School commemoration of Kristallnacht focused on the theme of Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors. Listening to accounts of those who experienced Kristallnacht, our students reflected on what we can learn from our past to help create a world that is open to all peoples and not closed off and silent to those in need.

Please click on the link below to hear our Head Madricha, Genevieve Goldman, accompanied by our Jewish Life Madrich, Gabriel Sebban, singing Eli Eli, by Hannah Szenes, at the High School Kristallnacht commemoration.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LXUUEspvtVXZDESX5CLTEy961sj1itWv/view?usp=sharing

Below are student reflections shared with their peers.

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

In the aftermath of the November 1938 ‘Night of Broken Glass’, thousands of Jews were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps. During my time in Poland earlier this year, I walked in some of these camps. While visiting camps where so many people died may seem too much to bear, these are places where the living still gather to learn and to remember. I wanted to go to bear witness to what our grandparents and great grandparents experienced. I wanted to see it for myself, not because I didn’t believe it, but because by acknowledging the wrongs that we as humans have allowed to occur, we will be a step closer to building the world that those who came before us could never imagine – the world in which the shaping of a collective moral compass comes before all other priorities. It is an obligation and also an honour, that we as the Jewish youth 70 years later be the ones who take the initiative to learn about, to mourn for and to remember those who lived during the Holocaust. And if we are to open our hearts in the hope that one day we will truly believe that hatred and hostility are a thing of the past, then we must all strive for justice, for fairness, equality and respect, for acceptance and celebration of difference, for altruism, compassion, kindness and giving.

Sara Bortz

Sonia Redman – Year 11/12

Kristallnacht marked a time of great loss for the Jewish people. The destruction of synagogues and other Jewish institutions and the burning of Jewish books and Torah scrolls signified not only the physical destruction of Jewish life in Germany, but was also largely indicative of the process of alienation and dehumanisation that was about to transpire.

In light of these tragic events, there remains a question: “What can we learn from this?”

To answer this, I want to draw your attention to a specific event that occurred years before Kristallnacht. In a symbolic act of ominous significance, on 10 May 1933, university students burned over 25,000 volumes of books deemed un-German, presaging an era of state censorship and control of culture. Eerily, among those works burned were the writings of German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine, who famously wrote: “Where they burn books they will also ultimately burn people.”

What I pose to you today, is that the Shoah began long before the events of Kristallnacht – that the physical manifestation of targeted violence against the minority Jews was preceded by years of intangible oppression, demagoguery and intellectual persecution. One can see in retrospect how the book burnings foreshadowed much more catastrophic Nazi plans for the Jews of Europe.

But why book burning?

There’s something uniquely symbolic about the burning of books. It goes beyond the censoring of beliefs and ideas. A book, plainly, is something more than ink and paper, and burning them means something more than destroying it by any other means.

The poet, philosopher and political theorist, John Milton, gives perhaps the best explanation of why authorities down the centuries have seen danger in certain books, and by extension, education. He wrote: “Books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are”.

The Nazi burnings of 1933, were essentially about announcing what would be acceptable in future, shaping the new public sphere. The burnings were the symbol; the repressive legislation and violence that came in their wake was what really enforced it. This official means of suppressing dissenting or heretical views foreshadowed the mass violence actively encouraged by Nazi leadership in a bid to purge the “un-German” spirit.

Why burning, though, rather than some other kind of destruction? The symbolism of flames is plain. Books are little encapsulations of human effort and wisdom and, I suppose, of our sense of history. So, to burn one of any kind, and certainly one that is a representation of a culture and set of beliefs, is to consign it to the flames of perdition.

Book-burning is first and foremost a monumental manifestation of intolerance. It is a base act of desecration. It is more than turning ink and paper to ash, but to show contempt for thought, to stifle dissent.

But, there remains a hope for the future. Yes, there is a sanctity attached to books, but in reality, they are merely objects. History has proven that those who try to destroy books and wipe out ideologies have failed. Ideas exist beyond the book. Blind writer Hellen Keller published an Open Letter to German Students following the Nazi Book Burnings. She wrote: “You may burn my books and the books of the best minds in Europe, but the ideas those books contain have passed through millions of channels and will go on”.

The book burnings, and Kristallnacht, may have been the ignition of flames of racial hatred that swept across the continent, for the violence and destruction that was to ensue. But, though vast numbers of books were destroyed, thousands of properties demolished, and eventually, six million Jewish people senselessly slaughtered, we still stand here.

Hellen Keller wrote: “History has taught you nothing if you think you can kill ideas. Tyrants have tried to do that often before, and the ideas have risen up in their might and destroyed them”.

Sonia Redman

Inter-Jewish day schools debating success

Lara Fosbery – Year 8

On Tuesday 31 October, Emanuel’s debating squads participated in the Inter-Jewish Day School Debating Day. Moriah College, Masada College and Kesser Torah College came to Emanuel and participated as well. We debated in the B’nei Brith Girls Competition and were successful, winning our final. The day consisted of one initial round then a final.

Our first debate was about whether physical education should be compulsory in the workplace. Emanuel argued the affirmative, pointing out that physical and mental health along with the social skills of the employees can be improved by participating in the course. We won this debate against Kesser Torah.

Our final debate was against Masada College and the topic was whether it should be illegal for companies to market products to children. Emanuel again argued affirmative, bringing up points about stereotypes, racist and sexist advertisements and how children have not learnt to think critically about their choices.

The whole day was very enjoyable and educational and we had fun meeting students from the other schools.

Anne Hastings and Miriam Itzkowitz – representative of the winning Years 9 and 10 Carole Fisher Trophy

Winners of the Years 7 and 8 Bnei Brith Girls Trophy, left to right: Liat Granot, Lara Fosbery, Chloe Miller, Ruby Hurwitz, Ariella Tracton and Anne Hastings

Joshua Amoils with Masada students

From the Primary School

Emma Clemens – Deputy Head of Primary

Make A Difference (MAD) projects

In our Primary Wellbeing program students work collaboratively across the grade to plan and implement a Make A Difference (MAD) Project. The purpose is to use the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as part of The Leader In Me to develop a project that will bring about a positive impact in the lives of others. Below are some examples of how students use 7 Habits to plan for their MAD Projects:

Habit 1: Be Proactive

  • Proactive language: I can, choose to, I am going to, I will.
  • Transition person: Having a positive impact on others.

Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind

  • Mental and physical creation: Picturing how to make a difference
  • Mission statement: What are you hoping to achieve?

Habit 3: Put First Things First

  • Big rocks: What are the important first priorities?
  • Roles and responsibilities: What roles will members of the class take on?

Habit 4: Think Win Win

  • Win win agreement: What will be the win for you and those in need?
  • Mutual benefit diagram: What will be the benefits for you and those in need?

Habit 5: Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood

  • Empathetic listening: Consider the perspective or viewpoint of your charity or organisation.
  • Circle of viewpoints: Talk to someone from the organisation or charity to hear about their needs.

Habit 6: Synergise

  • Celebrating differences: What skills do your class members have to help?
  • TEAM: How can you achieve more as a team (Together, Everyone Achieves, More)?

Habit 7: Sharpen The Saw

  • Reflect: How has this project helped you to sharpen the saw?
  • Think about how this has renewed your body, heart, brain or soul.

Each year group has had a different focus for their MAD Projects. Below is a summary of each project:

Year K – acts of kindness: Acts of kindness by appreciating and thanking others through writing thank you and congratulations cards

Year 1 – friendship circle: Good deeds to others in order to make a difference in our school community through a secret buddy project

Year 2 – Our Big Kitchen and food safety: Baked challah and sold to the Emanuel community to raise money for those in need through Our Big Kitchen. Baked honey cookies during Rosh Hashanah which Our Big Kitchen distributed to patients in hospitals. Also developed presentations for Years K-1 on a range of topics including food waste, sharing food, littering, food allergies, being healthy and the canteen

Year 3 – environmental conservation: Caring for the environment at home and in school including growing plants, composting and establishing a worm farm. Also worked to promote recycling initiatives in the School and at home, such as waste-free lunches

Year 4 – Generosity Abroad: Supporting Generosity Abroad with a presentation to students by Genna Radnan. ‘Step inside experiences’ to understand the life of a student in Kenya. Picture books written by students for the children in Kenya.

Year 5 – war on waste: Considering one of the problems that Australia faces regarding waste and pitcing a 90-second solution using STEAM skills. Selected students entered their pitch to the ABC Splash Competition.

Year 6 – elderly: Class visits to Montefiore Home to engage and interact with the residents. This builds upon connection with Project Heritage.

Night of Instrumental Music

On Tuesday students across the Primary School performed at the Night of Instrumental Music. This was a wonderful showcase of string ensembles and concert bands. The night also featured string, wind and percussion performances from our Instrumental Program which involved every student in Years 3-6. The quality of music was incredibly high and the students should be very proud of their performance. Thank you to Diana Springford and Joanne De Araujo for organising and planning the concert. Thank you also to the Music Department for their incredible work with the students and to Ofer Levy for taking photos.

Asylum Seeker Centre

In Week 9, a group of Years 5 and 6 students will be visiting the Asylum Seeker Centre in Newtown. This initiative has been led by Alice Milner and Miriam Stubbs-Goulston in Year 5. Over the coming weeks the Primary School will be collecting items to support refugees and their babies. We are asking families and students to bring in baby items such as wipes, formula and nappies which can be donated to the centre. The items can be dropped off in the Hebrew and Jewish Studies Department up until 4 December.

Fit-a-thon

Today the Primary School participated in the ‘Fit-a-thon’ where students were involved in a range of fitness activities to promote engaging exercise in order to foster a healthy lifestyle. Students have been asking for sponsors in preparation for this event. We are very appreciative of family and friends who have supported this initiative. The JCA matches the funds raised to allow us to purchase resources for the School. Thank you to Talia Hynek, Stacey Rosenfeld, Katie Narunsky and Stuart Taylor for organising the event.

Healthy Harold

This week Years K-3 participated in the Healthy Harold program presented by Life Education. This program is directly related to the Personal Development and Health curriculum and empowers students to make safe and healthy choices. Kindergarten students learnt about personal hygiene, choosing healthy food, staying active, sleep and safety at home. Year 1 learnt about being healthy through physical activity, nutritious diet and how your body responds to different environments. Year 2 learnt about body systems, vital organs and managing peer pressure. Year 3 learnt about self-worth, communication, managing stress, medicines and drugs and the consequences of their misuse.

Healthy food

In Week 2 I wrote about the importance of healthy eating for fostering healthy bodies and brains in our students. This article followed a presentation for parents by Michele Chevalley Hedge. In her presentation, Michele addressed the health concerns associated with sugar. Some of these include gut issues, suppressed immune system, exhaustion, hyperactivity, concentration difficulties, acne, inflammation, changed hormones, raised cholesterol and Diabetes. Recently we have observed a number of Primary School students bringing lollies to school. Can we please ask that lollies are not brought to school so that we can continue to promote the importance of healthy eating for the wellbeing and benefit of our students.

Innovation Showcase

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 RSVP please use this link by Wednesday 22 November.

K-2 Assembly

The final K-2 Assembly for this year will take place in Week 8 on 1 December. Year 1 students will be performing a Hebrew item.

Calendar links

Next Week’s Calendar Link

2017 Calendar Link

 

 

 

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Studies Primary

Weekly Torah Portion:

Parashat Toldot Breishet 25:19 – 28:9.

The story of the Jewish people continues with a parashah filled with family intrigue, drama and sibling rivalry. A pregnant Rivkah feels her twins struggling in her womb, with God announcing to her “Two nations are in your womb…”. Rivkah gives birth to twin boys, Eisav and his younger brother Ya’akov. Eisav grows up to be a man of the land, hunting and farming and a favourite son of his father Yitshak. Ya’akov lives around the camp and is favoured by his mother Rivkah. One day, Eisav returns home hungry from hunting and Ya’akov convinces him to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew. Later, under Rivkah’s encouragement, Ya’akov deceives his dying father Yitshak and pretending to be Eisav, receives a blessing from Yitshak intended for his brother. When Eisav learns of this he is angry and heartbroken. With Eisav vowing to kill his brother once Yitshak dies, Rivkah tells Ya’akov to flee to his uncle Lavan’s house. 

Family discussion

  • This is a story of dysfunctional family dynamics and relationships. After sharing this summary, what do you think of the actions of both the parents and children? What can we learn from this to strengthen our own family relationships?
  • According to the UNHCR there are an estimated 65 million refugees in the world today. What are the challenges being posed to the world community? What responsibilities do countries have towards assisting refugees?

Give your Rosh a workout: online Jewish quizzes

How much do you know about the mitzvah of צדקה – tzedakah ?

www.myjewishlearning.com/quiz/tzedakah-quiz/

 

Learning about מידות – virtues, with a focus on צדקה – righteous giving

Year 4 students have continued their reflection on מידות / middot virtues and מצוות mitzvot – commandments, with a focus in recent weeks on צדקה / tzedakah. Students explored various Jewish teachings on צדקה / tzedakah and how these teachings relate to our lives and world today. They also had the opportunity to study Rambam’s Ladder of צדקה / tzedakah, learning how and why he ranked different levels of tzedakah, whilst thinking about which types of צדקה / tzedakah they felt most important. Below are samples of posters created by the students to express their thinking.  

To learn more about Rambam’s levels of tzedakah, follow this link:

www.myjewishlearning.com/article/maimonides-ladder-of-tzedakah/

 

From the Head of Music

David William – Head of Music

Night of Instrumental Music

On Tuesday evening, we held our annual Night of Instrumental Music (NOIM). This wonderful concert showcased the skills of hundreds of young musicians, performing in concert bands, jazz ensembles and string orchestras. The evening provides an important performance and concert experience for many of our younger musicians who are just starting to learn an instrument. NOIM performers ranged from our youngest Kindergarten members of the Infant Strings program, through our Years 3-6 Instrumental Program (IP) ensembles, and scaled the dizzy heights of our most accomplished High School extra-curricular ensembles.

Our Years 3-6 students who are learning to play a wind, percussion or string instrument as part of our compulsory IP, performed in ensembles comprised of their Year Group. It was impressive to see the progression in skill level achieved by each successive year of tuition and practice. We congratulate all performers and thank parents for their ongoing support of their musical endeavours.

These large concerts cannot happen without a great deal of organisation behind the scenes by our music staff and colleagues. Diana Springford was primarily responsible for all aspects of this event, assisted by Joanne De Araujo. We are indebted to Diana for her great dedication to making the Night of Instrumental Music such a success and we thank all our music tutors and conductors, as well as Ben Marshall for sound reinforcement, and all the teachers who volunteered to supervise and assist on the night.  

Here are some of some of the many stunning photographs of the first half of the evening taken by Ofer Levy.  A link to Ofer’s website will be emailed to all parents of performers with instructions about how to access these beautiful photos.  

Remembrance Day ceremonies

We are very grateful to Aron Jaffe (Year 12) and Max Salamon (Year 4) who performed the Last Post and the Reveille at Remembrance Day ceremonies last week. Aron attended the service at Sir Moses Montefiore Home in Randwick. His contribution was much appreciated by the residents and we thank Maxine Chopard for accompanying him to this community event. Meanwhile, Max gave a very moving rendition at our own Emanuel School ceremony, which was co-ordinated by Max Friend.  

Private music tuition

Please note that from 2018, the cost of individual private music lessons will be charged at a rate of $42 per half-hour lesson (plus GST, if the tutor is registered to pay GST). Lessons shared in pairs will cost $22 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. The schedules for Term 1, 2018 will be created before the end of this term. If written notification regarding discontinuation is not received by the end of term, parents will be liable for fees for next term and all students will be automatically re-enrolled into tutor schedules for 2018 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

 

 

Year 9 Pixel and Grain exhibition

Rachel Zwarenstein – Year 9

During this past year, the Photographic and Digital Media (PDM) students have been embarking on an exciting adventure looking at new and intriguing topics and techniques. As a Year 9 student, it was my first year doing PDM as an elective and we learnt that there was more to taking a photograph than just a click of a button. We learnt how to use a range of compositions to make our photos more eye-catching, how to balance the exposure of our photos and how to use light to our advantage. To see my work on display was a fun and new experience that made me realise that, with the insights and advice of my teachers, I could achieve more than I had anticipated.

The exhibition contains a range of different topics that makes the display unique and special. The Year 10 PDM students looked at Domestic Realism and used a variety of cameras including digital and 35mm film to take their photographs. The Year 5 students studied ‘Art and Illusion’ by exploring the effects of reflection, transparency and refraction, using their iPads to take and edit their photographs.

Finally, the Year 9 PDM students studied ‘Still Life’ and ‘Urban Landscapes’. We used a digital SLR to take the photos of the Paddington Reservoir and to take our ‘Vanitas’ photographs. We also used a medium format camera called a Holga loaded with 120 colour film to take the photos of the Armoury and a film SLR camera loaded with 35mm black and white film to take our White Bay Power Station photos. When we returned to school we were taught how to develop our own photos.

 Rachel Zwarenstein

 

Year 7 History – A regal banquet

Anna Davis

A regal banquet

“A toast to our victory.” Regalia pressed her ear to the door. Her mother had told her, after a brief greeting to her father and brother just back from Carthage, that she should be off to bed. So naturally, she was outside the doorway to the banquet hall, eavesdropping. She heard the sounds of goblets being drained and laughing. One man was excitedly recounting how under her father, General Scipio, he had defeated an elephant, bravely luring it in between the ranks only to duck aside and attack with javelins from there. Regalia somewhat pitied the elephants but was glad of her father’s victory. Sometimes he would bring her back spoils of war, little bracelets or statues. Though really she longed to experience the glory of battle herself, but being a woman she had to content herself with listening to their stories of battles. She held a wax tablet where she would take down the accounts of their exploits. She had noticed that every time her brother told a tale, the number of soldiers he had defeated grew exponentially as he retold it.

Regalia ducked behind a marble column as a slave bearing a bowl of porridge which reeked of fish and egg went by. She had to stifle her giggles as some of the wine in another slave’s decanter splashed onto the household altar. She’d always thought Juno could’ve done with a splash of purple. This would be the start of a banquet which could most probably last for several hours. Through the doorway she now heard one of her father’s soldiers, a young man named Lucius, who was pleasant enough but better suited to poetry than warfare. He was discussing dowries with her father; she wondered who he would be marrying, she had several older sisters and sorely hoped she wasn’t to be married. Then again, there were many more unpleasant men than Lucius.

She quickly returned to her hiding spot behind the column as an even longer procession marched past bearing platters heaped with salted oysters, salads, pottages and all manner of meats with spices and generous quantities of fish sauce. Her stomach growled. Regalia herself had only been allowed some bread and meagre pottage before she supposedly went to bed – her family had been keen to get straight to the feasting. She checked the pockets of her second-hand faded tunic but unfortunately found nothing. Inside, some of the men, by the sound of the snoring, had fallen asleep. She knew they would be teased mercilessly on their awakening. A good Roman soldier was meant to hold is liquor. The slaves still returned bearing empty platters soon to be filled with seconds, the soldiers had gone a long while with only rations of cheap wine and mutton and were now very hungry.

From the kitchens, she could smell the scents of sweet fruits, wine cakes with dates, and various tarts. Dessert was delicious and fruit a luxury she was glad to possess. Unfortunately, it would probably be a while until the soldiers got to the desserts. They were too busy gorging themselves with meats, vomiting, then stuffing themselves again. Regalia checked her wax tablet, now filled with diagrams of tactical manoeuvres and elephant sketches. Inside the men were now giggling, and unlikely to tell any more stories on anything other than fairies and pink elephants. She started walking down the corridor, not to be off course, but to the kitchens. Maybe the cook would give her some dates or a slice of pear tart. As she walked, she imagined herself, a retuned commander feasting with her loyal troops discussing glory and battle, no ridiculous mermaids in sight. Soon Regalia grew tired and sat in a corner to catch her breath. The following morning her oldest sister, now engaged to Lucius, found her there, fast asleep.

High School sport next week

High School sporting events next week

Monday

Morning

14s boys basketball training

Years 7/8 basketball development squad

Years 7-12 girls touch football training

Afternoon

Beach volleyball

Tuesday

Morning

Years 7-9 boys touch football training

Girls oztag training

Afternoon

Years 7-12 boys and girls Easts touch F\football competition

Wednesday

Morning

Boys fitness

14s boys basketball training

Gymnastics

Netball training

Boys oztag training

Afternoon

Cricket training

Thursday

All Day

CDSSA Oztag gala day

Morning

Girls fitness

Years 10-12 boys touch football training

Afternoon

Rock climbing

Years 7-9 girls netball competition

Friday

Morning

16s boys basketball training

Surfing

Sunday

14s boys basketball competition

16’\s boys basketball competition

 

Emanuel Moriah Firsts Basketball Challenge

Kristy Reed – Sport Co-ordinator and PDHPE Teacher

Early in the term, very competitive trials were held for places in the prestigious Firsts Basketball team. After the departure of the very successful Year 12 basketball team, it was time to select a new generation of players for the top team in the School.

The first challenge for the newly formed team was the annual Emanuel Moriah Basketball Challenge. Since this challenge was initiated a few years back, Emanuel has dominated the competition and the new Emanuel team, of quite young players, had a reputation to maintain.

The series lived up to expectations and proved to be the most exciting of recent years. Moriah won the first match by nine points, with the Emanuel team playing well, but lacking the experience of the older Moriah team.

In the second match, which was held at Moriah College, the Emanuel team played very well, with outstanding performances from Noah Klein and Matthew Joffe. The challenge was now evened up, with an impressive win by the Emanuel boys.

The build-up to the final and deciding match of the series, to be hosted by Emanuel was exciting, with the team training well. The parent and student audience from both schools would agree that it was one of the toughest, closest and exciting school games to spectate. For the 40 minutes of the game there was no more than a few points between the two teams. With 1 minute 50 seconds on the clock, Emanuel was leading 33-30. However, the match was evened up by a three-point shot from Moriah, which proved to be the turning point of the game with Emanuel going down by four points.

Jake Hyman played an outstanding game and it was pleasing to see our younger players, Jesse Waller and Ariel Odes rise to the occasion.

I was very impressed with the performance of this newly formed team and the commitment and determination showed by all of the players. This team certainly has a strong future ahead of them.

Thank you to Hank Foster, the School’s very experienced coach, for his excellent work preparing this team. Congratulations to Jordan Behr, Matthew Bozic, Ethan De Melo, Zac Greenberg, Jake Hyman, Matthew Joffe, Noah Klein, Blake Nixon, Ariel Odes and Jesse Waller for representing the School with such pride.

 

Tennis Championships

Kristy Reed – Sports Co-ordinator and PDHPE Teacher

Association of Independent Co-educational Schools (AICES)
Tennis Championships

Last Friday four of Emanuel’s best junior tennis players were selected to compete at the AICES Tennis Championships. Elia Berelekhis, Jordan Fleischer, Luca Calderon Havas and Jack Smagarinsky played against athletes from across the state at Cintra Park Tennis Centre, Concord. These students played in the 15 years division, in what was a very successful day for Emanuel School.

Each of the competitors played in a number of challenging pool stage matches in the morning session of the day. Following the results of the pool stage, Luca went on to compete in the championship knock out, after finishing an impressive second in his pool. Elia, Jordan and Jack all progressed to the repechage knock out after placing third in their pool stages.

Jordan was determined to continue to improve his game, which he did with every match that he played. After winning in the round one, quarter final and semi final matches, Jordan progressed to the final of the repechage. For what was his eighth tennis match of the day, Jordan performed incredibly well, producing some amazing shots and dominating the match.

This was my first opportunity to attend the AICES Tennis Championships and I was very impressed with the organisation of the event, the level of skill of the players in the tournament and the sportsmanship displayed by all of the players and schools involved. Congratulations to Elia, Jordan, Luca and Jack on representing the School at this event.

15 years ACIES tennis team

Jordan Fleischer – Year 8

ACIES Surfing

Sharon Fairfax – PDHPE Teacher Aide / Gymnastics Co-ordinator

It was a glorious morning last Thursday when four of our coolest surfers loaded their boards onto the school bus and headed to Shire Territory to surf Elouera Beach in the annual AICES (Australian Independent Co-Educational Schools) inter-school surfing competition.

Schools from all over NSW compete in AICES sports events, with the surfing event attracting the coastal schools from Pittwater down to Shell Harbour and Illawarra.

Emanuel was represented by Leo Carroll, Joel Ehrlich, Jordan Behr and our young gun, Gidon Grunseit. Conditions in the early heats were just perfect, however as the wind picked up the surf became more difficult to manage.

Despite the change in conditions our boys surfed well. Both had second places with Jordan taking a first place in one of his heats whilst Joel and Leo both grabbed second places in their heats.

The competition is officially run by Surfing NSW, giving our students a truly unique surfing experience.

Gidon Grunseit

Joel Ehrlich

Jordan Behr

 

Douglas Shield Cricket

Our senior boys cricket team competed in the second round of the Douglas Shield on Monday playing St Andrews College at Sydney University.

The mood was high as we won the toss and Captain Joel Epshteyn elected to bat. Opening batsmen were Ben Leslie and Leo Lipman, who came up against some fierce bowling from St Andrews.

Next in was the experienced Jake Greenberg and although the youngest in the team he plays the game so well. His partnership with Reece Berelowitz really put the team in a position to take the match, with their combination yielding 54 runs for Jake and Reece 9 not out.

Total team score 118, game on!

Emanuel’s fielding was on point with Ephsteyn, Behr and Leslie taking the majority of St Andrews wickets. The match went down to the wire with St Andrews snaring the victory with one wicket in hand and 119 runs.

Congratulations to all of the team for a great performance: Oskar Beck, Jordan Behr, Reece Berelowitz, Rishon Cross, Dylan Ephraim, Joel Epshteyn, Jake Greenberg, Brandon Kaye, Jake Kurlansky, Ben Leslie, Leo Lipman, Justin Sarif and Liahm Simon.

Thank you to Ben Bryant who gave his cricket expertise to our team on the day.

Sharon Fairfax

 

 

The High School Jilkminggan Trip

David Whitcombe – HSIE Teacher

The High School Jilkminggan Trip
29 October to 3 November, 2017

Student reflections

The Jilkminggan trip was an incredible, eye-opening experience that has provided me with new insights into a world and culture I knew so little about. In a short five-day trip to the Northern Territory I learnt about the Aboriginal culture and history by not just reading about it – but rather experiencing it first hand and meeting those involved. Visiting the Jilkminggan Primary School of approximately 100 students has exposed me to a world outside of my own, yet so much part of the fabric of Australia. These beautiful children made me realise the importance of optimism and living each day as it comes – placing purpose in the present moment. I felt this most walking down to their local river in 40-degree heat. All the children were happily walking along bare foot. Life as they grow older isn’t an easy one with many issues such as unemployment and social difficulties.

This eye-opening trip has impacted my view on the world and allowed me a window into the experience of this incredible culture. I have learnt over the years about the Aboriginal culture but have never truly thought about how their lives and culture have been affected by colonialism. On this trip, I was given the opportunity to meet adults and children who have been deeply affected by the invasion of white society. Driving past their homes of tin huts has made me so grateful for what I have been given. I understand so much more about the difficulty of maintaining one’s culture when the world is changing and the attachment one can have to one’s land. I am so glad I was able to be part of this amazing experience and travel on a personal journey that has engaged me in a diverse part of Aboriginal culture and society.

Gina Seligsohn, Year 11

Jilkminggan was the best experience that I ever have had. When I first encountered the small community of Jilkminggan I instantly thought to myself that it isn’t so bad here because they have a modern school and a giant football field for the kids to play. I also thought that their lives aren’t much different to our lives. However, as the day went on I started to see how different their lives are compared to ours. First of all, everyone in the community sometimes go out hunting for food instead of shopping for food. Now I know that their tradition is still there in them, although there were a few negative differences that separated us from them. Most of the kids don’t turn up to school and most kids drop out of school by the age of 14. When the kids do go to school, some of the young kids go to sleep maybe because family violence affects the kids. Through this experience I now realise that my life isn’t that bad and I should be grateful for what I have.

Jordan Rom, Year 9

Before I went on Jilk, I was relatively aware of some of the issues faced by Aboriginals due to their land ownership being taken away from them. This experience allowed me to hear the harsh truths about our societies’ impact alongside the intriguing, informative and traditional stories told by our ancestors. The trip was quite emotional for me, coming in touch with pure outback nature, and especially forming connections with the students of all ages who attend Jilkminggan. The fact that I got to spend time with a diverse age range enabled me to understand the multifaceted attitudes towards learning, whereby as they grow older, they are unfortunately less likely to have successful academic outcomes. Although we only spent two days with the kids at Jilk, I was able to form incredibly special relationships and share split-second moments that I will treasure and keep in my mind and heart forever. There was not a point during the school day from 8.30 am till 2.20 pm that I didn’t see a smile from one of the students, provoked by the most simplistic gestures.

Not only did I learn an extensive amount from Mike, Graham, Celina, John, Manuel, Mr Whitcombe and Mrs Mc Andrew, in regards to the importance of the survival of their fascinating culture, but the kids taught me to take a step back and revisit many of the things I spend my time worrying about on a regular basis. They taught me gratefulness, contentment, and most importantly the action of focusing and living in the present moment. I feel extremely passionate about this issue after the trip, hoping to maintain this feeling and share as much as I can with my family and friends. I don’t believe that anyone in this world should be stripped of their true identity, and made to feel as though they are unwelcome to the land they originally lived on. This action of dehumanisation makes me extremely upset, as witnessing the conditions experienced by members of society, put many things about materialism into perspective for me. I am looking forward to attending the Aboriginal Survival Day festival held on 26 January with my family and friends. The indescribable opportunity wouldn’t have been the same without the each and every person met along the way who added depth and an open-minded perspective.

Allegra Goldman,Year 11

The trip to Jilkminggan gave me a unique insight into a world I feel I never would’ve had the opportunity to visit if it wasn’t for this rare connection with the community. It was incredible to visit such a remote community and be able to gain their perspective on their own traditional culture, Aboriginal education and the way their community has developed to live in such a hybrid society of European and traditional values. I enjoyed teaching and playing with the kids, and seeing how much joy simple things like swimming in a muddy river or riding on my shoulders gave them. However, for me the most surprising part of the trip was how untouched aspects of Aboriginal culture still remain. Many children in Jilkminggan would go hunting after school and kill for their meat, and even outside this remote community, parts of Australia still remain governed by local Aboriginal law. Throughout this trip I have learned so much about the Indigenous people of our land, their ancient history and customs, as well as their representation in modern society. It is an experience that definitely gave me a very unique insight into many things in our backyard, and it is an experience I’m sure I won’t forget.

Isaac Grove, Year 9

The Jilkminggan trip was perhaps one of the most amazing and enlightening experiences of my life. It opened my eyes to the living conditions of other Australians, pulling me out of my Eastern Sydney bubble. Visiting the village of Jilkminggan truly reinforced the concept of European invasion of Australia, allowing me to visualise what this colonisation did to such a complex and developed people. It was also absolutely incredible to visit the children of the School. They were not only unbelievably cute, but also extremely excited and happy to learn. Swimming with the kids in The Crossing was also a lot of fun – they have so much energy! It is astonishing to me that such strong connections can be created over such a short period of time. By going on the trip, I can see why Emanuel School continues to visit Jilkminggan. I recommend this trip wholeheartedly to anyone interested. This exposure to a completely different culture and view of Australia is an experience that I will never forget.

Jonathan Sebban, Year 9

Jilkminggan 2017 was an incredible occurrence I could’ve never imagined and will never forget. The connections made and experiences granted is a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity, which I’m glad I didn’t miss out on. As soon as we started roaming the streets of Darwin as we landed, it started to be clear just how different living in the NT is compared to the east of Australia. This became even more apparent the further we travelled, as we made our way to Mataranka, then Jilkminggan. Visiting the School in Jilkminggan was easily the highlight of the trip. Meeting and creating incredibly strong relationships with the kids there was the part I’ll never forget. From not knowing them, to by the end of the school day having them not leave your side was something I’ll always cherish.

I learnt so much from the kids, including how little our problems really are, just how lucky we really have it, and how tough life can be on them, just to name a few. And we were only at the school for two days. Aboriginal issues within Australia now have a whole new relevant meaning to me, many of which I understood after visiting these children and the Jilkminggan community. Jilkminggan was a worthwhile trip which I would certainly recommend for future participants. There is so much to learn which you could never have imagined before visiting such an incredible place such as the Northern Territory.

Matthew Bozic, Year 9

 

 

 

Rashi Times

Hey Rashi, Eden and Liv here

The long-awaited examination week for Years 9 and 10 is finally over! There have been countless hours of note writing and revising that have led up to this week and we know that if everyone put in their best effort it will surely pay off. Well done everyone!

Last week a bake sale for DIPG was held and it was a wonderful success. We raised over $700 in total and Finleys family was truly grateful.

 

Last Wednesday we had a rainbow-themed mufti day in honour of the support of homosexuals in Israel. Once again, a great success! Everyone got very into the theme and congratulations to Sienna Amoils with the help of alumnus, Nathaniel Knoll, for organising it for such an amazing cause.

In exactly five days Year 10 will be embarking on the trip of a lifetime, Chavayah!

Every Year 10 who is lucky enough to have the opportunity to participate in this program is so grateful and excited for the journey that we are all about to go on.

Both Eden and I are so excited that House Music is coming up on Monday!

Our House Captains and all of the Year 12s have put in so much hard work and time, so let’s make them proud. We know Rashi is bound to win.  

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

Olyvea Akres and Eden Sadra signing off

 

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

This week Adena Sheps in Year 10 had her blog published in Science 50:50 STEM Careers by the UNSW. It is a great take on Science jobs of the future, incorporating technology and creativity, and where she sees her passions taking her. Here is an excerpt of her work:

Science 50:50 STEM Careers Blog

I would love to be in a role titled ‘Creative Technologist’. The best part about being a Creative Technologist is that no one really knows what you do, so you can set your own rules. For me, it is all about combining a creative vision with technical knowledge to bring an idea to life. Technology is nothing without a great idea. The ability to think critically and creatively to solve problems is what fires my passion to push boundaries and make things happen. I am not an engineer, programmer, hardware developer, project manager, strategist, creative, or UX designer – I am all of these things!  Being multi-skilled is a must if I am to deal with the many transformative, aka disruptive, changes that will occur through the application of technology. I am going to rethink, redesign and restructure solutions to current and emerging challenges.

 

There are two challenging areas in which I wish to focus the application of STEM innovations. Firstly, I have an interest in assisting people with medical conditions to identify and monitor different types of diseases to improve diagnoses, options for treatment, as well as predict future health. I believe this could be achieved through a creative fusion of wearables, nanobots and radiomics. Collaboration would be needed between people skilled in technology and those concerned with public health such as doctors, radiologists, nurses, medical researchers and of course, patients. My interest in public health naturally extends into an interest in the quality of life. To this end, I would like to craft affordable solutions for everyday challenges for people with disabilities. This could be achieved by applying the use of 3D printers, machine learning and IoT to custom-build devices and platforms to suit the individual user and assist with simple repetitive tasks or improve mobility.

Secondly, I would also like to be recognised for defending the natural environment by applying STEM innovation to recycling, waste minimisation, substitution of materials such plastic, rubber, petrol and coal and more efficient usage of limited resources, such as fresh water. The focus would be on redesigning production processes, the end products themselves and any waste flows to make them more environmentally friendly, rather than trying deal with the treatment of pollution after the event. This requires a very different way of thinking, necessitating substantial organisational change which can only be achieved with support from businesses and governments. To successfully design economically viable solutions, technologists would need to work closely with those who care about the living environment including ecologists, biologists, engineers, physicists, climatologists, agriculturalists, researchers and conservationists, to name a few.

Clearly, there will be no shortage of work for me to do come 2030.  Many of the roles and job titles of the future will be ones we’ve not even thought of yet, though I am willing to bet Creative Technologist will be one of them. If you are the sort of person who is comfortable in an environment of change and love to experiment, then follow your passion in taking action towards your vision of the future, regardless of your job title.

Courses

Some fun and interesting courses that may stem from some of these industries are:

Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII): This relatively new degree (only studied in a combined format) from UTS attracts huge competition, driving up the ATARs and making graduates extremely employable with a multi-disciplinary skillset. If you mix this with fashion design the ATAR is currently at 99.95! You can couple it with Science, Engineering, Communications, Business, Management Design and lots more. Have a look at the combinations. The range is from 81 all the way up to the top!

www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/uts/609495.shtml

The new degree that came out in 2017 is called the Bachelor of Technology and Innovation which is currently at 84.15.

www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/uts/609605.shtml

Careers with STEM Term 4 magazines

If you’re interested in studying or a career in science, technology, engineering or maths, you might want to check out the latest careers with STEM magazines. They are full of interesting and inspiring stories about where study in STEM can take you.

https://careerswithstem.com/read-it-here/

Defence jobs

For those of you interested in Defence jobs there are some information days coming up:

Defence information sessions and events

Parramatta:

16 November, Music Careers Information Session

20 November, Army Reserve Commando Info Session

22 November, Women in Defence Information Session

23 November, Engineering Careers Information Session

For Year 12s (2018)

Pros and cons of a double degree

https://year13.com.au/double-degrees-worth-it/ 

For previous Year 12s (2017)

A guide to changing preferences

This article is aimed at Victorian students and so some of their date information can be different, but it has useful tips for anyone planning on changing their university preferences.

Check it out – www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/studying-training/changing-your-mind/a-guide-to-changing-your-preferences

Gesher: What a mitzvah to help save a life!

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Gift of Life Australia need our help on Mitzvah Day:
19 November

Robert Klein and Shula Endrey-Walder – OAM

Emanuel School grandmother Shula Endrey-Walder OAM is a geneticist, genetic counsellor and Founder of Gift of Life Australia: www.giftoflifeaustralia.org.au

The School connection to this amazing organisation continues on.

Unbeknown to Robert Klein, a past Emanuel parent, Shula organised with his wife Deborah to present him with a Certificate of Appreciation for setting up and maintaining the Gift of Life’s Facebook page. It was only whilst they were all at Wolper Jewish Hospital in Woollahra on 22 October for this presentation, that their daughters Hayley and Ariella who are both Emanuel alumni, decided on the spur of the moment, to be tested as part of the program to find matches for Jewish blood cancer patients in urgent need.

Hayley Klein (Class of 2011) being tested by Gift of Life volunteer Dr Jessica Ivany

Modern medicine today allows hope and a cure for life threatening disorders such as leukaemia, lymphoma, aplastic anaemia and myelofibrosis by exchanging the sick cancer cells with healthy genetically matching ones. 

Right now there are three adult Jewish blood cancer patients as well as three babies in urgent need of unrelated blood stem cell donors, however the Jewish community is under-represented on the world wide registries and these patients will surely die soon unless matching donors are found for them shortly. Jewish families today are so much smaller due to the ravages of the Holocaust.

Only one in three blood cancer patients find a match in their own family and the other 70% must find a match within their own community who are tested and enrolled on the unrelated worldwide stem cell and bone marrow donor registries. 

The likelihood of finding an unrelated donor even within one’s own ethnic group is 1 in 10 000.

Potential life-saving blood stem cell donors who are of Jewish descent, healthy 18-45 years old, weighing 50+kg, neither pregnant nor breastfeeding and willing to save a life, are invited to make appointments to be tested at the Wolper Jewish Hospital this Sunday 19 November, MITZVAH DAY from 3.00 – 4.30 pm and subsequent Sunday mornings by appointment.

All it takes is completing the Red Cross and ABMDR medical questionnaire and forms and giving a two teaspoon (6 ml) blood sample, or whilst donating blood at any Red Cross Donor Centre, asking to join the Registry.

Mums-to-be can donate their umbilical cord blood which is ordinarily thrown out but can save a life. 

www.giftoflife.org.au

*Gift of Life Australia has special dispensation from the Red Cross/ABMDR to test potential donors who lived in the UK during Mad Cow times (1986-1999) even when they are not allowed to donate blood in Australia.

How good would it be if more members of our amazing school community could also get involved in this life-saving project. You never know whose life you may be able to help save through such a small but important donation!

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

 

 

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

Concerts

All three groups have been practising for their concerts in three weeks’ time. They are all very excited to share this special time with their mums and dads.

The Seashells concert is on Wednesday 6 December at 9.30 am in the Pre-school. This is for parents only. Morning tea will be served after the concert and the morning will conclude at 10.30 am.

The Dolphins and Starfish will have their concert and graduation on Thursday 7 December at 6.00 pm in the Lehrer Family Building (MPH). Parents and older siblings are invited to join us to celebrate this special time together.

Dinner will be served for the children after the concert and light snacks for the parents. The evening will conclude at 7.30 pm.

National Recycling Week

Starting this week, all three groups are working on a variety of recycling projects. Parents have been invited to join us in the mornings at drop-off to work collaboratively with their child to make something out of recycled materials. Each group will be extending the children’s interests in the classroom and focusing on a different topic. This project will run for several weeks. It provides a lovely opportunity for parents and children to work together within our Pre-school environment.

The Dolphins are making a Chanukiah using recycled materials. The Seashells are focusing on either making something to do with the fire station eg. fire truck, fire man, fire engine or something related to the Zoo such as a zoo enclosure with animals inside. Alternatively, parents could just make an animal of their choice. The Starfish are making things related to our current project on the farm. The children have already started to build a farmyard.

Parent/teacher interviews

The Starfish have their parent/teacher meetings starting next week from Monday 20 November to Friday 25 November. The Dolphins will be one week later – Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December. These meetings allow time to bring closure to a very busy year for your children and we value this important time to reflect and chat to parents.

Bush School family picnic

We invite all Kornmehl families to join us down 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 am. Please bring snacks and drinks and experience the wonders of nature with your children.

Thank you to our volunteers 

We thanked all our wonderful parents and grandparents on Thursday afternoon. Parents and grandparents have all helped us during the year with so many tasks, big and small. Without their input and support our days would not run as smoothly. We value the opportunity to work collaboratively with parents and grandparents on various aspects of our program. These include fundraising events, social events, baking, shopping, cutting up fruit, laundry roster, reading to the children, accompanying us on excursions, gardening and even sharing a special talent.

A big thanks to Gail Stein, Sharon Miller and Lissa Prosser for running our Parent Club so capably during 2017. Your support and input have been invaluable and very much appreciated by us all.

We also made special mention of two amazing grandparents who have unconditionally supported our Bush School program over the past four years. We extended our sincere thanks to Susan Sweller and Ros Shammay for their enthusiasm, knowledge and support in accompanying the children and teachers from all three groups on their excursions.

How often do you hug your children?

We all live busy, stressful lives and have endless concerns as parents, but it is clear that one of the most important things we need to do is to stop and give our kids a big loving squeeze. Research over the past decade highlights the link between affection in childhood and health and happiness in the future. 

According to Child Trends – the leading not-for-profit research organisation in the United States focused on improving the lives and prospects of children, youth, and their families, science supports the idea that warmth and affection expressed by parents to their children results in life-long positive outcomes for those children. Higher self-esteem, improved academic performance, better parent-child communication, and fewer psychological and behaviour problems have been linked to this type of affection. On the other hand, children who do not have affectionate parents tend to have lower self-esteem and to feel more alienated, hostile, aggressive and anti-social.

There have been a number of recent studies that highlight the relationship between parental affection and children’s happiness and success. Researchers have indicated that the hormone oxytocin is a chemical in the brain that is released during times when a person feels love and connection. It has been shown to help parents bond with their children, adding a sense of trust and support between them. This bond most likely helps our brain produce and use oxytocin, causing a child to feel more positive emotions.

A 2013 study from UCLA found that unconditional love and affection from a parent can make children emotionally happier and less anxious. This happens because their brain actually changes as a result of the affection. On the other hand, the negative impact of childhood abuse and lack of affection impacts children both mentally and physically. This can lead to all kinds of health and emotional problems throughout their lives. What’s really fascinating is that scientists think parental affection can actually protect individuals against the harmful effects of childhood stress.

In 2015, a study out of the University of Notre Dame showed that children who receive affection from their parents were happier as adults. More than 600 adults were surveyed about how they were raised, including how much physical affection they had. The adults who reported receiving more affection in childhood displayed less depression and anxiety and were more compassionate overall. Those who reported less affection struggled with mental health, tended to be more upset in social situations, and were less able to relate to other people’s perspectives.

Researchers have also studied the benefits of skin-to-skin contact for infants. This special interaction between mother and baby, in particular, helps calm babies so they cry less and sleep more. It has also been shown to boost brain development. According to an article in Scientific American, children who lived in a deprived environment like an orphanage had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those who lived with their parents. Scientists believe that the lack of physical contact in the orphanages is a major factor in these physical changes. 

Numerous studies on the effects of massage show the positive benefits it offers to reduce anxiety in children. Massage is also a good way for parents to connect to their children, both physically and emotionally. Starting in infancy, a parent can begin to massage their child, which can create a strong bond. Studies have shown children and adults who receive massage experience less anxiety during academic stress, hospital stays, and other stressful events.

So, how can you bring more hugs into your family’s day?

From the moment you bring your baby home from the hospital, be sure to hold, touch, and rock them in your arms. Spend many precious moments caressing your baby so that their skin can touch your skin. As they get older, be playful by doing fun activities like dancing together or creating silly games like pretending to be a hugging or kissing monster.

Make sure hugging is part of your daily routine. In the recent Trolls movie, the Trolls wore watches with alarm clocks that would go off every hour for hug time. If that’s what it takes, then set yourself an alarm, or make sure to give your kids a hug during certain times of the day, such as before they leave for school, when they get home from school, and before bedtime.

Another interesting idea is to use affection while disciplining your child. As you talk to them about what they did wrong, put your hand on their shoulder and give them a hug at the end of the conversation to ensure them that, even if you are not pleased with their behaviour, you still love them. If your children hit their sister or brother, hug them and explain how hugging feels better than hitting.

Finally, be careful not to go overboard and smother your kids. Respect their individual comfort level, and be aware that this will change as they go through different stages.

www.gottman.com/blog/how-a-parents-affection-shapes-a-childs-happiness-for-life/

Happy birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Nadav Mermelshtayn (4) and Joshua Jacobson (4). We also wish a very happy birthday to Terry Aizen who celebrated her birthday this week.

 

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Hi everyone,
 
We can’t believe how fast the term is speeding by!
 
There are only a few more days before the P&F Auction closes.
 
Amazing items have been donated by Emanuel families and members of the Emanuel community and your support of the P&F and the School are greatly appreciated.
 
Have a lovely weekend
Jen and Ruby