From the Principal

Anne Hastings – Principal

Two major successes this week

This week one of our chess teams of students from Years 6 and 7 travelled to Melbourne to compete in the National Chess Titles. Against 25 schools in the middle division for Years 5 – 9, they came second! The students were: Jordan Fleischer (Year 8), Daniel Melamed, Zac Sidley and Jesse Herdan (Year 7), Jesse Gothelf, Jake Fleischer and Sol Biton (Year 6). Daniel Melamed was named the top point scorer of any player in the Middles division! Many thanks to Colleen Elkins for her support of Chess and Michael Todd for coaching the team.

We also heard from the NSW Educational Standards Authority that Brianna Gadeley (Class of 2017), who had been nominated for ARTEXPRESS for her HSC Visual Arts body of work, was successful in being selected for this HSC Exhibition, which will be shown early in 2018. This is a wonderful achievement for Brianna and her teacher, Eytan Messiah!

Community Farewell

I am very grateful for the wonderful community farewell on Sunday evening. I felt very privileged to have been honoured by the attendance of so many people and the very positive vibe, beautiful setting and thousands of good wishes made it a very special evening.

I’d also like to sincerely thank everyone who so generously contributed to the amazing gifts I received. For those who have not seen it yet, here is a photo of Tio’s painting. I think it is such a beautiful painting, and it’s very special to have one made for me by Tio to represent my life journey. Tio has been involved with our Jilkminggan trip for many years and is a great supporter of our school as well as an established artist who has been very generous with his time given to the school.

I was also astounded to open my other gift, a $5000 travel voucher! Such generosity from the community really blows me away, and I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for these thoughtful and significant gifts. I will treasure the painting and put it in pride of place in my home, always as a reminder of my time in this beautiful school and the very positive and committed community. I’ll also enjoy the travel voucher very much – travel is something that I’ll be doing a bit of in the next few years!

Here’s an excerpt from my speech that evening.

“It’s surreal to be in a situation where I’m looking at life ahead and it does not include a considerable time commitment to being Principal of Emanuel School or full-time leadership in education. I feel like I’m standing at the top of a cliff looking out over a vast ocean of opportunity. First, I have to negotiate the steep slope down to the shore and then I need to work out which direction I’ll go and what craft I’ll take to get there. Initially, I think I’ll just splash around in the shallows for a while, diving under the waves and getting that lovely cool, brain-clearing feeling you get when you first put your head under water. Maybe then I’ll swim a bit further out, or snorkel around the rocks to see what I can find. Then there’s the whole ocean to explore, and in all weathers…

Emanuel has been such a great match for me and I thank the selection team (Jonathan Sesel, Shira Sebban and David Nathan) for recognising this back in 2009.  My values very much fit in with those of the School. People are judged on their actions, rather than the way they dress or look and all students are valued and allowed to be a bit unusual. I have loved being in the Pre-school to Year 12 co-education environment and the size of the school is just right for teachers to get to know the students as individuals. Students have a voice, and the school teaches them to express it in a thoughtful, respectful manner – although for some this takes a bit longer than for others!

I have appreciated being accepted so warmly by the eastern suburbs Jewish community. As the only pluralist Jewish school in Sydney that is open to families from all streams of Judaism, it occupies a very important place in education, and will become increasingly relevant for the Jewish community as it continues to diversify. The school works to ensure openness and acceptance of diversity, and its egalitarian approach of girls and boys having equal opportunities is essential in modern day Australia and globally.

I thank the parents of our students for your belief in our education, for your confidence in our school to bring out the best in your children, and for your advocacy of Emanuel School in the community. The vast majority of my interactions with parents has been so positive and, in the small number of times they haven’t, I’ve always been left with something to think about that we might do better!”

Next week is my final Ma Nishma article… Hope to see you all at the Prize Presentations coming up the week after next!

Thank you to:

Michael Nebenzahl for his very generous donation of two new pianos which are now ensconced in two of our music practice rooms, both making excellent replacements for the tired previous occupants of the rooms! We are very grateful to Michael and his family for arranging for the donation and delivery of these pianos. The students and their teachers will very much enjoy them.

Mazal Tov to:

• The Chess team who came second in the National Chess Tournament and Daniel Melamed, who was named top player in the division
• Brianna Gadeley for being selected for ARTEXPRESS for her HSC Visual Arts body of work
• Ethan Hirschowitz and Dylan Herdan (Year 10) who were graded to their second dan black belt in tae kwondo just recently – a huge achievement for
  
  

  Year 10 students, Ethan Hirschowitz and Dylan Herdan

  young people of 16 years
• The Year 7 boys and Senior boys beach touch football teams who did so well in the recent competition
• Leo Carrol (Year 12 2018) for his award of Most Valued Player and the Oztag teams for their enthusiastic and committed efforts for the CDSSA Oztag Gala Day.

Coming up

• Year 6 Pathways, Friday 8 December, 12:30 pm
• K – 2 Presentation, Tuesday 12 December, 9 am
• Years 3 – 6 Presentation, Tuesday 12 December, 6 pm
• High School Speech Night, Wednesday 13 December, 7 pm

Quote of the week 

“Great things happen to those who don’t stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful.” Roy T. Bennett

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Truth or Consequences

You may have heard of a television quiz show called Truth or Consequences.
This show was on the air for 40 years in the United States.

What you may not know is that there is a town in New Mexico, U.S.,
called Truth or Consequences.

Speaking about Truth or Consequences, this seems to be the patriarch Jacob’s ‘bio’.
He lies to his father, cheats his brother and lives the consequences.

Jacob is called Ya’akov (יעקב), from the word akeiv (עקב) which means ‘heel’. From the start, he was holding his brother’s heel trying to emerge first, to be the first born. But he didn’t, and, thereafter, he became a ‘heel’, not treating others well.

But the name Ya’akov (יעקב) also derives from the word eikev (עקב) which means ‘that which follows’, that which comes after, a consequence.

It seems Ya’akov’s whole life is living his past, or at least paying for it. He pays the consequence 
of being a deceiver, a liar and a cheat. After lying and deceiving his father and cheating his brother to gain the blessing of the firstborn, his uncle lies, deceives and cheats him, his wife lies and deceives him and then his sons lie and deceive him.
His name means consequence, as is his life.

Then, in a defining moment in his life, which we find in this week’s parashah, he becomes Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror. Seeing his past in his present, he decides to “change his ways”.

He is given a new name, Yisra’el. A name by which all of us, Bnei Yisra’el, the children of Israel, are known.

Yisra’el means ‘one who wrestles with God’ – one who does not let his past define his present or let his present dictate his future.

In this name change from Ya’akov to Yisra’el, our Jewish tradition is admonishing us: “Truth or Consequences”.

If you are truthful with yourself you can move beyond being a consequence. But if you can’t face yourself in the mirror, you are but a poor reflection of who you could be.

Ya’akov faces his brother even as he now faces himself. He gives the stolen blessing back to his brother with the words: “Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you…Please take my blessing that has been brought to you”.

As for that town that is called Truth or Consequences. Well, it was originally called Hot Springs. 

When the television quiz show Truth or Consequences was first broadcast, it announced that it would air an installment of its show in the first town that named itself after the show.

The town held a vote and officially changed its name to Truth or Consequences. The name change came on April Fool’s Day, and to this day they remain but a consequence.

תתן אמת ליעקב – Proffer Truth to Ya’akov

~The Book of Mikhah~

Devar Torah

Benjamin Zwarenstein – Year 7

Parashat Vayishlach

The beginning of this week’s parashah concentrates on Ya’akov’s reunion with his brother Eisav. It is the first time the two connect with each other in 20 years, after Ya’akov fled for fear of his life after he and his mother Rivkah tricked his father, Yitschak, into giving him Eisav’s birthright blessing.

Ya’a’kov is worried what his brother will do to him, so he sends messengers to greet Eisav with offerings of peace and hope. His messengers report back that Eisav is coming to greet Ya’akov with 400 men. Ya’a’kov is very worried that Eisav could be coming to hurt or kill him and his family, to get revenge.

To try and protect them, Ya’akov divides his family and all their belongings into two groups, so that if there was an attack, one group could flee while the other fought. Ya’akov removes himself from the group and he asks God to protect him as he faces uncertainty in what will happen.

We are then told that while Jacob slept, he had an encounter with what seems to be a messenger of God. The Torah describes it as a struggle, like fighting or wrestling. In the fight, the unidentified messenger wounds Jacob in the thigh.

There is a Midrash, a Rabbinic teaching about the text, where the messenger wanted to know how Ya’akov could keep fighting for so long, and he concluded that Ya’akov must be a divine being. 

People do not have this ability, so we can be overwhelmed and give up on the fight.

The messenger struck Ya’a’kov in the hip joint, and discovered that he was human.

From this we also learn about the prohibition against eating the thigh vein of an animal, which, is the only negative mitzvah in the whole book of Bereishit!

Although there is no direct prohibition on eating the hindquarter, the removal of the thigh vein, as well as a few other prohibited items, is very complicated and time consuming. Therefore, many kosher butchers do not even attempt to do this, but rather they sell the hindquarters to non-kosher butchers.

Just as we might think that the hindquarter of animal isn’t kosher because of something found in the Torah, rather than a practical reason, perhaps Ya’akov’s idea of what Eisav might do to him made him worry and put plans into place in case the worst happened.

Sometimes we need to understand the full picture to make the right decisions.

Kayla Orlievsky – Year 11/12

Ya’akov returns to the Holy Land after a 20-year stay in Charan, and sends emissaries to Eisav in hope of a reconciliation, but his messengers report that his brother is on the war-path with 400 armed men. Ya’akov prepares for war, prays, and sends Eisav a large gift (consisting of hundreds of heads of livestock) to appease him.

That night, Ya’akov ferries his family and possessions across the Yabbok River. He, however, remains behind and encounters a “person” with whom he wrestles until daybreak. Ya’akov suffers a dislocated hip but vanquishes the unidentified individual, who bestows on him the name Yisrael, which means ‘he who wrestles with the divine’.

Ya’akov and Eisav meet, embrace and kiss, but part ways. Ya’akov purchases a plot of land near Shechem, whose crown prince — also called Shechem — abducts and rapes Ya’akov’s daughter Dinah. Dinah’s brothers Shim’on and Levi avenge the deed by killing all male inhabitants of the city, after rendering them vulnerable by convincing them to circumcise themselves.

Ya’akov journeys on. Rachel dies while giving birth to her second son, Binyamin, and is buried in a roadside grave near Beit Lechem. Reuven loses the birthright because he interferes with his father’s marital life. Ya’akov arrives in Hevron, to his father Yitschak, who later dies at age 180. (Rivkah has passed away before Ya’akov’s arrival.)

Our parashah concludes with a detailed account of Eisav’s wives, children and grandchildren; the family histories of the people of Seir, among whom Eisav settled; and a list of the eight kings who ruled Edom, the land of Eisav’s and Seir’s descendants.

LIFE LESSONS: True Wealth

Ya’akov saw his brother, Eisav, for the first time after many years of hiding from him. During their childhood, Eisav was angry at Ya’akov because he thought that Ya’akov had stolen his birth right. Ya’akov now wanted to give Esau some of his flocks as a peace offering, but Eisav declined, saying: “I have plenty … let what you have remain yours.” But Jacob said: “I have everything.” 

I think there is a world of difference between Eisav’s saying he has “plenty” and Ya’akov declaring that he has “everything”. Eisav, caring only about his materialistic possessions, proclaimed that “I have plenty” because “plenty” is quantitative. His material possessions are what he saw as his net worth. If he would ever lose the majority of his possessions, then he would have plenty no more.

Jacob, however, who had his entire family with him, proudly declared, “I have everything.” Our most valuable and prized possessions will always be what money can never buy – our lives, our health, our families. For thousands of years, the wisest men have been preaching this truism. But why do we fail to embrace it?

In interviews with elderly people who look back on a life gone by, they speak dejectedly about how they should have spent more time with their families, taken better care of themselves, and certainly focused less on their careers. In fact, there isn’t a grave headstone that could be found that states that the one buried achieved great success in business, real estate, athletics, or the Arts. Rather, it proclaims the virtues that the deceased possessed as a grandparent, parent, sibling or spouse.

And this is the world’s most ironic paradox. While society, the media and the world-at-large shower accolades and praise on those who achieve business or personal success, when you pass away this isn’t at all how your life is judged – by man or by God.

Izacc Khedoori – Year 8

The story of Ya’akov is a story of a character who changes. When we first met Ya’akov, he was doing things like tricking his brother Eisav, tricking his blind father and tricking his uncle out of several hundred sheep. But now it’s years later and he hears that his twin brother Eisav, the one whose inheritance he stole many years ago, is coming to meet him along with 400 men.

The night before this confrontation, the Torah tells us, a “man” wrestled with Jacob until daybreak, and then we’re told when the man saw that Jacob was winning, he wrenched Ya’akov’s hip at its socket. Then the man said to Ya’akov, “Let me go because dawn is breaking,” as though he were some sort of zombie who can’t be seen by the light of day. Ya’akov tells the man that he won’t release him unless the man blesses him. But instead of blessing him, the man who injured him changes him, telling him “Your name will no longer be Ya’akov but Yisra’el,” which means ‘Wrestles with God’, because you have struggled with God and men and succeeded.

Ya’akov then asked the man what his name was but the man responded: “Why do you ask me my name?” and then the man leaves. Ya’akov understands that something important has happened though he doesn’t yet know what. He names the place Peniel or the Face of God meaning as he puts it ,“I have seen God face to face and my life has been preserved.”

As Ya’akov limps off into the sunrise, on his damaged hip, we see something in him that we’ve never seen before… humility. He then meets his brother Eisav. Before this wrestling match, Ya’akov probably would’ve avoided Eisav somehow. But now Ya’akov bows to the ground seven times at Eisav’s feet. Eisav falls on his neck to kiss him and the two brothers weep. Then Ya’akov tells Eisav, “To see your face is to see the face of God.”

Who is this mysterious stranger who wrestled with Ya’akov? The Torah goes out of its way not to tell us, of course. The most common explanation is an angel. I personally find that hard to believe because a few chapters back, Ya’akov met a whole slew of ‘angels’ climbing up and down a ladder and the text wasn’t afraid to tell it straight. Another possibility is that this wrestling match is a metaphor for Ya’akov wrestling with his own conscience. It’s an intriguing idea but the story is a bit too physical for that. Can any of you remember the last time your conscience dislocated your hip?

This brings me to who this mysterious man really is. I think it’s Eisav. This is a physical re-enactment of Ya’akov’s first moments, when, as the text tells us, Ya’akov and Eisav wrestled each other in their mother’s womb. Now Eisav has this opportunity to finish that first wrestling match knowing all that Ya’akov has done to wrong him since then, but also knowing how time and life can change what matters most to us. Eisav comes by night so Ya’akov won’t recognise him, but Ya’akov does know who this man is. He names the place Peniel because he has seen God face-to-face. When he meets Eisav, he tells him that “to see your face is like seeing the face of God”. Ya’akov knows at this moment that the way we see God on earth is by facing the people we’ve wronged by looking into their faces and knowing that we can change.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Studies Primary

Give your rosh a workout: online Jewish quizzes

This week’s Torah portion features the beginning and the end of the life cycle, with the birth of Benjamin and the death of Rachel. Test your knowledge of Jewish rituals and customs

www.myjewishlearning.com/quiz/death-and-mourning-quiz/

Year 4 Middot learning and the virtue of Anavah – Humility

As Year 4 continues to explore the Jewish virtues, in recent weeks they have been focusing on the concept of anavah – humility. Through reflecting on Jewish teachings, such as the texts below by Rabbi Hillel and the story of Rabbi Simcha Bunim, students have been grappling with the idea of finding a ‘balanced, middle point’ between concern and care for ourselves and concern and care for others. Students created posters to express the understanding.

Year 6 visit Montefiore Jewish Home

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Studies Primary

Visit to Montiefiore Jewish Home

Students in Year 6 Rehovot and Year 6 Yad Mordechai recently visited the Montefiore Jewish Home in Randwick to spend time with the residents as part of their MAD (Making a Difference Project). The visits provided the students with the opportunity to meet and engage in conversation with the residents as well as entertain and perform songs and musical items for the residents.

Rene Ichilicik who oversees Community Relations at Montefiore and who helped co-ordinate our visit, reflected on the visit:

I thank and compliment both Year 6 classes who recently visited our Montefiore residents. They displayed such tenderness, care and maturity which was so visible during their visit. Both classes gave moving and sensitive performances and were very supportive and proud of their peers who performed. The students were spontaneous in their movements and encouraged our residents to join in the clapping, swaying and singing along. This set the scene for a very relaxed and interesting conversation session with the residents after the concert. The students were interested in what our residents had to say and also to share their information with our residents. Our residents loved the mornings and enjoyed the opportunity to talk to young students. One resident said: “The students brought such joy and vibrancy into the home”.

Students reflected on their experiences, with some examples below:

Visiting Montefiore Home was an amazing experience. Having the opportunity to visit such kind people with amazing stories was such a pleasure. At the beginning, we sang Hebrew songs for them and some people even sang solo acts. Everyone was singing with so much passion and the residents enjoyed listening to our acts. After we sang to the residents, we had chats to them in small groups, we asked them about their life stories and all their past experiences. Many had been in the Holocaust and had tough lives. Listening to their stories makes me think how lucky I am and how I have such a calm, safe and peaceful life. I really enjoyed going to the Montefiore Home and I hope to go there again soon.

Jamie Schneider

I thought that the visit to the Montefiore Home was very nice, I think the residents there enjoyed the experience and I know that Year 6R enjoyed singing and talking to the elderly. Although I have been to the Montefiore Home before I found that it was positive to go in a group, especially with the School. After the singing we walked around and talked to the residents. The person that I talked to was very kind and friendly, he looked a lot younger than 99 years old. He was talking about his 14 great grandchildren. He also showed us a picture book with photos of his family. I think he enjoyed our company and I definitely enjoyed learning about his childhood and his family.

Allie Armstrong 

After the performance we all got a chance to speak with a few of the residents. I spoke to my great grandmother Sonia. I think she really enjoyed getting to catch up with me and getting to see me. She seemed to have enjoyed our performance as she had a lot to say about it. She spoke about her experiences in the home and what she enjoys to do there. This was a very joyous and fulfilling experience which I am sure everyone valued. This was part of Year 6’s M.A.D or Make a Difference project. We strive to make someone’s day just that much better as a part of this project and by the conversation I had with Sonia I am sure she had a better day that day.

Ashley Goldman

Baby items needed for refugees

DONATIONS CLOSE ON TUESDAY 5 DECEMBER 

Emanuel School Oz Harvest Food Drive

Daphna Levin-Kahn – High School Jewish Life Co-ordinator

Too Many Kids Without Breakfast – FINAL WEEK!  

Next week, 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 have been running a dry food collection down at Waxman gate during Weeks 5-8. Thanks to those who have already dropped off some goodies!

This is our final week!

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

What should you 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), 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 very much – as will they!

There will be boxes for your lovely donations on Waxman Drive by the main gate until Monday next week!

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom

The Year 7 Food Drivers

From the Primary School

Emma Clemens – Deputy Head of Primary

Meghan Carroll

Meghan Carroll – Deputy Head of Primary 2018

We are very fortunate to have Meghan Carroll stepping into the role of Deputy Head of Primary in 2018 whilst I am on maternity leave. Meghan is an incredibly competent and experienced teacher and school leader. Meghan joined our staff team in Term 2 this year from Meadowbank Education Trust (MET) School. During Term 2-4 she has been teaching Year 4 at Emanuel.

During her time at MET, Meghan was a Stage 2 teacher as well as Primary Team Coordinator. In this leadership role she coordinated the primary school, created individual education plans for students and presented professional development for staff. Meghan worked closely with learning support staff to develop differentiated learning tools to supports specific student needs. She also led a range of school initiatives such as Student Directed Learning and the Learning to Lead framework.

Before teaching at MET Meghan also worked at Highfields Preparatory and Kindergarten School in Lindfield and Sydney School of English in Mascot. Prior to this she taught at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School, Queen Elizabeth Elementary School, Sunnyside Elementary School and St Francis Elementary School in Quebec.

Meghan is an innovative, passionate and committed educator who fosters an enriching learning environment for students, parents and staff. During Term 4 I have been doing extensive hand over with Meghan in preparation for 2018. As Meghan steps into the role of Deputy Head of Primary I thought it would be nice to get to know her better through the following interview.

Q: What are you excited about as you take on the role of Deputy Head of Primary?

I am excited to build connections with students, families and staff across K-6 to promote healthy minds for living and learning. I look forward to modelling good social values, evolving Emanuel’s positive environment and assisting with the development of social and emotional learning. I am eager to take on new challenges, inspire and motivate others and maintain the highly successful wellbeing program at our school. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share my experience and knowledge and provide each student with support and guidance in order to reach his/her full potential.

Q: What do you see as central to student wellbeing and flourishing?

Our school setting, services and holistic approach each play a key role in promoting essential health and wellbeing in all learners. Student wellbeing is achieved by creating a welcoming, safe and supportive environment that promotes mutual respect and trust. In our school, students are equipped with strategies, such as problem solving and critical thinking, to meet 21^st century opportunities and challenges. They develop resilience, flexibility and confidence and use feedback to find alternative ways to proceed, reflect and learn from their mistakes.

Q: How do you seek to collaborate and partner with parents?

I believe that a symbiotic relationship is essential between the school and parents. My goal is to form effective partnerships early on and synergise with parents in order to create a healthy environment and good health and wellbeing. I aim to be visible, available and involved and am committed to taking a fair, consistent and proactive approach to ensure every child succeeds. 

Q: What do you see as unique to Emanuel that makes the school so special?

I feel very proud and lucky to be part of a learning community that is committed to the individual needs of every student. The celebration of student diversity, emphasis on students reaching their full potential and focus on providing students with ample opportunities to apply their learning and grow are exceptional.

Innovation Showcase

Last Friday the Primary School hosted the second Innovation Showcase. The event was an incredible success. The morning began with over 80 students showcasing a range of STEM projects developed in class or through extra curricular activities. Some of the extra curricular activities on display were Coding, Robotics, Maker Space and ICT Cub. Some of the class projects included hydraulic machines and dragster racing cars.

After the showcase, parents and students then moved into the Theatre for a formal presentation. There were three guest presenters. Ned Western who is an engineer spoke about his work in photovoltaics and solar cells. Inge Berman spoke about her work as a mobile game and virtual reality game designer. Macinley Butson who was recently named as the 2018 NSW Young Australian of the Year, spoke about a number of her inventions included a device that deters garden snails without use of poison and a spoon that accurately measures and delivers oral medicine to children.

At lunch the showcase was open to all Primary School students. There was a wonderful sense of excitement and anticipation as students celebrated and shared their innovative learning. Thank you to all of the teachers who prepared and supported students for the showcase including Sophie Poisel, Leisha Strub, Carrie Grieve, Emma Hill, Helen Maynard, Hugo Adrian, Anna Economou, Gabi Wynhausen and Tanya Jeckeln.

Inter-Chess National Final Championships

On Monday and Tuesday this week six Emanuel School students attended the Inter-Chess National Final Championships. Sol Biton and Jesse Gothelf from the Primary School were fortunate enough to be selected to participate and are to be commended on qualifying for the competition. All the students played superbly throughout the competition and the team was placed second overall out of twenty five schools. Thank you to Michael Todd for his coaching expertise and to Colleen Elkins for supporting the team.

Year 6 Fete

This week’s Year 6 Fete was a resounding success. The students organised interesting and creative stalls filled with fun and activity. They have spent considerable time planning collaboratively throughout the term in preparation for this special event. Each group did a wonderful job creating engaging ideas and organised an excellent assortment of prizes. The fete raised $3830 and we look forward to hearing the ideasfrom the school for items to purchase. Thank you to Hugo Adrian Diane Clennar, Anna Economou and Karon Rom for working with the students to make this day such a success.

Primary Orientation Day

Today we had a number of new faces in the Primary School for our Orientation Day. This is an opportunity for students joining us in the new year to get to know some of our students and staff and experience a day at Emanuel. Our students were very considerate, thoughtful and welcoming to all the new children. It was lovely to see them connect in the playground and I’m sure our new students are now even more excited to join the Primary School in 2018. Thank you to Deborah Beder and Gail McKenzie for assisting with organising the day.

Year 6 Excursion Montefiore Home

On Monday Year 6 students participated in the final excursion to Montefiore Home for 2018. During the year each Year 6 class has visited Montefiore Home as part of the Make a Difference (MAD) Project. Throughout the year each grade works collaboratively on a MAD Project. The purpose of  the MAD program is to use the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People from The Leader In Me to develop a project that will bring about a positive impact in the lives of others. The focus for Year 6 is connecting with the elderly. The Year 6 visits to Montefiore Home provide an opportunity for students to engage and interact with the residents. The excursions also build upon connections with the elderly from Project Heritage. Thank you to Adam Carpenter for organising these excursions and working with the Year 6 students on this MAD Project.

Asylum Seeker Centre

Next week 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. In the past few weeks students across the Primary School have been donating 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 next Monday 4 December. A group of Years 5 and 6 students will deliver the donations to the centre next Wednesday 6 December. Thank to Daniel Siegel and Adam Carpenter for supporting the students in this initiative.

Upcoming Key Events

• Friday 8 December: Y6 Pathways commencing at 2:30pm in Millie Phillips Theatre
• Tuesday 12 December: YK-2 Presentation Day commencing at 9:00am in the Lehrer Family Multi Purpose Hall
• Tuesday 12 December: Y3-6 Presentation Evening commencing at 6:00pm in the Lehrer Family Multi Purpose Hall
• Wednesday 13 December: Primary School Picnic Day and Emanuel’s Got Talent. Please note the Canteen will be closed and students will need to bring their recess and lunch to school.

Chess

Colleen Elkins | Gifted and Talented Co-Ordinator K-6

The 13^th National Schools Finals – Queen’s College, Melbourne

As NSW Primary School Chess Champions in 2017, our school was invited to participate in the 13^th National Schools Finals in Melbourne in a two-day event starting on Monday 26 November. The competition consisted of three age-group sections. We entered a team into the Middles Competition (Years 5 – 9).

We took seven players down to Melbourne to participate in this event. Our team, consisting of: Daniel Melamed; Jesse Herdan; Jesse Gothelf; Zac Sidley; Jordan Fleischer; Sol Biton and Jake Fleischer took on the challenge with great determination, and high spirits as usual – competing against 24 other schools.

Each team member had to play seven rounds of chess and in the tallying up of points, Emanuel School came in second in the overall competition. This is an outstanding achievement! The boys made everybody exceptionally proud of them. Daniel Melamed came first in the individual competition. Well done, Daniel!

We were fortunate enough to have Mr Michael Todd, our school coach, accompany us on the trip, to help with the analysation of each game as it ended. This created a rich learning experience for the players and we are exceptionally grateful to Michael for his time and energy as well as the passion that he puts into fostering each player.

Many parents accompanied us on the trip to support the team and to assist with organisational matters. It was wonderful to have such a lovely group of supporters and their selfless efforts in helping out when needed were highly appreciated. Thank you!

Congratulations to our players and to our coach on this outstanding achievement. We are so proud of you.

Jesse Herdan (chef extraordinaire) prepared pancakes for us for breakfast on both mornings!

National History Challenge

Sophie Poisel

This year some Year 5 students entered the National History Challenge which is a competition that encourages young people to engage in historical inquiry across a range of topics from Sport to Women. Alice Milner was awarded first place in NSW in the Years 4-12 Museum Exhibit category and Sophie Masnick was a regional finalist in the same category.

Alice’s entry was a museum exhibit on her cousin Greg Sher. He fought in the Australian Defence Force and unfortunately died while serving in Afghanistan. Her research and exhibit are a tribute to Greg’s life and sacrifice, and acknowledges his contribution to making a better world. Sophie’s historical personality was Sophie Scholl. She was an anti-Nazi activist. Her exhibit is to teach people about how Sophie Scholl risked her life to help people by bring attention to what was happening in Germany at the time.

This project was a great experience and the students learnt so much about historical time periods and people. They were also able to work like real historians and research by conducting family interviews and collecting primary sources. Alice learnt to analyse sources. She also replicated primary sources and secondary sources including memorabilia for her display. They got to ask questions (crazy ones were permitted). They needed to be persistent and determined and are so proud of the end piece of work. At the awards ceremony night, Alice got to learn lots from other students’ speeches. She really liked learning about pirates and how they made a better world and the history of sport.

The main challenge was time. The students thought they didn’t have enough time to finish the project but finally they did. Throughout the process, they both made innovations on their exhibits by seeking feedback and looking at the judging criteria. They both added interactive features to engage the viewers and make the exhibitions look more appealing and offer more information.

They would really encourage others to enter the National History Challenge in 2018 because it was really one of their best school experiences.

Alice Milner and Sophie Masnick

Sophie Masnick’s exhibit

Beach Touch Football

Sharon Fairfax – PDHPE Teacher Aide / Gymnastics Co-ordinator

On Tuesday Emanuel School entered seven teams in this annual event held at Maroubra Beach. The Junior and Senior Girls and Boys teams thrived in the ideal conditions at such an iconic Australian beach.

The four in attack and three in defense format makes this game incredibly fast with many quick turnarounds. Running in the sand really tests the students’ athleticism and agility.

The day is always a highlight in the sporting calendar with the competition against a broad array of schools including Kambala, Freshwater, St Leo’s College, Marsden High, Maitland High , Randwick High, Hurlstone Agricultural High and Sylvania High.

Our Year 7 Junior Boys placed second in their division with Brody Elbourne, the stand-out player on the day .

Best on the day was Mr Morley’s Senior Boys team who beat Maitland in the semifinal to qualify through to the Grand Final to play Sylvania High. This was an extremely fast paced game with a high skill level. Sylvania were victorious defeating Emanuel 8-5.

A huge congratulations to Leo Carroll who was awarded the MVP (most valued player) Award of the whole tournament, displaying outstanding skills throughout the day.

CDSSA Oztag Gala Day

Kristy Reed – Sports Co-ordinator and PDHPE Teacher

Combined Districts Secondary Sports Association Oztag Gala Day

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to once again convene the annual Combined Districts Secondary Sports Association (CDSSA) Oztag Gala Day last week. This year saw the event move to Rowland Park, Daceyville, which was an excellent venue for a large scale event such as this. The day was a great success with over sixty games being played throughout. All of the schools that participated in the competition enjoyed the day and it proved to be an excellent display of the talent and skill of the students in this association.

Emanuel entered four teams into the gala day; a junior girls team, two junior boys teams and a senior boys team. For many Emanuel students who have traditionally played touch football, playing oztag was a new and exciting opportunity. For others who have a strong rugby union or rugby league background, it was a chance to show their well-developed skills. Each team performed exceptionally well and displayed admirable sportsmanship at the event.

Congratulations to the students who participated on the day for their commitment to sport and their excellent teamwork. I also thank Mr Heath Morley and Ms Sharon Fairfax for coaching and supporting our teams on the day.

Debating

Suzanne Plume – Debating Co-ordinator

Jemma Lopis – Middles Debating Co-ordinator

DEBATING AT EMANUEL

Why do we Debate?

It is not only that we learn to form coherent, logical and convincing arguments.

It is not only that we learn to persuade and inform an audience open to suggestion.

It is not only to listen to ourselves repeating that which we already know.

Debating is also about listening.

It is about empathy.

It is about removing ourselves from our own perspective, and appreciating that there is another perspective that is as valid and as real as our own.

An excellent debating team uses their co-ordinated efforts to listen to their opposition’s ideas, acknowledge the value of those ideas, yet challenge them so profoundly as to leave the audience in no doubt as to the pervading, persuasive perspective that must be upheld.

We debate in order to grapple with ethical and moral issues that affect the world in which we live.

We debate in order to appreciate other perspectives and integrate their value into our own well-formed ideas.

We debate so that as we receive the world that is our inheritance, we have the strength and the skills to stand up for what is ethically and morally right; to bring justice to our homes, our work, our lives; to uphold the dignity and integrity of ourselves and others.

We debate for Tikkun Olam – making the world a better place. Each person has an individual voice. But together, our ideas become more than the sum of their parts.

If you are interested in trying out for a HICES debating squad in 2018, Ms Plume and Mrs Lopis will be running tryouts in Weeks 8 and 9. Please check your emails for tryout times.

We hope to see you there!

 Inter-Jewish Day School Debating Day

On Tuesday 31 October, we participated in the Inter-Jewish Day School Debating Day here at Emanuel School.

Topics included:

That experimenting on animals should be forbidden except for medical research.

That adults should be required to take compulsory physical education courses in their workplaces.

That it should be illegal for companies to market products to children.

That Australia should not trade with companies with poor labour standards.

That foreign aid agencies should ignore state sovereignty in order to reach areas in which they are forbidden but needed.

To our great delight, Emanuel School won two of the five trophies on the day.

 The B’nei B’rith Girls Years 7 & 8 Debating Champions for 2017:

Victoria Miller, Year 7

Ariella Tracton, Year 7

Chloe Miller, Year 8

Lara Fosbery, Year 8

Ruby Hurwitz, Year 8

Liat Granot, Year 8

The Carole Fisher Years 9 and 10 Girls Debating Champions for 2017:

Isabella Flax, Year 10

Natasha Gering, Year 10

Rebekah Goldsworthy, Year 9

Miriam Itkowitz, Year 9

Isabella Reichel, Year 9

Careers

Claire Pecgh – Careers Advisor

This week I attended a Professional Development day with Career Avenues in the city.

Career Avenues is a career testing and profiling agency that works with a lot of schools in Australia in the independent and public sector. We are going to trial them in 2018 with our Year 10’s, and this is something I have been keen on for a while and I feel will be of great benefit to our students. We are going to be looking at how they work to see if this is something we would like to introduce permanently.

The format would be a series of career tests that will enhance future subject selections, but also career paths, choices and ideas for their senior years. On 14 February next year, the whole Year 10 group will get to sit these tests over six periods. They will involve psychometric tests and personality tests based on the Jung personality types. Their results will then be collated and their profiles organised. On May 7 Career Avenues will come in to speak to our students, for a full debrief, to explain how their results are to be used and analysed, and how they can be a helpful guide for subject selections and future career planning.

Like with any career profiling agency, the results or profiles are to be used as a helpful guide. I only like the idea of using them if we realise they don’t “tell us” what to do, or who we are. They are run by a computer. So if we use them as guidance notes, or like how one friend tells us we would make a great Midwife, and another friend tells we would make a great Lawyer, we use that data as it was meant. It is a suggestion and can often lead to very informative and helpful conversations, but nothing is set in stone. This company has an extremely high accuracy rate and so many students will probably identify well with the results. Other schools such as Kambala, Waverley College, St Vincents College and MLC, to name a few, have very positive feedback from both students and parents about the process.

I look forward to moving in this direction next year.

Year 12 2017

I am advertising these dates this week and next so that Year 12 students can fully ultilise the services that will be available to help them. Between Friday 15 and Sunday 17 December most tertiary institutions will be open and available to chat about preferences and to finalise any queries or questions before UAC closes for the December round on Sunday 17 December at midnight.

Australian Catholic University – Know Your Options Sessions

www.acu.edu.au/about_acu/our_university/contact/events/know_your_options_information_sessions

Macquarie University

www.mq.edu.au/about/events/view/info-day-2017/

University of Notre Dame – Course Advice Sessions

www.nd.edu.au/events/2017/course-advice-sydney

University of Sydney

http://infoday.sydney.edu.au/

UNSW – Info Day

www.futurestudents.unsw.edu.au/info-day

UTS

https://infoday.uts.edu.au/

ANU

www.anu.edu.au/study/events/anu-sydney-advisory-day-1

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN LEARNING?

 THE DOLPHINS

Educators recognise that diversity contributes to the richness of our society and provides a valid evidence base about ways of knowing. For Australia, it also includes promoting greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being.              

(EYLF 2012)

Discussing important issues with five year olds shows us the deep understanding they have and how empathetic they are towards their fellow humans. Honestly, children should be sitting in parliament.

The children discussed a few facts about Uluru, such as it is 600 million years old. It is owned by the Anangu People but it was only returned to them in 1985. Despite this, tourists have been allowed to climb this sacred rock. Uluru used to be under water. Most of Uluru is under the ground. The Aboriginal People have asked tourists not to climb the rock as it is a sacred site but people are welcome to walk around the base. It takes 3.5 hours to walk around Uluru.

First impressions of Uluru

Ethan: Ooh! The big rock!                         

Nathan S: It’s so big!

Ethan: It’s the biggest rock.

Henry: It changes colour with the light.

Toby: There’s water falls.

Ryan: It’s orange.

Jordan: I know all about this rock. Everybody climbs on it. People just want to destroy the rock. It belongs to the Aboriginal People.

Alfie: The big rock is precious to them. It’s sacred.

We looked at some pictures of people climbing Uluru. We saw the metal bars that had been hammered into the sacred rock and we saw the metal chains attached to the bars.

Ryan: They’re climbing, the white people. They (Aboriginal People) never climb their precious rock cause they would need holes for that.

Noam: The people hammered all the chains for security, but that means they put holes in it.

Eli: It’s very precious to the Aboriginal people. So, the white people didn’t like them so they didn’t respect the rock, so they made holes in the rock and they didn’t care.

Henry: I’ll just take out all the chains.

Jordan: We are white persons. Why would we climb the rock? We respect the rock.

Maddy: The Aboriginal People must be very sad about the White People nailing the chains into the rock. That’s why they were putting up signs.

 Using the language of sculpture and drawing, we represented Uluru.

The children’s 3-D creations and drawings were incredible and showed a deep understanding of this current issue.

THE SEASHELLS – TIKKUN OLAM (repairing our world)

On our way back to Kornmehl from the Primary library on Tuesday, the children noticed rubbish on the ground and bent down immediately without being asked to pick the rubbish up. This awareness of rubbish around the environment sparked the group to instinctively begin to clean up the space. In fact, there was so much rubbish, we had to go and get a large container to carry it all in.

Luca: We need to tell the children not to put all the rubbish on the floor.

The children then noticed that there were no bins and wondered if that was why the rubbish was on the floor.

The children have requested that we send a letter to the big school and show the teachers and children the photos or take the rubbish to the school to show them.

This collecting sparked lovely conversation and discussion.

Luca: Please children stop throwing rubbish on the floor because the birds are going to die. You need to buy a bin to put all your rubbish in, so the birds don’t die. If you leave your rubbish outside and there is wind it blows all your rubbish down to Kornmehl.

Joshua K: Please put your rubbish in the bin and not on the floor.

Alicia: Please use containers to put your lunch and snack in, don’t use plastic and paper packets and tell your mums to please go to the shops and buy you a lunch box or container. If you carry on putting all the rubbish on the floor we will not have a world, it will turn into a rubbish world and we will have no more birds.

Jonathan L: We can’t buy a new world so we have to look after it.

Nadav: We got all hot and tired cleaning up all your rubbish and it took a long time.

Hannah: We found straws and lots of plastic packets.

Sam: So much rubbish at the big school.

Tali: More and more and more rubbish

We observed that the Seashells have an awareness of where rubbish belongs and also an understanding of why we put rubbish in a bin. It was clear to us that the Seashells can reflect on what we can do to eliminate rubbish and they can express their ideas and understanding through small group conversation, listening to each other’s ideas and sharing their thoughts. 

THE STARFISH

This week, we have started learning about Chanukah.  At morning meeting we presented a poster to the group and used this to do a “See Think Wonder” routine with the group. The idea and intention of doing this routine were to gain insight and information into the children’s knowledge and understanding of this festival.

After our discussion, the children were invited to the table, where some different Chanukiot were positioned for the children to look at and observe closely.   

Black textas were provided for the children to draw and add detail. Water colours were provided to add colour.

As the children engaged in this creative experience, they talked about their work, including the process and a description and explanation. We used a variety of materials to represent our thinking and understanding. We also used the overhead projector and our collection of tea bags to visually represent a Chanukiah.

The Starfish were enthralled with the Chanukah story. They were fascinated to learn about the history around the Chanukiah.

Iliana: The king wanted the Jewish people to stop thinking about Hashem.

Amy: He said, don’t listen to Hashem. He knocked down the building. The Jewish people built it back again and they saw there was the thingy banged up. It wasn’t lighting so they needed to find oil because it wasn’t enough.

Isaac: The special light was the Chanukiah. They needed oil. There was only enough oil for every day.

Maayan: The bad guy knocked down the house. They had to build it all again.

Happy 50^th birthday – JCA

We talked to the children about the JCA celebrating their 50th birthday. We talked about some of the things the JCA does to help the Jewish community, such as looking after schools, the Jewish museum, helping older people and families in need through Jewish Care. As part of the celebrations gold threads were given to each child. These could be worn as bracelets, attached to clothes or pieces of jewellery.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

The Dolphin and Starfish have now completed all their parent/teacher meetings. We hope that the parents found the time productive and meaningful. It is a lovely way to bring closure to a very busy year for your children and we value this important time to reflect and chat to parents.

Playball

Playball this term has continued to provide the children with many different gross-motor activities and ball skills. The coaches Al and Jenny are able to really 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 the parents were invited to an open session of Playball, to see first-hand what their children have been learning this year. We know the parents were impressed with how far the children have come with their gross-motor and ball skills, as well as their ability to listen and follow directions.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Ariella Mervis (4). We hope you had a special birthday.

Gesher – Connecting our Community

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

THANK YOU

Shula Endrey-Walder OAM

Emanuel School Grandparent and Founder of Gift of Life Australia, Shula Endrey-Walder OAM has asked me to thank our School Community for their support at the recent donor session held at Wolper Hospital on 19 November.  If you could not make that session, but would still like to be a donor for this amazing program, there will be another session on Sunday 10 December – please see details on the poster below.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE CAMP IN JANUARY

Summer holidays are just around the corner and FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE is planning an amazing WEEK OF DAY CAMP for young people with a disability. Volunteering is a great way for young people to have fun, feel great about themselves and make a difference.  We hope some of our students will be amongst the volunteers for this camp.

Engage and befriend your buddy throughout the planned activities and experiences such as at Monkey Mania, SkateHQ and SkyZone!

***Must be at least 13 years old and available to volunteer 3 days***

New volunteer: www.sydneyfc.org.au/volunteerapplication
Current volunteer: www.sydneyfc

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

JeStar Showcase

Anna Maylis – Director of the JeSTAR Theatre

Come watch JeSTARs in action and join the end-of-year party at the JeSTAR Theatre.

When: Thursday 7 December 2017, 4.30 pm

Where: The Millie Phillips Theatre, Emanuel School

Everyone is welcome!

RSVP: Anna Maylis jestartheatre@gmail.com

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic, Anne Hastings and Jennifer Opit

Shoes for Planet Earth