From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

The future of education in Australia

Over the past weeks, here has been significant media interest in the release of 2 reports that may shape the future of education in Australia. Both the 2^nd Gonski Report and the Ernst and Young (EY) Report signal that a significant shift in our Primary, Secondary and Tertiary curriculum, pedagogy and delivery is required to prepare our students for the ever-changing and evolving workplace of the future. According to the 2018 Foundation of Young Australians (FYA) Enterprise Education and Career Education in Schools report, this will require a mix of technical skills, financial and digital literacies, numeracy, career-management skills and a range of enterprise skills. David Gonski, in his Through Growth to Achievement Report, urges schools to leave behind the ‘Industrial Model’ and adopt a more modern and individual approach. Three of the key recommendations include:

• Moving away from Year Group-based curriculum, to ‘learning progressions’ that are independent of Year Group or age;
• The development of an online tool to allow teachers to track individual student progress and suggest individualised support and
• The creation of a Research and Evidence Institute to continue to drive innovation and improvement.

The impending changes are not however limited to our schools. The research paper from EY, The University of the Future, has called for the reshaping of the Australian Higher Education sector to meet the changing demands of stakeholders, as digital technology reshapes the social, industrial and workplace landscapes. According to this report, 42% of current and past graduates feel that their degree needs to be overhauled in light of the rapidly-changing nature of industry and employment; the result of what EY calls the ‘Transformative Age’. Work integrated learning, involving collaboration with industry in creating course content that will produce more work-ready graduates, was identified as a priority. Other potential future pathways for our Universities included:

• Micro-certificates to replace 3 or 4 year degrees;
• Unbundled courses delivered flexibly and online; and
• Networks that share digital platforms.

What can we make of all this? One thing is certain: Emanuel needs to remain very future-focussed! Preparing our students for jobs that do not yet exist, in a rapidly-changing workplace, with changes in the ways that universities may offer courses, will remain a challenge for all schools, moving forward. In 2015, social researcher, Mark McCrindle, predicted that “The average young person will have 17 different jobs across 5 different industries throughout their lifetime.” How then do we develop the dispositions, skill-set, adaptability and mind-set that would best equip our graduates to strive, thrive and lead within their workplace? A good start would be to develop both resilience and a growth mindset, in the face of challenges; where failure is a learning tool and persistence in problem solving is valued. We must continue to structure our teaching and learning so that creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration are valued and reinforced. We also need to provide opportunities for our students to innovate, and to participate in the design thinking process and project-based learning. For the past 2 years, our staff professional development program has maintained a steady focus on innovation and developing a common language of learning, based upon a range of learning dispositions.

Breakfast with Emanuel

Our 2^nd breakfast with parents was held on Wednesday, at The Little Space, Bondi Junction. My introduction on how we seek to future-proof our students was followed by an outstanding presentation on Innovation from Eytan Messiah and Sophie Poisel, Co-ordinators of High School and Primary School Innovation. Practical examples of how design thinking and project-based learning have been integrated within the classroom were provided, in addition to an update on the work towards the development of learning dispositions across P-12. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the breakfast talks has been the conversations with parents across a range of subjects over breakfast and during question time. Thank you to the parents who gave up their time to attend.

Being good neighbours

From time to time I receive correspondence from our near neighbours, in relation to the drop off and collection of students. Unfortunately, a small number of parents have parked over driveways or responded inappropriately to our neighbours’ requests. The large number of activities that we run on evenings during term time does result in congestion above and beyond the regular drop off and collection times. Several of our neighbours have indicated to the School that they are pursuing a solution through Randwick Council. Potential Council responses could include greater presence of Rangers, or increased parking restrictions. Can I ask you to put yourself in the place of our local residents and act in a way that you would like to be treated, if the roles were reversed?

Mazal Tov

• Ethan De Melo who was part of the CDSSA 16 years Football team that played at the AICES Championships held on Wednesday. This team won the championships and Ethan has also been selected in the AICES 16 years Football team to play at the CIS Championships later this month.
• To all of Year 8 for their excellent Israel Expo on Tuesday evening, photos below.

Quote of the week

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

Andy McIntyre

Primary News

Helen Maynard – Director of Studies K-6

The role of empathy in learning 

Last month I was fortunate enough to travel to Cambodia to undertake volunteer work. The group I went with spent 2 weeks in a village outside Siem Reap giving the Cambodian people a “hand up”. We built a family home, delivered rice to over 240 families, visited 2 schools – feeding and face painting 400 students (a completely new experience for all), built duck farms, pig pens and facilitated a number of medical centre visits for villagers in need. It was hot and sticky work but some of the most rewarding I have experienced.

This experience had a profound impact on me and lead me to make connections with my day to day life. The Khmer Grannies – as I affectionately named them – would ensure that we delivered rice to the most needy families. Children, when given an extra pencil or balloon, (these were very popular and created many laughs) would either give it to a younger child or hand it back to us. It left me pondering if we are missing something in our society. This led me to think about empathy and how we foster this as parents and educators.

Roman Krznaric theorises that the 20^th century is the age of introspection, but the 21^st is one of “stepping outside ourselves” to experience the world through other perspectives, something increasingly important in our uber-connected society.

Learning has to start and end with oneself: What do I know, and how can I relate to the world around me? I think more so than ever this is a vital component to education in our rapidly changing world. If future generations are to solve some of the complex problems of our world we need to be able to step into the shoes of others.

Learning should result in personal and social change through a combination of self-direction, reflection, and collaboration with ideas and the people who have them. Hence, we must be able to empathise.

Currently, P-12 staff at Emanuel are looking at Learning Dispositions more deeply and how we foster these in our students. We know that the knowledge model of education has changed and that for our students to be successful many attributes will play a vital part in their success.

I found these articles interesting in respects to parenting;

www.parentingscience.com/teaching-empathy-tips.html

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/seven_ways_to_foster_empathy_in_kids

Kindy reading groups

Carmen Yunis and Carrie-Ann Grieve would still like some extra people to help them with their reading groups, particularly on a Wednesday morning. If you are able to assist please contact them directly.

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Homo Erectus

ואולך אתכם קוממיות

I made you walk/go upright

The significance of Homo Erectus, dated to around 1.9 million years ago, and its place within the evolutionary stages of humankind remains a subject of debate among Paleoanthropologists. Only once does our biblical tradition make reference to Homo Erectus and, as might be expected, within a context and focus differing from that of science.

This week’s parashah, BeChukotai proclaims to our people:

I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt (Mitsrayim/narrow places), to be their slaves no more, and broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect (kommimyut).

For our Jewish tradition, Homo Erectus, does speak to how we carry ourselves. But beyond our physical mobility and stature, it addresses our psychological well-being and self-governance. To be Homo Erectus is to be a free ‘man’.

Released from the bonds of Egypt and becoming a covenantal partner with the God of freedom is to stand upright, engaging in dialogue rather than subject to dictate.

Significantly, BeHar the previous parashah, which is read together with BeChukotai, states:

“If your kinsman, due to dire straits, becomes indentured to you, he must not become/be treated as a slave…for they (all of Israel) are my servants, whom I have freed from the land of Egypt (Mitsrayim/ narrow places), they may not sell themselves into slavery.”

To be Homo Erectus is to recognise and foster freedom in fellowship. Thus, moving beyond avdut/ servitude to avodah/service, to become dialogic partners with God and our fellow human beings. Linguist Daniel Everett argues that Homo Erectus (perhaps by virtue of being upright and thereby promoting face-to-face verbal discourse) was the first hominin to evolve the capability of language. 

Recently, when visiting Morocco, I was fortunate to spend some time with the Berbers, whose name derives from Barbary, referring to the Maghreb coast, and is related to the Greek word Barbaria. Barbarian was originally a term connoting non-Greek speakers, indicating people who spoke barbar, an incomprehensible speech and, by extension, an uncivilised people who, no doubt, would benefit from a colonising/‘civilising’ agent. The Berbers call themselves Imazighen, Amazigh meaning ‘free man’. And, as they shared with me, as we sipped tea in the sand dunes of their desert home, they would be forever free as are the winds of the Sahara.

Several times a day, in our morning prayer (right before the Shema) and in Birkat Hamazon we too proclaim our desire to live as a free and independent people:

May the merciful break the yoke from upon our necks and walk us erect (kommimyut) to our land.

(Birkat Hamazon)

 Bring us safely from the ends of the earth and walk us erect (kommimyut) to our land.

(Ahavah Rabbah)

Within the daily prayer, our rabbinic tradition thus linked the freedom of an erect people to a national homeland. The hosts of the land in which our Rabbis and ancestors lived did not fully welcome all equally and fully, standing upright. Today with our State of Israel, may we join together in praying, in the spirit of our parashah, that all inhabitants of Israel encounter each other as free individuals, walking erect in dignity and self-determination.

Student Divrei Torah

Lara Rutstein – Year 11

Do you know that stopping, slowing down, turning off your phone, turning off lights in your house, just for 1 day, makes an impact? The little things in life do make a difference. In modern society, we are running, speaking, and thinking at an exceptionally fast rate, and oftentimes we continue all week- long without slowing down – constantly doing, always mobile accessible, habitually multi-tasking.

This week the joint parashiyot, Behar Sinai and BeChukotai, are about the idea of Shemitah. Shemitah is the sabbatical year (that is every 7 years) when we are commanded to not work on the land, to let it recuperate and revitalise. Shemitah, like Shabbat, is envisaged as a time for us all to step out of the non-stop scramble of getting and spending and to renew ourselves, restoring our connection with the unique life particular to each one of us.

During the Shemitah year, we are commanded to let the wild animals eat freely from our fields. “The shabbat of the land (what the land grows while it is resting) will be for you for eating: for you and for your servants and hired-workers and for your settler living as a stranger with you, and for your beast, and for the wild animal which is in your land, all of her produce will be for eating.” (Leviticus 25:6-7).

The rabbis further expanded the meaning of this law. Everyone is required to leave any gates to their fields open so that human beings and wild (and domestic) animals were eating of the same produce. 

It is the Sinai covenant which is meant to bring back into harmony a world twisted by human greed and violence. It is the Sinai covenant that is meant to restore the fellowship of human and animal, and to reorder our values, so that the well-being of the land and the community of life takes precedence over our own perceived needs. 

The Torah says that all land belongs to God. If everyone who ‘owns’ land is actually borrowing it from God, landowners cannot do whatever they please. Every year they have to follow the divine rule about leaving some of the harvest in the field for poor people and newcomers to glean. Today we might say that developers should set aside some land for public parks and buildings, and farm owners should participate in food bank programs.

And, every 7 years, the people who ‘own’ land must leave farmland fallow for everyone to eat from, instead of selling the produce. Today, we might say that homeowners should plant native plants to support wild fauna, instead of lawns whose maintenance poisons the environment; and that agribusiness owners should switch to sustainable practices that will help keep the whole earth healthy.

And, every fifty years (yovel, the Jubilee), all landowners must restore God’s original arrangements for the land. In Canaan, this meant reverting to the allocations made by Moshe and Yehoshu’a to tribes and families. Today, we might restore more of nature’s rhythms for the land. We might remember that all human beings are to temporary dwellers upon God’s land. We live here in sufferance. Even if we plant seeds, we can’t make them grow. Even if we genetically modify the seeds, we can’t bring them to life. We depend on nature, which we call God’s creation—because it certainly isn’t ours.

If only we could remember that we are all gleaners, harvesting our food from land that does not really belong to us! Then, we might treat the earth and its vegetation with more respect.

Hundreds of thousands of acres of tropical forests in Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras, to name just a few countries, have been levelled to create grassland for cattle. Since most of the forest is cleared by burning, the extension of cattle pasture also creates carbon dioxide, and, according to some environmentalists, contributes significantly to global warming. 

Such operations lead to erosion and remove all nutrients from the soil, leaving it desolate. The result is severe damage to the biodiversity of the rainforest, an increase in the release of carbon dioxide, and general biosphere instability. 

Instead of being elevated and sanctified, the Earth has become trampled and disgraced. The frightening ecological reality we are facing morally obligates us to rethink our relationship with the land and the consequences of our actions. Many of our actions may be deriving pleasure from God’s Earth without paying attention to the drastic consequences they have.

Yet even with the damage humanity has caused, Shemitah teaches us that we must have faith that God is in control, waiting for us to return from our careless and selfish ways.

Shemitah establishes equality, much broader than social equality, it may be said that it reaches a level of ecological equality: “And the Sabbath-produce of the land will be food for you, for you and your slave, and maid, and your hired workers, and the settlers livings amongst you. And for your cattle and the beasts of the land, shall have the produce for food” (25, 6-7). Imagine a partnership between a farmer and his ox – both have equal rights over the produce of the land. Shemitah‘s radicalism is almost inconceivable. 

As Jews, we celebrate Shabbat. Shabbat allows us to slow down and refresh ourselves. We rest and physically refresh, as well this we help the environment, we stop, we turn lights off, use natural light and candles. We don’t buy objects that could be harmful to the environment like plastic bags or pre-packaged food. Shabbat us offers the opportunity to reduce consumption and thus benefit the natural world. The act of shutting off a computer or a car for a day contains environmental meaning far beyond the energy saved from not using these devices for one day. From reading from computers and  phones to reading from scrolls and books, from communicating via technology to communicating face to face.

Did you ever think that by just stopping and reflecting once a week, just like we do on Shabbat could make a difference in our world?

————————————–

Izacc Khedoori – Year 9

In parashat Behar Sinai, God gives Moses some advice on a rather unexpected subject: sustainable farming practices. At first, this doesn’t seem like a very logical thing for the Torah to talk about. Specifically, Behar Sinai comes in the wake of some very un-flower-bed-like ideas. Last week, in Parashot Emor, we learnt about rules for priests, how to celebrate the holidays, and dealing with blasphemers.

It comes as quite a curveball when God tells Moses that the children of Israel will farm the land for 6 years straight and then take the 7^thyear off as a year of rest. Moses and the people are in the desert. There is no water – let alone mineral-rich soil, seeds, and all other good stuff you need to start a farm. But the Torah is always looking ahead with long-term plans.

Once the people have land, God tells them to grow fruits, vegetables, and till the ground for 6 years. They are told to enjoy the all of the wonderful bounty that comes out of the land and savour the taste of this freshly grown food. Then, in the 7^th year, stop, for the 7^th year shall be a year of complete rest for the land. There will be no growing of wheat, no harvesting grapes for wine, and all of the cultivation of the land will come to a complete halt. You can’t own or sell anything. It will fall off the trees and the vines and it must lie there for anyone’s taking – you, your workers, your friends, your neighbours, and all the animals around. This 7^th year will give the soil and the farmers a much-needed rest.

Just like Shabbat, the 7th day, when humans are commanded to stop working and take a break, the land should do the same thing. The year of rest is called Shemitah which literally means ‘release, and refers to the full year of rest that occurs every 7^th year. Also, after 7 cycles of 7 years – in the 50^thyear – there’s a huge Yovel/Jubilee. In that year, which is like a Shabbat of Shabbats, not only can you not plant, sow, or reap from the soil, but all the plots of land go back to their original owner.

People are in the desert now, but in the future, God tells Moses, every family will receive a piece of land. Sure, you can rent or sell your plot. But when the Jubilee year rolls around, the land reverts back to those original owners. That way, no one ends up landless, and there will be no real landlord or tenants, only people with a 49-year rent agreement. Because really, God says: “The land is mine”.

Behar’s strict rules about shemitah can be really confusing – but incorporating the ideas of rest and release into our lives is important. Farmers need to take the time to rest and sustain themselves, their bodies, and the soil they cultivate year after year. Physically taking a break from farming and tilling the land gives our body a chance to relax and recuperate. Letting the land rest gives the Earth a chance to breathe deep and let the rays of sunshine and heavy raindrops penetrate the soil. If you live near farmland or a farmer’s market, which probably not all of you do, you notice the seasonality of the crops and what’s available at certain times of year. Once the night time gets cooler and the first frost comes, there are no more tomatoes on the vines and the strawberries are long gone. We’ll have to wait patiently for those red fruits to magically reappear in the spring. Giving the land and the farmers a much-needed rest every 7^th year helps us stop and greatly appreciate the Earth which holds the rich soil that provides us precious foods that comes out of the ground year after year.

And, every 50 years all landowners must restore God’s original arrangements for the land. In Canaan, this meant reverting to the allocations made by Moshe and Yehoshu’a to tribes and families. Today, we might restore more of nature’s rhythms for the land. We might remember that all human beings are to temporary dwellers upon God’s land. We live here in sufferance. Even if we plant seeds, we can’t make them grow. Even if we genetically modify the seeds, we can’t bring them to life. We depend on nature, which we call God’s creation—because it certainly isn’t ours.

If only we could remember that we are all gleaners, harvesting our food from land that does not really belong to us! Then, we might treat the earth and its vegetation with more respect.

Hundreds of thousands of acres of tropical forests in Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras, to name just a few countries, have been levelled to create grassland for cattle. Since most of the forest is cleared by burning, the extension of cattle pasture also creates carbon dioxide, and, according to some environmentalists, contributes significantly to global warming. 

Such operations lead to erosion and the removal of all nutrients from the soil, leaving it desolate. The result is severe damage to the biodiversity of the rainforest, an increase in the release of carbon dioxide, and general biosphere instability. 

Instead of being elevated and sanctified, the Earth has become trampled and disgraced. The frightening ecological reality we are facing morally obligates us to rethink our relationship with the land and the consequences of our actions. Many of our actions may be deriving pleasure from God’s earth without paying attention to the drastic consequences they have.

Yet even with the damage humanity has caused, Shemitah teaches us that we must have faith that God is in control, waiting for us to return from our careless and selfish ways.

Shemitah establishes equality, much broader than social equality, it may be said that it reaches a level of ecological equality: “And the Sabbath-produce of the land will be food for you, for you and your slave, and maid, and your hired workers, and the settlers livings amongst you. And for your cattle and the beasts of the land, shall have the produce for food.” (25, 6-7). Imagine a partnership between a farmer and his ox – both have equal rights over the produce of the land. Shemitah‘s radicalism is almost inconceivable. 

As Jews, we celebrate Shabbat. Shabbat allows us to slow down and refresh ourselves. We rest and physically refresh, as well as this we help the environment, we stop, we turn lights off, use natural light and candles. We don’t buy objects that could be harmful to the environment like plastic bags or pre-packaged food. Shabbat offers us the opportunity to reduce consumption and thus benefit the natural world. The act of shutting off a computer or a car for a day contains environmental meaning far beyond the energy saved from not using these devices for 1 day. 

Have you ever thought that by just stopping and reflecting once a week, just like we do on Shabbat, we could make a difference in our world?

Year 9 Jewish Studies

Alexis Joffe

Jade Berson

Year 9 Jewish Studies elective: Gender and Sexualities

Jewish Studies in Term 1 was very informative and interesting for Ms Rosin’s Judaism, Gender and Sexuality class. Jewish sources, values and contemporary thoughts on Gender Issues in Judaism were studied in pairs.

We conducted research into these topics, for example, gender roles in the Torah, gender roles in the Talmud, female ordination of Rabbis in Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Judaism, roles of men/women at home and Jewish marriage and divorce. The project also explored the significant people connected with each topic, discussing current developments and our own opinions of the situation.

Each group conducted research created posters and made podcasts. Our project on Jewish marriage and divorce was very interesting. The Jewish idea of marriage sees 2 halves becoming 1, completing each other. We learnt that there are some differences between Orthodox and Reform understandings of gender roles. Reform Judaism has more opportunity for both genders in terms of clerical positions (Rabbis and Cantors) and religious expression through B’nei Mitzvah. (This is also changing within Modern Orthodoxy, though at a slower pace). The expression of the different roles for men and women within Orthodoxy also apply to marriage. This is particularly evident regarding Orthodox Jewish divorce. If a husband does not agree to give the woman a Gett – a Jewish legal divorce document – then the woman cannot be divorced from her husband. (Note: Rabbis and organisations in different streams of Judaism are working on finding solutions to the problems raised by this imbalance, such as prenuptial agreements.) This problem has been solved in contemporary times, since most Orthodox married couples would normally sign a Jewish Prenuptial Agreement which prevents the woman from becoming Agunah, literally meaning ‘chained’, by allowing adjudication to be resolved by the Beit Din in case of conflict.

Reform divorce does not include the concept of Agunah, so this situation would not arise. Overall, our opinion is that in both marriage and divorce there is a certain amount of inequality between the sexes. This needs to be addressed and we both hope to see a difference in these actions being put in place.

The project that we completed was very challenging, yet we loved learning the information and creating a fun and interesting way to present our information on the poster!

Year 7 Torah Service

Lotus Van Der Starre

At the end of last term, I had my Bat Mitzvah celebrations. I didn’t have a service at a synagogue, so Ms Levin-Kahn arranged a special Year 7 Torah service at school on Monday morning especially for me. The music rooms had been turned into a cosy shul – with a Shulchan for the Torah to rest on and rows of seats curved around the Torah table, a siddur on each chair.

I was called up to the Torah for an Aliyah and I read my Dvar Torah. Reverend Zwarenstein gave me a special blessing and wishes for my Bat Mitzvah. Tali Yedid was called to up to undress the Torah then I was called up to say the Torah blessings.

Two other Year 7 girls also had the Aliyah honour. After Reverend Zwarenstein raised the Torah, my brother, Orlando and sister, Avalon were called up to dress the Torah. Our Madrichat Tefillah, Ashne Amoils, carried the Torah around for everyone to kiss. All in all, it was a really enjoyable experience.

Mazal tov

That was the 1^st Year 7 Torah Service and it was so successful that we hope to hold more throughout the year, with more student participation. Mazal tov, Lotus!

Daphna Levin-Kahn, Jewish Studies High School Co-ordinator

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter | Head of Jewish Studies Primary

Year 6: Cooking and eating during עברית/Hebrew

Year 6 have been studying the topic of אוכל/food in Hebrew. Students learnt vocabulary related to food as well as different recipes of special dishes. One of our recipes was chocolate balls. In class, students discussed the ingredients needed to make chocolate balls and the methods of how to make them. After writing recipes, students practised what they had learnt and made their own chocolate delights in class. They did a great job and the chocolate balls were טעים/ ta’im – tasty.

Student clay creations from our פסח/ Pesach Family Workshops

Students and their parents/grandparents in Years 1 and 5 created clay Judaica for their homes and the School as part of our Pesach Family Workshops during Term 1. Our artist, Lia Klugman, took the students work to fire over the holidays and they are now ready for the students to bring home to add to their family’s Judaica collection.

Year 1: Women in the פסח/ Pesach story, clay cup creating a clay

In learning the Pesach story, students focused on the important and often overlooked role played by women in maintaining and saving the Jewish people, such as Yocheved (Moshe’s mother) and Miriyam (Moshe’s sister), before learning more about a contemporary סדר/ Seder ritual, כוס מרים/ Kos Miriyam – Miriam’s Cup. Students created a clay kos that can be included in their own סדרים/   sederim.

Year 5: Clay מזוזות/ Mezuzah making

Participants explored the connection between the מזוזה/mezuzah and the פסח/Pesach story, where the Israelites painted their מזוזות/mezzuzot (doorposts) with the blood of a sacrificed lamb to ensure the 10^th plague פסח/Pesach (passed-over), the homes of the Israelites. Participants then worked with clay to create beautiful and unique mezuzot for their homes and for the School.

CDSSA

Kristy Reed | Head of Sport | PDHPE Teacher

CDSSA Football Gala Day

The annual CDSSA Football Gala Day was held last week on the Central Coast at the International Football School (IFS). As part of the CDSSA sporting group, IFS hosted an excellent round robin competition and representative team trials.

Emanuel entered teams into all four of the divisions and performed very well on the day. The junior girls and boys teams, despite being young teams for their age group, held their own against some of the best schools in the association.

The senior girls team were led by their captain Lara Joffe and had a very successful day. Winning all but one of their matches, this experienced group displayed excellent teamwork and leadership on the day.

The Emanuel senior boys team had an outstanding day, with captain Reece Berelowitz leading by example. Coached by the Emanuel head coach, Aytek Genc, the team were wonderfully structured, conceding only one goal in five matches and going undefeated in the tournament. The boys draw against the strong teams from IFS, Seda College and Moriah College, and won matches against Galstaun College and Heritage School.

After excellent performances throughout the day the following Emanuel students were selected for the CDSSA representative football teams:

• Reece Berelowitz
• Ethan De Melo
• Joel Epshteyn
• Lara Joffe
• Hannah Kim
• Eden Levit
• Ellie Morris
• Danielle Rutstein
• Jordan Weizman

Congratulations to these students and to all of the players who attended the day.

Junior football team

Junior girls football team

Senior boys football team

Senior girls football team

Rabin Bugle

Shalom Shabbat Rabinites!

Hope you all have had a great first 2 weeks, with time to catch up with friends, adjust to early mornings again and get used to the autumn and winter uniform. Term 1 went by fast with lots of activities, fun competitions and camps. Rabin House students participated in a range of activities, volunteered in many projects and it was nice to see so many of you getting involved, learning, giving back and having fun at the same time.

This week Year 11 Rabin chaired our House Assembly with an international theme that engaged all Tutor Groups with activities and a fun quiz. Year 8 Rabin took home the fun Geography challenge, but it was a close result with Years 9 and 11 not very far behind. Rabin House would like to commend Year 11 Rabin who, together with our Head of House and their tutor, had planned a great assembly.

Term 2 provides many opportunities and presents some interesting academic challenges. Year 12 students currently have their Half Yearly Examinations and several Year Groups have their 3-way learning conversations evenings early in this term. Remember to always do your best and to approach your studies with a growth mindset. Students participating in the East Timor program left this Sunday for a rewarding journey. We look forward to hearing and learning from the students upon their return. There are a few exciting events in the weeks ahead:

• The Athletics Carnival will be held on Thursday Week 6, and it will no doubt be a highlight this Term. Rabin won the carnival last year but Szenes and Rashi will once again provide strong competition.
• The launch of Meir House takes place in Week 7. Exciting! 
• Nominations for leadership positions for House, the Student Representative Council and the Madrichim student body will take place this term. Presentations to our House and the whole school will be held in Week 8. These are rewarding positions and opportunities to learn, serve and inspire fellow students in the year ahead.
• The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continues to offer opportunities throughout this term. The hikes and community events are chances to build personal resilience, enjoy some stunning scenery and give back to the community.

That’s the Bugle for this week. Please remember to email our House Captains, Tai Oshlack and Alanah Borman, or Mr Rembson, if you would like to make an announcement or a mention.

Tai Oshlack & Alanah

East Timor Trip Update

David Whitcombe – Outreach Coordinator

Thirteen students from Year 9 are having an amazing time in East Timor. On their 1^st full day in the capital Dili, they visited Santa Cruz cemetery –  the site of a massacre in 1991 that shocked the world. They also went to a museum called Chega where they learnt about  the history and struggle of the East Timorese under Indonesian occupation. 

They changed the mood with an uplifting visit to an AHAA school where teenagers in Dili from all over the country learn language and work skills.

Our students were up on stage and in front of classes on their 1^st day in Dili.

They are now with our sister community, Gildapil, far up in the mountains of West, East Timor.

You can follow the group on Facebook (see below).

Students in Years 9-11 (2019) can express interest now for the 2019 trip by emailing dwhitcombe@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Primary Gifted and Talented

Colleen Elkins – Primary G&T Coordiantor

Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition

If you are in Years K-6 and enjoy writing poems, this competition may be for you!

Write a poem of any length with an optional theme of: ‘I Have Promises to Keep’.

AWARD CATEGORIES AND PRIZES

LOWER PRIMARY (YEARS K-3)

Winner: $300, trophy and prize pack
Runner-up: $150 and prize pack

UPPER PRIMARY (YEARS 4-6)

Winner: $400, trophy and prize pack
Runner-up: $200 and prize pack

Entries close on 30 June.

See the link below for more details or speak to Ms Elkins.

www.dorothea.com.au/content/news/5819/2018%20Awards%20Launch%21

Entries should be emailed to Ms Elkins at celkins@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Primary Extra-Curricular Clubs

Emma Hill | Primary Teacher and Extra-Curricular Leader

Extra-Curricular Clubs – Term 2, 2018

Two new Extra-Curricular Clubs are being offered this term:

• Art with Limor, run by an experienced Art teacher (Limor Dekel)
• CodeMonkey is replacing Python coding. This is a more interactive platform for students.

  Club information, including enrolment and booking details, can be found on the Parent Portal. Posters advertising each club are also hyperlinked below. Simply click on the club to view.

Parent Portal:
https://myportal.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/parent/extra-curricular/

Please note clubs have minimum enrolment numbers.

Mondays

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Design Project

Maxine Chopard | Assistant to the Deputy Principal | Maths Teacher

Design our next Blue Box project

At Assembly, this week, I spoke to the High School students about participating in the Design the next Blue Box project and the opportunity of having their design produced by the JNF for NSW State-wide distribution in 2019.

Israel celebrates its 70^th year of independence this year and the Blue Box is in its 117^th year of existence. Herzl’s visionary words still hold strong: “If you will it, it is no dream”. Being one of Emanuel staff who was on the Inaugural KKL-JNF Australia Educators Tour in January, I continue to reflect on the incredible growth and the place the Blue Box has had in the development of Israel.

Hopefully, a number of our students in both Primary and High School will take the opportunity to participate in the project.

I will be placing a Blue Box outside my office and encourage all who pass-by to make a contribution. There will also be printed forms for anyone who wishes to participate in the competition, which closes on 22 June 2018.,

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Career Avenues came out to speak with Year 10 this week. Students were issued with a personalised booklet that can be a great starting point for  career conversations at home. These career profiles can be helpful to look at what aptitudes a student has, to see what personality styles work best and also to acquire some career suggestions at which to start some research. We all know that Year 10 students are too young to decide their whole future, but soon we will be beginning subject selections and so making informed choices, can help. I encourage students to start discussing this at home and to start thinking about what subjects may be of interest.

Year 12 early entry schemes

I gave a talk to Year 12 about early entry schemes for tertiary institutions last week. These schemes require research and checking the fine print, as they usually have conditions attached to them. The up-side of an early offer is that students get the offers before sitting the HSC, and so this can alleviate stress. The main scheme that is used is now called the SRS (Schools Receommended Scheme) and it is administered by UAC (University Admissions Centre). Once UAC is open for business in August students can apply under this scheme which is a very straight forward and simple process.

There are other schemes however that open this month, that students can apply for based on community activity, or extra-curricular leadership involvement in or out of the School, and I encourage students to look into this.

A few of these schemes worth investigating are:

• UAC – Schools Recommended Scheme – SRS

www.uac.edu.au/current-applicants/schools-recommendation-schemes

This is the main Early Offers program including universities such as UTS, Western Sydney University and Macquarie for example.

• Macquarie University – Global Leadership Entry Program (www.mq.edu.au/study/macquarie-entry-navigator/config/pathways/global-leadership-program)
• Australian Catholic University (ACU) – Community Achievers Program (CAP)

www.acu.edu.au/study_at_acu/pathways_and_entry_schemes/year_12_student_entry/early_entry

• Notre Dame University – Early Offer Program

/www.notredame.edu.au/study/early-offer/early-offer-sydney

• Wollongong University – Early Offers Program

www.uow.edu.au/future/early-admission/index.html

Careers Expo 2018

This year the HSC Careers Expo will be run at the Entertainment Quarter from Thursday 31 May to Sunday 3 June (cost $10 per student). I encourage everyone in Year 12 to attend this with parents or friends. Many great career decisions have been made in the past from attending this event. I have found student engagement to be at its highest when students speak to the various tertiary institutions and attend the lectures that are also on offer. A list of exhibitors can be seen at www.hscandcareers.com.au/Exhibitors and the seminars can be seen at http://www.hscandcareers.com.au/Seminars.

If students were only to attend 1 career event all year, this would be the one I would recommend as it has the widest reach and so much ground can be covered in only 1 day. I also would encourage anyone in Year 10 and Year 11 to attend to start engaging with the careers process.

Careers events and notices

Bachelor of Advanced Computing information evening – University of Sydney

21 June | University of Sydney

The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies at the University of Sydney is launching its new Bachelor of Advanced Computing degree in 2018.

Find out more – http://whatson.sydney.edu.au/events/published/b-advanced-computing-info-evening

Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies Years 11 and 12 Information Evening

29 May | Sydney Nanoscience Hub

The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies’ Year 11 and 12 Information Evening will help students to find out everything there is to know about studying engineering, computing, technology or project management at Sydney University.

Find out more – http://whatson.sydney.edu.au/events/published/feit-year-11-and-year-12-parents-information-evening

Macquarie University Student and Parent Information Evening

23 May | Marquee, Eastern Road

At Macquarie, students get to experience unconventional thinking, open collaboration and making connections with diverse people and perspectives to create real change.

Find out more – www.mq.edu.au/about/events/view/student-and-parent-information-evening-2/

Kenvale College Open Day (Commercial Cookery School)

June 2 | Kenvale College, Randwick

Travel the world with your taste buds as our students take you on a journey through local delights to exotic cuisines! Find out more – /www.eventbrite.com.au/e/2018-kenvale-college-open-day-free-tickets-43776926967

A blessed building

Michelle Favero, Manager of Marketing and Communications

A blessed building

Students were recently asked to write blessings for the new Innovation Centre with the idea of planting them in the concrete foundations, bringing light and learning to all.

In the School holidays a number of these heart-felt and rather intense blessings were buried in the foundations of the Innovation Building’s concourse.

“My blessing for this creation is for the students who will learn and the teachers who will teach. May their knowledge expand further than ever. Knowledge spared and spent.” Aidan

“My blessing for this building is that innovations are made and everyone will learn something new that will guide them through life.” Julian

“We close the door to the past, open the door to the future, take a deep breath, step on through and start a new chapter in our lives.” Zoe

“I wish for me and my children and friends to learn and excel from this amazing building. I wish for future students to take the opportunities that are given to them and to use them in their live after school. This building will bring the Emanuel community together, and we shall become amazing Jewish people.” Jordin

The many blessings being buried in the foundations

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

Lag B’Omer

In order to experience the festival of Lag B’Omer, the children participated in a real bonfire experience.  

We found a nice shaded area in the carpark and all 3 groups made themselves comfortable and enjoyed some singing.

There was so much excitement and this was reflected on the children’s faces. We enjoyed eating delicious potatoes with butter and salt and some sticky slightly toasted marshmallows

Hannah – I liked the marshmallows because they were sticky, and we could lick them and pretend we could have more.

Alessia – I liked seeing the fire and the marshmallows. 

Bowie – The Jewish people went to the forest.

Josh – You will get burnt if you go too close.

Aviv – We had marshmallows and potatoes. On Lag B’Omer we remember the Jewish people pretending to go hunting for cows.

Isaa – They were pretending because they wanted to be safe from the people who were bad to them.

Aviv – The Jewish people wanted to pray to Hashem. But they were not allowed to because the Romans didn’t want them to pray to Hashem.

Leah – The Jewish people were pretending to go hunting but they wanted to read the Torah.

Shabbat

On Friday last week we had 2 very special visitors for Shabbat. Jim and Jeanie Kornmehl joined us to celebrate Shabbat. We sang and danced together, and the children enjoyed having special visitors. Shabbat is always a good time to connect with people who have helped to shape and influence our beautiful Pre-school.

Bush School

On Tuesday and Thursday respectively, the Starfish and Dolphins enjoyed their first visit to Bush School. The children were very excited and coped very well with the walk down to Centennial Park and into our Bush School classroom. They spent time familiarising themselves with the space, its rules and wonderful opportunities to engage with nature and all that it has to offer. The children enjoyed the opportunity to play freely, without interruptions in a natural setting. It was lovely to watch their appreciation and respect for the land and we witnessed so much learning and new social interactions occurring. The Starfish were also very lucky to get up very close with 2 kookaburras who welcomed us into our Bush School classroom. The children walked to see the ducks, swans and geese and along the way also got to see some rainbow lorikeets. Between the flora and fauna we see at Bush School it truly is a feast for the senses!

Levi: I love nature

Some children were curious and began digging under the leaves into the soil, asking if they might find some creatures. 

Levi: Dig and dig, you will find worms, I know because the worms that live in the dirt are called earthworms.

Alicia: I did not know that. How does the dirt stick to their body?

Yonatan: This worm is slimy.

Levi: I think worms are a little scary.

Tom: This worm wants his Mama. This is a whole pile of worms.

Leo: We found a couple of worms and little black spiders. Maybe there is book to show us what spider it is.

Nadav: I will make a home for the ants and other creatures.

Yonatan: I think this one is a centipede, it has got lots of legs. We have 2 legs and worms just crawl around with no legs.

Year K Showcase

On Wednesday, Kornmehl parents were lucky enough to be able to join the Year K teachers, Head of Primary Natanya Milner and Deputy Head of Primary, Meghan Caroll, on a tour of the Year K classrooms and to hear all about the wonderful programs and facilities on offer for children starting out at Emanuel School. The talk was engaging, and parents enjoyed hearing first-hand what to expect, as well as having the opportunity to see the facilities available to Year K children and beyond.

Buddy reading

We had our first Buddy Reading session on Wednesday with the Year 2 children. This is always a special time that we all look forward to, when the children, especially siblings and previous Kornmehl students, come and read to us. This is a lovely program encouraging both a love of literature and a strong sense of belonging within the school community.

Mother’s Day

The Pre-school has been a hive of activity the past 2 weeks, as the children secretly make special presents for their Mums for Mother’s Day. All 3 groups have been exploring the notion of why their Mums are special to them and what it was like when they were in their Mum’s tummy.

We have been very busy drawing our mums, making cards and a present to give them for Mother’s Day.

Ariella W: I want to make it for my mummy because she is a good girl. She will say “I love it”.

Katya: We made it for Mother’s Day. My mum will like it because it is a present. She will say “Thank you”.

Many thanks also to Deborah Laurence, Anita Weinberger and Wendy Botsman for helping to bake delicious muffins, crunchie biscuits and quiches on Friday, for our celebration on Monday morning.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Leah Merritt (5), Jasper McGee (4) and Mika Kachtan (3). We hope you all have a wonderful celebration.

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Happy Friday, Everyone!

By now our Mother’s Day Breakfast and Stalls will have finished. We will include photos in next week’s instalment but would like to thank everyone who made today possible.

A special thank you to Biller Property for sponsoring our coffee cart and to Gavin Kawalsky from Sunnylife for loaning us some tropical props.

We would also like to thank the wonderful Michelle Stockley, Nikki Michel, Lisa Strous and Shelley Millingen, as well as their helpers, for running the gift stalls. We hope you enjoy your gifts!

A big thanks goes out to all our wonderful volunteers, some of you braving a crazy early start, that helped us make today possible. And finally, thanks to all of you that came out and enjoyed the morning, and delicious Canteen food, with us.

We wish all the mums, grandmothers and special friends in the Emanuel community a very happy Mother’s Day for Sunday!

We are really looking forward to our next event on Thursday 24 May! 

Mums at the Movies!

On Thursday, 24 May we will be holding our annual Mums at the Movies night with the screening of our Grease in The Millie Phillips Theatre.

There is limited seating (200 seats) and there will be a drink and popcorn bar as well as seat prizes. It is sure to be a really fun night!

Prices: $20 movie ticket entry

Bookings can be made by following the link: https://www.trybooking.com/UIKC

Some of us attended a performance of Mamma Mia! last weekend and had a wonderful time. It was lots of fun. A special thank you is due to Michael Nebenzahl (and Playbill) for organising this fundraiser and Lena Fleischer for managing the crazy logistics of bookings and ticket distribution. It was an amazing show.

Have a lovely weekend – Jen and Ruby

Parent Safety Group

Thank you to our volunteers from last week

Community Connections – Gesher

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Breakfast with Emanuel

Wednesday morning’s Bondi Junction Breakfast with Emanuel session at The Little Space (www.thelittlespace.com.au) was buzzing as parents listened intently to presentations by Andrew Watt, School Principal, Eytan Messiah Head of Visual Arts and Coordinator of the High School Innovation Team, and Sophie Poisel Innovation Leader K to 6.  We are certainly very privileged  to have such an amazing team of leaders and teachers in the field of Innovation, who are taking our students on this most fascinating and stimulating journey as part of the School curriculum.

Kim Weintroub, Michelle Masnick, Sophie Poisel and David Benchoam

JCA 2018

Please join us for this year’s JCA Fundraising Event – 29 or 30 MAY. Dinner and drinks followed by thought provoking speakers discussing the DANGEROUS IDEAS facing our community. To book: www.jca.org.au/ideas  or phone 9360 2344

Volunteering Opportunities

Winter holidays are just around the corner and Friendship Circle is planning an amazing week of activities for young people with special needs from 9 to 13 July 2018.

Volunteering with Friendship Circle is a great opportunity for young people to have fun, feel great about themselves and make a difference.

The best part is that volunteers can have fun too!

Courage to Care presents After the Apology

Our friends at Courage to Care (B’nai B’rith) (https://couragetocare.com.au/) are hosting a screening of the important and powerful documentary After the Apology.

At Emanuel we are proud to fly the Aboriginal flag, acknowledge Aboriginal connection to the land and of course visit our friends at Jilkminggan School in the Northern Territory.

But we must also keep educating ourselves about the reality of life for Aboriginal people to gain a deeper perspective of Indigenous and Human Rights issues in this country.

This documentary will shock you but will also introduce you to amazing people fighting for social justice.

A preview of the movie is available (if you scroll down) at https://tickets.demand.film/event/4307 .

The screening will not go ahead unless 32 more tickets are sold in the next 11 days (It is a “Demand” film). It will be held on Sunday 3 June, Hoyts EQ at 6.30 pm.

The rate of indigenous child removal has increased at an exponential rate since PM Kevin Rudd delivered the apology to the ‘Stolen generations’ in 2008.

In this landmark documentary about child removal 4 grandmothers take on the federal Government to be reunited with their grandchildren and spark a national movement to reunite Aboriginal families.

It is directed by acclaimed academic Larissa Behrendt.

The film will be followed by a special Q&A with the film’s producer Michaela Perske and an indigenous mother whose children were removed.

The discussion will be moderated by well-known human rights lawyer (and ex-Emanuel parent) George Newhouse.

Tickets: https://tickets.demand.film/event/4307

I hope you can make it. Please buy a ticket asap so the screening can go ahead.

Mr Whitcombe

Outreach Coordinator

Emanuel School