From the Principal

Andrew Watt

An attractive and restful campus

As we commence work on our Campus Masterplan, we are seeking to design learning spaces, gardens and playgrounds that are attractive, peaceful and essentially non-institutional. The provision of murals, green walls, colourful and contemporary furniture and playground equipment will form part of our plan moving forward. Work on a mural has commenced, in the alcove space between Year 4 and Kindergarten. This will be a “quiet zone”, where children can sit and read or play board games. The mural has been designed and will be painted by Alumnus Ronan Collins. The funds for this project were raised in 2017, from the Athon and Year 6 Fete. 

 Mother’s Day Breakfast and Stalls

Friday morning saw our Multi-Purpose Hall buzzing with activity and laughter, as a large number of mothers and their children enjoyed breakfast together. An array of delicious food greeted our guests and animated conversations continued throughout the occasion. A huge thank you to Jen Opit, Ruby Berkovic and their P & F team for putting on the Mother’s Day breakfast, which was closely followed by very successful Mother’s Day stalls. On Monday, our Kornmehl Pre-School community also enjoyed a belated Mother’s Day breakfast, where our mother’s had an opportunity to sit down with their child, receive their hand-made gift and card, and enjoy some playtime together. The bead stringing and the nail painting emerged as the clear favourites!

Careers Space 2018

Next week will see our 5^th major careers showcase for our senior students. In the last 3 years, what was previously known as E-Zone has become solely an alumni-based event. Careers Space will highlight an interesting variety of career pathways, illustrating how many of our presenters have embarked on a specific career direction, yet their journey has taken them to an entirely different career destination. For example, we will hear from a personal trainer who is also a journalist! Our alumni have achieved amazing careers. This year, we have 23 speakers from a diverse range of positions, across Business, STEM, People Professions and the Creatives. Our hope is that by attending this forum, our senior students will gain a deeper understanding of the career opportunities that are available to them and be encouraged to reflect on how they can work towards their preferred career options.

96^th Birthday Celebrations

Mr Aron Kleinlehrer (OAM), visited our Year 2 classrooms on Wednesday, as part of his 96^th birthday celebrations. A founder and generous supporter of Emanuel, Mr Kleinlehrer has retained strong connections with our school over the past 36 years. It was delightful to watch our Year 2 students sing Mode Ani and Adon Olam, read blessings in English and Hebrew, and join with special guests in singing Happy Birthday to our special benefactor.

Privacy and Social Media

As parents would appreciate, invasion of privacy remains a key issue facing our young people. Parents can support by checking the security settings on each of their children’s accounts – and by reading the (somewhat lengthy!) terms and conditions, so that they can talk to their young ones about exactly what rights they are signing away. I have included a link to an interesting article that unpacks the terms and conditions of use for Instagram, that most families ignore entirely. The article also provides links to other resources for parents:

A lawyer rewrote Instagram’s privacy policy so kids and parents can have a meaningful talk about privacy

Mazal tov

• We are proud to share with you that 5 Year 11 students have been selected by the National Art School to apply for a place in the HSC Intensive Studio Practice Course. 
  • Isabella Rosenberg – Digital Photography
  • Saachi Owen – Painting
  • Noah Klein – BW Photography
  • Nina Brown – Life Drawing.
• Congratulations to our High School Chess team who played the 1^st round of the Inter-Schools’ Chess Match of the season last Friday against St Andrew’s Cathedral School and won 4-0. 
• Congratulations also, to our first ever ‘Rookies’ team (Years 3 and under) who ventured out to their 1^st match last week. Of note amongst this youngest team, was the first official competitive game played by a girl.
• Last Friday, Gabriella Goodridge competed at the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships at Homebush. Gabriella swam in the 100m butterfly, finishing 6^th in the State. Well done Gabi!

Quote of the week

There is no failure. Only feedback.

Robert Allen

Primary News

Meghan Carroll – Acting Deputy Head of Primary

Teaching children organisational skills is key to helping them succeed in school and life. Some would argue that teaching effective time management is almost as important as learning how to read and write.

Understanding time helps students to use their time well. It’s a key part of executive functioning skills like planning, prioritising and working productively. Knowing how to manage one’s time has also been linked to later success in life. It is a skill that every child needs to thrive.

Time can be a tricky concept – even for adults. It impacts our emotional, social, physical, mental, financial and spiritual lives. As our lives become busier and busier, there is no better moment to start teaching our children how to balance more than one opportunity or responsibility at once.

Effective time management takes practice; just like learning the multiplication tables or tying your shoes. By showing your child early how to manage his/her time, you are instilling a skill he/she can use for life.



Christi Youd, president of Organize Enterprise, LLC, says: “Time-management is essential for everyone. If you can get your child to learn the main principles, that’s a tool they can use forever. If we don’t train them in good habits while they are young, they will spend the rest of their lives trying to shake a bad habit.”

Youd has 5 tips for teaching children the importance of time management:


Tip #1

Help your child make the distinction between what is important and what is urgent.

Important means it will help them obtain the quality of life that is most valuable to them. Urgent just means it needs immediate attention. Encourage them to work on the things that are important 1^st.

Tip #2

Help your child make a hierarchy of priorities they can use as a master checklist to make better time management decisions.

For example: prioritise the following values: family, health and fitness, school, personal development, community and friends. Add or eliminate values depending on what’s important to you and your child.

Tip #3

Within each value, prioritise activities to perform.

For instance, under School, your child may have:

1) complete homework assignments

2) study for tests

3) work on large projects. 

Tip #4

Have your child practise using the hierarchy of priorities when making decisions about how to utilise his/her time. 

Give your child different scenarios and let him/her consider what should be done 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd. For example, if he/she wants to go to a friend’s house, but also has to read the next 3 chapters of the class novel, ask your child to weigh the options. If he/she does the assignment now, they may be able to stay at their friend’s for dinner. If he/she chooses to do the assignment later, then they have to be home before dinner so they are not up late doing schoolwork. Work with your child to figure out the best use of their time.

Tip #5

Each evening have your child list on paper everything she/he needs to do, and use their hierarchy of priorities checklist to help choose the top 5 or 6 priorities for the following day.

Time management is closely related to Habit 3 – Put First Things First. Children are encouraged to spend their time on things that are most important and say no to things they know they should not do or that can wait until later. Habit 3 focuses on setting priorities, making schedules, and following plans while developing discipline and organisation skills.

Learning how to manage time well is something that doesn’t happen overnight. By starting early and learning how to weigh their options, children develop self-discipline, a deeper sense of responsibility and improved productivity; all skills that will help them be successful in life.

Arriving at school in the morning

Families are reminded that supervision around the classrooms begins at 8.00 am. Students who arrive before 8.00 am need to wait at Waxman for the bell to ring. Students who attend early morning events should go directly to the event area when they arrive on campus.

Winter uniform

Students are reminded to be in full winter uniform in Term 2 and 3. Please visit the Parent Portal or the uniform shop on the ground floor of the Adler Building for more information.

NAPLAN

This week the Year 3 and 5 students were involved in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN assesses key skills that are important to school and life including reading, writing, spelling and numeracy. Whilst the NAPLAN results provide helpful data to inform student learning, we know that the result of a test cannot fully represent what is exceptional and unique about each child. We are proud of all Year 3 and 5 students who completed the NAPLAN assessments this week, but more importantly we celebrate the growth and development they will make in all aspects of life throughout the year.

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

This week we conclude the book of Vayikra (Leviticus) with the final words:

אלה המצוות אשר צווה ה’ את משה אל בני ישראל בהר סיני

These are the mitsvot that the Lord commandment Israel through Moshe at Mt. Sinai.

Yet, the first statement of this same book Vayikra (Leviticus) is:

ויקרא אל משה וידבר ה’ אליו מאהל מועד לאמר דבר אל בני ישראל ואמרת אלהם

And the Lord called to Moshe from the tent of Meeting (not Mt. Sinai), telling him to instruct Israel.

And, of course, the 1^st line of the very next book, Bemidbar (Numbers), reads:

וידבר ה’ אל משה במדבר סיני באהל מועד

And the Lord spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai

in the Tent of Meeting.

This motsa’ei shabbat (Saturday night), we begin celebrating Shavu’ot and the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. Yet, clearly our tradition does not see the Torah being given, once and for all time, at Sinai.

So, I will leave you with the following Rabbinic story which presents the concept of תורה למשה מסיני- “The Torah was given to Moshe at Sinai” while at the same time making clear it also was not.

When Moshe ascended on high (meaning to receive the Torah at Mt. Sinai) he found God sitting and affixing crowns to the letters (of the Torah).

Moshe addresses God: “Lord of the Universe, Who stays Your hand?” (Meaning, why make all these embellishments on the letters of the Torah. I am here to receive the Torah, why are you keeping me, and the people waiting).

God responds to Moshe: “There will arise a man, at the end of many generations (long after you, Moshe, are gone), Akiba ben Yosef is his name, who will expound upon each crown, heaps and heaps of laws”.

Moshe then says: “I must see this man”.

To which God replies: “Turn around”.

Suddenly Moshe is transported to the classroom of Rabbi Akiva, and finds himself sitting at the end of 8 rows of students, and he does not understand a word that is being said.

Moshe becomes weak (listless, confused and overwhelmed).

But, as the discussion around him continues, one of Rabbi Akiva’s disciples asks: “Master whence do you know this?”

Rabbi Akiva says to his students: “It is a teaching given to Moshe at Sinai”.

And, Moshe is put at ease.

And so the story ends, and Moshe goes on to receive the Torah at Mt. Sinai, a Torah that was fashioned long after he received it at Mt. Sinai.

Sinai, Judaism teaches, goes beyond a specific location – it denotes a moment of presence.

Torah is continuously being revealed and received beyond the time of Moshe, beyond a specific mountain. Perhaps that is why Jewish tradition teaches that the location of Mt. Sinai and the burial place of Moshe are not known nor should they be sought out. Sinai and the teaching of Moshe are wherever we hear and reveal the word of God.

It is a longtime tradition that the 1^st words taught to students upon beginning their Jewish education are:

תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהילת יעקב

Moshe commanded us the Torah

It is the heritage of our people

The teachings of Moshe are the Torah of our people only in-as-much as the Torah of our people becomes the teachings of Moshe.

The Sinai of yesterday becomes a living legacy beginning with the kindergarten of today.

Student Devar Torah

Olyvea Akres – Year 11

Mia Shapiro – Year 11

BeMidbar Sinai

Liv: This week’s parashah, Bemidbar Sinai, reveals the nitty gritty of how the Mishkan, which is like a portable shul, was assembled and disassembled, as well as the 1^st steps to forming an army.

To build this army, God told Moshe to conduct a census, with the intention of counting all the people who could be part of the army – all men between the ages of 20 and 60. Each of the 12 tribes had a leader who helped Moshe do the counting.

Mia: Also in this parashah, God discusses how the people of Israel camped and traveled in the desert. When the Israelites began traveling, the Levites would take apart the Mishkan, carry it to wherever the next camp was, and set it up again. The camp was arranged in a very specific way:

• In the center was the Mishkan.
• Around the Mishkan was the camp of the Levites, divided into 3 groups.
• The people who carried the Mishkan’s vessels (the altar, ark, menorah, etc.), camped to its south.
• The people who carried the curtains and roof coverings, were to the west, and the sons of Merrari, who carried the walls and pillars, camped to the north.

Liv: In front of the Mishkan’s entrance way in the east were the tents of Moshe, Aharon, and Aharon’s sons. Around the Levites were camped the rest of the People of Israel, in 4 groups.

Mia and I thought about the significance of this parashah, as it relates to the role of leadership within a community or group. At the beginning of the parashah, the title leadership was placed upon members of each tribe. God said to Moshe: “And with you shall be one man from each tribe; a man who is a leader”.

Mia: Each tribe had 1 designated leader but we thought that there must have been more than 1 person who was qualified to do this job and who exhibited characteristics of leadership in each tribe. So we were led to the question –  what is the difference between someone who’s capable of managing others as opposed to one who can lead them?

So, what qualities does a leader have that earns him/her the honorary title of leader. A leader requires the consent of those he/she wants to lead.

A leader is only a leader if others follow him/her. If they don’t want to follow – or do so against their will – then these people are merely being managed and not being led. True leaders have a drive to succeed for not only themselves but others around them.

Liv: We are sure that almost everyone at some point has wanted to change something or make a difference beyond oneself, but to think that you could carry out this change independently is impossible. To achieve true and lasting change you always require the consent, will, and desire of others to follow a leader to accomplish a larger mission.

Mia: With this new knowledge of the difference between management and leadership we can reflect on our own lives. By asking ourselves what can we do to grow and evolve into a leader, we have the opportunity to mature and look beyond what’s ‘important’ in our lives today.

Liv and Mia: So this week we challenge you to not sweat the small stuff and to truly think about what you can do to become a better you and a better leader. Forget about the new phone policy at school that you’re angry about, and forget about your summer tan which is rapidly fading and invest time into your personal growth. If you want to be recognised as a leader, as were those by Moshe, start with yourself.

Shavuot Message

Daniel Samowitz – Informal Jewish Life Educator

Shavuot is coming up and I’ve been thinking about Emanuel School and our community. Our theme for Shavu’ot is Derech (Pathway) and so it made me think about our path in this world, our Derech. It made me think about who we are and where we are going.

And then I got to a question that stumped me… If you had to explain Emanuel School to someone who doesn’t understand our culture and who we are, how would you do it?

I’m going to need some creative lee way here so please be patient.

Life is a road/a pathway/A Derech, it has a beginning and an end. The road is long and full of challenges – some bumps, some potholes or perhaps a beautiful tree or butterfly along the way.

On this road there are many different cars, different shapes, different sizes, different engines, different radios, most of all the cars have different interpretations of the Derech and different perceptions on how to tackle the Derech ahead.

Emanuel School is one of these cars!

There are cars which seem more like trains than cars, there are cars with all kinds of gadgets, there are cars who are not able to alter course, there are cars in ‘cruise control’, there are cars on the road…. just because, there are cars on the road that drive without ever stopping,

There are many different types of cars and we as individuals have the ability to choose which car, which vessel best encompasses who we are and what we want out of our journey on the road ahead.

Our Emanuel car has its own code, its own car culture, its own interpretations and our car is a structure that encompasses the values of our School. A school for change, a school striving for a better tomorrow.  The values behind the structures of Emanuel School lead us down the road of life, finding meaning and purpose in our actions towards each other, our actions toward the world and our actions towards GOD.

Emanuel’s values and motto are like a google map…. a map that actually works … it’s Emanuel values that give us a moral compass that guides us on our derech.

Emanuel teaches us to question everything, including reality. It gives us a place of feeling welcome and it gives everyone with their unique quirks a home and the empowerment to take charge and to be responsible for our own cars actions.

Emanuel School is a structure that gives us all, and the students opportunities to and tools for living a good life, a life of meaning and responsibility, a life consciousness of what is going on around us, standing up for what is right and putting human beings in the centre of meaning and community.

The students interpret the values and signs, and direct the car, in essence creating their own road, their own path, their own derech and not just driving down the one that was laid down in front of them.

We find ourselves currently in a society and world affected by apathy, materialism and discrimination – a society that on occasion turns a blind eye in the face of evil, in the face of injustice. A Jewish nation becoming more disengaged with Judaism and a people feeling ashamed or indifferent when they hear the word Zionism or Israel. Choosing responsibility over our Emanuel community is choosing to take a stance on society.

It’s as if, on our collective road, there is an oil spill of drastic proportions and it’s Emanuel’s move next. Your move next!

So in the end when all is said and done and my friend is sitting there with a blank look on his face, not having the faintest idea of what Emanuel is, I would say Emanuel is a place where, most of all, you are accepted for being allowed to be yourself. And it’s the students that put the U in Emanuel. It’s the students that drive our car and choose to create our Derech in front of us.

Ma Koreh

K-12 Shavu’ot Ceremony

This year, our K-12 שבועות/Shavu’ot ceremony explored the concept of תורה/Torah providing דרכים/derachim – pathways of teachings and values to help guide us in our lives. This concept inspired the many Jewish values signs that cover our campus.

The following were ideas/thoughts shared with/by students in reflecting upon our Jewish Pathways.

Every day that we read the Torah, we say: ”דְּרָכֶיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם/deracheha darchei noam”, which means “its pathways are pathways of pleasantness”.

However, when we read the Torah, there are some aspects that we may not agree with. Can we follow a law that claims that homosexuality is an abomination or abide by a perspective in which women may not be placed on an equal standing to men? This raises a question: Should we understand the statement the Torah’s “pathways are pathways of pleasantness” as a descriptive statement fully reflecting what is the case?

Or, is it a prescriptive statement, asking us to continuously struggle with the Torah text, to help make and ensure that all “its pathways are pathways of pleasantness” is a reality? Shared Isabella Flax

עבודה/Avodah means divine service. We can engage in divine service in many ways. Divine service can be prayer, such as קבלת שבת/kabbalat shabbat, it can be תקון עולם/ tikkun olam and it can be experiencing the divine within ourselves. Each of us is a unique expression of the image of God. We each express the divine in our own way, perhaps through song, dance, music, poetry or art.

Judaism teaches, בכל דרכיך דעהו/BeChol Derachechah Daeihu, which means “In all your pathways experience and express the divine”. Shared by Jade Reuveni

The 1^st letter of the Torah, ב/Bet in בראשית Bereishit, and the last letter ל/Lamed, in ישראל/Yisrael, spell לב/Lev which is the Hebrew word for heart. This teaches us that the pathways of the תורה/Torah are to be lived through a complete heart filled with loving-kindness.

If everyone expressed loving-kindness in their words, deeds and interactions with others, ultimately everyone would feel better about themselves, their lives and the world.

Friends and family express love and kindness towards each other through their kind words, hugs, kisses and by nurturing, supporting and forgiving each other. What is truly powerful is when we share and experience acts of loving-kindness with others beyond our friends or family. Shared by Gideon Pozniak and Jasper Sellinger

דְּרָכֶיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם וְכָלנְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם/Deracheha darchei noam ve-chol netivoteha shalom means “Our tradition’s pathways are pathways of pleasantness and its ways are those of shalom”.

What is shalom? The word שלום/shalom means peace and it also means whole or complete. When we bring peace into the world, we are making it whole again. Peace, according to Jewish tradition, is the ultimate purpose of the whole תורה/Torah. We say, וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם/kol netivoteha shalom, “all its ways are ways of peace”. We can increase the peace by reaching out to others, by smiling and by creating new friendships. At home we can be kind to our siblings and our parents and be proactive in helping others by seeking first to understand others and to look for ways in which we can best treat each other. In our words and actions, we can walk along the pathway of peace to make our lives and communities whole. Shared by Romy McCorquodale

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Studies – Primary

Yom Limmud Sydney

Yom Limmud, the Festival of Jewish Ideas, is taking place on Sunday 17 June. The program is now live and online!

• See the full program online: http://bit.ly/YL18program
• Book tickets: http://bit.ly/YL18tickets 

We hope you enjoy reading through this program and that you can all attend on the day!

Year 8 Israel Expo

Daphna Levin-Kahn – Coordinator High School Jewish Life

Year 8 – Experts on Israel

Over the course of Term 1, Year 8 Jewish Studies students researched various topics relating to Israel for the Israel Expo. Some of these included Food, Tourism, Science & Technology, IDF, Gender Issues and our topic, Religious and Ethnic Diversity. We learnt all kinds of things such as looking at different viewpoints, statistics, related religious texts and the connection between Australia and Israel in regard to our chosen topic.

For our project on Religious Diversity in Israel, we learnt a lot about the stories of different religious and ethnic groups, the struggles they face and also about the treatment of refugees in Israel. Then on 8 May, all of Year 8 gathered in the Lehrer Family Building (MPH) and set up their stands to display their newly-acquired knowledge on their specific topic. The MPH was full of colour, conversation and excitement as we shared the wealth of knowledge with parents, teachers and other students.

Overall, we found this project an incredible learning experience where we were able to expand both our teamwork and project skills as well as our knowledge on our chosen topic area.

We would like to thank our teachers Morah Becky, Morah Gaida, Ms Rosin and Mr Bloom for their hard work in putting this all together and for the incredible opportunity that this project offered, and for Ms Levin-Kahn for overseeing the entire task. We all feel more knowledgeable about Israel and aware of many of the issues facing our Jewish nation.

 Anna Davis and Lily Berger

Other comments from the event:

The Israel Expo displayed a good deal of effort and dedication on the part of the students and (staff). The parents were genuinely interested and were experiencing the positive outcomes of (our staff’s) teaching and investment in the students.

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

I marvelled at the energy, enthusiasm and level of engagement of all the students! I only had very little time to look, but I loved everything I saw/read. Well done to you and all the staff involved in the preparation of this amazing project. 

Alexandra Levy – Kornmehl Pre-school Teacher

I really enjoyed seeing how engaged the students were and how proud of and confident they were in explaining what they had learned.

Grandmother of Layla and Lilly Goldberg

From the Head of Music

David Gwilliam

Student achievement

Nathaniel Spielman

Mazal Tov to Nathaniel Spielman  in Year 10 who was awarded an A for his AMEB 6^th Grade Cello exam. He is taught by Ms Ezmi Pepper, one of our Music Tutors. Music Examinations of 6^th Grade and above demand a huge amount of regular cello practise, and the thoughtful development of musical maturity and expressive insight.

Final call for Music Campers

We have a wonderful group of talented students from Years 4-12 registered to attend our annual Emanuel School Music Camp in July.  Our participants list is being finalised and a detailed information letter with a packing list will be sent out to attendees mid-term.  If you are unsure whether you have registered or not, please check that your name is on the lists on the noticeboard in the Music Department.   

For those parents who chose to pay by instalments, please note that an email was sent to you last week as a reminder that your 2^nd (final) instalment of $248 is now payable.

Information about Music Camp, eligible ensembles and how to sign up has been much publicised.  Some parents have asked whether they are too late to sign up. We cannot accept bookings for much longer, so to avoid disappointment, please register as a matter of priority via the links below.  At this stage, new bookings would need to be paid in full please. The full cost of Music Camp 2018 is $496.

Below is a link that will take you directly to the TryBooking website where you can follow the prompts to register your child’s full name, their 2018 Year Group, and to pay by credit card.

To register and pay for Music Camp 2018, please paste the following link into your internet browser:  https://www.trybooking.com/UUDR 

To complete the online permission note, please paste the address below into your browser: https://tinyurl.com/ybm3jzzs 

If you have any questions regarding Emanuel Music Camp 2018 please contact Joanne De Araujo, at jdearaujo@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au 

From the Head of Science

Jennifer Selinger

View from the Kleinlehrer Family Science Building

We have a new member of the Science faculty at the moment, filling in for a teacher on leave. Spending time with someone unfamiliar with our methods has reinforced for me how complicated and how different our way of working is in the teaching of Science at Emanuel.

Firstly, she has had to learn to navigate the technology which we use to support our teaching – Reshet, as a means of providing instructions, links and information, and Education Perfect as our ‘textbook’. Both of these are also used as a means of assessing our students’ understanding – more difficult than marking an exercise book, although also providing more access at any time the teacher has available. Having been part of the gradual implementation of these things as ‘normal’ in our teaching, I am sharply reminded of how unusual our strong use of technology is by her surprise and the questions she asks.

She has had to deal with the expectations from our students that their learning will involve many different aspects. Our students gain understanding from reading written texts, listening to the teacher explain, watching videos, doing experiments and using simulations. They have access to the internet at all times and are likely to follow up interesting ideas at the drop of a hat, sometimes to the detriment of the work they are ‘supposed’ to be doing. This seems normal to them. They are expected to demonstrate their understanding using answers to worksheets, the production of diagrams, infographics, graphs, paragraphs of text and occasionally movies and speeches. They are supposed to take part in discussions both formal and informal (and preferably stay on-topic whilst doing this). Their learning environment is rich, vibrant, immediate and versatile … and also distracting, confusing and open ended.  These are all things that a recent addition to the Emanuel teaching staff is going to have to grapple with … with no time for easing herself in!

In fact, even those of us who have had time to come to terms with these new ways of learning occasionally look back with nostalgia on the days when work was copied from the board and questions answered purely on paper – when one of the instructions given at the start of a lesson might be how wide the margin should be or that the heading should be underlined and the tasks dated. Some things were much easier – including the amount of time needed to design the lesson and find the resources – generally this involved locating and photocopying the sheet from the previous year. Now websites disappear, better resources appear and syllabi include many more complicated ideas and thus our activities are always being changed and updated.

So is our new teacher surviving? Well, she still has a smile on her face and greets me with good cheer and excitement in the morning, so I assume she has made the transition to the madness that is the Emanuel Science Department – she certainly appears to fit right in!

Representative Sport News

Kristy Reed | Head of Sport | PDHPE Teacher

It has been a successful start to the Term for the School’s athletes, with a number of students competing in representative sporting events. These events are highlights of the sporting calendar and those students who progress through the representative pathways gain a wealth of sporting experience by playing at a high level and competing with students from various schools throughout the state.

Last Friday, Gabriella Goodridge competed at the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships at Homebush. This event is the highest schools swimming carnival in the State and includes athletes from the independent, Catholic and public systems. Gabriella swam in the 100m butterfly, finishing 6^th in the State. Well done Gabi!

Last week, Alexis Joffe and India Sacks played in the 15 Years CDSSA Netball team which competed at the AICES Championships at Netball Central. The girls were selected for this team earlier in the year and were joined by other students in the association. The AICES Championships are always a very competitive day and both of the girls performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament.

Six of the Emanuel’s best Rugby Union players were selected to compete at the AICES Rugby Championships which were held at the TG Millner fields in Marsfield. Leo Carroll, Alan Drannikov, Jonathan Eremeev, Elijah Grynberg, Ari Karjalainen and Adam Riesel all participated in what was a great day of rugby development. The boys played in a round robin tournament and also participated in a skills program run by NSW Rugby. Congratulations to Leo Carroll who has been selected as a shadow player for the AICES opens squad.

Ethan De Melo, Hannah Kim, Eden Levit and Ellie Morris all competed at the AICES Football Championships recently, playing in the CDSSA football teams. This high calibre tournament proved to be an exciting and successful event for the Emanuel students. The CDSSA boys team went through the tournament undefeated to win the AICES Championships, which was an exceptional result. Furthermore, Ethan De Melo has now been selected in the AICES 16 Years Football team to play in the CIS tournament. The girls team had their strongest performance for several years, also progressing to the grand final, however they were beaten by the stronger team on the day.

Congratulations to all of these talented students on their commitment to school sports and the integrity that they have displayed whilst representing Emanuel.

AICES football team 2018

Primary Fundraiser for Mission Australia

Mission Australia is a charity that has been helping vulnerable Australians move towards independence for more than 155 years. They support people nationwide by combatting homelessness, assisting disadvantaged families and children, addressing mental health issues, fighting substance dependence and much more.

Please help us in assisting this fundraiser by donating a gold coin. Students may come to school in plain clothes. The fundraiser will be on Wednesday 23 May.

The Year 6 Fundraising Committee.

From the Primary Library

Ginnette Cameron-Garnder – Librarian/Primary Teacher

Simple Kitchen Experiments: Learning Science with Everyday Foods by Muriel Mandell

This book can be found in the Primary Library at JNF 507 MAN.

This is an exciting book as it not only contains dozens of recipes with step -by-step instructions, but also explains why you need certain ingredients to make the recipe a success but why you need to restrict the use of some ingredients. For example, the book details that we need sodium and chloride, 2 minerals that salt provides, but too much can cause health problems. An experiment in which salt is placed on lettuce leaves and let stand demonstrates that the leaves become limp and flaccid as this causes dehydration. The connection is made to our body’s cells when we eat too much salt and the sodium level in the fluid surrounding the cells is too high the cells cannot function properly. Too much water and potassium are drawn from the body’s cells which can also cause kidney damage or high blood pressure.

By explaining why we have to be careful about how much salt we use, a valuable lesson is learned.

Similarly, which apples are best to bake? A Delicious apple will go mushy, a Jonathan will stay firm and tasty. Why? What is the difference between them? Questions like this are answered whilst providing recipe and method for baked apples.

What effect does the weather have on baking? What is yeast, what does it do and what do we do to make it become active?

An intriguing book that explains much of the science of food.

NSW Premiers Reading Challenge

We have another High School student completer: Miriam Itzkowitz, and from Primary School Jemma Drutman Year 4. Mazal tov.

Many students are entering their reading. The Year 1 students probably need their parents to enter for them or assist them in entering as only 6 of the students in Year 1 have commenced entering their reading. We hold many picture books that are in the Challenge, they have a PRC sticker on the front and the PRC ID number inside the back cover. A selection of these are in the bookcase just inside the door of the Primary Library.

“The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality Literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.

“In a series on the PRC booklist, you can read any 2 books as PRC books. You can read up to 5 other books from the same series as Personal Choice books. (NSW PRC website.)

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

UNSW staff came out to speak with Year 12 students this week. They presented on a range of topics including their vibrant university departments, their excellent rankings both within Australia and world-wide, their leading research endeavours and university life. Students were encouraged to do their own research, and have a look at UNSW courses. With pre-trials now over, I find this is a good time to increase the careers/courses research for the term. In the next few weeks we will have speakers from the Australian National University (ANU), Macquarie University, University of Sydney Arts Department, Notre Dame University and a session on Women in Finance, which is a new session I have introduced this year. Year 11 students have also been invited to this event.

University drop-out rates

The cost of applying to university, especially if a student drops out, can be significant. In 2018 about 50,000 students will drop out of university. This is the size of the UNSW student population. It is probably no surprise that students studying part time are most likely to drop out, especially as they are usually in paid work and have family commitments. ATARs are also other indicators of dropout rates. ATARs below 60 are a bigger predictor of dropping out, and ATARs over 90 are a strong predictor of completing a degree. This (evidence-based) article outlines that dropping out of university is not as bad as it sounds. Students have a minimal debt, they can acquire some skills, but most importantly realise that the course, or place, is not for them and so continue on the career path. South Australian students from this survey were found to have only 60% certainty in their 1^st tertiary preference. It is totally normal to feel confused about university places, and choices. This is part of the whole process.

Each year, students attempt to go to university – because their friends are going, or because it is the expected path, but actually a more practical applied course would be more suitable for them. These students are usually the ones who will only last a semester. They then realise a more academic style of learning is too challenging for them, or does not suit their learning style. Once they move into a practical environment, such as TAFE or a vocational college, they thrive and set themselves up for success.

To read more, click below on this Grattan report.

http://apo.org.au/system/files/142966/apo-nid142966-726806.pdf To read the statistics on Trade Vs University this article has some very interesting points http://www.work-ready.com.au/blog/trade-vs-university.

Career events, notices and articles

NECA Electrotechnology apprenticeships

The electrical field is one of the most dynamic and growing industries. NECA can help students complete a national qualification that supports a career in data/communication, home automation, renewable energy, construction, the installation of lights, power, air conditioning, fire protection, building management systems and more.

http://www.necatraining.com.au/electrical-apprentices/

Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) Open Day

Level 2, Wentworth Park Grandstand, Wattle St, Ultimo

Next weekend students can discover the courses in game development, 3D animation and visual effects at the AIE. The day will include presentations on different areas of industry  as well as information about AIE full-time and part-time courses and entry requirements. Student work will be on display and  teacher will be available to speak with students about their courses and how AIE can get you into a creative career. To find out more visit http://www.aie.edu.au/openday or contact jessicabu@aie.edu.au tel: 8514 8800.
 

AIT Information Night

23 May 2018  5.30 pm – 8.00 pm, Level 2, 7 Kelly Street Ultimo

AIT’s information night is perfect for those wanting to explore the endless opportunities available in the growing creative industry. This fun and interactive seminar is a great way to find out further information on the curriculum, course requirements and study pathways. Learn about careers and study options in film production, 3D animation, digital media, game design, mobile apps and IT. Take a campus tour. Learn about our $8,000 scholarship for domestic students. Contact Trudy Pihelgas : info@ait.edu.au

HSC Careers Expo

Please see my article last week for information on the HSC Expo coming up at the Entertainment Quarter. This is a very worthwhile visit for all students Years 10 to 12 and parents.

(Source: MHS Careers 2018 and JobJump 2018)

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

Mothers Day

We celebrated Mothers Day on Monday morning with a special breakfast for all our wonderful mums, grandmas and special friends. We enjoyed a wonderful and delicious breakfast prepared by some of our talented dads. A big thank you to Neil Shilbury, Ilan Miller, Danny Stein, Chris Botsman and David Marishel. Thanks also to the mums who came in on Friday to bake – Debbie Lawrence, Anita Weinberger and Wendy Botsman. Your support is very much appreciated.

All our special mums were  lucky enough to visit the Kornmehl pamper parlour to have their nails done as well as a relaxing massage. In the Seashell room parents enjoyed sharing activities together. There was a choice of beading, making a bookmark or decorating a twig with coloured wool. The children were so excited to serve breakfast to their mums. It was a morning of pleasure, fun, connections, special and shared moments.

Having a morning like this reinforces the importance and value of the connection between families and the Pre-school. The children gain so much pleasure from sharing this experience with their mums and having time together in this relaxed setting enhances their feelings of belonging and connections to the Pre-school.

A word of thanks from a parent:

“A very enormous thank you to all you beautiful woman for the incredible Mothers Day party that we had yesterday at Pre-school. It was so wonderful, as usual, just as with all the events that have been held at Kornmehl.” – Janice

Shavuot

We celebrated Shavuot on Friday 18 May with a Bikkurim parade and yummy milk lunch, consisting of macaroni and cheese, fruit salad and ice cream. The children came to school dressed in red, orange, yellow or green and wearing flowers and leaf garlands in their hair. We collected a generous supply of dried and tinned food to donate to Oz Harvest.

Many thanks to our parent helpers Candy Mervis and Carli Rothman. Your support is very much appreciated.

A reminder that we are closed for Shavuot on Monday 21 May.  

We wish all our Kornmehl families a Chag Sameach and happy Shavuot.

A note about play

 “It is a happy talent to know how to play.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Play is self-chosen. Children were born to play. They love to play. They will play all day if they’re allowed. If you have to coax them into doing something, then it’s not play. Play never feels like work or an obligation. Play is enjoyable, fun and has no agenda. Play is not the purpose of meeting adult goals. Play is inherently valuable. All play is learning. No matter what it is. Whether you can clearly see the skills being mastered or not. There is no hierarchy of play. Play is unstructured. In play, children make the rules. They decide how long they play for and what direction their play takes. Children should feel free to play and use what is available however they like, with no expectations. There’s a lot of work involved in play — problem solving, skill building, overcoming physical and mental challenges — going on behind the scenes.

There are many different types of play: solitary play, risky play, sensory play, parallel play, dramatic play, rough and tumble play, constructive play, active play, and co-operative play. Play builds the imagination, promotes social skills, advances physical development and helps children work through emotions.

There are 7 basic characteristics of play:

• voluntary – something children choose to do, but other children can be invited to join in,
• pleasurable – a deep sense of enjoyment, which will vary from child to child,
• symbolic – usually includes some type of make-believe or pretend and objects assume new meanings and purpose for the player/s,
• meaningful – to the player/s, but the meaning may not always be clear to an observer,
• active – it requires active mental, verbal or physical engagement with people, objects or ideas,
• process oriented – it’s enjoyed for the activity itself, not concerned with an end product,
• intrinsically motivated – it is its own reward.

Our Kornmehl Philosophy states:

We believe that children learn best through play. We see play as being the “heartbeat” of our Pre-school program. Play provides opportunities for children to learn as they experiment, explore, discover, create, improvise and imagine. When children play with other children they create social groups, test out ideas, challenge each other’s thinking, explore language and build new understandings. Play provides a supportive environment where children can ask questions, solve problems and engage in critical thinking. In these ways play can promote positive dispositions towards learning.

We embrace and acknowledge that children come to the Kornmehl Centre with a richness of experiences. We believe that childhood is a time to be, to seek and make meaning of the world.  

Care Packs

Our Care Packs have begun to come in and we are extremely grateful for the support from the entire Emanuel School Community for this worthwhile cause. Our goal is to collect 1000 Care Packs by 15 June. Please drop your Care Pack either at the Emanuel School Reception area or down at Kornmehl.

Kornmehl Go Go Healthy

A reminder to reserve Sunday 17 June for our exciting Kornmehl Go Go Healthy fun family event from
10 am to 12 pm in the MPH and basketball court. Tickets will be available shortly for purchasing.

Parent Talks

A reminder that our interesting and informative parent talk series is starting next week Wednesday evening 23 May from 7.45 pm – 8.45 pm in the Pre-school.  There are 4 sessions in the series. The cost for all 4 sessions is $30 or $10 per session.

Sarah Robuck is a Clinical Psychologist (registrar) with a combined Masters/PhD from the University of NSW and specialises in working with children/families and also in perinatal mental health. Sarah works with families helping children with various presentations including anxiety, depression, emotion regulation difficulties, defiant/aggressive behaviours, adjustment difficulties, learning delays and Autism.

The workshops will help:

• build positive relationships with children
• provide encouragement and precise feedback to children
• establish and create a positive environment
• establish and implement ‘rules’ for children
• manage misbehaviour effectively.

Module 1: Learning Behaviours

Enhancing Good Behaviour
Behavioural Principles
The Importance of Attention
Positive Attention with Descriptive Praise
Other ways to give positive attention for good behaviour
Why use behaviour charts?
When to reward good behaviour?
When to stop or change a reward chart?
Tips for creating a reward Chart

Please secure your spot by emailing taizen@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Biggest Morning Tea

Next week Thursday, the Pre-school is going to be a hive of activity as we set up our Kornmehl Café and we welcome students from Year K to come and buy some goodies from our shop.

The children will be baking during the week in preparation for this community event. The money raised will go to Cancer Research.

At the same time our Kornmehl Parent Club will be hosting their own Biggest Morning Tea for all Kornmehl parents and grandparents from 9.30 am to 11.00 am.

Kerri Sackville will be the special guest at the morning tea. Kerri (an ex-Kornmehl parent) will no doubt keep you all entertained.

Kerri Sackville is an Australian columnist, social commentator, author and mother of 3. She has written extensively for print and online publications including the Sydney Morning Herald, the Melbourne Age, the Telegraph, The Women’s Weekly, Practical Parenting magazine and Mamamia.com

Kerri is currently a regular contributor to Sunday Life magazine, the Fairfax website Daily Life, and news.com.au. Kerri’s latest book, Out There: A Survival Guide for Dating in Midlife (Echo) is part memoir, part guidebook, and filled with hilarious anecdotes and warm wisdom.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Tom Shilbury (4). We hope you had a special day.

Connecting our Community – Gesher

Sonia Newell- Development Officer

Did you know?

Our school community includes a wealth of talent in many aspects and forums of the wider community and industry, and we love to be able to share some of this information and their achievements  with you.  

We are very proud of parent, School Board member and accomplished author and journalist Shira Sebban who has written an amazing book, Unlocking the Past: Stories from My Mother’s Diary. In conjunction with the Shalom Sydney Writers Festival, we will be launching Shira’s new book here at school on Sunday 27 May. 

Israel Embassy spokesperson and cultural attaché, Dorit Herscovici, and UNSW Associate Professor, Leanne Piggott, will be launching the book on Sunday 27 May 2018 between 3.00 pm – 5.00 pm in the Angles Leadership and Learning Centre and Millie Phillips Theatre.

RSVP: www.shalom.edu.au by Tuesday 22 May

Mazal tov to parent Lisa Oschlack, managing director of Moving On, which has been named Champion Services at the recent Australian Small Business Champion Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony. Lisa has previously won the Waverley Brightest and Best and has been a finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Award and NSW My Business Awards.(www.movingon.com.au)

Alumnus Richard Basckin (Class of 2015) won gold and bronze at the recent Australian Open Karate competition in Sydney, earning a spot for the 2018 World University Games which will take place in Kobe, Japan in July.

Claire Pech, our Careers Advisor and I have been busy organising this year’s E-Zone: Careers Space on next Wednesday morning.  Twenty two Emanuel alumni will be part of a Q&A-style session providing an exciting forum for our Year 11 and 12 students to hear about some aspects of the life after school and career choices, some of which are conventional and some that are not.   

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

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Hi Everyone,

We hope you have all had a great week.

Mums at the Movies

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

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

Save the Date

Games Night, 7 pm Saturday, 25 August 

On Saturday, 25 August we will be having the P&F Annual Fundraiser in the MPH. This is an amazing opportunity to have some fun, mingle and support the School at the same time. Please put the date aside.

Also, if you are able to assist with sourcing/providing items for the Auction, let us know:

joanner174@gmail.com

Thank you so much and enjoy your weekend,

Jen and Ruby

Happy 96th

On Wednesday, our Year 2 students helped to celebrate Mr Aron Kleinlehrer OAM’s 96th birthday. This is a significant milestone and the children were suitably excited. They welcomed our special guest, blessed him in both English and Hebrew, sang songs and then Yom Huledet Sameach when Mr Kleinlehrer cut his birthday cake. Mr Kleinlehrer was very moved by the students’ songs and blessings, with a few tears being shed. 

Years 2 and 4 students each drew a flower which was was combined into a Happy Birthday poster and was was given to Mr Kleinlehrer as a gift. 

Thank you to all the staff who helped to ensure that this was a very special birthday for a very special man. 

Book Launch Unlocking the Past

Parent Safety Group

Thank you to our volunteers from last week: