From the Principal

Future Frontiers: Educating for 2040

At a meeting this week, The NSW Department of Education shared the findings of sponsored research undertaken by Sydney University on the future impact of Artificial Intelligence on education and employment. Several Heads of Independent Schools were invited. Secretary for Department of Education, Mark Scott (AO), posed the question: “How do we best prepare our students for the complexity and change that will be part of their lives? We need to be mindful of the future – of the world we are preparing them for.” After attending the meeting and reading the research report, the following take-aways have emerged:

• The key challenge is not to predict the future, but to prepare for uncertainty;
• Educators need to navigate transformational change in an inclusive and orderly way;
• We need to develop in our students the capacity to adapt successfully to changed conditions;
• We need to nurture productive, flourishing citizens, rather than flexible workers with no specific expertise;
• From a young age, we need to promote dispositions such as curiosity, the ability to concentrate, resilience and learning relationships; and
• We need to seek quality engagement from the business sector, through partnerships in learning.

It is pleasing to note that we are already seeking to address many of the issues raised. There is much to learn – and much to do!

An Evening of Dangerous Debate

An audience of parents, alumni and students had the opportunity to learn and engage with controversial political issues and hear from an panel of academics, community and religious leaders, lawyers and corporate players. The topic was ‘How Morality is Changing in the Modern World’ with discussion focused on:

1. The role of technology in shaping society and associated issues such as how technology affects our social interactions, privacy, big data and media bias.
2. A broader discussion of human rights and the role of Australian Jewry in relation to the recent events/issues in Israel.

Joshua Amoils (Year 12 Madrich) moderated an animated and passionate panel discussion adroitly, and the questions from our students were intelligent and thoughtful. Congratulations to Joshua and Head of English, David Camp, for an entertaining and informative evening.

A Child Safe School

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse made a number of recommendations for schools. A key recommendation was to implement the following Child Safe Standards:

1. Child safety is embedded in School leadership, governance and culture
2. Young people participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
3. Families and communities are informed and involved
4. Equity is upheld and diverse needs are taken into account
5. People working with young people are suitable and supported
6. Processes to respond to complaints of child sexual abuse are child focused
7. Staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through continual education and training
8. Physical and online environments minimise the opportunity for abuse to occur
9. Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is continuously reviewed and improved
10. Policies and procedures document how the School is child safe.

Emanuel remains committed to maintaining a caring and child safe culture and environment; we are reviewing our practices, to ensure that we meet these standards. Our staff undertake professional development annually on child protection matters and our Board members also participate in child protection workshops, as part of their governance program. In High School assembly this week, I outlined the finding of the Royal Commission and explained our complaint reporting process. We are also exploring the timing of an external audit on our child protection practices.

Our trip to Kenya

We wish our Emanuel team well as they depart on Monday evening. After a 30-hour trip, they will spend a night in Nairobi then drive South East to the Camps International main campsite, Camp Tsavo. Over the next 12 days this will be their base, as they work on a number of local community projects. These projects will include making bricks to build a new classroom for the local Primary School, planting trees to stop erosion and flooding of community housing and join a building project to construct an elephant-deterrent fence to protect local crops. Our students will also embark on a three-day trek and a one-day Safari in Tsavo East National Park. Finally, the group will visit the projects in Kenya that were built by our own nurse and alumna, Genna Radnan and her charity Gennarosity Abroad. They are the Emanuel Karunga Kindergarten and Grandma Jenny’s Training Centre. Genna has arranged a community gathering to welcome the Emanuel students, and the students will have the opportunity to hear from young women who have gained skills and started small businesses after graduating from the project. The group will return late into the 2^nd week of the term break.

Visitors

Harry Triguboff AO with Rabbi Triguboff and Andrew Watt

On Thursday, we were honoured to welcome Harry Triguboff AO and Rabbi Orna Triguboff to our School. Following a conversation about the importance of Business and Entrepreneurial skills, amongst others, we led our guests on a tour through the new Innovation Centre. As a builder, Mr Triguboff was very interested in the building and it’s features, and certainly came away with a sense of the important role that the Centre will play in our students’ learning. 

The Staging Post

I encourage you to join me on Wednesday night for an exclusive viewing of the acclaimed documentary, The Staging Post. The film follows 2 Afghan Hazara refugees who rose above their adverse circumstances to inspire a refugee education revolution. Click here for the preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpgoVO2ydI4

The event starts at 6.15 pm with the opportunity to enjoy pre-movie snacks. The film will start at 6.45 pm sharp. We are very lucky to have one of the refugees, Kadim Dai, join us. Tickets are only $10 for adults, $5 for students. There is a family ticket too as the documentary is suitable for Primary School students. Book here https://tinyurl.com/StagingPost or pay at the door. 

Mazal tov

• Daniel Melamed and Daniel Zipser for winning every Chess match they played on Board 1 in the Inter-Schools’ Competition this season (7 rounds).
• Our Primary A Chess Team for winning their Division in the Inter-Schools’ Chess Competition. They will progress to the next round in Term 3.
• Our High School and Primary School Chess teams came 1^st and 2^nd respectively in the local heat of the Sydney Academy of Chess Inter Schools’ Tournament, qualifying them for the semi-finals in Term 3.
• Sienna Poswell (Year 6) who was the only Emanuel girl selected to represent CIS Soccer in the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association State Competition in Kiama last week.
• The Open Debating team (Lara Joffe and Liahm Simon from Year 12 and Isabella Flax from Year 11) were victorious against George’s River Grammar on Tuesday and now proceed to the Quarter Finals. 
• The Senior Year 9s Debating team (Liat Granot, Lara Fosbery, Jesse Koslowski and Ruby Hurwitz) won their round on Thursday against Broughton Anglican College and also move forward to the Quarter Finals.
   

Quote of the week

“Tell me and I will forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand.”

Chinese Proverb 

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

The Big Bad Wolf

Beyond being created by a Jew, Stephen Sondheim, the musical, Into the Woods, presents a Jewish perspective on our journey to individuation and wholeness.

We all must enter the woods to bring to consciousness the darker unconscious shadow side of our being in realising an integrated more mature self. The Kabbalisitc and Hasidic traditions call this process עליה מתוך ירידה/Aliyah miTokh Yeridah – “Ascending through descending”, more popularly known as tikkun/tikkun olam. Only in encountering and confronting our suppressed dark side (“in the woods”) and “owning it”, do we move beyond projecting our shadow self upon the other, and locate it within ourselves. This is the “shadow work” or tikkun upon which Little Red Riding Hood embarks that makes her and us “excited and scared”. Facing the darkness within herself, Little Red Riding Hood, looking upon the Big Bad Wolf exclaims: “What big hands (not paws) you have”.

As her dark side becomes less of a stranger, she abandons the red cloak of her immature self for the wolfskins (in our Emanuel version of the story), which she dons after emerging from the belly of the beast, embracing and transforming (effecting tikkun) her wolf/shadow side into a new, reborn and reintegrated self.

Watching Lara Rutstein wearing the wolfskins brought to mind the first human beings in Gan Eden.

Proclaiming they hid from Him because they knew they were “arum” (meaning naked but also cunning and deceptive), God makes for Adam and Chavah garments of skin. Perhaps snake skins, reflecting that part of themselves they projected upon another when they blamed the snake (described as most “arum”, deceptive of animals) for their eating from the “tree of knowledge, good and bad”.

Tikkun, individually and collectively, demands of us, from the very beginning and throughout our lives, to enter the woods to continually and courageously strive for a rectification and reintegration of self and community beyond the fragmented life of fear and self-deception, our Big Bad Wolf/Snake.

“A complex becomes pathological only when we think we have not got it.” (Carl Jung). Because, then it has us.

Don’t miss out

Villawood reflections

The following reflections are from students who recently visited the Villawood Detention Centre. Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Miriam Itzkowitz Year 10

Many people say that Australia is a multi-cultural country and celebrates diversity and difference. What if I told you that that I find this to be incorrect? But how would I know?

Last Thursday, I, along with 2 other students, had the privilege of going to Villawood Detention Centre to visit detained refugees and hear their stories, and I am sure that they don’t deserve to be in the positions they are currently in.

Villawood is split up into 3 sections: low security, medium security and high security. Low is for people who could have overstayed their visas or came by boat without proper documentation, medium is for those who may have broken a few non-citizen rules and high is for criminals. What many people don’t know, and what I learnt going to Villawood, is that people who live in Australia, who are not citizens, have tougher rules placed upon them. So theoretically, someone who isn’t a citizen could be sent to detention for speeding just once, whereas citizens have a certain number of warnings or accumulate a certain number of points before their licence is taken away.

We heard stories from many people. One refugee, a 19-year-old boy named Jamal, is in medium security detention from Myanmar, but he actually grew up in Australia, attending Belmore Boys High School. His story was quite sad, having one of his brothers decapitated as a child, another kidnapped and another  who died. Jamal is Rohingan, the most exiled group of people in the world. When he was 7, he and his older brother, who was 14, sought refuge in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand before arriving in Australia. Jamal didn’t tell us why or how exactly he ended up in Villawood, but it is likely that he did something wrong, which consequently made him end up there.

Mohammed, from Iran, ended up there because when he came to Australia, he unknowingly was the driver for a drug ring. He, and 4 of his 5 brothers, came to Australia because his parents were worried what would happen if they stayed in Iran, as they’re Christian. He got caught up in the drug ring because the people he was staying with gave him a home, and said in return he had to drive them to various locations, and once he realised what was happening, it was too late.

For me, the most heartbreaking story is a man who was injured in the Sri Lankan army and took so many blows to the head, that he is brain damaged. He has no proper reason to be in Villawood, but they don’t know what to do with him, so they just keep him there (in medium security).

In Australia, any refugee who arrives by boat cannot apply for citizenship. At Villawood, if a refugee needs to go see a doctor, they have to go in handcuffs. These 2 facts I find upsetting, as people who seek asylum don’t do so to disadvantage a country, but do so to stay safe. Many of these people are being treated as criminals, even though many of them have only committed minor offences, or haven’t broken the law at all. I don’t think the method of transportation they use to get here should define their validity and character in being a good citizen. Two of my grandparents arrived here by boat, after facing much exile during the Holocaust. Why can’t we protect these people from exile too?

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It was only last week that 2 other students and I attended Villawood Detention Centre and it was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have had.

Behind the metal detectors and lots of endless doors we were faced with the stories of people who live their lives in detention.  Our visit was very confronting and opened my eyes to the hardships of the real word. We were extremely fortunate to meet so many different people from 2 different compounds.

We listened to numerous stories of people trying to protect their families and themselves within their home countries and trying to find a better life in a safer country. Many of the detainees we met were aged between 19-22 years old and a few had even been in Villawood for 8 years. We spoke to 5 or 6 different people in the reception area of the compound, learning about their stories and their lives. The people we met were some of the most down to earth people I have ever met. They were so open to sharing their stories which left us speechless and so grateful that we got to hear their stories and that they opened up to us in the way that they did.

This experience was truly a most incredible and important experience and I highly recommend it to everyone. Thank you to Mrs Sebban and Rabbi Siegel for taking us to Villawood Detention Centre and for providing us with the amazing opportunity to meet all these people and hear their stories.

Esther Reznikov, Year 11

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Tallulah Stein Year 10

We all see news articles and posts, on a regular basis, that surround the refugee crisis with the phrase “turn back the boats” used to describe it. But, what does this phrase really mean? And what are we doing about it? As the refugee crisis is a topical subject, worldwide, getting to fully understand the issue on a more personal scale is not only relevant but insightful. I got the opportunity to see for myself what is going on, here in Australia, when I visited the Villawood Detention Centre for refugees.

We went in unaware of what was to come, what type of people would be in there, how they would react to us and unsure of our abilities to connect with them. With these uncertainties we were taken to low security, to meet some of the Centre’s residents. It was here we met with 5 different men, learning their stories from their home countries and escapes from persecution. I was unnerved knowing how young they had been when forced to flee and how different their childhoods were to ours, filled with constant pressure, anxiety and terrors of being jailed or killed. They struggled too, on an economic level, with most of them unable to work because of their age and relying on an older sibling or family members for support in a different country. These refugees also suffered malnourishment with one of them telling us of his previous diet of dirty rice, filled with bugs and cockroaches.

Yet through all of this, they still do not have true freedom. They might be safe from religious or cultural oppression and persecution, but we now have locked them up in an institution, preventing them from truly living. Adding to the discrimination they have already suffered. 

In visiting Villawood, I have become truly aware of one of our nation’s greatest challenges and understand how our country is need of responding better to this global crisis. 

Student Devar Torah

Liat Granot – Year 9

“Mah tovu, ohalekha ya’akov mishkenotekha yisra’el

How good are your tents, Jacob

Your dwelling places Israel”

We say these words in our morning tefillot (prayer service) but does anyone know the story behind it? Balak, this week’s parashah, is about the story of Ma Tovu.

Bil’am had been requested by the King of Moab, Balak, to curse the Children of Israel.

However, he instead blesses the people, with the words of Mah Tovu. The blessing, according to one understanding, is that Bil’am saw the openings of each tent facing away from that of its neighbour causing him to utter his blessing.

What can we learn from this? If you are constantly on display to your neighbours or even just your friends, then you begin to paint a picture of yourself that simply is not real. Once you face your metaphorical tent doors away from each other, you’re less preoccupied with others and what they think of you, you have more of a chance of getting to know and have an honest relationship with yourself. This, I feel, is ultimately more important.

So try to build your relationship with yourself more – whether that means going on a run, doing a face mask or even just sitting down and reading your favourite book. Concern yourself with how you may improve your own ‘dwelling’ not another’s.

Year 5 Hebrew

On Friday 22 June, Year 5 students put on a כובע (hat) and took some מים  (water) and went on טיול לפארק  (excursion to the park) – Frank Doyle Park. In the park, students played a Hebrew משחק  (game) Scavenger Hunt in groups. After the game, the students watched an amazing play about אברהם ושרה (Avraham and Sarah). The famous couple invited the students לאכול ולשתות (to eat and drink) traditional food from ארץ ישראל  (Israel). Students had אוכל  (food) such as: פיתה, חומוס, לבנה, זיתים, שמן זית (pita, chumus, labane, olives, olive oil). At the end of the trip we played a few משחקים (games) in the park and walked back to בית ספר (school). It was fun and active and concluded the topic of טיול (trip). 

שלום ותודה (Thanks and goodbye)

Year 5 Hebrew teachers

 

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter | Head of Jewish Studies Primary

On Thursday, parents and grandparents of the Year 4 students were invited to attend a special Primary School Torah Service and Tanakh presentation ceremony. Each child’s Tanakh had been lovingly decorated and personalised with family histories, stories, photographs and blessings in preparation for the ceremony. To symbolise the passing on of the Torah from generation to generation, 3 generations of Daniel Zipser’s family took the Torah from the Ark and carried it around the community. Called to the Torah to represent all of our Year 4 students and their families, were cousins Gideon Owen and Jessica Smith with their parents, siblings and their grandfather. Morah Gaida chanted Torah for us and our tefillah was filled with ruach, led by our madrichim and the students.

Year 4 students performed the songs על שלושה דברים  (al shlosha devarim) and עץ חיים (etz chayim) to their families, with some students sharing their analysis and interpretation of why the Torah is called an עץ חיים (Tree of Life).

Noa: “The Torah is a tree of life because it links all of the Jewish communities around the world, like the roots of a tree that links it to other trees.”

Xander: “The Torah is a tree of life because the branches are connected to one trunk, the Jewish community. Each person has a branch to take care of and grow.”

Elke: “The Torah is like the Tree of Life because a tree sheds its bark, like a new generation of people. Every generation of Jewish people represents the new bark which protects the Torah – the Tree of Life.”

Sam: “The roots on the tree gives life to the trees, which is like the roots of the Torah that gives the Jewish people life.”

Jacob: “The Tree of Life links people all over the world with its branches and the Torah links people with its wisdom.”

Before passing on the Tanakh to their child, parents were led in the birkat banim – the blessing over the children. This beautiful ceremony was followed by hugs, kisses and the singing of Siman tov u’ mazal tov. The pride and delight expressed by the children and their families over the giving of the Tanakh was something very special to witness. Families shared a quiet moment at the end of the ceremony to read over and share the personalised messages and decorations with their child. Thank you to all the parents, grandparents and family members who were able to attend the ceremony and for the love and care put into personalising each Tanakh.

Thank you to Ofer Levy for capturing these special memories.

From the Head of Music

Acting Head of Music Performances and Academic K-6

Acting Head of Music Academic 7-12

Music in Week 10

There will be no IP for Years 3-6 in Week 10 because of Music Camp and no Emanuel Music Ensembles will take place for the same reason.  However, many private music lessons will continue as normal, because not all tutors are going to camp. Please check with your private tutor if you are in any doubt.

Music in Week 1 next term

All IP lessons for Years 3-6 will take place in the 1^st week of next term, including the 1^st day back. Please ensure that all students bring their instruments, folders and music. Some instrumental ensemble rehearsals scheduled before school on the 1^st day of term will be cancelled (Gershwin Concert Band, Bernstein Concert Band and Intermediate String Orchestra).  Please note that Senior Choir will take place as normal, as will lunchtime rehearsals.  

Further information and packing list for Music Camp (Week 10)

Our participants list for Music Camp has been finalised and a detailed information letter with a packing list was sent out to attendees both this Week and in Week 7. This document is also attached to the event in the Edumate calendar for your reference. If your child is sick on the day, please notify Reception by 8.00 am on 8383 7333.

Deadline – Private Music Tuition and Infant Strings Program

The due date for new enrolments, notification of changes or intention to discontinue private tuition or Infants String Program for Term 3 has now passed. All students currently receiving private music tuition and students participating in the Infant Strings Program will be automatically entered into tutor schedules for next term, committed to the full term of lessons and liable for the full term of fees. If you have any questions, please contact Deborah Beder by email to music@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Links to online forms  

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

To discontinue private tuition for Term 2: http://tinyurl.com/PrivateTuitionDiscontinuation

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

To discontinue Infant Strings Program for Term 2: http://tinyurl.com/InfantStringsDiscontinuations

Into the Woods

Dramatic Action for Years 7 and 8

Night of Dangerous Debate

Joshua Amoils – Year 12

On Monday earlier this week, Emanuel School hosted its 5^th Night of Dangerous Debate; an opportunity for students, teachers and other members of the community to learn and engage with controversial political issues and hear from versed figures such as academics, community leaders, lawyers and those in the corporate world. This year’s topic was How Morality is Changing in the Modern World with discussion loosely focused on:

1. The role of technology in shaping society and our social interactions as well as a moral discussion of privacy, big data and media bias.
2. A broader discussion of human rights and the role of Australian Jewry in relation to the recent events/issues in Israel.

The panel this year was phenomenal; each speaker came from a different walk of life and articulated their unique perspective with prudence. I’d like to praise and thank each of the following speakers for their attendance and input:

1. Jonty Katz –  Former National President of UN Youth Australia and Emanuel alumnus
2. Dr Iain Giblin – Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University
3. Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins OAM – Senior Rabbi at Emanuel Synagogue
4. Arlene Tansey – Non-Executive Director of Primary Health Care Ltd, Adelaide Brighton Ltd, Lend Lease Funds Management Ltd, Infrastructure NSW and Aristocrat Leisure Limited as well as Member of the Serco Asia-Pacific Advisory Board
5. David Knoll AM –  Executive Council of Australian Jewry and former parent at Emanuel School
6. Shira Sebban – Writer, member of Supporting Asylum Seekers Sydney (SASS), former journalist and Emanuel School parent

As expected, the debate was insightful, eloquent and at times heated! Thank you to Mr Camp for his consistent organisational support and to those who attended the debate.  

Chess

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

The 1^st round of Junior New South Wales Inter-Schools’ Chess Season has been completed.

Our High School A team came in 2^nd to Sydney Grammar A Team and our Primary School A team has won their Division, progressing to the next round.

High School A Team with 1st Place Trophy – SAC Inter School Local Round

The majority of the Primary School players are in Year 4 and their opponents are, for the most part, in Year 6, making the feat even more admirable.

Primary School Team

Congratulations are in order for both of our Board 1 players: Daniel Melamed (Year 8) and Daniel Zipser (Year 4) on winning every match of the season!

We commend all of our players on their performance and thank their coach, Michael Todd, who continues to be a source of inspiration to the players, spending hours pouring over their annotations to provide feedback on games and for providing interactive lessons that promote passion for the game.

We are ever-grateful to the parents who help with logistics and transportation, as well as support during (nail-biting) games. Thank you so much for your support. It is much appreciated!

Sydney Academy of Chess Inter-Schools’ Competition

The 1^st round of this competition was held on Monday 25 June. Emanuel School fared brilliantly. Our High School Team came 1^st in the HS Division and our Primary School came 2^nd in theirs. The accomplishment allows both teams to progress to the semi-finals. Watch this space! 

Congratulations go to the following individual students on their notable achievements:

Daniel Melamed – 1^st overall in the High School Competition

Jesse Herdan – 2^nd overall in the High School Competition

Daniel Zipser – 2^nd  overall in the Primary School Competition.

Thank you Chess Club members you are a true inspiration.

Year 8 Israel Expo

Daphna Levin-Kahn | Head of Jewish Studies High School

Mazal tov to the following students who received awards this week for their outstanding efforts in their Israel Expo projects, exhibition stands, and souvenirs: !כל הכבוד

• The 2018 Consumers’ Choice Award for Most Original/Creative Souvenir: Nathalie Freed and Tori Shapiro for their souvenir for Food in Israel
• The 2018 Teachers’ Choice Award for Most Creative and Informative Stand: Matthew Lowy and Remy Waller for their exhibition stand on the Israeli Economy
• The 2018 Visitors’ Choice Award for Best Stand: Tammy Kurlansky, Lara McCorquodale and Isabel Sarraf for their interactive stand on Israeli Music
• The 2018 Teachers’ Choice Awards for Consistent Excellent Effort throughout the Expo Term
• Morah Becky’s Award: Lily Berger and Anna Davis for their outstanding project on Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Israel
• Mr Bloom’s Award: Lilly Goldberg and Raquel Lee for their outstanding project on Art in Israel
• Morah Gaida’s Award: Gabriella Utian and Debbie Winter for their outstanding project on Gender Issues in Israel
• Ms Rosin’s Award: Mirabelle Mirvis for her outstanding project on the Israeli Defence Force.

Well done to all of Year 8 for their efforts and achievement. I look forward to seeing what next year’s Expo will bring!

High School EActive

Kristy Reed | Head of Sport | PDHPE Teacher

High School EActive registrations

Term 2 proved to be a successful term for the EActive program, with a large number of students involved. The Term 3 winter program will run for 8 weeks, commencing on Monday 30 July and concluding on Friday 21 September.

Bookings for Term 3 are now open. Places are expected to fill quickly so it is important that registrations are completed at http://www.trybooking.com/FNNJ

Activities offered in Term 3 include:

• Boys Basketball Training and Competition
• Girls Fitness
• Boys Fitness
• Rugby Union Development Squad
• Swim Squad Training
• Gymnastics
• Tennis
• Year 7/8 Boys and Girls Basketball Development Squad
• Pilates
• Skyzone
• Boxing Fitness
• Badminton
• Running Club

 If you have any questions please email Kristy Reed (Head of Sport) on: kreed@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

NSW Schools Regional Futsal Championships

Kristy Reed | Head of Sport | PDHPE Teacher

Over the last 2 weeks Emanuel Futsal teams have competed in the NSW Schools Regional Futsal Championships. These tournaments are run by Football NSW and involve schools from the Independent, Catholic and State systems. With the increase in participation in Futsal across the State, the number of teams and the standard of competition is improving every year. The 7 Emanuel teams had been preparing well for the last 6 weeks, under the School’s experienced coaching team.

In the 14 Years division, both the boys and girls teams played very well on the day. The top Emanuel boys team went through the pool stage undefeated, dominating each of the schools that they played. The boys progressed to the quarter final, which proved to be very close and unfortunately the team lost in extra time. Although unlucky this year, I look forward to seeing the development of this young team in the future.

The Opens team included the School’s most experienced players, most of whom have been competing in this tournament throughout their High School years. The boys and girls teams scored an abundance of spectacular goals and the boys team made quite an impression on those watching the matches. The team progressed to the quarter final, going undefeated in the pool stage, and despite fabulous performances from Ethan De Melo, Joel Epshteyn and Reece Berelowitz, the team lost 1-0.

The 16s teams travelled to the Central Coast to compete in their division this year, and it was certainly worth the trip. The Emanuel 16 A boys team had a fabulous day, led by their coach Aytek Genc and captain Ethan De Melo. This team progressed through to the grand final to play a very strong Kincumber side. Emanuel were well deserved winners of the match, dominating play with their exceptional organisation. This team will now progress to the NSW Schools State Futsal Championships in August.

Congratulations to all of the students involved in the School Representative Futsal Program on their dedication to their sport and I wish the 16s boys the best of luck at the State Championships next term.

16 A Boys Futsal Team. Front row: Aiden Poswell, Nathaniel Spielman, Ryan Rubinstein. Back row: Ethan De Melo, Jonathan Sebban, Jared Kleviansky, Ari Karjalainen and Adam Winter

Open Girls Futsal Team. Front row: Lara Rutstein, Sienna Meyer, Nina Brown, Jordan Weizman. Back Row: Aytek Genc (coach), Kaia Ziman, Danielle Rutstein, Lara Joffe, Sarah Sharwood and Alexa Narunsky

From Primary Library

Ginnette Cameron-Gardner | Primary Teacher Librarian

Further to my review on ‘The Mozart question’ by Michael Morpurgo in the last issue:

Michael Morpurgo explaining his motivation in writing this book:

“I learned some time ago that in many of the camps the Nazis selected Jewish prisoners and forced them to play in orchestras; for the musicians it was simply a way to survive. In order to calm the new arrivals at the camps they were made to serenade them as they were lined up and marched off, many to the gas chambers. Often, they played Mozart.”

I wondered how it must have been for a musician who played in such hellish circumstances, who adored Mozart as I do, when playing Mozart later in life.”

(https://www.michaelmorpurgo.com/mozart-question-concert-michael-morpurgo/) 

On a lighter note we have a series perfect for middle Primary students – the Lulu Bell series. Many of the books have a sustainability theme. This is especially suitable for those students ready to move on from the Billie B. Brown series, also written by Belinda Murrell. Each book is well written and has proved popular in other Primary School Libraries.

We have 6 of the series which do not have to be read in order. Two of my favourites are Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle in which Lulu Bell and her family go on a trip and visit an Aboriginal community, and Lulu Bell and the Fairy Penguin in which Lulu Bell gets involved when she sees a dog chasing a fairy penguin as it waddles up the beach.

We have 2 more students who have completed the NSW Premier’s Challenge. Congratulations to Jake Shilbury Year 1 and Maia Sharabi Year 2, who are equal 24^th on as at 21 June.

Term 3 – Primary EActive

Adam Ezekiel | PDHPE Teacher & Head of Meir House

In Term 3, the Primary EActive program will continue, offering a wide variety of before-school, lunchtime and after-school activities for students in Years K-6.

Please note that from next term all Primary EActive activities will be managed by Emma Hill. Please contact Emma on ehill@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au for any EActive queries.

All Term 3 EActive bookings can be made through the ‘extra-curricular tab’ in the Parent Portal: https://myportal.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/parent/extra-curricular/

Primary Minecraft puzzles

Jesses Barel

Dean Klugman

Jesse Barel and Dean Klugman in Year 6 have made many Minecraft puzzle adventures together for our class, including escape rooms and puzzle courses. Here are some projects we have done so far:

How I got 14K Downloads on The Parkour Cube

I have coded a map named The Parkour Cube! The aim of the game is to jump from block to block, solve puzzles and reach the finish! I entered this map in a competition called 10x10x10 challenge, which requires you to create a game inside a 10x10x10 space. The challenge was hosted by Nico.

In Minecraft, you can use Command Blocks to code. Every block contains a line of code and can be placed together to create a system. Here is a photo of all the commands from above, but to see the individual code you have to open the blocks. 

Here is an example of the inside of a command block, this particular command tests if you are holding a key. 

After I entered the competition I decided to publish my map on another site, Minecraft Maps. Not all maps are accepted on Minecraft Maps, so I was very happy when it was accepted.

Soon after, I updated The Parkour Cube to v1.1, made a trailerand a walkthrough for YouTube. Before I knew it, 9Minecraft.netand MinecraftSix.comhad posted my map on their websites. I uploaded my map to Planet Minecrafttoo. The Parkour Cube has been a great success and currently has 14,528 downloads on Minecraft Maps, with 12 videos on YouTubeby different creators. If you own a Minecraft account, you can play the game for yourself!

Dungeon Escape

I have coded and created some escape rooms and a quiz, the quiz in one escape room you will start off falling down a huge drop and then the next thing you know you’ll be trapped in a dungeon. In the dungeon you’ll have to figure out codes and get through a maze and find tools on the way. You’ll have to craft ladders and place them down where you can escape the dungeon to an igloo where you can mine the snow blocking the exit with the tools you would have found in the maze.

We hope that our class will be able to play it by Term 3! Once we are done all our maps and levels we will put all our maps together and hopefully publish them to Minecraft Maps and Planet Minecraft. Once we have published them we will publish a walkthrough and trailer to YouTube.

By Kluggie (Dean Klugman)

Useful Links to our work:

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXpHd8EDe_c

Walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x54ewef0-vo

Minecraft Maps: www.minecraftmaps.com/parkour-maps/the-parkour-cube

MinecraftSix.com: http://minecraftsix.com/the-parkour-cube-map/

9Minecraft.net: http://www.9minecraft.net/the-parkour-cube-map/

Planet Minecraft (Updated v1.1):

https://www.planetminecraft.com/project/the-parkour-cube/

YouTube videos of The Parkour Cube:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpCHe4yLXJEE-oL5FuADNDbm6-dTyiYnA

YouTube account: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTODD-G8pRArwiLw_KU6Q-Q?view_as=subscriber

Map Download:

 http://www.mediafire.com/file/brv544ggf0w8r32/The+Parkour+Cube+v1.1.zip

Primary Writing Competition

Willow Gelin – Year 6

What Matters 2018 writing competition

Bullying matters

It was the 1^st day back at school. She was scared. Scared to go to school because of what happened the previous year. She was scared of being hurt, scared of being teased, scared of being blackmailed. She hadn’t told anyone, of course. She couldn’t do that. If she did then she knew that she would be completely humiliated, embarrassed and she might even get thrown in a locker. Not like that hadn’t happened before. She walked into school that day looking down, making sure to stay away from the mean boys that had hurt her multiple times. Today they did it again. They noticed her. They started pushing her, kicking her and punching her. They then walked away laughing. Almost every day she went home and cried. Whenever her mother asked why she was crying, she said: “It’s fine. It’s just a school thing.” Her mother understood and thought it was only homework, but she was wrong. Very, very wrong. Her daughter was being bullied at school. But it was not just that one girl that was being bullied.

Bullying is repeatedly harassing someone on purpose either physically, verbally or using the internet, sometimes relating to discrimination. Bullying can be done by a group or an individual and it can be done in person, online, overtly or covertly. Bullying matters because it happens to many people and it has harmful effects on the victim, the bully and even the bystanders. Bystanders are people who watch bullying happen but don’t do anything about it or sometimes even encourage the bully. Upstanders are people who see bullying and do something about it, such as telling an adult or directly telling the bully to stop.

Bullying matters because it happens to many people. In a survey done by ReachOut, of the 1000 14-25 year olds that were surveyed, 23% had been bullied in the past year, 52% of them had been bullied at school, 25.3% had been bullied at work and 25.3% had been bullied online. Out of the 229 people who were victims of bullying, 50.2% sought help from a parent, friend, doctor, GP or teacher although 49.8% did not seek help from anyone because of fear, being seen as ‘weak’ or feeling that there was no need for help. One in 4 Australians report being bullied every few weeks. Bullying is a crucial issue in Australia and must be stopped.

Furthermore, bullying of any type can have a long-term negative impact on anyone involved, even bystanders. Examples of the impacts that bullying can have on the victim are reduced participation, reduced enjoyment of school and reduced learning. Bystanders feel anxiety and distress after seeing someone doing something that they feel is wrong or feelings of concern towards their own safety. Impacts that bullying can have on the bully are later mental health or educational issues. Criminal or anti-social behaviour is also shown to be an outcome of bullying on the bully. Bullying of any form or for any reason is incorrect and should not be a problem in Australia or anywhere.

Bullying matters because there are many victims all over the world. In my school, there is 1 day designated to stopping bullying but it should not happen because there should be no bullying anywhere. We have motivation, but it is not enough. We must be fully conscious of what bullying is doing to people every day.

Primary Extra-Curricular Clubs Term 3

Emma Hill, Primary Teacher and Extra-curricular Leader

New Clubs offered in Term 3

• We are hoping to offer a Cooking Club in Term 3. Details are currently being finalised.
• Bricks 4 Kidz – this is a returning club however it is being offered during a lunchtime as well as after school

Unfortunately, various Russian Club providers are not able to offer Russian at Emanuel School next term.

Please note that from next term extra-curricular clubs as well as EActive clubs will be managed by Emma Hill. Please contact Emma on ehill@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au for any EActive or extra-curricular club queries.

Club information, including enrolment and booking details are now online on the Parent Portal. We will also send an email advising when the Parent Portal has been updated. Posters advertising some clubs are 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

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

As mentioned last week, this is Part 2 of the tertiary update day I attended this month.

There are also details from Bedford College (where a Diploma can give access to most University courses), TAFE (for practical vocational hands-on courses), and Western Sydney University (who have now changed their access into courses based on individual HSC marks alone) in the extended article. More details, schemes and entry pathways can be found below at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F7b0qKwwjMNwHb1_wIN0zRbGiYY3zWy4/view?usp=sharing

Australian National University (ANU) ***2020 NEW Admissions Program***

The Australian National University (ANU) has radically changed their admissions policy for 2020.The application process will now be direct and not through UAC. The application will be a single application for university places, and for accommodation. More details can be found at:

http://www.anu.edu.au/study/apply/new-admissions-for-2020/national-group

http://www.anu.edu.au/study/apply/new-admissions-for-2020/co-curricular-or-service-requirement

Sydney Flight College (SFC) – Matthew Piers, Sydney Flight College

Who can become a pilot? Almost anyone! There are no formal academic qualifications needed for entry level training. Mathematics and Physics of “average” capability is acceptable. Mathematics is probably more important, but not essential at a high level.

Details can be found at  www.sfcaero.com.au or call 9709 8488.

Australian Catholic University (ACU) – Professor Michael Ondaatje, Head of Arts

The ANU’s Faculty of Education is the largest in the country.  Professor Ondaatje combatted the common stereo types about the Arts degree. More and more employers are seeking out Arts graduates as they have been trained how to think. In 2019, ACU is launching its accelerated Bachelor of Arts program, taking 2.5 years to complete, and, if coupled with a Masters of Teaching, students can be qualified to teach in 3.5 years.

University of Notre Dame – Terry Crotty, Head of Admissions

Notre Dame has been in Sydney for 25 years. Its 15 buildings are all located around Ultimo, near UTS, TAFE, and other tertiary providers. Notre Dame is small and has only 5,000 students. Students get over 1,000 hours of practical experience for the Nursing degree, which gives them a 96% employment rate when they leave. Applications are direct and early offers close on 31July. For more information about courses click on www.notredame.edu.au/.

Careers notices, articles and events

UNSW Law

The 2018 LAT test will now be held on 25 September. Students will need to register and can use their Year 11 result and/or Year 12 if it is better. I encourage anyone in Year 11 who is considering Law to apply. It is also a great opportunity to try out your skills in forming ideas and creating arguments. Appy through the ACER website 

http://www.law.unsw.edu.au/future-students/undergraduate/law-admission-test-lat

(Careers Notices Sources: MHS Careers 2018)

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

This term at Kornmehl all 3 groups have been exploring a number of projects.

In this week’s newsletter, we thought to share some of the learning happenings in the Pre-school.

JNF Blue Box competition

The Dolphins and Starfish children have spent time over the past few weeks thinking and reflecting about the Blue Boxes from JNF that we put tzedakah in every Friday at Shabbat. The children take this responsibility very seriously and love popping their coins into the tzedakah box. We used this prior knowledge as a provocation to inspire the children to create a new design for the JNF Blue Box for a competition the organisation is holding. The children were able to think creatively and deeply about their entries and transfer their ideas onto paper. Their comments and thoughts show how capable and competent our young citizens of the Pre-school are. We think their ideas are extremely powerful and thought provoking.

We hope you enjoy reading them:

“We shake the Blue Box and put tzedakah in to send to Israel to get water and make the land better. I drew a tree because JNF plants trees in Israel. They dig with their spades and do some gardening in Israel. The trees are still growing and the Island (Israel) is looking so much better because of the money we send them.

“The colours on my picture tell you that I really love what you do to help Israel” Zella Benko – 5 years old

“I drew a Magen David inside a big tzedakah box and it has all the coins going around to put in the tzedakah box. It has a star on the top left corner to say well done!” Dalia Lopis – 5 years old

“I was thinking to draw a tree. They take the money from the box to build the tree. I made a high tree with leaves and lots of birds.” Sophie Lawson – 4 years old

“I wanted to try and make a tree like it normally looks like for the JNF, because the birds need a home to lay in. I made a big tree trunk.” Hannah Green – 4 years old

STEM

What is STEM? It stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

But what does all that mean? And how can we fit 20 animal counters onto 4 cups and 4 paddle pop sticks?

This provocation was shared with the Dolphin children, who worked in small groups to think, plan, discuss and solve this problem.

Science is about:

Aviv: Science is when you get oil and blue and red stuff and it grows or explodes.

Jemima: Science is something you do at school.

Leo P: Technology is about crystals.

Eli: About IPads

Luca: Electricity

Engineering is about:

Aviv: Drilling

Amelie: Making stuff

Savannah: Making cars

Mathematics is about:

Dalia: Counting numbers

Josh: Mathematics is numbers

Jemima: I know how to make a bridge.

Aviv: We put the cups out, then the sticks and fitted the animals on top.

Our stick insect

We have adopted a stick insect and the children have been lucky enough to observe its growth very closely over the past term. We have witnessed the stick insect shedding its skin and how quickly it has grown bigger each time it sheds its skin.

We took a closer look at the stick insect and the children were involved in a discussion about what they could see….

How many legs has it got? 

What do we know about our stick insect?

What are we thinking or wondering about it?

Sam: It is an insect. It has feelers.

Jacob: It takes its skin off. It kind of dances when it moves.

Vitaly: He is alive.

Isabella: Little lines, 2 lines point out of it. It has skinny legs. He has spikes to scare the other animals away, so no one will eat him. I think he’s trying to grip onto a leaf.

We had questions…

How does it climb?

How does it grip on?

Jacob: Maybe she has claws.

Leo: She’s may be doing yoga.

We explored one way of representing the stick insect using blu tak and different sized wooden sticks.

The questioning and learning continued.

Nadav: How many legs do we need?

Jacob: How can I make a curly tail?

Jonathan K: How many legs does it have?

The children’s clever creations using loose parts helped them to internalise the different body parts of the insect and resulted in them further developing their knowledge and understanding of how many legs to add on, how many body parts it had and how it moved. Their visual representations showed their deep understanding.

We are conscious of how children at this age can learn through many different languages and mediums. By allowing the children to use all their senses to explore concepts, we are assisting them to make their thinking visible.

Olive oil pressing

What is olive oil? 

Where does olive oil come from?

How can we get the oil out of the olives?

In January when some of the teachers from Kornmehl went on the JNF Educators Study Tour to Israel, we were privileged to spend time at Katzrin Talmudic Village and take part in the process of ancient olive oil pressing. The process was fascinating, and we were inspired by this experience to further explore what we could do with the olives in our garden.

In Term 1, the children participated in climbing up onto a ladder to pick the olives from our olive tree in the Kornmehl garden. The children were involved in the process of pickling the olives over a number of weeks and finally getting to taste them and enjoy their flavours. In Term 2, we received a huge bucket full of olives from a past parent’s olive farm. We decided to explore the concept of crushing the olives to make olive oil.

Our first step was to crush the olives – both the fruit and the seeds with rocks.

Jonathan K: We need heavy rocks to crush the olives and the seed inside.

Griffin: This is a messy job. We could do an experiment.

Jacob: I crushed the seeds, look.

Nadav: Now we can’t eat the olives.

This process enabled the children to learn about a number of concepts:

• Exploring the process and uses for olives
• Discovering and hypothesising what might happen and how can we make it happen
• Discovering and learning about a process
• Exploring scientific concepts such as heavy and light, floating and sinking.

The Seashells have begun exploring different pets. This interest has been initiated by the children, who have been chatting about their pets and incorporating play about pets into their imaginative games.

The Educators decided to use this as a provocation for learning and discovery.

They converted their home corner into a veterinary surgery. A mum, who is a Vet came in to talk to the children about the work she does.

The children have been sharing pictures of their pets at home and also bringing them in to show the group.

The children have taken this learning into their creative art works and this has inspired many beautiful representations. 

Happy birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Ellie Becker (5) and Dalia Lopis (5). We hope you had a special day.

JoNoFoly

Michelle Favero, Manager, Marketing and Communications

JoNoFoly

At the start of the year, 13 Emanuel School staff members made the long journey to Israel for a grand adventure. We were very fortunate to have been selected to experience Israel, its forests, kibbutzim, schools, universities and memorials, with the Jewish National Fund (JNF).

On our return, part of our remit was to share what we experienced with the rest of the Emanuel staff. At Monday afternoon’s teacher meeting JoNoFoly was born. An interesting take on Monopoly, all the sites and actions were changed to those relating to Israel. Community Chest became Knowledge Quest and Chance became Food Quest. The dog, shoe and iron were replaced with a Chunnukiah, Magen David and Hamsa, Bond Street became Hula Valley Park and Queens Park transformed into Yerushalyim. The game tested the participants’ knowledge of Israel in an interactive session with lots of laughter and camaraderie.

In addition to JoNoFoly, Kornmehl Pre-school staff created colourful displays sharing the reflections, drawings and photos of the children who have been learning about Israel, trees, birds and pressing olives – a skill that their educators learnt at the Katzrin Talmudic Village in Israel.

We thank Emanuel School and the JNF, once again, for helping us to experience and now share the trip of a lifetime.

You can view a video of the JNF tour to Israel here: https://youtu.be/lHSQX6pZg8Q

Community Connections – Gesher

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

The annual B’nai B’rith/JNF Jewish Changemaker Awards recognise emerging young leaders within our community.  Last Thursday evening, 21 June, was the 6^thconsecutive Awards Ceremony honouring young people in our community who have made a difference to society.

The nomination categories:

Coby New and Matthew Friedman

Emanuel students Sean Torban (Year 12) and Coby New (Year 7) were nominated in the category Youth, Contribution to Australian Society. Sean was nominated by Jennifer Udovich, Year 12 Wellbeing Tutor whilst Coby was nominated by his mother, Michelle New. Please see below for their short bios as they appeared in the program. Coby was announced joint-winner of that category, whilst alumnus, Matt Friedman (’15) won the Young Adult Contribution to Australian Society. Seven Emanuel alumni in total were nominated including Daniel Samowitz (’04), one of our Jewish Life teachers and Julia Sussman (’14) who sits on our Gesher Committee.

Well done to all our nominees and I hope more of our student volunteers will seek nomination for next year’s awards.