From the Principal

Andrew Watt

 Fun and games

Last Saturday evening saw a large gathering of Emanuel parents and friends, to compete as groups in a range of bingo, trivia and group challenges. Whilst the competitive spirit remained high, the evening was fun for all who attended, with the performance of our parent rock band, Daddy not so Cool being a highlight. Our sincere thanks to Ruby Berkovic, Jennifer Opit, and their P&F team for organising a wonderful evening of fun, fellowship and fund-raising, with special thanks to Andrew Klein, our MC.

Mathematics (Gifted & Talented) Enrichment Mentor

As we continue to invest in our teaching and learning and seek to build upon our academic success, we will be advertising for a new position within our Gifted and Talented Program. There are a small number of highly gifted students in each Year Group who would benefit from additional opportunities for extension and challenge in their Mathematics learning, both within and beyond the scope of the NESA Mathematics syllabuses. This new position will allow for an expanded and enriched experience in Mathematics for our most gifted mathematicians.

The new Mathematics (Gifted and Talented) Enrichment Mentor will work with Mathematics students across Years 5 to 11, with the flexibility and ability to teach to HSC Extension 2 level, as required. This position would also provide a balance with our current emphasis on building advanced literacy skills in our Opportunity Classes. In the High School, in addition to the students who will work with the Mathematics Enrichment Mentor, the current high ability Mathematics classes in each Year Group would remain, ensuring that all students requiring acceleration and/or extension are given the opportunity to do so, at a level consistent with their learning needs.

Year 10 Retreat in bushland setting

I had the pleasure of joining our Year 10 students, our Informal Jewish Life educators, local Jewish youth leaders and Israeli Madrichim for a day at the Machaneh Akeyah Camp, in Tallong. Our students were thriving in a beautiful, peaceful bush setting, with no access to social media. With plenty of time to bond as a Year Group, to rest and reflect, our students were encouraged through activities and discussion groups, to ask themselves who they are, where they are in their lives and where they should be as Jewish individuals and as a Jewish community. Great questions! The depth of their engagement and the honesty of their sharing was impressive. This camp also serves the important purpose of preparing them as a group for the Chavayah experience. The Machanhe has always been one of the highlights of the Emanuel experience.

Rugby 7s Challenge

Our intrepid Junior team competed in the David Horwitz Rugby 7s Challenge, at David Phillips Sport Complex. With few experienced players in the side, Heath Morley has worked wonders to prepare the team to be competitive – and they won two games! Thank you to Kristy Reed for convening the event, involving Masada College, Moriah College, St Andrews School and Emanuel, and the staff and parents who braved the cold, to support our team. Congratulations also to our intermediate team for their efforts – and we will await the results of our seniors.

Celebrating Father’s Day

Our Father’s Day Breakfast was well attended with so many grandparents, fathers and special friends enjoying the company and most delicious food. It was wonderful celebrating the special role that fathers play in the lives of their children. Many of our students will be bringing home gifts from our Father’s Day stalls. A huge thank you to our P&F team and canteen, who provided so generously for our fathers.

Mazal tov

Brody Elbourne

• Natasha Gering (Year 11) has been successful in gaining a place at the 2018 NSW Schools Constitutional Convention to be held at Parliament House on 30 October.
• Brody Elbourne (Year 8) ran in the Waratah Series Greater Bank 4km run at Homebush on the weekend and was the outright winner. He lead very early and was the clear winner with close to 800m between him and the second place getter.
• Jared Elbourne (Year 11) was successful in obtaining his Pool Lifeguard qualification. Jared was able to achieve this at 16 years old, the next youngest in the course was 21 years old.

Quote of the week

“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.”
Robert Frost

From the Primary School

Meghan Carroll – Acting Deputy Head of Primary

Deborah Blackman – Keeping Our Children Safe

Last week, we welcomed Deborah Blackman to Emanuel School. She offered a parent session on Keeping Our Children Safe. Deborah is a social worker with a background in Child Protection. She has been working with some of the classes in the Primary School (and does so every year) in order to ensure our community is well informed and proactive. Deborah expressed the importance of repetition at a developmentally appropriate way. It is important to refresh and remind the children of the skills and how to apply the rules.

Deborah uses the EduCARE Model which includes students, parents and staff in the training and conversation. The program with children focuses on positive messages such as ‘safety rules’ and ‘personal safety skills’.

Some facts and statistics

–     More than 90% of perpetrators of child sexual assault are male. Whilst this is true, the program acknowledges that most men and women in the world are nice but we need to be aware of the skills to keep ourselves safe (McCloskey & Raphael, 2005)

–     85-90% of perpetrators are known to their victims therefore this program does not focus on ‘stranger danger’ (NAPCAN 2009)

–     One in 4 girls and 1 in 7 boys are sexually abused in Australia (CASA House: Statistics) http://bit.ly/2ofKano

–     Nearly 70% of all reported assaults occur to children aged 17 and under (Children’s Advocacy Centre) http://bit.ly/2wtBrBR

–     Most child victims never report the abuse. Only 3% of children will ever tell of their abuse.

–     In 98% of all reported cases, the reports from children were found to be true (NSW Child Protection Council, cited in Dympna House 1998)

–     Some cases involve the use of force or threats of violence, but most do not.

–     Abusers specifically target their victims and go through a very intentional process of getting close to the child (‘grooming process’)

–     There is no typical profile of a child sex offender.

Rules

–       Say no, go away, tell an adult

–       Bad secrets must be told

–       Private parts are private

–       Don’t do anything or go anywhere without your parent’s/teacher’s permission.

–       If you need help, ask a parent eg. If you are lost in a shop  choose an adult from someone who is there with a child.

Strategies for parents

–       Believe your children if they report to you

–       Validate your child’s feelings

–       Keep communication open

–       Your child can trust you, tell your child who else they can trust

–       Create a list of safe people eg. to go into the car with after school

–       Minimise opportunity – reduce times your child is with an adult 1:1 who you don’t know.

–       Discuss and role play situations.

Responding to disclosures

–       Be open and available

–       Stay calm – don’t overreact, don’t underreact

–       “I am so sorry that his happened to you but it is good that you told me.”

–       Remind children that children are not at fault and that nothing is too terrible to tell

–       Don’t make negative comments about the alleged perpetrator. Focus on the child.

–       If a child wants to talk about abuse, listen carefully and as soon as you can, write everything down.

Thank you to everyone who could make it to Deborah’s session. If you were unable to join us, I encourage you to download the handouts from the session and review the content with your children.

Father’s Day

Thank you to the P&F for their amazing efforts for Father’s Day. The breakfast was delicious and such a lovely opportunity to thank and celebrate our fathers, grandfathers and special friends. Thank you to the P&F for also organising the gift stall too. The children were thrilled to be able to choose gifts for Sunday. We wishing you a happy Father’s Day and hope you enjoy a beautiful weekend together.

Year 3-5 Sport and Recreation Camp

Next week, students in Years 3, 4 and 5 will be heading to Point Wolstoncroft for our annual Sport and Recreation Camp. This is always an excellent opportunity to develop skills and relationships while enjoying the outdoors and exploring new activities. We are excited to spend a few days with the children and look forward to sharing our adventures with you upon our return. Our staff love spending time on camp but it is an additional commitment away from their families and lives. I thank them in advance for their care, enthusiasm and dedication.

Just a reminder that children need to be at school by 7.15 am on Wednesday morning. Please remember to say goodbye at the gate. Students can then take their belongings and meet in their designated areas:

• Year 3 – Waxman Drive
• Year 4 – Pizem Courtyard
• Year 5 – PAC

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Siegel

Blessed comings and goings

This week’s parashah, Ki Tavo, “When you come in”, which follows the parashah Ki Teitsei, “When you go out”, is replete with the word ברכה/Berakhah-Blessing.

Perhaps the capstone to this parashah is the beautiful sentiment that should grace our homes and schools:

ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך

May you be blessed upon your coming in

and

May you be blessed upon your going out

As our family and friends, students and staff enter and exit the doors of our homes and school, this would be a fitting welcome and farewell.

Yet, one’s being blessed, in our Jewish tradition, extends beyond one’s self. To experience blessing Is to recognise that we are blessed by those who give us life, when we enter our world, and by those whom we give life, before we leave this world.

To be truly blessed is to live a life in which we reap the great and unique fortune with which each of us has been bestowed and provide the possibility of the same for our loved ones that will live on after us.

We are in the month of אלול/Elul, which our tradition sees as serving as an acronym for, אני לדודיודודי לי – “I am to my beloved as my beloved is to me”. As we approach Rosh HaShannah and begin to reflect upon the new year coming in and the present one going out, we are reminded of the bonds of family and friends in our life’s journey.

As descendants of Avraham, we are reminded as well that between entering and exiting our world we are all to live by the command heard by this first Jew – הייה ברכה – “Be a blessing”! The doors of our family and community that welcome and farewell us can only prescribe and describe the blessed life that is up to us to live.

Student Devar Torah

Alexis Joffe – Year 9

Jonathan Schach – Year 9

Ki Tavo

This week’s Parashah is Ki Tavo. In this parashah, the Israelites are instructed that after entering the Promised Land, they are to bring a fruit offering to God and recite a formal statement that recounts their history. This parashah also states that 1/10^th of what they harvest in their new Land is to be given to those less fortunate so they may have something on which to live. Today, as then, we should be helping others who may not be as fortunate as we.

God says his help is dependant upon the people following His rules and requirements. This allows us to understand that if we want something in life, it will not come for free. The Israelites are told they will be rewarded for doing good. This relates to our modern day life in that if we do the right thing, great things could happen for us.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter | Head of Jewish Studies Primary

Year 6 and ‘Courage to Care’

This term our Year 6 students have been engaging in an integrated learning program in both general and Jewish Studies, focusing on pre-war Jewish Life in Europe and experiences during WWII and the Shoah. They are engaged in Project Heritage, have visited the Sydney Jewish Museum and this week experienced B’nai B’rith’s ‘Courage to Care’ program.

Our students were privileged to hear the testimony and story of survivor Susan Warhaftig, who openly shared her experiences and prompted many questions from the students. Students learnt about the actions of Righteous Amongst the Nations, people such as Raul Wallenberg and Sir Nicholas Winton, ordinary people who acted in extra-ordinary ways, to help save Jews during the Shoah.

Inspired by the actions of people who had the courage to care, students reflected on what it means to be a bystander when acts of bullying, hatred and racism occur today. They reflected on contemporary experiences of bullying, what it means to be an upstander and to have the courage to care to help others.

Sasha Becker said: “I think the story of Nicholas Winton was very interesting. The video of Nicholas meeting many of the children he saved as adults, many years later, was very touching and made me shocked by how many people died because of by-standers.”

Agnes Seeman facilitating a Courage to Care discussion

Faye Radom presenting Courage to Care to Year 6

Susan Warhaftig and Kian Hambuger

From the Music Department

Diana Springford – Acting Head of Music Performance and Academic K-6

Daniel Burley – Acting Head of Music – Academic 7-12

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 4 is next week (Friday 7 September). 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 and committed to the full term of lessons. Parents who wish to advise us of discontinuations or new enrolments should do so using one of the online forms, which can be accessed from the links below. If your child intends to discontinue, formal notification in advance must be given using the online discontinuation form, otherwise parents will be liable for fees for next term.  Please contact Deborah Beder by email to music@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions.

Links to online forms:

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

To discontinue private tuition for Term 4: http://tinyurl.com/PrivateTuitionDiscontinuation

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

To discontinue Infant Strings Program for Term 4: http://tinyurl.com/InfantStringsDiscontinuations

Recent student performances

Mazal tov to Lucy Klein, Jack Simon and Coby New (Year 7) and Oren Levin-Kahn (Year 6) whose Rock Band entertained us at High School Assembly this week with Dani California by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers! Thanks to Ben Marshall for nurturing their talents over the past several years.

Save the date

Night of Instrumental Music:  Tuesday 6 November at 6.00 pm

Emanuel School and King David Schools Music Exchange 2018 visit to Melbourne

In 2018 High School musicians from Emanuel School will visit The King David School in Melbourne from Sunday 21 October until Tuesday 23 October. This will be the eighth music exchange and we are excited by the musical and cultural opportunities this event provides for our young musicians. During the exchange, students will experience interesting new music, be immersed in the culture of another progressive Jewish school, and develop new and old friendships. The exchange is open to High School students who are committed members of Copland Concert Band, Bernstein Concert Band, Senior Stage Band, Junior Stage Band, Senior Choir and Emanuel String Orchestras. Up to 40 students will be able to participate in this year’s exchange.

On Sunday 21 October, students will meet their Music teachers at the Sydney Domestic Airport at 2.00 pm ready to receive their boarding pass for their flight to Melbourne. Students will be billeted with King David families during their stay in Melbourne. The Music Exchange will conclude with a Showcase Concert at King David School on the afternoon of Tuesday 23 October. Students will return to Sydney Domestic Airport at 9.00 pm after flying from Melbourne. Parents will pick up students from the Sydney Domestic Airport.

The total cost to participate in the Music Exchange is $400.

Bookings opened on Friday 17 August. Bookings must be completed by Sunday 2 September.

We are holding a group booking of 40 airline tickets, for which we have 14 days to pay.  To secure a place, please use the link  to pay the full cost of the exchange: www.trybooking.com/XPGB

The link 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 in full by credit card. By booking in this way, you will receive confirmation that your payment has been accepted and that your child is registered for the Music Exchange. Please note: all payments are non-refundable.

At the end of the TryBooking process there is a link to a more detailed permission note requesting dietary requirements and medical information. This too should be completed by 2 September:  https://goo.gl/forms/oGg5yCF5eqOuhzwh1. A more detailed itinerary and information note will be sent to participants in Week 7 of Term 3.

This deadline of 2 September 2018 will be strictly adhered to, as we must pay the airline and release the unsold tickets on the following day.

Participation in the exchange is on a first-come-first-served basis so early response to this invitation is recommended. Once the 40 tickets are sold out, the TryBooking website will allow unsuccessful applicants to add their contact details to a waiting list so that we are aware of your desire to attend the exchange.

The Music Exchange will conclude with a Showcase Concert at King David School in Melbourne on the afternoon of Tuesday 23 October at 4.00 pm. Emanuel parents are most welcome to attend and further information will be provided closer to the date.

HSC Music Showcase

Courage to Care

Natalie Lijovic, Science and Mathematics Teacher & Head of Rashi House

Courage to Care incursion

The Year 8 Tutor Program in Term 3 focuses on the topic of connecting – engaging with oneself and others. The lesson themes include communication, dealing with conflict, respect, self-control, balance, making a difference and bullying to empower students to stand up and take positive action. Students are encouraged to create a pro-active project (Project Stand Up), highlighting some way to make a difference that may include the student, their peers, the School and wider community.

An incursion with Courage to Care was organised this term for Year 8 to supplement the wellbeing topic on Connecting.

Courage to Care is a social tolerance education and positive bystander action program that raises awareness of discrimination, racism and bullying, encouraging understanding and empathy, and empowering participants to stand up to prejudice, bullying and injustice. The program was presented to Year 8 students on Wednesday 30 August.

High School Sport Competitions

Kristy Reed, Head of Sport & PDHPE Teacher

In Term 4 Emanuel will be taking part in various weekly team sport competitions. Team sports are encouraged at Emanuel not only for the obvious health and fitness benefits, but also as a vehicle to develop skills such as teamwork, leadership and resilience.

In Term 4, Emanuel will enter teams into the Easts Basketball League. This sport option involves weekly training sessions at school and weekly Sunday games. Games are held at Moore Park, Waverley or Dover Heights. This opportunity is open to all boys and girls in High School. Teams will be formed based on skill level and age divisions.

Netball teams will be entered into the High Performance Netball Tournament at Heffron Park. Participation in this competition will involve weekly training sessions at school and matches each Thursday afternoon. The competition runs from 18 October through until 6 December. Teams are available for girls in the 14s or opens divisions.

Once again, Emanuel will take part in the Easts Schools Touch Football Competition. This competition will involve weekly training sessions and matches each Tuesday afternoon at Queens Park. The competition commences on 16 October and will conclude on the 5 March, with no games over the holiday period. The competition is run across three divisions: Year 7, junior and senior, for both boys and girls.

All sport teams will be allocated coaches for the duration of the season and the School’s expectation is that team members attend all training sessions and games. Students are required to follow Emanuel’s uniform expectations and all uniforms are purchased through the School’s onsite uniform shop.

Each sport has a registration fee and these fees will be shared in the parent information letter distributed in Week 9 of this term. In order to keep these fees to a minimum all fees receive a 40% subsidy from the School.

If your child is interested in being part of any of these sporting opportunities, please have them express their interest by signing up on sports noticeboard.

For any further information please contact me on kreed@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Meir House

Charlotte Lyons

Tara Israel

Hey everyone! We are Charlotte and Tara – the new Chief Editors of the Meir Advocate! We are in Year 9 and we will be keeping you up to date on all Meir activities and what we ‘Meirians’ have been up to lately.

Meirian athletes

On Monday 20 August, many Meirians participated in the CDSSA Athletics Carnival, so well done to all! Everyone did a great job representing Emanuel and we were placed third out of the 11 schools. Mazal tov to the following Meirians for their awesome efforts  and who who have progressed through to the NEXT level (AICES Athletics Carnival): Greg Allen, Samara Trenaman, Eden Levit, Mariah Levy and Brooke Rosen. A special congratulations to our own House Madrich, Greg Allen, who was awarded age champion, and to Eden Levit who progressed through for five different events!

Greg Allen – Year 11

Eden Levit – Year 7

Meir’s First Win

Last Friday was the Science Week Inter-House Trivia Quiz and the first ever Inter-House competition Meir has competed in. Meir came out very strong coming first over all! Thank you to everyone for their enthusiasm and House love, as every single spot on the teams was filled.

A special acknowledgement to Dan Bethlehem, Zac Fidler, Ethan Moliver, Joshua Moses and Toby Akres, whose trivia team was awarded first place! This has been a great start for our new Meir House and we are positive that Meir will continue doing amazing things and living up to our house motto – “Those who shine”.

House Music

Last week, the House Madrichim asked for Meirians to email them if they were interested in nominated for the X-Factor or Small House Performance in the House Music/Performance Night coming up in Term 4. If you are interested, please email Dylan or Greg.

herdan.dylan@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

allen.greg@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Finally, feel free to email us if you would like to make an announcement or let us know about a Meirian who has achieved something great! We want to make sure we acknowledge all achievements within Meir.

lyons.charlotte@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

israel.tara@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

“Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life”- Golda Meir

Have an amazing weekend and Shabbat shalom

Charlotte and Tara 🙂

Books for Africa

Emanuel School collects over 2000 books!

Week 5 was a great challenge collecting books for ABCA (Australian Books for Children of Africa). The four of us collected books from the Primary classrooms and the Pre-school and packed them into boxes for hours every day.

The ABCA is a charity that collects  books for children and sends them to Africa. The children who receive the books are really grateful for your efforts. It was a wonderful week of giving and receiving.

Most of the schools in Africa that the books are shipped to, only have books that have been donated by the ABCA. These children have much less than any of us and we really appreciated your support. We collected over 2000 books this year and it will make a huge impact on the lives of these children.

On the Friday of Week 5, the Primary School had a Book Week Dress Up Day. There were many bright costumes and cheery faces From Cat In The Hat to Harry Potter.

Students were asked to bring in a gold coin donation to go to shipping fees for the books.

Thank you to Mrs Cohen, Ms Cameron-Gardner, Mr Stein, Mrs Singer and all the teachers who supported the cause and helped make everything happen.

We also thank all the students and parents who donated books and took the time to help the children of Africa.

Gabriella Dyce, Liberty Waldner, Arielle Sharp and Avalon van der Starre (Year 5)

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Open Days

With so many of our Year 12s attending University of Sydney, Australian National University, Notre Dame University and University Technology Sydney Open Days last weekend, students have been challenged, invigorated, enlightened and even confused with some of their university choices. As I mention so often to students and parents alike, attending Open Days can really help solidify students’ questions, and already I have heard of students who have changed directions, changed courses, and changed institutions based on these visits alone. This weekend is another big weekend for UNSW, ACU and the National Art School (NAS). Look online to find out details on lectures, campus tours, Q&A sessions and more. www.uac.edu.au/assets/documents/schools/uni-open-days-2018.pdf

Career spotlight – Real Estate Agent

This year I have been answering a lot of questions about real estate. It appears there is a growing interest in this area, so here is a career spotlight on the industry.

“Real Estate Agents are licensed professionals who help people who want to buy, sell or rent property. They help people prepare their homes for sale or rent, and they also help people find a property to buy or rent. Some real estate agents work with commercial property (like factories, retail and office property), and some manage rental property on behalf of the owner.” It is important to note that real estate agents have to work hard, show true grit and are great relationship-builders and people-persons. Sometimes there is a view amongst younger students, that you can make quick money and it’s an easy-ride. This is far from the truth and a lot of hard work is needed. Here is a video from Seek on a day in the life –

A day in the life of a Real Estate Agent.

Salary range:

According to Payscale, the median salary is $48,385. More experienced professionals can earn closer to  $77,585 per year and with commission up to $97,871. This data comes from over 300 salaries in the industry.

Qualifications required:

Wherever you live, in order to work in Real Estate, you must first be registered or licensed. Most people who start out in real estate get a Certificate III or IV in Property Services (Real Estate) and undertake some on-the-job training. TAFE, for example, offers online courses specific to NSW. This landscape is currently changing, and new rules/accreditation is under review.

To become a Principal (someone who runs their own agency) you’ll need an Associate Degree, Advanced Diploma, or at least 3 years of relevant experience.

Here’s how to get started

Getting some initial experience within the industry could be a helpful stepping stone – applying for work experience or administration roles with a real estate agent will give you an insight into the job and add some credible experience to your resume. Real estate is all about your contacts, so the more you have the better.

What does the work look like?

No two days will be the same. You could spend your time showing houses and apartments to potential buyers, providing quotes to possible sellers, or even managing rental property which could be anything from arranging repairs to following up with tenants who haven’t paid the rent.

You’ll generally be dealing with people all day long, and you’ll need a good grasp of money and finances because you’re helping people with their biggest investment – their home.

Great real estate agents often have these skills:

• Effective communication – this is absolutely critical. I have not met a successful real estate agent who does not have exceptional communication skills
• Active listening
• Organisational skills
• Attention to detail
• Negotiation
• Good time keeping.

Reference – REINSW https://reinsw.com.au for New South Wales.

Torrens University Australia – information night

Date:  4 September 

Learn about Torrens courses in more detail, meet students and lecturers.

Find out more – www.torrens.edu.au/about/events-and-workshops – all

Connecting our Community – Gesher

A little bit of culture

The annual Archibald Prize was first awarded in 1921 and is one of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art awards. Judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW and awarded to the best portrait painting, this exhibition is a who’s who of Australian culture – from politicians to celebrities, sporting heroes to artists.

On Wednesday morning 40 members of our School Community attended our Grandparents Committee Archibald Prize private tour.  Upon arrival at the Art Gallery, we were split into two groups and our expert guides Annie Herron and Jo Smith each took one of the groups through the Archibald Prize exhibition. Annie and Jo’s wealth of knowledge about each of the artists and their paintings on display was amazing and their stories captivated everyone on our tour.  Art as we all know, really is subjective and so there was much discussion about which painting our group thought should have won 1^st prize!  We thank Tammy Keller, co-president of the Grandparents Committee for suggesting this tour – it was a huge success!  Once the exhibition finishes here in Sydney on 9 September, it moves to Geelong on 22 September and then to a number of regional galleries in NSW (www.artgallery.nsw.au).

September is just around the corner and so we wish alumnus Ben Wilheim (Class of 2008) and his team of supporters every success for the RememberSeptember challenge. If you would also like to support this amazing project founded by Ben in memory of his late father who died from pancreatic cancer, please register and/or get more information here: http://rememberseptember.gofundraise.com.au

We look forward to our 2018 Primary Grandparents and Friends Day next Tuesday morning. We know the students are getting very excited as they prepare to share this special morning with our very special visitors.

Join us in Bondi Junction on Wednesday 26 September from 7.30 am to 9.00 am for Breakfast with Emanuel. Our guest presenters will be Kobi Bloom and Daniel Samowitz, members of our amazing Jewish Life Team. For more details and to RSVP: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen- Director Kornmehl

Burger Centre visits

Both the Starfish and Dolphins visited the Burger Centre this week to sing for the elderly visitors, who are always delighted to see the children and to join in with the singing. Taking the children out into the wider community has many advantages for both parties. It’s important for the children to realise that they are part of a wider community and that they can make such a big difference in someone’s life. The children bring joy and happiness through the power of song, music and just their presence. Teaching the children to have empathy and an emotional connection to elderly members of our community builds their confidence, resilience, as well as feelings of worth and positivity. All of these factors were evident in our visits this week.

Below are some of the children’s comments:

Preparations for going to school

Each child responds differently to changes and each child will deal differently with the transition into school. Children need help to adjust to the rules and way of doing things that school offers. Some of these changes include:

• The physical environment is bigger with playgrounds that are shared with older children and facilities spread across a wide campus.
• Routines may be a lot more structured, with set times to eat, play, go to the library or the toilet.
• Relationships may be more complicated than previously, where the child will have to learn to relate to different teachers, specialist teachers and lots of different children across many age groups.

Children who make a positive start to school are more likely to feel comfortable, relaxed and valued, good about themselves as learners and develop a sense of belonging to the school community.

It is important for parents to talk positively about going to school, without building up unrealistic expectations. Try to listen to any concerns your child may have and answer any questions. Make sure your child attends the school’s orientation programs usually held in Term 4. If necessary take them for a walk around the School, pointing out their classroom and mapping the journey from the room to the toilets, library and other key facilities.

Below are a few tips to think about:

• Personal skills – include the ability to look after yourself and your belongings, to manage your time and get tasks done and understand that particular rules and routines apply in each situation.
• Relationship skills – include being able to join in games, take turns, make and maintain friends and learn how to talk with less familiar adults.
• Learning skills – include being able to keep going with a task, knowing how to ask and answer questions, how to listen to and follow instructions and having a positive disposition or attitude towards learning new things.

Parents are the safe base from which children can move out to explore the world, to learn and grow and become socially confident, responsible young people.

Things you can do to build your child’s personal, social and learning capacity:

• Gradually ask your child to take responsibility for organising their belongings eg setting out clothes for the next day.
• Give your child small manageable responsibilities at home, such as cleaning up, setting the table, clearing their plate, putting their toys away.
• Involve your child in family decisions according to their age and ability; offer them choices about what to wear, what they want to eat, or where the family could go on an outing.
• Talk about the different rules that apply for different situations e.g. wearing a seatbelt in the car, crossing a road, in the park, at the pool and so on.
• Play games as a family and remind children about rules and turn taking.
• Invite children over to play and guide your child into joining in and making friends. It’s important for parents to model kindness and respect.
• Sit with your child doing small tasks, encouraging them to persist and solve problems.
• Read books and develop your child’s listening skills, concentration, comprehension, thinking and conversation.
• Encourage your child to explore, be curious, come up with questions and investigate how things work.
• Encourage your child to be independent, to believe in themselves and to take some risks in a protected way.
• Teach your child that things don’t always work out the way we want them to, but that we can learn from every situation and to keep trying until we succeed.

Taken from Your Child’s First Year at School – Getting off to a good start. A guide for parents – Jenni Connor and Pam Linke, 2012

Holiday care

Holiday care will take place in the first week of the holidays on 3 ,4, 10 and 11 October from 8 am to 4 pm.  

Happy Birthday

This week we wish a very happy birthday to Bianca Ross (4) and our special educator Marlene. We hope you both had a special birthday celebration.

Mazal tov

We wish a hearty mazal tov to Naomi, Jeremy and Jacob Raiz on the birth of a precious daughter and sister, Ruby on Monday this week.

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Happy Friday everyone!

By now our Father’s Day Breakfast and Stalls will have finished. 

A special thank you to Biller Property for sponsoring our coffee cart. We would also like to thank the wonderful Michelle Stockley, Nikki Michel, and Lisa Strous, as well as their helpers, for running the Gift Stalls. We hope you enjoy your gifts!

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

We wish all the dads, grandfathers and special friends in the Emanuel Community a very happy Father’s Day for Sunday!

Games Night

Our Games Night was last Saturday night  and was an incredible event. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making it such a special night: the fabulous volunteers; our amazing MC, Andy Klein and his helper Dani Klein; our parent band, Daddy Not So Cool; our generous donors and all the attendees. We have attached a detailed thank you slide and are so appreciative of all those who were involved in making the night such a success.

The night itself was wonderful but we were blown away by the sense of community when, as the evening ended, people just started helping with the clean-up and pack away. The Emanuel Family is a beautiful one to be a part of.

Enjoy your weekend,

Jen and Ruby