From the Principal

Andrew Watt

What do you know about Fortnite?

This online video game, released in 2017 by Epic Games, has over 125 million players world-wide and has been termed a ‘cultural phenomenon’. Its latest iteration, Battle Royale, pitches player against player, in missions to move up a series of ‘tiers’. Some of the online celebrations and dances have also made their way into mainstream! So, what do parents know about this online world that has captured the imagination (and focus and time!) of our children?

• What is a V-Buck and how to you gain them?
• How do you earn Battlestar points?
• What ‘mats’ (materials) can you collect?
• What is a ‘default’ or ‘noob skin’?
• How often do the seasons change?
• How much does a battle pass or a battle bundle cost, in real currency?

In this online world, our children will, if permitted, spend countless hours battling each other, with the aim of being the last person standing and advancing to ‘Tier 100’. As one commentator described it: “You all pile on a flying bus and jump out over the playing area, meaning everyone gets scattered throughout the map to explore buildings, find weapons and hunt each other. Not only do you have to avoid being killed by other players, you also have to avoid being taken out by the storm that is descending on the island.” To revitalise the game, seasons change every two months, with new ‘skins’ or weapons available. The game was designed to be attractive (addictive!) and to retain the player’s interest and commitment to gaming.

Should parents be worried? The concerns around Fortnite centre around its addictive nature and how excessive online gaming interferes with school work, sleep and relationships. With 100 players (strangers) battling each other, there is also the danger of grooming by online predators. Some practical actions that parents can take include:

• Restrict use to weekends and use controls on consoles to set time limits
• Restrict additions of ‘friends’, if your son/daughter does not know them
• Report abusive players and
• Find out more about their online world. Learn more about the game; talk about what they are playing and who they are playing with.

In assembly on Tuesday, I discussed Fortnite, emphasising the importance of having a balance of activities each week, that span across physical, mental, academic and social realms.

Swimming Carnival

Last Friday, our students enjoyed a day in the sunshine, away from their studies, with a focus on a sometimes fierce but always friendly swimming competition. A strong connection to their House community was evident, with many students participating across a number of events for the valuable House points. We will be kept in suspense until our Week 5 assembly (when all Year Groups will be present), for the announcement of the winning House and the swimming champions for 2019.

Year 6 Leadership Camp

This week our Year 6 students started their roles as leaders by participating in a three-day leadership experience, both on and off campus. On Monday, teachers and students ventured to Narrabeen for an overnight Leadership Camp which focused on developing a better understanding of what it takes to be a leader, team work and building resilience through a variety of indoor and outdoor challenges. On Wednesday, the students began working on their leadership portfolios with their mentors and will continue to meet regularly in these teams to develop and implement initiatives throughout the School this year. Our thanks to our Student Leadership Co-ordinator, Hugo Adrian and our wonderful team of Year 6 teachers, staff and supervisors including Adam Carpenter, Meghan Carroll, Diane Clennar, Kimberley Haddix, Tany Milner and Karon Rom.

Being a good neighbour

It is important to us that our Emanuel community remain thoughtful and respectful towards the local residents. Sadly, we have received a number of complaints, where vehicles driven by Emanuel parents have blocked driveway access for residents during the drop off or pick up periods. We remind parents and caregivers of the need to obey the traffic rules and to be respectful towards our neighbours. Importantly, please avoid any actions that could put children in danger when departing our campus. These include double parking, parking on corners, in no-stopping areas, across driveways, or in any way blocking the traffic.

Mazal tov

• Jade Berson in Year 10 has been selected to represent Australia in the Maccabi swimming squad in the Pan American Games in Mexico City in July.
• Two members of the public expressed how well our staff had engaged with them before the Swimming Carnival started last Friday. They thanked them for being considerate of the use of the pool before students arrived.

Quote of the week

“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing and we continue to live.”

Mortimer Adler

Primary News

Natanya (Tany) Milner – Head of Primary

We are hoping to provide you with a greater overview of Primary School initiatives and perspectives through Ma Nishma. As a result, the weekly articles will be written by a different member of the Primary School executive each week. We aim to provide this broader view without increasing the overall length of Ma Nishma. We hope you enjoy the greater breadth of articles in the coming months.

 Year 6 Leadership Camp

This week Year 6 students and teachers went on Leadership Camp. This three-day program focused upon developing student leaders in the Primary School. The students learnt collaborative skills and ways to best manage communication and conflict resolution. They also spent time organising initiatives for the Primary School within their portfolios. A huge thanks goes to the teachers involved in the camp. Thank you to Hugo Adrian (who also co-ordinated the camp), Adam Carpenter, Meghan Carroll, Diane Clennar, Kimberley Haddix and Karon Rom. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them guide the children through their leadership learning and the students responded with insight and positive energy. Thank you to Holly Dillon for her organisational support and all the teachers who are mentoring the portfolio teams.

Please save the date for these informative evenings:

• Meet the Teacher – Monday 18 February
• Parent Teacher Evening – 1 April or 3 April

Katie Brody – Director of Studies K-6

 Flexible Grouping, an effective strategy for differentiated learning

Addressing student need through a flexible grouping structure allows each individual student to build self-efficacy around learning, as the likelihood of feeling successful and making gains can be more overt when the group is relatively homogenous. Our flexible grouping strategy at Emanuel School organises students intentionally and fluidly for different subject areas such as Maths, Reading and Hebrew. Groupings are well-matched to the purpose and they are determined using assessment results, work samples over time and anecdotal data. Students meet in their groups, together with a teacher, for targeted instruction that addresses the readiness, pace, depth and complexity needed by the learners in their group. If students begin to perform beyond the level of their current group, teachers then extend and stretch the students’ thinking. If the achievement of a student begins to appear similar to the level of the students in a different group, it can be beneficial to offer the student a chance to move into that group where the learning is more aligned with their need in terms of pace and complexity.

In these early weeks of Term 1, the teachers have been getting to know all of their students socially, emotionally and academically. Extensive assessment data and anecdotal information from previous teachers has been passed on during team ‘hand-over’ meetings, and initial placement into groups is almost complete. We look forward to working together with parents to foster the engagement, intrinsic motivation and progress of the children. We believe that we are successful if students are correctly placed with their learning needs met and we appreciate parents supporting the view that higher placements are not considered a ‘prize’ to strive for, but rather that they are a placement where the student can work at an appropriately challenging level to optimise engagement and progress.

Home learning with a focus on reading

In a recent newspaper article by renowned children’s author, Morris Gleitzman, he presented a compelling reason to work on instilling a love of learning in our children that is not always recognised as a benefit of reading. Gleitzman reminded us that, “Stories don’t just help kids develop language literacy, they help them develop life literacy too”. What he is referring to, of course, is that the journey that children travel down when they engage with the plight of a character, is one that allows them to face a problem bigger and possibly more difficult than any they’ve faced before. To solve or survive the problem, the character must develop skills and qualities beyond their previous experience.

As our children learn to navigate the world, process the challenges they face and gradually develop independence and personal strength, reading can serve as ‘bibliotherapy’ and can support the emotional and social education that parents and teachers so lovingly engender. Gleitzman’s article listed the following outcomes of reading that go beyond the obvious literacy benefits:

• Children learn to think bravely and honestly about what is causing the problem for the character.
• Children develop the thinking skills to better understand what the character is facing.
• Children recognise that big problems require teamwork, so the character needs to form friendships and alliances, all of which requires the development of people skills, in particular, empathy.
• Children see that creative thinking is vital because a character with a problem needs problem-solving strategies.
• Children build resilience because they see that big problems never get solved quickly but require persistence over time.

As young characters move through their problem-solving journeys, our children are right at their side, their imagination firing, offering advice and creative solutions, whilst hoping for the success of the characters they have grown to care about. All the while, they are noticing the imagery, the vocabulary, the grammar, spelling, punctuation and the sentence structure that we know develop in voracious readers of all ages.

In Term 4 last year, the new Emanuel School Home Learning Policy was introduced. This policy, developed through extensive consultation with teachers, parents and students, holds reading at home and discussing the reading, as the primary focus of home learning, especially in Years K-2, but across Years 3-6 as well. It is recommended that you familiarise yourself with this policy again and the related Home Learning Parent Resources Page – click here. For age-based book recommendations, click here.

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

A blessing on your head

This week, we are introducing our new High School House kippot to our students.

The word kippah/כיפה is related to the word kaf כף/Palm. And, you can see why – as the palm/kaf is like a kippah, which means dome or covering.

Kippah כיפה

Palm כף

Dome covering

That is why the lulav we use on Sukkot is called kappot temarim/כפות תמרים/the Palm fronds (of the Date tree). It is like a kaf, a palm, and like a kippah it serves as a dome or covering. 

Palm fronds

כפות תמרים

The dome/fronds of the Date Palm tree

And, in Israel the Iron Dome – to protect from incoming missiles – is called kippat barzel. In fact some kippot are so large that they look like protective helmets.

When parents bless their children on Shabbat they place their two palms, kappayim/כפיים, on their heads, similar to kippot, signifying the bestowing of blessings and protection. And, when the Kohanim blessed the people, with extended kappayim/palms, they say “יברכך וישמרך”/”May God bless you and protect you”.           

  Raising/laying on of the palms –נשיאתכפיים

And, so the Dome of the Rock is like a giant kippah and therefore is called Kippat HaSela or Qubbat al-Sachrah.

Dome of the Rock כיפת הסלע

Here are some fellow Jews wearing kippot in front of a church dressed in kippot.

Finally, here is a kippah with pictures of the various domes of Israel, one might say a Kippah of Kippot.

כיפה של כיפות

Our High School students will begin wearing their new skull caps or kippot, for tefillot, High School Assembly, Birkat Hamazon and Kabbalat Shabbat, beginning this Friday.

Students will wear the kippah of their House. Females are welcome to join the males.

Pictures of our new House Kippot appear below.

For Jews, wearing kippot keeps us mindful that living Jewishly should inform our lives. A kippah signifies that living a blessed life means bestowing blessings upon others.

We hope our students will enjoy their new House Kippot and wear them proudly.

Student Devar Torah – Liat Granot

Liat Granot – Year 10

Parahsat Tetsaveh

Tetsaveh tells of a fascinating garment worn by the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). The Kohen Gadol wore a breastplate that was decorated with twelve unique and precious stones. The stones represented the 12 Tribes, and each stone had the name of one of the Tribes carved into it.

This beautiful breastplate served a deep spiritual purpose. It was said that whenever the High Priest was asked a question that he could not answer, or was faced with a situation that he could not resolve, he would pose the question to his breastplate, and he would receive the answer to the problem though the letters carved on the stones.

The Kohen Gadol was among the wisest of all men, but even he wasn’t expected to be able to solve every problem he faced. Despite his important position, he knew that it was okay to ask for help whenever he didn’t have a solution. When we are faced with a situation or problem that we don’t know the answers to, the Torah is telling us that it is more than ok to ask for help. This doesn’t even have to be how to fix the problem – it could simply be a nudge in the right direction.

Let’s look at something that almost all of us need help with – homework. For me specifically, Maths homework. It was a dark and stormy night. I was in Year 7 (a dark time for all…) and once again, I was struggling to figure out what ‘x’ was. I was scared. What if I never figured out what ‘x’ was? What if I would just sit here forever and wonder what ‘x’ was? When I’m older and have kids, will they ask me what ‘x’ is and I wouldn’t know? With the benefit of hindsight, I know that if I had just asked my dad or even Googled it I would have saved myself so much time and effort.

But what makes someone not ask? I think it is simply fear. Fear of what others might think, fear that we still won’t understand, fear that we might not like the answer. And of course some of this is just human nature. But what if we just let go of all the fear in our lives. I know this sounds crazy but give it a try – maybe in one aspect of your life where you feel that you could use a little more knowledge. Ask more questions in class, ask that cute guy or girl out for a movie, ask your parents for just five more dollars. Well maybe not the last one – I will have no fatalities stemming from this devar torah! What I’m trying to say here is that if the Kohen Gadol, the wisest among men, can ask someone for help, then you can too.

Student Devar Torah – Joshua Moses

Joshua Moses – Year 9

Parashat Tetsaveh                               

Light is a core concept in Judaism, and that’s where this parashah begins. Tetzaveh continues from where the previous parashah left off, talking about the Mishkan/Tabernacle. God instructs Moshe to bring pure olive oil to help keep the Menorah in the temple perpetually lit – he notes that Aharon will have this responsibility. Perhaps the most important thing said was how the oil must be pure. Pure oil was needed to keep the sanctity of the tabernacle pure – if you burn bad fuel the light will be tainted.

The main part of this parashah involves what the priests wear when residing in the Mishkan and God is very specific when describing the priests clothing. First of all, for their clothes, they must spin gold so thin that it must become a thread (this seems quite impractical), but let’s move on. It is then woven with turquoise, purple and crimson, and then the controversial part–  wool and linen. Earlier in the Torah God says that the Israelites can’t wear clothes with wool and linen woven together. There are a variety of explanations for this contradiction, but perhaps it was to separate the priests from the ‘regular’ Israelites, thus symbolising their particular connection to God.

Continuing from last week – the use of material. Materials can’t be evil – only how they are used can be wrong. At first the Israelites used gold to worship a calf, and were thus punished. They then used the exact same material for devotion to God – something good.

God says to Moses that he shall anoint the priests in oil – this connects with the notion that light is one of the most important notions in Judaism.These priests are anointed with the fuel for light and are thus expected to carry the same spirit that light does for the Israelites.

Another interesting statement is reiterated in this parashah: “through the Mishkan God shall live among the people”. This rejects the notion that the Mishkan, or later the Temple, is above the people, but instead it embraces the notion that the Mishkan/Temple was with the people.

It’s quite interesting that in this part of the Torah it is very specific, everything has a measurement, or a specific rule. Perhaps there is not as much moral value to be extrapolated from this parashah or perhaps there is, but we just need to go a bit deeper.

Chavayah experience

Chavayah

An Experience of Experiences

Before sending our students off to Israel, I shared with them some thoughts about Chavayah:

Chavayah means experience.

And, there are three forms of Experiences which is the purpose of this program.

Chavayateinu (Our Experience)

We hope this will be a “group experience”. This shared experience will bring you together as a cohort, strengthen your ties with each other and create bonds that will promote your moving forward as our School’s leaders as you enter Year 11.

Chavyat Am Yisrael (The Experience of the People Israel)

In Israel, you will be immersed in learning about our present day Jewish state and our Jewish land, heritage and traditions. You will experience Israel and Judaism as a challenge and as a promise and reflect upon your place within our people and religion.

Chavayati (My Experience)

Perhaps, most of all, this will be your personal experience, one in which you will grow as an individual and learn more about yourself and your Judaism. We hope this trip will be a personally meaningful and transformative experience for you that will further your growth in how you see yourself and your place within our Jewish community.

While addressing our students, I was wondering what they would make of this experience. This week I was sent the following reflection written by one of our recently returned ‘Chavayahniks’.

Rabbi Siegel

Miriam Itzkowitz – Year 11

Chavayah

Chavayah was one of, if not the best, experiences of my life. Though, saying that is seemingly redundant as the Hebrew word chavayah means experience. So this trip was the experience, like none other.

As someone who had never been to Israel, I found that this program was invaluable, as it contributed to my understanding of Israel and Judaism, and solidified and clarified my reasons for being a Zionist.

Before I went to Israel, while I knew I was a Zionist, my lack of knowledge on the political situation made it very frustrating for me. When I’d read about anti-Zionist movements, I had no way of defending Israel, despite my desire to do so. After Chavayah, I can clearly express why I am a Zionist, which is especially integral for me, being part of the Zionist movement, Betar. This was the goal for chavayati (my experience).

While in Israel, we lived in a boarding school called Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI), which accommodated us very well. We were split into classes. My teacher, Akiva, was an Orthodox Jew, originally from New York, and he was extremely inspirational to me. Learning from him really enabled me to break down previous misconceptions I’d had about the Orthodox community, and for that I am forever grateful. He also educated us well on Judaism, starting all the way from Avraham and continuing until now, which is really what consolidated my understanding of why we have a right to a land, more specifically the land of Israel.

We often went on tiyulim (excursions), which allowed us to learn more about the conflict, as well as the Israeli culture, the relationship between Arab-Israelis and Jewish Israelis, the relationship between Orthodox Jews and secular Jews, the charitable work within Israel and the innovative, technological sides of Israel.

A huge eye-opener for me was seeing the IDF soldiers walking around with guns. On one of my free weekends, I discussed with my family how it scared me, as it isn’t a common sight in Australia. However, my family said that it made them feel safe and patriotic, knowing that those people are there for protection. While at first I was in complete disbelief, through learning more and deepening my understanding on the matter, I became more appreciative, even sympathetic to their feelings about seeing soldiers with guns.

But that doesn’t change the fact that guns still kill. Towards the end of Chavayah, we visited Mt Herzliya and went to the cemetery there. There were hundreds, if not thousands of graves. While it was quite beguiling being able to see the graves of various important people in the creation of Israel and throughout its history, it was devastating to see so many people, having lost their lives, just to assist in the creation, protection and preservation of a land which was meant to be a land of peace. Seeing how much empty space was left deeply moved me, because it was pointed out to us that one day, the empty space would too be filled with graves.

Despite the sad realities faced within Israel, we still did have a lot of fun. We hiked up Masada, went swimming (or floating) in the Dead Sea, got to see all of Israel’s bordering countries from within Israel, as well as Saudi Arabia, celebrate Hanukkah, eat great food and listen to amazing music. Israel is such a lively, vibrant place, full of chutzpah and ruach, which gives it a really familial vibe. We also became closer as a Year Group and had chavayatenu (our experience), which was shared and appreciated by all of us equally, but differently.

There is so much I can say about Israel and Chavayah, which I could speak about for days and days and days, but I really think every single Year 10 student who went has gotten, and for those of you who do go, will get something out of it. Quite frankly, it is absolutely vital in the understanding of such a complex, beautiful country that belongs to all of us as Jews, and it is an incredible experience to share with your friends and Year Group.

I am so thankful to the accompanying teachers, Mr Bloom, Ms Reed, Ms Korotkov, Mr Case and Mr Samowitz for providing us with so much support throughout. Our madrichim, Gal, Keshet and Netta always made us laugh and made our time in Israel maximally uplifting. And of course, our teachers, Akiva, Michael and Maor, from whom we accumulated a wealth of information and knowledge, which we could not have learnt in any other way. It was a truly unique chavayah.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

To begin our Jewish learning journey for the 2019, students in Years 3-6 have been delving into and reflecting upon a teaching from Prike Avot. Pirke Avot (which is often translated as the Chapters/Ethics of our Fathers/Ancestors) is a collection of wisdom literature and teachings found in the Mishnah and dates back to the First Century CE. This week we visit the Year 5 classrooms, who were trying to answer four questions posed by their teacher, Ben Zoma (Pirkei Avot 4.1), who asked:

Who is wise?

Who is brave?

Who is rich?

Who is honoured?

Year 5 Degania

Year 5 Netanya

Year 5 Yavneh

 If you are interested in exploring Pirke Avot further, try the following links:

• Background and context: www.myjewishlearning.com/article/pirkei-avot-ethics-of-our-fathers/
• Full text of Ben Zoma’s question can be found here: www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.4?lang=bi

High School Sport

Kristy Genc – Head of Sport | PDHPE Teacher

Sydney Schools Cup

This year the Sydney Schools Cup weekly interschool sport competition will be expanding to include Year 9 students, in addition to its traditional Years 7 and 8 competitions. In Term 1, the sport for both boys and girls will be basketball. The competition will run each Tuesday afternoon from All Sorts Alexandria, Moriah College and Emanuel. If your child is interested in playing in this interschool competition please have them register on the sports sign up boards.

Representative Sport

In Week 6, Year 7-10 students will compete in the Cross Country carnival during their weekly PDHPE classes. The best runners will then be selected for the Emanuel Cross Country team. This team will train under the guidance of Jordan Williams, the Emanuel running coach and then go on to compete at the CDSSA Cross Country carnival in early Term 2. To provide students with the opportunity to prepare for the Emanuel Cross Country event, a running program is held each Thursday morning. For further information please refer to the information emailed to parents in Week 1.

The CDSSA Tennis Gala Day is always an excellent and competitive event. This year the gala day will be held on Wednesday 13 March. The tournament is a teams event and Emanuel will be holding trials on the following dates for team selections for the senior and junior divisions for both boys and girls.

Thursday 21 February 7.00 am at Centennial Parklands Tennis

Thursday 28 February 7.00 am at Centennial Parklands Tennis

ESport and EActive programs

The ESport and EActive programs have had a successful start to the year. The Easts Basketball competition commences this Sunday and I wish the five Emanuel teams the best of luck in the Term 1 competition. Easts have now changed the format of the season to align with school terms which will support player and team organisation.

The Emanuel Swim squad provides an excellent opportunity for students to enhance their swimming technique and fitness. This squad is run out of UNSW Aquatic Centre each Friday morning under the guidance of a UNSW swim coach. For further information please contact Sharon Fairfax sfairfax@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

For any further enquiries please email kreed@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

ACIES Tennis

Kristy Genc – Head of Sport | PDHPE Teacher

Congratulations to Luca Calderon Havas, Lachlan Corne and Alexander Placek who qualified to compete at the AICES Opens Tennis Championships last Friday. To qualify for this event players must have a strong representative history and a competitive Australian ranking. The Emanuel boys all played very well on the day, all progressing to the round of 16. Alexander and Luca finished 1^st in their pools and progressed to the quarter finals. Alexander has now been selected in the AICES Open Boys Tennis team to compete at the CIS Championships after finishing in 5^th place overall. Luca also had great success, finishing in 7^th place overall and is now a reserve for the AICES team. I wish Alex the best of luck at the CIS tournament next week.

Luca Calderon Havas and Alexander Placek

Meir Advocate

Hi everyone!

Exactly a week ago Meir House competed in our first Emanuel Swimming Carnival. The day was a huge success filled with House spirit, great weather and good vibes. It was also great to see how our House supported our fellow Meirians. Many Meirians competed in multiple races throughout the day.

Thank you to all Meirians who got into the water and swam a few laps.

Congratulations to our winning Junior Girls Relay team – Brooke Rosen, Leah Wolf, Ruth Durbach and Clio Stockley.

Brooke Rosen, Leah Wolf, Ruth Durbach and Clio Stockley

Love your Meir editors,

Charlotte and Tara

Rashi Times

SWIMMING CARNIVAL

Kol Szenes

SWIMMING CARNIVAL

Rabin Bugle

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

This week at our Year 10 information evening, I spoke about the use of Career Profiling for our Year 10 parents and students.

We are using Career Avenues, a well-established career profiling agency that works with many independent and public schools in Sydney, throughout NSW, Queensland and Victoria. We began this in 2018 and in 2019 we are expanding to include a one-on-one debrief with students, post-testing, with parents and Career Avenues psychologists taking place during Week 11 of this term.

Our Year 10s will be tested next Monday during Periods 1 to 6 to assess a range of attributes, skills, learning styles and personalities.

It is important to note that career profiling is only a piece in the very large career puzzle. It can be a great conversation starter. It can also be a great place to learn more about personality style and what industries are suited to those. And it can help to find out if a student is lacking a skill in a certain area, for example, mathematical ability, when pursuing a career in engineering you will take a bit more effort. This is all reality checking too, which can be helpful when you are constantly told you can be whatever you want to be.

The Career Avenues site, www.careeravenues-nsw.com/, which has information about the profiling and how it works, is also a great resource and links to research regarding the many careers that are available.

The site also has subject bulls-eye charts which I use a lot. For example, the graphic above lists the professions that may interest you if you enjoy or/and are good at Art. All of the HSC subjects are listed at www.careeravenues-nsw.com/?page=career-targets&area=1

These online charts www.careeravenues-nsw.com/?page=career-targets&area=1 have all of the Art-related careers hyperlinked to that career so you can research how that career works.

I would suggest everyone have a look at their top few favourite subjects and see where these links take you …. it can provide some very interesting directions!

Career notices, events, dates and articles

Avery useful government initiative called Job Jump Start helps you figure out how to make some of these big decisions. This is a useful video on options for after school: www.fya.org.au/video/job-jumpstart-part-1/

They have then linked a story about shopping around before you decide: www.jobjumpstart.gov.au/video/charlies-story-shop-around-what-you-want-do, the type of work environment that will suit your working style (e.g working inside or outdoors, with people or working on your own and so on), www.jobjumpstart.gov.au/article/know-your-work-preferences and a career quiz to help you on this journey. https://joboutlook.gov.au/CareerQuiz.aspx

Medicine information evening at UNSW 

ANU Tuckwell Scholarship

Applications open 4 March for current Year 12s. Receiving a Tuckwell Scholarship is not just about intellect. It is about your desire and determination to use your natural abilities to realise your full potential so that you can make a difference in the world. The Tuckwell vision is to see highly talented and motivated school leavers fulfil their potential and reinvest their knowledge, skills and experience in ways that positively benefit others. The program has a focus on giving back to Australia and is the only one of its kind that nurtures Scholars to fulfil their broader community ambitions over and above the pursuit of an undergraduate degree. Find out more here:

https://tuckwell.anu.edu.au/

(Source: www.jobjump.com.auFebruary 2019)

Connecting our Community – Gesher

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

It was very exciting at the start of the new school year, to see so many more second generation Emanuel students starting ‘big school’ here. Alisa Siale (nee Newman) Class of 2001 wrote these beautiful words to her daughter Leila on her first day as a Year K student:

Alisa (Newman) Siale, Class of 2001 with Leila

And just like that …. 30 years after I first stepped through the same school gates, so does our little Leila. To my darling girl, I hope you enjoy your school years as much as I did! May you learn, grow and make beautiful friendships. May you continue to develop your love for art, music, dance and drama. But most importantly I hope you will feel happy, safe and part of a very special community of people. 

Seven more Year K students this year also have parents who are past Emanuel students themselves, including Isaac Greenberg, whose mum Lisa Greenberg (nee Shapiro) is also from the Class of 2001, Hannah Green daughter of Ben Green (Class of 1999) and Alicia Butt, daughter of Samantha Butt (nee Finger) Class of 1998. Zoe Greenfield in Year K, together with her brother Joel in Year 5, are the children of alumna Danielle Jaku-Greenfield who was an Emanuel student up until Year 6 in 1989. Griffin Chimes, son of Adam Chimes, Primary Head Madrich in 1993 and Clementine Gomer, daughter of Marina Kamenev (Class of 1995) also join the ranks of Year K, whilst Elise Kitchener, daughter of Michael Kitchener (Class of 1990) and Marcus Tsimbler, son of Leonid Tsimbler (Class of 1996) join us as Year 7 students.

Lisa (Shapiro) Greenberg, Class of 2001 with Isaac.jpg

Ross Veltman (Class of 2002) with Samuel.

Michael Kitchener (Class of 1990) with Elise

Zoe and Joel Greenfield with mum, Danielle Jaku-Greenfield

Samuel Veltman, son of alumnus Ross Veltman (Class of 2002) started at Kornmehl Pre-School just one week ago and he joins the ranks of many other Kornmehl children whose parents are also past Emanuel students.

We welcome all our new students to Emanuel School and hope you too, along with your parents and grandparents, enjoy the many opportunities on offer here. To all parents and grandparents, we invite you to be active members of our wonderful school – for example, you might consider joining the P&F and/or be part of our PSG (Parent Security Group): esadmin@sydpsg.com

Please join us on Sunday 10 March from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm for an afternoon of fun at our Family Barefoot Bowls.  Bookings now open: https://tinyurl.com/GesherBowling

If you have photos and/or news to share, please send it to: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

What have we been learning about…

Over the past few weeks all three groups have been concentrating on developing secure relationships and a sense of belonging to the groups and the Pre-school. The Early Years Learning Framework takes the view that the lives of children are characterised by belonging, being and becoming. From before birth, children are connected to family, community, culture and place.    

At Kornmehl, of great importance is a focus on relationships, collaboration, communication and developing a sense of belonging. Ways in which we begin to get to know the children and to develop positive and trusting relationships is by listening to their stories, experiences and ideas; acknowledging how they might be feeling and supporting them in ways that are caring, nurturing and respectful, such as joining in their play; having fun together as well as sharing moments of just being; showing a genuine interest in what they are doing and celebrating their learning.

This is done in many ways:

• By establishing routines that are predictable and constant, children develop a sense of trust and familiarity that makes them feel secure and safe. This influences a child’s emotional, cognitive and social development and helps children understand the expectations in the environment.
• We are learning who is in our group and how to play safely and fairly, sharing and taking turns.
• We are learning about our environment, where things belong, where to find materials we are looking for and how to tidy up together – team work! It is delightful to see the children starting to initiate their own learning, by self-selecting resources to use or choosing learning areas in which to investigate and play.
• We are becoming independent in looking after our belongings and knowing where our locker and bags are kept.
• We are learning how to use materials and equipment respectfully, and the importance of leaving areas tidy and looking beautiful for the next person who comes to play.
• We have been singing and playing name games and learning to find our name cards in the morning and sign in.

Building relationships and partnerships with families

During these first few weeks of the year a great deal of time and thought is devoted to developing relationships with the children in our care and their families. This is done through informal chats, Parent Partnership forms, discussions, the Daybook, the Parent Social Night, Communication books and formal meetings if required. The Parent Club also provides opportunities for parents to network and be involved in the daily life of the Pre-school.

Through a widening network of secure relationships, children develop confidence and feel respected and valued. They become increasingly able to recognise and respect the feelings of others and to interact positively with them.

Educators who give priority to nurturing relationships and providing children with consistent emotional support can assist children to develop the skills and understandings they need to interact positively with others. They also help children to learn about their responsibilities to others, to appreciate their connectedness and interdependence as learners, and to value collaboration and teamwork.

Learning outcomes are most likely to be achieved when early childhood educators work in partnership with families. Educators recognise that families are children’s first and most influential teachers. They create a welcoming environment where all children and families are respected and actively encouraged to collaborate with educators about curriculum decisions to ensure that learning experiences are meaningful. Partnerships are based on the foundations of understanding each other’s expectations and attitudes and build on the strength of each other’s’ knowledge.

In genuine partnerships, families and early childhood educators:

• value each other’s knowledge of each child
• value each other’s contributions to and roles in each child’s life
• trust each other
• communicate freely and respectfully with each other
• share insights and perspectives about each child
• engage in shared decision-making. 
(EYLF p.g.13)

Parent information night

We invite ALL parents to join us on Thursday 21 February at 7.30 pm in the Pre-school for a relaxed, fun and social evening.

Parents will have time to meet each other, relax, eat and chat as well as spend time with their child’s teachers to hear about the program and routines for each group. Parents will also get to participate in  hands-on creative experiences, just as your child does during the day.

Working in collaboration and partnership with parents and families is critical to achieving our learning outcomes for each child. Partnerships are based on the foundations of understanding each other’s expectations and attitudes and building on the strength of each other’s knowledge (Framework, p.12.)

Open Day

The Pre-school will be holding an Open Day on Wednesday 6 March for all prospective families who would like to visit our Pre-school to see what we offer, walk around our lovely classrooms, meet the Director and chat about our programs and philosophy. The morning will run from
9.30 am to 11.00 am. Please book in to attend the Open Day at: www.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/enrolment/open-days/

Kornmehl family picnic

Our annual family picnic will take place on Sunday 4 March at 9.30 am. Each group will be meeting at Centennial Park in a different space. This is to facilitate parents being able to meet each other more easily, connect and get to know parents in their child’s group.  Please bring along your bikes, food, picnic blankets, balls etc.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at this lovely social event.

Parent Club and Class Parents for 2018

This year our Parent Club will be run by Gail Stein.

Our class parents for 2019 are:

Dolphins: Lynn Shakenovsky

Starfish: Vicky Lazarus

Seashells: Ella Lizor

Shopping co-ordinators: Anita Weinberger and Gabi Kahn

I thank you all in advance for your commitment and support for the Pre-school.

Our first Parent Club meeting for the year will be held on Friday 1 March at 2.00 pm in the Pre-school. All parents are invited to attend.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Levi Wasserman (4) and Levi Abitz (5). We also wish a happy birthday to our special educator Laura Meltzer. We hope you all had a lovely day.

Mother’s Day Classic

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Hi Everyone,

Hope you have all settled in nicely to Term 1.                         

Purim Disco

We have some great events planned for the year. The first is our annual Purim Disco held at the School. This is always a highlight of the year for the kids and it’s a great way for the kids (and parents) to socialise and have fun. 

There will be a sausage sizzle and other yummy treats, music, games, activities and prizes for the best costume.

The date is Sunday 24 March from 4.00 – 6.00 pm.

Book now: www.trybooking.com/BARBB 

Have a great weekend,

Jen and Ruby

Parent Safety Group