From the Principal

Andrew Watt

Good sleep is important for our health, but it can be hard to get when life is busy and we find much to worry about. By the time we reach 80, we will probably have spent about 28 of those years asleep!

At our High School assembly this week, I spent some time reflecting on why sleep is important; why we struggle to sleep; and why we need to place a higher value on getting enough sleep. Studies have found that many teenagers have trouble falling asleep before 10.30 pm. It is not because they don’t want to sleep, rather because their brains naturally work on later schedules and so they aren’t ready for bed at 9.00 pm. Scientists don’t fully understand why we need so much sleep, but it’s believed it helps us restore ourselves physically, as well as organise information in our brain.

I shared with the students that going without enough sleep will, amongst others, impact on their ability to concentrate, make decisions and even enjoy those activities that are important to them.

One of the two main reasons that adolescents don’t get enough sleep, is that hormones actually shift the body clock forward by two hours, making them sleepier two hours later, at 10.30 pm… yet they have to wake up for school before 6.30 am! This ‘sleep debt’ each weekday leads to sleep deprivation and all the resulting negative issues. However, the second major factor is entirely under our control. The lure of stimulating entertainment such as television, mobile phones and computer gaming, can prevent adequate production of melatonin, the brain chemical responsible for sleep. Research shows that if you put down your smart phones an hour before bed, you can gain an additional 21 minutes of sleep each night, (that’s one hour and forty five minutes over the school week)*.

Practical advice for teenagers:

• Choose a relaxing bedtime routine; for example, have a hot milky drink before bed, read a book or meditate
• Avoid screens, loud music, homework or any other activity that gets your mind racing for at least an hour before bedtime;
• Avoid stimulants in the late afternoon and evening such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks
• Keep your bedroom dark at night. The brain’s sleep-wake cycle is largely set by light received through the eyes.
• Even 30 minutes of extra sleep each night on a regular basis makes a big difference.

* For more information: www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-resources/media-releases/aussie-teens-forgo-sleep-for-screens.

Our Peer Support Leaders for 2020

Starting High School can be a stressful experience, and not only for new students. The Peer Support program runs throughout Terms 1 and 2 to guide students in their transition from Primary to High School. The Year 11 Peer Support Leaders run Orientation Day, attend the Year 7 Camp and assist in running Year 7 Tefillah. At weekly group sessions, leaders run activities to encourage Year 7 students to make friends, build resilience and explore their values. 

To be elected as a Peer Support Leader, students apply for the position and undergo an intensive day of training. The Year 10 Teachers, Tutors, Heads of House, Jewish Life staff and Deputy Principal then make the difficult decision to select those applicants who will best fulfil the role of Peer Support leader. This year we had an impressive thirty eight students apply – nearly half of the cohort.

We are fortunate that such a large number of students applied for the role, demonstrating how deeply they care about supporting the younger students and take collective responsibility to help shape the Emanuel community.

Mazal tov to the following students on their appointment:

Lara Fosbery
Elia Gil-Munoz
Liat Granot
Ezra Hersch
Ruby Hurwitz
Alexis Joffe
Georgia Kahane
Maximilian Kidman
Jesse Koslowski
Romi Lapidge
Aaron Lemberg
Zac Levenson
Tara Linker
Charlotte Lyons
Ari Merten
Ruben Mihalovich
Chloe Miller
Rebecca Nebenzahl
Dean Reuveny
India Sacks

CSIRO STEM in Schools

On Wednesday, the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite, MP for Kingsford Smith, and Maeve Broch CSIRO Food Scientist visited our Year 3 students. Our guests were impressed by the students’ excitement about Science, Technology, English and Mathematics which led to discussions and insightful questions about what skills are needed for certain careers. I was particularly interested to see the students’ worksheets on predicting the future and what technology will look like in two weeks, two years and 20 years’ time.

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Gennarosity Abroad event 

Close to 200 Emanuel Community members gathered to view It Takes a Village on Sunday. The documentary, which was recently aired on ABC’s Compass, follows Genna Radnan on her recent visit to Kenya. Genna, who is our school nurse and an Emanuel alumna, founded Gennarosity Abroad in 2013 with the encouragement and support of HSIE teacher, David Whitcombe. 

After watching additional never-before-shown footage, Raelene Metlitzsky (Producer at Channel 10 and mother of two Emanuel students) interviewed Genna and the film’s Director, Adam Dostalek. Thanks to the generosity of the community, over $25 000 was raised to help fund a range of grassroots projects in Kenya. We congratulate Genna and her team of Emanuel supporters, for her work in supporting those without a home, an income and a voice. If you have not yet had the opportunity to watch the documentary, please click here and if you would like to donate to Gennarosity Abroad, please visit www.gennarosityabroad.org

Quote of the week

“If a man empties his purse not his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
Ben Franklin

Mazal tov

Jake Greenberg, Year 12 – 2020, featured in the Australian Jewish News this week, having scored the final two runs in Round 2 of the prestigious Poidevin-Gray Shield last month. This was his debut in the Shield, considered to be the highest standard U21 men’s competition in NSW. Jake credited Adam Ezekiel as being a key mentor.

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

“The Ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat”

Mt Ararat is a dormant compound volcano (situated in present day Turkey). One would think it not the best place to land a boat of refugees, the last remaining family and animals on earth, escaping mass destruction.

A Russian proverb teaches: “Where necessity speaks, it demands”. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that perhaps a Jew first spoke these words.

During my recent visit to Turkey, and after much negotiating with the local authorities in Istanbul, I was fortunate to visit the Ahrida sinagogu in Balat. Named after the Romaniot Jews from Ohrid (in N. Macedonia), Ahrida (its Greek cognate), is the only synagogue in the world that has a ship shaped bima.

Our Jewish history has taught us that in escaping one storm, we may well land upon another, soon to ship us off, again.

In 1600 a disastrous fire struck the synagogue. However, the Sultan insured it was rebuilt and that the Jewish ship would retain its mooring.

In 1992 a quincentennial celebration was held by the Jews of Greece and their supportive countrymen. 1492 is a year well-known to us. While some maintain the bima of Ahrida is intended to recall Noah’s ark, others claim it represents the ships that brought Sephardi Jews escaping the Inquisition in Spain.

In the Torah, Noah’s ark is called “tevah”. Tevah subsequently became a Rabbinic term employed for the Aron Kodesh, Holy Ark (In the ancient Ethiopian Christian Church “tabot” means ark).

Standing in the Ahrida’s teva, which is directly facing and in-line with its Holy Ark, I wondered if the first Jew standing here felt that neither teva could exist or flourish without the other.

Perhaps, he understood and hoped, as well, that the Jewish boat will always remain afloat, If not on this mountain then surely on another.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Succah by the Sea 

This week Year 8 students visited Succah by the Sea and Our Big Kitchen, through the organisation Kids Giving Back, for a day of Jewish learning and volunteering. Next week Year 4 will be visiting Sculpture by the Sea and Shalom’s Succah by the Sea.

In preparation for Sukkot and for the excursion, Year 4 students were involved in a design thinking process last term, to learn about the rules and requirements of a sukkah and to then create their own model sukkot out of recyclable materials. As part of this process, students thought about what value (such as hospitality, environmentalism etc.) they wanted their sukkah’s design to represent. We were fortunate to have Year 4 parent and architect Nick Seeman, share stories and photographs of temporary structures from his travels through Nepal and PNG to provide additional inspiration for our students.

If you have not yet made it to Succah by the Sea at Marks Park in Bondi, it is on during Sculpture by the Sea until 10 November 2019.

Succah by the Sea, an installation at Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2019 is an exciting collaboration with Shalom. Succah by the Sea reimagines a 3000 year old Jewish ritual and structure through a 21st century lens. For over 3000 years, Jews around the world have left the comforts of their homes to eat and sleep in a temporary structure, during a week-long festival called Sukkot. The structure, called a sukkah, has a roof made from leaves or sticks, and impermanent walls. The philosophical ideas of the festival are ideas that modern Australian society are currently discussing – environmentalism, displacement, home and community. www.succahbythesea.com.au/

Below is a sample of couple of the Year 4 sukkot.

Leah Joshua: I designed my sukkah so it was 100% sustainable, because I am passionate about the environment. I believe that we should try to make Jewish rituals, like making a sukkah, sustainable and environmentally friendly.   

Isaac Shammay: I worked with Gil and Eli to design and create our sukkah. We included plants, a Torah scroll and a lulav and etrog. We added beds, table and a bowl of fruit, to make our design a very hospitable and welcoming place for everyone who comes into it.

Sukkot Shalom Year 8 Excursion

Sukkat Shalom excursion – Year 8

Overall, our Tiyul Sukkat Shalom (the “Sukkah of Peace” excursion) was extremely educational. Not only did we learn a lot, but that learning was incorporated in a fun way which we found really enjoyable.

The first part of the day, with group learning in the Angles Leadership and Learning Centre at school, was a fun way to get us moving, thinking and ready for the day ahead of us. We felt that we learnt a lot about sukkot (plural of “sukkah”), what the purposes of making them are, and how they are to be made. We received new information about the philosophies and rules. One of the things that stood out to us in this section was how Sukkot (the festival) and being in a sukkah is not only a time of being together with family, rather more about inviting new guests into your sukkah and experiencing new connections. We also learnt that the Jewish People built sukkot to go in during harvest season to be near their fields because Sukkot is the festival of harvesting.

The next part of the day was “Succah by the Sea” www.succahbythesea.com.au which was also very educational. We were presented with many beautiful, abstract and unusual sukkot. These special sukkot were different to the old, original sukkah. They presented us with different sukkot which had further meaning to them. We learnt that sukkot can come in many different types, shapes and forms and, on the tour, Rabbi Alon Meltzer from Shalom explained to us what each of those types meant and how they were all different in their own ways. He told us about the different ways in which a sukkah can be kosher, things like the slanted roof and how the sandstone Sukkah was still kosher even though it was an unmovable structure. It was cool to hear that as most of the architects that designed and made the sukkot were not Jewish, meaning they learned about our culture in the process. 

Giving back with Kid’s Giving Back at Our Big Kitchen was definitely our favourite part of the day as it was a more practical way of learning. We cut and peeled ingredients for a soup and then packed them to be sent off to less fortunate people in need of meals. Then we made biscuits for children in hospitals and for their families. In between these activities, we acquired vital though saddening information about homeless people. We learnt that giving back is extremely important considering the harsh circumstances that many people are in compared to our luxurious lives. Our time and help means way more than just giving money and it really gave us a rewarding sense as we know it was for an amazing cause. We also had a deep talk about homelessness and some of the statistics that were discussed were quite outrageous. We learnt a deeper meaning about Sukkot from the time at Our Big Kitchen, about how the festival is not only about harvesting but welcoming others into our sukkot as well. 

I will definitely try and volunteer for more giving back opportunities and I am so glad that I now know the real meaning of Sukkot and how sukkot are made which I will keep with me forever.

Main text Coby New, with additional thoughts from Jamie Schneider, Tali Yedid, Oriel Levy, Ella Kirschner and Maayan Granot

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Succahs by the Sea 12

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Sukkah Study 1

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Primary Extra-Curricular

Emma Hill – Primary Teacher and Co-ordinator of Extra-Curricular Programs

Extra-Curricular Term 4

The final date for booking into the activities below is Week 4, Friday 8 November 2019.

Club information, including enrolment and booking details, are now online on the Parent Portal:
myportal.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/parent/extra-curricular/

Please note clubs have minimum enrolment numbers.

 Term 4 Extra-Curricular (including EActive) schedule:

Years K-6 Gifted and Talented News

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

Statistics poster competition

In Week 2, we were treated to a visit from a member of the NSW Ministry of Health, a Biostatistician, to launch our Year 3 and 4 students into the National Schools Statistics Poster Competition.

Kevin Wang advising students on their statistics projects

Kevin Wang is acting as a mentor to the students throughout the process. He described some of the many ways statistics are used to help make better decisions in many areas of life and talked the students through the process of thinking of a question, hypothesising, collecting data and recording data, writing an observation and recording limitations.

The students were inspired to find out things like: which gym equipment burns the most calories, do schools from the private and public sector show a pattern in their NAPLAN results and how many people are gluten free by choice or as a necessity.

Kevin assisted the students in fine tuning their questions and helped them consider issues like sample size and consistency. Students will now proceed in their investigation which will culminate in a poster entered into this competition.

It was a delight to have such an enthusiastic expert to present to the students and he stated that he was impressed with the level of questioning and logical reasoning they showed.

Year 5 mentors working with our selected team

News from Jessica Smith and Tali Same (Year 5)

This year we entered the da Vinci Decathlon competition and saw how important it is to train all year round. So, we decided to start the da Vinci Squad, opening it to Years 3 and 4. The response to this was so great that we decided to enter a group of selected Years 3 and 4 students into a Gateways competition (a competition very similar to da Vinci); preparing our lessons on Mondays and ensuring we had worksheets for Tuesday. Now we are training the students for the competition on 14 November 2019 and wish them all the best!

G&T parent workshop

Dr Minh Nyguen-Hoan

Thank you so much to Dr Minh Nyguen-Hoan who addressed our parent body on ‘Emotional intensities and sensitivities: Impact on learning, behaviour, and socialisation” in relation to gifted children. Our gratitude also to those parents who attended and contributed to the rich discussions that arose, making it a rich learning experience and community building exercise for all.

Year 3 Collaborative Artwork

Louise Heilpern – Visual Arts Teacher

Community Threads exemplifies creative collaboration and authentic engagement with our broader community. It is also the title of a collaborative artwork by Year 3 students from 2018, now on permanent display on the eastern wall of the Innovation Building.

Working with twine, thread and assorted textiles, students have responded to the aesthetic and structural qualities of an ancient but more recently celebrated artform, the Aboriginal basket or carrier. Traditionally made by women, a diverse range of baskets were exhibited in 2007 at Object Gallery in Sydney. The exhibition, “Woven Forms: Contemporary basket making in Australia” was trail breaking for its time because it elevated the once considered common basket to an object of beauty in its own right. Both contemporary and traditional basket makers recognised the sculptural qualities of the basket and celebrated fibre art as a valid art form.

Once the Year 3 students learnt to identify a range of design qualities and practice new techniques for themselves, they soon realised the difficulty in creating a symmetrical carrier. Following a series of clearly defined steps, students made their own basket and subsequently designed and constructed handles using wire and rope.

The bower bird approach by artist Christine Dyer, and her use of found rope/ nylon, was the catalyst for the project extension – the embroidered artworks. As students learnt to sew, the repetitious act of embroidery encouraged conversation and students happily shared ideas and taught each other new colour combinations and stitches. Displayed collectively, the dots and dashes of coloured thread formed lines and patterns, creating a singular artwork.

When differences are celebrated and knowledge is exchanged, individual expression is valued, and respect is mutual. Definitive, diverse and celebratory, Community Threads showcases creativity amongst students at Emanuel School.

To view a full range of learning in our Visual Arts Department visit emanuelschoolvisualarts.com

From the Green Team

Lexi Butt – Year 3

Tamar Granot – Year 3

Animals in danger because of Climate Change

Have you ever heard of a turtle, jellyfish or a gorilla? All these animals are in danger because of us. We could let this continue or we could work together and make a change. We could do this by taking more busses than cars to stop polluting. We could also do this by recycling, composting and not littering and remembering Waste Free Wednesday. Help these poor endangered animals by trying one of these suggestions.

Music Matters

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Kol Hakavod to the Senior Boys Vocal Ensemble for their beautiful a cappella performance of Vive L’Amour at the High School assembly on Tuesday.

Forthcoming performances this Term and the ensembles featured, are:

Week 4

• Tuesday: High School Assembly – Senior Choir
• Thursday: Twilight Concerts, Mr Burley will host performances by many Primary School and High School students

Week 5

• Wednesday: Senior Pianists will play for the Emanuel Writers AwardsWeek 6

Week 6

• Tuesday: IP Information morning 7.30 am for Year 2 students and anyone new to Years 3-6 in 2020
• Tuesday: High School Assembly – Senior Stage Band and Senior Girls Vocal Ensemble

 Week 7

• Tuesday: High School Assembly – Guitar Ensemble
• Tuesday and Wednesday: Instrument Allocation Tests for IP for Year 2 students and anyone new to Years 3-6 in 2020

 Week 8

• Tuesday: Volunteers Assembly – Junior Jazz Combo, Junior Choir, Junior Stage Band
• Tuesday: Instrument Maintenance Check Day If you are borrowing a school instrument (for IP, for ISP, or for your ensemble playing) please bring it in today to get it checked and serviced by our team. Please pick it up on Thursday unless you get an email from us.

 Week 9

• Presentation Day (Years K-2) – Infants Choir, Infants String Program (ISP) and all Infants classes will sing!
• Presentation Night (Years 3-6) – Bernstein Concert Band, Korngold Strings, Junior Choir, Junior Chamber Choir, Primary School Chamber Trio and everyone in Years 3-6 will sing!
• High School Speech Night – Green Man Band, Mendelssohn Chamber Strings, Copland Concert Band, Senior Stage Band

Leonie Cohen’s Three Plus Three Quartet

On Thursday evening, Emanuel School was fortunate to host an evening of music with Jazz-pianist Leonie Cohen, who has taught here since 2011.  Leonie was joined by Berlin-based violinist Daniel Weltinger (Year 12,1995) and Ukraine-born cellist, Anatoli Torjinski, with Hugh Fraser on double bass and Nic Cecire on drums.  This free community event was organised by Adam Carpenter and Michelle Favero. Thanks also to Andy Bromberger who introduced the performance with a discussion on Jewish music. 

On Wednesday, our Year 10 Elective Music class was privileged to be visited by Leonie and Daniel, both of whom shared some of their compositional insights and inspirations, spoke about improvisation and observed how Jazz is a bit Jewish to start with.

Meir Advocate

Hi guys,

We cannot believe it is already Term 4 – time flies when you’re having fun! We have a jam-packed term ahead. 

House Drama Week 6

We have very exciting news: In Week 6 (Monday 18 November 2019) there will be a House Drama Competition. In this competition, we will compete against other Houses with performances such as monologues, duologues and group performances in order to win the competition. Please come support all the Meirians and your friends as they have spent many hours preparing these amazing, entertaining, humorous and engaging pieces for you to enjoy.

Examinations

In two weeks, Year 9 and 10 will complete their yearly examinations. This can be quite a stressful time but don’t feel like you’re alone. Here are some helpful tips to prepare effectively for exams:

1. Organise your study space. Make sure you have enough space to spread out all your notes and remove any distractions.
2. Do practice tests. This will familiarise you with your exam content and get you used to exam conditions.
3. Share your notes with others. Find people to swap your notes with. This will allow you to help other people and fill in possible gaps in your knowledge.
4. Take regular breaks and allow yourself to refuel. Although exams are important, make sure you are still spending time with family and friends, getting exercise and doing the things you love.

House Assembly

This week in House Assembly Meir watched the documentary “It Takes a Village,” which is about Genna Radnan’s charity, Gennarosity Abroad and everything she has done for small communities in Kenya. It was so amazing to see what an ex-Emanuel student has achieved and how much she has given back to other people.

More information about Genna’s charity can be found at www.gennarosityabroad.org

Term 4 Motto

This term the motto that we will be focusing on in our House Assembly is “Expect nothing, Appreciate everything.”

Walk4Brain Cancer and The Wolfy Foundation

This weekend (Sunday) there is a 5km Walk4Brain Cancer event in Centennial Park starting at 9:30 am. Our Head of House, Mr Ezekiel told us about this event as it is close to his heart – he raises money for a friend who passed away from brain cancer.

More information can be found through this link – Walk4Brain Cancer & The Wolfy Foundation

Remember, we are almost there – holidays are just around the corner!

Love your Meir Editors, 

Charlotte Lyons and Tara Israel

Linguafest Film Competition

Oren Thaler – Hebrew Teacher – Year 8 Tutor

Emanuel students enter State film competition for second languages

Year 8 and Year 6 Hebrew classes have created films for the Linguafest film competition.

This is a state-wide competition for students learning a second language. Around a hundred films entered the competition in languages ranging from German and French to Indonesian and Chinese. This year the theme of the competition was Mystery, and a ticket had to appear in the film.

Here are a few comments made by the students about the film:

To make the film we had to decide on a story which fits the theme, then we had to turn it to a script and learn our lines in Hebrew. We then had to find locations and film it. The hardest part was to edit and cut down the scenes to 2:00 minutes.

Acting and learning the lines in Hebrew was pretty hard. We sometimes had to film a scene ten times because of bad pronunciation or laughing.

Enjoy…

The Little Sweet Shop

Into the Cluedo

The Magic Shoes

HSC Disability Provisions Process 2019/2020

Dr Lynn Joffe – Director, Specialist Learning Centre

Eliah Dean – Teacher, Specialist Learning Centre

Important notice for all Year 12 students, Year 11 accelerants and their parents

2019/2020 HSC Disability Provisions application process

As detailed at the Year 12 Information Evening, some students might be eligible to apply for Disability Provisions (DPs) for their HSC examinations, on the basis of a medical, social, emotional, academic or physical issue that places a student at a disadvantage relative to the cohort of all HSC students in NSW. This information is submitted to an external panel of experts, nominated by the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA), who determine whether there are grounds for such provisions to be applied.

The application process is detailed and often lengthy and requires commitment and adherence to the information requirements, evidence and time parameters outlined by the School and by NESA.

As part of the process, literacy, other testing and essay writing are likely to be required, as results of these are part of NESA’s application requirements. Sessions will be timetabled for these and all students are expected to attend at the allocated times. Early leave or other meetings are not considered grounds for missing such sessions.

As is appropriate, teachers also play an important role in providing information about applicants. It is in students’ interests to ensure that all their teachers are aware of any issues that are likely to impact school performance; in the classroom, in the school as a whole and in examination and assessment settings.

The application process and related matters are managed by the Specialist Learning Centre (SLC) staff. Any student who believes that she/he has grounds to submit an application must make an appointment to speak with Mr Dean or Dr Joffe, by 29 October 2019. Delays in making appointments and providing essential information will lead to delays in processing applications.

If you think you/your child/your ward is eligible to apply for Disability Provisions and you have not already done so, please contact Mr Dean or Dr Joffe by Tuesday 29 October 2019 to discuss the grounds on which you feel an application is warranted.

Careers

Having spoken with Year 12s (2020) this and last week to launch them into their new academic year, I would like to share some links, files and places of interest that will help on this journey. I have limited myself to a Top 10.

Claire Pech

Careers Advisor

1. Year 12 Information Night slides

docs.google.com/presentation/d/1E6vKpPRHaemOq8cLyJBaPYn8ARgIUNO9JdYCuN9IQqA/edit?usp=sharing

2. UAC Presentation by Wendy Fischer

drive.google.com/file/d/1OqE32d-B6S-QzVXtr34JCYGhWk19Pj_d/view?usp=sharing

3. Jobjump Link

www.jobjump.com.au/ (with instructional video www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=284&v=T8x1i5q7Z5A)

4. TAFE

www.tafensw.edu.au/

5. Myfuture

https://myfuture.edu.au/home?IsMobile=1

6. UAC

www.uac.edu.au

7. Emanuel School Careers

emanuelschoolcareers.com/ this is a one-stop shop careers site – especially for parents – that houses all information on the HSC, the ATAR, Universities, Bonus Points, Trades, the Defences, Resume’s and so on.

8. What is the ATAR?

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=eyVivqAdzcQ

9. How to find work you love (TED)

www.ted.com/talks/scott_dinsmore_how_to_find_work_you_love

10. World University rankings

www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2019

Connecting our Community – Gesher

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Mazal tov

Alumna Hannah Beder (Class of 2012) was recently announced the winner of the 2019 Young Urban Inspirational Woman of the Year, presented by the Rotary Club of Sydney Darling Harbour. These awards have been established to recognise women and young women who best exemplify Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self (i.e. the community service the individual performs above and beyond their normal role).

As we approach the first Tuesday in November next week, it is timely to mention the inspirational film Ride Like a Girl – the 2019 Australian biographical sports drama film based on the true story of Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup (in 2015). There is an Emanuel connection to this film with alumna Anneliese Apps (Class of 2011) starring as Brigit Payne, the eldest of Michelle’s nine siblings. Anneliese also starred as Rosie in the short film Larry Time earlier this year and she featured in the TV series Home and Away as Elizabeth Ellis in 2017. We look forward to following Anneliese’s career in the film industry and we know she is an amazing inspiration to our senior Drama students.

If you have had a chance to visit Sculpture by the Sea you may have been lucky enough to meet alumnus Joel Adler (Class of 2011) alongside his sculpture titled Viewfinder. Don’t forget you can vote for the Allens People’s Choice Award, so let us get behind Joel and vote for Viewfinder, #23. Pick up a voting form on site at the catalogue and information marquees or visit: www.allens.com.au/sxsvote to vote online.

ABC’s Compass program recently featured two documentaries from producer Judy Menczel, a past Emanuel parent. One, which many of us have seen, It Takes a Village, covers the life and work of our very own amazing and inspirational Emanuel alumna and School Nurse Genna Radnan and it also showcases some of our current students carrying on the work Genna has inspired them to do.

Judy Menczel and Adam Dostalek teamed up again to produce and direct Ride Like an ANZAC which covers two initiatives filmed during the 100^th Anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba. Judy said: “Ride Like an ANZAC is one of the most unusual combinations of event and people in one film. There are amazing indigenous descendants representing their families in the Anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba in Israel, then you have bike riders from around the world living history and riding the ANZAC Trail, where the Light Horsemen rode filmed at the 100^th anniversary. Earlier this year Adam Dostalek, the wonderful director that I have been collaborating with on this film, drove with me to Gatton in Queensland and filmed the first time Indigenous men and women could ride in an ANZAC Day Parade. It was very moving, because there had been no recognition of their contribution till now. Ultimately the film is about belonging and connecting to family and it shows a beautiful connection with Australia and Israel and some of the history.”

Call-out for volunteers for Friendship Circle Summer Camp

It is now that time of year where Friendship Circle starts recruiting volunteers for the summer holiday Friendship Circle Day camps. Please see details on the poster:

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

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

Visit to Taronga Zoo

The Starfish visited Taronga Zoo this week. The build-up to the excursion consisted of discussions, sharing of ideas and thoughts about what we might see and do.

The children and teachers travelled on the Emanuel School bus, which was a huge highlight of the trip. The children coped very well with walking around and many opportunities to rest and eat were given to keep their energy levels going.

We went to the seal show. The children loved every minute. We also got to ride on the sky safari – another highlight!

Many thanks to all our fabulous parent helpers – Mrs Paola Freund, Mrs Niva Burke, Mrs Ilana Bonimovich, Mrs Vicky Lazarus and Mr Robert Sandy.

Children’s comments:

Giddy: I loved the Sky Safari. It was so bumpy. I went two times. I saw the giraffe and the elephants from up high. The seal was going “oh oh” and jumping in the water. SPLASH!

Saphira: I loved it when the seals did funny tricks. They jumped so high, but they didn’t splash us. It tried to splash us, but it missed.

Eve: The seal pretended to be a shark. It made a shark noise. The giraffe was eating leaves. Up high because they have long necks.

Kayla: I liked when the seals were barking. They were saying hello. I saw the elephants. They was one baby elephant.

Joel: I liked the night animals. I saw bats, spiders and owls I saw pigs sleeping in the mud. It’s like a bed of chocolate. We saw giraffes and they were eating leaves. Its tongue is so long. I saw lizards that were camouflaged. They were hiding!

Eliana: I loved the seals because they did amazing tricks. I saw a daddy elephant, a giraffe and a meerkat. I saw kangaroos too.

Amalia: I loved the sky safari. I went with Lindi, Sam and Kayla and Ari. It was not scary. We went down to the bottom and back up to the top again.

Halle: I liked the seal show because every time a new seal came it showed us its special tricks and they were so amazing. They flipped over and did a backward flip in the air. I liked the sky safari. I looked out the window and I only saw elephant poop!

Succah By the Sea

Succah by the Sea was developed by Shalom, a Sydney Jewish cultural organisation and inspired by Reboot’s New York project SukkahCity. Artistic Directors Office Feuerman, a Sydney-based design and research studio, selected six emerging architectural practices to reimagine the sukkah with a 21^st century lens. Together they form a sukkah village – a space for people to gather, congregate and contemplate the themes of this ancient ritual and its relevance to our world today.

A sukkah, has a roof made from leaves or sticks, and impermanent walls. The philosophical ideas of the festival are ideas that modern Australian society are currently discussing – environmentalism, displacement, home and community.

The Seashells, Starfish and Dolphins visited the installations at Marks Park in Bondi on Wednesday and Thursday this week. The exposure of the children to this exhibition, together with the notion of taking them out into the community to see a Jewish project of this nature, in itself was priceless and an opportunity not to be missed. The children were able to connect their learning and projects about the festival of Sukkot over the past two weeks to visiting Succah by the Sea. It enabled them to see Jewish art, connect it to their heritage and come back to Pre-school and represent their thinking visually through the creative arts. Each child will have viewed the exhibition differently and gained insight in many different ways. We hope these meaningful connections will stay with them for many years to come.

Here are some comments from the children about Succoth:

Does anyone have a sukkah at home?

Hannah – I ate in our sukkah. It’s made out of a tent. The roof is a bamboo mat. It has a wide space, so if people are holding hands, they can all walk in. You can see the stars at night. You can have guests. I want some friends there, all my friends. Mummy and daddy can invite them and take pictures of it and send them on Educa. 

On Monday we engaged in a discussion about the upcoming excursion to Succah by the Sea. But first, we wanted to know what the children already knew about Sculptures… Some of the questions we posed were:

Have you heard about Sculptures by the Sea?

What do you know about it?

Have you ever been to Sculptures by the Sea?

What did you see?

What is a sculpture?

Who made the sculptures?

The children made their thinking visible…

Leo – It’s happening and I’m going to see it.

Stevie –  It’s when you make these sculptures of a sukkah.

Tom – I have been and seen a giant head and a house. 

Sierra – I saw a big baby. 

Bowie – I saw a big baby. I have been with grandma and grandad and with mum and dad and Alfie. 

Levi – When I finished Nippers, my mum showed me where they will be. 

Hannah – I saw stick igloos at Sculptures by the Sea and also a big baby.

Sebi – I saw a lot of sculptures at Bondi Beach.

Who created the sculptures?

Zach – The Aboriginal People.

Bowie – Scientists. 

Leo – Builders. 

Talia – Architects. 

Stevie – My daddy is a builder and he makes buildings. 

There’s an exhibition coming up called Succah by the Sea. What do you think, wonder, imagine it will be about?

Levi – There is a sukkah by the sea. 

Hannah – A sukkah on the sand by the sea.

Bowie – One sukkah by the sea.

Sierra – Lots of sukkot on the sand.

Jasper – Is a sukkah a tent? Like a tent we go into when we are angry…

Aboriginal connections

On Wednesday, I visited Poets Corner in Redfern to meet the children and Director and witness some of our amazing Care Packs that we collected earlier this year, being handed out to the children. To be able to see their delight and joy made this annual project so meaningful and worthwhile. Thank you to all the families that gave so generously to this project. Your support and generosity was truly appreciated by the children who received the Care Packs.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Liam Hochroth (4) and Joshua Kaplan (5). We hope you both had a great birthday. We also wish Happy Birthday to our special educator Lindi Bloch.

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Parent Safety Group

Thank you to our volunteers from last week:

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Books cost $45 and are a must have (and a great gift as well). Books will be available in November 2019. Pre-order your copy now at www.trybooking.com/BFSUL

 

 

Friday Chill Out

The first Friday Chill is a hit!

Our first-ever Emanuel Friday Chill Out was a hit with over forty families hanging back for icy poles and a social catch up at the basketball courts. Below are some photos. If you missed it last week, don’t worry, it’s on every Friday after school. We hope to see you there.

Where? Basketball Courts 

When? Every Friday, 3.30 pm – 4.30 pm (starts 25 October 2019 – Term 4 Week 2)

What? Icy Poles $1 – $2

Volunteers to sell Icy Poles welcome. Contact justine.hofman@gmail.com 

**Please note, parents must supervise and be responsible for their kids at all times in the designated Friday Chill Out area.**

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P&F camping trip 

Have a great weekend.

Jen and Ruby