From the Principal

Andrew Watt – School Principal

Reflection on my time in Israel

I departed for Israel keen to learn more about the nature, setting and desired outcomes of our six-week immersion program. I was delighted to discover first-hand that the accommodation and educational activities at Alexander Muss High School (a pluralistic study-abroad program located in Hod HaSharon) were well suited to our group of Year 10 students. I was impressed by the level of security maintained throughout the program and by the standard of education and 24/7 care provided by the full-time nurse and the teaching staff. Our students are enjoying the experiential education, with ‘lessons’ provided at each key location, related to the history, culture, religion, politics or geography of Israel. In the late afternoon and evenings, the Israeli Madrichim provide opportunities for self-reflection and a range of group activities.

Perhaps most impressive, however, has been the attitude and conduct of our Year 10 students. I have received feedback about how polite, engaged and well behaved our students have been, which matches my own observations.

Our staff team of Daniel Samowitz, Kim Slender, Elizabeth Birrell and Christian Bell have been outstanding, maintaining a good blend of humour, wisdom, care and firmness, when required. Without doubt, our students are in good hands.

I hope that the snapshot below of the first week program highlights may provide an insight into the Chavayah experience:

Experiencing Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel, and ruach together, in Jerusalem;
Experiencing a visit to (choice of) Synagogues in Jerusalem;
Visiting key sites in Jerusalem, including the Southern Wall, Hezekiah Tunnel, Herodian House, Israel Museum and City of David;
Hiking down Mount Gilboa, followed by a swim in the pools at Sachne;
Dinners in groups of three, along Ben Yehuda and Mahane Yehuda;
Visiting either Dialogue in the Dark or Save a Child’s Heart;
Meditating at Havrei Metzada;
Walking up Masada to experience the sunrise; and
Floating on the Dead Sea.

All this in the space of one week! Add to this a number of seminar and group activities, breakfasts and lunches together, and you start to get a feel for the richness and depth of the Chavayah Program. For those parents who are keen to follow the remainder of the Chavayah journey, the student blog can be accessed on:

sites.google.com/emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/chavayah2019/home

Alexi Bader

Lexi is still very much in our hearts and minds. Christelle Le Baccon, Lexi’s mum, recently gave an emotional interview to the Daily Telegraph. She shared: “He was very confident, he could talk to anyone, but the main thing with him is he had a big heart”. Those are the words that many of Lexi’s friends and teachers have used to describe him. May his memory be for a blessing.

Year 6 Graduation Ceremony

Last week Friday, our Year 6 students celebrated their graduation with a unique Pathways Ceremony with their proud families. The students led the Friday Shabbat service with exceptional confidence. I wish them a hearty mazal tov on this special occasion and look forward to welcoming them into High School next year. For more information and wonderful photos, please visit Ma Koreh in this week’s edition of Ma Nishma.

Volunteers Assembly

Our annual assembly celebrates and acknowledges the wonderful work of our many volunteers, who contribute through P & F Association events; Parent Security Group; Board and Committee members; and others, who have dedicated their time on a voluntary basis to help make Emanuel School the wonderful community that it is. There are many things that make our School special, and one of our greatest strengths is our strong connections and support of each other and our Jewish community. Our team of committed and dedicated volunteers have contributed in many ways and will always play a significant role in serving our Emanuel community. Each volunteer present at our assembly was gifted with ‘bikkies in a jar’, with the raw ingredients waiting to be baked. The words on the jar say:

A school is more than books and desks
and learning two plus two
It’s people who share their skills and care,
and try their best in all they do.
Please accept our heartfelt appreciation,
our school is a better place
because of your dedication!

The ingredients that volunteers bring to the table (or school!) are the perfect mix to produce wonderful outcomes for our students.

Our Guest of Honour was Leon Waxman, who joined us with his wife Tracey and their two daughters, Ilana and Eliza. Leon was one of the founders of the Community Security Group, which started in 1977. He was also the very first member of the Emanuel School Parent Security Group, helping to establish it as a permanent feature of Emanuel over 25 years ago. His significant contributions over many years was recognised with sincere appreciation and a gift. For photos and more, visit the Thank You Volunteers page in this week’s Ma Nishma.

The Waxman Family

Farewell to Darryl Bourke

Darryl will depart shortly to commence a new chapter of life, as a beachside retiree. Darryl has been a valued member of our staff team for almost 15 years, loyally serving three principals – no mean feat! Darryl has been responsible for countless editions of Ma Nishma and has played an important role in the efficient administration of the Principal’s Office. We wish her well for the future.

Quote of the week

“It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.”
Harvey Firestone

Mazal tov

Saachi Owen and Sarah Sharwood, Year 12 2019, both had their work selected for ArtExpress 2020. This is an exceptional achievement.
Year 11 students, Ariel Berger, Rachel Zwarenstein and Cade Collins attended the 2019 National Art School Visual Arts extension course. All three students scored exceptionally high marks in their chosen disciplines of Ceramics, Black and White Photography and Sculpture. There were over 300 applicants for this Studio Practice course with 156 students from 87 schools around NSW completing it. Rachel Zwarenstein, Ariel Berger and Cade Collins for their excellent results from the National Art School (NAS) HSC Intensive 2 week course.
Year 5 students, Daniel Zipser, Joshua Barnett, Oscar Salek, Max Tsipris, Dylan Vitek and Gabriel Pozniak, as the NSW Junior Inter-Schools Chess Champions, represented the School and the State in the grand finals in Canberra. Their 4^th place is an exceptional achievement.
Jonah Trope has been selected for the NSW U15 State challenge squad, representing the NSW Metropolitan area.

From the Head of Primary School

Natanya Milner – Head of Primary School

I can’t believe that I am writing the final Ma Nishma for 2019. I am sure we would all agree that it has been a year of highs and lows and I can honestly say that through all these times, I have been incredibly grateful to our wonderful children, staff and community for the way we support each other and work together.

I am often asked what the best things to focus upon are for the end of the year break so here are my top ten tips for holidays (in no particular order):

Spend time together – relaxing, exploring, learning…the time is precious so enjoy it!
Read – to your child, beside your child and with your child…both the modelling and the shared experience are wonderful.
Be curious – whether it be exploring in a museum or finding a new insect in the garden, share the curiosity and ask questions together.
Play games together – win sometimes and show how to be humble in victory and lose sometimes to show how to be gracious in defeat.
Share your favourite music and discuss why it’s your favourite…why not dance to it too?
Find Maths everywhere – in cooking, shopping, map reading, transport timetables …and anywhere you find it, involve your children in working out the solutions.
Be active together – walks, swimming, bikes, balls, frisbees…the options are endless.
Share some favourite movies… perhaps from a range of different genres and eras.
Build things – recycled materials including bottles and packaging are all opportunities for construction.
Do something for someone else…find a way to give back, show gratitude and think about others.

Chess

I couldn’t be prouder of our AMAZING chess team! As the NSW State winners, they just participated in the National Chess Championships in Canberra. Each state played each other in a two-day competition and we are officially 4^th in the country. What an outstanding achievement! A huge mazal tov to Joshua Barnett, Daniel Zipser, Oscar Salek, Max Tsipris, Gabriel Pozniak and Dylan Vitek for their wonderful efforts throughout the year and for such incredible success.

Year 6 Graduation Pathways

It was an honour to be a part of Year 6’s Graduation and Pathways ceremony last Friday. I would like to wish all the children and their families mazal tov on reaching this very special milestone. The students conducted a beautiful Shabbat service and I was so proud of them all. I would like to thank Ashley Cohn, Max Salamon, Gabi Wynhausen and Rob Salamon for their wonderful speeches as well as Adam Carpenter, Rebecca Gaida, Stacey Rosenfeld and the Year 6 teachers for all of their hard work to prepare for the ceremony.

Trivia-athon

The past few weeks have resulted in a substantial amount of money being raised and we are so grateful to the JCA for their matching program. Over $16 000 has been raised over recent weeks and we look forward to using the money in 2020 – it is most likely to be spent on playground improvements but we will confirm this with additional details next year.

Presentation Day and Night

We hope to see you at our upcoming Presentation Day (Years K-2) on Monday 9 December 2019 at 9.00 am and/or at our Presentation Evening (Years 3-6) on Monday 9 December 2019 at 6.00pm (children are to arrive between 5.30 pm – 5.45 pm in their classrooms). Please ensure the children are in full school uniform with shiny shoes and long hair tied back. All boys should wear a kippah. Years K-4 should be in full summer uniform. Years 5 and 6 students should be in their formal uniform with ties and blazers.

Final Day of School and Canteen Closure

The last day of school for 2019 is Tuesday 10 December 2019. This is a very special day including our Primary School picnic, Emanuel’s Got Talent and the Guard of Honour for graduating students. Please note that the canteen will be closed on this day so children will need to bring their recess, lunch and drinks from home. We will be giving each child an icy-pole after lunch.

Farewells

A couple of weeks ago, Andrew Watt profiled our teachers who are leaving and I would like to add my huge thank you to each of them for their contributions to Emanuel during their time with us:

We wish Alex Hone all the very best as he starts at a new school. It has been such a pleasure to work with Alex and we will miss him from our teaching team.

Melanie Horin has taught Year 3 this year whilst Emma Hill was on maternity leave. We thank Mel for her wonderful efforts and contributions over the year.

Leisha Strub and Emma Clemens both take maternity leave and we are excited to hear their news and welcome them back.

Adam Ezekiel is taking a year’s leave to do a bit of exploring and we wish him every success for his adventure and look forward to his return in 2021.

Sarit Michael is spending six months in New York and we are looking forward to her return for Semester 2.

I would like to note the incredible efforts of Anna Economou, Karon Rom and Diane Clennar, who have each committed a huge proportion of their careers to Emanuel. We have been lucky to have such dedicated staff and I am so grateful to them for their efforts, expertise and professionalism. I wish them all the very best for their next steps and hope they will keep in touch with their Emanuel family.

Arrangements for 2020

We look forward to welcoming Years 1-12 students to school on Thursday 30 January 2020. This day will begin with meeting teachers and settling into new classrooms. There will also be lice checks on this day. Kindergarten children will come in for their assessment session and will then begin officially on Friday 31 January 2020. During the week prior, we will email a letter with important information for 2020, including the teachers for each grade.

Thank you

A final thank you from me for 2019! To our amazing teachers, counsellors, administration and support staff, IT, maintenance, the canteen and security – thank you to each and every one of you for the part you play in making our school so very special. To our parents and community – thank you for your on-going dedication to Emanuel and for your support throughout the year. To our beautiful children – thank you for the hard work, energy, passion and kindness that you bring with you to school each day. It is a pleasure to learn with you and I look forward to the adventures that lie ahead. Wishing you all a happy Chanukah and a wonderful and safe holiday break.

Primary News

Meghan Carroll – Deputy Head of Primary

Year 6 End of Year Celebration

On Wednesday 4 December 2019, the Year 6 students and staff travelled to Homebush Aquatic Centre as part of their end of the year celebration. Thank you to the Year 6 team for organising this special event.

Deborah Blackman – Parent Information Session

On Wednesday 27 November 2019, we welcomed Deborah Blackman to our School to speak about ‘Talking To Children About Difficult Topics’. Thank you to those parents/guardians who were able to attend.

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’.

In summary, the parent presentation explored a variety of topics including how to talk to your children about feelings, secrets, good touch and bad touch, and how to teach them some useful skills for child protection. I have included a few notes below from the presentation:

Preventing Child Sexual Assault

Children need to hear from their parents that nothing is too difficult to tell as they often feel too embarrassed to tell their parents of abuse.
Discuss comfortable (yes) feelings or uncomfortable (no) feelings.
Can equate these to warning signals like traffic lights – trying to give messages. Bodies also give warning signals when there are ‘no’ or ‘uncomfortable’ (feeling scared, unsafe or confused) feelings e.g. trembling, sweating, freezing, running, feeling sick, feeling confused, having butterflies in tummy. If you feel these feelings, tell an adult.
Who can you tell? As a parent, tell your child to tell you. Also give them other options – teacher or family members.
Good secrets and bad secrets – tell children to consider whether they get ‘yes’ or ‘no’ feelings from the secret e.g. buying mum a present and keeping it a secret for a week until her birthday. Bad secrets make ‘no’ feelings and you have to tell an adult bad secrets – even if someone tells you to keep it a secret.

Strategies for Children

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 e.g. if you are lost in a shop – choose an adult who is there with a child
Make sure your child knows your mobile phone number if possible

Strategies for Parents

Believe your children if they report to you
Validate your child’s feelings
Keep communication open so they can talk about anything
Your child can trust you
Tell your child who else they can trust
Create a list of safe people e.g. who 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 under react
“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

From the Head of Jewish Life

Laugh or Cry

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

While many Holocaust survivors remain silent about their Shoah lives, a silence we must honour, as a people we do not keep silent but raise our voices. Through writing, art, poetry, music, dance and prayer, we keep vigilant memory of a past to safeguard our future and that of all humankind.

With this in mind, I went to see a much celebrated film that recently debuted in Australia, as part of The Jewish International Film Festival. JoJo Rabbit categorised as a “satirical black comedy” won top prize in the 44^th Toronto International Film Festival and has been nominated for five Hollywood Critics Association awards, including best picture.

Still, I went with hesitation, as perhaps did others of the many who gathered to see this film, being shown on two screens.

When Maus made its appearance, I debated if I should share its contents with my High School children. This graphic novel by American cartoonist Art Spiegelman, presents his father’s Holocaust experiences by depicting Jews as mice, Germans as cats, and Poles as pigs. Maus won a Pulitzer Prize. When does a provocative medium deliver a powerful and necessary message that otherwise could not be delivered?

Charlie Chaplain’s 1940 political satire comedy, The Great Dictator, was nominated for five academy awards. Yet, Chaplain wrote in his autobiography that he could not have made that film if he had known about the true extent of the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps at the time.

The above examples, in consideration of the awards they were accorded, might be deemed of a compelling nature for meaningful reflection upon the Holocaust and its Nazi perpetrators. Unlike, many would argue, the Holocaust jokes of comedians Rachel Silverman and Joan Rivers, which I will not share here.

Does it matter that all of the above were Jewish (Charlie was widely held to be Jewish though it has never been confirmed, Chaplain’s grandfather is reported to have been Jewish) or that one who was not Jewish, like Roberto Benigni of the award-winning Holocaust comedy drama Life is Beautiful, was son of a survivor of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp.

Weinman, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, regrets her decision that made for the Seinfeld Soup Nazi episode. “I think the notion of ‘Nazi’ being used as a very mild pejorative does trivialize that experience”.

The Last Laugh, a documentary film written and directed by Ferne Pearlstein focuses on Renee Firestone, a 91-year-old Auschwitz survivor whose entire family was murdered in the Holocaust. She contends that if you can’t laugh – even at the Holocaust – then the Nazis may as well have won. But, her fellow survivor, Elly Gross shares with Renee that she cannot laugh about the Holocaust or see any humour in speaking about the Nazis.

There was uproarious laughter in the theatre as a full house watched JoJo Rabbit and there was utter silence, making me wonder which is of greater power in giving hope to our collective humanity.

Miriam Itzkowitz

Please find below a perspective on JoJo Rabbit, from one of our senior students, Miriam Itzkowitz

A scene from JoJo Rabbit

The Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) aims to provide Jews from around the world with movies of a Jewish theme or nature. Whilst many are often fascinating, funny and insightful, one which was racking up a lot of press internationally was Jojo Rabbit, a satire about a young boy whose imaginary friend is Hitler. I was fortunate enough to see it in its Australian premiere, and found it to be an incredible piece of work.

The story follows a young boy, Jojo, who is indoctrinated from a young age into the Nazi ideologies, through participating in the Hitler Youth, and hence, his imaginary best friend is Hitler. He soon discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl, Elsa, in their house and tries to find information about Jews through discussion with her. However, much of the time she is simply pulling his leg. At the end of the movie, Jojo no longer hates Jews after realising the absurdity and stupidity of Nazism, after his time with Elsa, and rids himself of Hitler as his imaginary friend after the war ceases.

The storyline is very sweet, but the film itself is extremely provocative and satirical in its presentation of the film, really testing the limits with terrible German accents, expressing the bizarreness of the Nazi ideologies, overly repeating the phrase “Heil Hitler” constantly, and my personal favourite, the actor playing Hitler being half-Jewish/half-Maori, which I like to think would be to the chagrin of Hitler.

While the Holocaust is a very sensitive topic, I do think we can incorporate humour into better understanding it. Of course, the events which occurred are beyond terrible, and ideologies that arose from pure hate ruined many lives, but I think that laughing at the stupidity of a group who tried to abolish us is the best revenge we, as Jews, can have on Hitler and the Nazis.

Being able to be alive and laugh at Hitler being kicked out a window or the ridiculousness of what people believed demonstrates our ability to move on as a people, acknowledge the past, and feel proud for being Jewish and alive. I do acknowledge that this type of film isn’t to everyone’s taste. But, I strongly encourage people who are interested in a different type of Holocaust medium to see Jojo Rabbit, as it portrays a unique perspective on the Holocaust, shows how people can change, and, as sadistic as it sounds, gives us a chance to laugh at the anguish of someone who tried to murder our people.

Ma Koreh – Pathways

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Year 6 Pathways Shabbat and Graduation Ceremony

Last Friday afternoon, Year 6 students and their families gathered together for a special Pathways Shabbat ceremony to mark the students’ graduation from Primary School.

During Jewish Studies this term, students familiarised themselves with the Friday evening prayer service by learning new songs and prayers. Each student was given responsibility to master a specific prayer to lead during the prayer service and created their own commentary and response to the prayer, which was incorporated into student created Pathways Siddur.

The Shabbat service was beautifully led by the Year 6 students and was filled with prayer, ruach and singing, often to the beat of bongo drums. The graduation ceremony included speeches by Head of Primary, Mrs Milner; Head Madrichim, Ashley Cohn and Max Salamon; and Gabi and Rob Salamon (Max and Sam’s parents). The speeches expressed gratitude to all those involved in supporting, nurturing and guiding the students to this point. They included fond memories and experiences of Primary School and words of advice and wisdom for the students as they move to the next stage of their learning journey.

In addition to receiving graduation gifts of Shabbat items and a Pesach Haggadah, students were presented with their Yearbook.

כל הכבוד to all Year 6 students on their work in preparation for Pathways.

מזל טוב to the students and their families for reaching this stage in their learning journey and in graduating Primary School.

תודה רבה to all the Emanuel School staff involved in the Pathways event.

Year 9 STEAM students

Sarah Bishop – Science Teacher

As the Year 9 STEAM students walked out the gates, boats in hand, on Friday afternoon last week, their excitement was palpable! For weeks students have had their noses down, tinkering for hours to construct the fastest, most reliable boat possible. When provided with the raw materials, with no instructions on how a solar panel worked or how to assemble the equipment to have a motor spin in an appropriate direction, the students were perplexed.

After almost a year of problem solving and designing, they used the skills that they had developed and the tools available to make this boat work!

With a boat in hand, there needed to be an event to race them. The class was responsible for planning and catering the Inaugural Emanuel Regatta at Clovelly Beach. With the smell of sunscreen and success in the air, 11 students launched their boats. The varying designs had equally varied results. While some sped off straight for the finish line, others preferred to take a slower paced, more scenic route. And we might not mention the boat that had to be rescued by a passing snorkeller as it headed out to sea… Aaron Glass is to be commended on his official win.

All students are, however, to be congratulated on their success. What a year it has been learning to work collaboratively in a new environment with many new tools to solve, at times, the most perplexing problems.

National Chess Team

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

Our A-team comprised of six Year 5 students, qualified as the NSW Champions in the inter-schools’ competition and hit the national stage in Canberra.

Our boys played five matches against the best team from each state with commendable focus and were in contention for a 3^rd place for most of the tournament, finally coming in narrowly at 4^th place. Our congratulations go to the boys for facing the strongest team from each state with such nerve and determination.

They are to be commended on their tireless efforts throughout the season and their support of one another.

Max Tsipris won the trophy for Highest Scorer on Board 4.

Thank you to the School and the parents for their support both during the weekend and throughout the season. Our gratitude goes to their coach, Michael Todd, who supported and coached the team with tireless dedication throughout the season.

The Sigd celebrated in Jerusalem

Oren Thaler – Hebrew Teacher

In High School last week we acknowledged the Sigd.

The Sigd is a festival that has been celebrated by the Ethiopian Jewish community for centuries. The Jewish community in Ethiopia – also called Beita Israel is the oldest Jewish community in the world. It is estimated that its existence dates back 3000 years.

The Kes (community leader) reading from the Torah text in the Sigd celebration

Ascending to the mountain top for the Sigd celebration in Ethiopia

The Sigd is the festival that marks the End of the High Holidays, 50 days after Yom Kippur. In Ethiopia, thousands would ascend a mountain top and read from the Torah, reaffirming the covenant with God and the longing for Jerusalem.

Since the great exodus of the Ethiopian Jewish community and its arrival to Israel, the Sigd has assumed an additional meaning, in recounting the great sacrifice and bravery during the journey to Israel.

A village of Beita-Israel community in Ethiopia

In 2008, Sigd became an official festival in the Jewish calendar and at Emanuel School we want to acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of Judaism and the contribution of the different communities to Jewish culture.

Music Matters

Diana Springord – Head of Music

Thank you to all those who have contributed to the success of Music at Emanuel over the past year. Music takes a huge generosity of spirit, work, care, time, resources, thought, space and money. Thanks to the wonderful team of Music teachers (Danny Burley, Liz Birrell, Alex Hone, Adam Majsay and, lately, Remi Owen) and the lovely Joanne De Araujo (PA) for their hard work and great camaraderie; our expert and friendly tutors, conductors and band mentors; the team of parents who support, lug and encourage; the School that tolerate our interruptions and share our celebratory performances; and of course, our fabulous, hard-working, enthusiastic and creative student musicians. Thank you for the music!

I would also like to farewell Alex Hone, who is leaving at the end of this year to take up a job (his dream job, perhaps) at his old school, Barker College. He has been a wonderful colleague, brimful of expertise, care and integrity, we have all learned a lot from him and enjoyed his collegiality and fun. We will miss him, and we wish him well for his future!

No instruments may be left at school during the holidays.

Following our annual stocktake and maintenance check earlier this week, all instruments should now be taken home. Students (and parents) have already been notified by email if we have sent their instrument off-site for repairs during the break. We will ensure that students have an instrument available for the end of school performances.

Recent Music Performances

Mazal tov to the Junior Jazz Combo, Junior Stage Band and Junior Choir for their wonderful performances at the Volunteers Assembly on Tuesday.

Our thanks to the conductors of these ensembles: Marty Farrugia, Alex Hone, Liz Birrell and Remi Owen respectively, and to Danny Burley for his accompaniment. Many compliments have been received already.

Important information for Term 1 2020

Instrument Care Seminar Tuesday 4 February 2020: 6.00 pm – 7.15 pm

Students new to IP in 2020, and who are borrowing a school instrument, will receive their instrument at the Instrument Care Seminar in Week 2. A parent must attend this evening with the student so that both parent and student know how to care for these precious instruments. The evening is also a chance to meet our tutors.

New students who own their own instrument or have prior experience in looking after it are welcome to come and meet their tutor, but it is not necessary for them to attend this event.

Extra-curricular Music Ensemble Rehearsals for Bands and Choirs resume in Week 3

Auditions (for new members or to change ensembles) will be held in Week 2 – details about the process will be published in early 2020. Auditions will be held during the rehearsal time of the relevant ensemble. Sign-on sheets will be posted on the Music corridor wall from the first day of Week 1. Some ensembles won’t be auditioned until after Music Camp.

The 2020 rehearsal schedule can be found here.

Ensemble/Choir Changes for 2020

Korngold Strings – Ezmi Pepper: Wednesday 7:10 am – 8.00 am

Mendelssohn Chamber Strings – Leo Novikov: Friday 7:20 am – 8.10 am

Junior Brass Ensemble (new) – Jy-Perry Banks: Wednesday 7:30 am – 8.10 am

Infant Strings Program (ISP) for 2020

Violin/Viola – Monique Mezzatesta

Cello – Ezmi Pepper

First days of IP are in Week 3 in 2020

Year 3 and Year 6: The first day of IP is Tuesday 11 February 2020

Year 4 and Year 5: The first day of IP is Wednesday 12 February 2020

IP Tutors for 2020

Instrument	Tutor: Years 3 and 6	Tutor: Years 4 and 5
Flute	Michael Sitsky	Kate Proctor
Oboe	Marcus Milton	Marcus Milton
Clarinet	Alex NcNeil	Max Harris
Saxophone	Matilda Grieve	Matilda Grieve
Trumpet	Marty Farrugia	Eamon Dilworth
Lower Brass	Sam Golding	Jy-Perry Banks
Percussion	Stefano Caroleo	Stefano Caroleo
Violin	Shaun Warden	Monique Mezzatesta
Cello	Ezmi Pepper	Ezmi Pepper

Private Music Tuition and Infant Strings Program for 2020

Please note that from 2020, the cost of individual private music lessons will be charged at a rate of $45 per half-hour lesson (plus GST, if the tutor is registered to pay GST). This is the rate advised by the NSW Music Teachers Association. Lessons shared in pairs are only available in special circumstances and would cost $24 per student per half-hour lesson (plus GST where applicable). The Infant Strings Program (ISP) for students in Years K-2 will be charged at $257 per term on school fees, which includes the loan of an instrument.

Thank you to those who have already advised us of changes to private tuition and Infant Strings Program enrolments for next year. The deadline for new enrolments, notification of changes or intention to discontinue for Term 1, 2020 was 22 November 2019. All students currently receiving private music tuition and students in Years K-1 who are currently participating in the Infant Strings Program will be automatically re-enrolled into tutor schedules for 2020 along with students commencing lessons for the first time. If your child intends to discontinue, formal notification in advance must be received by the end of term to avoid being committed to the full term of lessons and liable for fees.

Please contact Matilda Grieve: music@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions.

The schedules for Term 1, 2020 will be created at the end of term and emailed in late January.

Links to online forms

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

To discontinue private tuition for 2020: http://tinyurl.com/PrivateTuitionDiscontinuation

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

To discontinue Infant Strings Program for 2020: http://tinyurl.com/InfantStringsDiscontinuations

Dates for your diary in 2020

Twilight Concerts: Monday 18 May 2020 and Tuesday 5 November 2020
Music Camp: Term 2, Week 9 – 22 June 2020 – 25 June 2020
Night of Instrumental Music: Wednesday 26 August 2020
Night of Song: Thursday 22 October 2020

Primary Sports News

EActive and Extra-Curricular Programs

Thank you for your support of our programs this year. EActive and Extra-Curricular clubs have now finished for 2019.

Enrolments for 2020 clubs will be advertised on the Parent Portal in the new year, and an email will be sent out advising when these are open for bookings.

If you have any feedback on our clubs or suggestions for future clubs please email Emma Hill: ehill@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Depending on enrolments numbers, we hope to offer the following clubs in 2020:

(NEW) Cooking Club (Years 4 – 6)
Art & Crafts Club
EActive Tennis (Years 4 – 6)
Primary Improvisation and Theatre Sports (Years 1 – 6)
EActive Dancing (Years 1 – 2)
EActive Dancing (Years 3 – 6)
EActive Zumba Fitness (Year K)
EActive Multi-Sport Games (Years K – 3)
EActive Gymnastics (Years K – 6)
EActive Karate/Martial Arts (All Levels)
EActive Basketball (Years 5 – 6)
Bricks 4 Kidz (Years K – 6)
Drama Ensemble Group (Years K – 6)
EActive Basketball (Years 3 – 6)
JeSTAR (Years K – 6)
EActive Fitness (Years 3 – 6)
EActive Swim Squad (Competent Swimmers)

Year 4 Oz Harvest Visit

Roslynn Pardy – Primary Teacher

Year 4 has been exploring the idea of change, and people who make change in their community. Inspired by this, Elise Goldberg and Lily Foltyn held a lemonade stand on the weekend with all proceeds going to OzHarvest.

Below is a recount of their journey and what they learned through interviewing members of the OzHarvest Staff:

We went to OzHarvest on 27 November after school. We spoke with CEO Ronni Kahn’s assistant, Mala, about the work that is done at OzHarvest. We also spoke with Tracy Bialek who is the Head of Operations of the company. We told them about our ‘Change’ topic at school and that we had a bunch of change makers come to our classes and tell us what they’ve done and how they have created change for the better.

We were inspired by this idea and we decided to raise money to give to a charity. We chose OzHarvest because it helps people live and thrive. OzHarvest gives people food and living supplies. When we left, Tracy and the OzHarvest team were very thankful for what we had done. It was an amazing activity and it felt like such an achievement to us.

We feel we should all do things to help our communities and people in it every day. We feel that the people receiving help are so grateful and joyful. It feels so great that people like you and me can take time out of our daily lives to make an effort to help others.

So every time you have some spare change try and donate it to charities like OzHarvest – to help people live and have food to eat.

Think about the difference we could make if we all do our part!

By Elise Goldberg and Lily Foltyn

Primary Library News

Ginnette Cameron-Gardner Teacher Librarian

It has been a wonderful year in the Primary Library with keen readers discussing and recommending books to each other and also making suggestions for purchase. If you are looking for a new series to read please consider the titles below:

The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick.

This series of books instils the lesson of working together, kindness to others and friendship. It is a great Fantasy, Mystery Thriller full of suspense.

Noah and his sister Megan live next door to the Clarksville City Zoo. With their friends, Richie and Ellie they form the Action Scouts and build ‘The Action Scouts Clubhouse’ in a tree in Noah and Megan’s back garden. Megan feels certain that she has spotted monkeys on the rooftops of houses nearby and writes about it in her journal. She starts investigating but then disappears. Where has she gone? Can the Action Scouts find her?

This series that needs to be read in order of one to five and is located at JF CHI in the Primary Library.

The Secret Zoo: Secrets and shadows by Bryan Chick. Book 2 in The Secret Zoo series.

The adventure continues. A review would be a spoiler, but please read books two to five as well as there are strange things going on at the Clarksville Zoo. There is also a great underlying message in this series about the role humans play in preventing animal extinction.

Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein.

This was a New York Times Best Seller and is a fun read for middle grade readers with a positive teamwork message which is perfect for both the avid and reluctant reader.

Kyle Keeley is the class clown and he is popular with most of the students even if not with the teachers. His hero is Luigi Lemoncello a wealthy, eccentric gentleman, who is a notorious, creative game maker. Mr Lemoncello uses his game-making genius when involved in building the new town Library. In a plot similar to a cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum, Kyle is fortunate enough to win a place as one of the first 12 kids in the library. They are promised a night of fun, food and lots of games. However, when morning comes the children cannot exit the Library – the doors are locked! There is a hidden escape route, but Kyle and the other winners have to combine their gaming skills to solve every clue and secret puzzle to find the way out. The stakes are high, so they must work together to get out. This is a partially interactive read and taking part and playing along with the characters enhances the experience.

There are two other books in the Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series – Mr Lemoncello’s Library Olympics and Mr Lemoncello’s Great Library Race. They are located at JF GRA.

A Million Ways Home by Dianna Dorisi Winget

When her grandmother and guardian suffers a stroke, twelve-year-old Poppy Parker’s life turns upside down as she is put into a Children’s Home. It becomes even more dramatic when she witnesses a murder and has to go into witness protection with Detective Brannigan’s mother where she makes a friend – Lizzie. She also makes friends with Gunner, a beautiful German shepherd with an uncertain future at an animal shelter who she visits and comes to love. She finds it hard to believe she will ever find a way home, let alone save Gunner. Grandma Beth is in hospital and then is moved into the Huckleberry Home but as Poppy has to be in witness protection until the dangerous criminal who she witnessed as a gunman at a gas station is caught by the police, she cannot visit Grandma Beth. Will her life ever return to normal? There are so many twists and turns in this novel about love and friendship and coming to terms with hard situations.

This is a middle grade story Located at JF WIN for Years 5 and 6 students.

————

There are so very many good reads in the Primary Library, these are just a few of them, come explore the shelves. Make a list of books you would like to read in the future, and you will find many of them at the local Public Library to read in the holidays. If you discover novels in the Public Library that you would like to recommend being held in the Primary Library please note the title and author and put notes in the suggestion box just inside the front door by the printer.

Happy reading as you enter worlds of adventure in the pages of books.

Year 6, the Burger Centre and the Gift of Light Project

Burger Centre and Emanuel School Gift of Light project

Last week Year 6 students walked down to the Burger Centre for a special activity with their clients as part of our MAD – Making a Difference project.

Our activity together was to build small portable solar lights, as part of the Solar Buddy Project (https://solarbuddy.org/). Together with the elderly clients, we assembled 50 lights for the community and children in a village called Chatsworth, Zimbabwe. The children in the village do not have access to electricity and many homes use kerosene lamps for light. With a Solar Buddy light, we learnt that the children would be able to read and to learn at home. Another organisation, called Aussie Books for Zim, is building a library in this community to help with education, reading and literacy. Together we wrote messages that will be delivered with the lights to the children of Chatsworth.

Doing this activity reminded us to be grateful for the access to education, energy and light that we may take for granted. It was special to chat and talk with older members of our community and to work together on this project, that will make a big difference to the lives of others.

Thank you to the Burger Centre, Solar Buddy, the Mitzvah Project and Knit for Life for organising our visit.

By Jasmine Melnikoff and Georgie Rosen

Rabin Bugle

Shabbat Shalom Rabinites!

Rabin House would like to wish you all a great summer holiday. Enjoy the weeks ahead with some well-deserved rest and plenty of time with family and friends. It is hard to believe that we started the year some 11 months ago.

Some highlights this year include:

Year 7 and Year 8 took on adventures at Camp Somerset and not only became skilled at setting up tents and camp life in general, but they also became masters at roasting marshmallows.
Year 9 took the slopes of Thredbo and had a great time at Ski Camp. The students learnt or improved their ski or snowboard skills and for some it was the first time they experienced snow!
Year 10 had a great time at Machane Ayeka and are now exploring Israel or engaging with interesting workplaces.

Our senior students took on the challenges of the Preliminary and HSC courses but also found time to have fun, lead with passion and they have embraced their increased freedom and responsibilities.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Program has again been a success and many Rabinites across different year groups participated, testing their perseverance in a range of activities. We hope many of you will go for bronze, silver and gold achievements next year.

Our House spirit at carnivals and inter-house sport were as always amazing! We are already looking forward to the Inter-House Music Competition early next term! Go Rabin!

Tutor activities and House Assemblies have been led in a fine manner and our House Captains over the year – Adam, Tia, Ryan and Simone – have done a fantastic job on planning and leading fun and engaging activities, making sure that everyone always felt part of our great house. Our Peer Support leaders also deserve special praise for making our youngest Rabinites feel welcome and settled in High School. Last but not least, a big thank you to our Tutors and Head of House who always go out of their ways to be there to support and guide us in so many ways!

It will be with mixed feelings that we see our Year 12s graduate next week at Speech Night. Don’t forget to be at Hordern Pavilion on time in full school uniform.

Make the most of summer and come back energised and ready to make 2020 a remarkable year for Rabin House!

Kol Szenes

Announcements

High School Speech Night will be held on Tuesday 10 December at the Hordern Pavilion, Driver Ave in Moore Park. There will be parking available via the Entertainment Quarter on Lang Road. Students are to arrive by 6.15 pm for roll marking. Remember to wear your ties, blazers and school shoes and kippot for boys!
Hats – please make sure you are wearing a hat and sun cream if you are outside on the playground during recess and lunch, otherwise, make sure to be sitting in the shade.

Farewell

Goodbye to Ms Chedzey, who has served as an integral part of our Szenes community for many years. We wish her luck as she returns home with her family to England.

Return to School 2020

Term 1

Day 1: Thursday 30 January

Summer uniform. Hats to be worn during breaks whilst in the sun.

Birthday wishes

Happy Birthday to these Szenesians who celebrated their birthdays this week and to those who will be celebrating in the holidays (or on Chavayah):

Mr Bell (Year 10 Tutor)
Koby Michel (Year 7)
Ellie Morris (Year 9)
Ella Kirschner (Year 8)
Kyah Laishevsky (Year 10)
Miriam Itzkowitz (Year 12)
Lara McCorquodale (Year 9)
Noa Wajsman (Year 7)
Liat Granot (Year 10)
Erin Forman (Year 12)
Daniella Nesher (Year 8)
Saskia Auerbach (Year 10)
Adam Morris (Year 12)
Chloe Miller (Year 10)
Ari Odes (Year 10)
Gabriel Stiassny (Year 7)
Sasha Goldman (Year 9)
Benjamin Cohen (Year 9)
Sienna Poswell (Year 7)

Quote of the week

“Courage is found in unlikely places.”
J. R. R. Tolkien

Shabbat Shalom, have a fantastic weekend and an incredible summer break!

See you all next year!

Meir Advocate

Farewell for now…

Well done everyone for making it through another school year and I am sure everyone is ready for a nice long summer holiday.

Unfortunately, this will be the last Meir Advocate I write for a while. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the setting up, running and overall homely feel of Meir House.

I will start by thanking the staff members that make Meir House what it is every day: Ms Birrell, Mr Thaler, Ms Bishop, Mr Bloom, Mr Camp and Ms Selinger and Ms Shanahan. Thank you for your commitment to your Tutor Groups, your enthusiasm during House activities and supporting each student in your Tutor Group in more ways than they will know. On behalf of every one of your students – THANK YOU for everything you do!

To the students – thank you for making coming to school everyday fun and enjoyable. It was incredibly rewarding to start Meir House, but even more rewarding to work with you all every day. Next year, I will definitely miss Emanuel, in particular working with all of the Meirians in the school. My final words for you is to reiterate our Meir Mottos this year:

Term 1 – ‘Respond, don’t react’
Term 2 – ‘Stars can’t shine without darkness’
Term 3 – ‘We rise by lifting others’
Term 4 – ‘Expect nothing, appreciate everything’

Have a safe and relaxing summer break and an enjoyable 2020 at Emanuel.

See you in 2021!

Mr Ezekiel

Gymnastics

Gymnastics Display Day

On Wednesday Emanuel Gymnastics celebrated our annual end of year display, presentation and breakfast. There was much joy and many happy faces in the room!

Gymnastics has become a tradition for students at Emanuel with a well-structured program now in its 19^th year. Through the challenge of learning gymnastics skills, students of all levels from Years K-12 are encouraged to participate.
Our competitive gymnasts achieved amazing results at this years IPSHA carnival giving inspiration to our younger gymnasts. Social skills are also encouraged through listening, following instructions, taking turns and respecting others whilst also providing enjoyment and lots of fun.

Sharon Fairfax, Gymnastics Co-ordinator

Beach Touch Football Tournament

Sharon Fairfax – PDHPE Teacher Aide

Emanuel School entered nine teams in this annual event held at Maroubra Beach on Friday.

This was our largest group ever.

Junior and Senior Girls and Boys teams thrived in the ideal conditions at an amazing iconic Australian beach on a spectacular day.

The four in attack and three in defence format makes this game incredibly fast with many quick turn arounds. Running in the sand really tests the students’ athleticism and agility.

The day is always a highlight in the sporting calendar. This year we competed against a broad array of schools including Kambala School, Marsden High, Maitland High, Randwick High, Hurlstone Agricultural High, Sylvania High, Moriah College, International Grammar School, Newtown High, and Plumpton High.

All matches were played at an extremely fast pace with a high skill level.

Well done to all students who represented Emanuel School on the day.

MS Maccabi National Swimathon

Kristy Genc – Head of Sport

Congratulations to all who participated in the MS Maccabi Swimathon on Sunday 24 November 2019. The group was made up of Primary School students, High School students, parents, siblings and staff.

The Emanuel team swam continuously from 7.00 am – 5.00 pm, swimming a total of 1415 laps, totalling a massive 35.38km.

The group raised a grand total of $2,221.64. These funds go towards Multiple Sclerosis Go for Gold Scholarships, financial assistance programs and providing services directly to benefit those living with multiple sclerosis. Well done to Jemma Bennett,Jemma Drutman, Gabriella Goodridge, Mia Goodridge, Aron Harpaz, Xander Keller, Zara Keller, Jonathan Levy, Sarah Manoy, Eva Nabarro, Kalia Nabarro, Jordan Pal, Tali Same, Arielle Sharp, Jake Sharp, Jett Sher, Samara Trenaman, the Goodridge family and the Keller family.

Thank you also to our staff members, Charlie Mc Askill and Joseph Peacock for also supporting the event on the day.

High School Speech Night

Primary Presentation Ceremonies Invitations

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

HSC – important dates:

Results released on 17 December at 6.00 am: HSC results will be delivered to students via email and text.

The HSC Inquiry Centre is opens on 17 December at 8.00 am
Phone: 1300 138 323

To access your results, enter your student number and PIN and follow the prompts. Remember your NESA number and Students Online PIN are different from your University Admissions Centre (UAC) number and PIN.

ATARs will be released on 17 December on the MYUAC App at 1.00 pm

Call 1300 ASK UAC for any issues you are having and have your UAC log in ready (1 plus your NESA number).

I will be available on email on 17 December if you have any questions. For anyone who feels they need an appointment to talk through their options I will have limited bookings available on Wednesday 18 December.

To book, please use my on line calendar https://calendly.com/clairepechcareers/. If I become fully booked, I can answer any queries on email that evening.

Change of preferences finalised on UAC on 19 December 2019 at midnight

Please verify all dates and information via UAC on https://www.uac.edu.au/key-dates

(If you wish to opt out of receiving your results by email or SMS, go to NSW Students Online, My Details. You will also be able to access your results that day via NSW Students Online, My Details. Download your NESA credentials as a free PDF from NSW Students Online, My Details. Your HSC credentials will include a HSC Testamony, Record of Achievement detailing your Year 12, 11 and 10 results, and personalised course reports for relevant HSC courses. After downloading, remember to save or print your credentials as NSW Students. The online account will only remain open until 30 June 2020: https://studentsonline.nesa.nsw.edu.au/go/login)

December Round 2 Offers released on the UAC website on 23 December 2019 at 7.30 am

For continuing offer rounds after this one consult https://www.uac.edu.au/key-dates

UAC – Year 12 Parent Guide https://www.uac.edu.au/media-centre/news/year-12-parent-guide

Good luck with all of these results, place applications and rounds. I wish you all the best as you move on to the next chapter. Don’t feel locked in or confined by any of these choices you make at this time. GAP ‘year-ers’ have a likelihood to change their mind, as do students after their 1^st year of study, as do students who take some time out to think it all through….so think of this as the NEXT step, not the ONLY step.

Best wishes,

Claire Pech

Volunteers Assembly

Tuesday’s Volunteers Assembly was a wonderful morning filled with appreciation as students presented, sang, read poetry and played music to thank our many volunteers for their time, energy and commitment to the School.

In their speech, Lachlan Corne, High School Head Madrich, and Ashley Cohn, Primary School Head Madricha, commented: “Our volunteers make an extraordinary contribution to Emanuel School. Not only do they help us by giving their time, but they also add to the richness of the whole school community by giving of themselves. As we get to know them they share their life stories, passions, ambitions, beliefs and values. These help to create a more holistic and well-rounded environment from which our student body can learn and grow.”

Five Year 6 students spent many a lunch break, writing poems of appreciation:

You are the ones who help us grow

The ones who hold this community together,
Sticky like the dough of a biscuit, standing by us
Thank you, you are the binding of the school.

Rising to help us, rising above challenges,
You are the ones who help us grow,
Thank you for being the baking powder, helping us rise.

A sugary tang in the schoolyard.
The sweetness of the volunteers,
Helping us develop, grow, learn and succeed.

An aroma of rich melting chocolate,
Swirls within the gates of the school,
Our gratitude to the ones who enrich our education.

May we come together and sing in harmony,
The gentle words of gratitude and thanks.
May we link arms and hold hands,
As we set sail on the next journey.
A journey of hope, learning, education and love.
Yet throughout all our days, may we be grateful for the volunteers of this beautiful school.

By Ashley Cohn, Daliah Smagarinsky and Liberty Waldner

Chocolate and cinnamon

Chocolate, oh so sweet
How can one describe,
how much richer in joy do you make this school?

Cinnamon, a flavour so intense,
Akin to the intensity of the work our volunteers put in,
To add some spice and joy to life,
A debt that is impossible to repay.

Bicarb soda, that makes you rise,
Rise to all the many opportunities that the volunteers provide,
To make us succeed and rise.

Flour, the base to all good biscuits,
You spread as you would never believe,
Flour spreads like the goodwill of the volunteers,
Making a beautiful mess of joy and happiness,

Sugar, the centre of all happiness,
You mix with all the bitter things in life,
Grains of happiness and joy,
Sweetness and fun.

by Shai Berkovic and Ariel Bloom

Meditation to start the day

The Junior Stage Band, Junior Choir and Junior Jazz Combo added a number of musical delights to the mix and Rabbi Triguboff’s D’Var Torah gave us time for a few minutes of meditation to start of the day. Following assembly, our volunteers were treated to delicious morning tea prepared by the Year 9 Food Technology students.

Mazal tov to past parent, Leon Waxman, who we honoured for volunteering for over 25 years at the School. We are so grateful to him for his deep commitment to our students.

Events such as these take a tremendous amount of planning and I thank Belinda Levin, Marketing and Communications Assistant, for her exceptional event management; Diana Springford, Head of Music, and her talented team, for expertly preparing the musicians and choir; Year 6 teacher, Kim Haddix, for co-ordinating the budding poets; and Lara Ephron and her Year 9 Food Technology students for the creative Bikkies in a Jar and the delicious morning tea.

Michelle Favero, Manager of Marketing and Communications

Gesher Community

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

What is Gesher?

Gesher is the Hebrew word for “bridge” – at our school, we have a Board sub-committee called Gesher chaired by Natalie Goldman. It is what keeps the connections alive between alumni, past and present parents, grandparents and friends and Emanuel School.

It is the friend-raising arm of our School community. We support everything that is Emanuel School, with a strong link to the Emanuel School Foundation. Members of our Gesher committee that meets every couple of months, include representatives from our current and past parents, grandparents and alumni. We thank them all for their tireless energy and support throughout the year.

Last chance to donate:

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (NSWJBD) appeal for victims of the recent catastrophic bushfires in NSW concludes today, Friday 6 December 2019 at 12.00 pm.

See here for details: www.facebook.com/NSWJBD/posts/1704639299668832

Funds raised will be distributed on advice from the NSW Premier’s Office.

Camp Sababa and Camp Sababa Senior 2019

Early December every year since 2007, children with disabilities ages 6-16 come together for this four-day summer holiday. The camp was founded following the suggestion of a parent who felt there was a need in the community to cater for children with disabilities. Initially Moriah College and Masada College joined forces with the support of the Sony Foundation and the fundraising talents of Rick Karpin, to establish a most successful camp. Emanuel School joined the organisation in 2009 and since then a number of our newly graduated Year 12 students volunteer each year, to look after these young children in the role of companions. The camp aims to give a wonderful holiday with a Jewish flavour, to special needs children. It allows the volunteers to give of themselves to those people less fortunate than themselves whilst giving these companions a greater appreciation and understanding of people with disabilities. Some of our older alumni volunteer in other support roles. w ww.campsababa.com.au

Alumna Maya (Greenberg) Pollak, (Class of 2001) has chaired Camp Sababa for the past three years. Maya, a solicitor and mother of three young children works as the Senior Legal Manager – Corporate & Strategy at Alinta Energy and still finds time to volunteer.

Camp Sababa Senior is a program of JewishCare sponsored by the Wolper Jewish Hospital Health Foundation and the Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA). This senior camp for disabled young adults aged 17 to 25 years, was founded in 2012 by a group of companions from Camp Sababa and many of our Emanuel alumni volunteer as buddies. Asher Klein (Head Madrich, Class of 2016) who sits on our Gesher Committee, was a buddy again at this year’s camp as were many Year 12 2019 students.

There are also numerous opportunities for parents and grandparents to volunteer for these camps in housekeeping roles including help to prepare meals and setting up activities.

Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM)

A number of members of our School community are involved in a variety of roles at the Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM) www.sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au. The museum has a program called Survivor Portraits and this month, they introduce Mimi Wise, one of our grandparents. Read her story here:

sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/news/survivor-portraits-mimi-wise/

Mimi Wise

Other Emanuel grandparents have been also been part of this program, including Kitty Lowinger in October and Litzi Lemberg in September, whilst great-grandparent Olga Horak was featured in August.

If you have never been to the Museum, I encourage you to do so, and be inspired by the resilience of holocaust survivors, the many exhibitions and book launches, panel discussions, public lectures, film screenings, community events and performances.

Volunteers still needed for Friendship Circle Summer Camp

Friendship Circle is still recruiting volunteers for the summer holiday Friendship Circle Day camps:

We wish our readers a happy, safe and relaxing summer break and look forward to sharing more community connections with you all next year.

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

Optional Theatresports Drama for Primary

Optional Theatresport Drama High School

Optional Drama for Years K-6

Code Camp

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

Kornmehl Concert

We had a beautiful evening on Thursday, as we gathered for our bumper end-of-the-year concert and dinner. Parents, children and teachers all enjoyed sharing this special time together. A time to reflect on the year gone by… a time to remember how the children have grown up, matured and developed in so many different ways…a time to have fun and share in the Kornmehl spirit!

Thank you to all our families for coming along and sharing this time together. We were very proud of the children and how they all performed on the night and we hope you were proud too.

Thank you to Anita Weinberger and Andrea Healy for helping with the preparations in the afternoon, to Ben Marshall for his help with the sound, lighting and audio-visual equipment and to the maintenance team for setting up the MPH for us. We appreciate all your help and support.

Kornmehl Family Picnic

We all gathered down at Centennial Park for our last Bush School Family Picnic last Friday morning. It was special to share in the delights and wonders of nature and to see how sacred this place is to the children. The children shared their acknowledgement to country with all our guests. Their wisdom and thoughts are deep and powerful and show how capable young children are. We all shared in a Bush School Shabbat, sang and danced together and ate challah too. What a wonderful morning. Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who came along to share in the fun.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Halle Lambert (5), Jack Salamon (5), Cian Healy (4), Katya Sandy (5), Kirra Olian (4), Micaela Di Veroli (4), Sam McKenzie (5). We hope you all have a special birthday.

End of Year

It’s hard to believe we are actually at the end of the year. How time flies when you are having fun. What a busy and exciting year we have had. We’ve had so many beautiful and special moments and so much learning, and development of skills in all areas – socially, emotionally, physically, spiritually and intellectually.

We have watched the children grow and mature and develop some wonderful relationships with both their peers and teachers. We know that the children are ready to take on new challenges next year, whether it’s going to Year K or moving up to be a Starfish or Dolphin. We look forward to 2020 and sharing another year together.

At this time of the year it is important to thank so many people who have contributed to the Pre-school in so many different and positive ways.

Firstly, to Morah Martine our amazing Hebrew teacher – a big thank you for your enthusiastic, interactive and fun Hebrew classes this year, the children loved seeing you and have learnt so much from you this year. Todah Rabah and have a happy holiday.

To our lovely music teacher Alex Hone – thank you for your patience and for teaching us so many wonderful songs this year. Sadly, we have to bid farewell to Alex, as he will be moving to Barker College next year. We wish him the best of luck in his new role. We have loved working with you these past two years.

To Esti Lipson for her calm and friendly manner in which she always completes any photocopy task so effortlessly and capably.

To Gail MacKenzie for her efficient and supportive enrolment process for the Pre-school.

To our Year Two buddies and their teachers – Mrs Esra and Mrs Strub, for coming down and reading to us each week.

To Ginnette Cameron-Gardner and all her staff from the Primary School library, for welcoming the Kornmehl children and families into the library. They have loved their visits each fortnight and we look forward to continuing with these visits next year.

Thank you to Tammy, Coach Al and Coach Carly from Playball for another incredible year. The children’s gross-motor and ball skills have improved so much and along the way they have had a lot of fun and learnt many other important skills such as following instructions and listening. We wish you all a happy holiday.

Many thanks to the maintenance team of Andrew Delany, Peter Cummins, Simon Hamilton, Colin Newport, Manny Diaz and Mark Schulsted for their ability to get every job done so quickly and always with a smile. We really appreciate everything you do for us at Kornmehl.

Our thanks must also go to the IT department, with a special mention to Nathanael Clarke and Ivan Salavyov for constantly running up and down the hill to make sure all out IT glitches are sorted out in good time. You all do an amazing job behind the scenes and we are very grateful for your expertise and support.

We must also thank Tom Hagl and his team from security – Max Kozmine, Aisea Kaufusi and Alexander Jovanovic who make sure we are kept safe and sound every single day. Many thanks for all your hard work during the year, it is very much appreciated.

I would also like to thank the marketing department – Michelle Favero and Belinda Levin – who have worked tirelessly the entire year with the Pre-school, supporting us through our beautiful 20^th anniversary celebrations, revamping our website and many other numerous behind the scenes jobs. Thank you to you both. It has been a pleasure to work with such an efficient and capable team.

Finally, a big thank you to all our amazing Kornmehl staff, who have worked with complete commitment and dedication throughout the year, to make 2019 such an amazing year of learning and discovery for all the children. Your expertise, knowledge and experience are valued by us all and a testament to the confident, happy and engaged children in the Pre-school.

We wish all our Dolphins and Starfish moving on to Year K next year much success and happiness as they embark on the next leg of their educational journey. We know you are all so ready and excited to go to “big school.” Please don’t forget to pop down to say hello to us next year. We will miss you all.

We wish all our Kornmehl families a peaceful, safe and restful holiday. The last day of Pre-school is Tuesday 10 December 2019.

We look forward to welcoming you all back on Thursday 30 January 2020.

Quotes of the week

What is a miracle?

Hannah: When something you don’t expect to happen, happens!

Leo: When something lasts really long or is really amazing!

Canteen

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the students, staff and parents for your ongoing support at the canteen. We have enjoyed serving you. We will see you in 2020.

We would also like to thank our wonderful staff, we could not do it without you.

Wishing you a safe and relaxing holiday.

Gayle and Miriam

Parent Safety Group

Thank you to our volunteers from last week:

Saul Berkowitz, Elan Miller, Paul Berkovic, Danielle Jaku-Greenfield, Leigh Goldberg, Yossi Biton, Bob Kummerfeld, Tom Neumann, Ronen Vexler, Leon Waxman, Peter Freed, David Khedoori, Raffy Shammay, Ros Shammay, Michael Kern, Alan Nathan, Derek Pal, Alex Hart, David New, Simon Revelman, Daniel Greengarten and Adam Tsipiris.

Scholarships 2021

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jen Opit

Hi Everyone,

The last full week of school for the year has concluded, and this is our last article of 2019!

We hope you have all had a great year.

The Family Meal: Emanuel Cookbook

The Emanuel School Cookbook, “The Family Meal,” is almost sold out.

The book is amazing – it is full of a variety of delicious and treasured recipes kindly submitted by all of you. There are beautiful photos taken by the wonderful Ofer Levy, as well as illustrations by our primary students. Books cost $45 and are a must have (and a great gift as well).

Order your copy now so you don’t miss out at https://www.trybooking.com/BFSUL

We will also be selling the book before the K-2 and 3-6 Presentation Ceremonies, so you can grab yours then.

Friday Chill Out

We hope to see you all after school today on the basketball courts for an icy-pole and a chance to mingle.

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

This will be the last Friday get-together for the year, so thanks again to Justine Hofman and her team for this fantastic initiative.

Thank You

We would like to take a moment to thank our P&F Executive for all their tireless work and support: Jo Rose, Michelle Stockley and Karen Endrey. Thank you to Lindi Bloch for organising the camping trips. We are very appreciative of all the involved parents and grandparents and Emanuel School staff members who have helped out this year in a variety of ways. Thank you to the beautiful group of parents who showed up for our monthly meetings and to help at all the events – we appreciate everything you do so very much! A special thanks to Andrew Watt, Tany Milner and Sonia Newell for their support.

Calendar Dates 2020

We thought you may want to start diarising these dates for 2020.

We look forward to seeing you at the following events (please note that these dates may change):

Friday 28 February 2020 – Sunday 1 March 2020: Camping Trip #1

Sunday 8 March 2020: Purim Disco

Friday 8 May 2020: Mother’s Day Breakfast and Stalls

Friday 28August 2020: Father’s Day Breakfast and Stalls

Friday 6 November 2020 – Sunday 8 November 2020: Camping Trip #2

Our P&F meetings will be on the first Wednesday of every month and we would love for you to join us!

Wishing you all safe and wonderful holidays,

Jen and Ruby