From the Principal

Andrew Watt

Climate rally

I was a very happy and inspired Principal on Wednesday when I witnessed our Primary and High School students stand up for climate action during their student-led rally at school. The Primary Green Team had worked hard to develop the event concept, create posters for the rally and spread the word to their peers. The result was a resounding success with speeches from a Year K student, up to Year 11. Our special guest, Dr Kerryn Phelps AM MP, was so impressed with the students and their commitment to making a difference. I believe that it was the highlight of her week.

Emanuel Primary School News Team

Student voice is strong at Emanuel. Our Primary School students, under the guidance of Sophie Poisel, have been keen to embark on a project that will present news in video format to our community. Their first report has been recorded and will be released today!

On their leadership planning day, Year 6 Green Team Leaders, Chelsea Opit and Jethro Igra, were inspired by the student climate strikes of Greta Thunberg and others around the world. They wondered how we could do something like this at Emanuel. This week over 200 students were involved in our first ever climate rally. We were fortunate to have the Honourable Dr Kerryn Phelps AM MP to join us and listen to the voices of our students and to talk to our leaders one-on-one, after the event. The newly formed Primary News Team was there to capture the action. Click on the photo to play the news item.

Student leadership in our High School

Our Year 11 students recently participated in a presentation from myself, our Informal Jewish Life staff leaders and several current Madrichim, that reflected on the guiding principles behind how our Madrichim team lead and influence our student culture. Prior to the leadership elections, it is important that we highlight the type of leadership that we hope to see in our future student leaders. Year 11 heard that:

• The leadership team should reflect the diversity within the student body – the quiet, the ‘nerdy’, the sporty, the creative, the thoughtful and reflective, those with a passion for their Judaism;
• Our leaders do not all have to be impressive ‘up front’, as there is much work to be done behind the scenes, and public speaking is but one of many abilities;
• Our leaders need to understand the cost of leadership, in terms of the additional time required and having to make difficult decisions;
• Our leaders need to have integrity so that their actions outside school, when no one is watching, match their behaviour in the classroom and playground; and
• Our leaders should be motivated more by how they can serve others and put the needs of others first, rather than by the power or glory of the position.

Our students were challenged that, as there will be approximately 63 students who will not attain a position within the Madrichim team, each Year 11 student be an informal leader. They will be looked up to by the younger students as their role model and what they say and how they respond, will influence others. In the words of Albert Schweitzer, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.”

Communication with our teachers

We continue to place a high value on the health and welfare of our staff. Having happy, rested and engaged teachers has a significant impact on the type of culture we desire at Emanuel; a culture of calm, care and high expectations. Our teachers work very hard throughout each week and often in the evenings, preparing lessons, marking work, engaging in professional reading and supporting students with wellbeing concerns.

I have asked that teachers provide an initial response to parent emails within 24 hours. I have also asked our teachers not to respond to emails (from parents or students) over the weekend or in the evening unless there is a genuine emergency. This ‘pause’ from the intensity of the role will provide an opportunity for our teachers to spend time with their families and switch off from the demands of the role.

Mazal tov

• Alex Machlin, Year 7, competed in Dressage and Show Jumping at the Equestrian NSW 2019 Interschool State Championships this week. Alex was the sole pioneer of the Emanuel team and was competing against students many years older than her. We are proud of her and her faithful steed, Royal Romance Jewels aka Jimmy.
• Emanuel’s team for the World’s Greatest Shave raised $8000 for Leukaemia research. What an amazing achievement. 
  

Quote of the week

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Anonymous

From the Primary School

Katie Brody – Director of Studies K-6

Anti-Bullying Day

The Madrichim planned two role playing scenarios for anti-bullying day this year. We are very proud of the effort and thought that has gone into their planning. These scenarios focused on the message: You don’t need to put others down to put yourself up.

Thank you to the Primary Madrichim: Max Salamon, Sam Salamon, Raphael Harpaz, Niek Nathan, Daniel Newfield, Ashley Cohn, Calle Owen, Gemma Wainstein, Liberty Waldner, Violet Nathanson, Arielle Sharp and Ashleigh Gold for their outstanding efforts.

Canteen closed

Ta’anit Esther: Fast of Esther is Wednesday 20 March and the canteen will be closed.

Purim celebrations –  Thursday 21 March

Students can come to school in appropriate fancy dress based on their class theme and will participate in various activities to celebrate Purim. The costume parades will commence at 8:20am.

No inter-school sport

Inter-school sport on Thursday 21 Marchhas been cancelled due to Purim. Year 3 swimming will still take place and students should be prepared to change at school.

Climate Change Rally

Well done to all of the Years K-12 students involved in the rally and a special thanks to Gabrielle Wynhausen, Sophie Poisel and David Whitcombe for organising the event with the Primary Green Team! 

Primary Parent Teacher Night

The Primary School’s Parent Teacher Night interviews will be held in just a few weeks:

• Monday 1 April (4.00 pm – 9.00 pm)
• Wednesday 3 April (4.00 pm – 6.30 pm)

You will be receiving an email with all the information you need to access the online Parent Teacher Night booking system. Please read the email carefully and feel free to make a booking with the teachers with whom you would like to speak with. This term, specialist teachers (Art, Drama, Music and PE) will be available to meet with Years 3 to 6 parents only. If your child / children are in Years K to 2, you will have an opportunity to meet with the specialist teachers next semester.

Parent Teacher Night is an excellent opportunity to come together with your child’s teachers and have important conversations about your child’s achievements to date, their progress and their approaches to learning. Given that it is still very early in the year, any new anecdotal information you offer the teachers is as important as the feedback they provide for you.

When parents and teachers work in partnership to help support the social, emotional and academic progress of each child, significant gains can be made. Much of what fosters this progress is our shared dedication to  encouraging in each child, ‘a special blend of persistence and passion’. Psychologist Angela Duckworth calls this ‘grit’. If you are interested to understand more about this notion, click here to watch a short clip.

How can we foster in our children this desire to persist and be ‘gritty’ in the pursuit of progress?

World renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, has been offering advice to parents and teachers for over ten years now. Dweck has proven time and time again, through numerous studies, that the most powerful action we can take as parents and teachers is to model, explicitly teach and praise behaviours that illustrate dedication and effort, persistence and determination, as well as perseverance and endurance over time. Click here to watch a short clip about fostering a growth mindset.

What does that mean for our students? It means that even when learners have high academic potential it does not always result in high academic performance or even regular progress unless there is a deliberate and purposeful approach by the student themselves. It means that if we affirm and encourage the effort they expend toward small, measurable goals (perseverance) and their dedication throughout their journey (passion), these are what matter more than how they would perform on a test measuring intelligence. As Duckworth notes, “Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.” As such, we are keen to partner with our parents in order to reinforce our students’ efforts so as to encourage and maintain their intrinsic motivation to persist. Parent Teacher Night is a great opportunity for this discussion.

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Memes and Genes

This Shabbat is called Shabbat Zakhor/The Shabbat of Remembrance, for we read the Torah portion stating “Zakor/Remember what Amalek did to you”. As this is the Shabbat before Purim, and Haman is said to be the descendant of Amalek, we remind ourselves of our eternal foe-Amalek and all its descendants. There is a suggestion here of bad blood, an inimicality that borders on genetics-Amalek and Israel can never reconcile.

At the same time, Judaism recognises memes are “cultural analogues” to genes. Beliefs, practices and ideas are culturally transmitted even as genes are, but at a faster rate and, at times, in a more compelling manner. Mimetic evolution, our tradition teaches, is the hopeful antidote to genetic/blood-based hostilities. This is expressed in the rabbinic observation that “the descendants of Haman (the Amalekite) studied Torah with the Jews of Bnai Brak”.

We might read this as saying that in the end “we” win out anyway, our greatest enemies themselves become Jews. Or, this may suggest that we do not believe in inherited guilt/enmity, and the memory and memes of all cultures can evolve and make way for the “other” through acceptance and understanding.

It is said that that before Daniel Pearl was killed by terrorists, his final words, after “I am a Jew” was “Back in the town of Bnei Brak, there is a street named after my great-grandfather, Chayim Pearl, who was one of the founders of the town”.

Perhaps he too was saying to his soon to be killers, hopefully you do not win here and your grandchildren will come to study with our children (and our peoples live together in peace).

Memes and genes, may our memory be for good (Zakhur LaTov)

Student Devar Torah

Liat Granot – Year 11

Parashat VaYikra

Parshat Vayikra outlines the offerings one must give in specific circumstances – these are as follows:

• Ascending offering – wholly raised to God by the fire on top of the altar.
• Peace offering – for one who wanted peace with himself or his neighbour. 
• Sin offering – for any wrongdoing committed. 
• Guilt offering – for one who does not know whether he has committed a sin, so he brings an offering just in case.

All of these offerings could be made by everyone – the king, kohen or any other citizen.

Let’s analyse the Hebrew word for sacrifice ‘korban’. Like all Hebrew words, this word has a root word – in this case ‘karov’ meaning close. Such sacrifices were meant to bring one closer to God. The sacrifice was the main way for the Jews to gain atonement for sins. However, we also know that there were other sacrifices that were brought without being related to a sin. Therefore, the purpose of the Korban must not have only been for atonement. The real goal of every Korban was to bring the individual closer to God.

‘But why is this relevant?’ I hear you ask… How does animal sacrifice apply to my daily life? Well I would hope for your sake – not much would apply to you. But for the biblical Jews, animal sacrifice was a way to get closer to God. In a time where meat was rare and very expensive burning an animal for God was truly a sign of dedication.

There were also different kinds of sacrifices for when one has sinned individually or when a whole community has sinned. This demonstrates the importance of responsibility – which is the main message that I would love for you to take away from this Devar Torah. Every single person has a responsibility to know when they have sinned and a responsibility to get closer to HaShem/God. This can be any way you want! Say a prayer, go to Shul, whatever you find brings you closer to HaShem.

Youth 2 Israel (Y2i)

On Sunday 10 March, supporters of Y2i and their commitment, through generous funding, to make it possible for Jewish teens to experience Israel, gathered to hear from this year’s cohort of students who visited Israel as part of their school program.

For more information on Y21, please see below*.

We are happy and proud to share Asha Friedman’s speech, as a representative of Emanuel School.

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Asha Friedman

Speech for Y2i event in Sydney

Good Afternoon, I’m Asha Friedman. I am in year 11 at Emanuel School, and have very recently completed the Chavayah program with Y2i.

I am here to tell you that I feel sad. But for the best possible reason. I feel sad because I am no longer waking up to the sounds, the smells and the feeling of being embraced by the land of Israel.

Israel is full of texture. Its grooves have been worn by religion, history, culture and politics, but perhaps, most of all, the country has been built on faith and passion by Jews in the Holy Land and in the diaspora. My peers and I were lucky enough to be able to experience this extraordinary country in November and December last year, most of us for the first time, through the Chavayah program made possible by all of you, Y2i.

If I sit with a little sadness, it is simply because I have just had the most incredible experience of my life, leaving me with a store of memories that are bursting with happiness, meaning and gratitude. I wanted to pick out some of the highlights for you, but I had such a hard time deciding which to share, as when we were there, one highlight rolled into the next. I have never felt so inspired.

One very beautiful moment was a Shabbat service we attended in Tel Aviv. We were in a modest synagogue, and it was raining outside, and I was standing with the assembled Australian and Israeli congregation as if under one large umbrella. I felt so connected to my Judaism, truly comfortable in a spiritual place I had never been before.

I really enjoyed our visits to various archaeological sites. And the Kotel, of course, was a profoundly moving experience. As was our time spent at Masada, where the courageous struggles of our ancestors come so alive. The formations of what were once homes are preserved for posterity.

There were many beautiful and special moments with the people around me. I connected with my peers on a level I had not experienced previously. Our group of wonderful Emanuel students were absolutely amazed during the trip. I was so thrilled to be learning and experiencing such an important journey with other very engaged and enthusiastic people.

The Israel-based educators of the program were very passionate and well-informed. They provided me with perspectives on the different issues facing Israel today and in the past in ways I had not thought about before. The teachers from Emanuel who accompanied us, were likewise very engaged and open, allowing us to learn, to debate, to absorb in a warm and safe environment.   

I have returned from the Chavayah program, as a young and proud Jew who feels confidently educated to make intelligent and mature decisions in relation to Israel. I can now clearly understand the importance of the country, not only for the benefit of Israelis but for the benefit of all Jews around the world. My ties to my Jewish heritage have also been strengthened, allowing me to connect to my Judaism in a spiritual way. I am very pleased to be able to say that I have embraced these new thoughts and feelings.

My Israel experience has cemented a powerful connection to Israel within me. It has ignited a life long journey for my Jewish self. An opening up of curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Thank you so much for providing this wonderful opportunity, for which I am deeply grateful.

*Y2i is led by a group of experienced communal leaders and dynamic young people who are united by their passion, to ensure all Year 10 students are given the opportunity to participate in an educational program in Israel.

 Their 2018 Annual report states:

There are now 253 Year 10 students in Israel, who have all been given a $5,000 voucher by Youth 2 Israel (Y2i) to help cover the costs of their five-week or longer program.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Crazy Hat Day 

On Monday the Primary School marked the month of Adar II with יום כובע משוגה Crazy Hat Day – with the aim of increasing our joy and happiness in the lead up to Purim whilst also performing the mitzvah of צדקה tzedakah – righteous giving in supporting the Asylum Seeker Centre in Newtown. It was wonderful to see the creativity, imagination, fun and joy on display from staff and students alike.

In Hebrew, Year 1 students created posters about Purim and their crazy hats.

IMG_8059

IMG_8079

IMG_8078

IMG_2712

IMG_2726

IMG_2717

IMG_2719

IMG_2710

Primary Purim Reminders

Adam Carpenter | Head of Jewish Life Primary

Purim reminders

מתנות לאביונים Matanot Le’Evyonim – sending gifts to the needy

• We share our good fortune and the joy of Purim by giving to those in need. Please bring in at least 2 tinned/packed food or toiletry items during Week 8. Details of items were included in the Purim email that went home a few weeks ago.

תענית אסתר Fast of Ester – Wednesday 20 March – School Canteen closed

• This fast reminds us of the fast described in the Megillah, instigated by Queen Ester and practised by the Jews of Persia, to express their distress at Haman’s evil decree.

ערב פורים Erev Purim – Wednesday 20 March – Celebrations begin

• On Wednesday evening, synagogues and organisations will hold Purim activities, feasts, fun and activities. This will include the Purim mitzvah of hearing the Megillah. Emanuel Synagogue will hold a Megillah Reading from 6:15pm, followed by their famous and hilarious Purim Shpiel.

 פורים Purim celebrations – Thursday 21 March

• Purim celebrations at School. Students are encouraged to come dressed in their class theme, ready for a day of Purim fun, learning and celebrations. There will be Purim ‘parades’ taking place from 8:20am, with Years K-2 in the Triguboff Courtyard and Years 3-6 in the Millie Philips Theatre.

 פורים דיסקו  P&F Purim Disco – Sunday 24 March: 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm

This is a great way for the students and parents to socialise and have fun. There will be a sausage sizzle and other yummy treats, music, games, activities and prizes for the best costume. Bookings now open: www.trybooking.com/BARBB

Primary School Open Day

Primary Pesach Event

ASISSA Swimming Carnival

Stuart Taylor – PDHPE Teacher | Acting Co-ordinator Extra-Curricular Program

The ASISSA Swimming Carnival was held at Warringah Aquatic Centre on 11 March and the Emanuel swimmers took to the water to compete against the 17 other schools in our association. The Emanuel swimmers regularly placed in their races collecting a swag of ribbons throughout the day’s events. Many of our students swam personal best times, shaving substantial seconds off their previous results. The level of support the students showed each other was fantastic to see and the number of parents and friends attending to watch our children participate was exceptional. 

Well done to the following students who swam so wonderfully on the day:

Chloe Biller, Emma Butt, Lexi Butt, Samuel Carpenter, Saskia Esra, Alexander Gellert, Ashleigh Gold, Raphael Harpaz, Daniel Jadouin, Netali Jadouin, Eli Jocum, Xander Keller, Zara Keller, Jack Kessell, Noah Kessell, Mirelle Lazerson, Jonathan Levy, Leo Masnick, Jamie Nabarro, Kaila Nabarro, Violet Nathanson, Oliver Novy, Chelsea Opit, Aaron Pal, Jordan Pal, Kayla Parks, Talia Pollak, Gabriel Pozniak, Jake Rosenfeld, Tali Same, Emily Seeman, Jayden Segal, Arielle Sharp and Noaa Smily.

A special mention must go to Jonathan Levy, who as a result of his performance, will participate at the CIS Swimming Carnival at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on 20 March in freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. Jonathan narrowly missed out on becoming the 12 Years Boys Age Champion by a meagre one point.

Click on Image to view Gallery

Jonathan Levy

Lexi Butt and Saskia Esra

Kayla Parks and Tali Same

Leo Masnick

Jake Rosenfeld.pg

From the Head of Music

Diana Springford – Head of Music P-12

Private Music Tuition and Infant Strings Program

Thank you to those who have already advised us of changes to private tuition and Infant Strings Program enrolments for next term.  

The deadline for new enrolments, notification of changes or intention to discontinue for Term 2 is today (Friday 15 March). 

All students currently receiving private music tuition and ISP will be automatically re-enrolled into tutor schedules for next term along with students commencing lessons for the first time and liable for fees.  If you have any questions please contact Matilda Grieve by email to music@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

The schedules for Term 2, 2019 will be created during term break and emailed prior to lessons resuming.

Links to online forms

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

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

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

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

ImmerseMe – Using virtual reality, to learn languages

Hilary de Joux – Head of French

Emanuel School is one of the first schools in NSW to adopt new education software called ImmerseMe which utilises technologies such as virtual reality and speech recognition to immerse students into authentic foreign language situations. On Tuesday this week co-founder and CEO of New Zealand company ImmerseMe, Scott Cardwell, was invited to visit the French department at Emanuel school to demonstrate and trial this software with Years 10 and 12 students.  Students found that it was just like being in a real-life situation in Paris and thoroughly enjoyed it. The content is differentiated into Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced – from beginner scenarios at Year 9 and 10 such as buying a croissant from a bakery or ordering a crepe from the creperie, to discussing hobbies, sports or weekend plans with à friend, or perhaps a visit to the Doctor, to senior discussion themes such as learning how to develop an argument and debate social issues at Years 11 and 12 –  including environmental problems facing France, what your plans are after leaving school, future aspirations, animal cruelty and ethics.

The ImmerseMe system is amazing in that it actually understands the students speaking in French and provides them with instant feedback, showing them which words they are saying correctly and which are not yet quite right and needing further practise, allowing students to develop confidence in their ability to actually put their French speaking skills to use in authentic scenarios. The recordings are all native speakers and as students work through tasks and situations, they engage in interactions with different levels of support available to them, starting with from the script provided for early learners, through to prompts of key words they could incorporate into their own created spoken response as they gain more confidence and autonomy.

As the videos are all filmed in real life situations and locations in France, students are also able to develop their intercultural understanding and competencies as they discover French shops, street scenes, restaurants and cafés, geography and a vast array of other locations in French speaking communities as part of the 360 degree video experience. A lot of learning occurs naturally in this environment.

We are very excited for Emanuel School to be one of the very first schools in NSW to pilot this innovative software and we are fortunate to be in the early adopter program, allowing us to trial the software and provide feedback to help develop it further. We cannot wait for the full virtual reality version of the program to come out later this year where students will truly feel immersed in their French learning and put their new skills into practise.  Cest parti!

Basketball

Kristy Genc – Head of Sport | PDHPE Teacher | Year 11 Tutor

Congratulations to Georgia Kahane and Zac Greenberg who recently represented the CDSSA at the AICES Opens Basketball Championships at Hills Stadium. These students were selected earlier in the term at CDSSA trials for these representative teams.

The boys CDSSA boys team performed exceptionally well in what is a very strong competition. Finishing second in their pool, they played NASSA and won by five points in what was an exciting match. CDSSA then progressed to the final of the tournament but were defeated by a well organised HRIS team. Well done to Zac, who played very well throughout the day.

The Emanuel Firsts basketball team played against Cranbrook in a friendly match last Thursday at Cranbrook School. Congratulations to Greg Allen, Jared Elbourne, Oliver Evans, Zac Greenberg, Matthew Joffe, Noah Klein, Jesse Koslowski, Ariel Odes and Ben Shapiro who all played well against a classy team. This Emanuel team continues to improve in all aspects of the game under the guidance of Emanuel coach, Indiana Faithfull.

Earlier this week, the annual Years 7/8 Jewish Day Schools Basketball Gala Day was once again convened by Emanuel. The event was an excellent display of the high level of interest in this sport. Congratulations to Ruby Brody, Ruby Grynberg, Lucy Klein, Romy McCorquodale, Lucia Meyer and Brooke Rosen who progressed to the final.

Finally, well done to the Years 7/8 girls basketball team competing in the weekly Sydney Schools Cup tournament. This team is so far undefeated this term. I wish them the best of luck as they continue to work towards the finals. 

Years 7 and 8 JDS Basketball Gala Day

Meir Advocate

We hope you have all had an amazing productive week and are going to have a great weekend ahead of you. As the term gets into the more stressful busy weeks where PoU’s are starting to be due, we really encourage you to work hard and try your best, but also remember to leave time for yourselves, read a book, go for a walk, or even get a couple extra hours of sleep in!

House Assemblies

Week 6 – Comfort Zone

In these last weeks of House Assembly we have focused on stepping out of our comfort zones. This was done by us talking to lots of people in different year groups that we did not know very well. Though the first conversation we had may have been a little scary, with people not knowing what to say and how much of their true personality to unleash, by the last conversation everyone was talking happily at ease, no longer feeling uncomfortable.

Being able to step out of your comfort zone is so important as it allows you to experience new things and at the end of the day those moments that put you to the test become the characteristics that make you… you! Most of the time, when you really put yourself out there, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable and a little awkward, that is when the magic happens. We hope that this was the beginning for the house of Meir to put themselves out there a bit more often, because you never know what great things can happen!

On The Couch – Alexandra Machlin and Eden Levit

We also heard from Alexandra Machlin (Year 7) and Eden Levit (Year 8), who featured in our ‘On The Couch’ segment where they spoke about their incredible recent sporting achievements. Alexandra representing Emanuel at the Equestrian NSW Interschools State Championships and Eden winning gold at the NSW Surf Life Saving State Championship.

Week 7 – Learning a New Skill

This week all Meirians were encouraged to learn a new skill. Volunteers from each year group demonstrated their ability to learn a new skill in a very short period of time. The skills were – photography, speed reading, juggling and folding a T-shirt. Here are a few of the creative photos taken by Meirians.

Click on Image to view Gallery

‘Flower’ – Sam Milner

‘Me’ – Jake Lewitton

‘Raindrops’ – Clio Stockley

Remember – “A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new.”

Albert Einstein

We were also joined by two Year 5 students, Noa and Max, who spoke about the work that they have been doing on the Emanuel Primary Green Team. These students were instrumental in the organisation of the Emanuel Climate Action Rally at school on Wednesday and were welcomed in sharing their story with Meir House.

Cross-Country

Last week the High School had Cross-Country, each day a different year group went down to Queens Park and did the race. It is a great way to improve your fitness and bond with your year group. As we know everyone is at different fitness levels, and we are so proud of everyone who just got on the track and gave it a go, not caring where they placed as long as they tried their best. We are sure all the Meirians did fabulously and can’t wait for the results to come out on who will proceed to go to the next level (CDSSA).

Lani Israel

Meet a Meirian

This weeks ‘meet a Meirian’ is one of our youngest Meir members and is still a newbie to High School being in Year 7, it is… Lani Israel

So if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?

Burger and chips

If you had a boat what would you name it?

Princess

If you didn’t have to sleep what would you do with the extra time?

Eat 

We hope you all have an amazing weekend,

Love your Meir editors,

Tara Israel and Charlotte Lyons

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

This week I hosted a Q&A panel for our Year 12s. I wanted to showcase the many opportunities there are out there, and the variety of schools available – not just the mainstream universities. We hosted:

1. ICMS (International College of Management Sydney) https://www.icms.edu.au/
2. Billy Blue College of Design (Torrens University) https://www.billyblue.edu.au/
3. Le Cordon Bleu (Sydney) https://www.cordonbleu.edu/australia/home/en

We heard from Alum and delegates, who are studying at the colleges and also what courses are on offer. A key difference in these schools are their smaller class sizes, their care for their students and the practical element within their courses, including long internships.

Australian Catholic University  (ACU)

I also attended, the Careers Advisors Day at Australian Catholic University (ACU). We heard from their Law, Education, and Business faculties, their careers service and also from the Vice Chancellor on the future of education, the ATAR, funding and tertiary education in general. To read more about this day click here.

ACU has grown by almost 100% since 2009 and is now a leading provider of teachers and nurses, with 5-star ratings in graduate employment.  I am noticing an increasing move each year with more Emanuel students going to ACU, especially for nursing and teaching.

Careers notices, articles, events

Day in the Life | Viktoria Novak – Designer

Read the Career FAQ article here outlining how no two days are the same in the creative industry, and the highs and lows of a career like this.

https://www.careerfaqs.com.au/careers/insider-stories/viktoria-novak-designer-creative-director Viktoria Novak also has her own YouTube Channel, and you can get an insight into what her world is like.

How Unsigned Artists Make Money: Music Streaming

From Australian Institute of Music (AIM) 

Making music is expensive. Between work and classes, students don’t have a lot of time to spare. This article outlines other revenue streams for struggling up and coming artists. Read more – https://www.aim.edu.au/blog/how-unsigned-artists-make-money-music-streaming

STEM careers with Department of Defence

Find out more about the type of career students could build with the Department of Defence, Science and Technology. Find them all here:-https://www.dst.defence.gov.au/careers/stem-careers

Resilience the ‘invisible superpower’

Resilience is having the capacity to be calm, clear and adaptive when the going gets tough. This link has some great suggestions on how to help children build their resilience.

For student bookings please see my availability, and book in at https://calendly.com/clairepechcareers/

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

Purim Explorations

This week we have immersed ourselves in the joyous festival of Purim. The children are enjoying the story with all its colourful characters. The best way for young children to internalise the details of the story is through interactive role plays and bringing the story alive with props and puppets. The story has all the components of a spellbinding saga – there is a villain, a heroine, who is also a beautiful queen and a king whose actions ensure a happy ending for all. The mark of a good story is when you see the children re-enacting it later during the day. Purim lends itself to lots of creativity. The themes of the festival can be expressed through making masks, crowns, shakers, Mishloach Manot and through each of the characters, as well as baking delicious Hamentashen. There is a sense of glitz and glamour about Purim, that just begs for glitter and bright colours.

We asked the Starfish children what they knew about Purim.

Sapphira – Purim we have Matzah (Hamentashen) and you have stuff in the middle.

Katya – You put masks on at Purim.

                                                Jack – Purim is when you dress up in masks and hats.

                                                Educator – Why do we dress up?

                                                Sapphira – Because it is a special idea.

After our discussion, we had fun dressing up with wigs, hats, masks, beads and glasses.  We learnt a song “Leitzan katan nechmad” (little clown).   It’s a delightful song about a little clown.  Wearing a wig, hat and tie we pretended to be the little clown, skipping and dancing around in a circle, then choosing a friend to dance with again skipping and dancing with lots of laughter and joy too.

We invite parents to join us on Thursday 21 March for a festive and fun morning celebrating Purim at Kornmehl. The festivities will kick off from drop-off time and continue until 11am. We have our parade at 9.30am followed by exchanging of Mishloach Manot and a magician show scheduled for 10am. Please all wear your favourite costume (children and adults).

Play-based learning

The following article was featured in ‘the conversation.com’ and provides interesting information about play-based learning, that lines itself closely with our philosophy at Kornmehl.

“Research shows that play based learning enhances children’s academic and developmental learning outcomes.

Children are naturally motivated to play. A play-based program builds on this motivation, using play as a context for learning. In this context, children can explore, experiment, discover and solve problems in imaginative and playful ways.

A play-based approach involves both child-initiated and educator-supported learning. The educator encourages children’s learning and inquiry through interactions that aim to stretch their thinking to higher levels e.g. while children are playing with blocks, an educator can pose questions that encourage problem solving, prediction and hypothesising. They can also bring the child’s awareness towards mathematics, science and literacy concepts, allowing them to engage with such concepts through hands-on learning.

Play-based early years programs are focused on teaching and learning. In such programs, play can be in the form of free play (activity that is spontaneous and directed by the child), and guided play (also child-directed, but the educator is involved in the activity as a co-player) with intentional teaching. Both have benefits for children’s learning. To capitalise on these benefits, an optimum play-based program will provide opportunities for both free play and guided play.

Educators take an active role in guiding children’s interactions in the play. Children are supported in developing social skills such as cooperation, sharing and responding to ideas, negotiating, and resolving conflicts.

Educators can also use children’s motivation and interests to explore concepts and ideas. In this way, children acquire and practice important academic skills and learning in a playful context. For example, research indicates the increased complexity of language and learning processes used by children in play-based programs is linked to important literacy skills. Research shows play-based programs for young children can provide a strong basis for later success at school. They support the development of socially competent learners, able to face challenges and create solutions.”

https://theconversation.com/play-based-learning-can-set-your-child-up-for-success-at-school-and-beyond-91393

Connecting our Community – Gesher

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Mazal tov to alumnus David Mizrahi (Class of 2005)

David Mizrahi

It’s not every day that a member of our School community receives a prestigious Australian-American Fullbright Commission Postdoctoral Fellowship Award.  We wish Emanuel alumnus David Mizrahi, MSc (UNSW) Mazal Tov on just that!  David who is an accredited exercise physiologist at UNSW is based at the Children’s Hospital, Randwick and will be submitting his PhD within the next couple of months. He specialises in exercise during and after chemotherapy for paediatric and ovarian cancers.  He and his wife Carly who also attended Emanuel School for her Primary education, will be heading to Memphis, Tennessee where, next year, David will learn and collaborate with the best paediatric exercise-oncology researchers at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, investigating the role of exercise in children after completing their cancer treatment.

David says “The Fulbright scholarship is undoubtedly my greatest achievement as a clinical researcher. I have great aspirations to change the way cancer patients are managed in the future, which includes the fact that all patients should have access to and support of a tailored exercise program to their needs.  Currently, there is growing support for the use of exercise in oncology clinics, however it is not standard of care. I will be spending 10 months in a world-leading institution where nearly all children will be offered an exercise assessment or intervention, which will be inspiring to be involved in.”

Emanuel School is certainly a leader in education today, and was already leading the way back in its early days too. An alumnus recently sent me this clip of a TV interview with some Year K students in 1989.  One of these students is now an Emanuel parent.  It’s a shame they couldn’t spell “Emanuel” correctly but it is such a cute interview.  What about the teacher’s comment “computers will never take over the classroom!”.  Watch the full video here: www.facebook.com/tysonwarms/videos/10156077204567393/?t=4

So many of our students and younger alumni are involved in volunteering for a variety of organisations and causes, and they would be most worthy candidates to be nominated for this year’s Jewish Changemaker Awards.  See categories for Youth (under 18) and Young Adults (18 to 35 years) and please nominate your child/children accordingly. Nominations can be done online: www.jnf.org.au/changemaker

We are still hoping to get more grandparent contact information for our database. Send to: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au to ensure they receive invitations to various events throughout the year, and also so they receive our bi-annual Grandparents and Friends newsletters which are a great way to read about what’s happening at School – no matter if you live around the corner from our campus or on the other side of the world.

Tickets are selling fast, so book now for the NSW Friendship Circle hosted private screening of the award-winning documentary My Hero Brother at 7.00 pm on 4 April at Events Cinema, Bondi Junction. The movie follows a group of young people with Down Syndrome who embark on a demanding trek through the Himalayas with their brothers and sisters.  Spaces are limited so head to their website to secure your tickets: My Hero Brother Movie Tickets

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

From the Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Time is running out to buy tickets for our annual Purim Disco which is always a highlight of the year for the kids and it’s a great way for the kids (and parents) to socialise and have fun. 

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

There will also be second-hand school uniforms on sale (cash only).

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

Book now:  https://www.trybooking.com/BARBB 

We need volunteers! If you can help out with the set up, during the event or the clean up on the day please email rubykb@gmail.com

P&F theatre fundraiser: School of Rock the Musical!

Join us for the Emanuel P&F theatre outing to see School of Rock the Musical at 6pm on Sunday, 17th November at the Capitol Theatre! Tickets are selling fast so don’t miss out!

There are limited tickets to this performance. Get the best priced A-reserve tickets available for $94.90 and a free program per booking donated by Playbill, plus a chance to win 2x $100 merchandise packs!

This works as a group booking, so individual tickets will be allocated after sale period is completed and the P&F receives the tickets. Tickets are allocated based on date of purchase. If you have a large group and you want to sit together you need to purchase all the tickets in one booking.

Book now: https://www.trybooking.com/BBAKH 

Entertainment Books

Emanuel School is fundraising with Entertainment!

Your support really helps our fundraising, so we’re thrilled to let you know about special bonus Early Bird Entertainment Membership Offers for loyal supporters.

Pre-order the NEW 2019 | 2020 Entertainment Membership and receive bonus offers you can use right away!

Order Now:  www.entbook.com.au/200508p

Camping trip

By the time you read this, a large group of Emanuel families will be on their way to go camping at Cattai National Park. The camping weekends are a highlight of the year and an amazing chance for families to relax and bond. As always, a huge thank you goes out to the fantastic Lindi Bloch for all her hard work in organising such a wonderful weekend! We hope all the families involved have an amazing time and don’t get too wet!

Have a great weekend,

Jen and Ruby

Parent Safety Group

Thank you to our volunteers last week:

International Women’s Day

Miriam Itzkowitz – Year 11

Every year, our High School library hosts a speaker for International Women’s Day. This year the speaker was Tanya Savva, and her story was completely inspiring.

Tanya is a single mother whose daughter, Mackenzie, was born very sick, blind and three weeks premature. Tanya and her then-partner were told that Mackenzie was never going to be able to walk, talk or eat and was likely to be mentally delayed. Tanya spoke about how she couldn’t change this, so she chose to accept it.

Mackenzie couldn’t eat orally, so she was fed breast milk through a tube in her stomach, chronically vomiting every night for two and a half years. She was severely underweight and Tanya recognised that she wasn’t getting the nutrients she needed from her breast milk. Tanya thought that if she fed Mackenzie food, she would get the nutrients she needed. All the doctors told her it was a bad idea and not to do this, but she followed her motherly instincts and chose to go against their wishes, feeding Mackenzie food. Within 48 hours, Mackenzie stopped vomiting and the doctors called it a “miracle”.

Unfortunately, during that time, when Mackenzie was only ten months old, Tanya also became a single mother and moved in with her parents. Feeling like a failure, Tanya reiterated again how she had to accept a situation she couldn’t change and so she had to choose to cope.

Tanya and Mackenzie

Mackenzie flourished beyond all odds. She started to eat orally and took her first steps when she was three. She also started talking. Tanya and Mackenzie were living comfortably, with Tanya working as an Occupational Therapist and Mackenzie settled in school. On a whim, Tanya decided to go caravanning around Australia for six months with Mackenzie and pulled her out of school, deciding to sell everything and quit her job in order to travel.

Again, doctors didn’t recommend it, but she chose to ignore their wishes and do it anyway. As a result of this trip with Mackenzie, she wrote a children’s book called The Adventures of Kenzie-Moo, about everything that Mackenzie “saw” while they were away.

The pages inside this book titled ‘I saw’ are all black, due to Mackenzie’s lack of sight. Mackenzie actually narrated all these pages about what she “saw”. The caravanning trip lasted for about six months, only ending because Mackenzie wanted to go back to school. While she is held back physically, she is very smart and actually shares many traits with those on the spectrum, like being able to give you the day of the week your birthday is on in any given year. She is also fluent in reading Braille.

Tanya is currently writing her memoir and works as a yoga therapist. She also runs retreats, coaches and speaks. Mackenzie is in school and doing very well.

Tanya is an immense inspiration to me. She has been extremely resilient throughout the entire progression of Mackenzie’s life – obviously being a huge support to her and an integral part of her development. She has shown me that it is important to follow your instincts and continuously reiterated the necessity for acceptance and individual choice. I think she was a perfect choice for International Women’s Day because of her strength as a single mother who had to remain strong in such a difficult situation.