From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

Supporting our students as they navigate through disappointments

At the start of this year, who would have thought that children would encounter an ongoing litany of cancelled events? Sport, musicals, assemblies, House meetings, graduation events, overseas trips and special interstate family events. Many parents are unsure as to how best respond to their children’s disappointment, in the face of COVID-19 restrictions.

Our counselling team tell us that disappointment is an inevitable part of life. It is easy to focus on what we haven’t got, and to become overwhelmed by it. However, at times like this, it is a good opportunity to take a moment to focus on what we do have, and to practise gratitude. It doesn’t take away the disappointment. Or the fact that these current disappointments have led to significant losses. But it does help us to put our attention into something more positive, which in turn generates a great sense of wellbeing. To put this in wonderful perspective, 109-year-old Holocaust survivor Alice Herz-Sommer, who has suffered much, has made it her life focus to express gratitude and enjoy the beautiful things in life. This short clip is inspirational.

One of the potential silver linings of facing these ongoing disappointments is the development of resilience, an important life skill. Neha Navsaria, a psychiatry professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a consultant at the parenting skills site, Parent Lab states that, “While we certainly don’t want our children to experience a pandemic crisis, it is important to view this time as an opportunity for growth. This is the strange but positive side to adapting to the current times. Sitting with uncertainty is one of the most difficult tasks for any human being to do. Learning how to manage it is one of the best skills one can develop to contribute to mental wellness. Click here for the full article.

HSC Drama Showcase 2020

As with many events this year, our students performed before a live (small but vocal!) audience in the Millie Philips Theatre and live-streamed to parents, relatives and friends. With the group activity removed from the HSC Drama Assessment, we enjoyed three creative and polished individual performances. For each performance, the underlying, more serious message was evident beneath the humour. MC of the showcase, Simone Rappoport, did not perform but rather completed completed a Script as her Script.  A huge mazal tov to Amber Langman, Talia Blackman, Mia Gold , Simone Rappoport and our Head of Drama, Samantha Bauer.

Year 9 Mini Machane

Last week the Jewish Life Staff and Alumni Madrichim organised the Year 9 Mini Machane in place of the much-loved Ski Camp. This year has challenged our teachers and students to step far beyond their comfort zones and I appreciate  how inventive our staff have been when organising camps, which look very different to last year. Please click on Daniel Samowitz’s article – Mini Machane in this edition of Ma Nishma for student insights and photographs. 

National Science Week 

Our annual celebration of Science and Technology commenced on Monday with a scavenger hunt. Activities were held each day and included making bath bombs and constructing a science-themed model out of recycled material, in our Tutor Groups. There was tough competition for first place in the Science trivia quiz! Thank you to Jennifer Selinger and her Science Department team, for making Science come alive for students and staff.

Director of Sport K-12

I am pleased to announce that our current High School Director of Sport, Kristy Genc, will be taking on a strategic, whole-school approach to our sport program. The continued development of our Primary School Sport will be a high priority, as we seek to increase the opportunities for skill development, fitness training and involvement in local sport competitions. Kristy has done a wonderful job in raising the profile of sport at Emanuel. Recent highlights include the introduction of sports colours; the review and adjustment of sport uniforms; the employment of specialist sport coach leaders and the up-skilling of our team of sport coaches.

Quote of the week

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”
Buddha

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Measure for Measure

Soon to enter the Promised Land, the Israelites are commanded, in the very first wordsof our parashah, Shoftim: “Judges and officers you shall appoint in all your (city) gates”.

Understanding that justice and peace cannot be maintained without if we do not also monitor and regulate our behaviour from within, the Rabbinic tradition reads gates (שערך/she’arekha) as referring, as well, to one’s personal portals. What we say, how we see others and what we hear is critical to the society that we create and foster. As the root word sh’ar/שער can also mean estimation and evaluation, the Rabbis add that we must be self-monitoring in our opinion and perception of others which, in turn, effect civic interactions in the gates of our cities.

We become judicious officers of our own gates, regulating our behaviour and being accountable for our actions, if we see and trust that our city officials are doing the same themselves and for our shared community. It is significant, therefore, that our parashah closes with the following remarkable practice and ritual.

We are told that if a slain body is found in a field, the town/city located closest to the corpse of the murdered individual engages in a purifying ritual, with its elders as their representatives, publicly declaring: “Our hands have not shed this blood nor did our eyes see it done”.

The city, the Talmud explains, investigates itself. Did its citizens send a vulnerable person on his/her way without an escort thus being liable for the blood being spilt. Or, was the slayer a recognised criminal passing through or of the city who was not adequately monitored or detained. Perhaps, it was not ascertained by the city members that the slain individual had the necessary provisions for his journey and was murdered in seeking to steal food to satiate his hunger.

Our Jewish tradition teaches that there is less of a need in policing others if we police ourselves. The word sh’ar/שער also means measure. Our community is measured by how each of us takes measure of himself and his responsibilities even as we are measured by the community that we create.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Rosh HaShanah

This week we welcomed in the month of אלול Elul with the sounding of the shofar during our morning tefillah and Shabbat celebrations.

Students have been busy creating and preparing for Rosh HaShanah, creating clay honey pots and apple plates for the Rosh HaShanah table and making a clay mezuzah case for home.

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To connect with the Montefiore home, the SRC teamed up with the JNF for a lunchtime activity to decorate and write Rosh HaShanah messages on cards that will be delivered to the residents of the Monte. 

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As we journey through the month of Elul, through our tefillah experiences and our learning in Jewish Studies and Hebrew, we will look at the significance of this time in our calendar as a period for personal reflection and renewal, change and improvement. 

Hearing the sounds of the שופר, waking us up from our daily routines as a call to לשפר, to improve ourselves, our lives and our world. 

The New Year, ראש השנה, as a time for looking back on the year that has been, looking forward to the new year, providing the opportunity to לשנה, to change ourselves and our world.  

Primary

Natanya Milner – Head of Primary School

Adaptability

When people talk about 21st century skills, adaptability is often mentioned as a key skill and disposition that will likely lead to success. In the Harvard Business Review, Reeves and Deimler wrote an article entitled, Adaptability: The New Competitive Advantage. They explore the idea that instead of becoming really good at doing a particular skill, we should work to become really good at learning how to do new things. Often examples are given that highlight the number of times people are likely to change jobs in the future and the fact that many of the jobs of the future don’t even exist yet. The Forbes Magazine analysed 14 Signs Of An Adaptable Person and highlights characteristics of adaptable people including experimentation, open-mindedness, curiosity and resourcefulness, seeing systems as well as opportunities (where others see failure) and being able to think ahead. It is hard to argue that these are valuable skills. What can be hard though, is embracing (and even perhaps enjoying) the process of being out of one’s comfort zone and leaping into the unknown as we adapt. 

When I reflect on the changes of the past six months, there are some that were uncomfortable and some that were exciting. Due to what was happening around us, there was no choice but to adapt together and therefore the energy behind the changes was monumental. Whilst we would never choose for the world to be in this challenging situation, I feel committed to stopping every now and then to look for the silver linings. Our children have been incredible in the face of rapid change. As I watch our youngest students bound in each morning, unpack their bags and organise themselves for the day, I am impressed at their independence. As I see our Year 6 leaders still finding ways to create meaningful opportunities for the younger students, I am grateful. As I see the students and staff manage regular disappointments as events they were looking forward to or working towards change or are cancelled, I notice their remarkable resilience. 

I do hope that COVID-19 is soon behind us so that we are able to return to all the joys and highlights of our school year that have been impacted. Having said this, I also hope that we remember just how capable and adaptable we all are and forever see our students ‘rise to the occasion’ as they are currently. I am sure you all join me in being very proud!

Book Week

Week 7 is Book Week and we are looking forward to celebrating the joy of reading and books. The week will culminate with a dress up day on Friday 4 September, where children in Years K – 6 can come to school dressed as their favourite book character or author. The Primary Madrichim will look to award House points for the most outstanding and creative costumes.

Project Heritage

In small groups, our Year 6 students have finished three interviews with their ‘Living Historians’. We are grateful to the nine Historians who have been involved in this year’s program. Given that we were required to shift the program to Zoom, there were a few online hiccups, yet everyone remained positive problem solvers. We are so grateful to our Historians for their patience, time and openness. The children and teachers are modifying how the final presentations will work…more adaptability on display! A huge thank you to our historians: Susie Danos, Peter Endrey-Walder, Eva Engel, Vera Goldberg, Litzi Lemberg, Anne Sarzin, Miryam Wise, Gwen Zeller and Gabriel Zipser. We look forward to sharing the children’s work with you.

GWTF

I look forward to a day when I have nothing to write about in relation to GWTF. Thank you to everyone who has been using the system so smoothly over the past couple of weeks. It has certainly improved. One on-going issue is that some drivers who are collecting children in Years 3 – 12 are arriving in the 3.15 pm – 3.30 pm timeslot and are not following the instructions to go around the block so that the K – 2 collection can take place. It is disappointing to think that people would be rude to or ignore the staff who are trying to make this work well for everyone. I will follow up with individuals if required but am really hoping we can work together positively on this.

Deborah Blackman – Parent Information Session

Thank you to those parents who were able to attend the evening Zoom session on Wednesday 12 August. We hope it was helpful in understanding how you can help to keep your child safe. As mentioned, Deborah has prepared some handouts that reference many of the strategies discussed in last week’s session. Please click here to access the handouts. Thank you to Meghan Carroll for organising this event.

Parent Information Sessions: What topics interest you?

As we look ahead and plan for the rest of this year and 2021 we would like to invite parents to complete a short survey focused on topics of interest for Parent Information Sessions. Please click on the link below to share your ideas: https://forms.gle/VHjAWegmhN4GjxFGA.  The survey will close today at 4.00 pm.

Changes to afternoon pick up arrangements

Wherever possible, please ensure your children know how they are getting home each day. If you need to get a message to your child for any changes to your afternoon pick up arrangements, please email primaryoffice@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au by no later than 2.15 pm.

Birthday Parties

There have been some questions relating to the school’s policy about birthday parties. From a Jewish life perspective, we ask parents to be mindful about planning parties in a manner that supports the pluralistic nature of Emanuel. This includes avoiding parties on Shabbat and festivals as well as ensuring the food provided is considerate of different kashrut practices.

We also ask that birthday invitations are not distributed on campus unless everyone in the class/grade is invited. If not, email or post is the best form of delivery. As we work together to develop thoughtful and considerate students, could I ask you to encourage your children to be mindful of when they do or do not discuss these parties? Perhaps asking them to avoid discussing it at school in front of children who weren’t invited is a way of teaching students to be thoughtful and ‘seek first to understand’. Similarly, social media posts that may be hurtful are worth discussing and considering with your children. 

Shabbat shalom and wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Words Around the World

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Words Around the World

A huge thank you to Leora Ross for her recent donation of a very special book, Words Around the World. Leora is now an Emanuel grandparent – all three children are Emanuel alumni and all are now parents at the School. This book is an international collection of stories and poems by Jewish children and was published by the School in 1992. Contributing schools in Sydney were Emanuel School and Masada College in Sydney, Mount Scopus College, Bialik College and King David School in Melbourne as well as a number of Jewish schools in Canada, USA and New Zealand. Many names that appear in the book are those of past Emanuel students who are now current parents including: Jonathan Hirst and Amir Meshel – Class of 1993, twins Lisa Strous and Nikki Michel – Class of 1995, who are Leora Ross’s daughters, as well as Michelle Levitt (Drexler) – Class of 2000 and Lisa Greenberg (Shapiro) – Class of 2001. Although our School is still quite young compared to some others (we are 37 and a half years young), we would love to get our history in order before we get too old and forget what the early days were like. If you have old Emanuel School memorabilia you no longer want to keep, it may be of significance to us, so please let us know: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Words Around the World – committee

Words Around the World intro

Words Around the World – book cover

Emanuel on Demand continues

Mitch Burnie at Adamama Urban Farm

Please join us on Wednesday 9 September 2020 at 7.30 pm for the second session of our Gesher Online Speaker Series when we interview alumnus Mitch Burnie (Class of 2011), Manager of Adamama Farm, the first Sydney Jewish urban farm. To receive the link to join this Zoom session, please RSVP by Monday 7 September 2020.

Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM) webinar series – Spotlight on Human Rights

You may have seen some of the Museum’s Spotlight on Human Rights sessions this month, which, so far, have included a number of leading figures including lawyer and human rights advocate Nydol Nyuon and Professor of Sociology and Social Policy Danielle Celermajer, providing an overview of the evolution of human rights. Emanuel School Counsellor, Kim Slender, will be talking about neuroscience and genocide in the session on 31 August 2020, as part of this series. In an interview with AJN journalist Sophie Deutsch last week, Kim said, “neuroscience and teaching children about the architecture of their brains is key to win(ing) the war on kindness”. Increasing familiarity between people of different ethnicities is not enough to combat discrimination, according to Kim, who said we need to go a “step above” to highlight similarities, rather than differences, between groups. Book for this webinar here     

Remember that September is only around the corner

This year’s event is a little different to previous years and allows participants to choose one of four challenge options. Alumnus Ben Wilheim (Class of 2008) and friends would really appreciate any support our School community can give for Remember September in the endeavours to help find a cure for Pancreatic Cancer. Details and registration here. 

B’nai B’rith & JNF Jewish Changemaker Awards 2020

Don’t forget nominations are now open for these prestigious awards and it is easy to do online. Our School community has so many students both present and past, who volunteer their time to an array of worthy causes/organisations, and who doesn’t love to recognise such wonderful volunteering efforts. Anyone can nominate – parents, staff and even the nominees themselves. It would be amazing to see some of our students and alumni nominated again this year.

Friendship Circle (FC) Walk 2020

Our extended School community has strong connections to FC through a variety of ways including volunteering efforts and/or having children with special needs who attend the amazing events organised by FC for children and young adults of Sydney with disabilities. FC looks forward to our support for this year’s virtual walk on Sunday 13 September 2020.

Our Big Kitchen (OBK)

I am sure you have heard of OBK and the wonderful work the Slavins do for people in need, especially when it comes to food. Many of our students and families have volunteered at OBK, a community kitchen in Bondi that distributes food for disadvantaged people, but perhaps you do not know the origins of OBK. A recent episode of Channel 10’s The Living Room, featured and recognised the amazing work of the Slavins. Watch this heartwarming episode.

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

Stay safe and Shabbat Shalom.

High School Sport news

Kristy Genc – Head of Sport, PDHPE Teacher & Year 12 Tutor

Inter-school sporting matches 

In recent weeks High School students have engaged in a variety of inter-school sporting matches.

Each Tuesday afternoon this term, Emanuel has the privilege of hosting the Sydney Schools Cup Netball Competition. It has been an excellent start to the season, with three Emanuel teams playing in the tournament from Years 7-10. Well done to the Emanuel Junior 2 team who after four weeks of competition are undefeated. 

Years 7 and 8 boys have been competing in the Sydney Schools Cup Futsal competition held at Moriah College, each Tuesday. This team has improved with every game and have been training with our experienced Year 9 players. With goals by Joshua Fraser, Jake Joffe, Daniel Newfield and a hat-trick by Gideon Pozniak, the team had their first win this week, beating Kesser Torah, 10 -7. 

Earlier in the term Emanuel junior and intermediate rugby teams played in matches against Reddam House and Moriah College. Congratulations to Alon Erez-Rein and Mahley Rosen-Tal on scoring excellent tries and Sam Milner for scoring a double. 

Year 6 Debating

HICES Debating Competition 

Our debating year began, as usual, getting ready for the HICES Debating Competition! Our two teams; Emanuel White and Emanuel Maroon, dove straight into preparing for our first debate. 

The topic was “…that meditation and mindfulness classes should be taught to all Primary school students”. We came away with one win and one loss. We started preparing straight away for our next round. This topic was particularly interesting “…that therapy animals should be compulsory in all schools”. We all worked very hard and, using our experience from our first debate, updated our speech writing techniques. Again, we came back to school with one win and one loss.

At this stage, each team had experienced a win and a loss. We were midway through our preparation for the next debate when the global pandemic caused the competition to come to an abrupt end. We were very disappointed but never lost hope.

While we were home learning, we took a break to focus on our classwork. Once school returned to normal, we jumped into planning the Emanuel Cup. The Emanuel Cup will take place in Term 4. In this Cup, Year 5s will form groups and we will organise times when the matches happen.  

The Year 5 students who are interested in debating will get the chance to learn how a debate works. How will they learn? They will be watching us – the HICES competition teams! We will be debating against each other to model what good debating looks and sounds like! Once they get the picture, we will become their mentors as they compete in the Cup during lunchtimes in Term 4.

We look forward to fulfilling our roles as HICES debating leaders by showing the Year 5s how to complete a debate and by helping them with their own debating journey.

By Avalon Gold, Hannah Greengarten and David Li
The Year 6 Debating Leaders

Year 6 Music

Music at Emanuel 

COVID-19 has had a dramatic effect on music at Emanuel School and in fact, music around the world. For many of us, COVID-19 has made it difficult to play and sing together, not just here but at synagogues and in the wider community. Although extra curricular music has been put on hold temporarily, our classrooms are still open and busy with music making.

What does music in the classroom look like at the moment? Our teachers and students are busy playing xylophones, other percussion instruments and body percussion. Our classrooms are still exciting and sometimes very noisy! Music is a very important part of our learning in the Primary School. Music has been shown to have a positive impact on thinking, memory, emotional wellbeing and creativity so it is important that we continue to make music in adapted ways. At home, you can make music as a family using household objects, instruments and online resources like YouTube. This will enhance your family time, create positivity and a break from screens. 

We hope that extra curricular music and all the benefits of our full music program will come back very soon and we can enjoy the benefits of singing and playing in big groups together again.

By Phoebe Machlin, Johnny Menczel, Rory Nathan and Oliver Allen 
The Year 6 Music Leaders 

Mini-Machane

Daniel Samowitz – Informal Jewish Life Educator

Year 9 Mini Machane 

Last week from Wednesday to Friday, the Jewish Life team ran a Mini Machane (camp) in lieu of the cancelled Year 9 Ski Camp.

Our Jewish Life staff and Alumni Madrichim worked with Year 9 students in groups, learning together, playing games and debating about who they are and who they want to be. The content of the Mini Mach focussed on the students’ identity as a Year Group and the meaning of community. We studied Avraham in chevruta, we talked about the dissonance between what we believe and how we act, we played games, we laughed, we ate pizza and we had so much fun! We meditated and celebrated Shabbat together, looked around the community that is Year 9 and celebrated our connections. The Year 9 students walked away with more friendships and more insights into the maturing process the year is going through together. 

For most, 2020 has been a complicated and hard year. It really feels like a long time since we have been able to enjoy school life outside of our classrooms, Mini Mach was an opportunity to do that and much more.

Here are some of the thoughts of our students about Mini Mach:

“I think that my group really understood by the end of the camp that Judaism could be incorporated into our discussions and into our lives without it being boring. I also left the camp feeling a lot closer to a lot of people in the Year Group who I wasn’t that close with before. The camp was also a lot better than most of us expected so I left it feeling very happy.”

“I felt a closer connection to the Year Group that wasn’t there before. I also enjoyed seeing what everyone thought about the different topics”

“Some of the discussions opened my eyes to different aspects of thinking.”

“I feel more connected and understanding of Judaism.”

“I really enjoyed how it was an opportunity to hear everyone’s perspectives. I loved how everyone was involved and didn’t just sit on the sidelines. Everyone shared really insightful thoughts which made me think more about my own perspective.” 

“I especially enjoyed getting to know the year better and seeing everyone participate in the activities. It was also a nice, relaxing break from school-work and the stress of COVID.”

“Judaism has many layers.” 

“It was really fun and enjoyable, I like being in groups with new people, I recommend it to other years in the future”

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Parent Seminars at UNSW

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

GERRIC at UNSW

As part of an eight-part series GERRIC at UNSW is offering a number of parent seminars, about gifted children.  

The seminars will be led by their four GERRIC academics, Associate Professor Dr. Jae Yup Jung, Dr Geraldine Townend, and Dr. Peta Hay.

Join them online (via Zoom) between 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm each Tuesday and Thursday night during September.

For more information click here 

miSipur leSipur

miSipur leSipur   מסיפור לסיפור

Years 7 and 8 parent/student reading partnership

It’s miSipur leSipur time again. If you’re unfamiliar with this program, the aim is for you and your child to choose, and read, the same book at the same time during the upcoming holiday. The Library will supply you with a list of available titles, two copies of your chosen text, and a list of possible questions to help get your discussion started.

Is your child a reluctant reader?

Reading is hard … for everyone. Reluctant readers often need adult encouragement and self-belief to get started. Think of it as a recreational reading partnership.

What’s the point of recreational reading?

Reading can offer an escape from study or a busy social life. It can transport to real and imaginary places, clarify thoughts and feelings, build empathy and understanding for others, identify and tackle world issues, and be a gateway to conversations with family and friends. A recommended title, followed by a discussion over dinner, can often help a reluctant reader see social value in reading.

How can you share a love of stories with your reluctant reader?

Choose and read a book together, then chat about the characters and themes along the way. You would be modelling reading while also demonstrating the value you place on adolescent fiction. Or, just read to each other. It’s a fun bonding exercise and it is often forgotten when children start secondary school.

If you and your child would like to participate in this program please email the Library by Wednesday 2 September 2020. With your support we aim to continue to build a culture of readers and reading at Emanuel School.

• Mystery/adventure: Muchamore, The recruit
• Coming of age/environmental issues: Winton, Blueback
• Identity: Draper, Out of my mind
• Short Stories: Falkner, That Stubborn Seed of Hope

Muchamore[2]

Winton[1]

Draper[2]

Falkner[1]

Rabin Bugle

Shabbat Shalom Rabin!

We would like to formally introduce ourselves to the wider Emanuel community as the new Rabin House Captains! 

Ari Merten

Hi everyone! I’m Ari and ever since Year 7 I’ve had a love of Rabin instilled into me, whether it was with my Peer Support Leaders or in House assemblies. I’ve enjoyed being in Rabin for so long. I’m a bit of a science and maths nerd, but I love to get outside and have fun. I’m really excited to cheer on Rabin at our Carnivals and House Music and I hope you all can get into the spirit too.

Hey everyone, I’m Ezra! I’m super excited to spend the next year with all the wonderful people in Rabin House, and I’m really looking forward to all the fun times we have planned. I’m really passionate about music, so I’m particularly keen to get on stage at the House Music competition and sing my heart out with Rabin by my side. It’s going to be a fantastic year, and I can’t wait to spend it with you all!

Ezra Hersch

We are really looking forward to an exciting year as the leaders of the mighty Rabin House, and we are super pumped to run House assemblies – when we can have them. ( as well as loads of other activities in the future). We know this has been a hard year for everyone, but we are hoping to get back into the swing of things later on this year so get ready for that. 

These past two terms have been crazy and we wanted to acknowledge the incredible effort and commitment of our predecessors Simone and Ryan! We hope we can continue your legacy and we loved having you as our leaders. Good luck for the rest of the year… and make Rabin proud! 

Unfortunately, we don’t know when we can get back to the whole House assemblies, but we are looking for ways to bring the House spirit back into Emanuel School and get some friendly competitions going with the other houses. 

Here’s a small introduction video of our Tutor Group to you, please enjoy*. Please note, this video is only available to Emanuel School students. 

We would love to acknowledge your achievements or celebrations! If you’ve noticed a Rabinite achievement that should be mentioned, an announcement or simply something you would like to share, please email Mr Morley or us. On that topic, if you have any further questions or just want to chat with the new Rabin House Captains you can easily reach us via email or our Instagram account.

Emails: Ari, Ezra and Mr Morely

Instagram: @rabinitesunite 

Let’s go Rabin!!

PS Well done to Year 7 Rabinites for their fantastic participation in Science Week

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Szenes

Miriam Itzkowitz, Year 12

This week in Szenes

We are at the end of Week 5! Welcome back to Year 12s who have just finished their Trial HSC examinations. We hope that you are pleased with your performance.

Ashley Cohn – Year 7

Last week our House Assembly was held in Tutor Groups; our new House Madrichim visited each Tutor Group whilst Year 11 students led a getting to know you activity.

Year 9 attended the Mini Mach and by all accounts seemed to enjoy the experience.

From our House Madrichim

The theme for our Week 4 Szenes House Assembly was ‘Getting to know you’. This was because the new Szenes Madrichim, Lexi and Jess began their role this week. The Year 11s spread themselves across each Tutor Group to run an amazing peulah and begin their journey as leaders. First, a Masterchef video was played at the beginning of the session to give the students an introduction to show a little bit about each leader. After this, we got each student to take as much toilet paper as they would normally use. They then had to share as many facts about themselves in relation to the number of squares of toilet paper they had taken. This gave each student the opportunity to share interesting facts about themselves and allowed the other students to learn something new about their peers and their leaders. Overall, the session was a lot of fun and definitely got each Year Group making more connections by learning some new, interesting facts about each other! 

Emanuel Archies

Since the start of June, people have been submitting artworks for the annual Emanuel Archies; our special version of the Archibald Prize. Voting is now open and we would like to encourage everyone to vote; in Szenes or not! The link to see the wonderful submissions is here, and the link to vote can be found on that page.

Science Week

This week is SCIENCE WEEK!! We have had activities throughout the week; on Monday, we had a science-themed scavenger hunt, on Tuesday, we had a bath-bomb making activity, and on Wednesday during Tutor time, the students made models out of recycled materials. On Thursday there was a Science House Trivia competition, and on Friday, it was ‘Dress as an Element Day!’

Meet a Szenesian

This week, we have a special segment on Kol Szenes; Meet a Szenesian! We have interviewed Ellie Morris; a Szenesian in Year 10, to help get to know her.

Ellie Morris

What is your favourite colour? 

My favourite colour is red.

What is your favourite extra curricular activity?

I like playing soccer, especially being coached by the best; Aytek.

What has been your favourite part of being in Szenes in High School?

I loved going on Year 7 and 8 camps with my Tutor Group and spending time with different people.

What is your favourite animal?

My favourite animals would have to be dogs. I have one dog called Poppy.

What has been your favourite year in High School?

Year 8 as it was the year I took French, arguably the funniest subject ever.

Announcements

• Formal uniform is to be worn throughout Term 3, including blazer and tie. 
• Blazers to be worn to and from school – not left in lockers.
• If you are not wearing the correct uniform, please ask your parent to email: uniform@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au 
• COVID-19 current information – Department of Health 
• Follow @szeneshouse on Instagram for some wellbeing and study tips, memes and just general Szenesian spirit.
• Also follow your madrichim on @es.madstagram for some updates, challenges, wellbeing and overall fun times.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to this Szenesian who recently celebrated his birthday:

• Jesse Koslowski – Year 11

Quote the week

“It’s the friends you can call up at 4.00 am that matter.”
Marlene Dietrich

Shabbat Shalom and have a fantastic weekend!

Szenes House

For sale – buzz

Lisa Starkey – HSIE, Design & Technology Teacher

Beeswax wraps handcrafted by the Sustainability Team 

Working with the the Year 12 Sustainability Committee, we have created some amazing beeswax wraps – a reusable, sustainable alternative to Glad Wrap, plastic and zip-lock bags. The wraps are made from pine resin, jojoba oil and 100% food-safe beeswax. There are some beautiful designs to choose from and you can be the proud owner of one (or more) by ordering here.

All money raised will be donated to the Wheen Bee Foundation, Australia’s only registered not-for-profit charity that promotes awareness of the importance of bees for food security, and raises funds for research that addresses the national and global threats to bees.

The wraps are extremely easy to take care of. All you have to do is gently rinse them with cool water and a touch dishwashing soap and hang them to dry. (Don’t scrub them). They can be used to wrap crackers, snacks, sandwiches, covering bowls, plates and open avocados as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic wrap.

We hope everyone enjoys the beautiful designs we have lovingly made and feels wonderful about doing something to help our environment!

How to use your beeswax wraps:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfRpiSxVdLA

How to collect them: Any students who has purchased a wrap can collect it on Friday 4 September 2020 at lunchtime. There will be a contact free stall outside the Food Lab (Innovation Centre).

Please note: A limited number of wraps are available at this time and will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you miss out, please email me as we may repeat the project, depending on demand.

Sustainability @ Emanuel

By recycling soft plastic you are helping save the planet.

Hi everyone, we’re the Sustainability Committee! We aim to provide students, staff and parents with ways to reduce their environmental footprints and spread information about sustainable and ethical replacements for some of the non-eco-friendly products we use every day. We want Emanuel to be part of the greater movement towards a sustainable future and we’re super excited to get started!

We’ll be publishing an article in Ma Nishma every few weeks, in which we’ll include a tip to help you make your life more sustainable. This week, we’re talking about soft plastic recycling. 

Soft plastic recycling prevents the plastic from ending up in landfills. It’s instead taken to an initial processing facility, and then to REPLAS (manufacturer of recycled plastic products), in Victoria, where it’s repurposed into many different items, including furniture, signs and fencing. 

So what is a soft plastic? It’s easy! Soft plastics are recyclable plastics/materials that can be scrunched in your hand – for example; plastic bags or cling wrap. For a comprehensive list of what can and can’t be recycled as a soft plastic, visit this website. 

What to do:

• Collect your soft plastics and make sure they’re empty and dry.
• Once you have some put aside, take them to your local drop-off point. These are often at supermarkets or grocery stores – you can enter your postcode here and find all of the places near you that will accept your soft plastics.
• Feel great about helping out the environment!

For any extra information or help, feel free to contact us at:

• merten.ari@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au
• fosbery.lara@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au
• kidman.maximilian@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

By Ari Merten, Lara Fosbery and Max Kidman

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Lunch and Learn sessions

Below is an extensive list of “lunchtime” presentations being put on by tertiary organisers. We have not been able to host any external speakers – usually we would have had all of the main institutions out to Emanuel for a school visit. These presentations have been created and pre-recorded and students can access these at any time.

Open Day season is also well and truly here and students are encourage to ‘attend’ virtually. These are also fantastic options for Year 11 to start the researching process.

Year 12 Careers Presentations 2020

Dates for your diary

Primary School

Year 6 – Write a Book in a Day 
Tuesday 25 August 2020

Primary Innovation Festival
Friday 28 August 2020

NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge
Friday 28 August 2020
Students’ reading log must be entered by midnight

High School

HSC Maths Extension 1 Trial Exam
Friday 28 August 2020

Year 11 Exams
Monday 31 August – Friday 4 September 2020

Years 8 – 10 Elevate Study Skills
Monday 31 August

Jewish Day Schools Netball Gala Day and AFL Gala Day
Friday 4 September 2020

Sports and Extra Curricular Photo Day
Thursday 10 September 2020

For the family

Online Family Trivia 
Sunday 30 August 2020, 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm
RSVP by Thursday 27 August 2020

Online Speaker Series with alumnus, Mitch Burnie of Adamama Urban Farm
Wednesday 9 September 2020, 7.30 pm
RSVP by Monday 7 September 2020

Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jen Opit

Hi Everyone,

Online Family Trivia event

Our Family Trivia Event is fast approaching.

On Sunday 30 August 2020 at 4.00 pm, the Parents & Friends and Gesher are holding the School’s first ever Online Family Trivia event. The event is completely free and will be a fantastic way to get together with other Emanuel families from the comfort of our homes and have some fun.

You can name your team and dress up in your funkiest hats. Register here. 

Please note that this is a ‘friend raiser’ not a fundraiser and is suitable for the whole family. We hope to see you all there.

Entertainment Books

In case you want to order an Entertainment Book, you can do so here. 

Weekend brain teaser and answer from last week

Question: A pregnant lady named her children: Dominique, Regis, Michelle, Fawn, Sophie and Lara. What will she name her next child? Jessica, Katie, Abby or Tilly?

Answer: Tilly. She seems to follow the scale Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, and then Ti.

Have a lovely weekend,

Jen & Ruby

Recipe of the week

Each week we’ll bring you a tasty recipe passed down by Emanuel families, from the Emanuel School Community Cookbook, The Family Meal. 

From the kitchen of the Friske Family

Mediterranean Tuna Rice Pie Bake

Ingredients 

425g tinned tuna, drained
1 tsp olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped roughly
200g baby bocconcini cheese
50g parmesan
100g English baby spinach leaves
3 eggs, slightly beaten

Directions 

Preheat oven to 190^oC
Cook chopped onion and garlic in oil in saucepan – add rice and stir for 2 minutes
Stir in stock and simmer – reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes
Let cool for 10 minutes
In a bowl, add the lightly beaten eggs and the remaining ingredients
Add rice and mix with a spoon
Pour into greased baking dish
Cook 190⁰C for 40 – 50 minutes

Serves 4 – 6 

You can order the Emanuel School Community Cookbook, The Family Meal by contacting rubykb@gmail.com