From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

Vaping: Increased use of e-cigarettes

Growing numbers of young people across Australia have taken up vaping, many of them unaware of the health risks, believing it to be less harmful than smoking. Over the past two years, we have encountered few incidents of vaping within our School, but we are aware of the growing number of ‘vapers’. For those who are unfamiliar with this term, vaping involves the inhalation of a vapour created by an electronic cigarette, a battery-operated device, with a cartridge filled with nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals. These flavourings make e-cigarettes particularly attractive to young people. Recent Australian research revealed that 31% of surveyed parents were unaware that e-cigarettes contain toxins, and 40% were unaware they can cause death. E-cigarette products are still relatively new thus the full extent of their potential harm is not yet known. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recently confirmed 60 deaths in patients with lung injury associated with vaping. Recent advice from the John Hopkins Medicine; 5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know provides helpful information:

1. Vaping is less harmful than smoking but is still not safe;
2. Research suggests vaping is bad for your heart and lungs;
3. Electronic cigarettes are just as addictive as traditional cigarettes;
4. Electronic cigarettes are not the best way to quit smoking; and
5. A new generation is getting hooked on nicotine.

Despite the fact that possession of nicotine-containing e-cigarette products is illegal in Australia without a medical authority, our young people are able to access and import nicotine through websites that don’t require a prescription or have proper age checks. We will continue to educate our students on the dangers of vaping and to monitor carefully and follow up with consequences, where appropriate. The support of parents in reinforcing our message would be appreciated. It may be helpful to know that many young people use the Juul, which looks like a flash drive and can be charged in a laptop’s USB port. The Juul makes less smoke that other e-cigarettes. For more information on e-cigarettes please follow this link.

Primary School Innovation Festival 

One of the highlights of the term, our Innovation Festival aimed to show students what a future in STEM could look like and give students some insight into the field. Our Innovation Leader, Drishti Nanwani, focussed on experiments that could be completed with household items. Each session started with a brief introduction from the Volunteers at UNSW (in association with FLEET). Students were then led through four experiments: Walking Rainbow, Appearing Coin, Moving Arrow and Marbled Milk (two groups were lucky enough to do the Lava Lamp experiment as well). Each experiment was explained by the UNSW Volunteers afterwards. The last 5-10 minutes of each session allowed students to ask questions about the experiments and the STEM field in general. It was great to hear that some students even recreated some of the experiments at home over the weekend! A big ‘thank you’ to Drishti Nanwani, Lauren Butler and Renee Segal – and to our student helpers: Ezra Glover Sanders, Noa Rosenzveig, Lia McLellan and Noah Vexler. These Year 6 IT Leaders helped transport and distribute materials and got to lead a few experiments as well. Thank you to Kira Friedman for developing this video of the day. 

Online Family Trivia  

Over 45 Emanuel families joined our inaugural Online Family Trivia afternoon last week Sunday. Hosted by Gesher and the P&F, the hour-long contest was a highlight of the weekend. With questions such as “Who has been at Emanuel School the longest – Ms Lowe, Mr Taylor or Ms Milner?” and “Which song’s chorus includes the line ‘Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof’?” I believe that everyone left Happy that Ms Lowe has been at Emanuel for almost 22 years. Thank you to Belinda Levin for all her hard work in planning the event, along with the P&F and Gesher teams. 

Knowing You Changes Me

I was particularly impressed with the Year 5 students who have spent many lessons preparing for the project Knowing You Changes Me. The aim of the unit was for students to realise that knowledge alone is not sufficient; rather it is strength of character that lays the path to successful, purpose-filled, satisfied lives. The students were inspired by a zoom call with Thomas Mayor, champion of the Uluru Statement of the Heart.  They then researched and created a portfolio of work about inspirational changemakers who have made a difference to the world. The unit culminated on Wednesday with students dressing up as their chosen person and presented their outstanding attributes and achievements & interestingly, how they would respond to the COVIOD-19 pandemic. The students also presented their own life stories in Hebrew – you can read a selection of these in the KYCM article in this week’s Ma Nishma.

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Mazal tov

Ariella Tracton, Year 11, has won the NSW Teen Division of the Take the Mic online singing competition with her rendition of Run to You by Whitney Houston. Ariella will be competing in the upcoming national finals and we look forward to hearing of her experience. Click on the link above to hear Ariella’s performance at 9 minutes 50 seconds.

Quote of the week

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
Martin Luther King

I wish all fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers a wonderful day with your children and grandchildren on Sunday. Happy Father’s Day!

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Back to the Future

This week’s parashah, Ki Tavo, “when you enter the land”, like the Book of Devarim of which it is a part, speaks of the future by referencing the past. Presenting a narrative of the past before entering the land is a requisite for creating a promising future.

Indeed, our parashah opens by telling us that, once settled in the land, the Israelites are to engage in the first fruits ceremony. At the core of this ritual is the required recitation of their collective past, beginning with Avraham, that brought each individual and his people to the present moment.

It has often been noted that our Jewish tradition has no word for history. Instead, it is Zikaron, memory, that is of central importance throughout our Biblical and Rabbinic heritage. To be a Jew is to re-member. We are challenged to not simply recount another’s story but to make the Jewish narrative our own.

This prescribed recollection of our people’s history, in the first fruits ceremony, appears as well in our Pesach Haggadah, the text of that Jewish holiday which, more than any other, revolves around the telling of our narrative. At the Seder, we also declare that every Jew is to remind himself “we were slaves in Egypt”.

“Remember that you were a slave/were slaves in Egypt” appears more times than any other commandment in the Torah. Beyond a recalling of the past it is a command in the present speaking to our future. These biblical words are followed with the exhortation to care for the marginalised and the oppressed, the vulnerable and the weak. For our enslavement to be truly of the past, we must work for the future liberation of others in the present. Zikaron, memory, our Jewish tradition repeatedly reminds us, is generative.

We must re-member our Jewishness in the present for our future is dependant upon recalling but not living in the past.

Ma Koreh

Hagit Bar-On – Head of  Hebrew, K-6

How fast time flies at Emanuel School. I can hardly believe we are in Week 7 already and so much has happened. There is never a dull moment due to COVID-19 restrictions, teachers’ hard work & enthusiasm and children’s energy.

This term we received another restriction which involves singing. I can imagine how difficult it is for the Music Department not to be able to sing. In the Jewish Life Department, we constantly use singing as a teaching tool. We sing during lessons, prayers, Havdalah and Shabbat. However, we have learned to make lemonade out of lemons and treat it as an opportunity to teach the meaning of our prayers. Years K-2 students have such deep thinking when they are asked to reflect on the meaning of their prayers and can relate it to everyday life.

Our active and engaging activities continued irrespective of COVID-19. Our Year 6 students learnt about food and made chocolate balls. Each student had an individual kit consisting of all the ingredients. Students filmed themselves making chocolate balls while explaining the method in Hebrew. I must say it was messy, but everyone reported how tasty they were.

Rosh HaShanah and the High Holidays are usually a special time for all of us at Emanuel. We usually conduct our annual Grandparents Day at that time. We were all upset when we found out that this wasn’t to be this year. However, we developed amazingly creative activities for all our Primary students connected to Rosh HaShanah. We had wonderful clay workshops with Years 1-3, fabric painting with Year 4, canvas painting with Year 5, and baking activities with Years K and 6. Closer to the time, I will reveal the end products, but until then I will keep it a mystery. All activities have been filmed and a video will be available to parents and grandparents closer to Rosh HaShanah.

Another Hebrew collaborative activity is the Knowing You Changes Me project. We joined the Year 5 teachers in their annual project and every student in Year 5 prepared a presentation in Hebrew which they delivered in front of their Year Group talking about themselves, their families and their hobbies. I hope you will enjoy the level of Hebrew your children have reached when you watch the video.

Please stay tuned for some more photos and creativity to be shared with you closer to the High Holidays and the conclusion of Term 3.

Elke and Asher enjoying the ‘fruits’ of their labour.

Keep safe and healthy

Hagit (on behalf of all Primary Hebrew teachers)

Ki Tavo

Lara Fosbery – Year 11

Ki Tavo 

This week’s parashah, Ki Tavo, begins with Moses instructing the Israelites to offer a portion of the first fruit picked every year to God. The Israelites must take the fruit to the Temple and give it to the priest, who will offer it to God and there will a statement recognising God’s role in the creation of the people by freeing them from slavery in Egypt. It goes on to detail the mutualistic relationship that the Jews are instructed to maintain with God. If they consistently bring the first fruits of the season to the Temple, follow the commandments, upholding their commitment to God, then they will be blessed. They can expect success in battles, in agriculture and in business. But if they don’t, they will experience curses, loss and suffering.

But since few of us grow fruit trees anymore, why does this matter and how does it apply? Though the exact details might not be relevant to many of us, I think the concept at the core of the parashah – making sure your relationships are equally beneficial to all involved – is an important part of life. We engage with so many people on a day-to-day basis that it can be difficult to determine if we’re putting into each interaction exactly what we’re getting out. But if we sat down and really thought about all the relationships we have, and exactly what we give and receive, would we be proud? Frustrated? Embarrassed?

And if we turn to the other aspect of our parashah, the notion that if we don’t follow through on our commitments, we’ll be cursed. What does that tell us about the dire circumstances which we confront in our world? If curses come from a failure to ‘hold up our end of the bargain’, so to speak, what was the bargain, and what were our failures?

With Rosh HaShanah coming up in a few weeks, and Yom Kippur following soon after, the time that Judaism designates for introspection is fast approaching. So, I encourage us to think about what we give to each of our relationships, and what we expect from people in return. What we give to our parents or children, siblings or grandparents, teachers or students. To consider the role we play in the community and in our world, and whether we give enough. Are we playing our roles in the individual relationships in our lives and are we treating others around us with the same kindness and respect with which we expect to be treated? Are we civic-minded and do we care for our community in the same way it cares for us? Alternatively, it’s important to consider whether the relationships in our lives are as beneficial to us as they are to others.

All in all, though I don’t really believe in blessings or curses, I think it’s important to evaluate the roles we play in the lives of others and vice versa, and whether these relationships are mutually beneficial, and if not, how we can remedy this. And in this difficult and confusing time, to consider how we can bring good to everyone’s lives – using the proverbial fruit we grow to improve the lives of those around us.

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Father’s Day

This week the children have been working really hard to prepare special presents for their dads for Father’s Day on Sunday. Throughout the process of making their gifts, the children have been learning lots of life lessons and new skills. These have included looking with intent at pictures of their dads and drawing these from close observation. We have used different mediums across the three groups – from paint, to charcoal, to water colours and black textas. The children have taken so much pride and joy in these beautiful art works and have carefully helped the teachers to put them in the frames and to create their own wrapping paper. They have wrapped them up with love and care and sent beautiful messages from the heart with each present. We are sorry we cannot share our special Father’s Day breakfast with all our Kornmehl dads, but we wish you a special and happy Father’s Day on Sunday.

We hope you all have a lovely day and enjoy your special gifts from your child.

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Early Childhood Educators Day

On Wednesday, we acknowledged and celebrated all our wonderful educators at Kornmehl.

The purpose of Early Childhood Educators Day is to recognise and celebrate the work of early educators working in long day care, community care and pre-school services, for their enormous contribution to the wellbeing and healthy development of the young children in their care. This year, more than ever, we thank our front-line early childhood educators for their unwavering strength and resilience during this trying time of COVID-19. We appreciate your commitment and dedication to the early childhood profession and to the children in your care.

Early Childhood Educators Day is a day to acknowledge the valuable work of the early years’ educators in educating and caring for tomorrow’s leaders.

Families at Kornmehl joined us in thanking all our wonderful educators by adding a message to our ‘Appreciation Wall’.

Our educators received a scrumptious morning tea and the chance to read all the heartfelt messages sent by Kornmehl families. Here are a few parent messages: 

“The only reason that I’ve stopped dwelling on my many shortcomings as a parent is because I know that for five days a week, seven hours a day, someone else is doing the hard work for me: the disciplining, the socialising, the play, the wiping of bottoms, the stuff that’s mundane, tedious and exasperating. I appreciated you all before the start of the pandemic, but I started to worship you afterwards.

“The fact that I’m (or you’re) raising a child who wants to go school, who collects things on the weekend to show her teachers (it took a lot of convincing to tip out a container of seawater addressed to Lindi) and comes home with an awareness of Indigenous Australian culture is proof that not only are you looking after her physically, but that you are also catalysing a sense of curiosity, history and belonging. For me, this is more important than any grades or academic success. You can’t hire a tutor to teach your child decency, but you can send them to an environment that will nourish good values. Thanks for giving me the space to be mediocre and more importantly for launching my children into school with a tool kit that will allow them to thrive.”
Marina Kamenev

“We are grateful for your unending patience, kindness, care and dedication to our children’s education and wellbeing. The boys love coming to Kornmehl every day and no doubt your cultivation of an environment of security and warmth makes them feel a sense of belonging. Our heartfelt thanks.”
Kim and Armand Borovik

“Kornmehl teachers, you are exceptional! You go above and beyond to care for, understand and educate our children. Thank you for your incredible efforts and for making Pre-school a special place that Ariel wants to be a part of everyday.” 
Lisa and Ariel

“Especially during these difficult and unprecedented times, we are grateful for the love, care and support that you show both our children and their families. It is such a profound pleasure to see our son happily go off to school, knowing the intention with which you nurture his mind, soul and body. We thank you from the very bottom of our hearts for always seeing the best in them, for celebrating their strengths, encouraging them to grow where they must and offering the kind of unconditional love that is rare in a school setting. A very big and genuine thank you to Lindi and Justine; you are both enormously contributing to Joshua’s development into a caring and responsible citizen who cares for nature, art, and Indigenous culture”.
Kyra and Kenny 

“Thank you all for the nurturing care you provide, your unyielding enthusiasm for the job and towards all the kids at Kornmehl. Phoebe is so happy there and, from a shy, tentative girl, she has blossomed into a self-assured, cheeky and highly communicative person. Your work ethic and the warm, welcoming environment you provide is so rewarding and makes us feel very comfortable, knowing Phoebe is in good hands. We couldn’t be happier with Emanuel and you are all a huge part of that. Happy Early Childhood Educator’s Day!”
Yury and Mary Glikin

“Thank you for all the love and dedication you have shown to the kids especially during this tricky COVID-19 year. The kids all bounce into school and are so happy there, with you. Thank you for being there for our kids throughout the pandemic. You have created a safe haven for them amongst all the uncertainty. Happy Educators Day!”
Lauren, Nick, Jemima and Allegra Hockley 

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you do for our children. Personally, after seven years at the Pre-school I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all the amazing groundwork, teaching, care and love you have given to all my kids. They have experienced an unprecedented foundation for their schooling and have grown and flourished with all of your kindness. Thank you for teaching them the basics but also to see the world differently. This, together with the teachings of Judaism, has provided them with what it means to be Jewish and an early understanding of how special they are to be part of this community. We are forever grateful.”
Greg, Vicky, Danielle, David and Joel Lazarus

“What a year you have had of challenges, disruptions & shifting rules and regulations. Despite all of that you welcome us and our children each day with smiles, humility and hospitality. Thank you all for your wonderful care and warmth. It really means the world.”
Olian Family

“We would like to thank the teachers at Kornmehl for creating a safe, caring and learning space for our children. Despite what is happening outside school, and all of the difficulties and stresses that this has no doubt placed on the teachers during the past year, our children have continued to only express excitement and love for being at school (whether remotely or in person) and we thank you for creating a caring and important place for them.”
Jason and Rebecca 

“Happy Early Childhood Educators Day! Terry and her team are simply the best. Each one of you have had a huge and positive impact on Rafi’s social and emotional development. Kornmehl has been the ultimate place to start Rafi’s journey of learning… and it will always hold a special place in our hearts. Thanks so much for everything you do to create a safe, warm and stimulating place for our kids. Let’s celebrate your awesomeness today.” 😊
Nicki and Dave Lee

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Aaron She (5), Koben Benko (5), Jesse Borovik (4), Noa Lewis (4), Ariel Greenberg (5), Jace Meguideche (4). We also wish a very happy birthday to our special educator Marleen Einfeld.

We hope you all had a very special day.

Counter Collective

Sonia Newell – Development Office – Alumni & Community Relations

Trivia and a music theme

Who would have thought we would hold a Trivia event online! For those who joined us last Sunday afternoon, I’m sure you will all agree it was so much fun. There were a few Emanuel School related questions, which were answered correctly by some of the teams but not by all – for example, what year did the School open? It was 1983; Why did 33 Degrees, an Emanuel alumni Jazz Band, whose members are three past students from the Class of 2012, give their band its name? – 33 degrees is the latitude of Emanuel School. 

Two other graduates from the Class of 2012 who have also ventured out into the world of music are AJ America, now living in Canberra and Donny Janks. AJ is the co-founder of Luminescence Chamber Singers, a virtuosic vocal consort whilst Donny, who has been making electronic music for the past seven years, recently released his debut single One.    

Joshua New and Chloe Ben-Mayor

There are many other musicians who have passed through our School gates including one of our youngest, Josh (Joshua) New and Chloe Ben-Mayor (Class of 2019) – they are Counter Collective, and have been playing music together since they met in Year 3.

Josh says: “We had our share of performances on the MPH stage, and now we’re facing the real world. With both of us being multi-instrumentalists, our specialty is live acoustic music with heaps of vocals, keys, guitar and even some sax! We’re happy to bring the music to any function, from 50ths to Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and our repertoire encompasses a range of genres such as Jazz, Alternative and Pop with current and classic hits. You can listen to our music or send us a message through our social media accounts: Facebook Counter Collective or Instagram @countercollective.“

Daniel Weltlinger

Daniel Weltlinger (Class of 1997) is a world-famous violinist and composer who has lived in Berlin for many years. During a visit to Sydney last year to see family, he came to School to speak with some of our senior music students. Daniel also played his treasured violin along with one of our music tutors, pianist Leonie Cohen, and other musicians in a wonderful night of music. Despite the distance between Berlin and Sydney, and planned overseas trips with more performances here having to be cancelled, coronavirus does not stop the music – we just have to do it differently, and part of that “differently” includes Daniel’s performances in Synchronicity with the Dunera Project.  

Jessica Loeb (Class of 2011) is one half of the Jess and Steve Duo, who perform current and classical hits as a multi-instrumental duo with piano effects, original guitar instrumentals, keys and a loop pedal to bring any and all events to life.

There are many other alumni musicians in our community and we would love to share their achievements too, so please get in touch with details: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Lessons during lockdown

Alice Loeb, in the AJN

In last week’s Jewish News, journalist Evan Zlatkis interviewed six members of the community including Emanuel grandparent Alice Loeb, about lessons they’ve learned during lockdown. Alice has many connections with the School – her three older grandchildren are all Emanuel alumni whilst the youngest, Jamie Schneider, is now in Year 9. Alice’s daughter Renee Schneider is a Kornmehl Pre-school teacher and granddaughter Ellie Schneider (Class of 2007) is married to Kobi Bloom, a Jewish Studies teacher at School. Alice has been a Living Historian for our Year 6 Project Heritage on several occasions, and through the Sydney Jewish Museum PenPal Project, one of her three penpals was Year 5 student, Leah Stiassny.

The Online Speaker Series continues

Please join us next Wednesday 9 September 2020 at 7.30 pm for the second session in our Gesher online Speaker Series, when we interview alumnus Mitch Burnie (Class of 2011), Manager of Adamama Farm, the first Sydney Jewish urban farm. Please book here by Monday 7 September 2020.

If you have any queries about the event please contact Sonia: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Remember that September started on Tuesday

Remember September is about challenging yourself in honour or memory of a loved one. The campaign has raised over $270,000 since it began in 2015 and this year is breaking records and plans to be huge! Over 250 challengers have signed up so far and there is still time to register before September begins. You have four challenge options to choose from. Emanuel alumnus Ben Wilheim, (Class of 2008), founder of this most worthy annual event to raise funds in the fight to find a cure for pancreatic cancer says: “We thank the Emanuel School community for past support and hope you will join us again this year – we encourage you to get involved by signing up as an individual, a team of friends or even a family using the Team functionality during registration.“

For more information and to register, visit www.RememberSeptember.org.au

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

Nominate online for these prestigious awards. Emanuel School has so many students both past and present, 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 – 13 September

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. Register by 5 September and have your FREE T-shirts delivered to your home. After 5 September T-shirts can be picked up from Friendship Circle! 

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

Stay safe and Shabbat Shalom.

Primary Art

Art 

Once every two weeks, the Art Leaders meet to plan and organise the various art activities in the Primary School. So far, we have held a number of art clubs in the Primary art room with different themes. These have included a multimedia theme and Japanese anime workshop. Next week, we will be running a coaster theme for Year 4 students only. We will paint wooden coasters to sell and donate the money to charity.

The Art Leaders were also instrumental in the promotion of the Emanuel Archies competition for our Primary School students. Eight students entered the Emanuel Archies this year and the Primary winner will be announced soon. Thank you to everyone who submitted a portrait of a person that they admired.

By The Year 6 Art Leaders,
Jessica Hart, Leo Masnick, Tehya Miller and Elke Selinger

Abstraction

Nathalie Freed – Year 10

A two-part Art Exhibition

Part 1

Over the past term, we have studied geometric abstraction in Visual Arts, alongside artists such as Paul Reed. We learnt about various design elements such as shape, colour, composition, line and space and used our knowledge on these topics as we began the process of designing our own abstract painting. We created each aspect of our piece of abstract art, from the colour palette we chose, to the unique design we produced, even choosing the actual shape of the painted surface. Using plywood as a painting surface allowed us to access any shape, as it is a material that can easily be cut to fit any form of our choice.

A special thank you to Peter from maintenance for cutting out our plywood shapes! Whilst we were designing our images, we undertook personal research to look for abstract artists that inspired us. This was a continuation of our study in Year 9, when we worked on and created a wall sculpture, as well as studying abstract artists from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Over the course of this topic, we have gained a greater understanding of acrylic paint, how to work with it and, through the process, have improved and developed our painting technique. Additionally, we completed a study on colour, looking into complementary colours, analogous colours and the connotations a colour can both hold and introduce to an artwork.

On behalf of the class, I know we all really enjoyed this topic as it truly allowed us to discover the power of abstraction and to challenge the reach of our own creativity. 

Primary extra-curricular

We apologise for any disruptions caused by the recent COVID-19 regulation changes which have had an impact extra-curricular and EActive activities. We have been able to revise many of our activities to ensure we are offering a range of activities to students across all stages. Please see the revised extra-curricular timetable below which applies until the end of the term.

Mondays

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Fridays

We are the champions

Alternative Athletics Tabloid Carnival

Given our sporting year to date, it was such a pleasure to give our Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 students the opportunity to come together and participate in this alternative Athletics carnival.

The day combined traditional events such as relays with classic ‘old style’ activities including tug of war, egg and spoon races, gum boot toss and coits. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the students participated with gusto. This was also the first opportunity for the Year 6 House Captains to demonstrate their skills in helping to run an event. Their leadership skills and enthusiasm in working with the younger students was admirable.

Thanks also to the teachers who attended and encouraged and supported the students. 

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KYCM

Jacqui Cohen – Hebrew Teacher

As part of the Year 5 Knowing You Changes Me project, Mora Cohen’s Hebrew class worked on an extensive slideshow and a colourful artwork. The exhibits featured information including the students names, members of their extended families, the suburbs where they live, beloved pets and interesting hobbies. Copies of the slides were presented in the students’ project folders. AIZEH KEF (what fun)!

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Music Matters

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Private Tuition and Infant Strings Program

Links to online forms for Term 4 enrolments and discontinuations

• New enrolment requests for private tuition
• To discontinue private tuition
  
• To enrol into the Infant Strings Program (ISP)
  
• To discontinue Infant Strings Program (ISP)

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 4 has now passed. 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. If your child intends to discontinue, please act swiftly to provide formal notification in advance 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 about private music tuition.  The schedules for Term 4 2020 will be created at the end of term and emailed in October. 

Bring your own mask to Music please!

We are asking all our music students in the following groups to please bring their own reusable masks. To make our practices as COVID safe as possible, we are ensuring that, if there is a person singing or playing a wind instrument in a room, that they are behind one of our fabulous Perspex screens and everyone else in the room is wearing a face mask. If you bring your own it’s more comfortable, stylish, and there is less environmental waste.

• IP wind groups
• Years 7 – 8 Music classes
• Years 9 – 12 Elective Music classes

Bring your own ear-pods or headphones to Music please!

We are asking all of the following Music students to please keep a set of their own ear-pods or headphones in your laptop cases. We would prefer them to be wired rather than wireless (Bluetooth) as the lag with the wireless option is difficult with music. We want to be extra COVID-safe by avoiding the sharing of headphones. 

• Years 7 – 8 Music students
• Years 9 – 12 Elective Music students

Farewell Mick Hart

Many of you would have met one of our lovely guitar tutors, Mick Hart. Mick died last week, and we are so very sad about this. He was a lovely man, very humble considering his amazing career achievements, and a kind, caring and reliable guitar teacher. He was a true gigging musician, and a creative and prolific song writer. We will miss having him around.

Sustainable lunchboxes

Sustainable lunchboxes

Hi everyone, this week’s article is on sustainable lunchboxes or in other words, ways to make school lunches more eco-friendly. The easiest way to do so is through making the small change from single-use lunch packaging to something much more sustainable. So let’s begin by looking at why single-use packagings such as plastic wrap aren’t great friends with Mother Nature.

Single-use plastic wrap, discovered in a lab by accident in the 1930s, is now sold by over 100 different brand names and is one of the greatest friends in the kitchen. So if we have been using it for so long, what’s wrong with it and why should we be so GLAD to see it go? Plastic wrap has detrimental effects on the environment. In our oceans, plastic wrap contributes to a larger plastic pollution crisis that threatens marine habitats due to the chemicals’ abilities to collect bacteria and metals. It also is rarely recycled due to its tendency to clog machines in recycling plants. Furthermore, in landfill or incinerators, it releases highly toxic chemicals. All-in-all, plastic wrap is a big no-no when it comes to everyday use. So say no more to single-use plastic wrap with sustainable alternatives. Making the switch to sustainable alternatives can be as easy as reusing sandwich bags and paper bags, buying reusable lunch bags, as well as investing in PVC and BPA free Tupperware (or recycling containers at home). 

Additionally, we wanted to bring your attention to beeswax wraps – another great option for sustainable packaging. Beeswax wraps are an excellent alternative, made from coating organic cotton in a mixture of beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin. It is reusable and lasts from 8 to 12 months (or more if well looked after), essentially an entire school year! And, it is much more cost-efficient than purchasing rolls upon rolls of cling wrap or boxes upon boxes of zip-lock bags. Even better, once your eco-friendly packaging has reached the end of its life, it can be composted and help your garden!

Our Year 12 sustainable friends are hosting a sale of their own homemade beeswax wraps on Friday 4 September. All funds raised are going towards the Wheen Bee Foundation, an organisation who strives to save the dwindling honeybee population. 

Otherwise, there are countless websites and stores online such as Beeswax Wraps Australia that sell beeswax wraps and other sustainable packagings. Or you can always make them at home from scratch. Hopefully, you can join us in making the change to more sustainable lunchboxes and feel great about giving nature a helping hand. Take care.

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

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

Max Kidman, Lara Fosbery, Ari Merten and Ruben Mihalovich

Friendship Circle

Jade Berson – Year 11

Friendship Cirle

Last Friday the Emanuel Students, along with other schools in the Jewish community came to school in purple to ‘spread purple’ in order to raise money for Friendship Circle. A special thank you to everyone who contributed to this important cause. We raised a total of $435.00.

Sydney Friendship Circle is a not-for-profit organisation offering programs and activities for children, teenagers and young adults with and without disabilities, from all backgrounds. Friendship Circle offers amazing programs run by volunteers, such as Sunday Circle, school holiday camps and getaways, young adult programs, and social events that raise awareness of the cause, such as the annual Friendship Walk which is coming up on 13 September 2020! This is a huge event for the community and this year it is going virtual! I have previously been involved with Friendship Circle, attending the Sunday Circle and the annual Friendship Circle Walk, which enabled me to build special connections with the children. I can truly say that the connections that I built with the children are so special and fill my heart! Friendship Circle, like our School, strives to build an inclusive Jewish community and a world making for Tikkun Atsmi and Tikkun Olam. 

Kol Szenes

Miriam Itzkowitz – Year 12

Ashley Cohn – Year 7

This week in Szenes

It is Week 7 everyone! Just four weeks left of the term and things are starting to warm up as we begin Spring. This week Year 11 completed their examinations. We hope that our students are pleased with their performance. 

Szenes students were reminded to lock their lockers and students without a lock were spoken to by their Tutor. New locks can be purchased for $20.00. 

Remember to sanitise your hands every day as you enter our school grounds, and enjoy the following week!

Wear it Purple

Last Friday, High School students came dressed in purple or with a purple accessory. This day was to celebrate and raise money for two organisations; Friendship Circle and Wear it Purple. Wear it Purple is an organisation celebrating and looking after members of the LGBTQ+ community. To learn more about this community, during Tutor time, students watched a video explaining LGBTQ+ people and what the acronym stands for. One of the letters; A, represents the word Ally. Being an ally in the LGBTQ+ community means to not necessarily identify as LGBTQ+, but to support and understand being LGBTQ+. As Emanuel is a school known for its inclusivity, all students are encouraged to be LGBTQ+ allies.

Announcements

• Formal uniform is to be worn throughout Term 3, including blazer and tie. 
• Blazers to be worn to and from school and 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 from the 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 these Szenesians who recently celebrated their birthdays in the past week:

• Adam Foreman – Year 7
• Jesse Waller – Year 12
• Asha Friedman – Year 12

Quote of the week

“Good questions outrank easy answers.”
Paul Samuelson

Shabbat Shalom and have a fantastic weekend!

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Key points, dates and processes 

This week was one of our last Careers sessions with Year 12 and I wanted to highlight some key points, dates and processes for the coming weeks and beyond. Some of these links may prove useful for both students and parents over the coming months, and there are some positive Year 12 articles, also reflecting on how Year 12’s disruptive year will stand them in good stead to them in months and years to come.

• Education Minister for NSW, Sarah Mitchell, reflects, apologises and offers hope to Year 12s. 
• Michael Spence, Vice Chancellor of Sydney University, speculates on all of the other attributes other than the ATAR that matter now. “The ATAR does not measure all of the other wonderful things that you are.” 
• NESA has now announced that all HSC students are able to have their COVID results fast-tracked if they are to be tested to speed up the diagnostic process, and to limit any time missed from studies. 
• Here is everything you need to know from UAC about offers, finalising preferences, dates and the processes involved. 
• UAC has updated some of the end of year dates and times that ATARs, HSC results, and university offers are coming out. All of this information is presented by UAC in slide format that I hope is easy to decipher. These are well worth printing out and sticking up somewhere at home, as students really need to take ownership of this process. This information can be found here. There is also a short video explaining the rounds system and preferences.

Rowan Kunz is a well-informed and experienced presenter of Year 12 choices at the end of the year. He shares some valuable insights into:

1. What to do if you don’t get your goal ATAR (click here for the video)
   
2. The three biggest mistakes students make when choosing a university degree (click here for the video):
   1. they don’t do enough research
   2. picking a course based on prestige
   3. assuming a high ATAR course equals a good quality course with high job prospects.

We are in the thick of ‘virtual’ Open Day season. I have been heavily advertising these: students and parents – please ensure students are accessing all of the information online here.

Finally, for all university and tertiary comparison statistics, please use this very handy tool ComparED which show comparisons statistics for courses based on student data. 

Library news

The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) 

The PRC has now closed. A flurry of entries at the end resulted in a total of 77 students who have completed the Challenge. This was a great effort in these turbulent times. It is pleasing to have this many complete and record their reading. Thank you to all the parents and caregivers who assisted the students in this process.

Mazal tov.

Kindergarten
Emy Kalinko

Year 1
Samantha Ipp

Year 2
Balmain Walker

Year 3
Liam Frankham
Jemima Hockley
Zachary Churnin
Claudia Hochroth
Lily Smaller

Year 4
Elah Sharabi
Maia Sharabi
Noaa Smily

Year 5
Samara Strugar
Amali Allul Otozco

Year 6
Camilla Shay
Asher Filipczyk
Rory Nathan
Jessica Smith
Xander Keller

The certificates, signed by the Premier of NSW, for those who completed the Challenge will be sent to the School during Term 4.

Remember Rule 3 of the Challenge: Books you read after the Challenge closes can count towards the next year’s Challenge. So maintain a reading record and as soon as the Challenge opens next March you will be able to enter the books of your choice from your list.

Enthusiastic Readers

This an in-house initiative to encourage the students who got into the habit of reading and recording their reading and completed the NSW PRC early. They collected Enthusiastic Reading Record sheets and continued to record their reading until the end of the NSW PRC period. Parents validate the reading on the log kept by the student.

Kindergarten – Jared Stein

Year 2 – Toby Stein

Year 5 – Gil Banna – two lists of 20 submitted.

King of Trivia

Last Sunday afternoon, the School’s Gesher and P&F Committees hosted Emanuel’s first Online Trivia Event.

Sixty families joined for an afternoon of quizzing fun. The categories ranged from Disney movies to sport and even some Emanuel trivia.

The competition was fierce, and we would like to congratulate The Matreshka Dolls for winning the trivia contest and The Unicohns for winning the costume prize.

Even in these challenging times, our community has managed to stay connected even while we are physically apart. It was wonderful seeing all of the children’s happy and excited faces, and the recognition as they spotted friends and family through the screen.

We look forward to many more events like this one, but also hope to be able to see you all in person as soon as possible!

Ruby and Jen
P&F Co-Presidents

Parents & Friends

Ruby Berkovic & Jen Opit

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to all of you that joined us for our Online Trivia Event last weekend! What a fantastic turnout. Congratulations to The Matreshka Dolls on their win and the Unicohns for their fabulous hats! More on this in a separate article.

Parents & Friends meeting 

We held our monthly Parents & Friends Meeting last Tuesday night. Thanks to all who attended. Everyone is welcome. Please let us know if you would like to attend next month: rubykb@gmail.com

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 farmer needs to take a fox, a chicken, and a sack of grain across a river. The only way across the river is by a small boat, which can only hold the farmer and one of the three items. Left unsupervised, the chicken will eat the grain, and the fox will eat the chicken. However, the fox won’t try to eat the grain, and neither the fox nor the chicken will wander off. How does the farmer get everything across the river?

Answer

The farmer must follow these steps.

1. Take the chicken across the river.
2. Come back with an empty boat.
3. Take the grain across the river.
4. Bring the chicken back.
5. Take the fox across the river.
6. Come back with an empty boat.
7. Take the chicken across the river.

Father’s Day

Our Father’s Day celebrations are always a highlight of the year. Unfortunately, we can’t celebrate in the usual way (Coco Pops and Coffee Carts) but we are still hoping to celebrate together, while apart. On Father’s Day (Sunday 6 September) take a photo with your family (breakfast in bed, a BBQ, going for a walk…anything you want) and email it to us at rubykb@gmail.com by Monday 7 September so that you can be part of our Father’s Day @ Emanuel celebration video!  For more information: Virtual Father’s Day

To all the Fathers, Grandfathers and special friends in our Emanuel Community, we would like to wish you a very Happy Father’s Day!

Jen & Ruby

Community notices

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 Emanuel School Canteen

Fruit Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
1 cup plain flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup raw brown sugar
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups frozen berries, or any variation of fruit

Crumble mixture:
3/4 cup oats
1/4 cup wholemeal flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
100g butter, room temperature
Add a tsp of cinnamon if making crumble for an apple muffin

Directions

Heat the oven to 180^oC (or 160^oC fan-forced).
Add wholemeal flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. In a jug, add oil, milk, vanilla and egg – mix together well.
Add the fruit into the dry ingredients and mix.
Add milk mixture to bowl and mix until just combined (do not over mix).
Fill muffin cases – we use an ice cream scoop.
You can add a crumble mixture to the top when making an apple crumble muffin or a berry crumble muffin. Combine the crumble ingredients together using your fingertips and sprinkle on top of muffins before cooking.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until brown and firm.

Serves 12 

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