From the Principal

Lexi’s Tree

Lexi Bader Commemoration 

A small ceremony was held on Friday, to dedicate the plaque for the olive tree that has been planted in the memory of Lexi. Rabbis Kamins and Ninio, Ruby Berkovic, Co-President of the P&F and members of our Executive joined the extended Bader family in prayer and in remembering Lexi’s life. Please take a moment to read Rabbi Ninio’s words here.

Dedication plaque for Lexi’s Tree

The recipients of our first Lexi Bader Mensch Award (2019) also paid their respects to the family.  At the morning tea that followed the ceremony, both parents were presented with a small olive tree to commemorate this event. The Lexi Bader Futsal Trophy was also on display. The generosity of our parent community, in securing the perpetual Year 8 Mensch Award, trophy and olive tree was acknowledged with gratitude.

Year 7 Camp 

Our students experienced both thunderstorms and hot conditions, as they camped beside the beautiful Colo river. It was a week of making new friendships and sharing a range of outdoor experiences, including navigation, group problem solving initiatives, high ropes, low ropes and obstacle courses, crate stacking and of course, the dreaded but popular ‘wombat hole’.

The camp program is designed to take our students out of their comfort zone and into their challenge zone, where they can discover new skills and the benefits of resilience. Parents should beproud of their ‘can do’ attitude and willingness to be extended. Those students who battled with homesickness, due to the unfamiliar setting – and who kept going – should be especially proud of their courage and perseverance. It was also worthy of noting how well our students coped with the total absence of social media! One of the great benefits that this camp provides is a lack of connectivity to mobile phones or other devices. For a whole week, our students can pause from the distractions of their online activity and simply enjoy the quiet solitude of the bush setting. This time to engage in both group and individual reflection is both rare and highly valued. Our thanks to Christian Bell, his team of caring Year 7 tutors and our Nurse, Genna Onuchukwu.

Respecting our Neighbouring School

The traffic flow around Moriah College has been very congested and the source of frustration for many drivers. Apparently, some members of our community have been identified as making abusive comments out of their car windows. If the position had been reversed, I know that this would have generated upset within our school community. Until the congestion is resolved, we request that our parents and staff be patient and respectful.

Our Parent Information Events

On Monday evening, Years K-6 held their annual Meet the Teacher event. This was an opportunity for parents to hear from the class teachers about the goals, focus areas and organisation within their children’s classrooms. There was also a session about whole school goals and initiatives. Over the past two weeks, parents and students in Years 7 to 11 have also attended Year Group information sessions, at which our academic, wellbeing, Jewish life and year-specific programs were explained. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we have requested feedback as to what worked well and what we could improve.

Years 3-6 Swimming Carnival 

Mazal tov to all our Years 3-6 students who participated in the Swimming Carnival with enthusiasm, much excitement and remarkable tenacity. The students swam with gusto and  impressed all with their House spirit that never let up! Thank you to all the staff who helped make this day such a resounding success and to Ofer Levy for his spectacular photos. See Ma Nishma next week for a full gallery of pictures.

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Mazal Tov

• On Sunday Romy McCorquodale, Josh Fraser and Ben Maserow (Year 8) set up a cake stall in Rose Bay to raise money for the Northern Rivers koala population. The students were inspired during a Science class when they were learning about biospheres and the effect changes in climate has on animals. They raised over $400 for the cause.
• Year 2 student, Ryan Miller, competed  in the Maccabi NSW Jewish Swimming Club Swimming Championships for the first time, winning one gold medal and two bronze medals in the 7 year old races.
• The Year 8 Futsal team played consistently well throughout the season and won the Grand Final, defeating the boys from Moriah 12- 2. Congratulations to Julian Baruch, Shai Farhy, Leo Latter, Coby New, Jack Simon, Jamie Schneider and coach Jordan Kery. 

Quote of the Week

“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralising.”
Harriet Braiker

Primary School

Katie Brody – Director of Studies K-6

What ARE Teachers Talking About When They Use Words Like, ‘Pedagogy’ and ‘Differentiation’?

Each vocation has its related collection of technical language and the field of education is no different. As with all professionals adept at discussing their practices, teachers sometimes use terms as though they are words that are commonly used and understood. On Monday night this week we enjoyed the Meet the Teacher evening. This was a wonderful opportunity to put faces to names, to mingle with those who will nurture and help to educate our children, and to hear more about the programs and opportunities for 2020. Thank you to all the teachers for their time and commitment to this important evening. 

Our teachers are so experienced and knowledgeable in their field and I listened with awe at the way in which so many teachers presented their goals and clarified the approaches to be used throughout the year. I did wonder though, do our parents know what we mean when we use ‘edu-speak’? Looking back at the notes from my own presentation, I recognised that I too used terms that may be foreign to our parents. As such, I hope to clarify two of the main words used by educators, ‘pedagogy’ and ‘differentiation’.

What is Pedagogy?

Pedagogy is often described as ‘the act of teaching’. The instructive strategies that the educator chooses in order to build knowledge, have students immersed in experiences that encourage thinking and to have them work towards meeting learning goals set by the student and/or the teacher. 

For example: Chat Stations

Purpose: This strategy gets students out of their chairs, allows voices to be heard without having to wait in a whole class discussion and without risking being ‘wrong’ in front of their peers. It is a novel way to discuss ideas. The teacher can interact closely with the students as they move around and can address misconceptions right away.

Description: Questions are displayed on the walls at different places in the room (stations). Students will be grouped in pairs, threes or fours and they rotate around the room, discussing ideas and recording answers. At the end of the rotation each group can summarise what was discussed at each station.

What is Differentiation?

In ‘edu-speak’, differentiation means ‘tailoring instruction to meet individual needs’. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction.

For example: Flexible Grouping

Purpose: This strategy allows up to three groups of students to work at the level of complexity that suits their readiness. Some students will need to simply reinforce new learning, others will benefit from applying or analysing their knowledge. Those who have shown significant understanding and require a further level of complexity will be asked to spend most of their time on tasks that extend their thinking by evaluating and/or creating a new product. 

Description: The teacher introduces concepts to the whole class in a phase of the lesson often titled, the ‘I do’ phase. Teachers may show short video clips, read to students, show and discuss images or present information to the students from an interactive presentation. Next the teacher provides different tasks to small groups of identified students. This is the ‘we do’ phase, as students may work in pairs or small groups and the room can be quite noisy for good reasons. Tasks in the ‘We do’ phase tasks have been altered to build progressively more complex thinking based on their level of complexity. The final stage of the cycle is the ‘You do’ phase. This is where students complete a task individually so teachers can assess the depth of their knowledge and ability to apply skills.

I hope this has been helpful in shedding light on some of the words teachers commonly use.

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Atop the Mountain

This week’s parashah, Mishpatim, ends with the words “And Moshe was atop the Mountain 40 days and 40 nights”.

Later, in the book of Devarim, Moshe says: “And I stayed atop the mountain 40 days and 40 nights, eating no bread and drinking no water”.  With God alone, ultimate sustainer of life, Moshe has no need for physical sustenance.

Yet, a few verses earlier in our parshah, we read: “They (the leaders of the Israelites), beheld God, and they ate and drank”.

The Talmud prefers to understand this text as saying that they were nourished by the vision of God. Like Moshe, they were beyond the dimension of the sensory.  Similarly, philosophers, like Moses Maimonides, interpret their “seeing” God as cognitive rather than physical perception.

As covenants in the ancient Near East were sealed by meals, one can understandably view this verse as depicting a covenant meal. One’s stomach determined one’s God, as the perceived provider was proffered the prayers. It is not by accident that the biblical root word for prostituting oneself by following other gods, is the same word for sustenance.

The Israelites were often lured by Ba’al, a fertility and storm God, and the Golden Calf, disrupting the Sinaitic Covenant, conjured up the Egyptian Apis Bull, symbolising fecundity and fertility.

Today, the staple of “bread” is the currency of “money” and the “Golden Calf” the idolisation of material wealth. While the Torah states “one cannot live on bread alone”, our Jewish tradition recognises, as well, Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs”.

Normative Judaism, however, does not prescribe to the dictum “man’s higher nature rests upon man’s lower nature”. We celebrate and experience the divine with and through food and dance, song and drink. The sensory and the physical is at one with the cognitive and the psychological.

We are atop the mountain when we move beyond composite being to integrated and holistic living.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Reflecting on the Importance of Asking Questions

Year 5 students have begun their Jewish Studies learning this year reflecting on the importance of asking questions to stimulate curiosity and learning. This approach to learning is reflected in our Jewish tradition, with the Talmud recording not only the questions posed by our rabbis, but also the multiple responses and differing opinions that ensue when questions are asked, rather than answers given. 

In Pirke Avot (4.1), Ben Zoma asks four questions, and in the text he helpfully provides his own answers to his question. Before learning Ben Zoma’s answers, students came up with their own amazing, insightful and thoughtful responses to his questions. Here is a sample of their thinking: 

Ben Zoma asks “Who is wise?   איזהו הכם”

Year 5 thinks: someone who…

• perseveres and does not give up easily
• thinks of the consequences of their actions 
• values other people 
• learns from their mistakes
• uses life experiences to solve problems
• uses evidence to back up answers and opinions
• shares what they know with others and helps them
• listens to the advice of others.

Ben Zoma asks “Who is brave and mighty?  איזהו גיבור’”

Year 5 thinks: someone who…

• faces their fears
• takes risks for others
• believes in themselves
• tries and persists when things are difficult
• is not afraid of making mistakes or failing
• is open to the new
• tries new things, even if it is uncomfortable
• stands up for what they believe in, even if it is not popular
• is true to themselves – even if it means ‘going against the flow’.

Ben Zoma asks ‘Who is rich?  איזהו עשיר’

Year 5 thinks: someone who…

• Has an education
• Lives to help others
• Is grateful for what they have
• Is kind and generous, who cares and helps others
• Is happy with what they have
• Treasures every moment
• Has love in their lives – to give love and receive love
• Has meaning and purpose in their lives

Ben Zoma asks “Who is honoured?  איזהו מכובד”

Year 5 thinks: someone who…

• acts in a way that deserves respect
• honours and respects others
• is honest and kind
• sets themselves goals and achieves them
• accepts responsibility
• is modest and humble
• listens and respects others and treats all people equally
• is true to themselves
• cares for and is concerned for others.

Click on the link provided to view the original text: Pirke Avot 4.1 Ben Zoma Quote

Kol Szenes

Miriam Itzkowitz, Year 12

Welcome for the Year 

Welcome back everyone to 2020! I hope you all had a restful break and are ready to start the year fresh and anew. We have a really exciting year filled with lots of fun music, sport, and academic endeavours, so let’s be sure to set some SMART goals.

Welcome to the Year 7s – this will be such an exciting year! Please feel free to approach any of the older Szenesians to help you out with anything, whether it’s advice on school, friends, or just to say hi – we’re all here to help

A special welcome to our new students:

Meika Laishevsky, Year 8
Sari Laishevsky, Year 8
Ella Engler, Year 9

Welcome back to Ms Goldmann as our Year 7 Tutor after her Year 12 Tutor Group graduated last year and to Mr Bell and the new Year 11 Szenesians who embarked on Chavayah and had a fantastic time exploring Israel!

Announcements:

• Year 7 Camp Somerset – Year 7 has just returned from Camp Somerset, their first camp in High School, as a way to bond with their new cohort and become closer as a group, accompanied by their Year 11 Peer Support leaders, Ms Goldmann, their Tutor and Mr Bell, the Year 7 Coordinator.
• Hats – please make sure you are wearing a hat and sunblock if you are outside on the playground during recess and lunch, otherwise, make sure your are sitting in the shade.
• Kippot – please make sure to have your kippah at assemblies and all prayers. You can purchase a replacement House kippah if you lose yours for $8.50 from the Jewish Studies Department, or the normal maroon ones from the uniform shop for $7 a piece, or if you feel like you’re likely to lose them, you can buy three for $15.
• House Concert – We have our annual House Concert occurring Monday of Week 9 after school! It’s great to see such enthusiasm and participation during rehearsals. Let’s make it the best so that we can win!

Mazal Tov to:

• Chloe Biller on celebrating her Bat Mitzvah
• Jasmine Melnikoff on celebrating her Bat Mitzvah
• Koby Michel on celebrating his Bar Mitzvah

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to these Szenesians who celebrated their birthdays this month:

• Ms Genc (Year 12 Tutor)
• Max Kidman (Year 11)
• Nathaniel Spielman (Year 12)
• Aron Harpaz (Year 9)
• Leo Latter (Year 8)
• Eitan Hamilton (Year 8)
• Alexander Itzkowitz (Year 9)
• Benjamin Rosenfeld (Year 9)
• Olivia Beinart (Year 10)
• Lily Lyons (Year 8)
• Jake Narunsky (Year 10)
• Jessica Lowy (Year 11)

Quote of the Week: 

“It’s always too early to quit.”
Norman Vincent Peale

Shabbat Shalom and have a fantastic weekend!

Rashi Times

Jonathan Schach, Year 11

Rashi Times

Welcome back to a brand new year which I hope is filled with lots of smiles, competition and excitement.

Unfortunately, the first carnival of the year was unable to make its appearance due to a couple days of chaotic weather. There was however a makeup carnival that happened a few days later for the keen students. I would like to congratulate all participants of the races and especially Rashi House for their outstanding performance. Results shall be announced in the next upcoming days and from what I have seen, the outcome looks quite close.

Even though the entire school was not involved in the carnival, some would say that it still went ahead for everyone due to the flooding along streets, paths and even the giant puddles found on the basketball court. Admittedly, the storm left many astray from their normal routine and even managed to place itself into the ‘Guinness Book of Sydney Records’.

Being the heaviest rain Sydney has seen in over five years, beaches were closed, along with streets and schools. Even a few of the main roads across Sydney managed to get up to five meters deep. Despite the subtle annoyance of the weather over these few days, this situation has been one of the best outcomes for Australia due to the recent and tragic bushfires.  As of now, only 50 fires in NSW are still burning and this is thanks to the recent contribution of rainfall.

It has been a catastrophic entrance for Australia in the commencing of this new year, but hopefully we are coming to the end of the tunnel and only the optimistic future is ahead.

Thanks so much and have a wonderful weekend.

Year 6 Leadership Camp

Year 6 at their Leadership Camp

Year 6 Leadership Experience 

On 13 and 14 February, all Year 6 students were lucky enough to be involved in Leadership Training. This was a two-day experience involving all of us learning about collaboration, communication and organisation.

On the first day, Year 6 travelled to All Sorts in Alexandria. We did team building activities including bubble soccer, archery tag and wheelchair basketball. These activities taught us how to work as a team and how to communicate under pressure. We also did other activities in small groups that focussed on practising team building techniques. Some activities taught us the importance of non-verbal and verbal communication. This reminded us to think about what we say as well as how we say it. Some of these activities taught us how important it is to be precise when we communicate so we achieve the best results. At the end of the day, we returned to school and spoke about Emanuel School’s values and our personal values. We created a poster that included ideas about what a good leader should be like. We created a shared Year 6 vision for our year of leadership. We decided that we would lead with determination, resilience and respect. We all signed our names on the poster to show that we were a part of that commitment. After a delicious barbecue dinner made by Mr Carpenter, we watched a movie called Remember the Titans. It is a movie about racism, leadership, team building and flexibility. At the end of the day, we left the school exhausted from an amazing day, jam-packed with fun activities and powerful learning.

On Friday we returned to school with smiles on our faces and excited for what the day would bring. We began the day with Shabbat with Year 12 leaders. We then reflected on the movie and thought about how the characters displayed leadership skills. We participated in creating posters about strong Jewish leaders throughout history with Year 12 students. We had a two-hour mentor session which was exciting and productive. All of the Year 6 leaders got together in their leadership groups to begin planning the year ahead. In our group of Madrichim, we discussed Anti-bullying day and came up with some exciting plans (we can’t tell you our ideas yet…no spoilers!). We had lunch and then a session on mindfulness with Mrs Slender. She taught us how to focus in order to stay calm and be aware of what is happening around us. The day ended with a ruach session with some very energetic High School students. It was so much fun!

Overall, Year 6 loved Leadership Camp 2020 and we will remember it for the rest of our lives.

By the Primary School Madrichim

High School Sport

Emanuel Students’ Sporting Achievements

There have been many significant achievements recently in sport at Emanuel.

Futsal

When many of us were finished school for the 2019 year and enjoying the holiday break, the Emanuel Year 8 Futsal team continued playing in the Rose Bay Futsal Competition.
This team played consistently well throughout the season and won the Grand Final, defeating the boys from Moriah 12- 2. Congratulations to Julian Baruch, Shai Farhy, Leo Latter, Coby New, Jack Simon, Jamie Schneider and coach Jordan Kery. 

Earlier this year Ethan De Melo scored a hat-trick in the U19’s Men’s Grand Final at the Futsal National Championships, winning the trophy for his NSW Metro Thunder team. Ethan’s Futsal career continues to flourish following on from his selection in the Australian team last year. 

Basketball

During the summer break, coach Indiana Faithfull, ran the Emanuel Basketball Clinics in Alexandria. Training camps were offered to all High School students and an Elite Training Clinic was designed for the Emanuel Firsts and Seconds teams. Over 20 students attended both clinics which spanned over four days. From beginners to experienced players these holiday clinics gave students the opportunity to refresh skills and team concepts or even try a sport they necessarily would not have done before, in a fun, competitive and inclusive environment. All students responded very well to the program and this is something that we will be looking to run and promote throughout the year in each of the school holidays.  

Oztag

Several individual students have had great success in their individual sports both through school and association pathways. Shai Farhy recently played in the State Oztag Cup at Coffs Harbour, playing in the Eastern Suburbs Oztag
team. Shai’s team progressed to the quarter finals, which was a great achievement. 

Tennis

Last week, Alexander Placek and Jordan Fleischer competed at the AICES Opens Boys Tennis Championships. Both students had a great day of tennis, winning many games.

Alex finished first in his pool and progressed through to the grand final, finishing runner-up for the day. After such great success, Alexander was selected in the AICES Opens Boys Tennis Team and competed at the CIS Championships this week. 

Cricket

Jonah Trope is currently playing in the U15’s National Cricket Championships in Ballarat, after his selection in the NSW Magenta squad late last year. Jonah also recently attended the CIS Cricket Trials through the school pathway and has been selected to trial for the NSW All Schools Team in March. 

Duke of Endinburgh 2020

Ray Francis – Head of PDHPE

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program 2020

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program is up and running for 2020, with our first Bronze Award Camp taking place in Week 7 (12 – 13 March) 

This extra-curricular program requires participants to complete two adventurous journeys, volunteering activity, skill development and regular physical activity participation to achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.

Emanuel School has initiated a number of new strategies to further support award participants in obtaining their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (D of E). Have a look at these new options for parents and students:

1. Parent Portal – a new section on the parent portal will house all of the information parents need, such as the D of E handbook, guide for parent’s checklist, camp dates etc.
   
2. Dedicated email address –  email dofe@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au for prompt replies to your queries
3. Lunch time Duke of Edinburgh HUB for students: Meet Mr Francis in B15 on Tuesdays between 1.30 pm – 2.00 pm for help with your Duke of Edinburgh progress.

Award activities must be completed in the student’s own time, and participants need to be diligent and proactive in the administration of their award by following award guidelines and logging their achievements correctly on their Online Record Book (ORB). Failure to do this can result in delays in getting an award approved.

Information and relevant documents about the program were sent to all parents in Week 2 via the Parent Portal and I have spoken with Years 9 and 10 parents at their respective Parent Information Evenings. To assist you in guiding your son/daughter through the award I have sent you a Parents Guide. Please use this to assist your son/daughter to complete the required tasks so that their award can be signed off promptly when completed.

Good luck!

Emanuel Archaeological Dig 2020

Christian Bell – HSIE Teacher, Acting Year 7 Co-ordinator and Year 11 Tutor

Emanuel Archaeological Dig 2020

In Weeks 3 and 4 the Year 11 Ancient History class conducted their annual archaeological dig on the school grounds. This year they excavated an area next to the Brender-Moss Building to learn more about the archaeological process. The Year 11 class has recorded their findings and process on a Google Site that you can access and explore here: https://sites.google.com/emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/emanuelarcheologicaldig2020/home

Our school site has quite a long and interesting history. One of the first known permanent buildings to be constructed on the site was Aston Lodge (the Saunders Admin and Reception Building), which was built in 1864-65 for John Watkins (a Merchant and Randwick Alderman). The School was later used as a convent and school by the Loreto Sisters and then the Little Sisters of the Poor. There is still evidence to mark the school’s past if you pay close attention – the Aron Kleinlehrer Performing Arts Centre (PAC) used to be a Chapel and there is a small grotto behind it.

The Year 1 classes visited the excavations in Week 4 to learn about the school’s history through the artefacts that the Year 11 students uncovered. This is one of the many great opportunities for the Primary and High School students to share their knowledge and learn from working with each other.

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Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Careers Update 

Last week the Careers Advisors of NSW spent a day at the UNSW to hear their 2020 updates.

A summary of my notes from the day can be found below showcasing a variety of topics such as:

• Why study Marine Science?
• New courses for 2020
• New majors, new double degrees and a new Bachelor of Commerce degree being released mid-year in 2020
• The Co-Op Program
• Scholarships
• Work Integrated Learning (WIL)
• Student exchanges overseas with over 300+ partner universities

A full transcript of my notes can be accessed here and the official UNSW slides can be found here.

ANU Applications 2021

Direct applications for 2021 will open in March 2020 for all domestic school leavers. There is no application fee, students will be required to meet the co- curricular or service requirement, and they will apply for admission, guaranteed accommodation, and over 200 scholarships all in one application. This closes in May and so students (if they are considering it) must apply or will lose out. This is a totally different process to UAC and the other Universities, as it is direct. For more information, click here.

Year 10 Information Night

All of the slides from the Information Night can be found here.

Please note any appointments for my online booking system can be found at: https://calendly.com/clairepechcareers/ where I welcome any new appointments (students and/or parents) to discuss any thing to do with Year 10, subject selections, the Careers Avenues process and moving through the process of figuring out what to do next!

MakerSpace

MakerSpace and Building V5-VEX Claw Robots

These three girls have been coming to MakerSpace at lunchtimes regularly and have been building V5-VEX Claw robots. They can control these robots by either programming them or using a remote control. 

“MakerSpace was fun, challenging and a great way to spend my lunches learning teamwork and collaboration with my friends.” Noa Wajsman, Year 8

Visual Arts Exhibition – ‘Soft Machine’

Louise Heilpern – Visual Arts Teacher

Visual Arts Exhibition – ‘Soft Machine’

We are excited to kick off the year’s exhibition roster with Soft Machine. At the end of 2019, the then Year 9 Visual Arts students completed a ceramics unit based on the works of Finnish artist, Maija Liisa Vasenius. Students created conceptual links through an expansive study of abstraction and drew upon Elsworth Kelly’s Cite and the influence of John Cage and Jean Arp’s ideas about chance. The introduction of William Burrough’s ‘cut-up and fold-in’ literary techniques inspired the title of this series, after his 1961 novel Soft Machine. In this series of artworks, students explored the relationship between machine shapes such as cogs and wheels, and their connectedness to the human form.

To see more of our students’ beautiful artworks, visit https://www.emanuelschoolvisualarts.com/

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Community Connections – Gesher

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni and Community Relations

An Emanuel School History Lesson for the Week

Jonah Symonds and family

Our amazing School opened its doors in February 1983, with just 53 students and by the time the first official school photo was taken later that year, we had 74 students and nine staff members including Linda Zurnamer, now the grandmother of Year K student Stevie Zurnamer and her brother Finn in Kornmehl Pre-School.  A number of students who were part of our first intake in 1983 have had their children as students at the School for some years already.

Joining them this year we welcome Jonah Symonds, great grandson of the late Ted Waxman, Founder and first President of School Board. Jonah’s mother Ilana Symonds (Waxman) and father Adam Symonds are both Emanuel Alumni, Class of 2004 and 1999 respectively. Ilana’s parents, Tracey and Leon Waxman, have been part of this School for what they describe as a lifetime. Their son Asher finished Year 12 in 2009 whist their youngest child, Aliza finished Year 12 in 2012.  Having such love and commitment to the School beyond this time, Leon has continued on as part of our amazing Parent Security Group (PSG) and we hope he will continue to do so for many more years to come. Ilana said: “I feel like I’ve come home! When I used to walk through the school gates as a child, I always felt very safe, happy and so nurtured. It is a wonderful feeling to know Jonah will feel the same in his school experience. It’s so beautiful to look around the grounds and everywhere I see my own memories of my childhood come to life! So incredibly special to relive those happy times through Jonah’s experiences now”.

Tracey said “It is such a privilege to be back at Emanuel School as grandparents. We certainly feel we have come home again!”  You will be able to read more from Tracey and Leon in the next issue of our Bi-annual Grandparents and Friends Newsletter which will be released towards the end of May. All past issues of this newsletter as well as our Alumni newsletters are available online: www.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/Gesher

Maya with her mother, Michelle and grandfather, Paul Drexler

Another family with a long association with the School to return this year is the Drexler/Levitt family. Paul Drexler, whose two daughters Julie and Michelle are Emanuel Alumni, is a Holocaust survivor and has donated prizes for High School Speech Night for many years for the Eugen Drexler Memorial Essays. Some of our readers may be familiar with this project which is part of our Year 10 HSIE course. The Eugen Drexler Memorial Prize was first awarded more than 25 years ago to a Year 10 student for proficiency in History. Then in 1998 it became the Eugen Drexler Memorial Prize for Excellence in Holocaust Studies. Some years ago the essays were expanded to include two further subjects to give the Year 10 students a wider choice – not only could they interview a Holocaust survivor, they could instead, interview someone who has immigrated to Australia under adverse circumstances or someone who has made a significant contribution to Jewish Community Life. Paul Drexler has now returned to the School as a grandparent and said: “It is wonderful to see my granddaughter Maya following in my daughter’s footsteps”. Paul’s daughter Michelle (Class of 2000) commented: “It is really great being back at Emanuel and seeing our daughter Maya absolutely love starting Year K. I think it is very unique how the feel of the School hasn’t changed since I graduated despite the School going through so much growth and development.”

2020 has seen many other children of Alumni start as students here at the School – we welcome you all, as we do all new families, and we look forward to sharing some of your stories and photos too.

An Evening at Carnegie Hall

Members of the Sydney Jewish Choral Society Inc at Carnegie Hall

The Sydney Jewish Choral Society Inc performed at Carnegie Hall, New York City on Monday evening 17 February as part of Who are the Brave: Music in Honour of President’s Day. In this group of choristers, the Emanuel School Community was well represented, with current parent Shira Sebban, past parents Avril Janks, Heather Edelstein and Susan Moddel, alumnus Gabriel Sebban (Class of 2018) and grandparent Robyn Manoy amongst the performers. Shira commented all the way from New York: “I’m so excited to be in NYC to join other members of my choir, Sydney Jewish Choral Society, among 250 voices, to perform at Carnegie Hall over President’s Day weekend”. Avril said: “It’s amazing to sing in New York with over 200 others – choirs from all over the USA and Canada”.

70^th Speedo NSW Jewish Swimming Championships

Ryan Miller, Year 2

Mazal tov to members of our extended Emanuel School Community who participated in last Sunday’s Maccabi NSW Jewish Swimming Club Swimming Championships. I look forward to sharing more of the successes of “our” swimmers next week.

Year 2 student Ryan Miller competed for the first time, winning one gold medal and two bronze medals in the 7 Year old races – well done Ryan. 

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

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl Emanuel Pre-School

What Have We Been Learning About…

Over the past few weeks all three groups have been concentrating on developing secure relationships and a sense of belonging to the groups and the Pre-school. The Early Years Learning Framework takes the view that “the lives of children are characterised by belonging, being and becoming. From before birth, children are connected to family, community, culture and place”.    

At Kornmehl, of great importance is a focus on relationships, collaboration, communication and developing a sense of belonging. Ways in which we begin to get to know the children and to develop positive and trusting relationships is by: listening to their stories, experiences and ideas; acknowledging how they might be feeling and supporting them in ways that are caring, nurturing and respectful, such as joining in their play; having fun together as well as sharing moments of just being, showing a genuine interest in what they are doing and celebrating their learning.

This is done in many ways:

• By establishing routines that are predictable and constant, children develop a sense of trust and familiarity that makes them feel secure and safe. This influences a child’s emotional, cognitive and social development and helps children understand the expectations in the environment.
• We are learning who is in our group and how to play safely and fairly, sharing and taking turns.
• We are learning about our environment, where things belong and where to find materials we are looking for, and how to tidy up together – teamwork! It is delightful to see the children starting to initiate their own learning, by self-selecting resources to use or choosing learning areas in which to investigate and play.
• We are becoming independent in looking after our belongings and knowing where our lockers and bags are kept.
• We are learning how to use materials and equipment respectfully, and the importance of leaving areas tidy and looking beautiful for the next person who comes to play.
• We have been singing and playing name games and learning to find our name cards in the morning and sign in.

Building Relationships and Partnerships with Families

During these first few weeks of the year a great deal of time and thought is devoted to developing relationships with the children in our care and their families. This is done through informal chats, Parent Partnership form, discussions, the Daybook, the Parent Social Night, Communication books and formal meetings if required. The Parent Club also provides opportunities for parents to network and to be involved in the daily life of the Pre-school.

Through a widening network of secure relationships, children develop confidence and feel respected and valued. They become increasingly able to recognise and respect the feelings of others and to interact positively with them.

Educators who give priority to nurturing relationships and providing children with consistent emotional support can assist children to develop the skills and understandings they need to interact positively with others. They also help children to learn about their responsibilities to others, to appreciate their connectedness and interdependence as learners, and to value collaboration and teamwork.

Learning outcomes are most likely to be achieved when early childhood educators work in partnership with families. Educators recognise that families are children’s first and most influential teachers. They create a welcoming environment where all children and families are respected and actively encouraged to collaborate with educators about curriculum decisions to ensure that learning experiences are meaningful. Partnerships are based on the foundations of understanding each other’s expectations and attitudes and build on the strength of each other’s knowledge.

In genuine partnerships, families and early childhood educators:

• value each other’s knowledge of each child
• value each other’s contributions to and roles in each child’s life
• trust each other
• communicate freely and respectfully with each other
• share insights and perspectives about each child
• engage in shared decision-making. 
(EYLF p.g.13)

Deborah Blackman Talks

Deborah Blackman’s workshop on Tuesday night was informative and gave parents tangible and hands on skills and strategies for keeping children safe and opening up communication with children about protective behaviours. Deborah also spoke to the children on Wednesday and Thursday morning reinforcing these same messages.

Some of the key messages were:

• Good and bad feelings and recognising these
• Good secrets and bad secrets
• Private parts are private
• Safe and not safe touches
• Always tell an adult
• Safety network – tell your child who their safe adults are (four – five people)
• Encourage open communication about any topics
• Tell your child who it is okay to be left alone with or to go in the car with, without your permission (e.g. grandma). For anybody else, your child needs your permission.
• Have regular conversations about the “safety rules.”
• Validate your child’s feelings
• Always give your child the message that you believe in them

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An invitation to parents

Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jen Opit

This week we spoke at the Meet the Teacher Information Evening.  Here are the main points we covered:

‘Friendraising’ is our Priority

The role of the P&F is to create a strong connection between the School and the Emanuel families. Our focus is on Friendraising: fostering a strong sense of community. That being said, all of our events are fundraisers, so we do hope to make money, all of which goes to that year’s P&F Fundraising Initiative.

Participate, Participate, Participate

The only way the P&F works is if we all get involved on some level. We know how busy everyone is but there are many different ways to participate. There are events throughout the year and we put out a callout well before all of those looking for helpers. Also, we have a P&F Meeting in the School Boardroom at 7.00 pm on the first Tuesday of every month and everyone is welcome.

This Year’s Fundraising Initiative

There will be a number of events this year (Purim, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and the Camping Trips). Our goal is to raise money to put towards a shade cloth, accessories and other play items to go with the new play area for the students in Years 1 – 4 that we fundraised for last year and will be installed in the coming months.

Purim Disco

It is time to book for the Purim Disco. This is always a highlight of the year and it’s a great way for the kids (and parents) to socialise and have fun. 

It is held at the School and there will be a sausage sizzle and other yummy treats, music, games, activities and prizes for the best costume.

The date is Sunday March 8 from 4.00 – 6.00 pm.

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

Kool Kidzz will have a booth at the Purim Disco. 

For more Kool Kidzz information visit them at https://koolkidzz.com.au/

Assistance Needed:  We need volunteers to help us on the day of the Disco. If you are able to help out, please contact Ruby on rubykb@gmail.com

P & F Camping Trip

The first Camping Trip of the year is on the weekend of March 13.  This is always a wonderful chance for Emanuel Families to bond. 

This year is at a new site: Killalea Reserve Holiday Park.

The cost is $100 per family for the weekend.

The booking site is now open: https://www.trybooking.com/BIDQQ

Bookings are limited and will be accepted until 22 February.

For any enquiries contact Shelley on shell@ishkaluna.com

Friday Chill Out 

Every Friday from 3.30 – 4.30 pm you are invited to stay back at school for an icy-pole and a catch up with other parents while the kids play.

It’s a beautiful tradition of ending our week together. 

Stay 10 minutes or stay the hour, it’s up to you.

Where: Basketball Courts 

When: Every Friday 3.30pm – 4.30pm

What: Icy-poles $1- $2

Volunteers to sell icy-poles welcome. Contact justine.hofman@gmail.com 

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

Have a lovely weekend,

Jen & Ruby