Volume 30 Issue 17 - 11 Jun 2021

From the Principal

2021 annual Music camp

Many our Primary and High School students combined with students from Mt Sinai College, to attend our annual Music camp, held at Lake Macquarie. The panoramic water views provided a magnificent backdrop to many productive rehearsal and performance sessions. The talent quest, showcasing the humour, creativity, and talent of our students, was a highlight of the camp.

A special feature of the camp was the unveiling and rehearsal of a special Emanuel School anthem, titled Ha’Shorashim (The Roots). This anthem has been developed for our Capital Appeal this year and will be performed at various events – I’ll be sharing more about our exciting plans in the new term. The music and lyrics were created by Alice Chance, with assistance from our Head of Hebrew, Ruth Harvey and a number of students.

A huge thank you to Diana Springford, Danny Burley, Adam Majsay, Sarit Spira, Remi Owen, Jo de Araujo and peripatetic staff team, who worked in partnership with our teacher supervisors, led by Adam Ezekiel, to ensure the success of this special event.

Music Camp Showcase 

As per our tradition, the close of the music camp was followed closely by a concert, to showcase some of the musical items rehearsed during the camp. Held in the Lehrer Family Multi-Purpose Hall, the audience were entertained by a wonderful and varied program, with performances from students of all ages, ability, and experience. We were delighted to accommodate students and parents from Mt Sinai College, who had integrated so seamlessly into our joint music program. The tireless efforts of Diana Springford, Joanne De Araujo and the Emanuel and Mt Sinai staff teams were acknowledged with gratitude. 

Kornmehl: a very successful accreditation journey

Our Pre-school has received formal feedback from their recent Accreditation process. The Assessor visited the Pre-school over two days earlier in the term, observing the practice of all educators across all three groups and examining our programs, planning cycle and observations of children. The assessment included examining and sighting evidence written in our Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), in each of the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard (NQS). The assessment and rating process allows each Child Care service the opportunity to show how well they compare to the benchmarks set by the NQS.

I am delighted to announce that our overall rating was EXCEEDING (the highest rating), which means that our Preschool has performed beyond the requirements of the NQS. We are thrilled with our result, and that our Kornmehl Preschool has been recognised for the quality of care we provide by our highly competent and experienced educators. Kornmehl truly is a centre of excellence! A huge mazal tov to Director, Terry Aizen, Education Leader, Alexandra Levy, and the wonderful Kornmehl staff team.

Respecting our neighbours

Thank you to our parents and grandparents, who have responded well to our parking and GWTF advice in recent weeks. The number of complaints from residents in adjacent streets has dropped significantly. We still, however, receive regular expressions of concern over parking on street corners or encroaching on resident driveway space. As I will be meeting with resident representatives in a few weeks, on our Community Liaison Committee, it would be great if these concerns had been remedied.

Thank you

All the High School staff who helped run the the Athletics carnival last Friday, with special mention of Ray Francis, the PDHPE team and Sharon Fairfax.

Mazal tov

It’s been a very busy week with a number of fantastic results and outcomes.

Israel Expo Awards

Twenty Year 8 students were awarded their Israel Expo Awards on Tuesday in assembly. Mazal tov to:

2021 Emanuel’s Choice Award for Best Stand: Daliah Smagarinsky – The Hebrew Language
The Most Creative Stand: Jaime Keyser and Kaila Nabarro – The Israeli Environment
The Most Informative Stand: Jonathan Levy and Jessica Linker – Israeli Politics
The Most Original and Creative Souvenir: Shai Berkovic and Jack Fridman- Israeli Medicine
The Joint Most Relevant and Engaging Activity: Calliope Owen and Avalon van der Starre and Jamie Goldman, Hayden Rosen and Ziggy Broughton-Oshlack – Gender and Sexuality Issues and Israeli Sport
The 2021 Teachers’ Choice Award for Consistent Excellent Effort throughout the Expo Term: Max Salamon and Zach Sherman (Year 8B); Ruby Friedman and Lexi Fisher (Year 8J) Jasmine Melinikoff and Violet Nathanson (Year 8M); Ashley Cohn, Daliah Smagarinsky and Liberty Waldner (Year 8S) 

Gymnastics

Four students took part in an annual Gymnastic Associations Carnival, achieving excellent results:

Mazal tov to
Kayla Park: 1st on Beam
Aiden Kanevsky: 1st on Vault,Floor, Parallel Bars and Rings; 2nd on High Bar and 2nd overall
Jasper Selinger: 2nd on Vault and 3rd on Parallel Bars, High Bar and Pommel and
Josh Gordon: competed in Level 4

Primary Cross Country Age Champions

Mazal tov to the following students who were awarded Cross Country Age Champion trophies:

  • 8/9 year old division: Alfie Berger and Joshua Marishel
  • 10 year old division: Shayna Abitz and Asher Levin
  • 11 year old division: Maia Sharabi and Noah Kessel
  • 12 year old division: Emily Seeman and Eli Jocum

Quote of the week

“By people getting together and celebrating this idea of togetherness, great things can happen.”
Edward Kobina Enninful OBE, Editor-In-Chief of British Vogue

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Uprising

In last week’s Devar Torah, entitled Aliyah with Conviction, we saw that the root word עלה/alah go up, ascend (עליה/Aliyah-meaning going up, immigrating to Israel) played a prominent role in parashat shelach lekha.

When the Israelites were encouraged to go up into Cana’an they refused to do so, claiming they were not capable of claiming the land. Then, regretting the consequences of their refusal due to fear, they sought to go up and were routed, as they did so without conviction.  

In this week’s parashah, Korach, the root word עלה/alah is once again featured. The failure of rising to the occasion in last week’s parashah manifests itself here with Datan and Aviram refusing to to come before Moshe and Aharon to explain their rising up against them. They say: לא נעלה – “We will not go up (to meet with you)”, reminding us of the words of the people in last week’s parashah, לעלות לא נוכל – ‘We are not capable of going up (to claim Cana’an)’.

They then add, “Is it a small thing that you have brought us up (העליתנו) out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness”? Not only can they not rise to the occasion of gaining the promised land of “milk and honey”, but they refuse to rise to a level of dialogue with Moshe and Aharon, claiming that the latter brought them up from what was such a bounteous land, Egypt. They then add that Moshe and Aharon were the ones who could not rise up with the words “Moreover you have not brought us into a land with milk and honey…we will not come up”.

Their final words, לא נעלה/“we will not come up”, a repetition of their earlier words, were prophetic. Moshe instructs the people to rise above/ מעל the stand of Datan, Aviram and Korach, brothers in the insurgence. With the congregation having “gone up” from the rebellious faction and their retinue, we read that the latter “went down” (וירדו), into the ground to be heard from no more.

In rising above our failures rather than seeking to bring others down, we gain a voice making for a collective עליה/aliyah to a shared world of milk and honey.

 

 

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Year 5 students are exploring the purpose and role of ברכות – blessings, in our lives and in Jewish tradition. We have been thinking about the formulation of blessings, when they are recited and reflecting on whether blessings are for God’s benefit, our benefit, or both. 

Our learning will soon focus on the deeper meaning of the Hebrew words that comprise a blessing. For example:

  • The word אתה means ‘you’ (for a male). We will ask why this word was chosen and whether this means God is masculine?
  • The word מלך means ‘king’. We think about this word beyond its literal translation and what idea about God it is portraying.  

Using our School siddur, we have read and reflected on various blessings of appreciation that are part of our tradition. These included blessings upon seeing something beautiful in nature, receiving news – both good and bad and seeing a rainbow. 

Students have also created their own bracha of gratitude and appreciation for something in their life. These blessings were beautiful, unique expressions of each student’s values and life experiences.

 

 

 

Year 7 Synagogue Day

A day of diversity and pluralism – Tiyul Ani Tefillati (“I Am My Prayer” excursion)

This week I was blessed with being able to go to four separate synagogues in Sydney, all being unique, beautiful and lively. These synagogues were: The Great Synagogue, Sephardi Synagogue, Coogee Synagogue and Emanuel Synagogue. Our first synagogue was The Great Synagogue, this synagogue fell into the branch of Orthodox Judaism, had an absolutely stunning atmosphere and there were many things to learn about there. We then went to Sephardi Synagogue, Coogee Synagogue and Emanuel Synagogue, it was amazing, but I can’t even fit everything I learnt about them into this! It’s just that fascinating. Sadly, due to misinformation online, many synagogues around the world have been attacked, but luckily the Synagogues we went to were still in great condition, this I am eternally grateful for. Going on this trip was an experience of a lifetime and I’m so very grateful for the opportunity to go. It has brought me even closer to my Jewish heritage and I simply could not ask for more.
By Jacob Fidler 

On the Synagogue excursion, we learnt new things about Judaism that we didn’t really know about before, such as Renewal or Sephardi Judaism. We learnt that the different streams practise Judaism differently and that they have different things that they do in shul, like separating men and women and praying in different ways. For example, Renewal Judaism uses more music, yoga, meditation and dance in prayer, but in others the prayers are read or sung more traditionally.

I learnt a bit about the difference between being Sephardi and Ashkenazi. The Sephardi Torah is really special because it was so easy to use, standing up and having a brake to control the turning of the scroll, and the case was so pretty.

All the synagogues were nice in different ways and taught us different things, but my favourite was the Masorti one because it’s my shul and I feel most comfortable in it.
By Kira Levin-Kahn

 

 

 

 

Primary Gifted & Talented

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

Congratulations to the following Years K-2 students: Abbie Schnapp, Alice Friedlander and Talia Cromerwong for meritorious performance at the Gateways Holiday Program for Gifted Students.

They took part in Mathematics, Science and History workshops, including activities such as, ‘How to build a Mummy’.

Further information can be found about the Junior Scienta Program here for Years 3-6 students for the July holidays. 

Further information can be found about the Gateways Leadership Program  here for Years 5-6 students for the July holidays.

Please email Colleen Elkins if you are interested in enrolling your child.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Primary Play Leaders 

Oh, the fun we are having! Over the semester, we had a few projects on the go. First off, we visited the Year K playground and got to meet some little friends. Three words to describe them – “adorable”, “cute” and “oh so busy”! They sure kept us on our toes. Next, we moved on to meet the Year 1s. We put on puppet shows and hosted a puppet club where the students could run their own shows. 

We also organised the Play Pals program, which is an initiative to help the students with their interactions on the playground. We divided the children into groups and ran various activities. The children created huge posters promoting inclusive play. Wow, they were quite dazzling. The next session was Play Pals IALAC which stands for, I am lovable and cute! The children identified how others can make us feel. We made our own badges and shared stories.  

Next term, we will be expanding our superpowers to work some magic with Year 2.

Watch this space!

By Zarah Gorelik, Leah Stiassny, Summer Schlesinger and Noa Saffron, 
Year 6 K-2 Play Leaders

Primary Extra-Curricular Term 3

Emma Hill – Primary Teacher and Coordinator of Extra-Curricular Programs

The Term 3 Extra-Curricular schedule is now available and activities are open for booking. Please note bookings for all sports activities will be open until Friday 18 June 2021 (Week 9). Other Extra-Curricular activities will be open until the start of the term. We recommend booking activities early to secure your child’s enrolment as many activities have maximum (and minimum) enrolment numbers. 

We are looking forward to continuing all after school Extra-Curricular clubs in Term 3, as well as introducing the following new Extra-Curricular activities:

  • Gamebots Robotics and Coding (Monday afternoons)
  • Film Club (Tuesday afternoons)

Please register your expression of interest in the new Gamebots Robotics and Coding club here. Once minimum enrolment numbers are met, an enrolment link will be emailed to parents.  Please click on the links listed in the Extra-Curricular Schedule for further information and to enrol your child into our wide range of Extra-Curricular activities. 

Extra-Curricular (including music and sport) contact details

Extra-Curricular contacts

Please contact tutors/teachers directly if possible. All other inquiries can be sent to Emma Hill     

Sport contacts

Kristy Genc  (Director of Sport K-12)    
Stuart Taylor (Primary Sport Coordinator)      
Emma Hill (Primary Extra-Curricular & EActive Coordinator)         

Music contacts

Diana Springford (Head of Music P-12)         
Joanne De Araujo (PA to Head of Music)         
For information about Infants String Program and Private Tuition        

Club information, including enrolment & booking details, are now online on the Primary Extra-Curricular schedule page on the Parent Portal

 

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmel

Accreditation 

The Pre-school received their feedback and results from their Accreditation visit held two weeks ago. The Assessor visited the Pre-school for a day and a half, during which time she observed the practice of all educators across all three groups, examined our programs, planning cycle and observations for children. She spent time examining and sighting evidence written in our Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), in each of the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard.

The assessment and rating process allows services the chance to show how well they compare to the benchmarks set by the National Quality Standard (NQS).

Services are assessed against the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard. Each of these quality areas has 15 Standards and 41 Elements that need to be addressed and met.

The purpose of the assessment and rating process is to determine whether and at what rating level services meet the National Quality Standard and the requirements of the National Regulations (section 133 (1) of the National Law). A key focus of the National Quality Framework is to promote continuous quality improvement.

The seven quality areas covered by the National Quality Standard are:

  • QA 1 – Educational program and practice
  • QA 2 – Children’s health and safety
  • QA 3 – Physical environment
  • QA 4 – Staffing arrangements
  • QA 5 – Relationships with children
  • QA 6 – Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

A QIP must

  • include an assessment of the programs and practices at the service against the National Quality Standard and National Regulations
  • identify areas for improvement
  • include a statement about the service’s philosophy

An overall rating of Meeting NQS means that you are meeting the standards in all seven quality areas. The NQS sets a high benchmark, a rating of ‘Meeting‘ is a great achievement. 

We received a rating of meeting in only three of the 15 standards (QA 2,4,7). The remaining 11 standards we were rated exceeding (QA 1,3,5 and 6).

Thus, our overall rating was Exceeding, which means – the Pre-school has gone beyond the requirements of the National Quality Standard in at least 4 of the 7 quality areas, with at least two of these being quality areas 1, 5, 6, or 7.

There are three Exceeding NQS themes that are used to determine if approved services exceed each of the fifteen NQS quality standards. Services must demonstrate these themes in practice for a standard to be rated as Exceeding NQS. 

The three Exceeding themes that must be embedded in practice are:

Embedded in service operations

  • Practice is embedded in service operations when it occurs consistently, frequently and intentionally as part of an ongoing process that is understood and implemented by all educators across all aspects of the program.

Informed by critical reflection

  • Critical reflection involves a deep level of regular and ongoing analysis, questioning and thinking that goes beyond evaluation and review. Critical reflection informs practice when the continuous reflection of all educators, individually and together, influences decision-making and drives continuous quality improvement. 

Shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community

  • Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community when educators actively seek input, guidance and feedback from children, families and the community. Meaningful engagement with families and/or the community helps to shift thinking, shape ongoing practice and foster a culture of inclusiveness and sense of belonging for all.

We are thrilled with our result, and that we have been recognised for the quality of care we provide by our highly competent and experienced educators.

Kornmehl truly is a centre of excellence and we feel very proud of this achievement.

Preparing your child for Primary School

Continuing on from my article in last week’s Ma Nishma on School Readiness, this week I am writing some points for parents to focus on, in preparing their child for formal school:

  • Provide your child with spontaneous learning experiences (colours, shapes, numbers, how ‘things’ work). 
  • Look for opportunities to teach in everyday experiences and through play.
  • Make school exciting – talk positively about big school. 
  • Encourage independence (dressings, eating, bathing, packing their bags, putting on school shoes, opening lunch containers, looking after their belongings, toileting, saying goodbye etc.)
  • Read to your child as much as possible and ask questions during and after the story.
  • Encourage your child to follow through on instructions and to complete tasks.
  • In order for your child to be “ready” for school they need to be able to sit still and listen.
  • Encourage set routines at home that are clear, predictable and consistent for your child.
  • Make sure your child gets enough sleep each night. This is essential to good behaviour and for concentration.
  • Encourage your child to hold a pencil correctly and write their own name.
  • Organise play dates for your child, children need to be able to get along with other children, demonstrate basic manners, assert themselves, and be able to play independently as well as with other children.
  • It’s alright for children to be bored. This allows them to use other parts of their brain as well as their imagination. 
  • Limit screen time for your children during the week and try to get back to how we all grew up with no screen time available during the week.
  • Put your toys at home on rotation, don’t have them all out at once as this gets overwhelming for children.
  • Encourage your children not to sit with their legs in a “W” shape, as this is not good for their knees and hips, but most importantly it weakens their core muscles and postural tone and limits their ability to interact in the environment.
  • Children tend to avoid activities they find difficult. Be positive, give them lots of praise and encouragement to build up their confidence to try things that might be challenging for them. 
  • Teach your child strategies for helping them to calm down such as breathing deeply, yoga or mindfulness strategies. 
  • Early intervention is important to address any issues or concerns.
  • Don’t be afraid to give your child a steady dose of Vitamin N – saying NO. 
  • Children need protection, affection and direction. Protecting your children from frustration, does not help to build resilience or prepare them for disappointments that may come their way in life.
  • Our main aim should be to build children’s confidence in themselves, to encourage a love of learning, and to develop each child’s resilience to cope with their busy days in Year K.

 

Emanuel Gymnastics

Sharon Fairfax – Gymnastic Co-ordinator

Four of Emanuel’s finest competed in an annual Gymnastic Associations Carnival last Thursday, involving 78 schools at SGAC (Sydney Gymnastics and Aquatic Centre) Rooty Hill.

Our gymnasts rose to the occasion achieving some fantastic results for Emanuel School.

Level 7 Womens Gymnastics (WG)

Kayla Park

  • 1st on Beam

Level 4 Mens Gymnastics (MG)

Aiden Kanevsky

  • 1st on Vault,Floor, Parallel Bars and Rings
  • 2nd on High Bar
  • 2nd Overall

Jasper Selinger

  • 2nd on Vault
  • 3rd on Parallel Bars, High Bar and Pommel.      

Congratulations also to Josh Gordon who, competed in Level 4 with grit and determination.

 

Boosting memory

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

How good is your memory?

Zoe Menczel Schrire

Alumna Zoe Menczel Schrire (Class of 2012), a PhD candidate at University of Sydney, and her team are conducting a clinical trial looking at whether melatonin, a pill commonly used for sleep, may boost memory and thinking. Participants in this trial must be 60-80 years old with thinking or memory concerns. People with diagnosed dementia are not eligible for this trial. Particpants will randomly receive melatonin or a placebo nightly for three months. Zoe says “we will be conducting brain scans, memory tests, blood tests and blood pressure measurements before and after the three-month period. We are looking for 30 more volunteers so if this sounds like someone you know in our community, please apply here.” 

Feel like joining a fun run and walk?

Sunday 20 June 2021

The Maccabi Running Group Fun Run and Walk under the banner of Maccabi Life is a new initiative aimed at getting more of our community active in middle distance running. Past parent Bronwyn Elbourne is assisting Maccabi with this group’s development, having been approached by the organisation who knew her younger son Brody (who left Emanuel at end of 2020 to commence an Electrical Apprenticeship). She is a competitive middle distance runner and she gained some experience in this area over the past three years. Bronwyn is keen to promote, connect and encourage Junior Track and Field within our community.

Bronwyn is also the Junior Track and Field Team Manager for the Maccabiah Games 2022 in Israel next July, whilst other past and current parents have also taken on a variety of manager/coach roles – current parent Sharon Schulz is NSW Team Manager, women’s football and Greg Shapiro is coach for the Men’s 45+ basketball team, whilst past parent Adriano De Melo is coach for the junior boy’s futsal team and Debbie Rutstein is Regional Manager for the Junior Team to Maccabiah.

Perhaps your children are participating in the games?  As we get closer to the event, I would love to share more Emanuel connections!

Private Art Gallery tour – the Alternative Archibald

Wednesday 16 June 2021 

We hope you will join us next Wednesday morning for our Gesher private tour of Salon des Refusés 2021 (The alternative Archibald and Wynne Prize selection) at the S.H. Ervin Gallery, Observatory Hill (The Rocks). Please note, parking is available onsite. Our group has exclusive use of the Gallery with a private guide for one hour before the gallery officially opens to the Public at 11.00 am. Bookings are still open, but we have only a few tickets left for sale. Scan the QR Code on the poster or use this link

Friendship Circle July Day Camp – seeking volunteers

Monday 5 July 2021 to Friday 9 July 2021 

Perhaps your children have volunteered for past Friendship Circle camps, and, if so, I am sure they would appreciate how fulfilling it is to help children and young adults who are less fortunate than them. If your child/children can volunteer for the upcoming day camp next month, they will have so much fun by getting involved in our community and making a difference in the lives of children with a disability. 

        

If you have photos and/or news to share, please send to Sonia Newell                            

Shabbat Shalom and have a great weekend.   

 

 

Respectful Relationships

Adam Ezekiel – Director of Students 7-12

Respectful Relationships

Brent Sanders

Last week, Years 9 and 11 had a presentation from Brent Sanders about ‘Respectful Relationships, Consent and Consequences’. Brent is a regular presenter at Emanuel and this is the second time our Year 11 students have heard him speak.

The main focus was to deliver a frank, open and down-to-earth presentation which examined critical issues such as peer pressure, decision making, self-discipline, respect, motivation and essential behaviours required for success.

The key elements addressed in the presentation were:

  • Taking responsibility for yourself and your actions
  • The importance of respect and self-discipline
  • Consent
  • Indecent and sexual assault
  • Open Q & A with students

One of the main messages today was that consent is not just about the word ‘yes’ – it is about the message of yes being delivered ‘freely’ without any encouragement or coercion.

It was pleasing to see the Year 11 session (90 minutes) almost entirely full of questions from the students. This is a sign that our students are interested and want to know more about this topic that has been talked about a lot in mainstream and social media. 

Resources

This is an informative website that covers topics such as; respectful relationships, sexuality, sex, consent, recognising non-verybal communication and the impact of drugs and alcohol.

Theatresports

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Many Year 12 students attended the HSC and Careers Expo last week. It is great to hear students this week starting to put plans in place, to make more concrete decisions in the not too distant future.

Kathryn Taylor – Turning Point Consulting

These decisions will change over time, but starting this process can sometimes be the hardest part. I can now hear students discussing some intricacies of degrees, comparing which tertiary institutions they prefer and starting to fine tune their preferences.

Next week we have Kathryn Taylor from Turning Point Consulting coming to speak to our Year 12 about how to make the best decisions for their own path. After that, we host Sydney University and that will complete the Term 2 speakers for the year.  We are on a slide to the end of Year 12 and time flies past!

Notices, articles and dates

Criminology

I get asked about Criminology a lot. I think some students who watch shows like CSI think a future studying this is going to be like the show. You can now attend a webinar about studying Criminology at ACU. UTS have also just announced a new degree called a Bachelor of Criminology, to be released for 2022.

Arts 

Why study an Arts degree? This question is asked often – especially “what type of job can I get from an Arts degree?”. I always refer back to this article by the Dean of Arts Faculty at Sydney University titled “10 ways an Arts degree can change the world”.  ACU is putting on a webinar at the end of the month showcasing their art courses.

Torrens University

Students were asking about this new private institution after they attended the HSC Expo. Their Business Information Night is being held on Tuesday 29 June 2021 from 6.00 pm – 9.00 pm. Torrens University is a private institution that houses a number of smaller private colleges including Billy Blue College of Design. It has been around since 2013 and considers itself an International University. To date, they have 300 courses on offer and have just announced there is not going to be an ATAR requirement to get in. They also are opening up a Surry Hills campus on Foveaux Street with State of the Art facilities. More information here for Design courses. The early application process has more details.

Year 10 subject selections

Now that we have completed our subject selection evening and process, we had a Q&A session this week and students are starting to put their lists together. UNSW have created a Maths grid for advising students on what Maths level to choose.

UTS update for 2022

UTS is one of our most popular universities and this year they have made some more adjustments to their entry schemes. I have been through this with Year 12, but parents may want clarification.

Newcastle Medicine update

Newcastle University and the Joint Medicine Program have updates and webinars about their process

Exercise Physiology vs Exercise Science?

I am loving this new health careers portal for everything you need to know about a future career in the health industry (an area of constant demand and growth). You can find out more information here regarding how exercise physiologists and exercise scientists work.

Aztecs, Mayas and Incas

Denise Goldmann – HSIE Teacher

Year 8 students created an educational museum exhibition for other Year 8 students about different Mesoamerican cultures including the Aztecs, Mayas and Incas. They included engaging exhibitions of food and diet, religion and human sacrifices and architecture.

Bright young minds

Craig Moss – Co-ordinator of Gifted & Talented 7-12

Places available in GERRIC School Holiday Programs

July 2021 at UNSW

GERRIC at the University of New South Wales is offering a range of exciting workshops in July during the school holidays as part of the Scientia Challenge Program. The program is taught over three days and is designed for gifted and talented High School students in Years 7-10.  

Developed and led by practising experts, the workshops follow a university-style investigative structure with intellectually-stimulating content. With the level of study aimed two years higher than the students’ grade level, these dynamic workshops offer gifted students a rigorous and challenging program.  

The program is held at the UNSW Sydney Campus giving students exposure to university life to help reimagine their future study options and provide opportunities to meet potential role models and mentors.

The program also offers a space for gifted students to meet like-minded peers with similar interests.  

Tickets sell out quickly so please register here.                    

If you do enrol your child for any of the workshops please inform Craig Moss 

Ocean plastics

Zac Levenson – Year 12

It is no secret that plastic, particularly single use plastic, has and is continuing to cause major problems due to its long decomposition time and the sheer amount being created and used. However, nowhere is the impact of plastic more clear than in our oceans. Each year 10 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean (more than a garbage truck a minute) and this is leading to devastating impacts on ocean ecosystems and wildlife.

One place where the extent of plastic pollution is obvious is at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Due to ocean currents, a large amount of plastic from all over the world ends up in this area within the Pacific. Not only is the garbage dump causing immense damage to the native ecosystem, but it is also leading to the spreading of microplastics into birds and fish which can cause illness and even death.

In a study conducted, 100% of mussels tested from a huge area were found to have microplastics contamination, while a low-ball estimate suggests that at least one million marine animals have been killed by plastic already this year. The most visible and disturbing impacts of marine plastics are the poisoning, suffocation and entanglement of hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fishes and turtles mistake plastic waste for prey, and most die of starvation as their stomachs are filled with plastic debris. They also suffer from lacerations, infections, reduced ability to swim and internal injuries. Floating plastics also contribute to the spread of invasive marine organisms and bacteria, which disrupt ecosystems. Evidently ocean plastic is having a devastating impact on marine life and ecosystems.

Great Pacific Garden Patch

What can you do about it?

For a start it is always important to be informed. Do some research into the topic so you further understand the issue. Then an important step is to educate others. Let them know about the impact of plastic and then they too will have the power to make change.

One way to make change is by being more conscious of, and cutting down on single use plastic usage. Most of this plastic is thrown away just minutes after usage and can take hundreds or even thousands of years to decompose. Try to not take an extra bag at the store if you don’t need it, use beeswax wraps instead of cling wrap, don’t use plastic straws and use metal water bottles instead of plastic ones.

Additionally, another way to enact change is to dispose of or recycle plastic you use effectively. There are now ‘redcycle’ bins which allow for the recycling of soft plastics all over the eastern suburbs. Click here for more information about redcycle.  

While education and recycling feel like they cannot solve such a big issue, if everyone makes small changes, it can amount to a real difference. There are also charities and NGOs such as Plastic Oceans Australasia, which is part of a global network of NGOs trying to change attitudes towards plastic as well as to remove ocean plastic and preserve ocean life, so donating your time or money to these organisations can make a huge difference.

 

Kol Ha-Ivrit

קול העברית

Kol Ha-Ivrit

We are extremely excited to announce that we have published our first podcast on our radio station Kol Ha-Ivrit. Our sincere thanks and appreciation to Year 8 student, Daliah Smagarinsky, who came up with our catchy jingle.

In the spirit of ‘Reconciliation Week’, this week’s podcast tells the history of the city of Sydney’s name. The podcast can be accessed on our website

We hope you enjoy it!

By Year 9 Hebrew Radio students – Kol Ha-Ivrit

P&F

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Hello All,

We hope you have had a great week.

Entertainment Books

If you are looking for great offers while out and about, there are plenty to be found in the Entertainment Book. Order here

P&F meeting

P&F meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7.00 pm in the School Boardroom. Everyone is welcome so please join us as your support and input is valued. Email Ruby Berkovic if you would like to attend the next meeting.

Camping Trip #2 date change

Please note that the date of the second camping trip for the year has been moved to the weekend of Friday November 26 2021 – Sunday November 28 2021.

Weekend Brain Teaser (from last week) and answer

Question: What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Answer: The letter “M”.

We hope you have a great long weekend,

Jen and Ruby

 

 

Bus changes

There have been many proposed bus changes in the South East, with changes to bus services set to be introduced in late 2021.

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) have extended the original six-week consultation period for a further 12 days, meaning the community can now provide feedback until the 30 June 2021.

While there are no planned changes to dedicated school services as part of this proposal, some students that catch regular route services may need to change their travel, and TfNSW would like to get feedback from the Emanuel School community.

Here is a summary of the routes that may affect students travelling to and from school:                                                            

Current routes

Proposed routes

314, 316, 317, 338, 339, X39, X40, 348, 357, 400

339, 339X, 356, 390X

 

Provide feedback now on the proposed bus changes in the South East  – you will also find a network map to refer to.

TfNSW will provide updates on the outcome of community consultation following a review of the feedback received.

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 Riesel Family

Middle Eastern Chicken Shawarma 

Ingredients 

1 kg chicken thigh fillets, sliced

Marinade:

1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp group cumin 
1 tbsp ground cardamom
1 tbsp group cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil 

To serve:

Hummus
Wraps or tortillas
Salad of your choice

Directions 

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag or bowl. Add the chicken and make sure each piece is coated. Marinate overnight or up to 24 hours.
Heat BBQ or frypan on medium heat. Cook chicken till nicely done.
If chicken has not already been sliced into pieces before cooking, then slice cooked chicken and pile onto a platter beside small soft tortilla wraps, salad and the yoghurt sauce.
To make a wrap, get a piece of flatbread, or your soft tortilla, and smear with hummus. Top with chicken and salad of your choice. Roll and enjoy!

Easiest alternatives are to buy tabouli and/or coleslaw mix.

Serves 4 – 6 

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