From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal 

Promoting student voice and agency

It is important for our parents and students to know who to approach if they have any concerns. Our Complaints Handling Policy and Procedures document has been revised recently, to provide greater clarity for our families. We value student voice and agency and take time at the beginning of each year to reinforce that students should speak up if they are being hurt or if they are unhappy with the way that they are being treated. Each student (Years 3-12) will receive a leaflet that outlines how to make a complaint:

1. To find support: by asking someone they trust
2. To tell their support person: trying to be clear about their problem
3. To make their complaint: even if they feel worried or upset.

We seek to be a child-safe school; encouraging student voice around sensitive child protection matters will play a pivotal role in helping us to identify and respond to issues or concerns. This message will be covered at both Primary School (Years 3-6) and High School assemblies this term.

Laying the foundation for our 2022-2024 strategic roadmap

Our Executive and Strategic Advisory Team (SAT) participated in a two-day program towards the end of the non-term break. Facilitated by the Dean of the AIS Leadership Centre, a large portion of the program was allocated to reflecting on the desired qualities of an Emanuel graduate, through a review of our vision, mission and core values. Our Executive and SAT enjoyed the rare opportunity to work together over a sustained period, to develop a strong foundation upon which to develop our strategic intent. Our preliminary work will be shared with both our staff team and our Board, as we continue together to refine our strategic intent, prior to working on our strategic roadmap for the following three years. We hope to have something to share with parents in Term 2, as we seek input into our strategy.

Reducing the traffic congestion

We are committed to making life easier for both our neighbours and our families! We all have a part to play in reducing congestion in the morning drop off and afternoon collection times. The School provides the staffing, the signage, the process, directions and the follow up when things go awry. For their part, parents and grandparents are encouraged to be familiar with and follow the prescribed protocols and, on occasions, to be patient when the congestion slow things down. Our parents and grandparents can also assist us by:

• Organising shared rides;
• Parking a short distance from the campus and walking to our campus;
• Reporting any traffic/collection/drop off issues;
• Following directions from staff respectfully;
• Maintaining composure in heavy traffic;
• Using public transport wherever possible; and
• Following traffic regulations.

Please join with the School in our commitment to improve the relationship with our neighbours and to maintain a safe and efficient traffic flow around our campus.

Lego image of Lexi

Lexi Bader Legacy artwork

Last year, a number of our Year 9 and Year 12 students created a magnificent Lego image of Lexi, which is now hanging in our Innovation Centre. The Bader family have also created a range of products for sale, with the profits directed to Randwick and Westmead Hospitals for children with cancer. Families are invited to visit Lexi’s page: https://superlexlex.com

Mazal tov

Elise Kitchener, Year 9, was the female runner-up for Maccabi’s coveted David Sellinger Memorial Award for Outstanding Sportsmanship. We particularly value being a ‘good sport’ and so this is an extra special acknowledgement for Elise. 

Quote of the week

“Sportsmanship for me is when a guy walks off the court and you really can’t tell whether he won or lost, when he carries himself with pride either way.” Jim Courier, American former World No.1 professional tennis player.

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

The Ten….

This week’s parashah, Yitro, contains what has been popularly called the “Ten Commandments”. A slightly different version to this Book of Exodus formulation is found in Deuteronomy, parashat VaEtchanan. The Bible employs the term דברים/devarim, utterances, or עשרת הדברים/aseret ha-devarim, the Ten Utterances, but never commandments (mitsvot), when referring to the contents of the Tablets. Accordingly, the Septuagint uses the term Decalogue, derived from the Greek dekalogos, ten words (utterances). Or, as we sing at the Pesach seder, עשרא דבריא/asara dibraya – “Ten are the Utterances”.

Similar to the suzerainty treaties (of the Hittites, and other ancient near eastern peoples), the first statement of the Decalogue, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery”, is not a commandment but a preamble, reminding the servant/vassal of the benevolent acts of his saviour/king requiring adherence to the commandments/obligations that follow. This would be consistent with the terminology עשרת הדברים/aseret ha-devarim, the Ten Utterances. Still, some have counted this first statement as a commandment while others have sub-divided the remaining 9 commandments leading to a count of as much as 13 commandments. 

The Tablets of the Decalogue are called לוחות הבריתluchot/ha-berit, the tablets of the covenant. Berit is a legal term reflective of the treaty/covenant in which Israel and God have entered as attested by the Tablets. Reference, therefore, is to tablets in the plural form as it was believed one copy of the agreement was deposited with the sovereign and one with the servant.

Consequently, each copy of the tablet had the entire 10 Utterances, 5 on each side. In the words of the Bible, לוחות כתובים משני עבריהם מזה ומזה הם כתובים /luchot Ketuvim mi-sheni evreihem, mi-zeh u-mi-zeh heim Ketuvim – “tablets inscribed on both their sides, on the one side and on the other were they inscribed”.

The depiction of two (adjoining) tablets with 5 utterances on one side and 5 on the adjacent side, as we see in many synagogues, is thought to have been introduced in the Middle Ages following the form of hinged writing tablets. Like the Bible, the Talmudic Rabbis speak of 10 Utterances, עשרת הדברות/aseret ha-dibrot, 5 on each side of a tablet. In addition, they speak of the tablets as rectangular in shape rather than rounded at the top, which was a later introduction, as well.

The Bible and Rabbinic tradition also refer to the “stone tablets” (לוחות האבנים/luchot ha-avanim), as in “the two stone tablets, the tablets of the Covenant (לוחות הברית/luchot ha-berit)”.  לוחות/Luchot is related to the word לח/lach, moist or soft,  reflecting the impressionable clay tablets on which people would write. Though the clay may become hardened into “stone tablets, the Rabbis teach “do not read charut/incised upon the tablets, but read cheirut/freedom”. Judaism teaches that for the divine word to be everlasting it needs to be everchanging in accordance with the developing needs and understanding of the “People of the Covenant”.

Parshat Yitro

Tara Linker – Year 11

This week’s parashah begins with Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, coming with his whole family to see Moshe. What he sees upon arrival is Moshe overworking himself, trying to answer all of the questions that the people have and give judgements to the Israelites.

Day after day, Moshe tries to decide; Who should get this lamb? Who was responsible for this slave’s injury? How shall we split this portion of wheat? Moshe has been chosen to undertake the difficult task of providing judgements. Yitro, (like all grandfathers!) would like to see Moshe spending a bit more time with his family – and sees two ways to try to make this happen:

1. To lecture Moshe on all of the reasons why he should be spending more time with his family and less time at work (definitely the easier option)

OR 

2. Considering that Yitro knows that the people need someone to help them make decisions, he might suggest to Moshe to set up a system of judges and courts (he goes with this option).

Yitro tells Moshe that men (he should have suggested women too) should be trained to help make the decisions and settle arguments. Moshe agrees with Yitro’s suggestion and appoints judges to settle disputes. This allows Moshe to  spend more time with his family and share the responsibility of judging in the community. 

This portion reminds us to not just pay attention to the Aseret HaDibrot, the Ten Commandments, but to look for feasible solutions before going to a friend and complaining about their behaviour. Remember, Yitro didn’t complain to Moshe, he offered a pretty helpful solution!

So, think about the times when you wish people would do something in a different way. Do you complain? Or do you offer them a solution? Basically, this parasha tells us that we have a responsibility to offer others our suggestions, rather than just complaints. 

Moral of the story? Let’s all learn to be a little more like Yitro (and to spend more time with family, of course!).

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Jewish Life in Primary School 

Shabbat celebrations

We enjoyed celebrating our first Shabbat together for the year. Morah Baron and Morah Sarit led the Years 1 and 2 students in celebrating Shabbat with lots of music and Ruach. Mr Carpenter and the students in Year 3 and 4 were joined by Mia Shapiro and Joshua New, our new Informal Jewish Life Educators in the Primary School. Mia and Josh are Emanuel Alumni. Years 5 and 6 celebrated Shabbat together with Morah Gaida and the Year 6 Jewish Life leaders. In the coming weeks we are looking forward to welcoming Rabbi Kamins and Rabbi Ninio to our Shabbat celebrations!

Tu BeShevat

Tu BeShevat was celebrated last week in a variety of ways – including parsley planting in Year 1, learning in Hebrew andJewish Studies lessons about the festival and thinking about the environment and sustainability through hearing the Talmudic story of Honi HaMe’agel:

One day Honi was journeying on the road and he saw a man planting a carob tree. He asked: “How long does it take [for this tree] to bear fruit?” The man replied: “Seventy years.” Honi then further asked him: “Are you certain that you will live another seventy years?” The man replied: “I found [already grown] carob trees in the world; as my forefathers planted those for me so I too plant these for my children.” Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ta’anit, page 23a.

The Month of Adar and Rosh LeRegel (Crazy Hat) Day
Friday 12 February 2021

Next week we welcome in the Hebrew month of Adar, where our tradition says we should increase the joy and fun in our lives in the build up to Purim. Next Friday will be our Crazy Hat Day – where students in Primary School are invited to wear a fun, wacky, crazy hat to school. Our tzedakah focus for Purim will be supporting the Asylum Seeker Centre and students are encouraged to bring in a gold coin. 

Students in Years 3-12 will have a special Shabbat celebration together outside on the basketball courts to celebrate Adar. In the theme of ראש לרגל (head to foot) High School students are encouraged to come to school in their regular uniform but with the addition of fun, interesting (and safe) shoes. 

Enjoying planting for Tu BeShevat

Primary News

Meg Carroll – Deputy Head of Primary

Among Us

About the game and what you need to know to keep your child safe

If you’ve heard your kids calling everything “sus” lately, it’s likely they are playing Among Us, a multiplayer social deduction game that is based on the concepts of mistrust, misdirection and paranoia. Among Us exploded over the last few months with millions of kids watching other kids play it, playing it themselves and ‘meme-ing’ about it. This game is available online as a free PC or mobile download. It is simple in terms of game play and goal and is visually appealing with cartoon-like characters and colourful graphics. 

The game begins when all spaces are filled and the app randomly selects a number of ‘imposters’ and allocates the rest of the players as ‘crewmates’. If you’re a crewmate, your goal is to figure out who the imposter is before they kill everyone and complete as many of the tasks listed on the screen. If you’re an imposter, your goal is to kill as many other players as possible without being seen while sabotaging the tasks they’re trying to complete. The game is not suitable for children under the age of 12 as players use virtual weapons such as knives to stab and kill off characters. 

Besides the obvious concerning violent nature of the game, there are other factors that make this game one that parents should keep a close eye on. There is a chat function that is unmoderated, screen names can include rude and inappropriate language and items are available for purchase that have absolutely no bearing on game play. The online gaming feature within this app allows children to chat and play with anyone anywhere in the world and unfortunately cannot be turned off. This poses risks to children coming into contact with potentially problematic strangers and engaging in conversation with them.

Accusations by team members on who the imposter is, could also potentially lead to cyberbullying style behaviours by players in the game.

The e-Safety Commissioner has an e-Safety Guide for you to access to learn about this game (and other games and apps) and to know what to look for in order to keep your child safe.

Our stance on COVID restrictions

I would like to clarify our stance on the decisions we are making regarding COVID restrictions. I understand some of our community members are disappointed that the School is sticking so closely to the guidelines and therefore not allowing more parents on campus and at events. Please note that our position takes into account both the health and ethical implications of the situation.

Health: Our community’s health is our priority and we will continue to follow the expert advice on how to best keep our community safe.

Ethical: Whilst transmission is so low, I am aware that many organisations are ‘bending’ the regulations. We take seriously our position as role models to our students and believe that ‘bending rules’ does not set the example we want for our students and community.

Meet the Teacher

This year, due to COVID restrictions, we will run our Meet the Teacher evening virtually on Zoom. We ask that you join us on Zoom on the evening of Monday February 15 at the times shown below:

• 6.00 pm: K-2 sessions
• 7.00 pm: 3-6 sessions 

You will receive more information about the event as well as Zoom links shortly. We look forward to sharing our 2021 vision with you!

Years 3-6 Swimming Carnival

We have liaised with the swimming pool about the possibility of parents attending our Swimming Carnival. Our booking is for the indoor pool as it means that the Carnival can go ahead in rain and the children are not burnt if it is a very sunny day. The indoor pool has a limit to the number of people allowed inside. Our students and staff reach this number and therefore unfortunately we are not able to have parents attend. We have spoken to the pool about any possible ways around this and unfortunately, with our size school, there aren’t any other options.

Registrations open for 2021 parent webinars

The e-Safety Commissioner is running FREE live webinars for parents to attend in 2021. The series begins with a session focused on Cyberbullying and Online Drama and will be held on Safer Internet Day (9 February 2021). Parents are encouraged to register to attend this valuable event.

Go With the Flow (GWTF) – reminder

Parents/carers are reminded that GWTF starts at 3.20 pm with the departure of  Years K-2 students only. If you arrive before or during the 3.20 pm time slot and are not collecting children in Years K-2, you will be asked to drive around the block and re-enter the queue. The reason for this is to maintain the steady flow of traffic in the GWTF zone as well as the safety of our staff and students. If you are asked by a staff member to go around the block, please do so in order to keep this system running smoothly for all users. 

Primary Extra-Curricular 2021

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

Primary Extra-Curricular, Term 1 

In 2021, the Primary School Extra-Curricular program will offer a wide variety of sporting, music and recreational opportunities for students of all ages. A schedule of these activities can be found on the Parent Portal.

Emanuel teachers also offer a range of free Extra-Curricular lunch time opportunities for students throughout the year. These lunch time activities will be advertised on our schedule in the next few weeks. Students will also receive information about these clubs in their class daily announcements.

We are pleased to announce that the Sewing Club has reached minimum enrolment numbers and started this week. If you would like to enrol your child in the Sewing Club please do so via the Parent Portal.

We have had a few requests to run Mandarin and Russian Languages extra-curricular classes at Emanuel School this year. Once COVID-19 regulations have eased we would love to offer these in future terms providing we can meet minimum enrolment numbers.

If you are interested in these two classes please complete the expressions of interest forms on the Parent Portal.

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              

Sports 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 and booking details, are now online on the Primary Extra-Curricular schedule page on the Parent Portal.

Changemakers

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

I hope you and your family are all well and had a wonderful summer break. We have just completed Week 2 of the new school year and I hope you will enjoy reading this page each week, as I share news about members of our extended community and some of their achievements. If you have news to share, please get in touch.

Starting school is always very exciting and when you are a past student with your own children enrolled as students at your alma mater that is extra special, and when your first cousins are with you too, that is even more exciting.

Sisters Monika Silver (Class of 1998) and Anita Clark (Class of 1999), now have all their children here with Angus Clark starting in Year K this year. His brother Jacob (Year 3) and first cousins Ethan Czeiger (Year 4) and his sister Belinda (Bella) in Year 1 all love that Angus has joined them this year at Emanuel. Monika says “such a special day – so amazing that they are all on campus together”.

Angus and Jacob Clark with first cousins Ethan and Belinda (Bella) Czeiger

If you are also a past student with children starting here this year, I would love to share your photos too.

B’nai B’rith & JNF Jewish Changemakers Awards 

Winners of these prestigious awards were announced on 14 December 2020 via Zoom and we congratulate the following Emanuel students and alumni:

JNF Award for Contribution to the Jewish Community (Youth Category)

Highly Commended: Ezra Hersch (Year 12)

Co-winners: Chloe Miller (Year 12) and Liat Granot (Year 12)

Contribution to Australian Society (Youth Category)

Co-winner: Lara Fosbery (Year 12) together with Adam Leizer from Moriah

JNF Award for Contribution to the Jewish Community (Young Adult Category)

Highly Commended: Joshua Moses (Class of 2011)

Contribution to Australian Society (Young Adult Category)

Highly Commended: Julia Sussman (Class of 2014)

All winners have been invited to the JNF office in Bondi Junction on Tuesday 16 February 2021 for the official presentation of their awards. Perhaps your own children would make worthy candidates for nomination this year for their volunteering efforts to make the world a better place. Watch this space for details about the 2021 awards.

Australia Day 2021 Honours

As mentioned by our Principal, Andrew Watt, in his Ma Nishma report last week, two members of our School Community were recipients of the recent Australia Day Awards. Mazal tov to Geoffrey Jankelson age 90, grandfather of Jethro Igra (Year 8) and his brother Jonathan (Year 6), who received his Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the building and construction industry, particularly security of payment. He says: “it is important for me to give back to Australia and I am very honoured and excited to be recognised”. 

Geoffrey Jochelson OAM and wife Ilana, with grandsons Jonathan and Jethro Igra

Past parent Ellis Janks, father of Donny (Class of 2012) and Sally-Ann (Class of 2017), received his OAM for service to people with a disability through exercise, in recognition of his commitment to Achilles Sydney, an organisation he co-founded and has played a leading role for 24 years. Ellis is pictured here as a guide with Ben, one of the sight-impaired runners. There are now Achilles chapters all over Australia making a difference to people with disabilities and volunteers alike.

Ellis Janks OAM as a guide to Ben

Stay safe and Shabbat Shalom.

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

Music Matters

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Welcome to our Music Matters page 🎶

Here you will find announcements about our busy Music program, so please check this on a weekly basis. 

For those of you who are curious to start tuition on an instrument for the first time, or who would like to join one of our many ensembles or choirs, now is the best time to sign up. The beginning of the year is when we set the habits that will carry us through the rest of the year. Introducing the new habits when you are making such a fresh transition is a great time to do so. Please don’t wait! 

Music competition – new in Term 1 for 2021

The Music competition has several components and is open to our young musicians from Years K-12 and culminates in a showcase recital with the opportunity to receive feedback from a visiting adjudicator on Monday evening of Week 9, Term 1: 

Practice competition: You need a yellow sheet (from the Music Staffroom or your Emanuel School tutor) and you need to record your practice minutes every week. There will be a small but fun prize for the student who has done the most minutes of practice from Weeks 2 – 6. Parents need to initial the weekly practice log to verify the practice done. There will be a prize for a student from each of Years K-2, 3-6, 7-10 and 11-12.

Composition and creation competition: Students should submit their composition by video by Tuesday of Week 7. This composition could be fully notated (using Sibelius or Noteflight) and submitted as a screen video of the scrolling software. The composition could be a recording of the composition being performed (for example if you have composed a song that you can sing and play for video.) This competition is open for any genre. Finalists in this competition will have their videos presented (or they can perform live) at the showcase recital. There will be a prize for a student from each of Years K-2, 3-6, 7-10 and 11-12.

Performance competition: Students should submit a video, by Tuesday of Week 7, of their performance of a piece that shows them at their best. They should ask their private music tutor for help. This competition is open for any genre, but is for solo performers. You may include a piano accompanist or use a backing track. Finalists in the performance competition must perform live at the Showcase Recital on Monday of Week 9. More information is available here.

Private tuition and the Infant Strings program has already begun, for those of you who are interested in signing up for private tuition or small group string instrument tuition (K-2), please go to the Music Portal page for information.

Ensembles and Choirs for all ages begin in Week 3. Please go to the Music Portal Page for information on our K-12 Ensembles and Choirs which includes a link to the 2021 Schedule and information on how to join. Current members of auditioned ensembles do not need to re-audition.

Auditions for new members of many auditioned ensembles will be in Weeks 3 and 4. Students should sign up for an audition on Monday 8 February 2021 by looking for and completing the sign-on sheets on the glass wall near the Music Staffroom. Auditions may or may not be at times that coincide with the ensemble/choir rehearsals, so when signing on please carefully take note of the day and time. Auditions for choirs and ensembles will require students to sing/play a piece that shows them at their best and to do some sight singing or sight reading (we know it’s early in the year and there may not have been an ideal amount of practice in the holidays). Instrumentalists should also prepare a major and minor scale and, if possible, a chromatic scale. Please go to the Music Portal Page for information on our K-12 Ensembles and Choirs. The current rehearsal schedule has a column indicating which ensembles/choirs require audition for membership.

2021 Bassoon Scholarship for one Year 7 student. We have a lovely new full size, light weight bassoon and we are offering to split (50/50) the cost of tuition for 2021 for the most suitable candidate. Students who have played a wind instrument before or who are experienced players of piano or a bass clef instruments will be preferred, but ‘new’ musicians will be considered. You can find more information here. Entries are due by 5.00 pm on Wednesday 10 February 2021.

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Welcome back to another full year of all things ‘Careers’ for 2021.

I have a few housekeeping points to share  to help students to navigate this ever-evolving process.

I have emailed everyone in Years 10, 11 and 12 advising them to access the following information. Students should register to set themselves up with these two accounts (the School pays for these subscriptions). Parents can also access these sites without having to set up an account.

Work, Study, Grow

  

Step 1: Go to the Careers Hub
Step 2: Top right hand corner – Click on Create your Membership and enter the code EMS0219 (zero ‘0’ not an ‘O’)
Step 3: Enter in your details to join up with your account, email address, password etc.

Jobjump

Step 1: Register at Jobjump

Step 2: Enter ‘Emanuel School’ in the school tab and ’emanuel’ in the school password tab (case sensitive).

Both of these websites will be good places to start researching interesting careers, courses, jobs, GAP stuff, and everything else in between.

Appointments

All student appointments can be booked through my online calendar at https://calendly.com/clairepechcareers/ on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I am available to see students at any time to discuss anything related to what you are thinking about after school. It is never too early to start this conversation, especially if you have “no idea” where to start with this.

Careers Avenue process

We will begin the Year 10 Careers Avenues process in Week 4. This is the start of starting to think about what we like to do, how we work, and what our strengths are. Students will be in the MPH for this and it is critical they bring a fully charged laptop to school. More details about the process can be found here. 

The Cely Malki Program

Dr Lynn Joffe – Director Specialist Learning Centre

The Cely Malki Program
Commencing Week 4 of Term 1

We are thrilled to announce that The Cely Malki Program, named in honour of Cely a matriarch of note, and funded by her brother and sister-in-law, Albert and Sandra Malki, will recommence in Week 4.

The program is open to students in Years 5 -12 and runs every Monday and Thursday from 3.40 pm to 5.30 pm in the Innovation Building, room I32. During this time, teachers and alumni of the School, specifically chosen for both their academic and communication skills, are available to assist students with queries related to schoolwork and help them organise their thoughts and ideas so that they are clearly understood and conveyed. Setting realistic goals for what can be achieved in the timeframe and meeting these is encouraged.

Students are expected to supply their own work; this could be work that has not been fully understood in class, homework and Performances of Understanding. Work is not supplied by the teachers or tutors on the Program except when specifically advised. If students do not have work to complete, it is suggested that they do not attend the Program on that day, as activities cannot be found to occupy them at these sessions. This is not a child-minding service, it is an opportunity for students to receive guidance and advice on their schoolwork. There is some work, related to some Performances of Understanding, that cannot be undertaken at the Cely Malki Program as this has proved to be unworkable in the past. This includes the use of Minecraft and some other programs and apps.

Dr Joffe manages the Program and while a level of informality is permitted at times, there are high behavioural expectations of students in the program. Students are expected to comply with all the directions and requests as they would in their classrooms. Students who do not comply will be asked to leave. It is possible that a seating plan will be used and, where this is the case, students are expected to comply without argument or complaint. Students are required to sign in and out and supply brief details of work undertaken; this is part of a Duty of Care requirement.

There is a much enjoyed fruit and biscuit break which is a time for students to connect with others, whilst observing any COVID restrictions. During this time, students may use their mobile phones to contact parents; at other times, phones will be deposited in school bags and not accessible. Please ensure that arrangements for pick-up have been made ahead of time.

Students need to bring a snack and drink to consume before the session starts. They also need to supply their own chargers for laptops, stationery, calculators and books to read while waiting for attention or once work has been completed.

We are excited to be able to offer the Cely Malki Program this year and look forward to enjoyable and productive sessions.

Who is Heather Marshall?

Heather Marshall – Kornmehl Educator

Spotlight on … Heather Marshall 

What is your role at Emanuel School?

I am an educator at the Kornmehl Centre and I work in the Dolphin room three days a week – one day a week in the Starfish room and I work with the Dolphins, Starfish and Seashells groups on a Thursday.

How long have you been at Emanuel School?

I have been at Emanuel School for nine years this year.

What do you enjoy about working here?

I love the community spirit and the great relationship I have with all the staff I work with at Kornmehl and how much they have taught me since my first day of work.

What have you learnt about yourself at Emanuel? 

I can achieve a lot of things if I just put my mind to it.

What is your favourite memory?  

One of my favourite memories is attending the JNF Educators tour back in 2018 as it was my first big trip overseas. It was amazing making new friends and also doing things I wouldn’t normally do, like swim in the Dead Sea and climb Masada.

What do you do to unwind/ what do you enjoy doing outside school hours?

To unwind I go for a walk with my dog Gypsy. I also love going to watch my children play sport on the weekends. I have a daughter Katlyn who is 15,  my son Jayson who is 17 and I also have my stepson Bailey who is 13. Spending time with my friends and family is very important to me.

What song do you know all the lyrics to?

Sitting on top of the world by Delta Goodrem.

Do you have a hidden talent and if so, what is it?

My hidden talent would be that I used to teach Scottish and Irish dancing before I had my children and I danced for 18 years. I still have my very first pair of dancing shoes!

What do you wish you could tell your 12 year-old self?

Always be nice to your parents no matter how you are feeling, or what they might have done to make you feel upset. Once they are gone, they are gone.

If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?

Enjoy being a child while you can, don’t rush to grow up too quickly you. You’ll have plenty of time to be an adult so just enjoy your childhood with your friends and family.

Turn it off

Jacob Rose, Year 12

Turn it off

It’s crazy what a simple press of a button can do for the environment. According to the International Energy Agency, there are currently 1.6 billion heating/air conditioning units worldwide, and that number is projected to grow rapidly to approximately 4.5 billion by 2030. Increasingly worrying, lighting across the world accounts for 5% of all CO₂ emissions. Both lighting and heating/cooling units produce by-products that negatively affect the environment and contribute to climate change. We are hopefully all aware of the devastating impacts of climate change and global warming, but not everyone is aware of simple fixes to reduce our own carbon footprint, at no cost to our everyday lives (and might even save us a bit of money).

The electricity generated to power our air-conditioners and lights are generally created from coal mines, which are the single biggest contributor to anthropogenic (human-induced) climate change. The burning of coal is responsible for 46% of CO₂ emissions and accounts for 72% of total greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector. Global warming presents immediate devastating impacts on our Earth. According to the WWF, “Global warming stresses ecosystems through temperature rises, water shortages, increased fire threats, drought, weed and pest invasions, intense storm damage and salt invasion”.

At home, there is a simple trick to reduce carbon emissions and save money. The most common type of light bulbs, incandescent bulbs, are unfortunately also the most energy inefficient, wasting up to 90% of the energy they use and are designed to only last 1000 hours before burning out, encouraging consumers to constantly buy new bulbs. A better alternative is Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFBs) which are almost three times the price of normal light bulbs. Wait! Three times more expensive? Yes, three times more expensive. However, they are known to last over eight times longer than any incandescent bulb. And better yet, although CFB bulbs are more expensive in the short-term, long-term (after six months) they actually save households $25-50 per bulb and reduce electricity costs. Also, over its lifetime, a CFB will prevent 450-500 kg of carbon dioxide heating the atmosphere and use 70% less energy, reducing your household’s carbon footprint, with no extra cost in the long term.

Other simple tips and tricks you can use at home or school include:

• Turning off taps and quickly fixing drips to reduce water wastage
• Ensuring that lights, fans and/or aircon is off when exiting a room
• If possible, use natural lighting and open windows to cool down rather than air-conditioning. Obviously, on particularly hot days this is not a viable option, but you can still be hyper vigilant of turning off non-essentials when leaving a room
• Ensuring doors and windows are shut if air-con is being used

Ultimately, by simply turning off your heating/cooling unit or lights, you can save some money, but more importantly, play a role in saving the environment.

By Jacob Rose, Year 12

Social Media @Emanuel

Social Media @Emanuel

I’ve always wanted to be a fly on the wall during my son’s school day. He’s now at uni, but I’d wonder what he was up to each day – was he having fun, what was he learning, was he eating that delicious lunch I had so lovingly prepared and had Ms Lowe noticed that he wasn’t wearing sports uniform on Thursday last week? I was missing out on seven and a half hours of his life every single day!  

The answer – Emanuel School’s Social Media pages – where you too can be a fancy fly on the wall.

There are so many places you can go (apologies Dr Seuss) and they are all private groups so only those in the Emanuel community can access our news, views and reviews.

Instagram

Join watt.s_up_at_emanuel, Mr Watt’s school Insta page. High School students, parents and grandparents – this is your opportunity to see inside the workings of the Principal’s very busy mind. Please note that your Instagram page must be set on ‘private’ for you to join. High School students are also welcome and encouraged.

Facebook

There are so many ways to interact and be kept informed:

Emanuel School Community

Regular photos and ancedotes from around the school grounds – where, what, who and why. Our consellors also post a weekly update with links to interesting articles on children’s wellbeing.

Emanuel Shuk

The place to post items for sale, swap or share. Buy pre-loved textbooks, sell that desk you’ve never used or look for a landscaper to design your succulent garden.

Uniform Shuk

The best place to buy pre-loved uniform items – be sustainable and save.

Emanuel Alumni

Graduated between 1983 and 2020? Stay in touch with your Emanuel family.

Our Facebook pages are student-free zones and you must be part of the Emanuel School community to join. We’re pretty selective to help maintain student and school privacy.

Sign up today – you’ll be so glad you did. 

By Michelle Favero, Manager of Marketing and Communications

Drama and Improvisation Programs 2021

Uniform Shop

The Emanuel School Uniform Shop is now back to normal trading hours.  

• Monday 8.00 am – 11.00 am
• Tuesday 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm
• Thursday 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm

You can find us at 3/155 Avoca Street, Randwick 

Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic & Jen Opit

Welcome to 2021 and a warm welcome to all the new families joining the Emanuel Community! Here’s hoping this year isn’t as complicated as the last.

For those of you that don’t know us, our names are Jen Opit and Ruby Berkovic, and this is our fifth year as the Parents & Friends Co-Presidents. Between us, we have kids in Years 5, 6, 8 and 10. 

We love being a part of the Emanuel School Community and are looking forward to the year ahead.

Staff Welcome Lunch

We started off 2021 by hosting the annual Welcome Lunch for the staff. It was different to previous years as we had to abide by COVID-19 restrictions, but each staff member received an individually packed meal as an advance “thank you” for the year ahead. A very special thank you to our fabulous canteen who provided the delicious food!

First Parents & Friends meeting

This week we had our first Parents & Friends meeting for 2021. Parents & Friends meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7.00 pm. They are usually held in the Boardroom at the School but will be held on Zoom until further notice. Everyone is welcome so please join us as your support and input is valued. Email rubykb@gmail.com if you would like to attend the next meeting.

Events to diarise

We don’t know what this year will bring, and when we can start selling challah and hosting our Friday Afternoon Chills again, but in the meantime, here are some dates to diarise with fingers crossed they can go ahead:

• Purim Disco Celebration – Sunday 28 February 2021
• Mother’s Day Celebrations – Friday 7 May 2021
• Father’s Day Celebrations – Friday 27 August 2021
• Camping Weekends – Friday 12 March – Sunday 14 March 2021 and Friday 29 October 2021 – Sunday 31 October 2021

We hope your children have enjoyed their first full week.

Have a lovely weekend!

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 Bev Hurwitz

Bev’s Melanzane Parmigiana

Ingredients

4 carrots, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 basil leaves
1 clove garlic
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 jars of tomato passata 
2-3 packets grated mozzarella
4 large eggplants
extra light olive oil

Directions

Place all ingredients (except eggplants and mozzarella cheese) into a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Once soft, mouli together to make a tomato based sauce. If the sauce is thick, add a touch of water or extra light-olive oil to smooth it. Set sauce aside.

Slice eggplants thinly lengthways. Heat a frying pan with extra light olive oil and fry eggplants very lightly. Alternatively, place the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking tray. Coat lightly with the olive oil. Bake at 180⁰C in oven until soft.

Use a rectangle lasagne dish and layer eggplant, pasta sauce and grated mozzarella cheese.

End with cheese on top and bake in the oven until slightly golden and crispy at 180⁰C for about 30 minutes. Freezes very well either before or after baking.

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