Volume 30 Issue 4 - 19 Feb 2021

From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

A reminder of our core purpose

In addition to shaping and encouraging our students to graduate as mensches (ethical and caring global citizens) with a strong connection to their Judaism, our academic program, undergirded by our wellbeing program, will always take centre stage. Our annual High School Academic Recognition Assembly was held on Tuesday, with some of the top performers in the Class of 2020 returning, to receive acknowledgement of their achievements and to share aspects of their HSC journey with our students. Led by Adam Majsay and Julian Abelson, this assembly seeks to reinforce the value of working consistently towards set goals and to giving your personal best at every step along the way. Our returning graduates provide a variety of insights into the hurdles they had to overcome at different stages of their journey and the strategies that they found most effective. Those students who achieved a Principal’s Award for both academic achievement and effort in Semester 2, 2020, were also recognised. As always, our focus is divided between our top academic performers and acknowledging the achievements of those students who achieved their personal best through consistent application to their studies. Our celebrations are not limited to our impressive ‘league table’ results.

Year 7 and 8 Camp 

Our Year 7 and 8 students enjoyed their outdoor experiences under the beautiful bushland and river backdrop of the Lower Colo valley. The program of hiking, canoeing, high and low ropes, archery, cooking and a range of other group activities, is designed to promote collaboration, problem-solving and, of course, enjoyment. I visited the campsites on Thursday; spending time with happy, engaged students, well supported by their Camp leaders, Tutors and Peer Support leaders, was the highlight of my week! This camp experience is always challenging to a number of students, who experience homesickness or are simply not familiar with an extended outdoor education experience. For those who struggled yet made it to the end of the program – kol hakavod for your courage and perseverance. A huge thank you to Adam Ezekiel, Lauren Korotkov and their outstanding team of Year 7 and 8 Tutors (and our Year 11 Peer Support leaders) for supporting our students through the challenges and joys of a camping program.

Tikkun Olam in action

It was lovely to receive a message from the CEO of Kids Giving Back, acknowledging the volunteer work of a group of Emanuel students over the holiday break. Kids Giving Back is a charity whose mission it is to create the next Generation of Generosity. Programs are delivered for children 6-18 years old and their families, and to offer opportunities to assist vulnerable people in the community. The CEO, Robyn Miller, informed me that:

The contribution of your students has resulted in over 3700 meals and resources being prepared and distributed during the December /January school holiday period. Your students have undertaken these opportunities in their leisure time and program facilitators have been unanimous in their praise for the enthusiasm and engagement of all our young volunteers. Eleven charities were assisted as a result of their work, which supports the homeless and vulnerable in the community.

Kol hakavod to the following students: Gem Roffe-Nassi, Alessia Frankham, Arielle Kaplan, Goldie Israelstam, Juliette Gavshon, Ariella Weinberger, Miranda Marshall, Mahli Olian, Ally Rockman, Remi Moses and Zac Churnin. The Kids Giving Back April school holiday programs will be launched on 1 March 2021.

Lottie Weiss (1923 – 2021)

In 2015, Lotte was interviewed by the following students who are now in Year 12 – Elia Gil-Munoz, Joey Fonteyn Teoh Bader, Jared Robinson, Noam Meretz, Jade Berson and Zach Nabarro (missing) – from the Emanuel School archives

We received the sad news that Lotte Weiss passed away recently. Lotte, a survivor of the Holocaust, spent many hours with Emanuel students as a Project Heritage Historian. Paying witness to Lotte’s harrowing yet inspirational story will have made an indelible mark on many Emanuel students over the years. We wish the Weiss family long life.

You may wish to take a few moments to watch this video about Lotte’s life which was shared by her granddaughter and Emanuel parent, Allison Weiss. May Lotte’s memory be for a blessing. 

Canteen

The canteen will be closed on Thursday for the the Fast of Esther.

Quote of the week

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedom – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Viktor E. Frankl, Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor

 

Primary News

Natanya Milner – Head of Primary School

Goals for 2021

Thank you to all the parents who joined this week’s Meet the Teacher events via Zoom. We all value the opportunity to share our vision for the year ahead and the classroom teachers appreciate being able to explain their aims and procedures with you. We were disappointed that we couldn’t have our usual K-6 session in the Lehrer Family Building, where we look at the key goals for 2021 in the Primary School. We hope that the document that we sent was useful in outlining the main areas for development this year and we look forward to sharing updates with you in upcoming Ma Nishma articles and parent events. As a reminder, the following key K-6 initiatives will be focused upon this year:

  • A focus on the teaching and learning of Writing to improve student outcomes 
  • New student reports being written to offer parents more detailed information
  • A review of the current student management system with updates to support student awareness and accountability for choices and behaviour
  • The trial of a social skills program with possible roll-out to further grades if deemed successful
  • Strengthening of Make a Difference projects using the Habits from The Leader in Me program in action
  • Informal Jewish Life leaders introduced in the Primary School to bring further ruach and passion to various aspects of the program
  • New library team to review and improve current library facilities and offerings
  • New competitive sporting opportunities and training programs on offer
  • K-6 musical, Aladdin Jnr, to be performed at the end of the year

Recordings from each meeting are available on the Parent Portal under the Parent Information Evenings tab.

Student safety

Student safety remains our highest priority at all times. For this reason, we request that car boots are not used during the morning or afternoon Go With The Flow. We have had an awful situation in the past where a car was hit from behind and rolled forward towards the car in front of it. As you can imagine, it could have been an absolute tragedy. Please, please, please keep all school bags, musical instruments etc in the body of the car with the children so that they can get out curbside in GWTF and access their items easily.

Leadership training

Last week’s Year 6 Leadership Training was a unique opportunity to work with our student leaders as we prepare for an exciting year ahead. We spent Thursday involved in an Amazing Race around Homebush, learning about the importance of teamwork, communication and collaborative problem solving. We were back at school on Thursday night and Friday and continued with sessions about leading with values, Jewish leadership and the importance of allowing yourself to both lead and be led. The students participated in portfolio planning where each Year 6 leadership team began planning activities to lead Years K-6 in the coming months. I look forward to seeing many of these wonderful ideas come to reality. A huge thank you goes to Eamon Lukins for co-ordinating this event. Special thanks also goes to the team who ran the two days – Kim Haddix, Lara Kepitis, Adam Carpenter, Meghan Carroll, Mia Shapiro and Josh New.

Swimming carnival

This week’s Year 3-6 Swimming carnival was a great success with children participating enthusiastically in the various events. Whilst we were sad that the venue limits precluded us from welcoming parents to the event, we know you would all be so proud of the spirit, participation and skill shown on the day! I thank Stuart Taylor and Sharon Fairfax for organising the carnival, all the teachers and House captains for contributing so positively to the success of the day and Ofer Levy for taking such wonderful photos. Below are a few  gorgeous pics with more to come next week. 


 

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Inside and out

Long ago, our Jewish tradition warned against living a double-life. In our Freedom and Responsibility class, we recently read the midrash about Avraham not being able to be false to himself in adhering to or feigning to practice the “idolatrous” conventions of his father’s society. Whereupon, Terach, his father, sought to “re-educate” his son, much as we find in totalitarian re-education camps and programs today.

Terumah, this week’s parashah, states that the Ark is to be “pure gold, inside and out”. Our Rabbis explain, that we must not live adulterous lives in which we are untrue to ourselves or to others. The Talmud states: “Any scholar who is not the same in private as in public is not a true scholar”.

A conflicted life is self-destructive, as illustrated in the doppleganger classic of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and seeking to survive by means of doublethink, as in Orwell’s 1984, leads to a disappearance of self. Significantly, God’s voice is said to be audible between the two cherubim upon the Ark, only when they are facing each other in a state of dialogue. Experiencing the divine is possible only when we encounter each other from a place of personal and individual integrity.

Speaking of his journey from Soviet Russia to Israel, Natan Sharansky writes:

I started my own life as a doublethinker at the age of five in 1953… Once I had done it, once I was no longer afraid, I realised what it was to be free. I could live in history, a real history, with ups and downs, fits and starts, not the bland, ever-changing history-like-putty dictated by the authorities. I could live with real people and enjoy real friendships, not the cautious, constricted conversations of winks and nods among fellow doublethinkers. Most important, I could live without that permanent self-censorship, that constant checking of what you are going to say to make sure it’s not what you want to say. Only then do you realise what a burden you’ve been carrying, how exhausting it is to say the right thing, do the right thing, while always fighting the fear of being outed for an errant thought, a wrong reaction, an idiosyncratic impulse.

May our journey of self-discovery and expression be pure and continuously liberating.

 

 

 

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

The power of asking questions

Year 5 continued to study a text from our tradition found in Pirkei Avot 4:1. Ben Zoma poses four questions and also provides answers to his own questions. In our activity, students were asked to share their own ideas and thoughts to Ben Zoma’s questions, before hearing the response Ben Zoma gave to his own question.

Year 5D students thinking to Ben Zoma’s question:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year 5N students thinking to Ben Zoma’s question:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In our discussions,  we explored the importance of asking questions and why Ben Zoma recorded his teachings in the form of questions. We realised that by asking questions it promotes curiosity and encourages us to be active in thinking of a response ourselves, rather than waiting passively for an ‘answer’. 

In reflecting on this teaching, students realised that according to Ben Zoma, every person has the capacity to be wise, rich, brave and honoured, if they apply themselves.

A student asked a great question: “Do we have to agree with Ben Zoma’s ideas?”. This provided the opportunity to share an important characteristic of Jewish learning – the Rabbinic tradition of debate, disagreement and multiple interpretations. We can learn from and respect other opinions, without necessarily agreeing with them. 

Original Pirkei Avot text:

Rosh LeRegel Celebrations

Rosh LeRegel/ראש לרגל

In the second year of our new tradition Rosh LeRegel, Years 3-12 gathered on the basketball court for a combined קבלת שבת/Kabbalat Shabbat and welcoming of אדר/Adar celebration. Decked out in crazy head (ראש/Rosh) to foot (רגל/Regel) clothes it was a joyous time of music (High School Band), song (Primary Choir), storytelling, dance, Shabbat berakhot and Adar pre-Purim spirit of fun and laughter.

This was the first time in a long time that Primary and High School gathered together in celebration. We stayed COVID-safe with staged seating and required spacing. It was a wonderful and uplifting experience for our students and staff.

Below is a student explanation of the joyousness of the Jewish month of Adar:

“We called our celebration to welcome Adar, ראש לרגל/Rosh LeRegel: ראש/Rosh meaning ‘head’ and רגל/regel meaning ‘leg’ or ‘foot’. Rosh LeRegel – Head to Foot. Primary School students wore crazy hats on the rosh – because wearing silly, funny hats is kind of fun and can make us laugh. High School students wore wacky, crazy shoes, pants or socks on their raglayim/feet – again because wearing the regular school uniform is not as much fun. 

“So as we welcomed the month of Adar with our crazy tops and crazy bottoms, we encourage you all to have fun and be silly, do things that make you happy and to do things that make other people happy”.

By Lily Foltyn (Year 6)

MiShenichnas Adar/משנכס אדר

“MiSheNinchas Adar, a term you might be familiar with… the head bopping toe tapping song… well, what does mi-shenichnas Adar actually mean, and what is it all about? 

“Well, Mi-sheninchas Adar is usually translated as: ‘When Adar begins, we increase in joy’. This is generally taken to mean that, at the beginning of the Jewish month of Adar, which is the month in which the festive holiday of Purim falls, we should begin to feel especially happy. Or, as understood by some, MiSheNichnas Adar can be understood to refer to one in whom the spirit of Adar enters, as in, ‘Whomever lets the spirit of Adar enter him or her in a deep way will experience an increase in happiness’. As many of you know, during the month of Adar we give and receive gifts, משלוח מנות/mishloach manot, increasing happiness in our lives and others. There is also the mitsvah of מתנות לאביונים/Matanot LeEvyonim, giving gifts to those who need it, once again bringing joy into others’ lives. One of the other mitsvot is to partake in a סעודת פורים/festive Purim meal to celebrate Adar – a great way to come together with friends and family!”

By Daliah Smagarinsky (Year 8) and Liberty Waldner (Year 8)

Rosh Chodesh Adar Sameach!

Digital Lives

Adam Ezekiel – Director of Students 7-12

Social media

In the 2020 report Digital Lives of Aussie Teens by the eSafety Commissioner it was found that:

  • Teens spend an average of 14.4 hours per week online.
  • Teens used an average of four different social media services – YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat remain the most popular. TikTok has shown the greatest growth, from 12% in 2017 to 38% in 2020.
  • 44% of teens had a negative online experience.

With so many young people experiencing negative online experiences, here are a few things that your child can do to protect themselves online. 

  1. Check their privacy settings.
  2. Do not accept friend requests from strangers.
  3. Remember – once posted/commented, always posted/commented.
  4. Their online reputation is their ‘profile’ – how do they want to be seen?
  5. BE KIND.

Potentially harmful apps

Below are a list of social media apps that you and your children should be careful of:

  • YOLO – The app allows users to answer questions posted to Snapchat stories anonymously. The messages or replies are completely anonymous. Anonymity creates a lack of accountability that allows for bad behaviour.
  • TikTok – The app is used by young people as an outlet to express themselves through singing, dancing, comedy and lip-syncing. The main thing to be aware of is that by default, all accounts are set to public so strangers can contact your children. Privacy settings can be changed so only friends can access content.
  • Zoomerang – This is a simple video creator that allows you to capture short videos, apply filters, and add special effects and background music. A concern about this app is that it is easy to screenshot portions of a video to manipulate them and to take brief moments out of context. Cyberbullying has occurred regularly using this tactic.

For more information you can visit the following article “A Complete Guide to Potentially Dangerous Apps for Kids.”

Other useful resources:

Camp

This week I have been on camp with Year 7, Year 8 and the Year 11 Peer Support leaders. It was great to see students build resilience as they pushed themselves out of their comfort zones, by sleeping in tents, and through amazing activities such as canoeing down the beautiful Colo River, hiking along fire-trial ridges and enjoying the great outdoors. Students also demonstrated their independence through preparing and cooking their own meals, cleaning up after themselves and they should be encouraged to continue to demonstrate this new independence at home. 

All students approached each activity with an open mind and bonded with their Tutor Group through the long journeys and evenings spent around a campfire. They have created memories that will last long into High School and probably be spoken about after graduation.

Thank you to the amazing staff who were away from their families and cared for the students around the clock to ensure a memorable and enjoyable camp experience for all.

 

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmel

Welcome 

Over the past few weeks, we have welcomed many new families and children to the Pre-school. 

The first few weeks when a child is settling in is a time of crucial importance to their later happiness in the Pre-school. All children are individuals and while some children will adjust fairly easily to the new environment and new routines, others will take longer to feel comfortable and secure. We 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.

The children are all settling into their new classrooms and becoming more familiar with each group’s routines and rules. They are also getting to know their teachers and friends. This takes time and we need to allow the children space to explore, discover and feel a sense of belonging and trust. We work hard in these first few weeks to establish connections and relationships with families and children in our care. We talk and explain things clearly to the children and there is repetition and familiarity from day to day. This allows children time to process and feel safe and secure. Children who have a positive start to their new environment are more likely to feel comfortable, relaxed and valued and feel good about themselves as learners.

Separation anxiety is a healthy and protective emotion. It is the child’s way of saying: “You are my safe base and I need to develop trust and confidence in alternate carers”.

Talking through the daily routine with your child each day helps to reduce anxiety. Educators also use this as a tool to familiarise children with what to expect each day, so that it is predictable, and they have time to process what is happening in their day. 

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.

Parents are the safe base from which each child can branch out and explore the world, grow and learn and become socially and emotionally confident. Getting off to a good start will help support your child through this very important period in their lives. Remember that going to Pre-school is an important life experience filled with opportunities for growth, skill development and fun. Like any new experience there are challenges for both the child and the parents.

We look forward to working collaboratively to make each child’s journey at Kornmehl a warm, caring, nurturing and positive learning experience.

Chinese New Year

All three groups have been learning about and celebrating the Chinese New Year.

We continued to explore this special celebration through the languages of drawing, painting, craft, stories, symbolic play and cooking.

The children have been listening to stories about the Chinese New Year and making connections with other celebrations, such as Rosh Hashanah and the New Year. We have been looking at pictures and photographs of the ways in which homes are decorated using lanterns. This has inspired the children to make their own.

The older groups were involved in the process of making lanterns. This included many skills, such as folding the paper into two equal parts, using the rulers to draw lines, decorating the paper using the correct pencil grip, cutting over the lines, and writing their name. 

All three groups participated in making fried rice. Some of the skills involved in the process included using real knives to cut the cabbage, cracking and whisking the egg, mixing and using their senses to smell, feel and taste. Needless to say, it was delicious, and they all gobbled up their bowls of fried rice. As it is the Year of the Ox, we have also been practicing how to write ‘Ox’ in Chinese. The Home Corner has also been set up as a Chinese restaurant. The children are loving learning about other cultures and embracing the diversity of children in our Pre-school.

Purim

Over the last few days we have introduced the story of Purim to the children. This has been done using a range of three-dimensional props. We have kept the story very simple focusing on the fact that there was a bad man who wanted to chase all the Jewish people away and that he ended up being chased away. The heroine of the story is the lovely Queen Esther. Through the telling of the story the children are exposed to some new concepts – the fact that they are Jewish, that they are part of a community and that there is a cyclical nature to Judaism as Purim is celebrated each year at the same time in the Hebrew calendar. 

The festival of Purim is such a bright, happy and colourful one, full of different sensory experiences – the shaking of the rashanim, the creation of brightly coloured masks and the dressing up in colourful clothes as well as the sweet and tasty Hamentashen.

The classrooms have been a hive of activity as the children have immersed themselves in the creative activities on offer. There has been a lovely, festive atmosphere in the rooms as the children delight in trying on different silly wigs and masks as well as making good use of the shakers to create some noise all in preparation for our Purim Parade on Friday 26 February 2021.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Etta Pillemer (4). We also wish a happy birthday to our special educator Laura Meltzer. We hope you both had a lovely day.

 

High School Sport

Kristy Genc – Director of Sports K-12

High School Sport Trials

Over the next few weeks trials and selections are being made for the following teams:

Opens Boys Football (Years 9-12)

Trials are currently being held for the Emanuel Boys Firsts Football Team. This team will compete in the CIS Football Cup, the CDSSA Football Gala Day and the new weekly CDSSA Thursday afternoon competition in Term 2. 

Opens Girls Football (Years 7-12)

Trials are currently being held for the Emanuel Girls Firsts Football Team. This team will compete in the CIS Football Cup, the CDSSA Football Championships and the new weekly CDSSA Thursday afternoon competition in Term 2. 

Year 7-12 Netball (Opens Mixed, Opens and 15 Years) 

Trials are currently being held for the Opens Mixed, Opens Girls and 15 Years Girls netball teams. These teams will compete in the upcoming CDSSA Netball Championships. Expressions of interest are also open to all High School students interested in playing in an Emanuel team in the St Catherine’s Netball Competition which will be held on Wednesday afternoons/evenings throughout Term 2. 

Futsal (14 Years, 16 Years and Opens)

Expression of interests are currently open to all High School students who would like to trial for an Emanuel Futsal team. These teams will compete at the Regional NSW Schools Futsal Championships in the coming months. 

Students are required to complete the Expression of Interest form, which has been emailed to High School students, if they are interested in any of the teams above. 

Coach profile – Head Netball Coach

Erin Archer, who is currently the Emanuel Sports Administrator, has also now joined the sports staff team as Head Netball Coach. Erin has a vast amount of experience playing and coaching netball, touch football, Oztag and athletics. Erin joins the team as an accredited netball coach. She has been coaching netball for over 15 years and was an elite player, playing netball for NSW. Erin still continues to play netball on a weekly basis. 

 

 

 

 

A Woman of Valour

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

A woman of valour: Lotte Weiss
28 November 1923 – 12 February 2021

Lotte with Project Heritage students in 2013 – from the Emanuel School archives

As many of you know, each year our Year 6 students participate in Project Heritage, where in groups of five or six peers, they interview a Living Historian and then produce a manuscript/video and/or other medium of that Historian’s life. This is then presented to the whole Year Group as well as to their parents, grandparents and all the Living Historians of that year.

Over the years, Lotte Weiss who passed away last Friday, aged 97, was one such Living Historian, long before she had a direct family connection with the School. Lotte was the sole member of her family to survive the Holocaust, and for many years she volunteered as a survivor guide at the Sydney Jewish Museum, from the museum’s inception in 1992 until a few years ago, due to ill-health. She was a woman of great courage and resilience, very generous with her time to enlighten and educate some of our students about her, her life as a survivor, and her family. Little did Lotte know at those times of being one of our Living Historians for Project Heritage, that she would eventually have two great granddaughters here as students. There was a most enlightening interview with Lotte and her daughter-in-law Thea Weiss in the Sydney Morning Herald published in September 2018.

Thea is married to Lotte’s son John and they are grandparents of Nava Weiss, Year 4 and her sister Kayla in Year K. Lotte was a living, breathing inspiration to her family and to the countless other people she encountered. May her memory be a blessing.

Love is in the air

Rosa and Sigi with their children Alice and Philip, Zuric, December 1946. (SJM Collection)

Last Sunday, on Valentine’s Day, there was a post on The Sydney Jewish Museum’s Facebook page that caught my eye for a number of reasons –  not just that it acknowledged true love, but also because it featured Emanuel grandmother and child Holocaust survivor, Alice Loeb and her parents. The first thing her parents (Rosa and Sigi) did when they fled Vienna for safety in Switzerland was to get married, first in the Registry Office and then in the Synagogue on the 15 July 1938.

When they wrote to Rosa’s parents to say they were married, Rosa’s mother baked a Chocolate Torte and sent it to them. When Rosa and Sigi cut the cake, they found gold wedding rings inside to replace the wrappers of Swiss chocolates that they had been using as wedding bands.

 

Mazal tov

Mazal tov to our Emanuel student winners of the 2020 B’nai B’rith/JNF/AJN Changemaker Awards, as featured on my page in Ma Nishma last week. Year 12 students Lara Fosbery, Chloe Miller and Liat Granot received their winner’s trophy and cheque at the official presentation on Tuesday evening.

Well done to them and all other winners and nominees, and we look forward to seeing more Emanuel nominations for this year’s event.

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

Stay safe and Shabbat Shalom.

 

Music Matters

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Welcome to our Music Matters page! 🎶

Here you will find announcements about our busy Music Program –  please check this on a weekly basis. 

The Extra-Curricular Music Program is now in full swing. If you are concerned that you have missed out, please look at the Extra-Curricular Music tile on the Portal. If this page doesn’t answer your questions, please email Ms Springford.

 

On the Portal Music page you will find information about:

  • Private Music Tuition (beginning and discontinuing)
  • Ensemble and Choir membership for K-12 students
  • Infant Strings Program (ISP) for K-2
  • Performance opportunities
  • Borrowing an orchestral instrument

Please check out the information about our new Term 1 Music Competition. Every entry receives House points, whether you are in Primary or High School. One can enter the practice competition, the performance competition, the composition competition or even all three. Get involved!

A note of caution 

It has come to our attention that a discount supermarket chain is having periodic special sales of musical instruments. We have found that these instruments often contain parts that are sensitive to bending and breaking. Not only do they need repairs more often than standard instrument brands, they often cost more to fix than they do to purchase! However, you may find music stands that are on sale are a useful investment. 

 

 

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Courses for 2022

I was at UNSW last week to learn of the updates for courses for 2022 and beyond for our current Class of 2021. These days are exciting as universities are keen to showcase anything new they have introduced: new technology, new buildings, new courses and also insights into industry and future developments in the workforce. All of my notes can be read here so have a look, if UNSW is on your wishlist. 

Here are some highlights that I thought were really interesting from the talk Preparing for Future Careers in a Post-COVID world.

What future trends are UNSW finding out there in which industry?
None of the jobs listed above existed 10 years ago, nor were there qualifications to match. 

 

These are the skills that are most in demand. Please note, there is no mention of ATARs and grades are mentioned as number 10 in the list of priorities. Soft skills, more than ever, are crucial.

What are employers looking for? 
As always communication is at the top, and not just face to face anymore, but also online communication skills, as a result of COVID.

What are most university graduates lacking?
Students were found to show a lack of understanding about the organisation they were interviewing with. I tell our students to make sure when you interview you have done your homework. Ensure you know about the role, you know about the company, you learn their ethos and what they stand for and that you always have some great questions up your sleeve to showcase that homework and research you have done.

The skills that are all mentioned here can really be honed in the High School setting. This is why I encourage students to work in teams, to volunteer, to get involved, to present and public speak if they have the opportunity. These will all be skills that, whilst being showcased in an interview setting, can land you the job, create a connection with your interviewer or showcase that you would be a great addition to their team. This can be hard to do well if you have not practised.

What events are coming up in the UNSW calendar?

Medicine Information evening: 17 March 2021
Year 10 Information evenings: March 2021 – May 2021
Experience UNSW days: 13 April 2021 – 15 April 2021
LAT Information evening: 6 May 2021
Degrees and Scholarships Information evenings: 15 June 2021 – 17 June 2021
Open Day: 4 September 2021

Career Avenues

This week we were delighted to host Career Avenues which came out to administer the online career testing of all of our Year 10 students. It went smoothly with the technology behaving itself and so all students present will have their data collated. Absent students can now attend online and do their testing at home in their own time this week. Passwords were emailed to them. I look forward to supporting the Year 10s through this process.

 

Drama

Samantha Bauer – Head of Drama

COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE at Emanuel

Year 10 Drama students had the privilege of working with professional actor Nicholas Oregan. Nicholas studied the Art of Commedia in Italy and is an expert in this performance style. He worked with Year 10 Drama students exploring comedy, characterisation and satire. The students were extraordinary in their commitment to the workshop and in the fabulous work they created.

Bravo Year 10!

 

Alternatives to Paper

Ruben Mihalovic – Year 12

Sustainable alternatives to paper 

Paper is considered to be one of the most renewable and sustainable products in the world, and we use it every single day. If this newsletter was printed, you would even be reading this article on a piece of paper – thank goodness laptops save you from an accumulation of weekly mail. But how do you know what paper is ethically sourced and sustainably produced? What other alternatives exist and are they just as good as the real thing?

Let’s begin with how it’s made. In our current age, paper is produced from wood pulp which can be harvested from essentially any tree. Although, coniferous trees (trees that produce pretty cones) such as spruce and fir which are referred to as ‘softwood’ are the most desirable for papermaking as the fibres in their pulp are longer and therefore produce stronger paper. Paper can be made by hand, although, because of such a high demand it is mass produced industrially with machines. To simplify the manufacturing process as much as possible, this pulp (a soggy mixture of fibre and water – sounds delicious) is beaten, poured onto wire mesh, dried, pressed, and voila! You have paper!

Now, you may ask how do they source enough fibre to meet global demands, and is it being produced at the cost of the environment? Well, rest assured because there are ways of checking the sustainability of paper production and avoid funding deforestation and habitat destruction. Two companies: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™) are not-for-profit organisations which promote the sustainable management of forests in order to preserve biological diversity and balance productivity with regeneration rates. If you see either of their logos on paper products, it provides the consumer assurance that the wood used to make the paper was sustainably sourced and managed.

Other than these certified paper products, there are a myriad of other sustainable alternatives to “save the trees”. Firstly, the most obvious sustainable option is recycled print paper which is easily obtained from stationary suppliers (and yes, all my assignments and hand-ins are printed on J.Burrows FSC approved 100% recycled paper). However, you can take it a step further.

Below are a list of the more well-known alternative woodless options which are being explored and developed:

  • Kenaf paper: produced from the Kenaf plant which is cultivated in South America and Italy, producing fibre similar to that of softwood. It is a common alternative for paper and is also 100% recyclable. Moreover, it replenishes the soil it grows in – incredible!
  • Bamboo paper: derived directly from the plant itself. It thrives in depleted soil and as it grows, it can replenish this soil similar to Kenaf. Its quality is comparable to normal wood pulp paper with similar strength, brightness, and printability making it an incredible alternative.
  • Bagasse paper: produced from the remaining residue of juiced sugarcane. Bagasse contains heaps of fibre which makes it an excellent material for the paper industry. Specifically, it contains 45% cellulose, 28% pentosans, 20% lignin and other fun things – for all the ‘science-y’ people out there
  • Stone paper: manufactured with calcium carbonate bonded with a small amount of polyethylene resin (a type of plastic which poses very little to no environmental concerns). It is compostable, works well with ink, and can be recycled. Although, it does not perform so well in high-temperature laser printers.

Will you consider making the move to recycled, certified, or alternative sustainable paper?

It is a simple, small change that can really improve your relationship with the environment and introduce another sustainable aspect to your lifestyle.

 

We’re Hiring

Community Notices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parents and Friends

Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit

Hi Everyone,

We hope you have all had a good week.

Parent Ambassador

We would like to introduce the Parents & Friends Parent Ambassador, Sam Butt. Sam is an Emanuel parent and alumna. The role of the Parent Ambassador is to be a link to the School for new parents. Any questions or queries you may have regarding school processes, uniform or simply things where you don’t know who to ask, feel free to contact Sam here. We want you to feel as welcome and comfortable as possible for your transition into the Emanuel School family!

Parents & Friends meetings

Our meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7.00 pm. They are usually held in the Board Room 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 Ruby if you would like to attend the next meeting.

Purim Disco

As we mentioned last week, the Parents & Friends Disco cannot go ahead this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. We are so disappointed, as this is always a highlight of the year for us. We can’t wait to be able to host functions for you all again soon.

Weekend brain teaser

Question: What word begins and ends with an E but only has one letter?

Have a lovely weekend,

Jen & Ruby

 

Recipe of the Week

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

From the Kitchen of Jemma and Cooper Adler

Nana’s Bules (Cinnamon Buns)

Ingredients

250g butter
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 tsp dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water for yeast (add a little sugar and flour)
7 cups flour (plus 1 cup to sprinkle on the counter when rolling out the dough) 
1tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
Apricot jam
Cinnamon sugar
Sultanas 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 1800C.
Mix yeast in warm water with little sugar and flour.
Place in a warm place to rise.
Mix melted butter and milk.
Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
Place the melted butter and milk in the centre together with the sugars, eggs, salt, and oil. Add yeast mixture and mix well.
Leave the dough to rise in a warm area (until it doubles in size).
Roll out 2 handfuls of dough into a rough rectangle shape.
Spread apricot jam over the dough.
Sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar and sultanas.
Roll into a log shape.
Cut into smaller pieces (approximately 5cm).
Place on a lined baking tray.
Brush with an egg wash.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until light brown.

Best served warm.

Makes 25 

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