From the Principal

A significant milestone for our School

One of the most significant changes that a school can make is to adopt a new School Management System (SMS). The SMS holds all our data and runs our entire school operations, engaging with every parent, staff member and student. The change to a new SMS was prompted by a range of concerns with the functionality of our current SMS, Edumate, raised by both parents and staff. Planning for the transition is well underway, and the changeover process will be complex, lengthy and far reaching. Our challenge will be to launch our new SMS smoothly and successfully across our school community.

The process to select the most suitable SMS involved a thorough market appraisal, conducted by our consultant, MOQdigital and our cross-sectional panel over many months. The top six vendors were selected then assessed, in terms of system architecture, the ability to absorb migrated data and each solution’s complexity. The Alpha School System (TASS) was emerged as the preferred SMS, with consensus endorsement from the School Executive and Board.

A leading SMS provider to schools across Australia, TASS has over 30 years’ experience in the education sector. TASS provides a range of solutions in one location, creating meaningful connections between teachers, students, parents, and administration. The Student Café, Staff Kiosk and Parent Lounge will each provide streamlined and swift access to a range of activities and information. As a central point of truth for all Student, Finance, Payroll, and Teaching and Learning data, TASS builds deep connections, removing silos, minimising double handling, and empowering the school community with the data to make informed decisions. TASS is certified in ISO 27001, the global standard for Information Security Management Systems, thus demonstrating their commitment to managing information security risks.

Project Synergy
Launching TASS in Term 4

As the name implies, the implementation process will require a collaboration and integration of different systems and stakeholders, with an expectation of a positive outcome and a harmonious relationship between the old and new systems The project implementation will be led by Peter Cottle, Director of P12 Consulting in Brisbane, supported by the School’s Strategic Advisory Team (SAT) and Director of ICT, Cameron Whiston. Peter has recently completed a SIS implementation project with a neighbouring school, where he worked with school leaders through their change management process. Peter has been a teacher, a digital integrator, and has worked for EdTech companies, including TASS and SchoolBox. Peter and Cameron will lead the School’s transition to TASS, with a comprehensive plan for familiarising our community with TASS, to ensure a smooth take-up of the platform by all stakeholders.

Celebrating Mother’s Day

This Sunday, children (young or adult) across Australia will visit with gifts, or share a meal with, or call their mothers or other significant women in their lives. Mother’s Day presents a wonderful opportunity to express gratitude for our mother’s influence and contribution in our lives.

On Wednesday I was a fly on the wall for a Year 11 Hospitality Mother’s Day High Tea. The students excelled themselves and the very lucky mums and significant others enjoyed a decadent feast. On behalf of those who attended, I thank Lara Ephron and the Year 11 Hospitality students (pictured at the top of this article), for this special afternoon.

This morning over 100 mums enjoyed our Mother’s Day event, run so successfully by the P&F. I hope that all who attended had a wonderful time. I thank the P&F for all their hard work in helping to celebrate the mums in our community and wish all our mothers a very special day, in which they feel much loved.

Yom HaShoah Commemoration 

Students in Years 6 to 12 took part in a reflective, respectful and student-led commemoration event. The Yom HaShoah commemoration this year explored the themes of resistance and resilience. In the ceremony we paid respect to the courageous acts of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and partisan groups who resisted against the Nazi regime. The commemoration also recognised the spiritual and cultural resistance demonstrated by Jewish artists, writers, and musicians during the Holocaust. Additionally, the event highlighted the stories of the “Righteous Among the Nations” – non-Jewish individuals who risked their lives to save Jewish people during the Holocaust. The event served as a reminder of the bravery and resilience of those who fought against the horrors of the Holocaust and the importance of preserving their legacies. This commemoration provided us with the opportunity to remember those who gave their lives in fighting for the Jewish people, demonstrating that even in the depths of tragedy people could still fight for their rights, beliefs, and humanity. Thank you to our Jewish Life team for organising this special occasion.

Annual High School Athletics Carnival 

Our students enjoyed a day of inter-House rivalry, featuring both our elite athletes and those who ‘gave it a go’. Whilst sunny conditions, our athletes battled strong headwinds, particularly in the field events. Our Athletics Carnival provides an opportunity to identify and showcase our talented athletes, so that they can progress to represent the school at the CDSSA Championships. It also provides an opportunity to build House spirit and connections. Details of the carnival can be located later in this issue. Thank you to Ray Francis and his team of teachers and sport coaches, for a well organised and enjoyed competition. Thank you to Ofer Levy for some amazing photos which can be accessed here.

Year 12 Camp 

Last week, from Thursday afternoon to Saturday evening, Year 12 participated in their annual Shabbaton Camp in Katoomba. It was a chance for the group to reflect on and celebrate their time in High School together, have one last Year level Shabbat and discuss their ideas and plans for the future. Highlights included a trivia night where the students wrote their own questions based on their shared Emanuel History, a beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat Service and plenty of downtime playing cards and relaxing after a busy period of exams. Thank you to the staff: Adam Ezekiel, Julie Duncan, Lauren Korotkov, Jess Cooper, Kobi Bloom, Maya Buhrich and Daniel Van Sluys Erlich for their co-ordination of the camp.

 

The Addams Family

Tickets for our High School Production of The Addams Family go on sale on Monday. Look out for the email and link on Monday morning at 9.00 am, when the booking site will open. 

JCA

On Sunday 28 May, you will find a number of Emanuel School students and staff at JCA’s Major Communal Event – Putting the Pieces Together.

An impressive list of speakers and panellists will be sharing their insights into important community issues. Along with colleagues from other Jewish Day Schools, I will be speaking on Jewish Education, with a focus on Special Needs Education. We are grateful to JCA which provided $712,500 to Jewish Day schools to support Special Needs Programs and generously allocated $313,000 to Emanuel School this year to help fund fee assistance. JCA relies on the collective support of our community to make this happen. Bookings for this significant community event are now open.  If you cannot make the event, please consider donating directly to JCA to support their programs.

Mazal tovs

• Leah Doust, Year 10, was recently awarded a High Credit in her AMEB Comprehensive Cert of Performance examination. For this examination she had to play a recital of professional level piano works from a range of eras, demonstrating an adept technique and impressive musicianship. This is a significant achievement for Leah – well done.
• Max Tsipris, Year 9, was recently awarded an A in his 8^th Grade AMEB piano exam. What a marvellous achievement for Max – well done. 
• We have had a number of superb results in Representative Netball, Football, Rugby and Swimming over the past few weeks. Click here for a comprehensive article on these sporting achievements. 

Quote of the week 

“If at first you don’t succeed, try doing it the way mom told you to in the beginning.” ~ Unknown

 

 

From the Head of Jewish Life

My parents were not vegetarian hippies
A Lag B’omer lesson

“Ms, I read your article,” exclaimed one of my students as we began our class last Friday. “You read my D’var torah,” I said (trying not to betray too much excitement that my students are reading words of Torah during recess). “No… I read the one ABOUT you… your parents were vegetarian hippies!”.

“Ah…that one,” I said, recalling that the Marketing Team had wanted to do a profile on me. “And that they were,” I said, smiling and hoping it would make me seem a little cool to my students.  But my parents didn’t find it cool. They now subscribe to Ma Nishma and love reading it every week. Last weekend, after Shabbat, my dad said to me, “I wouldn’t have called us hippies”. He followed up the conversation with a message on WhatAapp. Synonyms for hippies: Pot head, hash head, burn out, flower child, stoner, Beatnik, dropout. My parents weren’t thrilled at being reduced in that way to the entire Emanuel community. It even led to a family chat between my dad and his sister. My Aunt Bev offered a re-write, “My parents were vegetarian and meditators, long before it was trendy”. My dad elaborated, “their leisure studies varied from Talmud, Sanskrit and the classics. Yet Yiddishkeit and Modern Orthodoxy was their default. They are both professional in career; my dad is an Optometrist, my mum is a Hebrew teacher.’

The truth is, I used the word hippy as a lazy catch-all. But my dad was right. It doesn’t capture who my parents are. Because often, one-worders don’t describe people. This last week we celebrated the holiday in the middle of the Omer period, known as Lag B’Omer. Lag B’Omer, is the 33^rd day in a 49 day ‘count-up’ from Pesach to Shavuot. While the Omer is a time of semi-mourning, Lag B’Omer is a day of great celebration; think bonfires, s’mores, guitars and BBQs. Most famously, it is known as the day that the students of the great Rabbinic sage Rabbi Akiva stopped dying from a terrible plague. The Talmud recalls that Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 students who were struck with a terrible plague after Passover one year. There are different reasons given for this plague but the Rabbis link the students’ terrible fate to ethics, saying that the students were “punished” because they did not show respect or honour to one another. What does this mean? Some say that the students gossiped about each other, (a bad case of Gossip Girl) some say that they were stingy with their Torah learning and didn’t share it (think the envy of Black Swan with Yeshiva students). But I was struck by an interpretation of what the students did that is brought by an ancient Midrash in Bereshit Rabba; “their eyes were narrow/miserly towards each other”. To put this differently, the students looked at each other in a constricted way, seeing what they wanted to see, and not seeing what was actually there, the fullness, the complexity and the infinite potential of another human being.

We don’t inhabit a world view where plague is a punishment for anything! However if one lives in a community that is rife with gossip, envy and stingy ways of seeing each other, the community would not be considered healthy or thriving with vitality!

I think this kind of “stingy seeing” is very easy to become the norm in a community. We become habituated to each other in a kind of way that we decide you are this and I am that. You are x and she is y. This is pretty much what I did by fixing my parents as “vegetarian hippies”. This is also how social groups form in school, becoming unnecessarily rigid and fixed. You might actually get on very well with a student in another group but the friendship is made difficult because you have some limiting label about the group they are in.

I am very excited to start working with a group of Batmitzvah girls at Emanuel this week. They will be embarking on a year-long journey together, exploring Judaism, and what it means to come of age. Crucially they are doing it in a group. In the past I taught this kind of group with girls from different schools and, so when they arrived, they had no prior labels or preconceptions of each other. When I start with the Emanuel girls, I am aware that they may have prior ideas about each other because they are familiar with each other. I have been thinking about how to challenge these preconceptions so that they can start to see each other anew. Perhaps part of doing this is simply to talk about it together.

We all deserve so much more than one-worders to describe ourselves. When we can recognise what philosopher Levinas calls the infinite potential of each human being, we reinvigorate our classrooms, our friendships and our communities. “My parents were vegetarian and meditators long before either of those things were trendy”.

Shabbat Shalom

 

Primary News

2023 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge

Students in the Primary School are being encouraged to enter the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge.

What is the PRC?

The PRC, as it is affectionately known, has continued to evolve and change to reflect the reading needs and tastes of its audience. The greatest change has been made this year, with new rules allowing students to have increased freedom to choose books which are not on the list and are of their own ‘personal choice’. Students are now able to choose to read ten ‘personal choice’ books, up from five last year.

Another interesting change has been the ability for students to continue to track their reading on the PRC website even when they have completed the challenge. This has proven encouraging for those who really enjoy reading and are ready to move beyond their challenge year.

How to participate?

All students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 have their PRC books logged by library staff. These include books that are read to them during Library lessons and in class. Parents may also add books read to their child’s PRC.

Students in Years 3 to Year 6 have been given their own logins and may add books during Library lessons or in their own time at home. Everyone is being supported and encouraged to complete the challenge.

Why participate?

• Students who complete the challenge receive a certificate at the end of the year. However, there are other less extrinsic reasons to consider when deciding to take part.
• More reading results in higher reading achievement. Kavanagh’s research findings “indicate that students’ intrinsic motivation and self-concept make independent contributions to reading activity, and reading activity, in turn, significantly predicts reading achievement.” (2019, p. 576) This, therefore, results in students who think they are good readers becoming even more motivated to read. They “engage in greater amounts of recreational reading, and those who engage in greater amounts of recreational reading have, on average, higher reading achievement.” (Kavanagh, 2019, p. 576)
• Taking part in the PRC helps create an Emanuel School ‘social reading environment’ as all students are involved in the challenge. “The social reading environment of a classroom, school and wider community is crucial to fostering an ethos of reading for pleasure.” (Cremin et al., p.114)

And isn’t this what we want students to achieve? To develop a habit and love of reading that will sustain them throughout their lives, providing both a means of accessing academic knowledge and the pleasure of inhabiting different worlds at the turn of a page.

For more information about the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge please visit the website or contact the Primary Library.

References:

• Cremin, T., Hendry, H., Rodriguez Leon, L., & Kucirkova, N. (Eds.). (2022). Reading Teachers: Nurturing Reading for Pleasure (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.sydney.edu.au/10.4324/9781003215615
• Kavanagh, L. (2019). Relations between children’s reading motivation, activity and performance at the end of primary school. Journal of Research in Reading, 42(3-4), 562–582. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12284
• Department of Education and Training (2023). 2023 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge  https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html

 

 

An In-Between Space

This D’var Torah was inspired by a D’var Torah from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg and delivered at Tefilah:

Pesach is the story of the end of the Jews’ time in slavery, a time where we were constrained physically and mentally in Mitzrayim, Egypt, the narrow place. On the second night of Pesach we begin counting the Omer, a period of 49 days between Pesach and Shavuot, between the end of slavery and the beginning of the Jewish People at Har Sinai. So, we have left Mitzrayim but not yet reached Sinai, neither here nor there, we are in an in-between space, a liminal space. This is a period of our Jewish calendar for us to consider transition.

There is a theory, offered by author William Bridges, that transitions happen in three stages, ending, the neutral zone and beginning. In our story, Pesach is the ending of slavery, Shavuot is a new beginning, a life no longer dictated by the demands of an earthly taskmaster bur rather Torah and our collective imperative for good.

Last Tuesday marked 75 years since David Ben Gurion proudly declared “Hee Medinat Israel”, the Nation of Israel lives. Was this our new beginning? Or was it perhaps just the end of our time in Mitzrayim, a period of 2000 years where our lives as Jews often hung perilously in the hands of others.

But before I speak about Zionism, we need to really understand the in between time, the neutral zone that Bridges speaks about, in our story from Mitzrayim to Sinai, this in between time takes place in the desert, bamidbar.

According to Bridges, people in this intermediate space are often confused, uncertain and impatient. There may be feelings of anxiety, scepticism or low morale – the past has been let go of, but the path to the future has not yet manifest.

It is uncomfortable, being no longer this but not yet knowing what that is going to look like, how it feels, who we will be and whether it will be any good at all.

And yet the neutral zone is a time of rich spiritual power, creativity, a time to try new ways of being in the world. It can be liberating to not be constrained by old ideas about who we are, what are our lives are supposed to be like. Terrifying sure, but also exhilarating.

The neutral zone is a time of quietness, of seeking out silence and the power it holds.

It is no coincidence that everything important in the Bible – prophecies, kingships, Torah – came out in the wilderness. It’s a place of danger and vulnerability, and perhaps it can feel like it can go on forever. Just ask anyone who has been on Chavayah and travelled on the overnight hike through the desert. Midbar Medaber, despite its almost inconceivable silence, the desert speaks with incredible power.

I suggest that Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence marks the ending of our 2000-year exile and since then, our people have been in transition, in between. The fact that Israel now exists cannot alone be our Shavuot, our redemption. We need to see the State of Israel as a place that still needs to reach the promise laid out in the Declaration of Independence, which states that, “Israel will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.” Notice that it says The State of Israel will ensure equality, it will be guarantee freedom. It will, it will, it will.  We celebrate Israel now and we also keep aspiring to realise its noble vision. The founders of Israel wrote about Israel in the future tense because they knew that we must always be in transition towards this better future. Our nation has made progress, but it is not there yet. We know that recent months have been terribly difficult for Israel. Terror attacks and tensions have risen while the fabric of Israeli Democracy has been under strain. While we hope for peace and are regularly challenged by tragedy, we can keep aspiring to build an Israel that is fully a light unto the nations. That’s the thing about Judaism and transitions, we are always transitioning towards something better. We don’t believe that our ancestors were freed from slavery so our job is done or that we received the Torah at Sinai so we are done with reinventing ourselves. We have a Seder, count the Omer and celebrate Shavuot every year.

So, while we sit here in that uncomfortable time of transition between the Israel we have and the Zion we dream of we are also reminded by Pesach, The Omer and Shavuot that revelation is a process that we transition towards constantly. The point of the transition is for us to sit with the anxiety, ambiguity and the unknowability of what comes next. This is the time to go down deep into the deepest recesses of who we are, to find the resources and riches we didn’t know were there. We must take hold of this transitional time and harness the spiritual power and creativity it affords us to try new ways of being in the world, so that together, we can try to live up to the hope of our Jewish Nation.

Ma Koreh

Rabbi Akiva and how water can shape stone

During our morning tefillah, we have been performing the mitzvah of ‘Sefirat HaOmer’, the Counting of the Omer, in our ‘count up’ from Pesach to Shavuot. From the second day of Pesach we count 49 days to Shavuot. Shavuot means ‘weeks’ and reflects this counting of seven lots of seven days or seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot. 

This week we marked Lag B’Omer – the 33rd day of the Omer, focusing on stories connected to the second century sage, Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva provides a positive role model for learning values we have for our students – the importance of perseverance, resilience, having a positive mindset and being a lifelong learner. 

According to the legend and stories told of Akiva, for the first 40 years of his life he was a poor and illiterate shepherd. With the loving support of his wife Rachel, who believed in his potential and qualities, Akiva began learning the Aleph Bet and progressed to studying Torah. He developed into a knowledgeable and respected Rabbi with a large school of students. One day Rabbi Akiva was at a well and noted how the persistent, soft dripping of water had sculpted and shaped the hard stone. He then compared this to the study of Torah, which can smooth and shape one’s mind and heart. The image of the dripping water also reflects the resilience and perseverance Akiva applied to his own learning journey.   

You can learn more about Rabbi Akiva’s life and significance here.  

The images below show students in Year 1 creating their own mini ‘bonfires’ and enjoying marshmallows, reflecting some of the customs of Lag B’Omer:

From the K-2 Play Leaders

We are the K-2 Play Leaders. Over the last term and a half, we have been helping the Year K students get used to the school environment and grow new friendships.

This term we are looking forward to including soccer, art and building club during lunchtimes. We have been enjoying our roles as leaders so far, and we hope to get even better in the future. Our team has been trying hard to create a better and more fun environment for all the Years K-2 students. It has been lots of fun for us too. The Years K-2 students are all so cute and we love working with them.

We also hope to build their social skills and make sure school is a safe and exciting environment for everyone. Watch this space!

By Tal Wajsman and Aaron Eisenberg
Year 6 K-2 Play Leaders

 

Kornmehl

Coral Reef Project and Competition

The Pre-school has been involved for the past two weeks in learning about coral reefs, preserving them and understanding their intricate eco-systems. They have been exploring this topic through many languages and mediums. Our little eco-warriors have expressed their ideas and thoughts about saving the coral reefs and what we can do to remove plastic from our oceans and make a difference. The intent of this project was brought about by a parent sending us information about the Happy HabitART Competition, where children can create the coral reef of their dreams. The competition is being run by Be the Future – a social enterprise on a mission to unleash the power of families and educators to rewrite our climate story. 

 

 

 

 

The competition is a rich learning opportunity for children aged 4-8 years to:

1. Build a love of nature through playful, creative learning and expression.
2. Have the chance for iconic children’s book illustrators, including Kate Pankhurst, Rebecca Cobb, Sally Morgan, Diane Ewen, Jeannie Baker and Stephen Stone to see their artwork.
3. To have the chance to win excellent eco-friendly prizes, such as virtual ocean drawing with our illustrator in residence and eco news boxes – plus winning artworks features in eco media.  
4. To remove a bottle’s worth of plastic from the ocean for every artwork entered.

Working on the coral reef is a great example of the many language’s children can use to make their thinking visible. We have used materials that have enabled the children to work in 2D. This involved looking carefully at what they had created and then graphically representing it. Working on the coral reef has allowed for collaboration as well as individual work. It’s allowed us to practice cutting skills, drawing, planning, and using fun tools such as rollers at the easel. The children have created their artworks by hand, using different mediums (pencil, paint, crayon, nature items, craft items, play dough, recycled materials and paper).

Talking about the coral reef has helped us think about the environment and our impact on it as well as looking at global warming and other environmental issues. We also discussed coral bleaching and looked at some images of the healthy reef and the reef after coral bleaching had occurred. We talked about how to position people swimming in the reef and that they would have to be horizontal, being very careful of their flippers, so as not to not harm the reef. This was challenging for some, as it meant they were required to draw in a way that was different to usual.

We have been astounded at their engagement and their creative artworks, some done individually and some as a group. We have entered 40 artworks into the competition, which means we have been responsible for removing 40 bottles worth of plastic from our oceans.

We invite all Pre-school and Emanuel School families to vote for your favourite artworks on Instagram  or via the website. Voting will open on Wednesday 17 May 2023 and close on Wednesday 31 May 2023.

Children’s comments:

Hudson: Coral comes from deep down in the ocean.
Ziggy: I’m doing a futuristic ocean. That’s a robot crab and it’s cleaning up the ocean. I’m putting some mist in the ocean. I wanted some to be white because I wanted a teeny weenie bit of coral bleaching. There’s a person inside that controls the robot crab. He’s getting all of the trash. He’s stopping the coral bleaching and giving them more water and he’s changing the water temperature to room temperature.
Freddy: The coral is dead. The water is too hot and it’s dying.
Ethan: I went snorkelling in Fiji and I saw coral bleaching.
Hudson: I saw thousands of corals during my holiday to the Great Barrier Reef. The fish need food to eat not rubbish.
Josh: Be careful with the ocean. So, when you’re swimming in the sea, you be gentle with it. You can’t touch the coral.
Lexi: Plastic in the ocean is not healthy. Fish get sick and die if they eat plastic.
Winnie: You can only look at coral and don’t touch. It can break!
Alma: I know how to make it happy, be nice to it.

We represented the reef through movement by watching a YouTube video of the Barrier Reef. We followed this up with a short discussion and a creative movement experience using coloured scarves.

We wondered what makes the water in the sea continually move:

Ziggy: The moon
Oscar: The sun
Freddy: The wind
Hudson: Hashem
Ziggy: The moon controls the tides. If the moon is straight, it could make a king tide
Ethan: Nature is making the water move

What beautiful learning has taken place. Our planet is in good hands.

Lag B’Omer

How special it was to start our Lag B’Omer celebration with Gary Purchase, our Aboriginal artist in residence for the next week giving an Acknowledgement to Country. Gary is a proud Aboriginal man of Dharawal, Bidjigal and Dunghutti descent.

Lag B’Omer is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the 33rd day of the Omer, the 49 day period between Passover and Shavuot. A break from the semi-mourning of the Omer, key aspects of Lag B’omer include holding Jewish weddings (it’s the one day during the Omer when Jewish law permits them), lighting bonfires, and getting haircuts. We did a role play about Rabbi Akiva and how he led the Jewish students to learn and study the Torah, keeping the Jewish religion alive and pretending to hunt with their bows and arrows when the Roman soldiers came to look for them. We sang songs and ate baked potatoes as we sat around the fire. 

Car Park Mural

Our car park mural has been going the whole week and there has been a lot of excitement amongst the children, families, and educators as we have watched the artist, Garry Purchase, bring these to life. The children have been curious and fascinated and enjoyed making their mark on the wall on Friday. We are thrilled with the end product and thank Garry for working collaboratively with us and for being so open with us about his Aboriginal background, sharing stories, comparing similarities and differences between our two cultures and chatting to the children so patiently. 

We also thank Jim Kornmehl, and family for his generous donation to the Pre-school, to ensure we have been able to bring this project to fruition. We appreciate your generosity enormously.

During the week, we spent time looking at the designs for the wall with the children: 

Alma: I can see the Magen David and I love the coloured dots and these look like upside-down love hearts and the circles are getting smaller and smaller. I think the Magen David shares the magic of loveness. It means that sometimes magic shares around the school and the people who are sitting around the Magen David. I think the dots are the magic, sharing all around the entire world.
Raphael: I can see one star with six points. I have only seen it on the Israeli flag. I can also see people gathering and colourful dots. Maybe they’re doing a meeting around it (star). Maybe they want to sit next to each other.
Drew: I can see little dots and I can see the Star of David. It means gathering. I’m going to start on the outside and work my way into the Star of David. That shows we’re Jewish.

Family Day

We wish all our wonderful Kornmehl mums and grandma’s a very special and happy Mother’s Day. We hope you all get spoilt on Sunday and have a lovely time celebrating with your families. We look forward to sharing time with all our Kornmehl Families on Monday 15 May from 8.00 am – 9.15 am in the Pre-school at our Family Day breakfast. 

We have been focusing on inclusion, acceptance, tolerance, diversity, and love.

We asked the children a few open-ended questions to gain an idea of their understanding and knowledge of what a family is:  

Abbie: A family is when you have a mum and a dad, they hug you.
Ella: When you have a little sister, a mum, a dad, and a little doggie. 
Freddy: Some families are Jewish, some are not. 
Hudson: Monkeys, bush monkeys, humans. And before that there was Jurassic Park. Some people have two mums or two dads, and some have a mum and a dad. Because you have different mums and dads, different language, and different places where you are born.
Ziggy: Because everyone’s families are not the same. Some speak a different language. Family Day is better than Mum’s Day. 
Noam: Some people have three parents, two mums and a dad.
Juliette: Everyone has a different family. Families have different names.
Milo: Families have different homes and neighbours. Different hair too.
Gabi: I have two dads.

Care Packs

Our Care Packs have begun to come in and we are extremely grateful for the support from the entire Emanuel School Community for this worthwhile cause. Our goal is to collect 500 Care Packs. Please drop your Care Pack either at the Emanuel School Reception area or down at Kornmehl Pre-school by Monday 29 May 2023.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Tamar Stuhler (4), Freddy Ezekiel (5), Neave Lukins (4) and Gabrielle Marshall-Weinberg (4). We hope you all had a beautiful day.

K-12 Sports News

Primary Girls CIS Netball

The ASISSA netball team finished in second place behind CSSA (Christian Schools Sports Association) at the CIS Netball competition and trials on Friday 5 May at Netball Central, Sydney Olympic Park. 

Comprised of girls from ASISSA membership schools, Akira Aronstan and Shayna Abitz were the Emanuel representatives in 2023.

The results below reflect a very successful day on the court for the girls:

• ASISSA 18 def HICES 3
• ASISSA 13 def SASSA 1
• ASISSA 14 def HRIS 5
• CSSA 9 def ASISSA 7
• ASISSA 21 def HZSA 4
• ASISSA 18 def NCIS 1
• ASISSA 13 def IPSHA 10
• ASISSA 16 def RAS 3
• ASISSA 21 def NASSA 0

After the round robin phase, five girls from the ASISSA team were selected in the Possible v Probable round (more than any other association), with 3 of them making the final trial game. Akira was one of the three girls, narrowly missing out on selection in the CIS team.

The team was coached and managed by Erin Archer and Stuart Taylor. It was a fantastic day working with the girls and they represented themselves, their school and ASISSA with the highest level of sportsmanship.

AICES Championships

CDSSA under 15’s Netball Team came a very close second overall on a countback at the AICES Championships last week. 

Ashley Urbach and Hayley Kanevsky represented Emanuel in this team with Hayley making it through to the possibles and probables.  

The team was coached by Erin Archer who is now representing Emanuel School coaching the next stage being the AICES Team.

 

Football News

On Thursday 2 May 2023, four High School Football Teams competed at the CDSSA Football Championships. The day included a round-robin event, where teams played other schools within the association.

The Emanuel 15 years girls team had a very successful day. This team scored an plenty of goals, finishing the day undefeated and winning the championship. Stand out performers were Gemma Odes, Riley Carr and Julliette Robertson, who were also selected in the CDSSA representative team. 

The Emanuel Open Girls 1sts played very well at the tournament, winning 3 from 5 matches. The girls came up against tough opposition in Moriah and SEDA Sports School. Congratulations to Eden Levit who was selected in the CDSSA representative team and Sienna Poswell and Mischa Speilman who were selected in the shadow squad.

The U16 boys had a slow start to the championships losing their first two games and then went on to draw their next match and win their last two matches There were some pleasing individual performances and a special mention goes to Daniel Allul Orozco who was selected in the U16 years CDSSA representative team.

The Emanuel Boys 1sts performed very well, drawing to Moriah in their opening match of the day, winning against IGS & PAL and progressing through to the semi final where they played a tough opposition in SEDA Sports School, Emanuel lost the semi final 3-0. Congratulations to all the boys on a very positive championships and in particular Coby New, Reece Carr and Ethan Hirst who were selected in the CDSSA representative team to play at the AICES Football Championships this week.

Last week the Primary Years K-2 and Years 3-4 after school Football Development Programs commenced, with an amazing level of interest in the younger years. The future of the Emanuel Football Program is looking bright, with so many keen young footballers. The Years 4-6 students have also commenced their term of football, playing in the Thursday Inter-school Sport Competition each week. 

CDSSA and AICES Rugby Representatives

Last week, 10 students trialed for the CDSSA Rugby Teams, with 3 students trialling for the opens team and 7 students trialling for the U16s team. The Trials were held at Nagle Park in Maroubra and the students were provided training in the morning, followed by a match in the afternoon where they were able to display their skills.

It was pleasing to see all 10 Emanuel students who trialled on the day were all selected into the CDSSA Rugby Team to compete at the AICES Rugby Championships on the following day. 

U16s Emanuel CDSSA Representatives: Oliver Novy, David Winter, Zack Gerber, Ethan Epstein, Jonah Broughton-Oshlack, Ziggy Broughton- Oshlack, Ari Bencheom 

Opens Emanuel CDSSA Representatives: Zak Michalson, Joshua Gordon, Charlie Kerlander

A big congratulations to our students, who competed at the AICES Championships, with the CDSSA Opens Team going undefeated and the U16s CDSSA Team having the most successful AICES Championships thus far.

NSW AICES Swimming Championships

Jake Rosenfeld competed for AICES Swimming at the CIS Swimming championships:

 

 

 

The Addams Family – Bookings open on Monday

Munich last Saturday afternoon

To all the mothers and grandmothers in our School community, we wish you a happy Mother’s Day for this Sunday.

Flashback Friday

Here is the official School photograph of Year 6,1993. Thirty years on, a number of these students are now current parents here at the School including: Anna Hirst, Adam Chimes, Gray Negrine, Adam Symonds, Benjamin Green and Anita Silver. You might also recognise one of the teachers in this photo – Miss T Silver, now known as Mrs Jeckeln.

 

Munich last Saturday afternoon

After finishing March of the Living (MOTL), I have just spent a week in Munich. Last Saturday afternoon, I visited the area of the Jewish Museum and Ohel Jakob Synagogue of Munich. I was surprised to see that the Museum was open on Shabbat, only later to learn that it is run by the Munich Municipality, not by the Jewish Community. I returned on Monday afternoon hoping to see inside the Synagogue but was initially told that was not possible. The guard on duty at The Jewish Community Centre told me told to return in one hour and maybe someone could show me the synagogue, but no promises – one needs to book well in advance. Whilst waiting, I did notice a number of smartly dressed men standing watchfully at the perimeter of the buildings, slowly pacing around the area and I soon realised they were on security duty as the young children were being picked up by their parents from the Pre-school inside the Community Centre. It so reminded me of our very own Kornmehl Pre-school and how enthusiastic our children are to see their parents at the end of a school day, whist being carefully watched over by our own PSG volunteers.

Standing at the front of the Jewish Community Building, I started talking with a man who turned out to be the Head of Security for the Jewish Community of Munich, Gilad Ben-Yehuda, an Israeli who has been living in Munich for the past 14 years. I told him I work at a Jewish School in Sydney and, after chatting a little longer, he very kindly offered to take me on a private tour of the Synagogue – we entered the Community Building and then down some stairs through the 32 metre long underground corridor, Gang der Erinnerung (Hallway of Remembrance) where the names of over 4,500 Munich Jews who were deported and murdered in the Holocaust are written, and then up more stairs to enter the Synagogue, with its magnificent light-filled ceiling in shapes of Magen Davids. Ironically, the Synagogue was built on the site where Hitler had some of his offices, and it was officially opened on 9 November 2006, the 68^th anniversary of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass, 9/10 November 1938). It is an amazing structure with its base in the style of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. The six-foot high main portal, into which the first six letters of the Hebrew alphabet are carved to commemorate the Ten Commandments, does not serve as an entrance to the interior. Whilst few objects connected to Munich’s Jewish history and culture survive today, with the destruction of the synagogues in 1938 and the persecution and murder of Jewish citizens, Jewish life in the city was obliterated. However, the Munich Jewish community today is a thriving one with around 10,000 members and growing.

Karate Dojo

Alumnus Richard Basckin (Class of 2015) has spent many years as an elite athlete in karate, representing Australia in numerous national and international competitions including the Oceania Championships and Maccabiah in Israel. Now, together with his good friend and fellow Karate champion, Yonatan Freund, they are opening a karate dojo in Bondi Junction on 15 May 2023. Richard is the current Australian champion and has been a representative of the Australian National Karate Team for eight years. Miyagi Kan Karate Dojo welcomes children of all ages (6+) with classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6.00 pm (under 12) and 7.00 pm (13 and over). They teach traditional Goju-Ryu Karate and Competition Karate.

Putting the Pieces Together

Don’t forget to book your tickets for the 2023 Communal Event on Sunday 28 May 2023, where you will hear from Andrew Watt, our Principal and alumna Dr Rebecca Kummerfeld showcase the work of the Museum alongside all 25 member organisations of the JCA. Get your ticket today.

 

 

 

We look forward to sharing our news and yours, so if you have photos and/or news you would like to share with us, please send to Sonia Newell.    

Shabbat shalom, stay safe and have a wonderful weekend.

Discipline with Love – Parent Talk

Spotlight on: High School Athletics

Thank you to Ofer Levy for capturing the day in photographs. Here is a selection of images:

Year 12 Camp

Year 12 camp was an utterly amazing experience for our Year Group, acting as a very bittersweet ending of school camps as we come close to the end of our time at Emanuel School. Camp was a perfect time for us to relax as peers, following quite an intense week of half-yearly exams. We were gifted with beautiful weather, and an even more beautiful venue in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains. 

On the camp we laughed our way through a Trivia Night with all trivia questions about memories of the school experiences for the Class of 2023.

We enjoyed short walks through the bushland of Scenic World with amazing views of the Blue Mountains, Three Sisters and beautiful waterfalls, as well as sharing a Shabbat dinner together.

On Shabbat we reflected on our own experiences and thought about the path ahead of us as our school journey comes to an end.

We are grateful to be able to share this experience with each other as our time at Emanuel is nearing its end.

 

Youth Mental Health

The State of Youth Mental Health 

Parents and carers can play a crucial role in their children’s mental health. As a result, staying informed on the current state of youth mental health is vital, as it not only affects individuals, but also families and communities. According to recent research, the frequency of mental health disorders among young people is increasing, with anxiety, depression, and self-harm being among the most common challenges.

One of the reasons being attributed to this rise is the heightened stress and anxiety that many young people face in today’s society. Academic success, social media, and family issues are all influencing factors. Many young people are still suffering the long-term consequences of the pandemic, such as social isolation, uncertainty, and loss.

Parents can play an important role in their children’s mental health. Creating a safe and open environment for your children to talk about their emotions, thoughts, and feelings is vital. Encouraging healthy habits like regular exercise, a balanced diet, and proper sleep can help reduce their stress levels and boost your child’s overall mental health. There are also many resources and services available to children, adolescents, and their families, such as school counsellors, various mental health organisations, support lines, and of course, mental health professionals. It is important to remember that seeking help is a show of strength, not weakness, and that early intervention is critical in addressing young people’s mental health difficulties.

This edition of SchoolTV, discusses some of the major mental health issues affecting young people and how to support a child experiencing them. 

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the The State of Youth Mental Health edition of SchoolTV.

Happy Mothers Day!

Fiesta De Mama was a hit!

What a morning! A record turnout of over 300 mums, saftas, special friends and students certainly brought the Carnivale vibes to Emanuel School with our Fiesta De Mama celebration. So much colour, smiles and good times!

Our Zumba class was full of energy. Led by World Latin Dance champion and star, Giselle Peacock, it was fun for all ages with mums and children showing off their moves to infectious Latin beats. In between there was plenty of coffee, noshing on yummy Jessie’s pastries, and connecting with each other. Families also appreciated getting some last minute bargains at the second hand uniform sale.

Following the Fiesta, Primary students went along to buy wonderful gifts at our much-loved Mother’s Day Stall (check their bags for the goodies). This year there were more choices than ever before, including a charity gift that was extended to all Primary year levels. Charity gift proceeds will go to the Be Centre, which provide play therapy kits to children who have been affected by trauma.

 

We would like to acknowledge and thank the following Emanuel School-related business who supported our festivities:
 1^st Steet Financial – thank you for sponsoring our all-important coffee cart. Biggest of thanks also goes to Metro60, The Honour Store and 100 Percent Dance who provided prizes for the raffle and best dressed and best dancer respectively. We also acknowledge the support of QCC Hospitality Supplies, Muggshot Coffee and Jesse’s Bakery for looking after us. And finally to Andrea Aschner for capturing the day with some lovely photos.

We give HUGE thanks and praise to the spectacular Mother’s Day Morning committee. You guys pulled it off yet again. It’s not surprising considering the powerful women in this group.

Thank you to the Fiesta committee: Lauren Hockley, Naomi Hersh, Mia Kalinko, Natalie Chesler, Kate Wine and Zoe Boothman. And to Carli Rothman and Lynn Ross for the incredible Mother’s Day Stall. So much thought and effort went into not just the gift selection, but also into every aspect of planning and presentation of this initiative.

We cannot forget to once again thank Elly Berger and Rebecca Pal and committee for answering the call for an encore Second-Hand Uniform sale held this morning, which has helped some many families find affordable uniform options this Term.

And finally, thank you to the team of over 50 volunteers – which included a big contingent of dads – who showed up to have fun, make the morning magical and honour the women in our community.

Dates for the diary

• Wednesday 24 May 2023 – P&F Termly General meeting
• Friday 4 August 2023 – Primary School 40^th celebration
• Friday 25 August 2023: Father’s Day morning
• Early September: Second Hand Uniform Sale on campus 
• Friday 3 November 2023 – Monday 5 November 2023: Spring Family Camping Weekend

 

 

Important Dates

What’s happening next week 

High School 

Monday 15 May 2023

• Year 10 Allwell Testing
• Twilight Concert
• High School Jilkminggan Parent Information Evening

Tuesday 16 May 2023

• BNSW Basketball Schools Tournament
• HICES Middle Team Debating – Round 3
• Year 9 Jewish Studies Electives Day
• Year 11 Hospitality 1 to Australian Barista
• Jewish Educators of Tomorrow Open Day at USYD

Wednesday 17 May 2023

• BNSW Basketball Schools Tournament
• Years 11-12 Drama to Belvoir Theatre
• Year 11 Hospitality 2 to Australian Barista 

Thursday 18 May 2023

• CDSSA Cross Country Championships
• Mock Trial Competition – Round 2 

Friday 19 May 2023

• Year 10-12 Careers Space
• Metropolitan Chess Competition 
• Yom Yerushalayim

Primary School 

Monday 15 May 2023

• Twilight Concert 

Tuesday 16 May 2023

• Year 6 MAD visit to the Burger centre

Wednesday 17 May 2023

• Year 6 Canberra Camp, departing at 7.15am

Thursday 18 May 2023

• Year 6 Canberra Camp
• ASISSA Cross Country

Friday 19 May 2023

• Year 6 Canberra Camp
• K-2 Assembly
• Yom Yerushalayim

Kornmehl

Monday 15 May 2023

• Family Day Breakfast

Tuesday 16 May 2023

• Starfish to Bush School

Friday 19 May 2023

• Dolphins to Bush School 

Community Notices