From the Principal

Unpacking the Jilkminggan Experience

Our School has developed strong connections to the remote aboriginal community of Jilkminggan. Located a 1.5 hour drive southeast of Katherine on the Mangarrayi Aboriginal Land Trust, Jilkminggan has a population of approximately 300 people. Emanuel School has been visiting this community for the past 13 years and we highly value the relationships we have built with many families. Students from the Jilkminggan School have visited our campus on two occasions.

This year, visits to Jilkminggan have been organised for both Primary and High School students. For all students, Primary School parents and staff involved, the upcoming Jilkminggan trips are an amazing cultural immersion experience and provide a wonderful opportunity for the School to celebrate our connections with and commitment to the Jilkminggan community. There is much about the Jilkminggan experience that is unique, and for some, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Primary parents to be with their child, experience the richness of the community and learn about the aboriginal culture, language and wisdom. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to meet other parents and children in an informal setting, resulting in many lasting friendships from the trip. 

The positive impact that our School has on the Jilkminggan School community should also not be underestimated. The experiences shared, the friendships formed and the opportunity for 2-way learning are of benefit to all. One parent described the Jilkminggan experience in glowing terms:

“The trip I have just been on has changed how I feel. I cannot express to you what an incredible trip it is for the parents and the children. The staff were organised, supportive and held the group in a loving and practical way. The guides external to the school were just incredible people to get to know. The group had experience after experience that would only have been possible with the presence of the guides we had. I learnt a lot from their knowledge and way of being in the world. I have done a lot of traveling in my life and have lived overseas in a lot of different places, and this trip stands out as a highlight. Both my son and I got a LOT out of it in many different ways. We had time to bond more deeply with one another, we faced some fears together and came out the other end stronger for it. I think it is a highlight of school life at Emanuel.”

The Primary School Jilkminggan Trips

Due to the high demand for this program, two trips have been organised, one in May/June and the other in October. The program involves a parent and child travelling together. Each trip involves 40-45 members of the Emanuel community, who visit various sites including Darwin, Litchfield National Park, Edith Falls and Mataranka. The Primary School students spend three days in Jilkminggan School, learning together and exploring the local area. Another highlight is the beautiful Shabbat experience spent in the outback.

 The High School Jilkminggan Trip

Students will depart on Sunday 23 July and return on Friday 28 July. The program is similar to the Primary School experience, but without parents. Twenty-two Year 9 and Year 8 students and two teachers will participate in the program. Our students will be immersed in indigenous culture and will participate in activities with the students at Jilkminggan School. Prior to attending this trip, our students will be participating in a cultural awareness training day.

Learning about Israel

Dr Ron Weiser

Dr Ron Weiser was our guest speaker at our High School Assembly. Dr Weiser is a well-known voice within the Sydney Jewish Community, having been a life member of the Zionist Federation of Australia Executive, Hon. Life President of the Zionist Council of NSW and a founding Director of the Online Hate Prevention Institute. In 2021, he received the WIZO NSW Rose Fekete Community Hero Award. Dr Weiser was invited to speak about current events in Israel, including the proposed reform of the judiciary. His address was measured, informative and it provided our students with an insight into the political situation in Israel.

This week our Year 10 students had the opportunity to listen to the moving stories of guest-speakers from Israel: Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin. Both Elhanan and Aramin suffered tragic family losses in the Arab-Israeli conflict, which led to their joining a Parents’ Bereavement Circle where they developed a friendship. Together, they promote peace and Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. Our students listened openly and engaged thoughtfully with the speakers. 

National Volunteers Week

Volunteers are the backbone of our School community. Every day, parents, grandparents, alumni and others, selflessly volunteer their time which has a profound impact on the lives of our students and school.

Emanuel School volunteers – we are deeply grateful for your unwavering commitment and invaluable support.

P&F volunteers at the Mother’s Day gift stall

Developing our musical talent

On Monday evening we held the first two of our six annual Twilight Concerts. This week 26 students from Years 2 – 9 performed their most polished work for an appreciative audience of family and friends. They were ably rehearsed and accompanied by Mr Burley who organises the concerts in consultation with our team of instrument and voice tutors, who prepared and supported the students. Mazel Tov to the students for their lovely performances and all the work they put in earlier “behind the scenes”.

Kornmehl Family Day Breakfast

Kornmehl Pre-school celebrated Family Day on Monday morning with a wonderful breakfast together with Kornmehl families. It was important  that every child had somebody with them to celebrate. Mums, dads and lots of grandparents joined the breakfast. The children were eager to have breakfast with their special person and spent time engaging in a variety of fun activities inside and outdoors. For our Kornmehl staff and all our special visitors the morning was a resounding success. Many thanks to Terry Aizen and the Kornmehl team.

Canteen closures

The canteen will be closed on Thursday 25 May 2023 due to Shavuot and again on Monday 29 May 2023 due to the school wide BBQ Day.

Mazal tov

• Ella Johns and Lexi Kalinko from Kornmehl Pre-school, whose artwork was shortlisted in the Happy HabitART Competition. Over 500 children from 14 countries created coral reef artworks made with paint, pencil, crayon, play dough, recycled items, nature items, lego and even clothing. Well done! You can vote for their artworks here.

Quote of the week

“Once a year, go somewhere you have never been before.” – Dalai Lama

From the Head of Jewish Life

Adina Roth – Head of Jewish Life

Pick up your towel
A true path to freedom

I will let you in on a little secret…since moving to Sydney I am not managing too well on the domestic front. It’s fair to say that in South Africa I did not develop my scrubbing, cleaning and laundry skills. I have made more than one phone call ‘back home’ to ask how to get a stain out of a shirt! Indeed, we are all finding it quite the adjustment to keep on top of the rolling domestic duties in our new home. What’s especially challenging is that our kids are not taking to the idea of chores (surprise, surprise). When we ask our kids to tidy their room or remind them to hang their towel up on the rack, we hear a grumble followed by, “I’m not your slave”. Another strong rebuttal has been, “Why should I do anything, it’s not MY home…it’s yours!”. Before you show any concern that we are imposing hard labour on our children, let me be clear that we are talking domestic duties 101 here. Bring your lunchbox to the kitchen, pop uniforms in the laundry basket and unpack the dishwasher. When my child says, “I am not your slave”, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. How do you explain the difference between indentured servility and ennobling service to a 10 year old!  

Next week we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot and remember the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. As we prepare to enjoy our cheesecake and cheese blintzes, we may also use the time to consider the deeper meaning of freedom. The Jewish people had just been liberated from Egyptian slavery and for three months they had been adjusting to life in the desert. However, God does not free the Israelites from the desert to lie around listlessly and eat manna all day (even if it did taste, as Rashi tells us, like fried dough drenched in honey.) Shavuot takes the freedom of Passover and infuses it with direction, intention and purpose, bound up in the receiving of the Ten Commandments and the Torah.

You might be wondering how I plan to connect wet towels on the bathroom floor to the Ten Commandments, but wait! When God approaches Moshe to offer the Israelites the Torah, God says a very poetic line to Moshe. God says, “Moshe you have seen how I carried you (the Jewish people) on eagles wings and have brought you to me”. God proceeds to offer a kind of marriage proposal to the Jewish people; if you accept the Torah then you will be a treasure for me. In these lines, God, like a hopeful bridegroom, says to Moshe, ask the people if they want me, and the Torah that comes with me. Some people have, perhaps sceptically, commented that as the Jewish people accept the Torah and all that comes with it, we effectively left the servitude of one Ruler and exchanged it for another. However 20^th century philosopher Martin Buber challenges this notion. He reflects on the image of the eagles’ wings and writes: The God eagle hovers over the people…spreads God’s wings and sets one of the young upon God’s pinion, carries it away and by throwing it into the air and catching it, teaches it to fly freely. Buber imagines the ‘God eagle’ not as carrying the young eaglets but as giving us independence and teaching us to fly. In other words, receiving the contract of the Torah was not about becoming obedient servants to a bossy master, but rather becoming deeply independent to carve our own destiny, to live a conscious life. The bad news is God didn’t intend freedom as a kind of sit around and binge watch Netflix all day! Even if Jewish Matchmaking is that good! The good news is that the Torah at its best is about living an empowered life, a life deeply connected to Jewish story, culture, wisdom, and ritual – where each of us learns to fly and can connect to the Divine (and we get cheesecake!).

The Torah is not about becoming a slave again and it is not about blind obedience! The Jewish journey is always in a dialectic between Pesach and Shavuot, between Freedom and Responsibility. 

Primary News

Carrie-Anne Thomas – Director of Students (K-6)

Year 6 Canberra Camp

Today, we are excited to welcome back Year 6 from their amazing three-day camp in Canberra.  The camp was filled with various adventures and offered new learning experiences each day. The students had the opportunity to explore the national capital, taking part in comprehensive tours and engaging in educational programs focused on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy. They were thrilled to visit destinations such as Parliament House, Questacon, and the Australian War Memorial, among others. The camp was both busy and highly rewarding, and I would like to express my gratitude to teachers Jessica Neutze, Leanne Cresswell, Josh Aghion, Jennifer Udovich, and Stuart Taylor for their unwavering energy and commitment in ensuring the camp’s success. I also extend my thanks to Stevie Levenston and Gena Yeomans for their significant contributions to organising this memorable experience for our students. 

Year 6 students have created wonderful and lasting memories during their time in Canberra! 

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government contributes $30.00 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the School upon completion of the excursion. We have factored this into the cost of the excursion. 

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Unleashing the Power of Problem Solving 

Problem-solving skills are essential for success in all aspects of life. At school, students encounter various challenges daily, ranging from academic challenges to social interactions. By nurturing their problem-solving abilities, we empower our children to face these challenges head-on, develop resilience, and cultivate a positive mindset.

The benefits of problem solving extend far beyond the classroom. When our children become proficient problem solvers, they are better equipped to handle real-world scenarios, collaborate effectively with others, and find innovative solutions to complex issues. These skills will undoubtedly serve them well in their future academic pursuits and careers.

In this process, it is crucial to emphasise the importance of responding to problems with positivity. A positive response involves viewing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles. Encouraging our children to approach problems with an open mind and a can-do attitude fosters a growth mindset, which enables them to persevere, learn from failures, and ultimately achieve success.

Taking responsibility for our actions is a fundamental aspect of problem solving. When children learn to take ownership of their mistakes, they develop crucial skills such as accountability, self-reflection, and resilience. By acknowledging their role in a problem, they gain the power to find solutions, make amends, and learn and grow from the experience.

At Emanuel School, we are committed to fostering an environment that promotes problem-solving skills and positive responses. Our teachers incorporate problem-solving opportunities into lessons, encouraging students to think critically, explore multiple perspectives, and develop creative solutions. We also celebrate the achievements of our students who demonstrate a positive approach to problem solving, encouraging their peers to follow their lead.

As parents and guardians, you play a crucial role in supporting your child’s development of problem-solving skills. Here are a few strategies you can implement at home:

Encourage open communication: Create a safe space where your child feels comfortable discussing any challenges they encounter. Listen attentively and offer guidance without immediately providing solutions.

Teach resilience: Help your child understand that setbacks and failures are part of the learning process. Encourage them to persevere and find alternative approaches when faced with difficulties.

Model problem-solving behaviours: Demonstrate positive problem-solving skills in your own life. Involve your child in discussions and decision-making processes, allowing them to witness firsthand how you approach and resolve problems.

Foster a growth mindset: Encourage your child to embrace challenges, view mistakes as learning opportunities, and believe in their ability to find solutions. Praise their efforts and perseverance, rather than focusing solely on the end result.

By working together, we can empower our children to become confident problem solvers with positive responses. Let us cultivate a mindset of responsibility and resilience, guiding them towards a future filled with success and personal growth.

As always, we appreciate your partnership in providing the best educational experience for your children.

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

For the last couple of years, we have been fortunate to have an amazing group of student alumni in our Informal Jewish Life team working in the Primary School.

In addition to creating, planning and running Jewish Life activities, festival celebrations, informal classroom activities (called peulot) and leading Shabbat, weekly meetings with the Year 6 Jewish Life leaders provided opportunities for planning and developing leadership skills. This team of passionate and dedicated young role models, committed to engaging, enriching and educating our students is a wonderful asset for our school and students.

Our first dynamic duo of Joshua New and Mia Shapiro started in 2021. Together they created and innovated new programs and activities for our celebration of festivals and Shabbat, for the Year 6 Leadership Days and developed an experiential Shabbat program for Year 5 students involving Year 10 student leaders. Joshua finished up with us earlier this year as he moved to Perth and Mia will be finishing up in the coming weeks. Together they were an awesome team, much loved by staff and students. This was evident when Joshua visited the school last week and led our Shabbat celebrations. We will miss Mia and all that she brings and shares with the students, and wish her all the best on this next stage of her life in her studies and travels. 

This year we have been fortunate to have Mia working with our new team of alumni educators, Noah Klein and Olyvea Akres. Noah and Olyvea began midway through Term 1 and were put straight to work, planning and running Year 6 Leadership Day activities, Friday Shabbat and Purim, Pesach and Yom Ha’aztmaut celebrations. The Pesach video created with the Year 6 Jewish Life leaders, featuring Tany Milner as Pharaoh, was a hit amongst the staff and students. Lyv and Noah have big plans for the rest of the year and look forward to engaging with our students to explore and experience the richness of Jewish life and learning. 

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Primary Green Team

Sydney Owen – Year 6

Eve Revelman – Year 6

We are the Green Team Madrichim and our aim is to encourage students to be aware of how we can keep our environment safe.

Our team consists of students from Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6. Morah Jenny will help us with any challenges and activities this term.

At the moment, we are looking at the importance of our bins and how to use them successfully. At our school we have The Rubbish Bin, The Recycle Bin and The Paper Bin.

The students will engage in activities using recycled material to recognise what the symbols are and what happens with recycled items. They will also understand the importance of conserving paper in our school. They will look at various classroom items and decide if they can be ‘reused’, ‘recycled’, ‘composted’ or if it is ‘waste’. They will take responsibility for the waste generated by their classroom including managing a reuse box.

We are looking forward to working with our classmates!

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Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Buddy Reading

On Wednesday afternoon, Year 2 Yerushalayim and their teacher Mrs Esra joined us for our first Buddy Reading session of the year. Every fortnight the Year 2 classes will alternate their visits to the Pre-school. We look forward to also welcoming Year 2 Tzfat and Gabi Wynhausen.

It was heartwarming to welcome back many ex-Kornmehl students into the Pre-school. They were equally excited to come back and show us how well they can now read.

It was lovely to witness the start of some beautiful relationships and friendships that will continue to develop throughout the remainder of the year, as well as siblings and cousins having the opportunity to connect and read together. This is a lovely program encouraging both a love of literature and a strong sense of belonging within the Emanuel School community.

Family Day

We celebrated Family Day on Monday morning with a special breakfast for all our wonderful families. A big thank you to Anthony Pinshaw, Mike Wicks, David Robuck and Oliver Berger, who came in on Monday morning at 7.00 am to help prepare the food. We also thank our bakers on Friday who cooked up a storm in the kitchen – Rachel Szekely, Mandy Heyman, Lee Sandler and Liana Butt. A big thank you to Cliffie Rosenberg for lending us his lighting to create a wonderful, relaxing ambiance in our Dream room. Your support is very much appreciated.

The children from all three groups spent their time with their special person squeezing oranges, having a mint tea party, making bookmarks, threading beads, winding wool around sticks, drawing self-portraits, dancing in the Dream room with scarves and coloured lights or even having a back massage.

The children were excited to have breakfast with their special person. It was a morning of many special shared and heart-warming moments.

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Centennial Park Bush School Visits

This week, we commenced our visits to Bush School down at Centennial Park for the Dolphin and Starfish groups. The children were excited to step out of the gate and finally be returning to our Bush School classroom, to discover what this space has to offer, to witness incredible seasonal changes and to take some risks with activities like tree climbing and jumping off huge stumps of wood. There is nothing more rewarding than giving young children time to be and time to engage with the smorgasbord of sensory experiences that the natural world has to offer. Being in nature is truly food for the soul!

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) recognises the importance of the outdoor environment in the development of young children. 

The Early Years Bush Connections concept is informed by other successful outdoor learning practices from well-researched and established international examples such as Forest Schools, Wilderness Awareness Schools, Wild Play schemes and Nature Kindergartens. 

We believe Bush School has many advantages for the children, especially in today’s hurried society, where the children do not get enough uninterrupted time to just play and be in nature for extended periods of time.

Some advantages of Bush School are:

• Open-ended resources in visually simple spaces – giving children the opportunity to be creative, to observe, to be inspired and to problem solve in an open-ended natural environment.
• Risk full learning – the development of a risk adverse society is creating what Tim Gill calls the “shrinking horizons of childhood” where the independence and freedom of childhood has been curtailed.
• Eco-friendly and sustainable living – we need to encourage an ecological awareness in children from a young age. 
• Physicality – children need to be more active. Movement is critical to each child’s health and well-being. The physical aspects of their development are promoted through running, climbing trees, and physically being in wide open spaces with a canopy of trees for a roof.
• Children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced motor fitness, including co-ordination, stamina, balance, and agility.
• Play in natural environments, stimulates children’s imaginations, creativity, and a sense of wonder. Wonder is an important motivator for lifelong learning.
• Exposure to natural environments improves cognitive development by improving children’s awareness, reasoning, and observational skills.
• Spending time in nature has shown to reduce stress. Nature buffers the impact of life’s stresses on children and helps them deal with adversity. 
• An affinity to and love of nature, along with a positive environmental ethic, grows out of regular contact with and play in the natural world. 
• Motivation, concentration, and problem-solving skills are developed through exploratory play.
• Playing in nature encourages children to have positive feelings about each other, and this enriches their self-confidence, independence, and resilience.
• Natural environments stimulate social interactions between children. It fosters an increased awareness of others and our actions on them, as well as encouraging sharing, co-operative play, and collaborative skills.
• Language and communication development is fostered by being in the outdoors. This is prompted by visual and other sensory experiences of participating in a bush school program.

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Coral Reef Project and Competition

Ella and Lexi with their artworks

We submitted 40 art works for this competition. Congratulations to Ella Johns and Lexi Kalinko – their artwork pieces for this competition have been shortlisted. 

We received this lovely email during the week:

Thank you for the brilliant effort you and your children put into your Happy HabitART Competition artworks. Over 500 children from 14 countries created coral reef artworks made with paint, pencil, crayon, play dough, recycled items, nature items, lego…even clothing. 

We’re thrilled to let you know that the artworks of Ella Johns and Lexi Kalinko have been shortlisted!

Our iconic illustrator judging panel, including Kate Pankhurst, Rebecca Cobb, Diane Ewen, Stephen Stone, Jeannie Baker and Sally Morgan, will be judging shortlisted artworks from Wednesday 17 May – Wednesday 31 May.

At the same time, People’s Choice Voting will be taking place on our Instagram and website from Wednesday 17 May – Wednesday 31 May. Please follow Be The Future on Instagram and tap the notify bell so you don’t miss out on casting your votes!

Winners will be announced via email, our website and social media pages on Monday 5 June.

Wishing you all the best of luck! Thanks so much for being part of this nature loving competition.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Edison Robuck (4), Neave Lukins (4) and James Frank (5). We hope you all had a beautiful day.

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Double Act

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Flashback Friday

Some years ago, during one of the many pack-up and moves of the Primary Library on campus to different spaces, the Head Librarian was doing a big clear-out and asked if I wanted some old student storybooks, as she was about to do a big throw-out. I collected these for our archives – two most delightful books with hand drawn pictures and typed stories by the Year 2 students of 1985. Here is the front cover of both books, plus the index and just one story from Our Big Holiday Book by Year 2 student Nikki (Ross) Michel about her and her twin sister Lisa Strous and their friend Tamara.

Nikki and Lisa are now current parents at the School. If you have memorabilia you would like to donate or lend us, please get in touch.

Index, Our Big Holiday Book

Our Big Holiday Book (1985)

The Second Great Big Holiday Book

Tamara, Lisa and I – written by Nikki Ross (1985)

Double Act

Lauren Faul and her father Jeremy Faul

A past parent, Jeremy Faul, recently had a most wonderful opportunity where, as he says: “I shared with my kids the notion that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I completed dual master’s studies and obtained my degree. I was also able to experience one of those rare life moments. The special and completely unanticipated aspect was that my daughter Lauren and I were able to jointly commemorate our separate graduations”.

Jeremy’s daughter Lauren Faul (Class of 2018) completed her Medical Science degree with 1st class honours and is seen here with her father, both in their academic robes on Graduation Day.

Lauren is now working for Westmead Institute of Medical Research (WIMR) as a research assistant in the field of skin cancer dermatology.

Mazal tov

Alumnus Sam Weiss (Class of 2012) has been nominated as a finalist in the APRA AMCOS* 2023 Professional Development Awards for Screen Composition. Sam says: “A lot of hard work has gone into this tile! Writing music for movies is such a cool gig. On an artistic level, we composers collaborate to elevate; we can transport you to faraway worlds and galaxies, make you laugh or cry, anoint heroes and villains, illuminate the unseen, and spark childlike wonder in audiences the world over. Experiencing this childlike wonder through film music was what made me want to be a screen composer in the first place – and something I still hold onto as part of my practice today.

“But on a professional level, it’s not an easy road. It’s a long game. So, a huge thanks to APRA AMCOS for all their work supporting emerging artists like each of us nominees, championing us and providing us with truly life changing opportunities to grow, learn and develop. It’s a testament to their support that so many other PDA nominees and winners have gone on to have wonderful careers.”

* Australasian Performing Right Association Limited (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS).

Sam Weiss (Class of 2012)

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 our principal, Andrew Watt, speak as part of a panel discussing Special Needs Education and alumna Dr Rebecca Kummerfeld showcase the work of the Museum alongside all 25 member organisations of the JCA. 

Limmud in your Lounge
Saturday 10 June 2023 – Monday 12 June 2023

This is a series of thought-provoking and inspiring conversations about Jewish ideas and culture in homes across Sydney. Read the full program and buy your tickets now.

Presenters at this year’s event include several members of our School community – our Head of Jewish Life, Adina Roth, plus current parents, Jayme Akstein and Alla Melman.

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.   

Adina Roth

Alla Melman

Jayme Akstein

Shabbat shalom, stay safe and have a wonderful weekend.

Music Matters

Diana Springford – Director of Music P-12

Welcome to our Music Matters page! 🎶

Recent Student Performances

Our Twilight Concerts provide an intimate and formal performance opportunity for students receiving private music tuition here at School. Over the past few weeks, 26 of our dedicated student instrumentalists and vocalists have been preparing for a live performance in front of family, friends and peers.

On Monday evening, these two highly enjoyable concerts featured students ranging in age from Years 2 – 9. 

Mazel tov! Thank you to the students who have worked hard preparing these performances and to those who attended to support them:

Thank you to Mr Burley for organising this showcase event and for rehearsing, accompanying and supporting our students. Thank you to our team of peripatetic tutors who have prepared these students so beautifully. 

We encourage students of all levels to perform regularly and to express their interest via their music tutor to participate in future concerts. The next Twilight Concerts will be held in Term 3 and preference will be given to those who missed the opportunity this time.

Music Camp (Week 9)!

We’ve had a wonderful response and a huge group of talented students from Years 4 – 12 are registered to attend. Bookings for Music Camp have closed. 

On Monday 22 May 2023, parents of all participants will receive an important email about dietary requirements, with a link to the venue catering survey. Very detailed information will be in the cover email, and you will be asked to confirm whether the vegetarian menu we have chosen, which includes fish, will be suitable for your child, and/or whether your child has additional special dietary requirements. A response is required for each child. 

A detailed packing list will be sent to attendees in Week 6.   

Music Campers …. show off your secret, or not so secret, talent at our Music Camp Student Concert on the Tuesday evening during camp. Students who wish to participate should have a well-prepared act that is appropriate for Music Camp students from ages 9-18. It could be serious or funny. Mr Burley will be looking for a variety of items, from both Emanuel School and Mount Sinai College students from Years 4-12.  

• Students who would like to participate register their interest at this link with Mr Burley by Friday 9 June 2023 (latest). 
• Not everyone who fills out a form is guaranteed a spot, as we have lots of students.
• Please don’t miss the deadline as there’s no chance of being in the concert if you don’t not submit your form.
• You can only submit one entry. 
• If using a backing track, students would need to have it fully downloaded to email to Mr Burley – once notified that your item has been selected.
• Performers would need to bring whatever gear they need to camp.

Music Camp Showcase Concert

Parents and carers, please remember to put the Music Camp Showcase Concert in your diary for Thursday 22 June 2022, from 5.45 pm – 8.00 pm. Please note that we have such a large group of campers who will be performing in the concert, that we will need to limit the audience to two persons per student.

High School Athletics Carnival 2023

Head of PDHPE | Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator

Congratulations to all the students who competed so well at the High School Athletics Carnival last Tuesday.

A glorious day at the Hensley Athletics Stadium and some fabulous performances on the track.

Well done to everybody who entered events and supported their respective Houses on the day.

The 2023 carnival produced a clear winner, Rashi House, with just 10 points between 2^nd and 3^rd places.

Well done to all four Houses, and many congratulations to Rashi House and to our 2023 Age Champions:

Inter-House competition results:

New school records:

Congratulations to the 18 new record holders listed below:

Night of Dangerous Discourse

Primary SRC Charity

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

There has been a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the media recently, and for very good reasons. We hear often how AI will take over our jobs, and our careers. If you read the negative press, this will leave us all unemployed. For a careers advisor, that can sound like doom and gloom, so we need a balanced approach to all of this. Firstly, we certainly need to embrace the power of AI. Secondly we need to understand this is new and groundbreaking and unknown territory. Thirdly, we need to keep it in perspective and not allow the headlines to make us panic – yet.

I had an interesting discussion this week where the concept of AI was influencing university course decisions, on the basis that AI could potentially have wiped out a whole industry upon graduation. The World Economic Forum’s predictions are changing and initially I read that by 2025 AI will replace 85 million jobs. But then it goes on to explain that AI will also generate a staggering 97 million jobs that are in new areas.

Here are some Interesting sources compiled by StudyWorkGrow for further reading in this fascinating area. Some things are clear. It will be skills that are crucial – not only degrees, not only from a good university, but skills that can be harnessed.

Check out some of these fascinating articles to help with understanding the impact of AI:

• The Impact of AI on the Job Market and Future of Work – intellectdata.com 
• A History of Jobs replaced by Tech and the new jobs it created – University of Melbourne
• 20 Jobs that don’t exist anymore – StudyWorkGrow
• The golden age of AI: Why ChatGPT is just the start – World Economic Forum
• Here’s why education systems need to start taking a ‘skills-first’ approach – World Economic Forum
• Skills you will need for the future – StudyWorkGrow

Careers Space

Years 10,11 and 12 will be attending our annual Careers Space event this week for National Careers Week. As Ma Nishma goes to ‘print’ today we will be hosting 35 alumni from all walks of life, sharing their career stories with our students. We have a range of presenters from nurses, to designers, biochemists to social workers. I am hoping our students get a lot out of these discussions and I look forward to sharing some photos in next week’s edition.

Notices, Dates and Events

Webinars

• UTS | Introduction to Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering
  Monday 22 May 2023 Find out more
• UTS | Women in Engineering and IT Scholarships
  Tuesday 23 May 2023  Find out more
• University of Sydney | Film Studies Masterclass – Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton
  Tuesday 23 May 2023  Find out more
• Notre Dame | Pathways to Medicine Information Session
  Monday 29 May 2023  Find out more

© studyworkgrow, May, 2023

All Year 11 and 12s, please diarise the HSC and Careers Expo 2023, on from Thursday 1 June 2023 – Saturday 3 June 2023. This event has hundreds of education and work providers for everything you need to find out about the myriad of choices out there. Find out more

On Monday June 7 2023 I have managed to secure an invitation for all of our Year 12 students to attend the Sydney City Schools Careers Convention, being held at Sydney Grammar School. Buses will be leaving school at 2.50 pm for arrival before 3.30 pm and we will attend an afternoon including a Careers Expo, Career Industry related talks, Professional Industry insights, discussion panels and a host of other fabulous careers events. This is the first time we have managed to arrange this and I am looking forward to seeing the event in action and for it to bring some new ideas to our year group. More details to follow.

Fiesta De Mama in pictures

Justine Hofman – Head of P&F

Fiesta De Mama in pictures

We thought we would let the pictures do the talking this week…

So much fun was had by all at our Fiesta De Mama, the Mother’s Day Stall and our reprise Second Hand Uniform Shuk – all held last Friday morning. A special thank you to Emanuel mum and photographer, Andrea Aschner, for taking photographs at the Fiesta to capture the atmosphere of the morning. (Additional photos of the stall and Uniform Shuk provided by committees members).

Thank you to our volunteers

There were so many of you who helped on the day to make our celebrations come off without a hitch.

Thank you to: Neil Shilbury, Doran Wajsman, Alan Arnott, Jeremy, Gina Becker, Melanie Marks, Ev Marczak, Nick Fisher, Jade Marishel, Brett Churnin, Paul McGee, Kate Eftat, Hila Haskelberg, Ilana Maisel, Tanya Goldberg, Gabi Bredovsky, Anita Clark, Leonna McGee, Amy Friedlander, Lisa Strous, Natalie Lotkin, Ilana Wechsler, Jessica Mendoza Roth, Robert Sandy, Kylie Owen, Lisa Shalem, Yury Gilkin Gina Becker, Elly Berger, Melissa Kery, Aliza ,Gina Becker, Melanie Marks, Kate Efrat, Jessica Klug, Davina Shinewell, Carla Hoffenberg and Guy Olian

Apologies if we have missed mentioning someone or if you offered to volunteer but there wasn’t the need because we had so many helping hands!

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P&F Termly Meeting – Wednesday 24 May 2023
Topics for discussion

Each term we invite parents to join our termly meeting where we share updates from committee and discuss topics facing the P&F.

This upcoming meeting we would like to have a brief discussion on the idea of whether Mum and Dad Day mornings should transform into a ‘family’ morning, as was created by Kornmehl this year and is in line with the changing way we celebrate our diverse community of parents and carers.

Our second topic will be to discuss ideas on how the P&F can become more sustainable at the committee level with increased and potentially paid administration support.

The meeting will be held at School next week at 7.00 pm on Wednesday 24 May 2023.

Please contact Justine for an agenda. All parents and friends of the school are welcome.

Dates for the diary

• Wednesday 24 May 2023 – P&F Termly General meeting, on campus at 7.00 pm 
• Friday 4 August 2023 – Primary School 40^th birthday celebration
• Friday 25 August 2023: Father’s Day morning
• Early September: Second Hand Uniform Sale on campus – date to be confirmed 
• Friday 3 November 2023 – Monday 5 November 2023: Spring Family Camping Weekend

Putting The Pieces Together

As a valued member of JCA, we invite you to join us on Sunday 28 May 2023 at the upcoming JCA major community event. ‘Putting The Pieces Together’. The School is a recipient of generous JCA funding which helps provide financial assistance to families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford a Jewish education, as well as support for our Wolanski Family Special Learning Centre.  

This year’s event delves into pertinent questions faced by our community in the important areas of Community and Aged Care, Jewish Education, Holocaust, History and Heritage, Security and Advocacy, as well as Culture, Engagement, and Outreach. With esteemed keynote speakers and engaging panel discussions, you will have the opportunity to choose a session that truly resonates with your passion. Our Principal, Andrew Watt, will be speaking on the Education panel, delving into the important topic of Special Needs Education. 

Book your tickets today and be a part of one of the community’s most important events of 2023. 

PSG

Thank you to our volunteers for last week 
(Monday 8 May 2023 – Friday 12 May 2023)

Peter Goldberg Ricky Friedlander, Anthony Joshua, Shirly Goldrei, Yossi Bitton, Harry Wertheim, Denise Slot, Lee-Anne Whitten, Avner Silberman, Elan Miller, Brad Allen, Alan Arnott, Craig Forman, Don Robertson, Zhuliang Long, Anthony Milner, Nicolas Meer, Jonathan Mervis, Alina Kirievsky, Melissa Kery, Jethro Marks, Zev Friedman, Alex Hart, Daniel Novy, Darren Isenberg and Lindy Lowenstein.

Help keep our kids and community safe: sign up to PSG here.

Community Notices

Important Dates

What’s happening next week 

High School 

Monday 22 May 2023

• House Music Competition 

Tuesday 23 May 2023

• HICES Middles Team 1 Debating 
• Year 9 Jewish Studies Be the Change – Chiefly Public School 
• Year 11 JST Guest Speaker Series 

Wednesday 24 May 2023

• Year 11 RUA Program 

Thursday 25 May 2023

• Year 11 Tikkun Leil Shavout
• Year 10 English to Macbeth – Seymour Centre
• K-12 Shavuot Ceremony 
• Erev Shavuot – School closes at 1.10pm

Friday 26 May 2023

• Shavuot Day 1 – School closed

Sunday 28 May 2023

• Reconciliation Week commences 

Primary School 

Tuesday 23 May 2023

• Year 4 Allwell Testing
• Year 5 Advanced Learning Program Test

Wednesday 24 May 2023

• P&F Meeting 

Thursday 25 May 2023

• Year 6 Amazing Me Session 
• K-6 Shavuot activities 
• K-12 Erev Shavuot – School closes at 1.10pm

Friday 26 May 2023

• Shavuot Day 1 – School closed

Sunday 28 May 2023

• Jilkminggan Trip 
• Reconciliation Week commences 

Kornmehl 

Thursday 25 May 2023

• Shavuot celebrations 
• Erev Shavuot – School closes at 1.10 pm

Friday 26 May 2023

• Shavuot Day 1 – School closed