From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

Welcoming our Madrichim 2023-2024 

The recent Madrichim election process invited staff and students in Years 7-12 to vote for our formal student leadership roles. I am pleased to announce our Madrichim for 2023-2024:

As the 2022-2023 Madrichim team complete their leadership responsibilities to focus on their HSC studies, we acknowledge their outstanding role in leading and motivating our student body for the past 12 months. Trying to balance their leadership and academic commitments has been challenging, and their dedication has been both admired and appreciated. As highlighted in my Principal’s Address:

 “You have encouraged our students to engage strongly in a range of activities – and to be proud to be an Emanuel student. Thank you for reinforcing our culture of care and inclusion. Your efforts to promote our Jewish connections, our commitment to sustainability and our commitment to community service have strengthened our school culture. You have been gracious, kind, and caring leaders…. and perhaps most importantly, you have never lost your sense of perspective or humour.”

L to R: Kian Hamburger (Head Madrich 2023-24), Amelie Trope (Head Madricha 2023-24), Kobi New (Head Madrich 2022-23) and Ruby Brody (Head Madricha 2022-23)

A huge thank you to Head Madrich, Coby New and Head Madricha, Ruby Brody, for their competent, consistent and selfless service to our School.

The Madrichim 2023-2024 Induction Assembly 

This special event was held on Tuesday, and enjoyed by an audience of High School students, staff and proud families. The Honourable Matt Thistlethwaite, Federal Member for Kingsford-Smith, addressed the Madrichim before they took the pledge to serve and lead within our School. The Induction Assembly seeks to acknowledge and celebrate with those students who have committed to take on the office of our highest student leadership positions, to act as ambassadors of Emanuel and as a role model to our students. I am confident that they will be well supported by their Year 11/12 cohort, who will contribute to the Va’adot and lead strongly, regardless of whether they wear a badge.

The key challenge for our Madrichim will be how they can influence our student culture, so that our students connect deeply with our key events, our House competitions and our School. Our hope is that each student making a pledge to lead is willing to take on the challenge to be an inspirational role model and a mensch. Before each of the Madrichim made their public pledge, they were reminded that they were committing to maintain a student culture that aligns with the values of Emanuel. That is:

• To seek to include and accept everybody, to look after those who need care and support, and significantly, to listen to the voice of every student, and accord them due respect.
• To act with integrity, both inside and outside school, so that their behaviour at parties, or on the way home, matches with their behaviour at school, and that they remain above reproach in their dealings with others.
• To intervene and report any incidents of bullying, harassment or other inappropriate behaviour, even if it occurs amongst their peers.
• To serve their fellow students as best they can, by running activities, supporting events, supporting those who run events; and
• To plan their time wisely, so that their duties do not interfere with their academic and extra-curricular commitments.

Our Madrichim for 2023-2024 will commence their responsibilities this week with my support and my sincere best wishes for a productive, stretching, and enjoyable journey.

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Introducing our new High School Student Representative Council (SRC)

Our high-functioning SRC has provided a strong voice for our students across the past year, as various aspects of our uniform have been under review, and a range of other issues have been addressed. It also serves as a forum for discussion, when students across the Year Groups raise a concern. The SRC is, however, best known for its fund raising efforts, through themed mufti days and barbeques. Thank you to those student who served on the SRC, and to Lara Ephron, for her oversight and support of our SRC.

Mazal tov to the recently appointed Student Representative Council for 2023-2024, who were also inducted at our Assembly on Tuesday:

Re-scheduled POU/Assessment Tasks

On any given day, a number of students are away from class due to participation in co-curricular activities, or excursion/activity, or for personal reasons. Should a student be absent on the day of a POU/assessment, in order to support the make-up of the task, supervision has been organised for Tuesday afternoons each Week A, commencing at 3.40 pm. If your son/daughter misses a POU, they will be scheduled to complete it on the next available Tuesday afternoon (Week A). Students will be expected to attend at the scheduled time.

Mazal Tov

Mazal tov to our Years 5-10 da Vinci Decathlon teams who competed against 70 other schools from all round NSW. A special mention to the teams below for their superb results. The competition was fierce and we are exceptionally proud of all our students who represented the School.

Year 5 – 1^st Legacy
Year 7 – 1^st Art & Poetry and 2^nd Creative Producers
Year 9 – 1^st Creative Producers
Year 10 – 2^nd Legacy
Year 11 – 3^rd Creative Producers

Emanuel School’s Year 7 da Vinci Decathlon team

Quote of the Week

“The ratio of We’s to I’s is the best indicator of the development of a team.” ~ Lewis B. Ergen, actor (1938 – 2018)

From the Head of Jewish Life

Adina Roth – Head of Jewish Life

The Party that Brought our World Down

Some years ago, I read a powerful article about how kind parents create kind children. The writer of the piece was suggesting that parents play an important role in cultivating a culture of kindness among their children. She even said parents should teach their children to invite the ‘less popular’ children to birthday parties, prioritising inclusivity over personal preference.

This week as we mark Tisha B’av, we remember that our Temple was destroyed because an ‘unpopular kid’ was excluded from an ancient party. #truestory! The Talmud in the Tractate of Gittin relates that in Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple, there was a man who nursed a ferrible with someone called Bar Kamtza. At the same time, he had a friend by the uncannily similar name of Kamtza. One day the Ferribled Man threw a party and dispatched his servant with invitations. The servant made a fatal error, delivering the invitation not to Kamtza (the friend), but Bar Kamtza (the non-friend.) Bar Kamtza was delighted, perhaps seeing the invitation as an opportunity for rapprochement and he showed up at the party. He had dished himself up some food when Ferribled Man chanced upon the mistaken guest. “Get out,” he said. Realising very quickly that his invitation was a mistake, Bar Kamtza tried to save face and asked if he could at least finish his food. The host would not hear of it. Bar Kamtza then pleaded he would cover the costs of up to half the party but the host insisted on his expulsion. The Rabbis, moral leaders of Jerusalem and guests at the party, witnessed the humiliating scene without saying a word.

As the story has it, Bar Kamtza was aggrieved at being ousted in front of the entire community. He was especially angry at the Rabbis for witnessing his humiliation without batting an eyelid. He went to the Roman Caesar and created a ruse, leading the Caesar to think that the Jewish people disrespected him. This provoked the Caesar to bring a siege against Jerusalem and eventually, to destroy our Temple.

Kamtza and Bar Kamtza are really ‘every human’. Kamtza is the guy who gets the party invites and Bar Kamtza is the guy who doesn’t! It has always struck me that there is a tiny difference in their names, pointing to the idea that we construct differences around people but at the end of the day, we are all human…fundamentally the same. South African poet, Sipho Sepamla, reminds us in his poem, Da Same Da Same, that one person is not so different from another and that all human beings share the commons of heart. In the poor man’s dialect he chants, “dis heart go-go da same”.

Our Rabbis are careful to tell us that the Temple was not destroyed because of some failure in ritualistic worship. Rather, the destruction of the Temple is linked to baseless hatred, sinat chinam. It all comes down to a party! Poet David Whyte tells us “there is no house like the house of belonging”. The Jewish people had become masters of exclusion and something had failed in our spiritual practice. Our Temple (referred to as a bayit, a home) had become an empty structure stripped of ethical content.

There are multiple broken pieces of our world, but baseless hatred is repaired by baseless kindness, the painstaking work of cultivating ourselves and our children into mensches. We can extend an invitation to a ‘less popular’ kid, or teach our kids to connect with children who might be outside their comfort zone. Perhaps, we don’t need the physical structure of a Temple anymore, but we all need the spiritual home of feeling included, “There is no house like the house of belonging”.

Shabbat Shalom

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Year 6 students visited the Sydney Jewish Museum to complement our learning in Jewish Studies and Project Heritage last Friday. We were joined by a group of Year 6 parents and together had the opportunity to listen to a survivor, learn from a museum educator and have a guided tour of the Museum. 

Our visit began with an interactive presentation by Jeff, one of the museum’s educators. During this session, we learnt about Nazi ideology, Nazi propaganda and how antisemitism and discrimination impacted upon the Jews living under Nazi rule. We also experienced how technology is being used in innovative ways to keep the experiences and testimonies of Holocaust survivors accessible to the next generation, through the new REVERBERATIONS exhibit. Jeff asked questions to a ‘virtual’ Olga Horak, who responded and shared her memories and experiences with us. You can learn more about this exhibit here.  

Ilana McCorquodale, the Museum’s Education Officer and Emanuel School parent, held a conversation with Lucy Chladke, a child survivor from Hungary who hid with her family during the Holocaust. Lucy’s family were hidden and looked after by a local priest and nun. After the war they tried to rebuild their life in Hungary under Russian Communist rule, however this proved too difficult. The family was smuggled out of Hungary to Austria where the Jewish Welfare Society provided them with support and papers which allowed Lucy and her family to come to Sydney. Lucy was warm and engaging in sharing her experiences with us and we were able to ask her lots of questions. 

The final part of our visit was a guided tour of the Museum, which gave us the opportunity to learn more about this period in history, to view historical artefacts and to ask questions. 

Thank you to the Sydney Jewish Museum staff, guides and to Lucy for providing us with such an informative and impactful experience at the museum.

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Tour 1

Lucy and Ilana

By Adam Carpenter, Head of Primary Jewish Life and Aryeh Cohen, Jewish Studies Teacher

Primary News

Carrie-Anne Thomas

Outstanding Speaker Series for Parents

Please be reminded that we have an incredible lineup of speakers for our upcoming events, starting with Leonie Smith in Week 3.

We are truly fortunate to have secured such experts to share their knowledge with our community. We strongly encourage all parents and carers to prioritise attending these exciting sessions.

Here are some further details and the booking link:

• Wednesday 2 August 2023: 7.00 pm – 8.00 pm (on Zoom)
  Leonie Smith will be presenting online about being ‘Happy and Safe Online’
• Monday 21 August 2023: 6.00 pm – 8.00 pm
  Grace Tame will be presenting as a part of an evening about Consent and Respect. Please see the article in this edition for more details.
• Tuesday 7 November 2023: 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm
  Judith Locke (author of Bonsai Child) will be presenting on campus on the topic ‘Confident and Capable’. Judith works with families and schools to provide proven solutions to cope with the ups and downs of life.
• Thursday 16 November 2023: 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm (on Zoom)
  Karen Young will be presenting online about ‘Building Emotional Regulation and Self-Control in Children’. 

Bookings can be made here.

Interrelate Program

This term, we are delighted to host the Interrelate providers as part of our wellbeing programs for Year 5 and Year 6. 

Interrelate has been recognised by the Australian government and education authorities for the programs that they offer to schools, addressing issues relating to relationships, including sex education. With over 90 years of experience, Interrelate has built an outstanding reputation for providing high quality learning opportunities, covering topics in an age appropriate manner. 

Our Years 5 and 6 students will have the opportunity to engage with highly-trained and skilled educators from Interrelate. These sessions will address crucial aspects of emotional and social development. The aim of these programs is to ensure that our young learners are informed about relationships and are encouraged to seek help when needed. Research has demonstrated that providing accurate and reliable information empowers young people to make informed and positive choices.  

Moving Into the Teen Years (Year 5 students)

In Weeks 4-6, the Year 5 students participate in Interrelate program titled, ‘Moving Into the Teen Years’ Interrelate Program. This program is run during school hours by an external presenter with the support of classroom teachers. The program covers the following topics: 

• Acknowledge personal differences and promote respect for, and acceptance of, others
• Increase awareness of personal safety and protective behaviours
• Develop students’ understanding of physical development at puberty, and provide strategies for managing these changes
• Discuss different types of relationships and strategies for managing conflict.

If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher. 

‘Where Did I Come From’ and ‘Preparing for Puberty’ (Year 6 students and parents) 

On Tuesday 15 August 2023, 6.00 pm – 8.15 pm, Year 6 students and parents are expected to participate in an online session hosted by Interrelate. This year’s sessions will focus on ‘Where did I come from?’ and ‘Preparing for puberty’. This online event is compulsory as it covers content in the curriculum. Therefore, it is essential all Year 6 students attend with at least one parent. The programs cover the following topics and more:

• Discuss the physical changes of puberty, emphasising that it can be different for everyone
• Develop students’ understanding of the physical, emotional, social and intellectual changes associated with puberty
• Sexual intercourse and conception, including assisted methods
• Enhance awareness of children’s personal safety and protective behaviours.

More information has been sent to Year 6 families directly. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s Year 6 teacher. 

Smartwatches 

I want to take this opportunity to highlight the growing number of smartwatches we see students wearing at school. The school’s policy on smartwatches and mobile phones is that students may bring them to school, but they must remain in their bags during the school day (8.00 am – 3.30 pm).

We understand that many parents want their children to have access to a mobile phone or smartwatch when travelling to and from school. At the same time, Emanuel School seeks to maintain a learning environment that is free from distractions. Therefore, we require a consistent approach to mobile phones and smartwatch technology. For safety purposes, students may access mobile phones or smartwatches at 3.30 pm and wear or use them on their way home from school. 

Whilst we understand that some smartwatches provide the option of activating school or class mode, there have been several incidents where this function has either been incorrectly set or deactivated so that children can be contacted before the end of the school day. This disrupts learning for the child wearing the watch and other students in their class. Furthermore, differentiating between watches to identify which models have these functions is not always straightforward and is not where teacher time is best spent. 

Students found wearing smartwatches will be asked to return them to their bags. Repeat offenders will have their watches confiscated, and a parent/carer will need to come into school to collect them.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Whacky Walk-a-thon 2023

Spotlight on…100 Days of Kindy

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How to Reduce your Child’s Meltdowns

Meeting with Royalty

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

Meeting with Royalty

We congratulate Emanuel parent, Andy Kuper, founder and CEO of Leapfrog Investments, who was just one of 20 global CEOs and chairs invited to join King Charles and President Biden to discuss their shared passion – protecting our environment. Not too many people can say they have met and had lunch with a King and a President. If you missed Andy’s interview in the AJN recently, you can read it here.  

Note: If you read the whole article you will know Andy’s thoughts about the lunch on offer at this auspicious event. Some of our readers may recall that Andy was Guest Speaker at our High School Speech Night in 2019, where he told the students and other guests in the audience: “I am standing here tonight because I went out into the wide world and experimented, searched, stumbled and leapt across boundaries that pretty much every adult told me were impossible to cross…Don’t plan your life, plan your adventures in living”. If you have a copy of the 2019 YearBook, you can read Andy’s full speech on pages 178-179 which he finishes by saying: “Graduating Class of 2019 and all Emanuel students at the end of a big year, a hearty mazal tov. Thank you for your inspiration and energy. I’m so excited to see the paths you lay down. We can all live in hope if we can follow where you lead. Good luck! Go plan your adventures”.

Australian Emerging Motion Awards (AEMA)

Alumnus, Ethan Cohen (Class of 2017), will be launching a new initiative next month – a competition designed to connect emerging motion designers aged 25 or younger. Ethan, together with fellow alumnus and current parent, Danny Stern (Class of 2004), a motion designer and director, will be judging this competition, which will be open to High School students. Ethan says: “Danny and I haven’t worked together directly but it’s a very small industry in Australia, so we met up once just to chat and worked out very quickly that we are both Emanuel graduates – small industry and small world!”. Watch this space for more details about the competition.

Alumnus and current parent Danny Stern

Alumnus Ethan Cohen

Are you running City2Surf on Sunday 13 August 2023?

Alumna Rikki Stern

Alumna Rikki Stern (Class of 2016), cancer survivor and Founder of Cancer Chicks, has asked our SchoolCommunity to support her worthy cause if we can. Rikki says: “If you are planning to run or walk this year’s City2Surf and would like to join our Cancer Chicks team or make a donation to help us raise money to launch the Cancer Chicks Navigational Carer Program and Re-Employment Initiative, I would be so grateful.” Please click this link.

Sydney Jewish Writers Festival (SJWF)
Wednesday 23 August 2023 – Sunday 27 August 2023

This year’s festival, to be held at Bondi Beach Pavilion, promises to be an amazing event held over five days and is less than a month away. The three streams of exceptional writers, poets, musicians, playwrights, comedians and thinkers promise to challenge us to explore the theme of identity from every angle. Presenters include members of our Emanuel School community – parent Kerri Sackville, author, columnist and social commentator; parent Lee-Anne Whitten, Senior Educator at Sydney Jewish Museum; Kim Slender, past Emanuel parent and was also our School Counsellor for many years, now Psychology and Education Consultant at The Sydney Jewish Museum and past parent Joanne Fedler, an internationally best-selling author and past parent. This event is powered by Shalom.     

Friendship Circle (FC)

There are numerous volunteering opportunities with FC for adults and also for your High School children and older children too, be they as a one-off or on a regular basis including Day Camps, Sunday Circle, Weekend Getaways and Sports Clubs. They also have a Parent Support Group for parents of children with disabilities. Check it all out here.   

Friendship Circle Walk  – save the date
Sunday 27 August 2023

Friendship Circle with this year’s Walk theme: Friendship, is represented by its AUSLAN sign. They say friendship is at the root of everything we do, and truly what Friendship Circle is all about. We provide opportunities for friendship and connections among children and young people with and without disabilities. And often, parents become friends too after getting to know each other as they drop off their child at a program or meet up at one of our Parent Nights. Over the years, we have been able to create our own inclusive community where everyone feels welcome.

Ready to hit the big screen

Alumna Lexee Gordoun

Alumna, Lexee Gordoun (Class of 2017), a passionate writer, producer and film director, has already won a number of international awards for her film-making. Here is the synopsis of her latest short film Sasha’s Game: When a young Jewish boy Sasha is caught in the midst of WWII, his desperate mother Larissa sorts fake papers for them to forge their identity, however, in order for this to work, Sasha will have to battle his identity in a vital growth period in his life to survive the war as a female, Sala.

This film is based on a book called ‘I AM SASHA’ written by Anita Seltzer, the daughter of the Holocaust survivor, Sasha. Lexee says: “I was approached by the author with a copy of the book to create into a film that will raise awareness for her father and grandmother’s story and their hardships throughout the terrors that was experienced during WWII. This short film is a proof of concept for a feature film.” Here is the official trailer.    

It will shown at the Melbourne Jewish Film Festival on Tuesday 31 October 2023 and introduced there by fellow Emanuel alumnus, Simon Holloway, (Class of 1997) now Manager of Adult Education and Academic Engagement at Melbourne Holocaust Museum and it will then be screened at the Sydney Jewish Film Festival on Saturday 11 November 2023.

Lexee says: “As a young Jewish woman, raised on the stories of my ancestors constant struggle against adversity, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust which wiped out six million Jewish people, I feel responsible as a story-teller to speak for those who no longer can tell their stories, and survived the horrors of such events.”

Primary Grandparents and Friends Day 
Friday 8 September 2023

Please make sure grandparents of students in Years K – 6 have this date in their diaries – it is an event not to be missed. Details will be out soon.

Remember September 2023

Founded by alumnus Ben Wilheim (Class of 2008), Remember September is leading the charge to find a cure to pancreatic cancer. Ben hopes our School community will get behind this campaign and choose one of their challenges during the month of September to help raise awareness of this dreaded cancer and funds for research that will hopefully help find a cure.

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 great weekend.

Music Matters

Diana Springford – Director of Music P-12

Copland Concert Band
At Australian Schools Band and Orchestra Festival

On Sunday 23 July 2023, the Copland Concert Band performed in the very prestigious Australian Schools Band and Orchestra Festival held at the University of New South Wales’ Sir John Clancy Auditorium. Students performed in the David Stanhope event, with four other schools. The performance was adjudicated by Paul Vickers and the students will be receiving official feedback soon. They performed at a very high level, presenting three pieces for adjudication, making their families, conductor, and school very proud. For their performance, the students were awarded a Bronze Award, a significant achievement. The ensemble looks forward to more of these types of educational performance opportunities. A big thank you to ensemble director, Remington Owen, and to Julian McKay for preparing the students for this event and to parents for supporting the students and taking them to UNSW. 

Copland Concert Band at Australian Schools Band and Orchestra Festival

Copland Concert Band at ASBOF 2

Painting with Sound – ‘Colours of Home’

On Monday, we were very fortunate to enjoy a visit by two talented musicians from Musica Viva ensemble Colours of Home, who performed three live, interactive and educational sessions for Years K-2, 3-4 and 5-6. Over the course of an hour, students were inspired to learn how colour and mood can interact with each other to influence our experience of music.

Using tailored resources, the students were introduced to these concepts in advance to get the most benefit from the visit. Oboist Celia experiences Chromesthesia – where sound evokes an involuntary experience of colour. She and guitarist Caspar deepened students’ understanding of music through an exploration of colour and mood.

Thank you to our students and supervising teachers for their support and participation. 

Music Events coming up in Term 3

• Primary School Music AssemblyYear 6 Rock Band, Year 5 Rock Band, PS Guitar Ensemble and Rubinstein Strings will perform – Friday 4 August 2023, Period 7.
• Twilight Concerts (tutor-nominated performances) – Wednesday 9 August 2023.
• HICES Music Festival (select High School participants) – Sunday 13 August 2023  – Wednesday 16 August 2023, with the Showcase Concert, Sydney Town Hall. 
• IPSHA Performing Arts Festival (Years 3-6 Junior Choir members plus select Years 5-6 instrumentalists) daytime rehearsal and evening performance – Monday 21 August 2023, Sydney Town Hall.
• Night of Song (all choirs from K-2, plus some soloists) – Monday 28 August 2023.
• Years 10-11 Elective Music to Jazz at the Lincoln Centre Orchestra – Wednesday 30 August 2023, 12.00 pm, Sydney Opera House.
• Year 10 Elective Music to the Burger Centre – Thursday 7 September 2023.
• Copland Concert Band Tour Day – Thursday 21 September 2023.

Sustainable Suggestions and Solutions

HSIE and Design & Technology Teacher | Coordinator of High School Sustainability Programs | Tutor

We all wish to help keep Planet Earth beautiful, sustainable and healthy but sometimes we just don’t know what we can do to be part of the solution and many feel that their small actions won’t make a difference. Please consider that if a substantial portion of our school community makes small changes which could soon become fabulous habits we can make a difference and we would be teaching our children about actions they can take.

Here are a few ideas and reminders:

BYO bottle

Remember to send a reusable and labelled water bottle to school daily. There is no need to pollute our planet with single use plastic bottles. Let’s not forget all the carbon emissions produced just from manufacturing each bottle we discard.

Plastic Free July-Trash talk!

Switching away from plastic garbage bin liners is a popular choice for households looking to reduce plastic waste. With a bit of forward thinking this small step can make a big difference.

Here are some great alternatives to plastic bin liners and bags:

• Lining the bin with a few sheets of newspaper, flyers or scrap paper.
• Using the bin as a ‘naked bin’, and simply washing it out as needed
• If you do use a ‘naked bin’, you can ward against extra smells by wrapping the “icky” stuff in newspaper/scrap paper first.
• Freezing ‘wet’ scraps (in paper or a reusable container) until bin day.
• Home composting food scraps.

Find out more small steps on this website.

RecycleSmart

Did you know that it’s so simple to book a pick-up of many recyclable items from home through RecycleSmart?Visit this website for more information and to book a pick-up.

Re-collect

Be part of Emanuel School’s Re-collect initiative – it’s so simple!

Remember: there is an opportunity to use the Re-Collect App to have your recyclable bottles and cans collected at your convenience. The proceeds of this are donated to Our Big Kitchen. A big thanks to those families which have contributed already! I booked a pick up during the term break and it could not have been easier!

Please email lstarkey@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au if you would like simple instructions on how to book a collection with Emanuel School as the organisation. To date we have made a great difference saving an impressive 800 cans/bottles from landfill and we would love more families to participate.

Refill and save

Have you considered purchasing refillable products for some bathroom and cleaning products? Not only will you be helping the environment by reducing plastic waste going to landfill but you will also be saving money!

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Term 3 has always been the busiest term in the school year for the careers calendar. The reason for this is each senior year group is facing change, challenge and decision making and the exit gates are just around the corner.

Year 12s are about to exit the School and are making a range of decisions from early entry applications, applying to UAC, finalising preferences and sorting out all of the administration that goes with this. On top of this, they are deciding whether to take a GAP year, make travel plans, join Israel programs, defer their tertiary courses and more.

Year 11s are about to sit their Year 11 exams this term, which can have a big impact on early offers for next year. These exams can really be counted on to get into university next year. They also move up a year in a matter of weeks, and will find themselves in leadership roles, while they also planning how they are going to tackle, manage and enjoy the year ahead.

Year 10s will have put together a list of subject selections and this term these will be converted into classes and timetables. A few students will apply for TAFE options and others will potentially change their minds and do some more research about their chosen paths and the subjects they have chosen.

All of this is coupled with Open Day season, where all of the tertiary providers, from Universities, TAFE, Private Colleges and more are open and ready to show what they do best. One of the best ways for students to information-gather and make concrete decisions, is to go out and visit these places – in person. Open Days are the best ways to see the buildings, sit around the grounds, visit faculties, hear from current students, department academics and get a real feel for the campus. Universities are under considerable pressure to bring back the students and make the places feel more alive, vibrant and attractive as options for our students.

For more Open Day information visit the list here.

Articles, Dates and Links

This year we have study guides created by Sydney Morning Herald and some specialised career articles: 

• HSC Study Guide 2023
• HSC Study Guide 2023: VET courses’ pathway to success – and jobs
• HSC Study Guide 2023: History, business studies and legal studies’ top tips
• HSC Study Guide 2023: HSC Pathways offers an alternative
• HSC Study Guide 2023: Science tips from Karl Kruszelnicki and Eunice Cheng

Sydney University have just made it into the Top 20 world University rankings. Here is more information. This term, they are running a lot of webinars:

• Biomedical Engineering | Wednesday 26 July 2023, 4.00 pm – 4.30 pm
• Nursing at Sydney | Wednesday 2 August 2023, 4.00 pm – 4.30 pm
• Life of a marine scientist | Wednesday 9 August 2023, 4.00 pm – 4.30 pm
• Accommodation exploration | Thursday 10 August 2023, 5.00 pm – 5.30 pm
• The Bachelor of Advanced Studies (BAS) | Wednesday 16 August 2023, 4.00 pm – 4.30 pm

Believe it or not, even though most students are pushing down the doors to get into the well established sandstone Universities, many students at other small institutions are claiming higher rates of happiness. Here is more information.  

US Camp Counsellors is always a fun and inexpensive way to travel and work in the US. They are holding a  Zoom to find out more about summer jobs in the US:

• Tuesday 1 August 2023, 6.00 pm
  Join the Zoom Meeting (Meeting ID: 864 2244 7117 and Passcode: 933995).

Anyone keen on scholarships should start applying. Here a list of pages to help students with their research:

• 7 Tips for Maximising Your Scholarship Application
• 3 Scholarships for Artistic Students
• Scholarships for Students Experiencing Financial Difficulty
• Scholarships for Students with a Disability
• 5 Reasons to Apply for Scholarships
• Inspiring Scholarship Stories

More information here.

Science Excursion to Luna Park

Kira Rothschild – Year 8

Remi Moses – Year 8

Year 8 Science at Luna Park

Year 8 went on an excursion to Luna Park to learn about energy and forces for Science last week. We were allowed to go on all the rides like The Hair Raiser, The Big Dipper, The Sledgehammer, The Boomerang, and more, to help us understand how all the forces and energies come together to make the rides functional.

During this excursion, we learnt about the different forms of energy that can be found at Luna Park or anywhere else; Potential, Kinetic, Radiant, Sound, Heat, Magnetic, Electrical, Chemical, Elastic, and Gravitational energy. We also got to learn about forces like friction and how weight is different to mass. 

We were able to witness and experience all these examples in all of the rides, like how on the hair raiser, a ride where you go up 50 m from sea level and then are suddenly dropped towards the ground, you gain potential energy as you travel upwards and when you drop; air resistance, kinetic energy and the feeling of weightlessness. As we went on the rides we were able to enjoy ourselves while understanding how and why the rides function.

We are very grateful to the teachers for our trip to Luna Park and that we were able to learn about energy and forces in such a fun way. 

HSC Showcases

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

We are delighted to be back at Pre-school. The children have all come back settled, happy and ready to play and learn together. We are looking forward to a busy, productive and exciting term ahead. This week is Early Learning Matters Week – a time to celebrate early childhood and the importance that these early years make in each child’s learning, development, and wellbeing. I firmly believe, we are creating the foundations for successful, life-long learning in the children’s lives. We are grateful to be acknowledged and to remind the community of the importance that early learning makes.

Early Learning Matters

This year’s theme is ‘Learning through Connection’. Children have been learning through their connection to community and place on this land for over 60,000 years. During Early Learning Matters Week, we are celebrating this connection and the ongoing connection that is fostered in early learning settings across the country.

Organised by Early Childhood Australia, Early Learning Matters Week brings together early childhood educators, parents, carers and community leaders around Australia to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of early learning and the difference the profession makes. 

It is a great opportunity to tell our communities how high-quality early education and care supports children to be confident, enthusiastic learners, building a foundation for wellbeing and achievement throughout their lives, and all of this through play-based learning. High-quality, play-based education and care supports young children to learn and thrive, with support from parents, carers, and the wider community.

This year’s theme, Learning through Connection, invites services to consider and share the ways that ‘connection’ supports children’s learning. The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) includes the outcome that ‘children are connected with and contribute to their world’.

The EYLF explores the concept of connection in relation to family, communities, culture, and place – and reinforces the importance of connection for participation:

Children’s connection and contribution to their world is built on the idea they can exert agency in ways that make a difference and build a foundation for civic and democratic participation. Connection matters because it helps children develop a sense of place and community, and fosters understandings of the interconnectedness of all people and the environment.

The new EYLFv2, includes a new principle that prioritises strengthening engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and perspectives in early learning settings. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have been learning through their connection to Country and community for tens and thousands of years. 

The EYLF also specifically recognises the importance of the connection to Country and community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the continued significance of such connections in children’s learning. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are connected to the longest surviving cultures in the world and represent the custodians of Lands across the Australian continent.

By learning about the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and experiences, including the value of caring for Country and community, children gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of social justice, active citizenship and sustainability. This can foster a sense of belonging and social engagement and promotes active and respectful participation in shared efforts to build a sustainable and inclusive future. 

Happy Birthday

This week we wish a very happy birthday to Milan Vidor (5), Rose Rodny (5) and our two special educators Heather Ryan and Samantha Schwartz. We hope you all had a beautiful day. 

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RSVPs close today

Justine Hofman – Head of P&F

Primary School 40^th Shabbat Celebration 
Book Now!

We are so excited to celebrate our School’s 40^th  anniversary with a beautiful, shabbat infused celebration for our Primary School families. Don’t miss our music-filled shabbat featuring parents as guest star musicians. We will also be guided through challah plaiting and decorating with expert tips along the way. Every family will take home a challah to bake at home that night.

We close registrations today, so if you haven’t yet RSVPed, please book here.

We also urgently need more volunteer power to help with set up the afternoon before the event (on Thursday 3 August 2023). Please volunteer here.

Father’s Day Morning – tickets go live next week

We are excited to unveil our 2023 Father’s Day celebration when tickets go on sale next week. In the meantime, make sure it’s marked in the diary for Friday 25 August from 7.00 am – 8.20 am.

Read about exciting changes to the P&F

In case you missed our update last week, click here to read about important changes to the P&F that aim to uplift our efforts and ultimately make our community stronger. If you have any comments or feedback on these changes and our new structure, we welcome your input by Friday 11 August 2023 to pandf@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Dates for the diary

• Friday 4 August 2023: Primary School 40^th Birthday Celebration (8.15 am – 10.10 am)
• Friday 25 August 2023: Father’s Day morning (7.00 am – 8.20 am). Tickets on sale next week.
• Friday 25 August 2023: Father’s Day Gift Stall (children shop during school)
• Tuesday 19 September 2023: P&F Termly Meeting (7.00 pm) 
• Pre-loved Uniform Shuk collection week: 18 September 2023 – 22 September 2023
• Monday 9 October 2023: Pre-loved Uniform Shuk Sale 
• Friday 3 November 2023 – Monday 5 November 2023: Spring Family Camping Weekend

Community Notices

Join the NSWJBD here

Shabbat Table Talks has been designed to prompt discussion and learning about The Voice to Parliament. If you would like more information, please follow this link.

PSG

Thank you to our volunteers for last week 
(Tuesday 18 July 2023 – Friday 21 July 2023)

Barry Sherman, Elan Miller, Gary Aaron, Naomi Hersh, Joshua Bloom, Craig Forman, Paul Biller, Steven Durbach, Daniel Butt, Nikki Michel, Shaun Gross, Brandon Gien, Melissa Langbart, Tony Gellert, Peter Freed, Bradley Drutman, Darren Isenberg, Alan Nathan, Gary Gordon, David Camiller, Leigh Goldberg and Daniel Malki.

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

Important Dates

What’s happening next week 

High School 

Monday 31 July 2023

• Year 12 HSC Trials 
• Year 9 ySafe Presentation 
• Year 9 J.A Thompson History Debating Elimination Round  

Tuesday 1 August 2023

• Year 12 HSC Trials 
• Year 11 Jewish Studies Guest Speaker Series

Wednesday 2 August 2023

• Year 12 HSC Trials 
• AICES Schools Netball Cup
• Year 9 (2024) Subject Information Evening 
• Year 11 Hospitality catering for Year 9 (2024) Subject Information Evening 

Thursday 3 August 2023

• Year 12 HSC Trials 
• ANVDC Middles Debating
• Year 9 Jewish Studies BTC – Save a Child’s Heart Workshop

Friday 4 August 2023

• Year 12 HSC Trials 
• Year 10 Man Cave – Enlighten Education 

Primary School 

Monday 31 July 2023

• Deborah Blackman Protective Behaviours 

Wednesday 2 August 2023

• Deborah Blackman Protective Behaviours 
• Keeping your Child Safe Online’ with Cyber Safety Expert Leonie Smith. 7.00 pm online

Friday 4 August 2023

• P&F 40th Anniversary Kabbalat Shabbat and Challah Make 

Kornmehl

Thursday 3 August 2023

• Individual and Group Pre-school Photographs