From the Principal

Andrew Watt – Principal

Knowing when to seek professional support?

Speaking from firsthand experience, parenting can be taxing, complicated… and sometimes, a genuine joy! As our children travel through the various stages of growth and development towards adulthood, we often encounter a range of challenges – around friendships, social media, gaming and self-esteem – not to mention completing homework, maintaining a tidy bedroom and encouraging responses beyond monosyllabic grunts. The passage towards greater independence can often be two steps forward, one step back! If a student reaches the end of their High School journey without encountering some significant stumbling blocks along the way, they can count themselves fortunate.

Our teachers and wellbeing team provide instruction, care and support, seeking to establish high expectations and maintain a steady rhythm of daily routines. Despite embedding a strong wellbeing culture, conditions emerge that may result in limited emotional regulation, inattentiveness, significant mood swings, learning difficulties or anti-social behaviour. Behavioural issues that require no diagnosis can also become entrenched issues. As parents, how do you know what your child’s behaviour is telling you? When do you seek a professional assessment? When do you talk to the School about how we can best support your child? When do you take some extra time to be with your child to reassure them and comfort them? When (and how) do you make it clear the behaviour is unacceptable?

The answer to these questions can be boiled down to… “as soon as possible”. If a condition is detected and diagnosed early on, the chances of a successful intervention increase significantly. A knowledge of the condition or issue helps us to put in place specific interventions. If a diagnosis is not found, external professionals still provide both young people and their parents with a range of insights and strategies to assist in managing the challenges that they are facing. Each year, many of our students are supported through individual plans that involve a team of external professionals working with our wellbeing team. There is no blame, no ‘pigeon holing’ – just a plan to support our young people and parents to navigate through difficult times.

The joy of Purim

A procession of students and staff dressed in a variety of colourful costumes entered the Waxman Gates on Monday morning, with lively music playing in the background. Purim Parades across Kornmehl to Year 12 showcased the creative themed costumes and dancing talent. Students in Years 2 to 6 enjoyed a Purim Picnic, and a range of Purim activities. It was a special moment when our High School students (with a small group of staff and parents) read the entire Megillah, complete with booing, cheering and ’meh’ at the appropriate times. Another special moment was when Orlando Van Der Starre shared the reading, as part of his Bar Mitzvah. Gifts of food and drink were donated to those in need and the High School students enjoyed a Purim-style festive meal of pizza for lunch – with fairy floss and snow-cones, sponsored by the Office of the Principal, also known as ‘Ken.’ Our students also engaged in Purim-themed games like mask-making, trying to make Mr Messiah laugh and tea-tasting inspired by the characters of the Megillah! Purim 2024 was a day to remember. A huge thank you to our Director of Jewish Life, Adina Roth; Head of Primary Jewish Life, Adam Carpenter; Head of Informal Jewish Life, Kobi Bloom and Coordinator of Jewish Life (K-2) Hagit Bar-On and their wonderful teams. Enjoy the many photos that appear in this week’s edition of Ma Nishma.

Parent Lounge

With only two more weeks until the end of the term, our staff are busy putting the final plans into place for our new student management system which will launch on 2 May 2024. I have shared a number of the features of this new system, and the parent interface called Parent Lounge, in previous editions of Ma Nishma. If you haven’t read these updates yet, you can access past copies by clicking here.

You’ve Never Mattered More

I look forward to seeing you at JCA’s Annual Event on 7 April 2024 at the Sydney Opera House. Our students will be representing the School in the choir, with students from other Jewish Day Schools and members of the community who hold a tune better than I! Students will also be greeting guests and collecting pledge cards. I believe that there are only 50 tickets left for this important event. Book now by clicking here.

Mazal tovs

Mazal tov to the following students on their success:

Sierra Miller who will compete in the 200m Individual Medley at the NSWPSSA Swimming Championships on Saturday 11 May 2024.
Siena Kery who has been selected to represent ASISSA at the Primary CIS Netball Championships and Selection Trials on Friday 17 May 2024.
Daniel Millner who was awarded the winner of his heat in the Rostrum Voice of Youth Public Speaking Competition and is through to the Regional Finals.
The U15 Girls Netball Team remained undefeated at the CDSSA Netball Championships ultimately winning the Grand Final against a strong Moriah team.
The Open Girls Netball Team who secured 3rd place overall at the CDSSA Netball Championships.
Hayley Kanevsky, Indigo Trope, and Layla Aronstan for being selected into the CDSSA Netball Team.
Year 4 students who were excellent representatives of the School. Gary Starr from Starr’s Planetarium visited the students and sent me this wonderful feedback. “I just wanted to say that it is always a pleasure visiting your school. Your students were great. They were engaged, respectful, and well-behaved. They asked some excellent questions, and I hope I have inspired them to learn more about our universe. You and your staff should be very proud of them.”

Quote of the week

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in” ~ Leonard Cohen

From the Director of Jewish Life

Adina Roth – Director of Jewish Life

Esther, so much more than a pretty face

This year, the entire High School listened to the reading of the Megillah of Esther, read and chanted by students! It was a spirited affair as we cheered and booed for the various characters in the story and even hummed ‘here comes the bride’ for Esther. At the very end, a thoughtful student came up to me and said how much she had enjoyed it. ‘But,’ she said…’couldn’t we do better than here comes the bride for Esther… surely, her role is so much more in the story than the wife of Achashverosh?’ Her gently expressed critique touched me! We might say it’s a great time to be a woman! Barbie’s recent movie has helped to celebrate feminism in a range of ways. Barbies were also all aglitter and aglow at Emanuel’s Purim this week as teachers and staff donned the pink (and signature Ken blue) to celebrate woman power! But for all the celebrations, there was at least one seemingly powerful woman in the world last week who was not able to get what she needed most. I am referring to Princess Catherine of Windsor, who was compelled to make a public statement telling the world that she had cancer and requesting that people give her space. There was something very moving about Catherine sharing her illness with the world and then begging the world to leave her be.

While the story of Purim explores the oldest anti-semitism, it is also about women navigating their way in a patriarchal environment. Esther, whose beauty is described in the Megillah, is forced into a beauty pageant and has to parade before King Achashverosh. The story explores how Esther manages to retain some power in these demeaning circumstances: When it was Esther’s turn to present herself to the king, she applied the minimal amount of beauty products, thus playing down her beauty. This conveys to us that Esther retains some control as to how she appears before the king even as she is forced to present herself to him. Similarly, we are told in the text that Esther did not tell anyone that she was Jewish, she held onto this secret and only tells the king when she decides it is time to do so. In an environment where she has very little agency, Esther determines ‘how’ she will present herself to the king and she decides ‘what’ she will reveal to him at different times. It is these small acts of resistance which I imagine allowed Esther to retain some dignity in a terrible situation. Sometimes, small acts of resistance are all we have. As the story progresses, more is asked of Esther and Mordechai challenges her to intercede before the king on behalf of the Jewish people. While Esther is terrified, she rises to the occasion. Princess Catherine showed us this past week that the mass media of the 21^st century can be as ruthless as a 5^th century BCE Persian beauty harem, demanding big reveals and essentially treating women as public property.

From Vashti, to Esther, to Catherine to any of us, we encounter small and more major assaults on our dignity and freedom all the time, sometimes without even realising it. Perhaps even my singing ‘here comes the bride,’ perpetuated an untrue stereotype of Esther which she herself breaks in the story! Esther reminds us that there are ways to hold onto your power in the face of demeaning circumstances. In fact, like the student who came up and questioned the choice of the ditty, there are many modern day Esthers who are using their voices within and beyond the Jewish community to speak up for themselves and for women in general.

Purim reminds us that some societal struggles are as old as time. Barbie may be on the rise but women are still objectified in many ways in our culture. Esther remains an icon of how to navigate difficult times and use our voices. She is much more than just a bride with a pretty face! We all are!

Shabbat Shalom

From the Deputy Principal

Margaret Lowe – Deputy Principal

World Autism Awareness Day
Tuesday 2 April 2024

Inclusion is a key feature of Emanuel School. We seek to provide appropriate adjustments to ensure students have access to participate in education on the same basis as others. Our starting point is understanding each student’s individual needs.

What is Autism

Watch this short introduction to What is Autism here.

If you would like to participate in World Autism Day, check out the Aspect website for ideas. Aspect is a service provider to the autistic community.

Autism Awareness Australia is another group whose aim is to help improve the lives of autistic people in our community. They too provide resources to help us gain awareness.

There will be some activities at Emanuel School next week to help all of us better understand the different ways people function and how we can be compassionate and caring in our approach to them. Look out for reports in Ma Nishma next week from Primary and High School.

Primary News

Hagit Bar-On, Head of Primary Jewish Studies

A day of joy and creativity at our School!

I hope Purim left everyone in high spirits!

On the day of Purim, our school community came together for a day filled with laughter, creativity, and meaningful traditions.

Let’s take a delightful journey through the events that made Purim truly special:

K-2 costume parade and storytelling

Our little ones in Kindergarten through to Year 2 kicked off the day with an enchanting costume parade. Parents joined in the morning excitement, cheering on their children as they proudly showcased their imaginative outfits. From brave superheroes to stunning fairies, the parade was a colourful spectacle!

Following the parade, our talented parents, together with students, improvised a captivating performance, narrating the timeless story of Purim. Their enthusiasm and creativity brought the characters to life, leaving everyone fascinated.

Mishloach Manot: Sharing goodies and smiles

The rest of the day was dedicated to spreading joy through Mishloach Manot – beautifully decorated bags filled with delicious treats. Each student personalised their bag, adding their unique touch. Our dedicated teachers then filled these bags with an assortment of delicious goodies.

The best part? Every student received one from a friend, re-inforcing the spirit of giving and friendship.

Crafts and culinary delights

In our bustling activity rooms, students explored their artistic talents. They crafted masks, ra’ashanim (greggers), and playful clown accessories. The giggles and excitement echoed through the halls as they worked on their masterpieces.

On Friday afternoon, Morah Erika and our wonderful P&F volunteers rolled up their sleeves to prepare the dough for Osnei Haman (Hamantaschen). These triangular pastries, traditionally filled with sweet fillings, are a Purim favourite.

Year 5 students lent a hand, expertly filling the Osnei Haman with chocolate and jam on Monday.

Park Picnic and Games

As the clock struck Period 6, Years 2-6 headed to the nearby park. Under the bright sun, we enjoyed a delightful picnic lunch. The highlight? Savouring our freshly baked Osnei Haman while sharing stories and laughter. The park buzzed with friendly games – tag, races, baseball and more.

Gratitude and appreciation

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our dedicated teachers who orchestrated these memorable activities. Their support and enthusiasm made Purim truly magical. Special thanks to the P&F volunteers who joined us on Friday afternoon to prepare the Osnei Haman dough.

To everyone involved in planning, organising, and implementing Purim Day, a huge thank you! Your efforts created a day of joy, bonding, and celebration.

And now, as we bid farewell to Purim, we eagerly await the next holiday – Pesach.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates!

Wishing you all a great long and active weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

Thank you to parent photographer, Ofer Levy, for capturing the Purim spirit in these gorgeous photographs:

Ma Koreh

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary

Purim celebrations

On Monday, which also happened to be Shushan Purim, the ‘walled community’ of Emanuel School celebrated Purim. Our morning began with music and song, as enthusiastic and disguised parents watched our Purim parades. Dressed up in creative and imaginative costumes, the K-6 students danced, sang and brought some amazing Purim ruach. Primary staff embraced dressing up, with creative nautical Nemo themed costumes, our Hebrew teachers decked out in pirate gear and our Informal Jewish Life Minions Lyv and Noah all working hard running and coordinating our celebrations.

Our day was filled with a range of fun activities and Purim creativity including;

Decorating and filling mishloach manot bags to share with classmates.
Donating food to OzHrvest for the mitzvah of matanot le’evyonim.
Enjoying fun outdoor activities run by the Year 6 student.
Year 5 visited the Food Lab to make oznei haman for Primary School.
Purim Kahoot quiz.
Purim arts, games and crafts

Years 2-6 staff and students enjoyed a Purim picnic seduah (feast) and a play in Centennial Park to conclude our celebrations:

“We loved filming our Disney themed Purim music videos with Lyv and Noah. We showed this to Years 3-6 to during the Megillah Reading.” By Annie Krusin and Rafaela Abraham

“I played Haman in our Purim video and sang a Purim themed song to the Moana song ‘You’re Welcome’. My favourite line was ‘What can I say, except bow down now’. “I played Mordechai in our musicals and I loved singing to a Mulan tune to the Purim story…and not bowing down to Haman!” By Sienna Kery and Zen Roffe-Nassi

“I was in the Food Lab during our celebrations with Ms Rosenfeld and Morah Erika. Together with Juliet and Rafi we helped the Year 5 students make hundreds of Hamantaschen for the students in K-6.” By Oscar Grynberg

“Hearing everyone laugh for our videos and the trailer we made was like receiving a hundred gifts.” By Asher Levenston

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Purim

On Monday morning, we had an amazing turnout of parents, grandparents, and special friends for our Purim celebration. It was wonderful to see families get into the spirit of Purim and dressing up too. The children all arrived at Pre-school very excited and proud to show off their costumes. What a great variety of characters we had, from princesses, to kings, queens, clowns, builders, pirates, astronauts, policemen, tigers, cats, and so much more. The teachers all looked great as different coloured Crayola crayons.

The children were all super excited and loved having all their special visitors at Pre-school. The talented Philip Einfeld, from Puppetoons, delighted the children with his animated Purim story and magnificent hand-made puppets. The children participated enthusiastically in the show, they laughed, danced, and had the best morning.

During the week, the children learnt about the four Mitzvot for Purim:

Reading the Megillah.
Giving gifts to friends or neighbour.
Eating a special meal.
Giving support to those who need help, by giving tzedakah.

We practiced the art of exchanging Mishloach Manot bags with friends.

Itamar shared his knowledge and thoughts: “It is called Mishloach Manot. It is a delivery… a delivery of food to give to someone.”

Thank you to Jessica Ivany, Leia Lewis, Janine Silver, Sarah Schneider and Lana Davis, who came in to bake Hamantaschen with all the children on Thursday and Friday. This was a mammoth task, and we really appreciated your help.

We asked the children to share their thoughts about our Purim celebration:

Samara: Everybody loves Purim. They like it because you eat yummy food.
Ruby: It was special because we danced, and we swapped bags.
Gabriella: I liked it that we got to have treats. We danced, and we dressed up.
Alita: I like singing and holding hands with Aria.
Juliette: I liked this celebration because Haman’s hat is in the shape of a triangle and that’s why we have hamantaschen.
Tamar: I like that hamantaschen are in the shape of Haman’s hat. I liked that Marlene made a bag for my sister, because she’s nearly coming, and it had hamantaschen inside.
Gigi: I liked the puppet show. It was funny when Queen Esther popped up on the roof.
Noah Y: I liked the Puppet Show. I liked it when Haman banged his head.
Jude: I liked the Puppet Show. I liked the man talking. He was funny.
Amelia L: I liked the Puppet Show. Haman was being so silly. He made up a new rule. He made up lots of new rules. Queen Vashti told the King that Haman made up new rules.
Milo: I liked my family being here.
Connor: I liked the Puppet Show. I like Haman, the really big one.
Liev: I liked that my mum came. I liked how I dressed up.
Nellie: I liked saying Boo and protecting the Jewish people.
August: I liked getting treats and dressing up.
Alfie: I liked the triangle cakes. I also like the puppet show and I liked my face paint.
Evie: I liked swapping bags with Ruby.
Goldie: I liked the puppet show. It was funny, there was a dog.
Elton: My favourite part was when Haman was on the roof.
Harley: I liked King Vashti.
Oliver: I liked dancing with my mum.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to our Rafaela Chimes (3). We hope you had a wonderful day.

We wish all our Kornmehl families a lovely long Easter weekend. See you all back at Pre-school on Tuesday 2 April 2024.

24 hours notice

Sonia Newell – Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations

We hope and pray each and every day for the release of all remaining hostages still held in Gaza. Our extended community in Sydney has held rallies of solidarity and organised events to show our ongoing support, and that will continue until all hostages are released.

Last Wednesday, the first workshop for the Quilting for Hope project in Sydney was held at B’nai B’rith House in Kensington. Eighteen participants from across the community attended the session, including Emanuel parents Shana Fridman and Jackie Elias, as well as Emanuel grandparent Karen Wolf, each making a fabric block that will be incorporated into an art piece to be donated to Israel. Making this more meaningful is the use of donated pre-loved Shabbat tablecloths as part of these blocks. Karen says: “It was a very enjoyable evening and there was lots of chatting and, of course, stitching. There are a number of workshops planned over the next few months and anybody is welcome to join in. You do not have to be able to sew and all materials and equipment are provided. Please join in this project to send our thoughts and love to Israel in this difficult time.”

See the poster for dates, times and registration details. There are still a few spots available for the next session on Tuesday 2 April 2024.

24 hours notice and just a little late for School

With less than 24 hours notice, Emanuel parent, Anthony Goodridge, NSW Maccabi Swimming Club President and Head Coach, messaged parents and some of the club swimmers with his idea of a swim to acknowledge the 160th day since hundreds of people in Israel were taken hostage by Hamas.

At 6.30 am the next morning, on Thursday 14 March 2024, the Club’s senior performance squad members, including Emanuel High School students Jack Kessell and Jake Rosenfeld, dived into the pool at Moriah College, to each swim 160 x 50m laps of the pool. The Junior squad, which included Year 8 student Mia Goodridge, and Ryan Miller in Year 6, were set a target of 80 x 50m. Inspired by their senior club mates, they swam an extra 20 laps. All the swimmers finished in just two hours and then they headed off to School, just a little late. Goodridge said: “I told the swimmers it would be a tough challenge and whilst most of the swimmers would experience moments of doubt and want to stop swimming, those hostages didn’t have that luxury of taking a rest from captivity. If swimming up and down the pool for two hours seemed ‘boring’ it was nothing like what the hostages would be experiencing day in day out. None of my swimmers hesitated to take the challenge – they were an amazing inspiration.” Jack arrived at the pool with a large white sheet painted with the sign 160 #bringthemhome.

Stan Mac

Year 10 student Jack Kessell, age 15, certainly loves to swim, and he is good at it! He was selected along with other members of the North Bondi Surf Club to be in the relay team of 20 for the yearly competition against Bondi Surf Club called Stan Mac. As part of the relay they had to swim 400m. Unfortunately North Bondi didn’t win the trophy this year, but hopefully Jack will get the opportunity to try again next year.

Do you remember Mr Pallo?

Gabriel Pallo and Leon Goltsman

Last Sunday, 24 March 2024, saw the first ever Vaucluse Diamond Bay Precinct’s Neighbourhood Fair, an event held at the Diamond Bay Bowling Club, attracting around 700 local residents – an amazing response from the local community. The Convenor of the Vaucluse /Diamond Bay Precinct and former Head of Primary of Emanuel School, Gabriel Pallo, says: ” The purpose of the Fair was to bring the community together and create meaning connections. In today’s increasingly impersonal world, these connections are perhaps more important than ever. Precincts are the main conduit for residents to play an important role in the communication process with Council”. Mr Pallo hopes that the Fair will lead to an increase in the numbers of residents becoming more involved in precinct related activities.

The event had jumping castles, face painters, many stalls, lawn bowls lessons, a band, DJ, Lucky Door Prizes and Raffles, and was attended by dignitaries including Federal MP Allegra Spender, State MP Kellie Sloane, Mayor of Waverley Council Paula Masselos, Ward Councillors Sally Betts, Will Nemesh, Steven Lewis as well as Councillor Leon Goltsman, who is an Emanuel alumnus.

Now that the Fair is over, Mr Pallo can get back to his two favourite past times – golf and travel. Some of you may remember that he returned to School not long after retiring in December 2014, to help organise a very successful P&F Golf Day.

The Other Art Fair
Thursday 16 May 2024 – Sunday 19 May 2024

Emanuel parent and artist, Talya Brookman, will be exhibiting at this event in mid-May at White Bay Cruise Terminal. Her abstract expressionist paintings take inspiration from natural elements such as cells, veins, roots and landscapes. When painting, Talya visualises objects and forms not founded in reality but with depth and dimension that ground them in space. She paints with a variety of mediums such as paper, wood, plastic and canvas using acrylics, oils, charcoal, pens, Indian inks and pastels. Check out more details of this art fair here.

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 long weekend over the Easter break, as we continue to hope and pray for the safe return of all hostages still held in Gaza, and for peace to be restored in Israel soon.

Light on the Library

Allison Lee – Head of Library & Information Services (7-12) | HSIE Teacher

The Senior Library has undergone further changes designed to enhance both usability and enjoyment for students. Two new shelves have been added to the main library area, to accommodate our excellent collection of sculpture and photography titles. This serves to showcase the non-fiction collection and also creates more space in our stacks, improving the visibility of the books. We have designated a space for Lego activities during lunchtime, introduced a new games shelf, and set up a dedicated bookshelf for sports-themed books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Students are welcome to visit us during recess and lunch every day, as well as after school until 5.00 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.

Please remember to maintain our library space by not eating, keeping shoes off the furniture (including foam bags), and tidying up before leaving.

For any suggestions or queries regarding the library, please contact Ms Lee.

K-12 Sport

Stuart Taylor – PDHPE Teacher

Erin Archer – Sport Administrator & Head of Netball

ASISSA Netball Gala Day

This annual event took place on Thursday 21 March 2024 at the Perry Park Recreation Centre in Alexandria.

Twelve Emanuel girls pitted their netball skills against teams from our association including IGS, Moriah College, Mt Sinai, SACS, Reddam House, Kesser Torah, Emanuel School, and the Barbarians (a team comprised of representatives from several schools).

The aim of the day was twofold. The first was to win as many games as possible in the round robin format and the second was to gain selection in the ASISSA representative team.

Ruby Segal, Tali Strous, Siena Kery, Siena Ryder, Courtney Kadish and Maddison Green were all chosen to participate in the Possible v Probable games used to select the ASISSA team.

Congratulations to Siena Kery, who was selected to represent ASISSA at the CIS Netball Championships.

This prestigious event will be held at Netball Central at Sydney Olympic Park on Friday 17 May 2024.

The team will be coached by Erin Archer, Head of Netball at Emanuel School, and myself. We wish the team all the very best.

Stuart Taylor – PDHPE Teacher

Girls Primary School CIS Football

Well done to Ava Lotkin and Isabella Lotkin who represented Emanuel School and ASISSA at the NSWCIS trials on Monday March 25 2024. Both girls acquitted themselves well as they participated in a gruelling seven game round robin competition, vying for selection in the CIS team.

Head of Football, Aytek Genc, commented that the girls are very good players, incredibly active on the football pitch and always demonstrate so much promise.

Although just falling short on selection this year, the girls have a bright future ahead in the world of football.

Heath Morley – Director of Sport (K-12) | PDHPE Teacher

Emanuel Netball @ the CDSSA Netball Championships

The Emanuel Netball teams showcased their skills at the CDSSA Netball Championships with impressive performances across the board.

Emanuel U15 Girls Netball Team

The U15 Girls Netball team’s hard work and dedication paid off, as they remained undefeated throughout the day, ultimately winning the Grand Final against a strong Moriah College team. Captain Hayley Kanevsky led the team to a thrilling 2-point victory, with Sophia Kirievskaya impressing in only her second ever game of netball. Special congratulations to Hayley Kanevsky, Indigo Trope, and Layla Aronstan for making the CDSSA team.

Emanuel Open Girls Netball Team

The Open Girls Netball team displayed strong performances, narrowly losing to Moriah College by one point in their pool match and securing 3rd place overall, by defeating IGS in their playoff match. Despite facing tough competition from a formidable GOAL team, most of whom are NSW Representatives, the Emanuel Girls showed great enthusiasm, skill, and pride throughout the tournament.

Emanuel Open Mixed Netball Team

The Mixed Team performed exceptionally well, going undefeated in the pool games and advancing to the Grand Final against GOAL. Despite a closely contested match that went into extra time, the team narrowly lost by just one goal.

Overall, the Emanuel Netball teams demonstrated outstanding skills across the teams, determination, and teamwork throughout the championships.

A special mention to our Head of Netball, Erin Archer, and the Netball coaching team: Reese Corben, Chloe Stockley, Brooke Rosen, Aimee Blackmore, Fiona Lamont and Luci Labi for their contributions to the team’s success.

Music Matters

Lisa McCowage – Assistant Director of Music (Extra Curricular) K-12

Welcome to our Music Matters page! 🎶

Here and on our portal page, you will find announcements about our busy Music program – please check in regularly.

For your diaries!

Music Competition Finals Concerts: Wednesday 10 April 2024
Years K-6 at 4.15 pm – 5.20 pm
Years 7-12 at 5.30 pm – 7.00 pm
Twilight Concerts (tutor-nominated performances): Monday 27 March 2024
Music Camp: Monday 24 June 2024 – Thursday 27 June 2024.

Music Camp at Lake Macquarie
Monday 24 June 2024 – Thursday 27 June 2024

All committed members of Emanuel instrumental and vocal ensembles are eligible for music camp. Commitment is measured by a student’s attendance at rehearsals for Terms 1 and 2 and their pro-active and attentive focus in rehearsals. Information about Music Camp and how to sign up will be emailed directly to parents of members of core ensembles and choirs. Please look out for that email (and some announcements on the Music Department pinboards) in coming weeks. Monday and Tuesday are overnight in Lake Macquarie, Wednesday night is at home and camp continues at School on the Thursday with a full day of rehearsals for the Music Camp Showcase Concert in the evening on Thursday 27 June 2024. The cost is to be confirmed but will be approximately $600.

Term 2 dates

Weekly ensemble rehearsals and Private Music Tuition resume as normal on the first day of Term 2, Thursday 2 May 2024. This is especially important for those whose weekly rehearsals are on a Thursday, including Mendelssohn Senior String Ensemble and Perlman Strings which resume bright and early (before school) on that day.

The Instrumental Program (IP) for Years 3-6 will resume on these dates:

Tuesday: Year 3 and Year 5. Their first IP day is Tuesday 7 May 2024 (Week 2).
Wednesday: Year 4 and Year 6. Their first IP day is Wednesday 8 May 2024 (Week 2).

Private Music Tuition and Infant Strings Program

Thank you to those who have already advised us of changes to private tuition and Infant Strings Program enrolments for next term. The deadline for new enrolments, notification of changes or intention to discontinue for Term 2, has now passed. All students currently receiving private music tuition and students in Years K-2 who are currently participating in the Infant Strings Program will be automatically re-enrolled into tutor schedules along with students commencing lessons for the first time. Please contact music@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions.

The schedules for Term 2 will be created at the end of term and emailed during term break.

Please visit our Music Portal Page for information about:

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

Gifted and Talented

Gifted Education

An integral part of the Gifted and Talented Program at Emanuel School is the identification of our gifted students. We use a range of objective and subjective data across K-12, which includes the assessment of a student’s aptitude (gifts) and achievement (talents) levels.

Subjective data is the observations teachers make of students in their classroom and include the following areas:

Characteristics of Gifted Learners
Student Interests
Learning Styles
Learning Disabilities
Development Processes (asynchronous development & zone of proximal development).

Aligning with the definitions of giftedness (published in Week 7), we then collate this data, identifying students who are in the gifted range (top 10%) and how their unique needs can be met in the classroom and in the wider school setting.

What’s happening in the G&T Department?
Rostrum Voice of Youth Public Speaking Competition

Four Emanuel Students competed in the heats for the Rostrum Voice of Youth Public Speaking Competition held at Ascham School last Thursday. Students were chosen based on internal trials held in Week 5. Hannah Fekete, Tamar Granot and Daniel Millner entered the Junior Division and Jayden Segal entered the Senior Division.

All of our candidates did a splendid job and Daniel Millner was awarded the winner of his heat and is through to the Regional Finals. Well done Daniel, and good luck in the next round in Term 2.

Thank you to Ms Tritsch for preparing the students for this event.

What’s coming up in Term 1?

High School – Years 7-12

Future Problem Solving – Global Issues Problem One (Week 10, Thursday 4 April 2024)

Rabin Bugle

Sammi Epstein – Year 9

Emily Seemann – Year 9

Hello everyone, it’s Sammi Epstein and Emily Seemann from Year 9 Rabin and we are the new editors of the Rabin Bugle!

Join us as we explore the highlights of this term in Rabin, including its many successes, House Assemblies and Tutor sessions, as well as what makes our House so special.

A big shout out to our new Year 7s and their Tutor, Ms Cooper, who was previously last year’s Year 12 Tutor. We wish her the best as she helps this bright new group of students make their way through High School. Welcome to Rabin Year 7, we can’t wait to get to know all of you.

We also welcome Ms Hartley, the new Year 12 Rabin Tutor, we are so glad to have you with us!

Swimming Carnival

How could we forget our first victory of the year?! The blue in our House must stand for the swimming talent, passion and energy that all Rabinites bring every year, as this is not the first Swimming Carnival we have won.

The passion in Rabin is something to be admired as, even when we are not swimming, we still cheer each other on. Being in Rabin is about community and that was all too present at the Swimming Carnival.

We also had many wins, including our superstar Junior and Intermediate Girls relays!

House Assembly

Every Thursday morning we congregate for our weekly House Assembly, run by our awesome House Madrichim – Gabriella Freed and Maya Foreman.

What makes Rabin so special is how the entire House works together and respects each other as we participate in unique activities and conversations helping us to build connections with our Tutor groups and our fellow Rabinites!

Our Year 12 Leaders have introduced the concept of family groups, comprised of a few people from each level. These family group activities help us connect and collaborate across the year levels. In the big house of Rabin there is always someone who you can ask for help!

International Women’s Day House Assembly

Every House Assembly is different, focused on important themes like International Women’s Day. At that particular assembly, we learnt about the challenges and stereotypes that women are forced to face in society.

We played a version of Bingo that required us to find other students who knew the answers to a series of questions about women’s achievements and gender sterotypes:

Could you name a female prime minister?
A famous male dancer?
Do you know someone who has a stay-at-home Dad?

We also looked at a riddle

A boy is having a job interview and his dad comes along. In the car, the boy gets a call from the CEO of a company and the person on the phone says, “Good luck, son”.

His dad was in the car though, so how is this possible? *

*Answer is at the end of the article.

Every House Assembly brings creative ways to discuss important topics that impact our lives and participate in activities that bring Rabin closer together.

Thanks for sticking with us till the very end of this Bugle!

Keep an eye out for our upcoming articles that will keep you up-to-date with everything that’s happening in the best house.

Do you have something interesting to share with us to include in the next article? Or, maybe a Rabinite achievement for us to celebrate? We’d love to hear from you!

Please email Emily Seemann or Sami Epstein.

Thanks for reading!

Answer: The person on the phone was the boy’s mum

Come to the Cabaret

Hands up

A big thank you to our Purim parent helpers

With such a busy, fun-packed term for our kids filled with Jewish life and ruach, parent helpers and contributions are so appreciated and really help make these experiences possible. Much gratitude and a warm Emanuel thank you to: Naomi Rai, Lisa Greenberg, Jackie Radom, Angela Vitek, Natalie Likht, Stanya Sharota, Natalie Pager, Carla Hoffenberg and Paula Leibowitz for their help baking and dough-making for the Jewish Life team this Purim.

A special mention to our impromptu parent participants in the K-2 Purim Parade Play. Thanks for bringing the laughs and being such good sports! It was great to see so many parents share the joy of this festival by dressing up or donning an accessory. What a memorable morning!

Hands up – Pesach is around the corner

If you can spare an hour or more, there are so many opportunities to help with upcoming Pesach celebrations. Register your interest here, we need you!

Here are some ways you can get involved:

Setting up the festival venue
Assisting with food preparation and serving
Cleaning up and packing away equipment after the event.

More details around dates and times can be seen on the following link.

What food does your family enjoy?
Mitzvah Meals survey

For many years the School has been providing meals to families who may need extra support (eg. just had a baby, suffering a loss, dealing with illness). Regardless of whether or not you have ever received a Mitzvah Meal in the past, please help us understand what would be helpful to your family should you ever need it. Complete the brief survey (it will only take two minutes)!

Tap on, tap off – you can do it!

Please order your child’s free school bus Opal card here if you do not already have one. It is important that all students have an Opal card and tap on and tap off when travelling. This data will help us get more bus routes to families at Emanuel.

Dates for the Diary

Friday 10 May 2024: P&F Mother’s & Special Friends Morning (7.00 am)

Monday 8 April 2024 – Friday 12 April 2024: Uniform Shuk collections (7.30 am – 8.30 am at both Go With the Flow Gates)
Wednesday 1 May 2024: Uniform Shuk sale (8.00 am – 10.00 am)

Enjoy the long weekend!

Maths word of the week

Roisin McGrath – Acting Head of Mathematics | Mathematics Teacher

Maths word of the week

Each week, the Mathematics Department will present a new mathematical term to enhance your understanding of mathematical literacy. In your own time, explore the meaning and applications of each term in both mathematical contexts and everyday life.

Consider creating a list of these words, and by the end of the year, you’ll have your own mathematical dictionary! How cool!

If you have interesting math words you’d like featured in announcements, please email
Ms McGrath.

Scalene Triangle means ………..

A scalene triangle is a triangle where no two sides are the same length.

We are hiring

PA to the Director of Students & Director of Studies (K-6)

We are looking for an organised and efficient Personal Assistant to the Director of Students and Director of Studies (K-6) to provide support across our Primary School.

This is a part time, permanent role, working 8.00 am – 4.00 pm, three days per week (or shorter hours over 4 -5 days).

Attendance at events outside of these hours may be required on an ad hoc basis. This is a term time only role.

For more information, please see the full role description.

To apply, please email your resume and a cover letter to recruitment@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au.

We encourage you to get your application in early. We reserve the right to interview and appoint the successful candidate prior to the closing date.

Uniform Shop holiday trading hours

Holiday trading hours

The Emanuel Uniform Store will close for the school holidays on Thursday 11 April 2024 at 5.00 pm.

Extra trading hours during the school holidays are as follows:

Wednesday 1 May 2024: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm

Normal trading hours resume on Thursday 2 May 2024.

Throughout the school term our opening hours are:

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

You are welcome to purchase from the online uniform shop, passphrase ES1983. All orders will be completed when the store reopens.

Contact details:

Phone: 9326 5445
Email: emanuel@midford.com.au

PSG

Thank you to our volunteers from the past week.
(Monday 18 March 2024 – Friday 22 March 2024)

Barry Sherman, Eli Wine, Daniel Deutsch, Ranald Kogan, Kylie Owen, Michael Pollak, Phil Paez, Lisa Goodman, Sascha Davis, Rina Michael, Larry Simon, Richard Fine, Adam Symonds, Nurit Fulford, Richard Kery, Melissa Langbart, Paul Berkovic, Ronny Schnapp, Val Balint Halmagyi, Michael Springer, Antony Selby, Ana Zuccarino, Gary Gordon, Anatoly Kirievsky, Adrian Schneider, Cara Adler and Shelley Ishkaluna.

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

P&F uniform sale

Uniform Shuk

A year and a half ago, we came together with an idea to start a sale of second-hand uniforms for our school community. We wanted to give families an option for affordable, pre-loved uniforms and we also wanted to save old uniforms from landfill. Since that time, we have had four successful sales and are planning for the 5th sale in May.

We have raised $20,000 for the P&F – this has been a tremendous achievement. More importantly, we have offered families uniforms for $5, $10, $20 per item which has been a huge help in this cost of living crisis. In our last sale, we donated 40% of our proceeds to Magen David Adom, in recognition of the 40 years of Emanuel School and to contribute to this important cause in Israel, with a total contribution of $2,700 to the charity.

Uniform Shuk – Save the date
Wednesday 1 May 2024

Start planning for our next sale!

Monday 8 April 2024 – Friday 12 April 2024: Uniform Shuk collections
(7.30 am – 8.30 am at both Go With the Flow Gates)
Wednesday 1 May 2024: Uniform Shuk sale
(8.00 am – 10.00 am)

Thank you!

We want to thank all of the volunteers in our group who have held posters outside of the school gates, sorted through many, many donations of uniforms and helped to run our sale. We couldn’t do it without such a great group of people! We are always looking for more volunteers, please reach out to us via email.

We hope that you can donate more uniforms during the last term of this year and we are looking forward to a great sale on Wednesday 1 May 2024, as students switch from Summer to Winter uniform.