From the Development Office (continued) Zachor As 2021 comes to a close, we remember loved ones in our Emanuel community we have lost during the year – we wish their families “Long Life” and may their memory be for a blessing. One person we all fondly remember is Eddie Jaku OAM, The Happiest Man on Earth. There have been many moving tributes to this great man, a Holocaust survivor and crusader, husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather who embodied goodness, kindness and humility. Our students had the privilege to interview Eddie for Project Heritage in 2016. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Eddie Jaku OAM at Project Heritage in 2016
We are all about connecting our wonderful Emanuel Community, so please be in touch if you have news and photos to share by emailing me at snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au. Don’t forget to keep us updated if you have moved and/or changed your email. We know there are many of our grandparents for whom we do not have any contact details at all, so if they are friends of yours, please ask them to get in touch too, as I’m sure they would also like to know about what is happening at their grandchildren’s school, whether they live locally, interstate or overseas. Until we can meet up with you all again here at school, please stay safe and enjoy time with your loved ones be that in person or via digital technology, and we hope you have a relaxing summer break. Sonia Newell, Development Officer – Alumni & Community Relations
From the Principal’s Desk What a year it has been! Despite the challenges of switching between oncampus learning and remote learning, there is still much about the year that we can celebrate. Operating successfully under the shadow of COVID restrictions has required patience, innovation, flexibility and resilience. We have learned much about ourselves and about each other. Our use of technology in our teaching and learning has expanded and improved, and our wellbeing programs have adapted to embrace the online world in addition to our inschool programs and activities. Our focus on project-based learning (PBL) emerged in Term 4, with the launch of a Year 7 to 10 program, culminating in an exhibition of projects. Thoughout our 2021 educational journey, we did not lose sight of what is important to us and we forged ahead to deliver an engaging academic program and to support the wellbeing of every student. In addition to operating under COVID restrictions, several major initiatives have converged over the past 12 months: 1. W e designed a capacious, light-filled, state-of-the-art, threestory building, with large collaborative break-out spaces and featuring an Imaginarium, or Maker Space. Construction is due to commence this month. 2. D ue to the generosity of our community, our Capital Appeal has been exceptionally successful, reaching our target of $10 million on the very last day of the school year! Whilst we were constrained by NSW Health restrictions, our sole online fundraising event, Emanuel B’Yahchad, was a special event that brought our community together, to celebrate all that is exceptional about Emanuel. 3. O ur Strategic Plan for 2022-2024 is nearing completion, with key commitments including: a. F uture focused thinking b. Inspired Jewish Learning and Living c. Sustainable Practices d. Wellbeing Culture e. Learning Beyond the Curriculum
Emanuel B’yachad – Emanuel Together
We are currently working collaboratively with our staff teams, to develop action plans under each of these commitments. Exciting times ahead!
The emergence of project-based learning We are committed to future-focused learning at Emanuel, which prepares our students with the skills they will need as they proceed through their schooling and on into their professional futures. The skills of collaboration, critical thinking, creative problem solving and communication are key attributes that are increasingly highlighted as essential for school graduates. We are seeing such competencies as a key factor in our students accessing tertiary study, surpassing the ATAR as the single access point to university. Project-based learning is a recent innovation for Emanuel students. In Term 4 this year, our Years 7 to 10 students worked, with teacher guidance, on a range of projects based on areas of deep, personal interest, working over four full days to find solutions to issues that matter. Project-based learning is different from simply doing a project. In PBL, our students are learning as they participate; they are taking ownership of the process of what and how they learn, and the ways in which they show that learning. This level of ownership means that students take their learning to a deeper level. It requires greater levels of responsibility as a learner. Emanuel’s PBL initiative has been entirely teacher-driven, with 3
