Strategic Plan 2022-2024 (updated 2023)

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS, TOGETHER

A message from the Principal

One year on, our 2022-2024 strategic plan has provided us with a firm foundation as we progress the many commitments we have made. I am pleased that, as Emanuel School celebrates its 40th anniversary, the 2023 school year presents a fresh and exciting opportunity to celebrate our successes which will now underpin our way forward. Our strategic plan for the next two years will provide a roadmap for our school community towards achieving our vision. As we continue to educate mind, spirit and being, we aspire to unleash the potential of each student. Our teaching and expectations will reflect our commitment to academic excellence for all students. The roadmap also reaffirms our unwavering commitment to our core values of community, learning, inclusion, and innovation.

Our key commitments for the next two years will include promoting:

• future-focused learning

• wellbeing culture

• learning beyond the curriculum

• sustainable practices, and

• inspired Jewish living and learning.

Our strong focus on deep and authentic learning will promote a culture of academic excellence, undergirded by our wellbeing and extra-curricular programs. We are proud of our students who graduate as curious, resilient learners, open-minded thinkers, adaptable innovators, tenacious problem solvers and compassionate advocates. Above all, our hope is that we become a school of mensches – of ethical,

Our 2022-2024 Strategic Plan has been shaped through an extensive process of consultation, led by our Strategic Advisory Team, and involving our Board, Executive and staff. We have engaged in many conversations, asking the same three questions: “Where are we now?”, “Where do we want to be?” and “How do we get there?”. Additionally, we have gathered data from a range of sources, including our annual parent and student surveys, staff focus groups and our Board Sub-committees.

Staff committees were established in 2021 to develop a range of strategies and action plans, to address each of our five key commitments. These committees are led by members of our Strategic Advisory Team. New progress within each key commitment will be reported to both the Board and the broader school community.

I am deeply grateful to all those who contributed to the development of our 2022-2024 Strategic Plan, and I am confident that it will provide us with a clear and compelling direction and set of priorities to work towards each year.

Andrew Watt Principal

What we value

Discernment

You graciously endow mortals with intelligence, teaching humans understanding. Grace us with knowledge, wisdom, and discernment. From the Amida, the first petitionary blessing

Making decisions, weighing up different options and forming a position on various issues are important life skills, requiring keen insight and good judgement.

Our students are encouraged to listen carefully, to research diligently and to think critically. This will form the basis of making evidencebased, informed, and ethical decisions and to provide sensitive and considered feedback.

Respectful Relationships

The world rests on three principles: on justice, on truth and on peace. And all three are intertwined - when justice is done, truth is served, and peace ensues.

Teachings of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel: Talmud Yerushalmi Ta’anit 4:2

Respect matters. Our students are encouraged to value their relationships by including others appropriately. We place a high value on acknowledging the views and needs of others and acting with empathy and compassion. This includes advocating for and acting with integrity and with consent in relationships.

Growth

You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your vigour.

Second verse of Shema

The learning journey involves intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual growth. Our students are encouraged to pursue and create opportunities to grow themselves and others. They are challenged to explore their abilities and passions and achieve to their potential. We value lifelong learning and a mindset that challenges assumptions and the status quo.

Sustainability

When the Blessed Holy One created the first human, God took them and led them around all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to them: “Look at My works, how beautiful and praiseworthy they are! And all that I have created, it was for you that I created it. Pay attention that you do not corrupt and destroy My world: if you corrupt it, there is no one to repair it after you”.

Midrash (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13)

Our students face the challenge of meeting their own needs without compromising the ability of others to meet their own needs in the future. Our students are encouraged to make decisions aligned to the long-term strategy, in terms of protecting our natural resources as well as our social and economic resources. Sustainability is also about investing in self-care and reflective practice.

Our Mission

Emanuel School is and will continue to be a pluralist Jewish Day School, with a mission to:

• develop mensches

• inspire each student to excel

• practise Tikkun Olam

• know and address the needs of all learners

• produce innovative thinkers, and

• enable each student to achieve their academic personal best

Mind Spirit Being

Our motto, Mind Spirit Being, encapsulates our School, where we seek to encourage an open mind, an awakened spirit, and an engagement of the whole being, all within a culture of excellence. This involves a learning journey that equips our students with the values, skills, and resources to become responsible and ethical Jewish and global citizens.

Our mission is also to challenge our students to be critical and curious thinkers, who love learning, have a strong sense of community, a love for Israel and are proud of their Jewish heritage. We strive to connect with our community and create a welcoming and inclusive environment that is known for its genuine acceptance and understanding of diversity.

Graduate attributes

Curious, resilient learners

Emanuel graduates are curious, resilient learners

They embrace each opportunity to dive into their learning and, as a result, are deep thinkers, question seekers and problem solvers. They are ready to challenge assumptions and communicate with confidence and authority. Many will pursue academic pathways beyond school and make a valued contribution to their field of expertise.

“You can tell an Emanuel graduate when they walk into the room.”

~ the late Jeremy Spinak z”l (Class of 2000)

Open-minded thinkers

Emanuel graduates are open-minded thinkers They can clearly communicate their views, yet are considerate of the viewpoints of others, approaching their world with empathy.

Adaptable innovators

Emanuel graduates are adaptable innovators

They are emotionally intelligent and recognise the value of engaging with diverse perspectives and do so without judgement, gaining wisdom from all. They gain wisdom and values from many schools of thought, and engage with all forms of Judaism to inform and enhance their own Jewish identity. They embrace challenge and are equipped to find out of the box solutions.

They are flexible and creative and recognise that progress is not linear. They possess an entrepreneurial and inquiry mindset and are inspired to question and challenge the world around them. They look for new ways of thinking and doing and possess the skills to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly changing world.

Graduate attributes

Tenacious problem solvers

Emanuel graduates are tenacious problem solvers

Compassionate advocates

Emanuel graduates are compassionate advocates

They approach the world with an inquisitive mind and remain steadfast in the face of challenges. They do not give up. They pursue solutions with determination and draw on their ability to think critically and creatively to understand their circumstances.

They are active citizens of good character, committed to social justice. They walk their talk, living out the value of Tikkun Olam, driven to improve the world around them. They are guided by their Jewish values and are committed to fostering inclusivity and diversity. They are upstanders and seek to be a voice for those without a voice. They are willing to confront tough issues, even when it might be unpopular to do so.

Daring doers

Emanuel graduates are daring doers

They are optimistic changemakers who have the courage to act. They are collaborators and build community with like-minded people. They face risks with confidence, learn from their experiences, and are prepared to stand firm for their beliefs. Inquisitive and selfassured, they follow their own paths and are not limited by others’ definitions of success. They walk forth with purpose, inspired by the many changemakers before them, including those Jewish trailblazers who lived out their Judaism as a religion of action enhanced by thought and belief.

Commitments

Future-focused Learning

At Emanuel, a commitment to Future-focused Learning means that we seek to prepare students for a life of learning. We aim to create authentic, relevant learning experiences in which students build knowledge and skills, and develop their capacity for collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication.

By providing students with agency in their learning and opportunities to connect with their passions, we encourage them to be independent, engaged learners. We invest in high quality professional learning for our staff, in recognition of the important role teachers play in preparing students for the future. We are committed to building strong learning foundations as well as extending students to reach their full potential.

An innovative approach to teaching and learning provides students with opportunities to develop an inquiry mindset, and to engage with realworld contexts, through which problem-solving and adaptability are fostered. We encourage our students to be reflective in their learning, seeking and acting on feedback, with a commitment to personal growth as lifelong learners.

Priorities for 2023

1. Enhance our approaches to academic learning for all students:

~ Provide high quality differentiated teaching practice that meets the needs of all learners

~ Embed an assessment model in which Years 7-10 Performances of Understanding (PoU) will offer a challenge/ extension option for at least one PoU in each course

~ Complete a comprehensive review of and rewrite the Gifted and Talented Policy

~ Complete and launch the Emanuel School Gifted and Talented Framework shaping the teaching and learning practices which support our gifted learners

~ Continue to explore opportunities for additional out-of-class learning for senior students as they prepare for their HSC examinations

~ Consolidate our instructional model for teaching Mathematics in Years K-6, through the Numeracy Project in partnership with AISNSW

~ Plan and prepare for the implementation new teaching programs in line with the NESA Curriculum Reform across K-12

~ Continue to refine the High School learning skills program continuum, with a focus on study and revision skills.

Future-focused Learning

2. Enhance our approaches to teaching (pedagogy) across the School:

~ Continue to develop and enhance our planning for and delivery of Passion Projects/Project-based Learning

~ Increase students’ access to hands-on maker-centred learning, through the expansion of curricular links with the Imaginarium and MakerSpace

~ Develop a shared P-12 framework to support pedagogy, reflecting the best practice gleaned from our longstanding commitment to Cultures of Thinking, Teaching for Understanding and Designing for Deep Learning

~ Integrate Atlas curriculum mapping software in Years 7-12, enhancing links across subjects/Years, to enable cross-curricular and transdisciplinary planning.

3. Improve our processes for assessment, feedback, and reporting:

~ Implementation of continuous/in-time reporting in Year 7, with planning for a future rollout throughout Years 7-12

~ Continued refinement of the implementation of the new model of outcomes-based reporting in Years K-6

~ Continue to develop the capacity to visualise and utilise data, through the Octopus BI software, expanding to include cohort analytics for Years 7-12, and the development of student and cohort analytics views for Years K-6

~ Explore the implementation of learning portfolios and continue the introduction of microcredentialling for Years 7-10 students, aligned with Project-based Learning and the development of the 6Cs.

4. Build and enhance partnerships that support real-world learning opportunities for students:

~ Finalise our first Reconciliation Action Plan, and embed intentional First Nations relationships between our School and external stakeholders.

~ Connect students with industry experts through our Careers programs and Innovation Festival.

5. Invest in high quality staff professional learning opportunities:

~ Implement a structure and timeline that supports a two-year cycle of feedback for teachers, leaders and support staff, through Educator Impact

~ Invest in leadership development of middle leaders and Executive team, with all leaders completing AIS Middle Leaders’ or Senior Leaders’ programs, and delivery of our annual Leadership Development Day for middle leaders at the School

~ Continue to deliver Professional Development sessions for all High School teachers, focused on curriculum and assessment differentiation, including how to modify assessment tasks for gifted learners.

~ Set aside time for professional learning related to the multi-year rollout of the NESA Curriculum Reform

~ Continue to upskill teachers through the UNSW Mini-Certificate of Gifted Education.

6. Actively promote teaching and learning initiatives:

~ Develop a schedule, in collaboration with the Marketing team, to promote Emanuel professional practice, through online/social and print media.

Commitments

Wellbeing Culture

At Emanuel, a commitment to Wellbeing Culture means we focus on personal growth within a connected, kind, caring, and inclusive Jewish community.

Guided by the School’s Jewish values and wellbeing best practice, we aspire to achieve and maintain wellness and balance – individually, communally, and organisationally. We acknowledge individual wellbeing needs and work collaboratively to develop plans to support growth and healing. We aim to ensure all members of the School community feel valued, supported, and safe.

The wide-ranging programs in place encourage the development of protective factors, the confident use of one’s voice and the power of choice. We are guided by evidence-based School policies around student management and ensuring a safe and supportive environment. We ask difficult questions because we care.

Priorities for 2023

1. Create opportunities to collect, track and analyse wellbeing data in order to make data-informed decisions:

~ Devise systems for the ongoing data use and entry

~ Entry of private information into a centralised but limited access system

~ Processes around when and how to enter data

2. Further develop a cohesive wellbeing program that reflects current student needs, syllabus requirements and best practice.

~ Align Student Management with whole school programs e.g. 6Cs

~ Review and update the scope and sequence based on current needs

~ Review Social/Emotional Learning programs

~ Ensure connections between wellbeing initiatives and curricular areas such as PDHPE

~ Provide a range of Professional Learning experiences for teachers on wellbeing topics and initiatives

~ Create themed Parent Information packages and handbooks

~ Encourage student voice and agency

~ Deepen the implementation of The Leader In Me through Lighthouse Team and curriculum connections in Primary School

~ Implement the URSTRONG program in Primary School

~ Include the Kornmehl Be You mental health program for educators in policy documentation

~ Develop the Kornmehl Be You Action Plan and add it into the Kornmehl Quality Improvement Plan.

Wellbeing Culture

3. Develop individual and group plans that cater for the diverse range of student wellbeing needs:

~ Formalise systems of management and partnerships to support our highest needs students

~ Provide staff with Professional Learning in specific areas related to student wellbeing needs and diagnosed conditions

~ Develop policy around the extent of school-supported interventions and reasonable adjustments

~ Refine the student management policy and system based on latest research and best practice, in the Primary School.

"Much have I learned from my teachers, more from my colleagues, but most from my students."

~ Talmud, Ta’anit 7b

Inspired Jewish Living and Learning Commitments

At Emanuel, a commitment to Inspired Jewish Living and Learning involves embedding Jewish values, understandings, and practices within our pluralistic context, focusing upon respect and inclusion.

Our aim is for students to become active participants in the Jewish and wider communities, both within and beyond Emanuel School. We seek to provide opportunities for students to engage deeply with Jewish traditions and customs, history, religion, and prayer.

Fostering a strong and informed connection to Israel is central to our Jewish ethos. Jewish perspectives and culture permeate both the curricular and co-curricular opportunities provided at the School. Our Jewish Life staff are passionate advocates, who possess a deep understanding of Judaism. We seek to inspire in our students and staff a connection to, and passion for, Jewish living and learning.

Priorities for 2023

1. Strengthen the Hebrew and Jewish Studies Programs:

~ Review academic programs and pedagogy, to identify and drive future improvements. Specifically:

~ Examine the overview and Scope of Sequence of Torah/Bible as it is taught in Primary School

~ Commence a review of existing Jewish Studies modules, fine tuning or exploring changes in topics in terms of relevance

~ Examine and expand the Tefilah curriculum for the Year 7 module

~ Refine the Freedom and Responsibility module for Year 9 Jewish Studies

~ Research (through Beit Rabban in New York and Hadar) best practice curriculum development

~ Commence a review of the Scope and Sequence of the High School Jewish Studies Curriculum, starting with a vision that includes Bible, Rabbinics, History and Philosophy

~ Introduce a ‘Yom Iyun’, for High School; a day of Jewish in-depth learning and experience which combines the expertise of the formal and informal Jewish life leaders

~ Design a Tefilah re-set for the entire High School

~ Change the music for Tefilah, shift the culture in terms of teaching respect for the siddur and respect for the community

~ Introduce weekly meetings with the Tefilah Va’ad to improve the music and the depth of experience of Tefilah.

Inspired Jewish Living and Learning

2. Provide professional learning opportunities for staff to develop Hebrew language proficiency and depth of Jewish knowledge

~ Introduce regular ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions on specific themes, to develop skills. Priority skills include teaching ancient Jewish texts, specifically Torah/Bible, and expanding the knowledge base of Sephardi/ Mizrachi learning

~ Host and attend the Ma’ayan Educators’ Symposium for termly or twice yearly teacher enrichment workshops and build bridges across schools

~ Conduct sessions to improve the teaching and running of Jewish prayer/Tefilah, alongside Bible skills

~ Introduce weekly training, learning and visioning on prayer for the Informal Jewish Life team, open to all staff

~ Research opportunities for members of department to undertake a Masters in Jewish Education

~ Hold specific staff meetings on Monday afternoons dedicated to growing the knowledge and skills base of teachers.

~ Conduct a full day off-site visioning, planning and re-set

~ Provide funding opportunities for teachers who want to improve their Hebrew through Ulpan programs.

Inspired Jewish Living and Learning

3. Create a more ‘Jewishly-informed’ school community

~ Communicate to the entire staff before each Jewish holiday, explaining the customs and practices of the Chag (holiday)

~ Use every speech given by Jewish Life to parents, to communicate a Jewish teaching as well as school information regarding curriculum

~ Use every Ma Nishma as an opportunity to offer something to the community that feels relevant and is also Torah-based to raise the status of Torah in the School

~ Offer a short course on a topic of relevance to parents to come and do a little Jewish learning at the School.

4. Further develop and provide meaningful and engaging formal and informal Jewish educational experiences

~ Commence the process towards a full Tefillah re-set for High School

~ Bring in Rabbis from the community to offer Jewish Mindfulness, Meditation and Spirituality Workshops to our students

~ Introduce a new paragraph into the Birkat Hamazon with a view to singing the entire Birkat Hamazon

~ Encourage and provide support for all students to participate in the reading of the Megillah for Purim

~ Invite a list of outside Rabbis from around the Sydney Jewish community to share a D’var Torah with the students at assembly

~ Launch an Emanuel Bat Mitzvah program, followed by a boys’ program. This program combines and includes parent-child sessions.

~ Create and run a Chocolate Seder for Year 12s as part of preparing them to leave Emanuel as engaged Jewish citizens

~ Develop and facilitate the Year 8 Shabbaton, to give students a fun weekend away, which also includes an experience of Shabbat

~ Research potential sites on campus for an outdoor workshop space that can be used for Tefilah, mindfulness and creative/experiential Jewish learning.

5. Improve opportunities for Hebrew and Jewish Studies

Education in Kornmehl

~ Embed and deepen Kornmehl Israel/Australia connections through the Arava Twinning program and improve communication between Emanuel and participating schools in Australia and Israel

~ Improve the transition between Kornmehl and Year K, by making time to celebrate Chaggim, Shabbat and Havdalah together

~ Embed Hebrew into the Kornmehl curriculum daily, through both spoken and visual strategies.

Commitments Learning Beyond the Curriculum

At Emanuel, a commitment to Learning Beyond the Curriculum means that we provide our students with a range of opportunities to pursue their passions and engage in experiences that occur outside the formal academic program. We seek to prepare our students for life beyond school, by engaging them in a rich and diverse range of real-life, relevant experiences.

By extending learning opportunities beyond the classroom, we encourage our students to broaden their experiences and explore their strengths, interests, and values, as they engage in activities of their choice. Involvement in our community service and Jewish Life experiential programs, outdoor experiences, music, sport, and the plethora of extra-curricular activities we provide, contribute to the development of values, skills, and a strong sense of connectedness that will equip students for the next stage of their learning journey.

Priorities for 2023

1. Provide professional development and leadership opportunities for sport and performing arts staff

~ Increase opportunities for student participation in a range of programs (K-12)

~ Develop new staff leadership positions (coaches/ co-ordinators)

~ Introduce strength and conditioning and skill development programs across Years 3-12

~ Explore opportunities for student leadership

~ Introduce opportunities for students to participate in Jewish Day Schools’ performing arts festivals or competitions

~ Enhance the student recognition structure for Representative pathways

~ Enhance the vacation skill development program

~ Explore opportunities for sport of Performing Arts tours.

Learning Beyond the Curriculum

2. Develop a consistent, P-12 approach to Co-curricular programs

~ Increase opportunities for participation in debating and public speaking

~ Promote our Co-curricular programs with parents and students

~ Develop a P-12 Co-curricular pathway for each program

~ Appoint a Co-ordinator of Co-curricular Programs in the High School

~ Review the current range of extra-curricular activities to ensure we are offering a range of activities that best meet student interest

~ Move Co-curricular rolls to electronic to improve efficiency, communication with external providers, and to ensure accurate attendance and absentee records are collated.

3. Introduce a high quality P-12 Service Learning and Outreach Program

~ Develop a P-12 service learning journey, extending from school activities to the broader community

~ Develop a transdisciplinary approach to the Jilkminggan experience

~ Explore opportunities for immersive service learning experiences both locally and overseas

~ Develop partnerships with Jewish and other community service organisations

~ Link the voluntary service element of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Program with the service learning program

~ Promote our outreach program to both students and parents.

4. Strengthen the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DoE) Program

~ Encourage participation and completion at each level of the DoE program

~ Review the leadership and staffing of the DoE program

~ Provide opportunities for Gold award alumni to share their experience

~ Promote the DoE program across parent and student communications

~ Encourage greater independence towards task completion

~ Structure PDHPE classes based on DoE pathways.

5. Enhance the Work Experience Program

~ Increase the participation of work experience opportunities for Year 10 students

~ Develop and maintain policies and processes designed to protect the safety of participants.

Commitments Sustainability

At Emanuel, a commitment to Sustainable Practices means we advocate for a sustainable future, in terms of our use of both our financial and natural resources. Our teaching and learning programs and organisational practices seek to value, promote, and protect the environment, in alignment with our Jewish ethos.

Our aim is to make sustainable thinking and practice a key focus of the Emanuel School community. We encourage student ownership of our ongoing responsibilities towards Tikkun Olam and Shmirat Ha’Adamah (being Guardians of the Earth), and to reduce our impact on the environment. We are also committed to prudent management of our financial and physical resources, to ensure the School will continue to thrive long into the future.

Priorities for 2023

1. Strengthen the commitment to and implementation of environmental sustainability at the School (P-12):

~ Regularly review existing and new suppliers to ensure they are compatible with meeting employment ethics and the sustainability of materials purchased

~ Increase the sourcing of renewable energy by optimising the current solar panel implementation and considering alternative renewable energy sources for the School

~ The Facilities & Operations Manager to report annually to School Executive on sourcing of renewable energy and new initiatives in sourcing renewable energy

~ Review the campus for opportunities to roll out energy efficient practices across the School including in older/heritage buildings

~ Undertake a regular energy efficiency audit

~ Re-introduce Waste Free Wednesdays in the Primary School

~ Measure landfill and report to the School on landfill and initiatives to reduce landfill

~ Explore participation with the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) to undertake standard measurement

~ Introduce P-12 transdisciplinary education programs and activities that promote awareness of sustainability issues

~ Continue to utilise the garden as an outside classroom.

~ Continue to offer opportunities/share information and work with student leaders on key dates related to environmental sustainability.

~ Invite high-profile community leaders to speak to students and staff. Include speakers in Staff Development Days.

Sustainability

2. Develop and support student leadership in sustainability:

~ Continue to develop the Year 7-10 Environment Leadership program

~ Introduce a Va’ad Instagram to communicate and promote key events/special dates.

~ Promote award programs and continue to identify students who are leaders in sustainability/environmental awareness.

~ Pursue opportunities such as a mobile muster competition

~ Explore the possibility of an inter-school student sustainability conference (Jewish Day Schools).

3. Create a financially sustainable and supportive school community by:

~ Maintaining strong financial prudence and control and benchmark against best practice

~ Conducting monthly reviews of performance by management, the finance committee and the Board

~ Undertaking a detailed masterplan review every five years

~ Continuing to grow the profile of the Emanuel School Foundation through events and updating of the donor database

~ Implementing the School Management System (SMS)

~ An ongoing review of processes, to ensure best practices are in place and new innovations are considered for integration

~ Ensuring best practice applications are installed for staff, students and parents

~ Maintaining a philosophy of workplace practice improvement and digitising processes in the classroom, for teachers, parents, and external stakeholders.

The child who asks becomes a partner in the learning process, an active recipient.

To ask is to grow.“

“Education means teaching a child to be curious, to wonder, to reflect, to enquire.

Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks z”l

With deep gratitude to the School’s Strategic Advisory Team, Executive, Board and other staff members for their time and input into creating this living, actionable Strategic Plan