to view the latest issue - Masada College

WHAT’S NEW IN 2013?New InitiativesNew Year - New SloganThe focus for our Prefect body will be to encouragestudent involvement and support for the manyand varied co-curricular opportunties on offer atthe College. Their slogan for the year, Unity incommUnity reflects this goal.The Leader in Me continues itsjourney at MasadaTo further embed our Leader in Me program we will asa first time event in NSW, be offering parents a courserun by our counsellor and 7 Habits Facilitator, BarryZworestine, on 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families.We will also be once again offering our parentsHebrew lessons, which proved to be a very popularoption in 2012. Masada College will continue ourCulture of Thinking journey as we, jointly withEmanuel School, work with Harvard Project Zeroguru, Mark Church in three one-week sessionsover the course of the year. Focussing on differentcultural forces which are the ingredients for a thinkingschool and include language, modelling, environment,time, opportunities and routines, staff will bedeveloping their own action research projects,under Mark’s guidance.Chinese offered in Junior SchoolWhile Chinese has been on offer as an elective inour Senior School, we will now be offering it as aco-curricular option to our Junior School students –already garnering much interest from our parents.Staff NewsAfter a very successful first year at the College, Rabbi Evan Widmonteis taking on a full time position in 2013, with his main focus being ourInformal Jewish Life programs.We look forward in the Junior School, to Mrs Naomi Heilpernexpanding her role to Head of Jewish Studies and Hebrew, Preschoolto Year 6. Mrs Heilpern will be working very closely with Mrs Chaplinin this executive position.Ms Justine Milner, is very excited to be joining Masada College JuniorSchool staff in 2013 taking up Mrs Kahn’s maternity leave position.Ms Milner comes to us with glowing references having worked for thelast ten years at various schools, including Mt Sinai.Ex-Masadian, Ms Danna Rosen, who has spent the last few monthsdoing an excellent job as a casual for us, will be joining the staff as theJunior School Art teacher, replacing Mrs Buining, and as an additionalmember of the Senior School Visual Art Department, teaching Years 7and 8. We are delighted to have Danna join our staff.Far Left:Ms Justine MilnerLeft:Ms Danna Rosen.In the Senior School we are delighted to welcome to Year Patronroles Mrs Susie Virgona (Year 7), Mr David Steel (Year 9) and pleasedthat Mrs Sharon Bresler will continue with Year 8, Ms Lyn Rutherfordwith Year 10, Mrs Sheilah Jackson with Year 11 and Mr Steve Levy,with Year 12. Mrs Jenny Greaves will be an Assistant to our Patrons.Mrs Jenny Mathews will continue as Patron to Overseas Students.Another exciting partnership from 2013, is Mr Ryan Gill, SeniorSchool and Mrs Clare Greenup, Junior School, in their roles ofE-Learning Integrators. They will be working closely with bothstudents and staff as we keep apace of 21st century technology.Inspiring SpacesThere have been some exciting environmentalchanges in our Senior School campus, reflecting ourpedagogical directions. A room, in a central locationin the school, has been dedicated to Jewish informallearning and will provide the perfect venue forour popular lunchtime shiurim. Our library is beingrestructured to reflect the focus on research andlearning, with some new furniture. A new learningarea, with varied, colourful and practical new furnitureis also being established to facilitate the environmentalcultural force.Last year a Learning Hub (pictured right)was set upin a classroom in the middle of the school, whereteachers meet and conduct their professional learningsessions, in full view of passing students, to modelthe thinking and learning we value so much at ourCollege. We now have a gym space which will bewell used by our PASS and PDHPE, as well as forextra-curricular fitness classes.