Message from

the Deputy Principal 

Masks

A reminder that masks are required for all students in Year 7 and above unless an exemption exists. Students should continue to provide their own masks – the School will have some available in emergencies.

Late arrivals

Please can I remind students and families that all pupils are required to attend School punctually. If students are late to School they must report to Main Reception to let the staff know they are on campus. 

End of Term Planning

Year 12 Graduation will take place on Thursday 2nd December. More specific information will be shared shortly.

Year 7-11 Speech Day will take place on Thursday 9th December. This will be amended due to the COVID-19 guidelines in place and more specific information will be provided shortly as well.

Webinar on E-Cigarettes and Vaping

Below is a link to a webinar from the Positive Choices series. The focus is on electronic cigarettes and vaping. This continues to be a significant concern for schools and parents around NSW, this presentation by Professor Hayden McRobbie provides:

• Current research findings on vaping among youth.
• Information about what e-cigarettes and vaping are and the effects of their use.
• Strategies for parents to prevent vaping among their children.

E-Cigarettes and Vaping- What you need to know - YouTube

Thought for the week

I shared the information below with our Senior School Students following the recent passing of Mr Eddie Jaku. It has been wonderful to see a number of students come up and talk further about this with me. I thoroughly recommend watching the TED Talk.

Dear all

Last week a gentleman, Mr Eddie Jaku OAM, passed away at the age of 101. Some of you may have heard about this, even discussed it in History or other classes, whilst for others it may not have appeared on your radar. 

You might be asking why is Mr Boyd writing to us about this? 

Mr Jaku’s story is an extremely powerful and one that we should not forget. I hope that you will take time to explore this further and reflect on Mr Jaku’s experiences and the lessons we can learn from him. I have provided a short overview below for you and included some hyperlinks which will allow you to explore his experiences in more detail. I thoroughly recommend watching the TED Talk at the end.

Mr Jaku was born in Germany in 1920. Mr Jaku’s life was changed in 1938 with an event called Kristallnacht. He returned from boarding school to see Jewish homes, synagogues and businesses being attacked throughout Germany. As a result of these attacks, Mr Jaku’s family home of 200 years was destroyed, his family dog, Lulu, was killed by Nazi soldiers and Mr Jaku was badly beaten by the soldiers. Mr Jaku commented on this: ‘In front of my eyes, I lost my dignity, my freedom, and my faith in humanity.’

The Jaku family were captured and along with other Jewish families sent to concentrations camps including Buchenwald, Gurs and Auschwitz – the latter camp was described by Mr Jaku as ‘a living nightmare, a place of unimaginable horrors.’

Mr Jaku escaped a death march in Auschwitz and was rescued by the US Army in 1945. Following this he moved to Belgium before arriving in Australia in 1950. Mr Jaku held hate in his heart following his experiences and struggled to overcome these feelings until the arrival of his first son. Mr Jaku said that following the birth of his son, his ‘heart was healed, and his happiness returned in abundance’ and he ‘made the promise that from that day until the end of his life, he promised to be happy, smile, be polite, helpful, and kind.’

Despite his experiences and trauma, Mr Jaku refused to let them consume him: ‘I do not hate anyone, hate is a disease which may destroy your enemy but will also destroy you in the process.’

Mr Jaku's lifelong mission became to teach and share happiness, respect, and kindness with as many people as possible - his way of ensuring that the Holocaust tragedy would never be forgotten.

Some of Mr Jaku’s messages include:

• Slow down don’t rush
• Be sure to savour and enjoy each day
• Go for walks and be curious about the world around you
• Rely on good friends in good and bad times
• Life is what you want it to be, it is in your hands

Watch Mr Jaku’s TED Talk from 2019 - Eddie Jaku: A Holocaust survivor's blueprint for happiness | TED Talk – it is only 12 minutes but this will be time well spent.

Mr Jaku’s message is clear: ‘Happiness does not fall from the sky. It's in your hands. If you're healthy and happy, you're a millionaire. Happiness brings good health to the body and the mind.’

His book 'The Happiest Man on Earth' is well worth reading and we have copies in the Library.

To conclude, Mr Jaku summarised his life: 

‘I have seen the very worst in mankind, the horrors of the death camps, the Nazi efforts to exterminate my life, and the lives of all people. But I now consider myself the happiest man on earth.’

I hope you will find reading and listening to Mr Jaku inspirational and thought provoking.