Latest News

Junior Kinder end of year Kabbalat Shabbat

In celebration of a year of incredible learning and personal development, our Junior Kinder children hosted a Kabbalat Shabbat today with loved ones, where Shabbat songs and age-old rituals were performed. Please click here to see some photos from the morning. More photos are available on the myKDS Photo Gallery. In acknowledgement of Chanukah, a candle was lit and the children proudly sang Maoz Tsur. Chag Urim Sameach! Thank you to our amazing educators including the Jewish Life team for bring such Jewish meaning to this milestone celebration.

08
DEC

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Year Levels: K

SK celebrates Shabbat at Armadale Reserve

We can't believe how fast time is flying by us! This morning Senior Kinder celebrated our last Shabbat together at Armadale Reserve.

We sang the songs, drank imaginary wine and finished by eating special sufganiyah challah that we made in honour of the first day of Chanukah. Shabbat has been such a special time for all our SK Shabbat leaders this year, thank you for celebrating with us.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Chanukah Sameach!

Amy Abrahams

Kindergarten Teacher

08
DEC

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Year Levels: K

Celebrating Chanukah at the Junior School

It was an engaging and fun day of Jewish learning and activities at the Junior School today. Students crafted Chanukah candles from beeswax with the help of Eldad from JNF, and some of the other activities included making a mosaic chanukiyah and a chanukiyah mobile. Please click here to see images from the day's activities. Shabbat Shalom and Chag Urim Sameach!

08
DEC

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Year Levels: P, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Insights: Challenging group think

Dear Community,

Last night we celebrated our collective achievements for 2023 in a wonderful Presentation Evening. I would like to share a section of the speech that I delivered.

The world since October 7 is a different one. As you, our graduating students, stand at the threshold of a significant transition, I want to share with you some ideas that I hope will help fortify you for the future and particularly for the challenging discourse that dominates contemporary tertiary education. As many of you will soon be attending university, I wish to challenge you to maintain the critical thinking dispositions that we have nurtured in you.

It is my view that the failings that many noticed in the tertiary sector prior to October 7, have now become impossible to ignore. I hope that the ideas I will share with you help you to stand firm in the place of the group think and anti-intellectualism that have overtaken what should be places o

08
DEC

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Presentation Evening 2023

Last night we came together to celebrate the achievements of our Years 6-12 students this year. It was a magnificent evening, althought it was bittersweet to say goodbye to the Class of 2023. Please click here to see a selection of photos from the evening. More photos will be available on our myKDS Photo Gallery once we receive them.

As well as honouring our students, awards were also given to our 'Giborim' (heros), who have done so much for our school - Lahra Carey, Jason Arnheim and Graeme Samuel AC. We also congratuated the recipient of the Michele Bernshaw Excellence in Teaching Award, Jen Duband. Please see the attached list of awards. We also marked the first night of Chanukah together, with the lighting of the Chanukiyah and blessings.&nb

08
DEC

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Year Levels: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Prep to Year 2 Production - 'The Zion King'

On Tuesday night, our Prep-Year 2 students premiered 'The Zion King', a musical written by Nissim Ben-Salamon, Music Teacher and Head of Junior School Productions. Please click here to see some photos from the production.

A colourful story that outlined King David's life, 'The Zion King' took us to our beloved Tzion and showcased our students' talents and joie de vivre. Thank you to all involved, particularly Nissim Ben-Salamon, and Zoe Arnott who took on the huge task of costume design. To Zion!

07
DEC

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Year Levels: P, 1, 2

Year 9s debate big questions

As part of their unit on Jewish ethics, Year 9 students had the opportunity to delve into a wide range of Jewish topics, allowing them to explore their interests and express their thoughts on matters of significance within Jewish culture, history, religion and thought.

On Tuesday, the finalists from each class took the stage to compete in a thrilling speech competition, showcasing their research, eloquence, and passion for their chosen topics. It was a celebration of knowledge, creativity, and the vibrant diversity of perspectives within the Jewish faith.

We are thrilled to announce that Asher Bloch emerged as the winner, securing the first position in the competition. A well-deserved Mazal Tov is also extended to Lennox Burstin-Irwin, who secured the second position in the competition.

In addition to our top two winners, Ebony Lewis and Zach Banner received honorable mentions for their contributions to the competition.

The

07
DEC

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Tiyul b'Yam Camp: A Journey of Connection and Adventure

In lieu of the traditional Year 10 Israel program, Yesh, students embarked on an unforgettable experience on Tiyul b'Yam in Anglesea. This unique camp aimed to fortify year-level connections and push students beyond their comfort zones, fostering a meaningful Shabbat and Jewish experience. Please click here to see photos from the tiyul.

The scenic Great Ocean Road served as the backdrop for the 15km trail walk into the campsite on the first day, setting the tone for a journey filled with joy, meaningful conversations, and adventure. Students took the reins, facilitating Shabbat services and organizing engaging programs that strengthened their bonds.

Thrilling activities included surfing, board boarding, and stand-up paddle classes, provid

07
DEC

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Year Levels: 10

Shark Tank for our Year 5 Entrepreneurs

A group of Year 5 students demonstrated that they have the knowledge and skills, passion and drive to become promising entrepreneurs. Eight students applied to be part of an Enrichment Unit of Work centered around business, finance and marketing, and modeled on the reality TV show ‘Shark Tank’. Please click here to see photos of the students presenting their work.

When forming the initial business ideas the students were highly imaginative, curious and innovative. They engaged in critical thought when diagnosing whether their product could be actualised in the real world. Finally, they developed their plan to turn their vision into reality, carefully calculating analytics and risks. They prepared a presentation to four venture capitalists, or

07
DEC

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Year Levels: 4, 5

A ruach-filled Inter-House Swimming Carnival

Our Years 3 - 5 students had a wonderful afternoon at our Inter-House Swimming Carnival on Friday. All students had a turn competing in a variety of events, both competitive and fun. Please visit our myKDS Photo Gallery to see photos from the day. They were cheered on by our Year 9 ruach squad who wowed with their coordinated dance moves. It was close, but Negev defeated Galil, Kinneret and Arava to claim the 2023 championship. Mazal tov Negev!

07
DEC

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Year Levels: 3, 4, 5

I am a Jew - Year 5 Jewish Studies

In Year 5 Jewish Studies we have recently been looking at our Jewish Identity as a culmination of everything we have been learning this year. We have been doing this by studying the Poem: 'I am a Jew' by Edmond Fleg. It is quite a complex poem and it took some time to understand. Following this, the students have begun writing their own personal version of this poem. Nina Gelfand produced a profound and highly poignant response (please see attached). It reflects not only the depth of her very strong Jewish identity but it speaks to the times we now live in. Many other students have produced extraordinary responses and we are incredibly proud of the whole year level.

David Opat

Vice-Principal Wellbeing and Head of Junior School

06
DEC

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Year Levels: 4, 5

Year 4s make balloon-powered cars

The Year 4 students have spent this term learning about forces. At the start of the term the students researched and started planning their Balloon Powered Cars. For many, this was one of the best projects of the year! The students worked with a partner, taking responsibility for deciding on and gathering materials, making a labelled design based on research results and building the car. After rigorous testing the students made modifications, considering friction and push forces and their impact on the car.

This was a great opportunity for our almost-school-leaders to take ownership of their own learning. They followed a design sequence that had a rubric to guide the process. This enabled the students to aim high, and then self-assess their own learning process. They also considered teamwork, its successes and challenges. Another aspect of this project was that not every car worked as intended. We discussed how learning is a continuous journey

06
DEC

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Year Levels: 4

Year 4 play Gardenvale in a friendly match

This week Year 4 students visited Gardenvale primary for friendly soccer and T-ball matches. In addition to it being a fun adventure and opportunity to play, this prepared the students for inter-school sports that they will be participating in next year. It was great to see excellent teamwork and fair play across the four fields!

06
DEC

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Year Levels: 4

Sports coach Sarah reporting from Israel

In the past few weeks have I volunteered with organizations as expansive as the largest civil volunteer organization known as “Brothers and Sisters for Israel”, responding to crisis in multifaceted ways from agriculture volunteering to managing and sorting donations. Other opportunities as small but equally important as Citrus Salt, a community kitchen providing hundreds of soldiers and displaced Israelis with meals made with love and up lifting messages accessed via QR codes from people all over the world (so clever!)

Stories of heroism are abundant from 7/10 and women like Hadassah from Magen David Adom defers credit from herself to MDA for their preparation to the success of saving so many lives and readying her to serve her community. When other phone lines were inundated and down, MDA’s average answering time frame of 1 sec was pushed to 7 secs and received 22,000 calls October 7. A heroic amazing ambassador for MDA,

06
DEC

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Learning Hebrew through cake

Over the past few weeks during Hebrew, our Year 2 students have been learning the story 'Aba BaMitbach' (Dad is in the Kitchen). They have been learning and practicing the vocabulary and verbs from the story and implementing this vocabulary in real-life conversations.

Last week, our students brought the story into life by decorating their own cakes, while practicing Hebrew at the same time. Please click here to see the students learning.

A follow up activity was writing their own story in a "photo album" based on the cake-decoration activity.

Yael Rath

Hebrew Teacher

06
DEC

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Year Levels: 2

Thank you to our Parent Safety Group Volunteers

As the year draws to a close, we want to make special mention of our Parent Safety Group (PSG) volunteers for helping to supervise safe entry and exit to our school. While this is always valued by our KDS community, this last term in particular we are extremely grateful for the parents (and some grandparents) who have served in this role of keeping our students and staff safe. Thank you to the growing number of parents who have joined our team this year, your eyes, ears and presence make a big difference during these busy drop off and pick up times. Whether it is a weekly, fortnightly or monthly shift, your assistance in the roster helps enormously.

In particular, a special shout out to our PSG Coordinators - Alex Freiberg, Simon Hatfield and Jason Blankfield.

We also have a number of long-standing volunteers who are retiring this year as their children graduate with the Class of 2023. Personal thanks to Alan Baynash, Michael Boltman, Tom

05
DEC

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Year 8 Design Technology students build Tiny House Prototypes

In Year 8 Design Technology, our students have been learning about off-grid Tiny Houses. In Term 3 our students used CAD software called Planner5D to produce a design of their ideal Tiny House considering a Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom and Living spaces with a size no greater than 12m in length, 2.5m wide and 4.3m in height.

Following their individual designs, students then collaborated in groups to create a Tiny House Prototype which incorporated as many off-grid elements as possible. Please click here to see photos of their Prototypes. Students worked tirelessly to build the frame of a Tiny House complete with roof. They grew their own plants using the greenhouse and then using a vertical garden method. They then captured water, developed a filtrat

05
DEC

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Year Levels: 7, 8

North Melbourne's Dr Sonja Hood shares her leadership tips

The President of the North Melbourne Football Club, Dr Sonja Hood, recently spoke with our Hanhagah. Dr Hood spoke about what it means to lead and set a culture in a workplace or community. In particular, Dr Sonja talked to our student leaders about trusting their own skills, growing into leadership, and letting go of ego. Dr Hood also stressed the importance of being clear on goals, staying true to values, and understanding what makes people feel included. Dr Sonja said that members and the people that she meets are the best part of her role.

Thank you Dr Hood for sharing your wisdom with us!

05
DEC

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Head of Performing Arts achieves 'legend' status

Our Head of Performing Arts, Eli Erez, recently attended the Drama Victoria Conference and was given the great honour of being inducted as one of the 2023 MAMA (Memories and Memorials Archive) 'Legends'.

The MAMA Project is a Drama Australia initiative that recognises Drama and Theatre educators of distinction who have shown wisdom, passion, resilience and commitment to Drama education over thirty or more years.

To thirty more please Eli! Mazal tov!

05
DEC

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Mazal tov our Mathematics Extension students

Earlier this year Mathematics Extension students in Years 3 - 5 participated in the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC), one of Australia’s largest school-based mathematics competitions. The AMC features unique problems designed by Australia’s leading educators and academics, with the goal of demonstrating the importance and relevance of mathematics in students’ everyday lives.

Students prepared by building their repertoire of problem solving strategies, practising their creative thinking abilities and learning to engage critical thought. During the competition students showed great diligence and focus as they concentrated for an extended period of time on the progressively challenging series of questions.

Congratulations to all Mathematics Extension students on their very fine achievement.

Debbie Arnheim

Talent Development Coordinator

04
DEC

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Year Levels: 3, 4, 5

Diving into Language: Year 5 Students make a splash with Hebrew Swimming Lesson

As the school year comes to an end, the Year 5 students in the extension group are wrapping up their studies with a unique and immersive experience – Hebrew swimming lessons.

The students recently visited the Harold Holt swimming centre, where they had the opportunity to participate in swimming lessons conducted entirely in Hebrew. Guided by their instructor, Moran, the students not only perfected their swimming skills but also navigated the waters of a new language. Photos from the lesson can be found on our myKDS Photo Gallery.

The Year 5 students embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, demonstrating their adaptability and openness to new experiences. The combination of swimming and language lessons not only allowed them to acquire new skills but also encouraged teamwork and camaraderie among the students.

Ravit Epstein

Junior School Teacher

04
DEC

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Year Levels: 5

Events

Chanukah Sameach from TBI!

(Event finishes 09/02/2024)

The TBI Team would like to wish KDS families a Happy Chanukah! We hope this time brings you joy, both in the form of delicious donuts and time together with family and friends. TBI is looking forward to celebrating this special occasion with you and your family across a handful of special events. In particular, on Sunday, to get the whole family involved in the Festival of Lights, there will be fun art and craft activities, music, and donuts!
Events that we hope you can join us for...
Family Activities: "Chanukah Funukah" - Sunday 10 December, 10am
Plus...
1001 Chanukiyot - Kabbalat Shabbat Service - Friday 8 December 6pm
Click here for more on Chanukah at TBI

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Junior School Summer Holiday Program

KidsCo are running a Summer holiday program at our Dandenong Rd campus.
Ready for the BEST school holidays ever? KidsCo School Holiday programs have a new theme every day to keep your little legends' curiosity growing! Take some time for yourself while your little humans experience a new adventure every day of the holidays as they unleash their confidence!
All of their programs are designed and led by qualified teachers who keep your kids aged 5 – 12 years old engaged with daily themed activities:
Experiment & Discover
Move & Hear
Arts & Crafts
Sports & Fitness
Please see the attachement for more information or click here for FAQs and to register.

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Year Levels: P, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Kedem's December services

(Event finishes 09/02/2024)

Please join Kedem for their services throughout December.
There will be a Minchah service on Saturday 16 December at 3pm at The King David School, followed by Service for the Soul on Saturday 23 December at 10am. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
Please email rosi.kedem@outlook.com to register.

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