Latest News

Dreaming with Eyes Open - Book Week at the ELC & Junior School

This week has been all about celebrating books during Book Week, with the theme ‘Dreaming with Eyes Open’ inspiring our imaginations. To see photos from the week, please click here. Students have engaged in many activities that aim to foster a love of literature. Our Year 5 students wrote a book in a day, and our younger students listened to author and KDS alumnus Steven Krygger read his book "I think it's a Monster". Many beloved book characters arrived at school this week dressed to impress and ready to Parade!

26
AUG

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Insights: Helping young people in need

Dear Community,

I recently had the great privilege of attending the launch of a new organisation called Parachute. Parachute has been nurtured and developed by co-CEOs Alex and Charley Cowen, who are both in Year 12 at our school. Parachute has been established as a legacy to their late father, Ben Cowen.

In 2017, our school community was rocked by Ben’s tragic and untimely passing. He made such substantial and positive contributions to the School through his role on the School Council, as a school parent and a supporter of all King David initiatives. Ben’s passing was such a shock to all of us, but to his family it was an acute trauma that led to a sense of great loss, disorientation and doubt about the future.

At the launch of Parachute, Alex described the period following her father’s death as the lowest point of her life. She worried about whether she would be able to continue at our school, whether

26
AUG

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Senior School shines in Purple

It was wonderful to see purple throughout our school as students and teachers wore a touch of purple to celebrate Wear it Purple Day. This is a nationwide event that celebrates and supports young LGBTIQA+ people with the aim of shaping a better world for everyone to live in. Please click here to see photos.

Students raised money for Black Rainbow, a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQA+ organisation that supports the positive health and wellbeing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQA+ community.

Students also purchased purple cupcakes from Esther's Kitchen (tuck shop), raising further funds for Black Rainbow.

26
AUG

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

Victory is ours!

Following a thrilling win and taking home the trophy in the EISM Southern Conference, The King David Senior Indoor Soccer team played off in one final match. They would play the Northern Conference winner, Alphington, for the Eastern Division trophy. Please click here to see some photos from the match.

A pre-game strategy session focusing on starting the game well translated right onto the pitch, with the team getting off to a hot start and being rewarded with a penalty only 5 minutes in. Put away by Alex A, King David took a 1-0 lead. Not long after the super-sub from last week, Jack H, proved he was still firing as he came on and scored merely 10 seconds later, extending King David’s lead to 2-0. Alphington were starting to get frustrat

25
AUG

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Year Levels: 9, 10, 11

A Midsummer Night's Dream Incursion

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,

And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.”

As part of Book Week celebrations, Year 8 English students attended an incursion of A Midsummer Night's Dream, performed by The Australian Shakespeare Company. A huge thank you to the many talented volunteer actors whose performances enhanced the play for the audience immeasurably.

Year 8 English teachers: Lesley Wesseik, Praachi Juneja, Jackson Muir and Julie Shields.

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AUG

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Year Levels: 8

Year 2 Shofar Workshop

In preparation for Chodesh Elul, the Year 2 students had the opportunity to participate in a workshop led by Rabbi Gary Robuck, from Temple Beth Israel, held at The King David School. "Rabbi G" explained the importance of sounding the shofar in the final month of the Jewish calendar and how it acts as an alarm clock waking each of us up to consider our actions. He demonstrated how to sound the four sounds of the shofar and the bracha we say on Rosh HaShanah for the mitzvah of hearing its sounds. Please see some images here - please note the full album is on myKDS Photo Gallery. Each student was allocated their own shofar for Chodesh Elul and had a go sounding it, which wasn’t so easy! Next week, the Year 2 students are looking forwar

25
AUG

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Year Levels: 2

Friends' wonderful visit to the JAHM

The Friends of KDS group spent an enjoyable morning this week at the Justin Art House Museum (JAHM) viewing the current Gender and Art exhibition. Visits to JAHM have been regular and eagerly awaited calendar events since the group was formed.

Whilst acknowledging the complexity and potential minefield in any current discussions of genre, the Justins with each artist’s consent, have reduced the variables to male and female as a mechanism to explore what influence if any, gender makes. The 64 works selected from their collection pair male and female artists to create 32 pairings.

What a wonderful task Leah and Charles set themselves deciding on which pieces to pair. The exhibition is beautifully curated with interesting pairings based on some elements that tie the works together. This could be the artist’s style, subject matter, colour palate and even size. Given the work is abstract, what would provide clues on the gender

25
AUG

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2nd Place at the BDPSSA Athletics Carnival

The BDPSSA Athletics Carnival was a resounding success for our Years 4 to 6 athletes taking out second place overall. Please see photos from the Carnival here. 65 students from Years 4-6 competed against 7 other schools from within the Balaclava district. After training all term, the day had arrived. Clouds threatened early to spoil the day and eventually the rain came down and made the conditions very tricky.

With true KDS teamwork, skill and courage we pushed together and took home the Craig Mottram Trophy (Runners Up). Well done KDS athletes!

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AUG

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Year Levels: 4, 5, 6

Eve Barlow visit

This week, Social media activist Eve Barlow visited KDS and addressed Year 12 students during Ofek about her journey from pop culture journalist to becoming one of the most outspoken voices on Jewish identity and Zionism today. Using platforms such as Twitter and techniques of disruption and provocation, she strives to call out antisemitism in progressive (and mainstream) spaces and maintain a Jewish perspective in public platforms. Eve Barlow is visiting Australia as a guest of WIZO and the ZFA, and is pictured with Bren Carlill, Director of Public Affairs at the ZFA.

Sidra Moshinsky

Director of Jewish Life and Learning

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AUG

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Year Levels: 12

Gan Tamar at Bush Kinder

Finally, it was Gan Tamar’s turn to go to Bush Kinder (Gan Tevah) and we could not be more excited! I won’t lie, I was pretty nervous about the weather (50% chance of rain and thunderstorms), BUT it was perfect and no rain in sight! When we got there, we sat down on the logs to have our morning tea and then set boundaries of the places we couldn’t pass and where we needed to stay. The children climbed, ran up and down the hill, trekked through the bush and jumped in the muddy puddles. We crossed the bridge, visited the Gnomes in Gnomesville and helped build the teepee. Next thing we knew, the hour was up and we were back on the bus ready to come back to Kinder. Please click here to see photos from the day. The children had the absolute best time and are already asking when we

25
AUG

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Year Levels: K

It’s a Birthday Party

To celebrate their end of the ‘Birthday’ unit in Hebrew, the Year 3 students participated in a Birthday party. This unit focused on the activities we do before, during and after a birthday party. Students had an opportunity to decorate a birthday cupcake, make a Lolly bag and receive a birthday present in a specially designed bag by a friend. We played some games, sang and danced to birthday songs in Hebrew. The images from this activity will be used to enhance the students' writing skills as we move towards writing paragraphs and mini recaps.

Ravit Epstein

Junior School Teacher

24
AUG

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Year Levels: 3

Bringing light to Rjukan

Over the last few weeks our Year 9 Science students have been busy building their knowledge and understanding of how light works. To see images, please click here.They then embarked on a mission to see how they can bring light to a Norwegian town, Rjukan, a place on earth that does not get any sunlight at all for six months. Rjukan is wedged in a deep valley between two mountains and across autumn and winter the town is permanently in the shadows of the mountains- even if the sun is shining. Photos show the journey of our students' from planning, building, testing and finally presenting their models of the town, where they brought light to Rjukan.

Dr Zee

Senior School Teacher

24
AUG

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Year Levels: 9

Movement and stretching in the ELC

Twice a month Josh, a sports teacher from the School, comes to do a flexibility and movement session with the children. Flexibility is an important part of a child’s fitness and includes movements like bending, twisting and stretching. These activities allow the muscles and joints to move easily through their full range of motion. This afternoon the children were encouraged to bend their bodies like a cat, sway like a tree, reach up to the stars and crouch like a frog. It’s a great session to end the day with, helping the children feel refreshed and connected to their bodies. Next, I will be introducing some yoga sessions into our program to further extend the children’s interest and the importance of these whole body movements.

Amy Samowitz

ELC

23
AUG

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Year Levels: K

Victorian State Mikolot finals

Once again, The King David School participated in the Victorian state finals of Mikolot (‘From our Voices’), a national public-speaking competition between Jewish schools. The competition aims to cultivate oracy skills, fostering a wide range of expression of Jewish voices engaging with Jewish issues. Finalists Daniel Menashe and Ella Simons (Year 10) presented prepared speeches in which they used a quote by Rabbi A.Y. Kook: "I don't speak because I have the power to speak; I speak because I don't have the power to remain silent" as a springboard to explore an issue of their choice. They then responded to the prompt ‘Mobile phones: blessing or curse’ in their impromptu speeches. The competition was judged by Micky Fisher, lawyer, political campaigner, and former President of the Monash Student Association and the National Chairperson of AUJS and Mandi Katz, community activist and previous president of Shi

23
AUG

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Year Levels: 10

Events

Join us for our annual Business Breakfast

(Event finishes 27/10/2022)

Please join us for our annual Business Breakfast:
Pathway to zero: Why smart businesses are leading the way
Thursday 27 October
7.15am – 9.15am
The Park, 36 Lakeside Drive, Albert Park
Join us for a great networking morning and hear from some of Australia’s leaders on emissions reductions: Ben Burge (Telstra Energy), Stan Krpan (CEO Solar Victoria), Anna Skarbek (CEO Climateworks Centre) and panel moderator Eytan Lenko, thought-leader of the clean-energy transition.
For more info contact:
Jo Upton, Foundation Sponsorships
joanne.upton@kds.vic.edu.au

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Finance Committee Vacancy

(Event finishes 01/09/2022)

The Finance Committee is a committee of The King David School Council. The Committee oversees the School’s financial position and disclosures and provides advice to the Treasurer and the School Council. Members of the Committee meet monthly and meetings are chaired by the Treasurer.
Having recently reviewed its composition, diversity of skill set and gender balance, the Committee is now seeking an additional member with the following key skills and attributes:
- Qualification as either a CA/FCA or CPA
- Experience in a large Australian Audit practice
- Experience in financial reports, financial records and systems

- Ability to assess financial risk and advise on appropriate risk mitigation measures

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See you at the The Lion King Jr!

(Event finishes 17/09/2022)

Our Years 6 to 8 musical, The Lion King Jr, premieres this weekend!
Sunday 18 September - Monday 19 September.
There are three performances to choose from: Matinee Sunday afternoon (1pm), Sunday evening (7pm), and Monday evening (7pm).
Please book your tickets here!
We can't wait to see you at the show!

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Year Levels: 6, 7, 8

Join Kedem for their Service for the Soul

(Event finishes 27/08/2022)

Please join Kedem for their service for their soul: For a Shabbat of meditation, renewal and peace
Saturday 27 August 2022 at 10 am
Register with Ruth for the Zoom link and to check if in-person attendance will be an option: ruth.kedem@outlook.com.

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Join Kedem for the High Holy Days

Kedem will have two Rabbis officiating High Holy Day services: Rabbi Gabbi Sar-Shalom and Rabbi Fred Morgan. Please see the attached flyers for more information and the updated program.

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Embrace Kids movie night: Addressing body image and understanding difference

(Event finishes 16/09/2022)

Our upcoming movie event "Embrace Kids" addresses key issues such as body image and embracing individual differences. We feel the messages contained in this movie, together with the professional debrief planned afterwards (in separate rooms for parents and children) are important viewing for students in Years 4-9 and their parents. The post-movie debrief will be conducted by trained people who have expertise in this space. We appreciate that some students may not wish to attend with their parents and it is OK if parents wish to attend without their children. We hope that as many students as possible from these year levels can be encouraged to attend with at least one parent/guardian.
KDSPA has organised a special screening at Classic Cinemas, Elsternwick.
Tickets are $12 each to cover the cost of hiring the cinema. Please note that seating is not pre-allocated so tickets can be purchased by each family separately.

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Year Levels: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Deborah Halpern Art Studio Visit

(Event finishes 02/10/2022)

Friends of The King David School invites you to a Deborah Halpern Art Studio Visit.
Deborah Halpern OAM is one of Australia’s most notable and sought after sculptors, widely known for her colourful and whimsical mosaic works which feature in both public spaces and private collections. Best known for “Angel” originally installed in the moat outside NGV 1989 currently at Birrarung Marr; “Ophelia” on promenade at Southgate; “the Four Graces” Kingsgrove NSW.
Date: Sunday 2 October 11am - 1pm
Venue: Studio in Warrandyte
Price: $55.00 per person, including morning tea
Limited places are available for this special event and we are close to being booked out!

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UPJ Biennial - early bird tickets available

(Event finishes 02/09/2022)

The Beatles sang “8 Days a Week”, Shakespeare wrote “forever and a day” and today our catchphrase for total immersion is “24/7” – the UPJ Biennial titled “Progressing Judaism: 8 Days a Week” will explore how we can expand our Jewish values beyond our one-day observance of Shabbat, incorporating our Jewish identity into myriad interactions with the world around us. The Biennial Conference will focus on being a Jew in today's complex, modern, fast-paced society, and will feature dynamic and engaging speakers from our region and beyond. The in-person conference will be held in Sydney on 17-20 November, at the Novotel Brighton Beach. for more information, please visit https://upj.org.au/2022-biennial and see the attached PDF.

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Jewish Care presents: Pornography, young people and sexuality

(Event finishes 16/09/2022)

Please join Jewish Care for a Parent Education session on pornography, young people and sexuality.
Tuesday 13 September, 7.30pm-9pm, on Zoom
For more information, please see the attached flyer.
Please click here to register for the Zoom link.

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