| Carmel School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Dianella & Yokine, WA, Australia | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | Faith & Knowledge |
| Denomination | Jewish |
| Established | 1959 |
| Principal | David Taylor |
| Enrolment | ~750 |
| Website | www.carmel.wa.edu.au |
Carmel School is a private modern orthodox zionist Jewish school in Perth, Western Australia which was founded in 1959. It offers Jewish religious and cultural education as well as conventional secular education for students from Kindergarten to Year 12. It holds the title of being the only Jewish day school in WA.[1]
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The 1950s reflected a revival in Jewish consciousness which followed on from the destruction of the Central European Jewish communities during World War II. This was the inspiration behind the establishment of the Seeligson Kindergarten in Perth in February 1957. Starting with just 17 pupils, the success of this endeavour triggered a meeting of parents in 1958, the unanimous result being to start a day school.
Carmel School officially opened with 11 students in 1959. It ran in buildings adjacent to the Perth Hebrew Congregation synagogue on Brisbane Street. In 1962, the school was relocated to a plot of land on the Maccabean Grounds in Yokine. In 1974, the JN Shohet Junior High School was established. This was followed by the JJ & N Krasnostein Senior High School in the February 1978, which allowing the school to cater for all levels from kindergarten to Year 12.
Dr Ossie Tofler AM, one of the founding fathers of Carmel School, described the school in an early address to parents and prospective parents thus:
| “ | Those of you who are not familiar with the School, let me tell you what it consists of. We have two teachers. Miss Shelton teaches the usual things one learns at school and we ..Miss Finkelstein teaches the children Jewish subjects | ” |
The "usual things one learns at school” are radically different now than they were 50 years ago. Just as the invention of the printing press changed the face of education, so too have the advances in technology, the recognition of multiple intelligences and the neurological research into how children learn. The range of challenging and relevant learning experiences now aim to provide students with the skills to face the challenges of the future, to become active citizens of the world, leaders, life-long learners and thinkers who value creative pursuits. All of this is underpinned by the immersion of students in their Jewish culture that informs and enriches the learning environment.
The continuity in the educational and personal growth of students from Kindergarten to Year 12 ensures that new learning builds on an appropriate foundation of prior learning and experiences. The development of resilience, self-esteem and feelings of self worth within a safe, nurturing community are seen to be as central to the educational experience as academic rigour.
Today the School has high quality purpose-built facilities to support over 600 students in every area of school activities. While the buildings, resources and educational practice have both seen great changes over 50 years, Carmel School's mission as a thriving centre of academic excellence and Jewish life and learning remains.[2]
In November 2006 it opened a state-of-the-art Early Learning Centre which houses students from Kindergarten to Year 1.
On 13 September 2009 the Kadima Performing Arts Centre, a state-of-the-art building for drama and arts and media was opened.[3] It also celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009.[4]
The school officially "adopts" The Jewish War Memorial (located on Fraser Avenue, Kings Park). It seeks to do research into the military servicemen.[5] The school has also adopted the Memorial to the Victims of the Holocaust.[6]
In the week leading up to 11 April 2010, Brendan O’Connor, the minister for Home Affairs visited Carmel School to talk to students and staff about internal terrorism threats and border security.[7]
Also in 2010, the Ishioka and Lara Hana Brady, the subjects of the book Hana's Suitcase were invited to visit Carmel and speak about the holcaust.[8]
In 2011, the school officially opened its new gym.
Carmel School's motto is Emunah V'da’at (English: Faith and Knowledge) and is the philosophy of the school. This motto is displayed on the school crest. The vision of the school is Am Yisrael Chai.
The 3 biggest aims and challenges for the school are to retain quality Jewish education, quality secular education, and sustainable financial management.[9]
Alan Hershowitz has been President of the Board since 2008.[10]
In 2009, the class of 2009 achieved some standout results in the Tertiary Entrance Ranking (TER):[15]
The school has also received other academic achievements:
| Year | Reading | Writing | Spelling | Grammar | Numeracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 97% | 98% | 95% | 98% | 88% |
| 5 | 86% | 77% | 82% | 94% | 91% |
| 7 | 87% | 96% | 83% | 87% | 84% |
| 9 | 100% | 92% | 98% | 92% | 100% |