Junior School 

World Mental Health Day

To acknowledge World Mental Health Day we were honoured to have Professor Ian Hickie share his insights and expertise with our boutique crowd.  

Professor Hickie posited the value of mental wealth and its link to community and belonging. He also highlighed that technology has led us to communicate more often, but that we are connecting less meaningfully.  It was interesting to hear the questions posed to Professor Hickie from our Wellbeing Prefect and our Advocacy Prefect.  These students were most interested in topics such as procrastination, sleep and diet and cornerstones to wellbeing.

Professor Hickie has an impressive podcast with James O’Loughlin entitled “Minding your Mind” which can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Professor Ian Hickie has two books.

Mr Stuart Coppin

Deputy Principal - Head of Junior School

IPSHA Gala Debating Day

On Friday 8 September, the IPSHA Gala 2023 Debate Day was held at Riverview 

St Ignatius. This year, Kambala proudly sent two Year 5 debating teams to participate in this debate day.

The two teams showcased their exceptional debating prowess as they squared off against other formidable independent schools. The 2023 topics were thought-provoking and challenging. Topic one was, ‘the requirement that all schools have a student maintained vegetable garden’ and ‘team sports are better than individual sports.’

At the conclusion of the Gala Day, Kambala emerged victorious in two out of three debates. With both teams producing well-researched case material and providing compelling rebuttals.

The IPSHA Gala marked the perfect conclusion to an outstanding IPSHA Debating Season. Well done girls! Information on Year 5 debating trials to select 2024 Year 6 teams has been posted to Sundial via the Debating and Public Speaking page. Please sign up this term if your daughter would like to trial for a space in the competitive teams for next year

The 2023 IPSHA Gala Day Students

Ms Leigh Barlow

Debating Coordinator

Congratulations Saskia Munro Year 6

Congratulations to Saskia Munro Year 6 for being awarded a Silver medal for the Write On Competition. Students submitted a 500 word imaginative text using the visual prompt.

"All I could remember was the longing. Longing to leave, and go somewhere else. Anywhere else. It could have been anywhere, anywhere at all. Just away from here. They had reprimanded me before for my blissful thinking, gazing into an imaginative euphoria and not looking straight ahead at the cloudy, dust trails, but I just couldn't help it. "Anywhere at all" I thought. Of course, I already knew that this was much more than imaginative thinking. It was impossible thinking. My life was already planned ahead for me, like the countless dirt tracks I had walked, an unknown trail led by slaves with whips. As I glanced sideways, the sorrowful vegetation watched me pass, step by aching step. "Emphasis on the aching" I thought depressingly, my hooves heavy and scraped. I could barely see, flies swarming my irritated eyes, let alone walk; But, of course, my merciless riders could simply not allow breaks. I looked up at the sky, and saw it mirror my mood; clouds began to moan their way towards each other, each packed full of rain. "Oh rain" I wished. "What I wouldn't give to have rain!" My tongue was heavy against my bruised jaw, with a rough, leather bit jammed into my gums to misalign my teeth. But the rain just stayed put, waiting patiently, like an evil puppeteer to an obedient puppet, making my wanting grow enormously. The air in my mouth was even drier than the air outside, swollen and sandy, but the rain wouldn't give in; But, miserably, I did.  As the flies began, now, to swarm my tail, I tried to swish them away but my nerves winced in horror, the knots in my tail even worse than my coat. I sighed in annoyance. Suddenly, the air cracked above my head and, before I knew, my right side was screaming horribly. "Geddy-yup" the rider commanded, striking the whip again, above my head. I tried to stumble slightly faster but blood began to trickle out onto the dirt track, weakening me. I'd had many strikes with the whips before, but none were ever strong enough to pierce my thick skin. As the trickle soon turned to a stream, my head lolled from side to side, with not enough energy to keep it upright. I heard the other camels grunt in despair as my eyelids began to flutter to a close. I couldn't take it anymore. My consciousness slipped away, into some abyss of my body and, with one last look at the cold, hard reality of my life,  it happened. I fell."

Ms Ky-Lee Murphy

Director of Curriculum

Safety Reminder

We must share Tivoli Avenue with the residents.  

We are getting a number of complaints from the Tivoli Avenue residents that our Kambala parents are double parking in resident driveways.  Please do not do this.  

It is easy to think “it is just me doing this on this one morning” but this can lead to the quantum effect of 10 cars in one school double parking the resident driveways which reflects poorly on our Kambala community. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Number-a-thon

We are excited to announce that girls in the Junior School will be participating in a Number-a-thon this year; the benefits of which are enormous.  The Number-a-thon helps the girls to better remember and embed their learning in number facts, builds mathematical fluency and raises money for students less fortunate than ourselves.  

The funds raised will go to St Jude’s School in Tanzania.  Each year Gemma Sisia, the foundress of the school, comes to Kambala to share her inspirational story with the girls.

Next week, every student from Kindergarten to Year 6 will be given a number fact list appropriate for their year level and level of ability. The girls will then be tested on their number fact list over the course of Week 6 (commencing Monday 13 November). Girls’ results in the Number-a-thon will contribute to their House Points. The House with the best overall number fact results will be rewarded with a party or fun movie lunch at the end of Term 4.

Our girls are asked to find friends or relatives who will be sponsors and record their information and donation on the sponsor sheet. Sponsors can either nominate an amount ‘per correct number fact or pledge a donation.

Sponsorship money will be due by the end of Week 7 of Term 4 (Friday 24 November 2023). Please return funds raised to your daughter’s class teacher.

Happy learning !