Junior School 

We cherish and embrace the diversity of our parents and families at Kambala.  We also understand that for our girl's meaningful connection with male role models whether they be fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, uncles, stepdads are a protective factor from a social and emotional wellbeing perspective. 

Last Tuesday we took the opportunity to celebrate our Fathers and Father's Day. Our Junior School Captain Anastasia Botros spoke from the heart and shared her thoughts and feelings with our Prep to Year 12 Fathers and Mothers in our audience.  I thought it would be wonderful to share Anastasia’s beautiful reflection:

I want to acknowledge one of our most unsung, unpraised and unnoticed heroes of our lives… our fathers.

 A father’s love for their children reminds me that not all the stars in the universe are enough to describe a father's love. A love that is unconditional. A love that is without boundaries. A love without an end. Our dads are our guiding light and constant source of strength, as their infinite wisdom and endless advice helps us to navigate through this journey called life. 

Your loving smile and gentle laugh go a long way in brightening our day. Your honesty and loyalty are what carries us through so today we say thank you for everything that you do. 

Although the tough times may seem impossible to get through, you're always there for us knowing that we can count on you. You become our rock, our steady anchors and pillar of strength through all our storms as you lend a sturdy hand to hold. 

You are our silent supporter, firm believer, and source of inspiration, sacrificing so much to give us the best opportunities in life. And so, I pondered what words were best to describe dad, I came across a poem that does just that. 

God took the strength of the mountain,

The majesty of the tree

The warmth of a summer sun

The calm of a quiet sea

The generous soul of nature

The comforting arm of night

The wisdom of the ages

The power of the eagle’s flight

The joy of a morning in spring

The faith of a mustard seed

The patience of eternity

The depth of a family need

Then God combined these qualities 

and then there was nothing more to add

He knew his masterpiece was complete. 

and so, he called it DAD. 

I wanted to say thank you to my superhero, my super dad, my super Mario… I love you. 

So Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads. 

Mr Stuart Coppin

Deputy Principal Head of Junior School

Problem Solving - Inquisitive Minds

 “All children have remarkable abilities to learn substantial mathematics when provided learning opportunities that emphasize sense making and problem solving” (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2020).  

Problem solving and critical thinking skills prepare students to understand and critique their world, preparing them to be contributing leaders in society. They are skills that all individuals need in decision-making, in the workforce, in their communities, and in daily life.

When approaching challenging problems in Mathematics, students are required to: 

▪ explore and connect mathematical concepts

▪ build understanding and fluency 

▪ choose and apply efficient techniques to solve problems 

▪ communicate their thinking and reasoning coherently and clearly 

Recently, our girls in Years 1-6 immersed themselves in an engaging incursion called Inquisitive Minds. The workshops are designed to foster a love of mathematics in students as they learn cooperatively to solve challenging problems and brain teasers using logical reasoning and strategic thinking. The girls were able to apply the skills of problem solving that they have been learning in class. They displayed a growth mindset with their perseverance, resilience and willingness to tackle challenging tasks.

Learning in mathematics that includes a focus on problem solving is exciting, rewarding and essential. We are proud of our girls for displaying enthusiasm, enjoyment and cognitive engagement in their mathematical thinking.

Quotes from students:

Inquisitive Minds is a chance to build friendships and work together under time pressure. I learnt more about visualising to help with solving problems. 

Erykah Skimin, Year 5

It taught us about teamwork and we learnt another way to think about Maths.

Ellen Wu, Year 3

Ms Ky-Lee Murphy

Director of Curriculum Junior School

Year 4 Drama Showcase

In Week 6, Year 4 took to the stage in their Drama Showcase of The Lorax. The Junior School MPR was transformed into Thneedville where the set was adorned in everything plastic. Through many twists and turns we were transported to Truffula Paradise where our audience were dazzled with the gorgeous Truffula trees which were made by our very own parent helpers. 

With all students playing a role and equal opportunity to perform, every student shone as they displayed their variety of talents. Not only did they look the part in head to toe costumes, but they also became the part which made me immensely proud. The success of the evening was testament to the girls' tireless efforts and dedication. Their hard work certainly paid off with one student stating 'It is all my dad keeps talking about'. 

Of course, the show would not have been possible without the help and support of our Year 4 teachers, Kambala Krew, lighting director and our parent volunteers. Your time and effort helped set our students up for success and for that I am extremely grateful. 

Ms Anna Derrig

Extra Curricular Drama Coordinator

Tournament of the Minds

Collaboration, critical thinking and creativity, are the tools required for participation, success and enjoyment, in the Tournament of Minds (TOM) competition. This annual competition involves teams of students completing a six-week project, requiring them to solve a complex challenge, prepare a script, and to create costumes and props. This year, three Junior School teams competed in the Tournament, held on Sunday August 27.

The Language Literature team, made up of seven Year 5 students, created an entertaining presentation to promote the use of a character (The Cat in the Hat) to symbolise a particular city, using a chosen genre and three literary devices. The team produced a promotional video as part of their excellent production.

The Language Literature team was awarded a Merit award- the equivalent of third place!

The Arts team completed the Immersion Challenge. Students chose an artist, M.C. Escher, and researched his artworks to create an immersive art installation. The team presented an engaging 3D presentation of an artwork, and had excellent feedback, in particular, on the costumes that the team had sewn themselves. The judges also commented on the teamwork that was exhibited in their performance.

The STEM Challenge- Birds of TOMadise, required teams to produce an exotic bird that could “fly” freely and unaided, and complete two flights. The team also created an electronic demonstration that explained the Mathematics and Science involved in the design. The STEM team focussed on the skills of “costumes” and “verse” for their presentation and were given an excellent score for these elements.

Overall, The STEM team received the Honours award- the equivalent of second place!

Mrs Anna Koutsoukis

Learning Enrichment- Gifted and Talented teacher

During this term, my team and I had the privilege of participating in the Tournament of Minds. We worked together to produce a solution and presentation for our difficult task. We produced many scripts, plans and prototypes that helped us come up with our final product and presentation. We also participated in a "Spontaneous Challenge" where we were given a challenge and had a short time to work together to come up with a skit to present our solution. The experience was enjoyable, challenging and thought-provoking. Overall, I have learned a lot from this incredible experience.

Clara Khoury

Year 6

My time in TOM this year has been an incredible experience. I've been able to collaborate and work with others. The opportunity to create, reason and collaborate with others in a TOM Challenge will give me memories that I will never forget, and knowledge I could never replace.  

Poppy Dawson-Damer

Year 6

TOM was a really interesting experience that expanded my creativity, collaboration, work ethic and independence. The process of finalising the idea and finishing the project took a lot of thought, and trial and error. Despite a few setbacks, we all contributed to it and the rehearsal atmosphere was fun and joyful. It was a large commitment, and the time pressure made it really difficult, but the amount of hard work and effort put into the project made it so much more of an achievement. I'm so grateful that I was lucky enough to participate in TOM. 

Hannah Heimans

Year 6

In the Language Literature Challenge, we had to create a statue concept and write a script for a play that included language features like metaphors, soliloquies and similes. I honestly loved my team and I feel that we really worked well together. I looked forward to all our lessons together. The competition day was great because all our hard work paid off, our performance was exceptional, and I felt very proud afterwards. Overall, the Tournament of Minds was a great experience and I am very happy that I took part in it.

Minty Dusseldorp

Year 5

Teddy Bear's Picnic

If you went down to Massie Playground during Book Week you would have had a BIG surprise! The Teddy Bear’s decided to have a picnic! They brought along their favourite Kindergarten and Year 1 friends and invited their Year 9 friends to join in as well.

Teddies and girls enjoyed being read to by the Year 9 girls - stories and sandwiches in the sun - what fun!

I wonder who had the best time - the teddies? The Kindergarten and Year 1 girls? Or perhaps the Year 9 girls? 

What a wonderful lunchtime, thank you to the teachers who made it possible, the Year 9 girls for your super story-reading and to the teddies themselves, thank you for visiting Massie House.

Ms Kimberly Pericles

Deputy Head of Library Services

Year 5 Debating Success

This term, our four Year 5 IPSHA Debating Teams embraced a unique opportunity by participating in the IPSHA Debating Competition. IPSHA debating runs in Terms 2 and 3 and is a non-competitive debating round robin competition, allowing students to develop their confidence and understanding of debating. 

Our four teams faced off against formidable opponents, including Kincoppal, Waverley College, Ascham, and Cranbrook and Moriah. The girls tackled thought-provoking topics, such as 'That electronic devices should be banned in primary schools' and 'that playing a team sport should be compulsory in primary school'. 

Throughout the last two terms, all four Kambala teams exhibited exceptional debating skills, earning commendations from adjudicators for their adept case construction and confident rebuttals. Well done girls! 

Ms Leigh Barlow

Debating Coordinator

We're proud to present the Year 5 IPSHA 2023 teams below:

Junior School Book Parade

Under sunny skies and with picnic blankets unfurled, parents, visitors and girls celebrated books, reading and 2023 Book Week in the Junior School. Our annual parade is always a fun event and this year didn’t disappoint. With Barbie making an appearance (or 2 or 3) and complete with some words of wisdom and some great jokes, Mrs Pinkstone compered the Parade and set the scene for a great morning in the sunshine.

The costumes and creativity were, as always, spectacular: we had book characters from classic stories like Little Women, The Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie-the-Pooh and the Cat in the Hat; we had modern classics like Harry Potter and The Baby-Sitters Club; we had heroes from Star Wars; many furry animal friends; cheerleaders and even a dancing unicorn (Thelma was that you?); as well as an alien or two, many Matildas and of course Princesses, fairies and some Evil Queens!

A little bit of dancing, some laughter and the excitement of dressing up; a bake sale, a picnic in the sun and the morning was complete. 

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our Book Parade, is it too early to start planning for 2024?

Ms Kimberly Pericles

Deputy Head of Library Services

House Netball and Touch Football Matches

Next week we will be holding the Junior School House Netball and Touch matches at lunch time on the oval. The two houses with the highest point score in each sport will progress to the final, which will be held on Friday 15 September, Junior School Open Day. Teams are made up of Year 6 students who play Touch or Netball for Kambala first, then other year 6 students and/or Year 5 students until the teams are full. 

All girls are asked to bring their sports uniform and runners/touch shoes along on the days they are playing matches. Please come up to the oval at the start of lunch each day.

The dates of the matches are:

Monday 4 September - Touch

Tuesday 5 September - Touch

Wednesday 6 September - Netball

Thursday 7 September - Netball

The teams for both House Netball and House Touch can be found here

Junior School Parent Teacher Meetings - ZOOM

Junior School Parent-Teacher Meetings will be held over Zoom during Week 8 of Term 3 (Monday 4 September to Thursday 7 September). We will continue to utilise Zoom for our interviews as feedback indicates this works best for our busy parents and carers. 

At the designated time of your appointment, you can access the relevant Zoom link on your daughter’s Sundial class page where parents will find individual teacher and specialist links. Teachers will be alerted that you are in the virtual waiting room and will admit parents to begin the appointment at the scheduled time. 

We ask that parents ensure they are prompt and online on time to facilitate these interviews running smoothly. Parent Interviews are an opportunity for feedback, so it is important that you honour by attending at the arranged time. 

Please note if you are running significantly late you will need to reschedule your appointment as teachers must follow their pre booked interview times with other families. Every effort to keep to the schedule will be made and we encourage parents to access the Sundial class pages ahead of the scheduled meeting times to support timeliness.