Senior School
#Matildas #Unified #2023Cohort
For those of us old enough to remember the Sydney 2000 Olympics, the last few weeks have felt like we had gone back in time. At Kambala we have immersed ourselves in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The atmosphere of excitement and shared aspirations was incredible to be part of. As more armchair athletes ourselves, we've been rattling off names like Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, MacKenzie Arnold as if they were our friends, dropping their names into conversations, sharing our commentary on the matches. It was as if we became an overnight expert on football.
While this may not be the reality, we are certainly more familiar with individuals, and a team, that should be congratulated for uniting a society that is experiencing divisions, whether they be political or otherwise. It was wonderful to experience shared determination, to see our Kambala value of Courage in action. On Wednesday 16th August, as the Matilda’s played England in the Semi Final, 30 or so Year 12 students huddled together in the Soub to share the experience, the joys and sorrows in our quest for further historical significance. Mr Tim Hay, Head of Year 12 writes about this, in this edition.
For us, this experience epitomises our current Year 12 cohort. They have, and continue, to approach examinations with composure, the creative showcase with confidence and this unity is something they should be proud of. While we saw unity in the country, unity in smaller groups such as a cohort is extremely valuable. The FIFA Women’s World Cup has also been able to highlight inequality within our society whether that be salary, representation, opportunity or recognition.
At Kambala, while we cheered for the athletes on the field, just as importantly we also championed, and continue to champion, the causes these remarkable athletes represent. As Year 12 nears the end of their time at Kambala we hope they reflect on their time with fondness, remember the relationships they have forged and forever feel a sense of belonging to a group of young people that aspire to have an impact on the world.
Ms Carolyn Gedling & Ms Joanne Sarmiento
Deputy Principal - Academic, Deputy Principal - Wellbeing and Boarding
New Furniture for Fernbank - thanks to our Community
Thanks to the generous support of our community, Fernbank has some new furniture. This includes new outdoor furniture, a BBQ, outdoor heaters and new bedside tables and lamps. The girls have begun enjoying these new additions.
The Country and City lunch held in Term 2 raised money to support our boarding house and this was matched by the KPA who further supported the additions. We thank all for their efforts.
It is through the generosity of our community alongside the work of the School that continues to see great improvements to the site.
Dr Tamara Lang
Deputy Principal - Operations, Strategy and Development
STEM Sport Science 2022/2023Presentation and Letter of Agreement - University of Sydney
On Thursday 10 August, the first group of girls who have been involved in the STEM Sport Science program had the opportunity to present their research. The girls have been researching their project of choice for the last six months and have been supported by Sid Verma, from BrainSTEM and their mentors from The University of Sydney. This program was preceded by the Letter of Agreement between both institutions, signifying a professional relationship that is future focused and one that allows more collaboration to happen.
Well done to these girls for all their hard work which culminated at this special evening with Ms Jane Danvers, staff and parents.
Ziva Mortimer, Bonnie Zheng, Cacharelle Dan and Katie Fan – Double Pirouette Analysis – Novice vs Experienced Dancers. Mentored by Dr Alycia Fong-Yan
Gabriella Gamerov, Ava Grundy and Lilly Graebner – The Effect of Nutrition on Cognitive Performance. Mentored by Dr Helen Parker
Arabella Rolls and Anneke Lenior – People’s Perceptions and Views on Animal Testing in Medical Studies and Products. Mentored by Associate Professor Kieron Rooney
Sophie Alexander, Hayley Green and Ava Purvis – Geographical Location – Does it influence your knowledge about cancer? Mentored by Professor Jeanette Thom
Heidi Gerber, Lucea Benko, Maya Zyl and Claudia Chisholm – How do physical factors of the menstrual cycle influence participation, training and competition in exercise and sport for females? Mentored by Associate Professor Rhonda Orr and Mrs Yareni Guerrero.
Mr Maruis Nidaye
Head of PDHPE
STEM Sport Science 2023/2024 - Innovo Prosthetics and Robofit
Students who are involved in the STEM Sport Science program this year have started the term focusing on the clinical aspect of Health Sciences. In the last two weeks, we have had the pleasure of having two very special presenters speak to them about their careers and how STEM is used in the space of clinical health.
On the 8th of August, we had Cameron Ward, from Innovo Prosthetics. Cameron spoke very passionately about his career and the importance of his work to support individuals with specific needs. He highlighted the importance of knowing your patients but also the skill involved in making bespoke prosthesis for patients based on their diagnosis.
On the 15th of August, Maryanne from Robofit spoke to the girls about the unique robot powered rehabilitation centre. She was able to demonstrate the advanced technology used to help individuals living with neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. The Cyberdyne was very impressive to see in person and it allowed for the students to appreciate the impact of exoskeletons to improve the lives of people who have to live with these conditions.
Mr Marius Nidaye
Head of PDHPE
Go the Matildas
On Wednesday evening, myself, Ms Walsh, Ms Beaumont, and Mr McDonnell, had the pleasure of watching the Matildas vs England in the Soub, with about 40 Year 12 students.
It was certainly one of the most memorable moments of my teaching career: to witness the significant extent to which the Matildas inspired a group of young women soon to graduate from Kambala, some of whom were watching their first soccer game, was a privilege. I will never forget the collective roar that the students made when Sam Kerr gracefully buried her right footed strike into the top left corner of England's net. I imagine anyone within a 1km radius of the Soub will not as well.
Whilst the Matildas did not win the game, their resilience, team work, sportsmanship, and passion, is something of which we are very proud, and will use as motivation for the remainder of the school year and beyond.
Despite being in the middle of an extremely busy assessment time, Year 12 students demonstrated the benefit of having a brief break from their studies, and I have no doubt that those who attended the Soub learned more from the efforts of the Matildas than 2-3 hours of study could have taught them that evening.
Mr Timothy Hay
Head of Year 12
