From the Deputy Principal - Head of Junior School

From Mr Coppin

Communicating with Parents and Carers - Semester 1, 2024 Reports 

Our Kindergarten to Year 6 teachers are busy at present preparing student progress reports, which we anticipate being distributed via email on the penultimate school day of Semester 1 (Wednesday 26 June, 2024). You may also access past Academic Reports via Edumate. 

 

Please see the steps on how to access your daughter’s past reports at this link. Please note: to access reports via Edumate, please log in using a tablet or laptop.

 

Preparation students will also receive a Learning Portfolio at the end of this term. Please check your daughter’s Sundial Learning Moments.

Harvard Academic in Residence, Dr Ron Ritchhart - Friday 7 June, 2024

On Friday 7 June, our teachers spent the full day engaging in professional learning reconnecting with Havard Academic in Residence Dr Ron Ritchhart.  Dr Ritchhart worked with our teams focusing on the Cultures of Thinking in Action which shape learning.  Particular emphasis was placed in unpacking and understanding dispositional learning.

 

To quote Dr Ritchhart, “Dispositions matter because they tie together observed abilities and skills with future potential and action.  For instance, when we call someone reflective, it is because we have observed that behavior in the past and predict it will likely be the case in the future.   Thus, dispositions bridge the ability-action gap, serving as a motivating force that propels action.”

 

This metacognitive approach to learning is evidence informed.

“John Hattie’s seminal meta-analysis of education intervention measured the average effect size of metacognitive strategies at 0.69, putting it near the top of influential teaching practices (15).  The Australian Teaching and Learning Toolkit reports an impact equivalent to 8 additional months of progress for students.  This means  students in a class where metacognitive strategies are regularly taught, demonstrated, encouraged, and supported can be expected to make, on average, eight months more progress over the course of a year compared to a comparable class of students not receiving such learning opportunities ”

Life Long Learning 

We warmly congratulate life long learner Ky-Lee Murphy who will be participating in the Global Action Research Collaborative (GARC) in Baltimore.  Ky-Lee has been conducting action research linked to mathematical learning.  She will fly to Baltimore from Thursday 20 June to participate in the International  Coalition of Girls’ Schools Global Forum.

Debating Success

Congratulations to our Primary A ISDA (Debating) Team on their success in making it through to the finals on Friday evening (14 June) against Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College at Cranbrook.  

 

Warm thanks to former Junior School Debater Jules Bako who has been the team’s Coach throughout the season. 

 

Primary A ISDA Team consists of:

  • Gabriella Botros
  • Elizabeth Criddle
  • Avery Lee
  • Erykah Skimin
  • Aurora Wang

Choral Evening Concert - Thursday 13 June, 2024 - Alexander Hall - 6.00pm

Parents, carers and students are reminded of the concert on Thursday 13 June featuring our Junior Choir (Years 3 and 4), Junior Choir (Years 5 and 6) and Senior Choirs.

Details, including how to reserve your tickets, can be found on Sundial by CLICKING HERE.

Farewell Mr Grandison

On behalf of the Junior School I wanted to extend a warm thanks to Mr Mark Grandison for his 31 years of dedicated service to Music at Kambala. We have those full circle moments where parents who are Kambala alumni themselves remember the mentoring and education of Mr Grandison when they were students - particularly in regard to the Kambala House Music Festival.

 

We thank Mr Grandison for setting our students up for success and his passion for students and musicality from the youngest of ages.  

Welcome Staffing

We warmly welcome Prep Assistant Olivia Rider to the Kambala team. Olivia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Sydney and is presently progressing through her Bachelor of Education (Primary) (also at the University of Sydney). She   has previously worked as a Learning Support Officer in Senior School settings. 

 

 

ICAS Assessments 

Kambala is pleased to offer our students in Years 3-6 the opportunity to participate in the ICAS Assessments, which will take place in Term 3. This year, our students can nominate to sit the English, Science and/or Mathematics assessments. The assessments are designed to target students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. 

 

The dates for each competition are as follows:

 

English - Monday 12 August 2024  

Science- Monday 19 August 2024 

Mathematics- Monday 26 August 2024 

 

If you would like your daughter to enter any or all of these ICAS competitions, please submit the online form via the link below. Please note this is optional and the girls will be taken out of class to participate in this competition.

 

Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. All students receive a certificate and an individual student report with their score and achievement level. 

 

Please consider carefully before choosing this enrichment opportunity for your daughter. It is a rigorous competition with many questions set beyond grade level. Participants are required to demonstrate a deeper, integrated and thorough level of learning. Please note that most schools only enter their most capable students, so the averages are very high.

 

More information about the assessments can be found at ICAS Assessments: Home

Please submit this Online form as soon as possible so that entries into the competition can be finalised. Please submit one form per sibling. The closing date for notifying your daughter’s participation is Friday 26 July 2024 (end of Week 1, Term 3).

NOTE TO YEAR 6 PARENTS - Year 6 Production - The Little Mermaid - Afternoon arrangements Thursday 20 June, 2024

Please note - there will be NO Extra Curricular activities for Year 6 girls this Thursday 20 June prior to the Evening Performance of THE LITTLE MERMAID. 

 

**Girls will have an early Pizza dinner on Tivoli Lawn at 3.20pm and will then prepare for the evening performance - they will not be going home from school in the afternoon.

 

PLEASE ALSO NOTE - all Year 6 students are permitted to wear their sport uniform from Monday 17 until Thursday 20 June, 2024 (inclusive) to make rehearsals easier. 

Year 3 Term 3 Saturday Sport Registration

Please click here to access all the information in regards to the Year 3 Saturday Sports offer for Term 3.

The girls will have the opportunity to play in a Minkey Hockey (modified 6 a side hockey game) competition held at Ascham on Saturday mornings.

 

Please note that the final day for registrations is Friday 21 June. The Google Registration form can be found at the bottom of the letter.