Senior School 

Celebrating Student Voice

I have always been proud of the advocacy and empathy shown by Kambala students. A powerful example of this was demonstrated when on 9th July, I was fortunate to attend the 23rd NSW Youth Parliament's Youth Sitting Week. Among the standout participants was Kambala’s Cindy Li, a Year 12 IB student, who made a significant impact during the Aboriginal Affairs Committee Debate held in the Legislative Assembly Chamber in Parliament House in Sydney. 

Cindy passionately advocated for policies that support and uplift Aboriginal communities, demonstrating a deep understanding of the issues and a commitment to making a difference. Her speech highlighted the importance of including young voices in discussions that shape our society's future. 

The Youth Parliament provides an essential platform for students like Cindy to express their views and contribute to the legislative process, showcasing the next generation's potential to lead with insight and empathy.

Ms Carolyn Gedling

Deputy Principal - Academic

Online Safety Hub for Kambala Community

Do you know about our Online Safety Hub? This is a portal for you to access trusted digital safety advice from our team, including information about accessing Qustodio. 

Qustodio is a world-leading online safety tool that helps parents manage and supervise their child's online activities. Our partnership with Qustodio offers parents free access to the Qustodio parent app. The Qustodio parent app enables parents to manage screen-time, monitor online activity, and access expert advice on online safety. Through your partnership with us, we can ensure that children are safe, and healthy digital habits can be developed at school and at home.

We know that when parents, teachers, and carers work together we will have a more effective and positive influence on protecting and guiding a child in their digital development. Thank you to those who have already taken action and created your Qustodio parent account. If you are yet to create your account, we strongly encourage you to do so in order to get visibility over what your child sees and does online outside of school. Remember, you can also protect two personal devices per family as part of the school offering.

To get started please go to the “Qustodio Parent App” menu within our School Online Safety Hub. https://kambala.onlinesafetyhub.com.au/parent/articles/qustodio-parent-app 

Once you have created your Qustodio parent account, you will have the ability to:

• Pause the internet on your child's learning device (outside of school) from your app
• Receive aggregate reports of your child’s online activity, again outside of school
• Receive detailed Timeline reports of your child’s online activity including word and video searches
• Get access to online safety expert advice directly through the app.

In addition, all managed student learning devices will be protected with a baseline level of filtering, preventing exposure to harmful or inappropriate content, while providing reassurance to you as a parent that your child’s learning device is child safe and learning ready. 

There are also a range of articles to help you better understand online issues for your child. Most recent articles include: 

• The risk of social media therapy
• Online predators: what puts children at risk
• Body image and the quest for online validation
• How to spot fake online accounts

Mrs Joanne Sarmiento

Deputy Principal, Wellbeing

Sun Safety and Skin Care Workshop with Mr Board and Sophie Alexander!

Tomorrow Kambala will host the first Australian pilot of the Skin Care and Sun Safety Workshop in Schools. Inspired by Head Prefect, Sophie Alexander and the Year 8 Student Leadership Group, the event offers a theoretical experience hosted by a TikTok influencer combining learning experiences that investigate skin structure, genetics, myths and types of skin cancer. The choice to use Tik Tok is based on student media engagement, knowing that students are more likely to take advice from Tik Tok than any other platform. 

The practical component of the workshop includes a UV image camera, the application and effectiveness of various sunscreens, a medical consequences station with Melanoma survivor Anne Gately, and a visit from current parent and plastic surgeon Dr Kelly Thornberry. 

Through the support of the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Sophie’s infectious energy and enthusiasm, we have had great exposure through a 2GB radio interview, and a Channel Nine Weekend Today interview with Sophie. This has culminated in an invitation for Sophie and I to attend Parliament House to speak with Deputy Premier Prue Car MP in November. In addition, Deputy Premier Car MP who is unable to attend the event due to Parliament sitting, kindly recorded a video introduction we will present at the Workshop. 

Click here to view Sophie's interview with Weekend Today.

Click here to view the recording from Deputy Premier Car.

Mr Simon Board

Head of PDHPE

Science Week 2024

During National Science Week our students participated in several exciting activities.  In Science lessons, Year 7-10 students participated in a Science Week Escape Room and experienced demonstrations with dry ice. 

There was also the opportunity to participate in competitions from Education Perfect, and Stile, including a colouring competition with a prize of a pair of AirPods.

At assembly awards were handed out to students in Years 7 to 10 for the international The Big Science Competition. 

It’s a 50-minute, multiple choice online competition testing science knowledge, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Questions are set in real-life, contemporary contexts, making them relatable… and interesting!

Our Kambala scientists performed exceptionally well with many students achieving a 

Distinction: Top 25%, and High Distinction: Top 10% of global participants.

On Friday, we held Jeans for Genes mufti day, staff and students wore some denim and also donated online. Kambala raised an amazing $6,534. Donations are still being accepted and can be made via this link.

During lunchtime on Friday in the Pool Courtyard there was Mr Riza’s liquid nitrogen show, followed by using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream in Lab 4, with the tasty samples being very popular.

"Science Week was an amazing experience, offering many fun and exciting opportunities for students to get involved with Science. All the activities throughout the week were extremely engaging and entertaining, with many students coming to watch Mr Riza’s liquid nitrogen show and enjoy the liquid nitrogen ice-cream samples. It was rewarding to see the amazed reactions and enthusiasm of the Kambala community, which really showed just how inspiring Science was!” - Katie Fan, STEM Prefect

Even though Science week is finished for another year, we are still celebrating Science, and we have a special guest scientist and author, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki coming to speak during week 6, as a joint Science week and Book week initiative. He will speak with years 7-10 students about five main areas of future careers in science, and how this provides a multitude of opportunities for Kambala students.  “Science is probably the best possible ‘mental toolbox’ that you can have. It will let you change your career many times.” Dr Karl

Ms Judell Johnston

Science

Year 10 Student Leaders, Paying it Forward

Last Thursday, the Year 10 Student Leaders led a Senior School Second Hand Uniform Fundraiser with all money raised going to Pay It Forward, supporting Yalari Scholarships. Thank you to the following students for assisting with the set-up, selling and packing down of the fundraiser during their lunchtime, Elke Novak, Charlotte Cullen, Rachel Tong, Frankie Somerville, Jackie Howe, Sophia Dan, Chloe Paleologos and Scarlett Levy.

The total amount raised was $150, thank you to all who made a purchase on the day. The final Senior School Second Hand Uniform and Textbook Fundraiser will take place on Friday 29 November. Students will be able to donate textbooks and clothing in the weeks leading up to this fundraiser. A reminder will be sent in Term 4.

Ms Julie Laytham

Head of Student Life

Everyone Belongs at Kambala

During Week 4, students in the Senior School were invited to join in activities as part of the Everyone Belongs, Bullying No Way, national week of action. Students were invited to show up with their friends and join in lunchtime activities that reinforced the message that at Kambala everyone belongs in our School community and bullying has no place. 

Each of the activities were designed to highlight and remind students that embracing who we are, respecting everyone's differences and stand up together against unkindness. Throughout the week, students were greeted as they entered by Year 11 student leaders in a week of welcomes. During lunchtimes, they designed their own creations to add to the ‘Belonging Bunting’ and added their names to heart shaped notes and stuck these to our ‘Kambala has Heart – stand up to bullying’ pledge wall. Our bunting has been displayed outside the canteen and the pledge wall in the Student Services area. Both spaces are student focused, and we hope these student created displays will be visual reminders that represent the individuality of all.

In 2024, purple was the hero colour of the national week of action and students were invited to wear purple ribbons as a visual commitment to standing against bullying.

Thank you to all students who joined in our activities and a special thank you to our Wellbeing Prefect, Georgina Happ for leading the activities and inviting the Senior School to demonstrate that Everyone Belongs in our School community.

Ms Julie Laytham

Head of Student Life 

Year 11 Chemistry Students Showcase Investigative Projects

Recently Year 11 Chemistry students from IB and HSC classes have been working in collaborative groups to conduct an investigation. This allowed the students to explore a chemical concept of their choice in greater detail and depth than what they usually would in class.

As part of the project students were connected with Chemistry mentors from the University of NSW.  After an initial introduction to their mentors, students communicated with them through an online collaborative tool, allowing students to ask questions at all stages of their project.

Last week during a culmination event, each group presented a poster and demonstration of their investigations to Ms Danvers, Ms Gedling and their parents, explaining succinctly their research question, methodology and findings. 

"Working on my Depth Study - 'What is the effect of increasing external heat on the rate of reaction between Magnesium (Mg) and Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) and what implications does this have on the production of Antacids in the pharmaceutical industry? - helped me enhance my scientific skills for the Year 12 course and Science Extension Course. I became more confident in handling  experimental environments, from precisely measuring the chemicals to carefully observing and recording the reaction times. This hands-on experience taught me the value of accuracy and patience, and I began to see the bigger picture of how small changes in conditions can significantly affect outcomes. Additionally, being able to research how this experiment is applied in industry allowed me to connect the dots between theory and real-world chemistry." Sophie Alexander

Ms Judell Johnston

Science

Careers Newsletter - Watch this Film!

Our Content Creator Mr Theo Miller recently released a very engaging video to assist Mr Ian Pettit - Future Pathways Advisor, spread the word about the Careers Newsletter.

This is a must watch - with a special guest or two!

Click here to view.

Welcome to Mabel - another School Dog!

Mabel is 2.5 year- old and her favourite days of the week are her days at Kambala.

She is looking forward to meeting more students and helping the Year 12 students relax before their HSC and IB examinations. 

Things Mabel loves to do include visiting the Year 12's in the morning, reading with students, visiting the Junior School, playing with Daisy (firm friends), tennis balls and mud puddles!

Ms Tina van der Graaf

Director of Learning Enrichment

Year 12 Music 1 and IB Showcase

On the 20th of September, the HSC Music 1 and Music IB showcase was held in the performance theatre. Year 12 HSC and IB music students performed challenging pieces on a wide variety of instruments.  We heard songs from Jerome Kern, & Richard Rogers, performed beautifully by Eloise Sinclair and Hayley Green. Our saxophonist Ammalia Kaufman broke up the vocal items with a highly expressive performance of Pequena Czarda. Another stand out performance was Phoebe Skelton performing an Adele song, When We Were Young, to great applause.

The recital was very exciting and enjoyable, and it was a great opportunity for students to showcase the effort they've invested in learning and polishing their pieces for their end of year examinations! A special thank you to Mr Heinz Schweers for his talented accompanying of all the students. Congratulations to all performers, and thank you so much to the audience, private music tutors and music department staff for your dedication, hard work and unwavering support.

Ms Louise Mitchell

Music

Year 10 Immersion Success - Bondi Junction Vet

My industry immersion at Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital was an incredible experience! I had the opportunity to witness the appealing side of veterinary medicine—seeing adorable animals every day—while also encountering the less glamorous aspects, such as cleaning out animal pens. Each day presented new challenges, and I was fortunate to watch surgeries as well as observe consultations. This experience not only deepened my passion for veterinary medicine but also confirmed this is the career path I would like to pursue. I am immensely grateful to Bondi Junction Vet, and in particular to Mr Pettit, for giving me this opportunity.

Eleanor Humphrey

Year 10

Isabella Hupfau (picture below) also completed an immersion at the Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital. Isabella is planning to have Jasmine Diep KOG’ 21 come and present to students who may be interested in taking on a path in Veterinary Medicine. Jasmine is currently working part time at Bondi Junction Vet while she is doing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. This meeting will take place in the Senior School Bain Library on Monday the 23rd of September from 1-1:30.    

UPenn Briefing

On Friday the 16th of August, Mr Ian Pettit, the Kambala Future Pathways Advisor joined a special briefing at SHORE by the Senior Associate Dean of Admissions from the University of Pennsylvania, Ms Elisabeth O’Connell. Ms O’Connell provided the group of careers advisors with an update on the latest trends for admissions in the USA Ivy League schools and emphasized the importance of researching individual universities thoroughly and attempting courses with as much rigor as possible. She also provided very valuable information concerning School Profiles, The Common App and Free Resources for schools. 

Mr Ian Pettit

Future Pathways Advisor

Year 7 Mandarin Excursion

During our Year 7 Mandarin excursion, we visited two locations: Marrickville and Chatswood. In Marrickville, we had a hands-on experience learning how to make bubble tea. We discovered how tapioca pearls are made, explored the bubble tea setup, and observed the drink preparation process. We rotated through three activities: learning about bubble tea, making our own, and enjoying delicious dumplings.

In Chatswood, the focus shifted to the educational aspect of the excursion. We learned about the history of bubble tea, explored some of Taiwan's most popular animals— including the Formosan black bear— and discovered how the bear became an iconic symbol of the country. Overall, this experience was incredibly enjoyable and left me with many lasting memories.

Sienna Kirkwood

Year 7

Whole Girl Dance Competition: Second Place!

The Kambala Dance Troupes competed against other schools at the ‘Dance Spec Eistedford’  in Abbotsleigh on Sunday 18th August. Both Troupes showed professionalism and commitment and displayed an amazing performance! Their dedication and hard work paid off!  

Congratulations to the Junior Hip Hop dance troupe whose incredible routine was awarded 2nd place. An amazing result for Kambala!

Well done to all students involved, we can't wait to see them compete in future competitions! 

Olivia Hunt 

Dance and Musical Theatre Coordinator