From Mr Coppin
Why a Girls' School?
There has been much discourse in the media regarding co-education with the announcement that a 150-year old Inner West boys school steeped in pride and tradition is to go coeducational. The media discusses the benefits of coeducation; however, I wanted to highlight a key trend lost in this discussion - the fact that within the independent sector it is typically boys’ schools seeking to become coeducational. It is boys schools bringing girls into the fold to shift their culture and lift the academic profile and standing of the school. To quote the SMH from 2016
“In fact, since 2000, only one prominent girls' school has converted to co-ed”
That is because there is a body of research behind the notion that girls perform better in girls' schools. I point to a 2016 British Parliamentary Inquiry in which researchers in a nationwide study of coeducational schools found there still to be a teacher and gender bias against girls completing “harder” subjects which they list in this study as advanced mathematics, computer studies and physics. The study also notes that girls attending coeducational schools are also still subjected to daily forms of harassment.
Conversely there is also a body or research behind the notion that boys perform better within a coeducational setting.
At Kambala we see it as our duty to amplify the voice of your daughters, to be a school for girls not with girls and for learning to be designed with girls in mind. For those interested in the power of girls' education. As food for thought, I invite you to explore the SMH link on why girls’ schools produce women who lead.
Junior School Swimming Carnival - Des Renford Aquatic Centre, Maroubra - Friday 23 February, 2024 8.00 - 2.00pm
Parents of students in Year 3 to Year 6 are warmly invited to attend the 2023 Junior School Interhouse Swimming Carnival. The PE and Sport Department do an impressive job ensuring that students have a minimum of 3 events on carnival day so it is a busy day for all Year 3 to Year 6 students.
All relevant information and the LINK to the permission form will be sent tomorrow for parents to complete.
Festival of Music 2024 - Sydney Opera House - Sunday 17 March, 2024 - 6.30pm
We are delighted that Junior School students (Year 5 and Year 6) will have the opportunity to perform as part of the Kambala Festival of Music at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday 17 March 2024. This is one of our proud Kambala Traditions. We look forward to the students participating in the Year 5 to Year 12 event as Junior School involvement had to pause from 2020 to 2022 due to Covid and associated restrictions.
In 2024 Students in Year 5 and Year 6 will be performing on the evening of the Festival of Music. The Festival of Music usually concludes at approximately 9.45pm. This is a compulsory school event and we also ask students to attend the rehearsal on Sunday.
There has been a shift to timing in the hope to make logistics easier for parents and students to manage. We ask that Students will be dropped off at school and bused into the Opera House for a rehearsal on Sunday afternoon at approximately 3.00pm. We will then ask parents to meet their daughters at 5pm at the Foyer of the Opera House and remain in Circular Quay to have an early dinner in various locations. Junior School Students will then be seated for the concert to begin at 6.30pm.
Please note that Monday 18 March, 2024 will be a rest day for students in Year 5 and 6 due to the late evening and significant time commitment involved. More details will follow in coming weeks.
Year 4 - The Children's Opera Project - Performance Tuesday 9 April, 2024
This year, Year 4 will be participating in the Children’s Opera Project. They will be performing as part of the Children’s Chorus made up of other Junior School aged students in an Opera titled ‘Mulga Bill’s Bicycle’.
Year 4 will be learning 5 songs in their Music lessons this term. These songs will be performed by the Children’s Chorus with artists from Musgrove Opera playing the main parts.
On Tuesday 9th April, students will travel by bus to and from the Chatswood Concourse Theatre for a daytime rehearsal. Parents will then be required to bring their daughter back to the Chatswood Concourse Theatre for 6.20pm to be ready to perform at 7pm.
Students will be given a t-shirt to wear for the performance. Students are asked to wear black pants, black socks and school shoes.
Parents are welcome to attend the performance. Tickets are available from the 15th February directly from the Concourse Theatre Box Office -
https://www.theconcourse.com.au/event/the-childrens-opera-project/
This is a very exciting project for Year 4 to be involved in.
Please email with any questions -
harriet_muston@kambala.nsw.edu.au
Harriet Muston
Junior School Music Teacher
Phone and Smart Watch Free Junior School 2024
As you know we are champions of the girls’ education here at Kambala. We are keen to develop in the girls problem solving skills, patience/delayed gratification and a tolerance for ambiguity. We highlight that developmental psychologist and educational expert Dr Michael Carr-Gregg recommends that primary aged children not have a mobile phone and in the event parents deem this necessary, he recommends a dumb phone rather than a smart phone.
In support of current research our preference and intention is for the Junior School to be a Mobile Phone and Smart Watch Free Zone.
To that end mobile phones or smart watches are a privilege only afforded to girls who are catching public transport or walking to and from home in Year 5 and 6. Please note, this is also covered in our 2024 Junior School Handbook.
We ask that parents who wish to endorse the need for a phone or smart watch when their daughter is utilising public transport or walking home, please complete the Google form request here. Please also print out and sign, along with your daughter, the user agreement found here. This agreement needs to be returned to the class teacher. Only students on our registered list will have permission to bring a phone or smart watch to school. Phones and smart watches must be handed in to the class teacher each morning and collected at the end of the day. If your daughter requires a watch to keep track of the time, please ensure she has a non-smart watch to wear for this purpose.
Students who do bring a mobile phone or smart watch to school must adhere to the following policy:
· The mobile phone is only at school on the specific days when girls are either walking to and from school or catching public transport.
· The phone should not be present at school on parent/carer drop off and pick up days.
· Girls should arrive at school in the morning certain/knowing of their departure arrangements for that afternoon. The phone should not be used to change departure arrangements.
· Please know that we understand the girls will have the phones in their school bag for emergencies before or after school; however, Junior School students should not be seen using their phones after school or on the journey to or from school.
· Please note that your daughter is not able to use her phone after school on campus or in carline so please refrain from messaging or calling your daughter at these times.
· We deem engagement with the phone during travel to or from school increases risk in terms of lack of awareness of the surrounds at this young age.
· Use of the mobile phone should be kept to an absolute minimum at all times (only really for emergencies). The phone must be lodged with the class teacher each day it is present on site.
· All student mobile phones at Kambala must be fitted with appropriate parental controls. Phones found with age inappropriate apps such as Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, House Party will be banned for the remainder of the school year.
We ask that you please go over the points above to ensure your daughter is fully aware of the expectations that come with this privilege. Thank you for your support.
Kind regards,
Stuart Coppin
Transport - Buses, Bus Passes and the Ferry
If parents have any queries regarding transport to and from Kambala, please refer to the SCHOOL TRANSPORT INFORMATION tile on Sundial as indicated in the below screenshot.
Junior School Sport
Netball Clinics
Netball Clinics start this Saturday 10 February.
The times for each year group are:
Year 6 8am - 9.10am
Year 4 and 5 9.20am - 10.30am
All clinics will be held at Moore Park Netball courts.
Student's are to wear their Kambala Sports uniform and cap to all clinics. Please bring along a full drink bottle and asthma spray or epi pen if required. We will have sunscreen available on the day, however, it is a good idea to apply before arriving at the courts.
IPSHA Soccer
Soccer trials for the IPSHA Competition took place on the School Oval on Saturday and during the week at each year groups training sessions. It was great to see Years 4 - 6 put their hearts into being selected for a team to represent the school at the IPSHA competition starting Saturday 10 February. Teams and draws will be posted on Sundial today.
Sailing
Learn To Sail Program for students in Years 4-6 starts this Saturday 10 February.
The Program will be held at the Vaucluse 12FT Amateur Sailing Club (Wharf Rd, Vaucluse).
The program will be split into 2 sessions:
Session 1 - Year 4 and 5 7:45-9:15
Session 2 - Year 6 9:30-11:00
Girls are to wear a wetsuit or rash shirt, hat, water shoes and sunscreen and will need to provide their own PFD (Personal Floatation Device).
Please see the list of girls who are Sailing here.
Before your daughter sails you will need to purchase your ticket via Humanitix.
Please click on the link here to purchase a ticket.
Year 3 Basketball
Our Year 3 girls showed their enthusiasm and passion at the Basketball Clinics last Saturday 3 February in the school gym. The Basketball Clinics continue Saturday 10 February at School and the SCEGGS/Ascham competition will start Saturday 17 February (teams and draws will be posted next week).
PLEASE NOTE:
The SCEGGS/Ascham competition will start on 17 February. The first week will be held at SCEGGS School and then the following weeks will be played at the Sydney University Sport & Fitness Centre (corner Codrington St and Darlington Lane, Darlington).
100m Freestyle Championship Trials for Swimming Carnival.
In preparation for the Junior School Swimming Carnival, we will be holding lunchtime time trials on Thursday 15 February for the 100m Freestyle championship.
Strong swimmers who are interested in swimming the 100m Freestyle race at the Junior School Swimming Carnival on 23 February are encouraged to come along to the pool and be timed. The fastest 6 girls in the Junior School will swim in this event at the carnival. There is only one 100m Freestyle race and it is the first race of the carnival meaning it will be a final.
Whilst House Points will be awarded for the girls who trial at these lunchtime sessions, only serious swimmers who can make the distance and complete the correct strokes should attend.
The interested swimmers should bring their swim gear and meet Mr Doyle at the EJ Watt Undercroft at the start of lunch to be directed to the pool.