From Mr Coppin
Women of Consequence - Building a Tolerance for Ambiguity and Calculated Risk
On International Women’s Day it was delightful to hear from Kambala parent Dr Lydia Garside and Kambala alumni Isabella Pettiford (OG07) and Sascha Ryner (OG05).
Dr Lydia Garside is a UK-trained paediatrician specialising in paediatric forensics and is Head of Department at the Child Protection Unit at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.
Isabella Pettiford (OG07) is Director of Investor Relations at Five V Capital.
Sascha Ryner (OG05) is Head of Communications at Australian Athletics.
Our three guest speakers spoke inspiringly about pivotal moments in their career trajectories when they had to trust their own abilities and take calculated risks, while maintaining a tolerance for ambiguity. These decisions enabled them to diverge from more traditional accountancy and legal pathways. Their willingness to embrace uncertainty and take considered risks ultimately led them to highly esteemed careers in medicine, investment and communications.
Their stories prompted me to reflect on the importance of developing in our girls the confidence to “have a go” and to take calculated risks.
Two weeks ago, the Cross Country event provided a wonderful demonstration of courage and tenacity among our students. Many participated in an event they may not necessarily love, yet they committed to the challenge with a focus on achieving their personal best.
Outdoor education provides another valuable opportunity to develop students’ tolerance for ambiguity and their ability to take calculated risks. At Kambala we offer a carefully sequenced progression of experiences, beginning with the Year 2 Sleepover at Kambala and the Year 3 overnight experience at Chaldercot. In Years 4 and 5, students attend three-day, two-night camps at Milson Island and Gerringong respectively. Year 6 students participate in their extended three-day excursion to Canberra before concluding the year with four days and three nights at Camp Somerset on the banks of the Colo River, where they stay in two-person tents.
The school has been taking girls to Camp Somerset for more than thirty years. Some of our alumni who are now parents will remember fondly their own time there during their Junior School years in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Philosophically, camps are about developing tolerance for ambiguity, building cooperative skills, and spending time away from family in order to strengthen resilience and confidence. My sincere thanks go to our teaching staff who generously give time away from their own families to care for your daughters during these experiences.
In our ever-changing technological environment, and as a mobile-phone-free school, we also ask parents not to place AirTags in backpacks, luggage or on their daughters. It is concerning that members of the public with an iPhone can detect and track AirTags within their vicinity, and your daughters’ safety is paramount. Experiential learning and camps are also about building trust and relationships with peers and teachers, stepping beyond the family for a short time before returning safely to the nest at the end of the experience.
Through our sequenced program of experiential learning and outdoor education, it is our intention and hope that we will build in your daughters both a tolerance for ambiguity and the confidence to take thoughtful risks, enabling them to pursue pathways as impressive as those of the Kambala parents and alumni who have gone before them.
Year 4 on Camp at Milson Island (below)
Year 6 at Parliament House in Canberra during their 3 day curriculum in context Canberra Excursion
How Do We Teach Mathematics? Webinar for Year 2 - Year 6 Parents - Thursday 26 March 2026, 9.00 - 10.00am
Split Arrays, Area Model, Levelling Strategy…what do these mean?
The way Maths is taught these days is very different to how we were taught ‘back in the good old days.’ You will find out about the NSW curriculum and evidence-based pedagogical practices to develop your daughter’s reasoning skills and flexible thinking strategies.
Find out how we teach the girls to:
• explore and connect mathematical concepts
• choose and apply mathematical techniques to solve problems
• communicate their thinking and reasoning
Date: Thursday 26 March 2026
Time: 9am-10am
Webinar: https://kambala.zoom.us/s/81023881643
RSVP: Not required
If you are unable to attend this webinar, it will be recorded and posted on Sundial.
Junior School Parent Teacher (Zoom) Interviews - Monday 30 March - Thursday 2 April 2026
Parent-Teacher interviews with Class and Specialist teachers will be held during Week 10 of Term 1 (Monday 30 March- Thursday 2 April). Specialist teachers available for Term 1 interviews are:
Year 2- PE and Art
Year 3- PE, Art and Music
Year 4- Music, French, Art
Year 5- Science, French, Drama
Year 6- Science, PE, Drama
Interview times with your daughter’s teachers will be offered both before and after school hours. Most parents find 10 minutes sufficient time for interviews with their daughter’s Class teacher, plus 5 minutes with Specialist teachers and if their daughter’s Maths teacher is not their class teacher (Years 3-6). If you feel that more time is necessary, please contact your daughter’s teacher to arrange a convenient time and date for a longer meeting. You may request interviews at other times throughout the year by contacting teachers directly.
How will these interviews work?
We will continue to utilise Zoom for our interviews as feedback indicates this works best for our busy parents and carers. Parent-Teacher interview bookings can be made using our online booking system at https://kambala.meettheteacher.com/ Once you click on the link you will be directed to the online booking system to schedule your appointment/s. The booking portal will be open from 4.00pm on Thursday 12 March 2026 and will close at 4.00pm on Thursday 26 March 2026. A Parent-Teacher Booking Appointment Guide has been created to assist parents with their bookings. Please click here to access this Guide. Once you have made an appointment time, confirmation of your appointment time will appear on your screen. A confirmation will also be sent to your parent email address. If you need to amend your booking time, please do so via your confirmation email.
On the day of your Appointment
You can access Zoom links for all teachers on your daughter’s Sundial grade page. Teachers will be alerted that you are in the virtual waiting room and will admit parents to begin the appointment at the scheduled time. 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. 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. We kindly ask that you respect our teachers’ time and notify them in advance via email if you are unable to make your scheduled appointment time.
IT support
Should you experience technical difficulties during the event, please access ICT support by clicking on the ICT Support tile on the Sundial homepage. While we are doing all we can to prepare for a smooth experience, we appreciate your flexibility should there be any disruptions.
Year 3 Term 2, 2026 Sport Choice
Year 3 will be given the opportunity to play Touch Football in Term 2. They will play in a competition against SCEGGS and Ascham. The competition will be aimed at preparing the girls for the introduction of IPSHA sport in Year 4 by learning the basic skills of the sport.
Please read this information and fill out the form at the end of the letter if you wish to register your daughter for sport in Term 2.
National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy - NAPLAN 2026 - Year 3 and Year 5
NAPLAN provides an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students have already learnt through the school curriculum. Teachers will provide appropriate support and guidance, including ways to become familiar with the format and functionality of the online platform.
Students in Year 3 will complete the Writing test using pencil and paper. Year 3 students will answer the other test questions on their school iPad. Students in Year 5 will answer all their test questions on their school laptop. All students will need their own headphones.
Preparation at home is not required and can lead to unnecessary anxiety. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure them that NAPLAN tests are just one part of our school’s learning and assessment program, and to advise them to simply do the best they can on the day. A good night’s sleep, punctual school arrival and healthy breakfast are the best ways to set the girls up for success. Students and parents can access the Public Demonstration Site to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN and the types of questions and tools available. Please click on this link - NAPLAN 2026 Information for Parents and Carers- for further information.
Students in Years 3 and 5 will sit the NAPLAN tests on the following dates:
Year 3
Wed 11 March- Writing
Thursday 12 March- Reading
Friday 13 March - Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
Tuesday 17 March- Numeracy
Year 5
Wed 11 March- Writing
Thursday 12 March- Reading
Friday 13 March - Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
Friday 20 March- Numeracy
Winter Uniform - Term 2 - Outfitters
Please note that when students return in Term 2 they will be required to wear their Winter uniform.
Our Outfitters store operates on Monday, Wednesday and Friday 7.30am - 3.45pm until the end of Term.
The last working day of Term 1 is Wednesday 1 April.
Prior to the start of Term 2, Outfitters will be open on Monday 20 April and Tuesday 21 April 2026 (being the first day of Term 2) and then as usual Wednesday and Friday. No appointments are necessary.
We will revert to our usual opening days of Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Week 2 of Term 2.
Junior School Events
Please see the next page for exciting Junior School Events and Dates for your Calendars!