Senior School 

Year 10 Subject Selection Evening

Late last term, Year 10 families were invited to attend Kambala’s annual subject selection evening. Senior teachers and other key staff were able to provide valuable insights into the HSC and IB pathways, and the subjects offered within these pathways for Year 11 students in 2025.

As was noted on the night, we encourage the girls to consult a range of resources when making their decisions about subject preferences. These include the Kambala Voice podcast, the curriculum information brochure and the 2025 curriculum information page, all accessible via the Year 10 cohort page on Sundial. This term, Year 10 students will meet individually with key staff to discuss their patterns of study and the implications for their Future Pathways.

I would like to thank all families who were able to attend this event in-person or on zoom, as well as the senior staff who made themselves available for the expo part of the evening in the hall. The girls benefit immensely from the ongoing support of parents, carers and staff when making these significant decisions. Please note that the deadline for submission of the second round of preferences is Sunday 11 August.

Mr Sebastien Knox

Head of Academic Life

Chamber Music Lunchtime Concert

On June 11, 2024, the Chamber Music Lunchtime Concert was held in the Performance Theatre, showcasing the talents of students ranging from Year 3 to Year 11. These talented musicians played a variety of challenging pieces on instruments ranging from percussion and strings to woodwinds. The concert featured many enthusiastic and talented girls, starting with the Senior Guitar ensemble playing the “Dreams” Mashup with “Seven Nation Army.” Following this, the Junior Guitar ensemble performed Taylor Swift's popular hit "You Belong with Me." A standout performance was by the Junior Cello Ensemble, who played the “Waltz of the Elves” flawlessly, impressively doing so without sheet music. 

The concert continued with captivating performances from various chamber groups. The Music Extension Chamber Program, introduced in 2022, has been instrumental in encouraging talented musicians to form groups and perform self-directed pieces. One notable performance was by a Year 9 trio playing “Trio Sonata in G Major.” Another Year 9 group captivated the audience with a well-known piece from "Game of Thrones." The concert concluded beautifully with the Year 11 students performing a trio, “Suite for Flute, Violin, and Piano” by Mel Bonis. Overall, the recital was exciting and enjoyable, providing a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their dedication and hard work in perfecting their pieces. Congratulations to all the performers, and a sincere thank you to the audience, private music tutors, music department staff, and the music committees for their commitment and effort in making this memorable performance possible.

Miya Li 

Year 11

Meeting the Cast of Stolen!

Late last term, the Year 11 and 12 Drama classes, accompanied by Ms McAtamney,  attended a day time performance of their HSC Topic Area text, Stolen, by Jane Harrison. The play features an incredibly moving creation of the inter-generational pain caused to the children and families of the Stolen Generation. The director and designers of the production created a symbolic nightmarish context, so that the themes of the play resonated powerfully with the audience.

During the Q + A that took place after the show, Hayley Green had the courage to ask the cast about their preparation for such a gruellingly emotional performance. She also spoke about how they had inspired her as a First Nations woman. The cast were delighted to answer her question and asked her onstage after the talk!  It was a fantastic excursion for all involved.

Ms Lisa Moir

Head of Drama

Year 10 Elective Mandarin 

On June 19th, Year 10 Elective Mandarin students, accompanied by Ms Lin and Ms Yang attended an excursion to engage in Chinese and Taiwanese culture, a crucial way to help us to connect with our linguistic studies. 

The first activity of the day was to attend a master class at the Sydney Meya Conservatory of Chinese Music, complementing our current study of leisure activities. Students had a close experience with two Chinese instruments, the gǔ zhēng (古筝) and the pí pá (琵琶), both of which were integral parts of ceremonies and court entertainment historically, as well the modern Chinese orchestra. 

Our teachers explained the musical characteristics of these instruments; both are of the string family, however, unlike Western music, they use the pentatonic scale, which evokes harmony and balance due to the lack of semitones. We then were able to play some simple pieces, such as Laughter in the Sea, which gave us an understanding of both the beauty and complexity of these instruments, and the amount of dedication required to master them.

Re-energised and excited for the next pursuit of the day, the students walked to the Taiwanese Cultural Centre, to learn about the role that the intricate art of puppetry plays in Taiwanese tradition. After being informed about the different archetypal characters, students were able to present an original puppet show which was enjoyed very much by both the girls and teachers.

On behalf of all who attended this excursion, I would like to thank Ms Lin, Ms Yang, the instrument teachers and all the staff at the Taiwanese Cultural Centre for making this valuable and insightful experience possible.

Zoe Leibman 

Year 10 

2024 National Chinese Eisteddfod

Over the weekend, the 2024 National Chinese Eisteddfod Competition was held at UTS. We had some excellent results from our girls! 

1st place - Zoe Leibman - Mandarin non-native speaker individual 13-16 division 

1st place - Alice Chen - Mandarin native speaker individual 13-15 division 

2nd place - Kate Wu - Mandarin native speaker individual 13-15 division 

4th places (tied) - Annie Huang and Candy Du - Mandarin native speaker individual 13-15 division 

4th places (tied) - Chelsea Xie and Catherine Wu - Mandarin native speaker individual 16-18 division 

Ms Samantha Chen Yang

Languages

Strings and Orchestra Evening

On Friday the 21st of June, musicians from Year 2 to Year 12 participated in the Strings and Orchestra Evening Concert, which was held in the Alexander Hall. The night was packed with excitement; students of all ages had the opportunity to be inspired by other ensembles while also performing their own pieces. 

To begin the evening, Senior Orchestra performed the exciting Night on Bald Mountain followed by Mr Grandison’s Chanson d’amour melancolique. It was particularly melancholy as students performed under Mr G's excellent leadership for the final time. In addition, the Senior Orchestra students organised a small surprise for him. An extra note - a 'G' for Mr 'G' to conclude his Kambala tutelage in a sentimental and powerful tone, and fulfil his endless complaints on how 'I can't even finish my last orchestra piece on a G!' Nonetheless, it is certain that Kambala's music cohorts will cherish this night, and remember the endless devotion, care, passion and comical jokes that Mr Grandison shared, as well as the academic and emotional guidance he provided to many pupils. 

Following this, other ensembles included Junior Strings 2-4, Junior Strings 5-6, the Junior String Quartet, Dulcie Holland, Tango Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and the Senior String Quartet, all of which captured the audience with engaging repertoire. 

For the final item, the ensemble everyone had been anticipating - the Combined Strings - took to the stage. Violinists, violists, cellists and double bassists from Massie House to Senior School joined to form the largest (and most entertaining!) group, which played An Epic Epic by Pringle. The sound produced from the large orchestra was outstanding, and it was certainly a delightful and memorable experience for both younger and older musicians to play side by side. 

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank the countless people who were involved in bringing this night together, such as the Music Department staff, the Maintenance team, private music tutors, parents, and the Music Committee. Without your hard work and unwavering support, this night could not go ahead. Lastly, thank you to all students for presenting such a captivating evening, and placing so much dedication and effort into your pieces. We hope that everyone enjoyed the night, and see you at the next Strings Gala.

Elsie Paton

Year 11

AMEB Music Performance Candidates

During Semester one, some of our private music students successfully completed a performance exam on their chosen instrument or voice through the Australian Music Examinations Board. 

A special mention goes to Associate of Music Australia candidates Audrey Chan of Year 6 on piano, and Ashley Kim of Year 12 on violin, who were both awarded their AMusA diplomas this year. This is an incredible achievement as it is very difficult to attain this

diploma and requires many hours of dedicated practice.

Congratulations to all of our successful grade exam candidates:

Cathy Wang Year 3, Flute Repertoire Grade 3, High Distinction

Phoebe Shepherd Year 6, Musical Theatre Comprehensive Preliminary

Emily Carman Year 7, Musical Theatre Comprehensive Grade 1

Sienna Geissler Year 8, Musical Theatre Repertoire Grade 2

Gisele Correa Year 9, Singing Leisure Grade 3

Forest Grant-Klar Year 9, Singing Leisure Repertoire Grade 4

Jaimie Humphrey Year 9, Tuba Repertoire Grade 3, High Distinction

Angela Mao Year 9, Viola Repertoire Grade 5

Tiffany Zeng Year 9, Musical Theatre Repertoire Grade 3 High

Distinction

Laura Halley Year 10, Double Bass Comprehensive Grade 5

Madi Kozak Year 10, Musical Theatre Repertoire Grade 5

Annabelle Shepherd Year 10, Musical Theatre Repertoire Grade 5

Sienna Tait Year 6, Musical Theatre Repertoire Grade 1 High Distinction

Aria Calabro Year 7, Musical Theatre Comprehensive Grade 2

Hannah Heimans Year 7, Singing Leisure Repertoire Grade 2

Eloise Cowper Year 8, Musical Theatre Repertoire Grade 4

Ella Ephron Year 8, Singing Leisure Repertoire Grade 4

Ellie-Rose Heimans Year 8, Singing Leisure Comprehensive Grade 5

High Distinction

Charlotte Cullen Year 10, Musical Theatre Repertoire Grade 4

Coco Manovel Year 10, Musical Theatre Repertoire Grade 5 High

Distinction

Milla Sleijpen Year 10, Musical Theatre Repertoire Grade 6

Jolie Wu Year 10, Musical Theatre Comprehensive Grade 3

Scarlett Aboud Year 11 Singing Leisure Repertoire Grade 5

Georgina Happ Year 11 Singing Leisure Repertoire Grade 5

Mr Gene Clark

Acting Head of Music

Year 8 Mandarin Excursion

This year's excursion was exciting, not only did we learn techniques to fold dumplings, but we also learned about the Eight Generals and the lion dance, which greatly benefited us.

We started the day with a cooking class. We headed to a restaurant in Killara to experience the process of making dumplings. To start, we watched the master knead the dough, divide the dough into small pieces, and then roll the dough. We learned to fill our dumpling skins with different fillings, from prawn and pickled cabbage to pork and chives. 

Although we were not skilled initially, but with the master's teaching, we created lovely lace dumplings. Finally, we tasted our dumplings, which were very delicious.

After cooking class, we went to the Taiwan Cultural Centre in Chatswood. We first learned about the Eight Generals through videos: Gan, Liu, Fan, Xie, and the four gods of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Then, we chose the generals we liked and coloured their face masks with paintings. Next, we learned the seven steps of the lion dance, such as the horse stance, cross step, arrow step, etc. Finally, we performed all the steps of the lion dance in pairs, which was very interesting.

Overall, the excursion was very meaningful, and we were all immersed in Northern Chinese and Taiwanese culture by the end of the day.

Candy Du

Year 8 

Foundation Day 2024

Last Friday we celebrated our 137th birthday! On this Foundation Day we took a walk down memory lane with some amazing uniforms from the Laurie White Archive worn by several Year 12 Prefects.  

The uniforms spanned from 1928 to 1993.  Uniforms hold such a special memory of our school days, as they give us a sense of unity, school spirit and pride. Likewise, we see how the school uniform has evolved, and fashion has changed over the last 100 years. It was in 1921 that the Roseby Principals introduced a grey and gold uniform.  However, the uniform was still optional at this time and mothers were allowed to sew them if not purchased from David Jones. 

I hope you enjoy this selection of uniforms from our archive. If you would like to donate a uniform, you can contact Laura Carmichael at archivist@kambala.nsw.edu.au

White Tennis Blazer, circa 1928

This blazer was worn by Sheila (Stark) Copp OG28. She is one of our Inspirational Old Girls and you may recognise her name from the Sheila Copp Memorial Trophy for Sport and Sportsmanship which is given by the KOG in recognition of Sheila’s contribution to the school.

Sports Tunic, circa 1930

In 1924, Kambala started to take part in inter-school sports competition matches. The sports tunics were grey with a band of gold around the hem and No. 11 on the front of the tunics. 

Kambala Overcoat and vinyl school bag 

Worn by Heidi Gerber (Gurney House Prefect)

The overcoat was discontinued in 1970

Kambala Regulation Summer Dress 

Worn by Erin Dunn (Environment Prefect)

In 1967 a summer uniform of grey and white check dress was introduced and a grey sports tunic. With the extension of secondary education from five to six years in 1967, final year pupils wore white instead of grey socks and ribbons with summer uniform and a yellow, instead of grey and yellow striped tie with winter uniform.

Grey Winter Tunic and Blazer 

Worn by Mia De Oglou (Drama Prefect)

A long-sleeved white shirt would have been worn underneath the tunic and a grey and gold striped tie for all girls except year 12 who had a yellow one. 

Kambala Tracksuit, circa 1980

Worn by Grace Zhang (Wentworth House Prefect)- far right

This yellow tracksuit was worn from approximately 1980-1990. There were two version one with a grey stripe down the side which mean you had represented the school, or it was just all yellow. 

Boarders Regulation Weekend Dress, 1993

Worn by Kiana Finau (Sport Prefect)

Boarders wore this dress when they went out on the weekends and to walk up to St Michael's for church on Sundays!

Winter Panama Velour Hat and Summer Panama Hat, circa 1970

Generously donated by Melanie Brodie OG75 

Worn by Emma Janes (Debating Prefect)

The grey velour hat was worn as part of the winter uniform. In summer, the students wore the traditional Panama hat which looks different than your hats today.

Ms Laura Carmichael

Archivist