Senior School 

Co-Raising our Daughters: Partnering with Parents: Save the Date

Our girls are growing up in a world of extraordinary possibility and also one of increasing complexity. As parents and educators, we have a shared responsibility to understand the landscape they are confronting so we can equip them with the knowledge, confidence and discernment to thrive within it. Co-Raising Our Daughters: Conversations that Matter is a parent education series designed to bring this work into the open, sharing the research, thinking and programs that shape our approach to supporting girls, and strengthening the partnership between home and school as we work together to raise women of consequence.

Our first conversation, Co-Raising Our Daughters: Growing Up in the Age of AI, will explore what current research is telling us about young people and AI, what this means for girls in particular, and how we can help our young women understand this new landscape. We will consider both the opportunities and emerging risks of AI, and share AI: The Kambala Approach, to provide practical knowledge and language that support conversations at home.

This will be followed by our Term 4 conversation focused on respectful relationships, recognising the enduring challenges facing young women navigating  consent, safety, and healthy relationships.

We look forward to sharing these important conversations with our Kambala parent community.

SAVE THE DATE 

Co-Raising Our Daughters: Growing Up in the Age of AI 

Online via Zoom, details to come

6.00pm - 6.40pm Wednesday 9 September 2026 

Samantha Gooch

Deputy Principal - Pastoral Care

Kambala wins Theatresports All Girls Shield

The Theatresports All Girls Shield is an annual match held at PLC Sydney to promote young women and is fast becoming the game that schools want to be a part of. Each school provides two teams of up to 5 players to battle it out for supremacy, and this year Kambala fielded teams for the first time. Despite being Kambala’s first outing at the AGS, the school has built reputation through their success in the Theatresports Schools Challenge, and it was a chance for younger players to gain some valuable onstage experience.

Drama Prefect Michaela Brier (Year 12) led the team, with Abby Leibman(Yr 10), Emily Carman (Yr 9), Laura Washer (Yr 9) and Phoebe Shepherd (Yr 8).Ellie-Rose Heimans (Yr 10) led Elle Leelathayphawan (Yr 11), Charlie Haffenden (Yr10), Hanna Heimans (Yr 9) and India Hanna (Yr 8) as No Drama Kambala. 

From Round 1 the match became a two-horse race, with the lead swapping between Kambala and St Andrew's Cathedral School at every turn. Then in Round 2, NoDrama Kambala played a Number Words for the ages, with Heimans Sisters taking the team on an hilarious road trip to a Kosher grocer. The fives went up and the gauntlet was there for SACS to pick up.

SACS came back hard with a Playbook scene but answered the challenge in the final round when they played a Sing-About-It about trying to diffuse a bomb with a colourblind bomb tech. A big shout to Charlie Haffenden who overcame some serious stage nerves to get a song out when she thought she couldn’t, with the team supporting her and carrying the scene home. The fives went up again and Kambala took the line honours, with SACS coming in second. What was truly inspiring was how all the teams celebrated with each other on stage, and it is a testament to the spirit of the All Girls Shield that rivals on stage become good friends at the end of the match.

Congratulations to the team !!

Kambala is fast becoming the school to beat in the Theatresports arena, and with the Junior Theatresports Schools Challenge kicking off in Term 4, we have another chance to show everyone what we can do.

Juan Renshaw

Extra Curricular Manager

Kambala Musicians at Elizabeth Lodge

Warm tea, bright smiles, and resonant melodies made for a delightful afternoon at Elizabeth Lodge in early August, as the Extension Chamber Music Groups had the privilege of playing for the residents there.

Organised by Cosy Companion - a student-led non-profit spearheaded by our Advocacy Prefect to connect with local seniors - the event was a heart-warming success. The musicians had a wonderful time performing and were met with deep appreciation and joy from the residents.

A huge thank you to Music Staff Mrs Lucie Benz, Ms Toni Powell, Mr John Benz, and Mr Gene Clark. We are also deeply grateful to Lifestyle Coordinator at Elizabeth Lodge, Nelie Garcia, whose assistance in organising dates, setting up instruments, and advertising the event was invaluable.

Events like these remind us how powerful a simple shared moment can be. Thank you to everyone who supported Cosy Companion and the Extension Chamber Music Group in making this visit so memorable!

Skye Wells

Year 11

Robotics - Creating Spaces for Young Women in STEM

Kambala’s new Robotics Club is an initiative designed to foster passion for mechatronics in young women. The club holds sessions Thursdays and Fridays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm and was recently established at the start of term 3. 

We have enrolled in the First Tech Challenge (FTC), an international competition for years 7-12. The season will start globally in September, leading to local league meets, regional qualifiers, and national or world championship. In September, the competition is going to be announced, after which we can customise the robot to our specific requirements.

Our robot is built using the REV robotics kit. We have finished building the base of our drive train and are on track to finish building the starter Bot soon. However, building isn’t the only skill we have focused on developing, as we have also been working on developing skills through laser cutting a polycarbonate sheet for the base, 3D modelling the starter Bot on Onshape, and starting to code the robot using both block coding and Java.

We have achieved a lot since the start of the club and look forward to competing in term 4. 

Mysha Khan 

Year 11

Everyone Belongs - Amplifying Kindness

The Student Representative Committee (SRC) works closely with students across all cohorts to ensure that student voices are heard and cross cohort connections are strengthened. One of the ways the SRC supports this is each year, they support the Everyone Belongs Day of Action. This is a key day for students and staff to focus on the contributions that we can all make for Kambala to be an inclusive, kind school, as well as reminding us that small acts of kindness can have a huge impact on our School community.

The Everyone Belongs Week of Action took place from Monday 17 - Friday 21 August. All week, Senior School Students wore purple hair accessories. Purple is the hero colour of the Everyone Belongs campaign and serves as a visual commitment to choose kindness and respectful actions every day.

On Monday 17 August, students were invited to describe the small acts they could enact that would have a big impact on strengthening the inclusive, kind environment of the Kambala Senior School. These student contributions are displayed outside the canteen and SSO desk until Friday 28 August. We look forward to witnessing students weaving these into their everyday actions.

At lunchtime we had handball games and music on Tivoli Courtyard. An opportunity to enjoy some laughs, talking to peers and pausing to get to know and be connected to others.

Kambala is kind and Everyone Belongs is an important day in our School calendar. It shines a light on the small acts that strengthen the kind, inclusive way we show up for each other. Thank you to the members of the SRC who created the activities and brought them to life.

Julie Laytham

Head of Student Life

National Youth Parliament

Kambala is proud to share that Year 11 student Hania Skimin will represent the electorate of Wentworth at National Youth Parliament from Sunday 16 August to Thursday 20 August 2026. We congratulate Hania on this outstanding achievement.

Delivered by the Department of the House of Representatives in partnership with Y Australia, the program brings together 150 secondary school students from across Australia to Parliament House and the Museum of Australian Democracy (Old Parliament House) for an immersive five-day experience.

Over five days, participants will take part in hands-on learning experiences including simulated

parliamentary debates, workshops with parliamentary leaders and policy discussions, building

their understanding of how Australia’s democratic system works.

More than 2,200 young people applied for National Youth Parliament, highlighting strong interest in civic engagement among secondary school students. National Youth Parliament provides a valuable opportunity for students to develop confidence, leadership skills and a deeper understanding of how they can engage with and contribute to Australia’s democracy.

Congratulations Hania! 

Charlotte Crowley

French Teacher and CAS Coordinator

Second-hand Uniform Fundraiser

On Friday the 14th of August, the Environment committee, alongside Ms Toomey and Ms Surducki, held a Second-hand Uniform Fundraiser to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). We recycled school uniforms such as blazers, fleeces, tracksuit pants, scarves, blue jumpers, etc to reduce landfill and the overall waste of Kambala. 

Through this we were able to raise $451 which will go directly to the wildlife organisation. The World Wildlife Fund is responsible for conserving the natural environment, including supporting animals within the various habitats. With our funds, we are able to adopt around 23 animals for a month, supporting native species that are at risk of losing their habitats. For example, the Hair-Nosed Wombat is listed as critically endangered with only 400 remaining in the wild! 

We must do something to help our animals, so we strongly encourage Kambala girls to look into the World Wildlife Fund and consider donating to adopt an animal themselves!  

Thank you to everyone who came along and supported this fundraiser, you are contributing to a better and more sustainable Kambala so your donations are very much appreciated!

Amelia Alexiou & Leah Wilkinson

Year 10