Junior School 

Tolerance for Ambiguity

It was my delight to visit last evening the Year 6 Campers at Somerset.  The students are in two-woman tents in fields which undulate down to the banks of Colo River.  Kambala’s association with Somerset is so long that we are at the point where our mothers who were Junior School alumni attended the same camp themselves when they were in Year 6.  A wonderful intergenerational connection.

Somerset is one of the pinnacle experiences for the students linked closely to our Year 6 Kambala Scots Sports Afternoon, Canberra Excursion and the Year 6 Dinner. Camp Somerset as a venue has no mobile connectivity and you can see from the demeanour of our students and staff that they thrive on this form of unplugged slow learning and living which helps develop in the girls a tolerance for ambiguity.  

Yesterday’s camping experience mirrored for me the experience of being the customer of an unnamed telecommunications company which suffered an eight hour outage yesterday.  It reminded me that sometimes life is better when we take time to unplug and “go with our gut” rather than requiring constant connectivity and continual reassurance which comes as a by-product of technology.

Parents as Partners

The Junior School teachers are working with determination to finalise Semester 2 2023 Reports.  We anticipate parents of Preparation to Year 6 students to receive their daughter’s report on the penultimate day of Term 4, which is Tuesday 5 December 2023. 

Data is reviewed and Year 3 to Year 6 Speech Day prizes are announced to the girls in an EJ Watt student assembly on Friday afternoon, 1 December 2023.  Girls who have been awarded prizes for 2023 Speech Day will receive a letter regarding arrangements for Speech Day at the assembly. 

We kindly ask parents to reflect a growth mindset or “yet” mentality with the girls to ensure perspective is maintained.

Congratulations to Massie 

Congratulations to the Massie students for their incredible performances at the musical theatre showcases! The students took on songs from beloved productions such as Annie, Matilda, Oliver, Bugsy Malone, and Frozen, demonstrating their versatility and enthusiasm on stage.

We applaud the girls for their hard work and dedication from learning the lyrics and choreography to perfecting their stage presence. The showcases not only provided a platform for them to shine but also fostered a sense of courage, confidence, and self-expression.

Ms Olivia Hunt

Extra-Curricular Dance

Sustainable School Shop

Thanks to the KPA who have introduced an exciting new initiative to provide parents with the ability to buy, sell and trade second-hand items such as uniforms, books and musical equipment via the online Sustainable School Shop.

This service is very accessible and is utilised by many other school communities with great success. You will be required to register in order to gain access to the Shop, and the platform is easy to use and navigate.

The KPA is kindly providing this service and there is no cost to families.

Should you not have computer access at any given time, the Sustainable School Shop can be contacted on 0438 743444.

Civil Liability Update: Risk Warnings 2024

Risk Warning

(Under Section 5M of Civil Liability Act 2002)

On Behalf of Kambala and IGSA.

Sporting Activities 2024

The following is a legal requirement that we must inform you of:

Kambala organises many individual and team sporting activities during the course of a year.  Some of these are organised in conjunction with IGSA Sport, a sub-committee of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls’ Schools NSW (AHIGS), now trading as IGSA.  Students participating in these sporting activities take part in practice and in competitions.

Kambala and IGSA Sport expect students to take responsibility for their own safety by wearing compulsory safety equipment, by thinking carefully about the use of safety equipment that is highly recommended and by behaving in a safe and responsible manner towards team members, opponents, spectators, officials, property and grounds.

Kambala and IGSA Sport also expect parents, spectators and other participants to behave in a safe and responsible manner, to comply with the Codes of Conduct and to set a good example for the girls.

While Kambala and IGSA Sport take measures to make the sporting activities as safe as reasonably possible for participants, there is a risk that students can be injured and suffer loss (including financial loss) and damage as a result of their participation in these sporting activities, whether at training or in actual events.

Such injury can occur while the student is engaging in or watching a sporting activity, or travelling to and from the event.  The injury may result from a student's actions, the actions of others, the state of the premises or equipment failure.

On some occasions, an injury can be serious (such as torn ligaments, dislocations, back injuries, concussion or broken bones).  In very rare cases an injury can be life threatening or result in permanent disability.  If a student has a pre-existing injury, participating in a sporting activity could result in an exacerbation of that injury.

Students could also suffer loss as a result of their personal property being lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed.

Risk Warning

(Under Section 5M of Civil Liability Act 2002)

On Behalf of Kambala and IGSA.

Non-Sporting Activities 2024

Kambala organises many activities such as debating, mock trial, orchestra, choir, insert relevant activities and delete irrelevant ones during the course of a year.  Some of these are organised in conjunction with the Association of Heads of Independent Girls’ Schools NSW (AHIGS), trading as IGSA.  Students participating in these activities take part in practice and in competitions.

IGSA administers and convenes inter-school activities (such as IGSA Archdale Debating, IGSA Festival of Speech, IGSA Choral Festival, IGSA Dance Festival and IGSA Chess) in which many students, including students of this school, participate.

Kambala and IGSA also expect parents, spectators and other participants to behave in a safe and responsible manner, to comply with the Codes of Conduct and to set a good example for the girls.

While Kambala and IGSA take measures to make the activities as safe as reasonably possible for participants, there is a risk that students can be injured and suffer loss (including financial loss) and damage as a result of their participation in these activities, whether at practice or in actual events.

Such injury can occur while the student is engaging in or watching a non-sporting activity, or travelling to and from the event.  The injury may result from a student's actions, the actions of others, the state of the premises or equipment failure (e.g. a collapsed stage during a debating competition).

On some occasions, an injury can be serious (such as torn ligaments, dislocations, back injuries, concussion or broken bones).  In very rare cases an injury can be life threatening or result in permanent disability. 

Students could also suffer loss as a result of their personal property being lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed.