The Solstice

Kambala Institute of 

Teaching Excellence

Celebrating our Community of Learners

This week we take a moment to celebrate the learning and professional accomplishments of our adult learners, our Kambala staff.

 

Here are a few highlights!

 

Principal Jane Danvers has been appointed Deputy Chair of AHISA New South Wales. AHISA, the Association of Independent Schools Australia, is an important body for independent schools like Kambala, and is an organisation that brings together leaders from independent schools to promote collegiality and professional learning. The body has influence over education policy and practice and so it is wonderful that our Principal, an advocate for girls schools, has presence within this organisation. 

 

Kambala is a member of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools. This is another uniting body, and one of which sees our school connect with leading schools worldwide. For example: 

  • we currently have three teachers under fellowship in the Global Action Research Collaborative GARC (Year 6 teacher Sheridan Sweeney being our first official GARC Research Fellow)
  • Languages teacher and CAS Coordinator Dan Lin is currently participating in ICGS’s ‘headways’,  a networking forum that provides teachers at girls schools the chance to discuss opportunities and strengths that can be harnessed within our contexts. 
  • Kambala has also proudly had various staff members present on issues of girls education at national and international conference over the past 3 years – Carolyn Gedling, Stuart Coppin, Lauren Walsh and Greta Beaumont and myself included. 

Jane Danvers has now been appointed on the ICGS Board of Directors, which is an outstanding professional achievement. For Kambala, this opens a world of possibilities for us to connect with this important global organisation, and our representation within ICGS at this level is certainly a  proud moment for us!

 

Our dedicated and creative Art and Design Faculty members have been hard at work! 

 

Drew Bickford and Georgia Kite have both worked tirelessly on large-scale oil paintings for the Archibald. Drew is painting a double portrait of two New York-based filmmaker sisters. Georgia is painting Bronte Campbell, an Olympic swimmer who is also a friend of hers! We wish them well as they submit their pieces. 

 

Ariel Mekler-Peled has been studying at postgraduate level at ACU under a KITE scholarship for further learning, and as now graduated with a Graduate Diploma in Design and Technologies Education. The course focuses on the principles of design and key engineering technologies to empower students to become critical users of technologies and designers. Ariel was eager to take on this study to support her role as a teacher of design and technology, and we congratulate her on her completion of this course! 

 

Kate Moore, Deputy Head of Junior School, has joined with Mathew Smith to create a podcast for teachers. The podcast, “Those Who Can’t” aims to reach teachers at all stages of the teaching profession. Kate and Mathew share stories of their experiences in various school contexts, and so far have covered topics such as ‘the importance of mentoring’ and ‘experiences outside of the classroom’ that can energise. 

 

Olga Ibraham, ICT Coordinator and Science Teacher, is going to be presenting at the AISNSW ICT Management and Leadership conference, showcasing Kambala’s forward thinking approach to the integration of AI and the work all staff are doing to respond to the ever-changing landscape of digital technology. 

 

We are proud of our Kambala staff and their commitment to the life-long learning that we value so highly at Kambala.