Issue - Kambala
Transcription
Issue - Kambala
KAMBALA’S TRI ANNUAL MAGAZINE VOL 7 OCT 2013 Issue of October 2013, Volume 7 — The Soubeiran 03 From the Principal 04 Leadership 05 Global Young Leaders Conference 08 The Global Status of Women 10 Building Learning Power 11 Teamwork – what is it? 13 Spreading their wings The gap program is a great way to make connections between schools in Australia and overseas, allowing an exchange of experiences and ideas and providing a safe environment from which students can explore and extend their boundaries. COVER PICTURE Head Prefect for 2013/2014 Jessica Epstein PUBLISHER 794 New South Head Road Rose Bay NSW 2029 Tel. (02) 9388 6777 Email [email protected] Web http://www.kambala.nsw.edu.au EDITORIAL Editor in Chief: Margaret White 14 Thinking Teaching 16 If only the Lonely were home Editor: Tania Layden Deborah Mills 18 Experiential education KOGU Newsletter: Anne Crooks, Anne Harris 20 World Challenge Costa Rica/Nicaragua ADVERTISING INQUIRIES On the weekend of 15 June, 2013, 27 challengers, four staff members and two World Challenge expedition leaders embarked on what was to become a four-week adventure of a lifetime that none involved will ever forget. 23 Tania Layden, Tel. (02) 9388 6747 [email protected] Save the Oceans DESIGN & PRINT 24 Sharing My Learning: One Teacher’s Learning Experience ARTSPEC / Brand Engagement http://www.artspec.com.au 25 Outstanding Achievements 28 KPA — Kambala Old Girls’ Union Newsletter 30 President’s Report 31 Reunions 33 Year 11 Morning Tea 34 Teachers who made a Difference 35 New KOGU Initiatives 36 Creative Careers – Life as an Artist 38 Births, Engagements, Marriages & Deaths REMEMBER, THE APP IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ON THE ITUNES APP STORE FOR FREE; SIMPLY SEARCH FOR ‘KAMBALA’. Once the app is installed, future editions will be available for download. If you don’t want to miss out on these we suggest you have the push notifications enabled. © 2013 Kambala, all rights reserved. Printed in Australia The Soubeiran uses paper sourced from well managed forests and controlled sources. FSC® certified mixed sources. Manufactured using elemental chlorine free (ECF) pulps and acid free to ensure archival longevity. The Soubeiran is printed using vegetable inks and eco-sustainable processes (ISO 14001). — The Soubeiran From The Principal Leadership is something that we have come to expect of Kambala girls both during their time here and after they leave us. 03 VIEW MARGARET’S VIDEO ADDRESS ON THE IPAD VERSION OF THE SOUBEIRAN. SEE OPPOSITE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION. — Margaret White, Principal W hat does leadership look like and how can we ensure that it is taught and practiced in a way that will enhance the individual and the organisation within which we live and learn? An Evening to Farewell our Principal You are warmly invited to an evening with Margaret & Friends at the City Recital Hall, Angel Place. Friday 18 October 2013 – Commencing at 7.00 pm. This special farewell event will be an evening of laughter, music, drama, surprises and no doubt some tears as we celebrate Margaret’s 14 years as Principal. Complimentary tickets are available at the City Recital Hall Angel Place Box Office. Book online at: http://www.cityrecitalhall.com/events/id/1503 or phone the box office directly. For enquiries please contact Mrs Margaret Esdaile, Director of Public Relations [email protected] Over the mid year break I attended the National Coalition of Girls’ School Conference entitled ‘Launching Future Leaders’. There were a number of excellent speakers and it was refreshing to share views with other educators who see the importance of ensuring that our graduates have a realistic view of the challenges as well as the opportunities that lie ahead. Leadership can be an attitude. The girls here are aware that I see leadership as a way of serving a community. I believe that a good leader allows people to use their talents and skills for the benefit of all by facilitating each person achieving their best. As outlined by Catherine SteinerAdair, a Clinical Psychologist, School Consultant and author with the Harvard Medical School: Girls’ Schools can and must make a difference through developing skills, character traits, competencies and literacies to prepare young women for leadership. They must also make accessible the social and emotional learning tools to acquire these skills and traits. The programs we have developed here at Kambala align comfortably with these view and we must continue to emphasise the importance of this work. A Seat At The Table is a documentary made by students at ‘Miss Hall’s School’ as they explore the essential questions they have about taking on leadership opportunities themselves – now and into the future. Through the answers of successful women leaders they are given insight into the possible obstacles and pathways they will encounter. These and many other speakers and presentations during the Conference focussed our attention on not only the current, less than satisfactory situation, but also on the aspirations held by so many impressive young women within our schools. Leadership opportunities and development abound here at Kambala. Leaders can be elected, selected or they can volunteer. As with everything in life, you get out of something what you put into it and I encourage every student to be open to leadership and just see what a difference you can make to Kambala and to yourself. VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — 04 Leadership Developing leadership skills in students is an important part of education at Kambala The prefects for 2013/2014 are: Head Prefect – Jessica Epstein Deputy Head Prefect – Kate Duke Head Boarder – Mollie Menzies Deputy Head Boarder – Charlotte Chambers Charity Prefects – Judith Ainge McLeish, Isabella Yazbek Communications Prefects – Cynthia Imad, Isabella Thompson Debating Prefects – Grace Donaldson, Maria Fidler Drama Prefects – Georgina Niven, Georgina Pender Environment Prefects – Talya Blackman, Samantha Chew Music Prefects – Claudia Borton, Debbie Zhou Sports Prefects – Emily Bassett, Jessica Suriano Visual Arts Prefects – Yanrong Chen, Ella Lister Gurney – Elizabeth Kerslake, Georgina Neal Hawthorne – Julia Henderson, Zoe Nochar Roseby – Chelsea Lucas, Hannah Yeo Wentworth – Chloe Aro, Rachel Siu W e recognise the benefits to students of being given both informal and formal opportunities to lead their peers. These opportunities foster and develop ‘adventurous’ learning where failure is not to be feared but embraced as a step towards the path of lifelong learning. Informal leadership opportunities include: In the Senior School, formal leadership takes the following forms: •Big Sister Program (Year 12) •Membership of the Student Representative Council (Years 7-12) •Membership of a Committee (Communications, Music, Drama, Debating, Sport, Charity, Environment, Visual Arts) •Membership of the backstage ‘Krew’ •Editor/production team for ‘Kamblabla’ •House Officer (Year 11) •Prefect (Year 12) — The Soubeiran •Roles performed on the Outdoor Education Program (Years 7-10) and World Challenge Year 10 •Roles performed in CASaK program Year 9 •Captaincy of a sports team Leadership is essentially about Service: putting the needs of others first and helping girls develop and perform as highly as possible. Our leaders understand that they are role models: they need to possess courage, compassion, strength of purpose and a commitment to working for something that is bigger than them. Prefects for 2013/14 were inducted into their office on 23 July at a ceremony attended by parents, staff and students. They accepted their prefect badges from Margaret White and took an oath of office to serve the school community to the best of their ability, and to be a good example in both word and deed. 05 2 1 Global Young Leaders Conference The opportunity of a lifetime few (and contrary to what the name of the group suggests). I During our time in Vienna we went to St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Natural History Museum, shopped, listened to Opera at the Summer Palace, had sack races in our mini Olympics, ate at Global Food Markets, learnt about solutions concerning drugs and crime in the UN, dined with the mayor, Tanja Wejesely and Austrian entrepreneur and philanthropist Selma Prodanovic at City Hall and listened to key speakers in Parliament including member of the People’s Party, Silvia Grunberger, and member of the Greens Party, Alev Korun, who provided interesting perspectives on international relations and key humanity issues such as the importance of education of the younger generations. – Judith Ainge McLeish, Year 11 f someone had told me three months ago that I would go away for two weeks and not miss home, I would have laughed. But - as incredibly clichéd as it sounds – three months ago it had not hit me that I was about to embark on two of the greatest weeks of my life at the Global Young Leader Conference in Europe. On Saturday 29 June I left my family at 6:00am in chilly Sydney to fly 22 hours via Dubai to Vienna where I spent my first night alone, 16 million miles away from home. The next day I was introduced to my GYLC group, Group 15 (the United Kingdom) and we spent the first of many long leadership group meetings getting to know each other; a group of complete strangers I would come closer to in 10 days than I would have anyone in a year. We were all from all over the world: Bahamas, El Salvador, Kuwait, Barbados and India just to name a There was a warm vibe amongst us as we journeyed to Prague in the Czech Republic. Here we went to the Old Town Square and saw buskers, …CONTINUED P07 ‣ The Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC) is an organisation that provides high-achieving students aged 15-18 with an opportunity to experience roles as global ambassadors, analysing concepts surrounding communications, diplomacy, law, human rights, peace, security, economics and the role of the United Nations. Students who are selected to be part of this program can choose to attend conferences in Washington, DC, New York City, China or in Europe. This year two Kambala students were privileged to be selected: Judith Ainge McLeish went to Vienna, while Kate Duke attended the conference in Washington. 1 — The Australian Flag flying outside the UN building 2 — Inside the United Nations VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — 06 3 4 5 6 — The Soubeiran 7 informal forums of biotechnicians (specialising in genetically modified foods) where we heard of, for example, the various ethical issues that surround these “frackenfoods”. Unimaginable, yet made seamlessly possible, amongst this mayhem we visited Washington and New York City! In Washington, I visited the White House, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the Smithsonian, and perhaps most poignantly, the Holocaust Museum. It was then, after an eight-hour bus trip, we arrived in New York City. In a mere three days we experienced the exoticism of Chinatown and Little Italy, visited the Rockefeller Centre, shopped for several hours in Times Square, marvelled at Matilda on Broadway and participated in the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations. However, it was the cruise across the New York Skyline and under the Statue of Liberty that amazed me most. 07 8 mime artists and bubble blowers. We walked across the Charles Bridge, passed the Old Jewish Cemetery, watched the changing of the guard at the President’s castle, learnt about the importance of the Velvet Revolution and as an exercise in political dynamics discussed how water scarcity may affect key stakeholders. Berlin brought new excitements but also a degree of sadness as we knew it would be the last place we would visit. Here we saw the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, Potsdam Platz, the Holocaust Memorial, the Berlin Wall Memorial and toured Parliament. Our different groups finally presented solutions to water scarcity in India. Our speaker, Muhamed Mesic, was the perfect finale to our leadership talks. Playing a major role in human rights and international exchange he compelled us to make a difference, by “sharing what drives you”. I asked him how he approached those who presented challenges to his leadership and with a laugh he answered: “I listen, even if they do have broad Australian accents”. And so it was with a quiet reverence that we too continued to listen and took away with us his powerful words:“failure was put inside our heads to make us forget our dreams”. In a way I guess we had all had success in our heads, as we were all living our dream. Something we would all never forget, where lifetime friendships were formed and we learnt more from each other than any textbook. For those who had helped me to live the dream in Europe - the Rotary Club, Kambala who introduced me to the GYLC, and my friends and family - I am truly grateful. And for those of you who are lucky enough to get the opportunity to attend Global Young Leadership Congress, I thoroughly recommend it. Exploring cultural differences – Kate Duke, Year 11 I had the fortunate opportunity to travel to the United States to attend The Global Young Leaders Conference. It was here that I learnt from and exchanged ideas with some of the world’s top business leaders, policy officials, lobbyists, journalists, diplomats and academics. I spoke to (among others) Aaron Snipe (US Department of State Near Eastern Affairs Spokesperson), and participated in a lively and particularly vehement (given the recent revelations of the Arab Spring) Q&A session, led by students from Egypt, Syria, Iraq and beyond. I also had the privilege to listen to the arguments of an economists’ panel as they discussed the dependency, reciprocity and paradoxes of food aid given to developing nations. This was starkly contrasted to the Ultimately though it was the people I met that made this experience so memorable and significant. The moments of uninhibited fits of laughter, and perhaps most importantly, the ingeniously opinionated discussions provided me with an invaluable lesson. I was surrounded by educated, inspired and motivated students from as far as Vienna, Norway, Cape Town, and Columbia and as close as Woollahra. I had the opportunity to explore cultural differences first hand, absorb diplomatic skills daily, build confidence and enhance my (much sought after) political opinion. 3 — Kate Duke with members of her group which was representing Indonesia, watching the GYLC Olympics 4 — Kate Duke with fellow GYLC members outside the M&M store in Times Square 5 — The entire GYLC Europe Group 6 — Old Town Square, Prague 7 — Kate Duke with other GYLC members seeing the sites in Washington – here standing in front of the White House 8 — Judith Ainge McLeish (centre) with members of her group standing in front of German Parliament VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — 08 The Global Status of Women Grace Franki has worked hard to become Australia’s representative at the International Future Problem Solving Finals — Margaret Witts, Future Problem Solving Co-ordinator FPSPI Mission – To develop the ability of young people globally to design and promote positive futures using critical, creative thinking. Founded by creativity pioneer, Dr E Paul Torrance, Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) stimulates critical and creative thinking skills, encourages students to develop a vision for the future, and prepares students for leadership roles. FPSPI engages students in creative problem solving within the curriculum and provides competitive opportunities. Future Problem Solving Program International involves thousands of students annually from Australia, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Turkey, and the United States. T he Global Status of Women was an absorbing and powerful topic for Grace Franki to research when she embarked on representing Australia and Kambala in the Future Problem Solving International Finals recently. necessity of seeing women’s rights as essentially a human rights issue around the world. This book is a powerful account of amazing women who have overcome hurdles of discrimination and brutality to change their communities and the world. Grace, the current Individual Australian Global Issues ProblemSolving Champion, had been working on a weekly basis on the topic since the beginning of the year, honing her skills in each of the six steps of the FPS problem-solving process. Our task also was to research the issue, gathering many different perspectives on contentious issues on the topic. To this end, Grace developed a survey based on the Delphi method of information gathering, to canvass different perspectives on the role of women in our world and thereby build a deeper understanding of the basis for widely divergent views. When we arrived at the University of Indiana, Grace understood the reality of what she had been told. Last year’s team of Lauren Chee, Sarah Muller, Lucy Nason and Lauren Taylor also attended the competition at the University of Indiana. It is a beautiful campus of woodlands and limestone buildings, but it is huge and we certainly all got fit during our four days there. Lots of squirrel spotting kept us amused as we marched the miles between different venues! However, our reading of Half the Sky by Nicholas D Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, really brought home the — The Soubeiran On the first day, there was the Swap Meet where Grace was besieged by lots of interested American students and other students from thirteen other overseas countries. Recent entrants, Portugal, Jordan and Turkey lent a new vibrancy to the proceedings. Grace had the 09 honour of carrying the NSW flag at the Opening Ceremony that evening. Each flag carrier was required to wear a costume representative of their country or state. Grace eschewed the stereotypical outback look (complete with corks on the hat) for lifesaver garb with zinc on the face, for which she was given a huge cheer. The next day was the competition where she had to work at a frenetic pace for two hours to respond to a scenario on women’s rights set thirty five years into the future. After that we both could relax a little and wait for the results. Grace also had the opportunity to attend a Senior Students’ Forum, where she was able to network with international students who, like her, were graduating this year. The Closing Ceremony took place on Sunday 9 June, when all the awards were handed out. Grace did extremely well in gaining 5th place in the individual competition and was rightly very excited. I was very proud of her performance and also her ambassadorship for Australia in the time that we spent in the US. She came away with a substantial trophy that elicited congratulations from passengers on the various flights taken soon after the end of the ceremony. We had four flights in all to arrive back early on Tuesday morning, just in time for Grace to get to Assembly at school and play the drums for her ensemble. That’s just the kind of Kambala girl she is! Well done in all respects, Grace. VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — 10 Building Learning Power In an ideal world, we would all want our children to be reflective, resourceful, resilient and to exhibit reciprocity. — Renee De Rossi, Year 4 Teacher I t is easy to assume that these dispositions develop naturally as a child develops socially, intellectually and physically. What is often needed, however, is explicit teaching. In 2011, a group of teachers at Kambala, including Jennie McLean, Lucy Saunders, Shauna McGeehan and I, attended the AIS Primary Conference, ‘Foundations and Aspirations: The Heat of Education’. Guy Claxton, a teaching expert on the development of young people’s learning and creative capacities, claimed that building learning power “puts at the heart of education the development of psychological characteristics that are judged to be of the highest value to young people growing up in a turbulent and demanding world.” He talked about the need to develop in students the ‘4 R’s’: resourcefulness, resilience, reflectiveness and reciprocity. We could indeed argue that these dispositions are necessary to thrive in the 21st century. — The Soubeiran In 2012 our aim was to build our capacity to infuse these dispositions into the curriculum and thus enhance the learning power of our students. We wanted to know: Would enhancing the students’ skills relating to reciprocity, make a difference to their learning? Whilst the word ‘reciprocity’ was one we grappled with, the students took to it easily, delighting in the sophistication of the word and its multiple syllables. Once establishing its meaning as ‘being ready, willing and able to learn alone and with others’, we identified the further ‘ingredients’ of reciprocity; interdependence, collaboration, empathy, listening and imitation. Students were shown what each capacity looked like and then we brainstormed how each could be improved. The students were then required to engage in cooperative activities in a range of contexts, whilst consciously aiming to improve their collaborative habits. An important part of the process was analysis and evaluation. Students analysed video footage of themselves interacting with others and used it as a springboard for change. One would imagine that all students know how to listen, work with others interdependently, collaborate and learn by observing the habits of others. This is true; however, they do so to different degrees. In the same way as adults, children are more or less disposed to using these habits well. Whilst many children already ‘do’ these habits, very few know how to improve them, which was our fundamental aim. Although the project was brief the impacts were considerable. It was clear that the students’ understanding of, commitment to and capacity to work interdependently improved. They were able to listen (truly listen) and negotiate with each other in teams more effectively. Students felt valued as their voices were being heard and learning outcomes were enhanced. Teamwork – what is it? — Ingrid Holden, Deputy Head Junior School T eamwork, not to be confused with cooperative learning, provides students with many advantages, especially when they work together to solve a challenge. Competitiveness, to a greater or lesser degree, often provides a healthy stimulus to a team. Team members work best when group dynamics flow. Csikszentmihalyi defines flow as being ‘in the zone’. Students are in the zone when their skills match the challenge of the task. If the challenge is too difficult for their ability, they become frustrated; if the task is not sufficiently challenging, they become bored. Teams also function best when the goal is clear and when there is constant and immediate feedback about how close they are to achieving that goal. Furthermore, teams need time and space to leave them free to concentrate on the challenge. Group flow tends to emerge when there are a number of key conditions in place to ensure the challenge to be more effective and satisfying. Dr R Keith Sawyer suggests that ten conditions are needed for teamwork to ensure optimum creativity to solve problems and overcome challenges. 1. Team goal Team members need to be clear about what their collective goal is. This is problem-finding creativity when the team has to define the problem as they are solving it. If the goal can be explicitly stated, it is a problem-solving creative task. Problem-finding and problemsolving creativity can both foster flow when a goal is established that provides focus for the team; just enough focus so that team members can tell when they get closer to a solution, but one that is open-ended enough for maximum creativity to emerge. The challenges of such competitions as Tournament of Minds (TOM) and Future Problem Solving (FPS) tend to foster this flow most effectively. 2. Close listening Group flow is more likely to emerge when everyone is fully engaged. Taught practices of silence during initial reactive thought about the challenge, followed by openended brainstorming, help ensure that innovation is not blocked by preconceived ideas of how to reach the goal. 3. Keep it moving forward After listening closely, team members extend and build on contributions. This ‘piggy-backing’ of suggestions is a problem-finding process that can result in surprising new ideas. Creativity is quickly squashed when a team member’s ideas are ignored or criticised. 4. Complete concentration Complete concentration is required because there is often a strict time limit to solve a challenge or reach a goal. When a team player is ‘in the flow’, time becomes warped, minutes can seem like hours or hours seem to pass in minutes. To enable this degree of concentration within a team, it helps to separate the group’s work from other activities, giving them the space to devote their full attention to their work. Highperforming groups have a strong feeling of team identity. 5. Being in control Individuals are in the flow more readily when they are in control of their actions and of their environment. In the same way, team flow increases when people feel 11 autonomy, competence, and relatedness. But in a team, unlike with an individual, being in control results in a paradox: each member must feel in control while at the same time remain flexible, listen closely, and always be willing to defer to the emergent flow of the group. The most innovative teams are the ones that can manage that paradox. 6. Blending egos Following from the previous points can be seen the need for an ability for each team member to submerge his or her ego to the team mindset, to balance each individual voice with active listening. Group flow is the magical moment when it all comes together, when the group is in sync and seem to be thinking with one mind. In the team flow, each person’s idea builds on the ones that their team members have contributed. Ideas meld and creative thinking emerges. 7. Equal participation Group flow is more likely to occur when all participants play an equitable (but not necessarily exactly equal) role in the collective creation of the final product or performance. Group flow is blocked if anyone’s skill level is significantly different from the rest of the group; all of the members should have comparable skill levels. It is also blocked if one member dominates, is arrogant, or thinks he or she is superior to the others. 8. Familiarity By studying many different work teams, psychologists have found that when team members are more familiar with each other, they are more productive and make more effective decisions. When members of a group have been together a VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — while, they share a common language and a common set of unspoken understanding, what psychologists call ‘tacit knowledge’. Because it is unspoken, members often do not even realise what it is that enables them to communicate effectively. This shared understanding enables group members to be ‘on the same page’ about the group’s goals. Clear goals are a cornerstone of group flow. Familiarity with one another’s communication style also helps them respond to each other quickly, and we know from Csikszentmihalyi’s research that immediate feedback is critical to flow. 12 9. Communication Group flow requires effective and unambiguous communication. This is more likely to happen in open, spontaneous discussions within the familiarity of the team with a common goal to address a challenge, often within a set time. 10. The potential for failure Professional actors learn not to ignore the feeling of stage fright but to harness it, using it as a powerful force to push them toward flow. Research shows repeatedly that the mirror of innovation is frequent failure. There is no significant creativity without failure; there is no group flow without the risk of failure. It is the group flow of teamwork that produces the most creative innovations. Annually, each student in the Junior School spends time at a different Outdoor Education centre. Activities are non-competitive, centred around students working in teams to achieve a goal. These are designed to solve problems where the outcome is not possible for a single student to achieve alone. In order to complete challenges such as abseiling, prussiking, low ropes and high ropes, students need to use both physical and mental skills as well as the social skills of discussion and negotiation. The low ropes challenges, in particular, help develop social and emotional competence and demonstrate the need for students to overcome the problems by taking group dynamics, physical size, strengths and weaknesses into account; this often can only — The Soubeiran occur after much discussion as well as many trials and failures. After discussion and working through failed attempts, eventual success, reliant on the whole team working together, can help develop and strengthen all-important resilience in students. Mathematics Challenge Day is another in-school opportunity for the Junior School students to address challenges in a non-competitive team. Colourful and creatively designed puzzles test students’ thinking skills; there is a range of difficult mathematical and logical problems to be solved. Students work in teams to solve these through active manipulation of the puzzles, trial and error and lots of discussion. Junior School Officers work hard as a team and this year’s group is no exception. The girls meet weekly and have devised a range of initiatives that they then carry out, reliably and responsibly, working in a team and supporting each other. different from anything the students may have studied in class, so it is essential for them to work together as a team. They are challenged to think ‘outside the dodecahedron’, to think creatively as well as critically and also to be aware about how their team members are faring during these intensive races against time. TOM preparation is a long-term commitment and really tests the ability of students to work in a team over a period of time. The program emphasises group planning and appreciation of diversity as well as teamwork. After the initial work together to brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other, persistence, discipline and collaboration are key to a successful outcome for these difficult challenges. It can be seen how students work together, help and support each other, care about each other and celebrate not only each other’s success, but that of the whole team. Opportunities for students to work in a team in a competitive way include Debating, the da Vinci Decathlon and Tournament of Minds (TOM). Debating is an on-going commitment to a team during all or part of the year, while Decathlon and TOM are annual one-day competitions which require, however, an intensive period of team bonding and training and preparation. Debating: Girls can audition to debate in three different competitions currently in the Junior School. Whether it is the Friday evening ISDA, the Friday afternoon IPSHA or the Gala Debating Day competition, girls need to have a team argument and work collaboratively to allocate their ideas. As these girls are keen to learn new skills and enjoy learning to stand in front of an audience, they quickly appreciate the necessity of working as part of a team. Decathlon: This is a day filled with mentally challenging problems and activities. It is only possible to attempt to solve these challenges by working as a team, by sharing the load and by stimulating and supporting each other. Lateral and creative thinking are essential. Decathlon challenges are usually 1 M Csikszentmihalyi, an educator and psychologist who proposes the full immersion and enjoyment of being ‘in the flow’ of optimal thinking, engagement or development has written many works about flow and its relation to creativity and happiness. 2 R Keith Sawyer, a professor of psychology and education, is a leading scientific expert on creativity. He elaborates on the ideas of the ten conditions in his book Group Genius. LISTEN TO AN INTERVIEW WITH yr 12 boarder Alice Murdoch ON THE IPAD VERSION OF SOUBEIRAN. SEE PAGE 02 FOR MORE INFORMATION. 13 1 Spreading their Wings The gap program is a great way to make connections between schools in Australia and overseas, allowing an exchange of experiences and ideas and providing a safe environment from which students can explore and extend their boundaries. — Judy Duffy, Director of Boarding E ach Year 12 boarder at Kambala has the opportunity to work as a gap student in their first postschool year, giving them the chance to do something new and challenging. “By stepping out of their comfort zone and living and working in an unfamiliar environment, climate, language, religion and currency ‘gappers’ quickly become more independent and resilient. They learn how to deal with difficult or unusual situations whenever they arise” said Mrs Duffy, Director of Boarding. “For boarders a gap year is an opportunity to enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity and a genuine personal adventure; travel the world and discover new countries and cultures; meet new people and make friends for life; take a break and return refreshed and focused on the future; add unique experience to their life journey and curriculum vitae and gain surety about university and career choices.” Interested girls register their interest in one of the available exchanges at the commencement of their Year 12 academic program. Gaps are provided with full accommodation (including meals) and a small stipend go assist with the purchase of ancillary items. They are expected to adhere to the protocols and expectation of all staff employed by the school. School holiday periods enable the gaps to travel around the country and beyond; the opportunity to accompany school excursions and camps means that they can see some of the country with the schools’ financial support. Kambala enjoys hosting its own gap students each year from the UK, Germany and South Africa. They bring with them a different boarding experience, and while at Kambala they assist in the Boarding House, Massie House, Senior School and the Health Centre. “Having Alice, Charlotte, Bella and Georgii staying with us has been an absolute joy, especially for the girls” Mrs Duffy said. Their contribution has been invaluable, and they themselves have benefitted enormously. “Their fresh young faces and enthusiasm are great to have around the Boarding House and the boarders see them as an inspiration, given that they have travelled from the other side of the world to work with them.” We welcome our new cohort of gap students who commenced at the beginning of Term 3 - Charlotte Dodds and Harriet Spark from the UK and Nicole Ramsay from South Africa. 1 — L-R: Charlotte Stedman, Deputy Head Boarder Charlotte Chambers, Alice Read, Head Boarder Mollie Menzies, Georgii Jackman and Bella Noakes VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — Thinking 14 Teaching One of the ingredients that is needed to ensure that a learning community is dynamic is the quality, motivation and skill of the teachers that are part of it. — Anna Masters, Director of Learning, Teaching and Innovation Kambala’s Strategic Vision: Our vision of a dynamic learning community demands a continuous process of change and innovation. This will define the future for Kambala with reference to past generations. The School will extend its strategic vision to provide greater scope and capacity for internationalism, social justice and leadership in a world of change, through the delivery of a continuum of care and curriculum from early childhood to adulthood. The evolution of the vision has occurred in response to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. This demonstrates Kambala’s commitment to reflect, learn and change - the essence of a dynamic learning community. A copy of the Strategic Vision is available at: https://news.kambala.nsw.edu.au/index.php/info/ our-school/strategic-vision 1 & 2 — Sharing ideas with colleagues during a KMeet workshop — The Soubeiran T his article seeks to offer our readers a “taster menu” so that they can begin to see the quality of the performance and development culture that exists and continues to evolve at Kambala. Enjoy! Professional Learning Goals. We will work to develop and model: 1.Independent Learners 2.Resilient Learners 3.Outward Looking Learners Extracted from the 2009 Kambala Strategic Learning Vision Statement at the 2013 Middle Leader’s Conference. Those who attended were members of the school Executive, campus leaders, teaching and boarding staff in the Wellbeing group such as Year Coordinators and Heads of Departments. KMeet and KMeet Workshops What are KMeets? •KMeets are meeting/un-conferences where Kambala teachers share good practice, practical ideas and personal insights into teaching. •All participants are encouraged to be ready to volunteer an idea, a tool or a website that they have delivered in their classroom. •Alternatively they can discuss something that they believe enhances their classroom practice. •New scheme teachers are encouraged to attend and learn. •The idea behind KMeets is hearing stories about learning, from teachers. It is also to celebrate and learn from the expertise of those we work with. •This is a chance for teachers from all of the campuses and faculties of Kambala to network and to hear ideas from each other. •Inspired by the TeachMeet movement initiative that was first started in 2005 in Scotland and which arrived in Sydney in April 2011. •1.5 hour sessions that are made up of 2 minute and 7 minute presentations. They are strictly timed tasters! 1 15 What are KMeet Workshops? •A very recent extension of the KMeet idea, run in response to audience, that is, teacher demand! •KMeet follow up rotational sessions of a longer periods of time where staff can elect to work with presenters When have they been held? •Thus far, Wednesday afternoons after school Who runs them? •An expert group of event organisers from the eLearning Leaders group have made them happen •Volunteer presenters from the teaching staff have made them work and ensured their ongoing success Programs in Development: 2 Early Career Teachers KSA – Early career teacher support – Mentor for Mandatory Proficient Teacher Accreditation 5-10 years Experience 10 Years+ Highly Experienced Practitioners KSA Voluntary accreditation support, including: – Experienced Teacher mentor support – Accreditation Scholarships for Highly Accomplished – Professional Excellence and Lead Teacher Certification Leadership Learning and Support, including: Leadership Development through staff conference strands, mentor training and coaching and co-coaching programs External professional learning opportunities,including: Local, intrastate, interstate and international conferences and workshops, IB workshops and conferences, online activities •Kambala Professional Partners: our Professional Learning and Development Framework •Stepping In/Stepping Out: Observations, Shadowing and Exchanges •Action Research Program: Teachers Learning in Teams The National Performance and Development Framework highlights what is required to develop a comprehensive and effective approach to teacher learning. It is expected that schools need to put into place a performance and development cycle for their context that incorporates these elements. School-based professional learning, including: Staff conferences, Wednesday afternoon workshops, Kmeet/Kmeet workshops, ICT(Learning Leaders) KPP for all teachers including: Annual individual professional learning projects, Practictitioner research, action learning cycles, goal setting, mentoring, coaching, reflection and feedback cycles KSA: Kambala Supporting Accreditation, KPP: Kambala Professional Partners VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — If only the Lonely 16 were home The Australian premiere of If only The Lonely Were Home, by Finegan Kruckemeyer was an absolute delight. VIEW A VIDEO OF THE PRODUCTION IF ONLY THE LONELY WERE HOME ON THE IPAD VERSION OF THE SOUBEIRAN. SEE PAGE 02 FOR MORE INFORMATION. — Directed by Lisa Moir, Choreography by Bianca Gallifuoco T he ensemble cast of Kambala girls and Cranbrook boys, led by Aleisha McLaren as Penny and Alexander Sheen as The Lonely, created a funny and touching narrative that enchanted the audience with its humour and whimsy. The ensemble cast portrayed the eccentric inhabitants of Port Rodger, both human and animal, with warmth and vitality that engaged the whole audience. Originally written for two actors, the play has been cleverly adapted for an ensemble cast, who together created the magical world of Port Rodger with song, music, dance and shadows. The tale unfolds, told by Penny and the supporting cast of humourous sheep, nasty crows and townspeople. The set, designed by Dylan Tonkin, with its giant ball of red knitting wool and houses made of the weathered wood of old boats, evoked the seaside town perfectly. Penny, dressed in signature red, carries the audience with her as she introduces us to the world of The Lonely – a boy who knits really badly. His parents are explorers who discovered the colour red, but are too busy to take any notice of him. — The Soubeiran Penny would like to be friends with The Lonely, as they pass each other every day on the way to school, but each one is too shy. The Lonely’s only friend is his dog Augustus – a hilariously camp and confident dog played by Josh Slabber - who is wrongly accused of making a girl fall off her bike. The vexatious gossip of the crows forces The Lonely into self-imposed exile. Nothing will entice him out, until the townspeople who miss him, team up with Penny to remind him of their best memories – the smell of your mum’s perfume, the sound of campfires crackling and the feel of a bigger hand holding a smaller one. When Penny persuades The Lonely to enjoy these memories with the townspeople he finally comes out of his shell, emerging from the greatcoat that has weighed him down. The audience, a little in love with The Lonely themselves, cheer on his tentative friendship with Penny. Together they solve the problem of the malicious, gossiping crows by dressing the scarecrows with The Lonely’s really, really, bad knitting. The gentle wit and visual qualities of the play made it very accessible to small children, teenagers, parents and grandparents in the audience. The Director T his is Lisa Moir’s first Senior production since taking over the position of Head of Drama in late 2012. “From my very first reading of Finegan’s play, I was impressed by its touching central relationship and vividly imaginative narrative. I felt its message about appreciating our individual journeys of self-discovery and most of all, the importance of taking pride in who we are, a tale worth telling.” VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — 18 Experiential education Making a difference outside the classroom — Lorean Cassidy, Year 11 Experiential education is an extremely powerful philosophy of teaching. A number of organisations - Rustic Pathways, World Challenge, Antipodeans - provide travel experiences that not only enrich the lives of the students but benefit communities across the world. These programs are designed to focus on experiential education, cross-cultural exchange, community service, life skills, adventure and language and by doing so build cultural bridges that lead to greater global understanding and cooperation. My trip to India 2013 D uring the June-July holidays, I went to India with a program called Rustic Pathways. I boarded a plane by myself in Sydney and arrived in New Delhi without having any contact details for my group. Fortunately I found them and went to our hotel for a couple hours of sleep. The next morning, after very little sleep, we started off on a fifteen-hour drive to Mcleodganj. The driving in India was terrifying: we played ‘chicken’ with other cars, changed lanes, dodged cows, weaved our way over the road to get past and glided through the water from the monsoons; I was horrified, especially because I am just learning to drive. We were told during our trip that someone would be alone at a homestay and I hoped it wasn’t me but when we finally arrived and met our host family it did turn out to be me. As much as I dreaded being by myself, I enjoyed it and felt like I had found my second family. It was dark and the roads were terrifyingly steep on either side, but my Tibetan host mother (my ‘Amala’) insisted on carrying my bag, and holding my hand as we walked down the hill to — The Soubeiran her place. My host family lived in a two room house, and we slept on thin mattresses on wooden planks. We also shared a bathroom with three other families. This may sound horrible to some, but my family was incredibly kind, caring and their home became my home. In the six days I spent there, they and I became a family and we are sending letters back and forth; even though they can’t speak much English, their sons can and will be our interpreter. Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for the children, they were at school during my stay. Whilst I stayed with my host family, my group taught English to refugees from Asia in a place called the Hope Centre, and cleaned a Tibetan nursing home. During our conversational partner work, I made friends with a monk whom I am now emailing to help with his English. In Mcleodganj, we tried to embrace the culture by eating traditional Tibetan food, doing a two-hour yoga class, and listening to speakers. We heard the stories of both Tenzin Tsundue, a poet and lead protestor of the independence of Tibet, and Ven Bagdro, a monk and political 19 VIEW A FULL GALLERY OF IMAGES FROM LOREAN’S TRIP TO INDIA ON THE IPAD VERSION OF THE SOUBEIRAN. SEE PAGE 02 FOR MORE INFORMATION. prisoner. My host family also told me their stories of coming from Tibet. My ‘Pala’ (my homestay father) was imprisoned for six months, when the supposed ‘crime’ he committed only allowed a twenty-four hour stay in prison. When he finally was let go, he fled to India with a friend who had to hide under a box of shampoo (each weighing 2 kg) for eight hours whilst they crossed the border and went through police checks. When they were in the mountains, they almost drowned as they were crossing on small pieces of wood; and my Pala’s friend couldn’t swim. My Pala considers himself very lucky to be alive, out of prison and living in the beautiful Mcleodganj with my Amala and their sons. They were also happy to share their stories, as they could bring awareness to other countries who could possibly help Tibet in their struggle for Independence. Our group was also lucky enough to be in Mcleodganj during the teachings of His Holiness, the Dali Llama, and also go to his birthday celebration in his summer home on 6 July. Tears were shed, and gifts were given the day I left Mcleodganj, and my host family begged me to never forget them. Our group left for the part of India with great Nepali influences called Balla. When we arrived, our host family did a traditional welcoming by sticking rice on our foreheads. Whilst we were there we visited Norbalinka, a place that conserves Tibetan art. We also visited a place for disabled Tibetans, where they can enter from age seven until eighteen, but never leave – it becomes their home and most don’t see their families. They were very happy to see us, and loved photos, much like the children in the slum we visited. However the slum had a school and we were asked not to objectify the people by comparing them to us and what we have, but to look at the similarities between us: shelter, food, loving family, washing, school and much more. I made some really good friends on my trip, some in my group, as well as the people that I stayed with, and the people that we did service for. My trip to India really put my life in perspective: I’m so lucky to be at Kambala, in a beautiful area and learning so much. I’m a very privileged person and I will definitely try to help those that aren’t as privileged as myself. My trip to India was life-changing. Our main project in Balla was to build a cooking and eating area for the children of the ‘untouchabes’ who have very low-paying jobs. They consider school to be a waste of time, so an incentive of a free lunch has been implemented, and most children now go to school. VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — World Challenge Costa Rica/Nicaragua 20 On the weekend of 15 June, 2013, 27 challengers, four staff members and two World Challenge expedition leaders embarked on what was to become a four-week adventure of a lifetime that none involved will ever forget. — Shona Goggin, Kambala World Challenge Coordinator O ur destinations for this year’s World Challenge expedition were Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Being two of the world’s most biologically diverse countries, Costa Rica and Nicaragua offered our teams the chance to encounter spectacular wildlife, exciting volcanos and mountainous landscapes to trek, dense jungles, breathtaking cloud forests and stunning Pacific Ocean and Caribbean coastlines. On top of this each team had the opportunity to explore fascinating colonial Spanish cities and undertake rewarding community project work either in a rural community in Nicaragua or help out with turtle conservation work on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The locals that both teams worked with during their project phases were extremely friendly and welcomed us enthusiastically to their beautiful country. It is no surprise that the project phase became a highlight of the expedition, due to the enthusiasm and generosity of the communities who opened up their school and homes to us and worked by our side each day. Both itineraries were packed with physical challenges and eye-opening cultural exchanges, enabling each girl to experience a journey of self-discovery over the four weeks. Not only did the girls have to — The Soubeiran manage their own budget, organise accommodation, food and transport, but they had to learn how to work as a team, take on various leadership roles and communicate with locals in Spanish! Each girl was definitely taken outside her comfort zone at various times throughout the trip. This expedition gave them the opportunity to achieve both personal and team goals as well as develop valuable skills for later life, such as teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and communication. Through teaching life-skills and expanding minds outside the classroom, our expedition to Costa Rica and Nicaragua truly has provided a life-changing experience for all the girls involved. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the amazing staff who accompanied the girls on this once in a lifetime journey: Mr James Whitehead, Ms Nadine Lauer and Miss Jessie Tu. Without their enthusiasm, hard work and support, expeditions like this would not be possible. Some reflections from members of Team One A fter over a year of built-up excitement and lots of planning and preparation, World Challenge Team One finally arrived in Nicaragua – in 40ºC heat and at one o’clock in the morning. The first few days of acclimatisation were exhausting, travelling around the colonial city of Granada and organising transport, accommodation and food for the next few days. From Granada we caught a ferry to Ometepe Island where we climbed a volcano, swam in the world’s largest inland lake and enjoyed meeting the local school children. After two days of non-stop travelling, an international border crossing into Costa Rica and a stopover in Liberia (and dyeing Mr Whitehead’s hair red!) we arrived at our project in Ostional. For eight days we cleared the beach of driftwood, went on turtle night patrols and played soccer with the local school children on the beach. The money we fund-raised bought supplies for the Association for Integral Development of Ostional, a turtle conservation group that empowers Ostional’s local community, run by our local hosts Maria and Hilbert. 1 — Team One in Costa Rica 2 — Lucy Vincent and Alanah Spillane on top of Momotombo Volcano 3 — We made it! Team Two on Momotombo Volcano 4 — Team Two on project with teachers and families from the community 21 1 3 2 4 VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — Next came our trek: a four day hike through Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula in Southern Costa Rica. With numerous river crossings, ‘Costa Rican flat’ mountains and camping next to horses, spider monkeys and toucans, we definitely felt we were in the wild! The views were absolutely beautiful and showering in a waterfall on the last day was an absolute highlight of the trip. 22 For the team and me, World Challenge has been an almost ‘un-real’ experience and I surprise myself by thinking back to all the amazing times we had during our month abroad. It has definitely changed our day-to-day lives as we’ve gained better organisational skills, stronger friendships and memories that we will never be able to forget! “Pura Vida” from World Challenge Team One! – Verity Bligh Year 10, World Challenge Team One Some reflections from members in Team Two O nce arriving at the local school where we were to live and work for the next week, we were warmly welcomed by the students, teachers and families who put on a special celebratory performance full of local stories, dancing and singing. Our Project phase was mentally and physically exhausting due to the hard work in the extreme heat and humidity. Having the motivation to continually clean and paint the inside of four classrooms was extremely hard, but knowing who we were doing this for and the difference it would make, helped push us on. Teamwork and cooperation were in high demand that week! Our Project was definitely the most rewarding and amazing experience. We interacted and made friends with some truly inspirational and beautiful families whom we are proud to have been able to help. The locals in the community were extremely appreciative of our efforts and we felt honored to be able to complete the renovations of the school for them. On top of this we also helped — The Soubeiran 5 fund the building of a Health Centre for the community, which we were lucky enough to see being built while we were there. After having an extremely tiring yet rewarding week, we said our sad farewells to the people who had treated us like their family for the past week, and who had given us all the support and motivation needed in order to complete this project. We left knowing we had really made a difference to the lives of many families. Creating a cleaner and more inspiring space for teachers and students to learn and work in and providing a building so that the community could now have access to immediate health care, made us feel like we really had accomplished a lot as a team. It was such a great feeling to be able to help people and leave knowing that we had made a difference to their lives. – Brooke Wanford Year 10, Project Leader World Challenge Team Two bonding with our amazing local guides and enjoying Nicaraguan coffee on a coffee farm, it was fair to say that we all had accomplished a great deal. After these five extremely challenging days, every member of our team felt they had learnt so much more about themselves, having been tested not only mentally, but also physically. With every day came a new challenge; but with high spirits, a huge sense of teamwork, and a very positive attitude, we finished our trek feeling extremely accomplished, and very proud of what we had achieved as a team. We all agreed that this experience of a lifetime has not only made us stronger, but has given us life-long friendships that we will treasure forever. – Margaux Dalgleish Year 10, World Challenge Team Two T he thought of ascending five volcanoes in five days seemed an almost impossible undertaking, and one that many of us couldn’t believe we were about to embark on. The incredible challenge of hiking the Maribios volcanic chain in Nicaragua was both physically and mentally challenging but so rewarding in the end. With full days of walking in the soaring heat and humidity, conquering incredible heights with breath-taking views, volcano-boarding down Cerro Negro, 5 — Team Two relaxing in the hot springs during their acclimatisation trek in Costa Rica 23 Marine Conservation gets a boost in Massie House I t all started with Under The Sea studies, but after learning that the biggest threat to ocean creatures was humans, Year 2 students were sparked into taking action to protect marine creatures and their environment. As part of their research, students had to choose a marine creature whales and sharks were particular favourites - and find out about its habitat, classification, diet and predators. Using iPads they created an information report, then made a Puppet Pal presentation in the form of an interview between themselves and their creature, with visuals and backgrounds to illustrate. A big discovery was that whales had no natural predators, but that the biggest threat to the survival of ocean creatures was humans – through our pollution and over-fishing. So Year 2 decided to do something about it, and has been collecting money for the Australian Marine Conservation Organisation – a notfor-profit organisation dedicated to protecting the ocean wildlife and their homes. An important factor in their decision was that all the workers are volunteers and all the money raised goes towards helping. The girls have taken ownership of the project and have exceeded expectations. They have already raised more than enough money for sponsorship of a Minke whale and a variety of other marine animals through bake sales, garage sales of old toys, organising a Blue/Green Dress up day on Open Day on 5 June and donating pocket money. To date they have raised $850 and the Australian Marine Conservation Organisation has publically thanked and acknowledged the efforts of the girls, who have served as an inspiration to others. Apart from raising funds and awareness, the girls have used many other skills – drawing and painting; library and research skills; navigating the iPad for word processing, emailing, research and presentations and using mathematics in a practical way to count the money raised. It has paired different kinds of learners - visual learners, aural learners, Tech Angels and writers working together to learn about our environment and turning an idea into a reality. VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — Sharing 24 My Learning One Teacher’s Learning Experience — Anna Masters, Director of Learning, Teaching and Innovation F rom Monday 14 July to Saturday 22 July I had the inspiring opportunity to participate in a workshop in Boston. It was the NCTT Summer Institute on Best Practices in Thinking-Based Learning focusing on creating skillful thinkers and learners by infusing critical and creative thinking into content instruction. I attended the second week which concentrated on strategies for creating a school-wide thinking-based curriculum and assessment program. In a workshop of only ten people drawn from Hong Kong, Spain, Chile and Malaysia, we focused on two comprehensive school-wide issues about Thinking-Based Learning: •How can a 21st Century schoolwide curriculum be reconstructed to integrate teaching thinking into it in a sustainable way that builds levels of instruction from year level to year level and coordinates and reinforces thinking instruction across curriculum areas? •How can a corresponding schoolwide assessment program be constructed that shows teachers and students not only the level of content understanding that students have achieved but also the level of skillful thinking that students have developed as the result of the instructional program in the school? Examples of schools and curricula that have integrated ThinkingBased Learning were examined and analysed to provide a model for our own school-wide curricula. Based on these models we were helped to construct a strategic plan for the development of such a curriculum in — The Soubeiran our own educational setting. A rich learning experience for me was being able to communicate via Skype with Aurea Gonzales, the Principal of Lope de Vega School in Spain. She spoke about her school’s three year journey of transformation and what processes she used to become, and continue to grow, as a TBL institute. We were shown ways to integrate the following into our curriculum: •A core of 21st Century skills and competencies, including communication, cooperation, and metacognitive skills •Clear standards for content instruction •A comprehensive K-12 sequence of thinking skill objectives and activities infused into curricular content, including critical thinking, creative thinking, and thinking for understanding •A structure for introductory and follow-up practice TBL lessons infused into appropriate content •A program of instruction for important habits of mind •The coordinated use of “thinkingroutines” to enhance deep content understanding •Suggested techniques for making student learning active and collaborative as this curriculum is implemented in the classroom. I had the opportunity to develop sample TBL curriculum units from my own curriculum materials. Having just studied Hamlet with my Year 12 Advanced English group, I played with my knowledge of content and pedagogy to design a TBL infused program and lessons. The intimacy of the workshop scenario meant that I had virtually one-to-one mentoring from one of the most eminent academics in this field of education, Emeritus Professor Robert Schwartz. In the later half of the week, we worked on developing a TBL Assessment Program. We examined and analyzed how the two basic modes of written assessment now in practice can provide us with information about the level of thinking skill development that students may achieve. Examples of the major tools for assessing thinking were examined and analysed, together with examples from the thinking-based assessment programs in various countries, including Australia. Techniques for designing items, assessment prompts, and grading/scoring rubrics were extracted from this analysis. Emphasis was put on ways of integrating the use of these techniques into the regular assessment practices in a TBL school, as well as into school-wide assessment programs. I came away from this workshop with a strong battery of strategies, ideas and knowledge that I hope to share and use to help enrich the learning community and culture of Kambala. The focus of this workshop aligns beautifully with our efforts to make real the vision enunciated in Kambala’s 2009 Strategic Vision Learning Statement and the IB Learner profile. 1 25 3 2 Outstanding Achievements Great learning experiences often take place outside the classroom and Kambala students have been participating in a wide range of sporting, academic and leadership endeavours with excellent results. Gold at Perisher T he Year 12 trio of Beatrice Studdy, Grace Franki and Lilli Waller won Gold in the Division 1 Freestyle and Relay events at the NSW State Championships at Perisher. The team commenced their race for Gold in the Freestyle event and expected tough opposition from Snowy Mountains Grammar. The final result for the overall team medals would be based on the cumulative total of placings for each team member. The Kambala team all placed in the top ten in NSW with Grace Franki 2nd, Beatrice Studdy 3rd and Lilli Waller 10th. Snowy Mountains Grammar also had three top ten finishers and the final score was close with Kambala 3 points ahead to claim the team Gold medal and two individual medals. The team then completed the double to claim Gold in the Relay with Beatrice Studdy opening up a big lead on the first leg, Lilli Waller held her position against the top Snowy Mountains competitor and Grace Franki brought the team home to finish well ahead of their rivals. The team have qualified to compete at the National Championships in Mount Buller. The Division 3 team of Zanna Farrell, Bella Willis and new recruit Sasha Wynne finished 7th in the Relay and 8th in the Freestyle event. Daniela Zarfati competed as an individual in her first Cross Country event and competed well to finish 35th overall. Don’t be shy! We’d love to have news of the fabulous things you’re doing. To share your good news with the Kambala community, drop us a line (and photo) to: [email protected] 1 — NSW State Cross Country Skiing Champions in Division 1 Freestyle and Relay Grace Franki, Beatrice Studdy and Lillian Waller 2 — Greta Szangolies, Zanna Farrell and Daisy Cobcroft with their medals for Moguls Div 3 3 — Warren Feakes coach of Kambala’s Division 1 State Champion Cross Country Skiing team with Grace Franki, Lillian Waller and Beatrice Studdy VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — The surprise of the day was the Division 2 team who were formed the day before the competition. Year 8 Sophie Heron was moved from Division 3 to compete with Year 10 Caitlin Reid and Year 9 Molly Yeldon. Caitlin had an outstanding race in the individual Freestyle event finishing fourth overall and has now been invited to attend an elite Cross Country Skiing Camp as well as qualifying for the National Championships. 26 4 The Freestyle team of Caitlin, Sophie and Molly finished fourth overall just 3 points behind Snowy Mountains Grammar who won the bronze medal. The team finished 6th in the Relay and will be invited to attend the National Championships for both events. Year 6 Chloe Wynne was Kambala’s only Junior School Cross Country competitor and she acquitted herself well in her first Freestyle race finishing 26th overall in NSW. Chloe showed she is a natural skater and is to be congratulated on her effort to compete on her own at this level of competition. We are sure Chloe will be keen to recruit Junior School girls to compete in Cross Country next year! Snowsports Success C ongratulations to Kambala’s Division 3 Snowboarding team of Bella Willis and Sasha Wynne. The dynamic duo have qualified for the State Championships in Snowboard GS and Snowboard Cross. The team came 5th in Snowboard GS and 4th in Snowboard Cross. Bella just missed a bronze medal finishing 4th overall in Snowboard GS and Boarder Cross. The A team of Abby Bonic, Madeline Sloan and Chloe Wynne finished 5th in Skier X and in the Moguls to qualify for the State Championships, with Abby Bonic also qualifiying 5th as an individual Abby Bonic qualified for State as an individual placing 7th in Alpine; and Greta Szangolies won two gold medals in Division 3 Skier Cross and Alpine GS, and the A Team of Zanna, Greta and Daisy Cobcroft finished with Bronze medals in Division 3 Skier Cross, and Silver in the in the Alpine GS with Sophie Heron. — The Soubeiran 5 6 VIEW A FULL GALLERY OF IMAGES OF THE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVERS ON THE IPAD VERSION OF THE SOUBEIRAN. SEE PAGE 02 FOR MORE INFORMATION. NSW Mogul Champions H owling winds greeted the Moguls competitors at Blue Cow for the NSW Championships but the Kambala Senior and Junior School teams did not let the poor conditions affect their performance. The Junior School team of Chloe Wynne, Abby Bonic and Madeleine Sloan completed the bumps and jumps course on a day when many other competitors fell in the tough conditions. The girls had finished fourth at the Sydney Regional Championships and knew qualifying for Nationals would be difficult against the Alpine based schools. The results were posted online and Kambala had finished fourth in NSW and will be off to the National Championships! The Division 3 team then took to the course and Kambala’s first skier Zanna Farrell saw a number of the girls fall before her on the run. Zanna got the team off to a strong start negotiating the bumps and completing her jump to start the team safely in the competition. Team mates Sophie Heron and Daisy Cobcroft completed the course and the team came 5th in NSW to qualify for the Australian Championships. Special mention should be made of Sophie Heron who was called into the team after Greta Szangolies’ injury. Sophie finished 11th overall in NSW and was the highest placegetter in the Kambala team. I am sure Sophie’s team mates are grateful she was willing to join them in this competition. The Division 4 Skier Cross took place on Front Valley and the team of team of Chloe Wynne, Abby Bonic and Madeleine Sloan all showed improvement from their performance at the Sydney Division Championships. The team finished a creditable 8th in NSW. Abby Bonic finished 10th as an individual and will be selected to compete in this event at the Australian Championships. A great result for Year 5 Abby as she was competing against girls in Year 6 in this event. Shining stars C 7 ongratulations to Emily Bassett (Yr 11) who has been selected by Touch Football Australia (TFA) to attend the AusSquad Camp. Emily’s selection is based on her performance at the recent NSW Junior Regional tournament. They believe she is a player who, with further development, has the potential to reach State and National age group sides and progress into the Elite Open division. Emily is one of only 25 players selected to attend the camp in the Under 18 division. Madeleine McCathie (Yr 10) has been selected in the IGSSA open netball competition. Maddie is extremely talented and has also worked hard to achieve her selection. Well done Maddie. 8 State Team selection in Water Polo C ongratulations to Lili Duncan (Yr 9) who has been selected in the NSW State Under 14 Water Polo team. She plays for the University of NSW Under 14 team and gained selection in the NSW team after a fine performance at the State Championships. Top results in Cross-Country Kambala produced some wonderful results at the IGSSA cross-country carnival. Samantha King – 1st 15 years Ruby McNiven (Yr 8) has just been included in the Australian Junior Development Polocrosse Team and will play for Australia against Ireland. Lara Nemirovsky (Yr 9) has been accepted to attend a 3-week Advance Writing Program conducted by the Johns Hopkins University, Centre for Talented Youth. Lara qualified for this program by participating in a rigorous talent search process. Rachel Siu (Yr 11) has recently been awarded the AMusA on the Clarinet. Jasmine Khurana (Yr 9), took the initiative to enter a competition on a website (write4fun.net - open to students from all grades around Australia). She wrote a sonnet after studying this form of poetry in class. The sonnet she wrote was chosen to be published, along with other student’s short stories and poetry from around the country, in a book called ‘Written in the Stars’. Caitlin Reid – 2nd 16 years Jess Suriano – 10th 17 years Olivia Carolan – 1st 12 years Emily Tapper – 5th 13 years Kambala finished 9th overall, which is our first top ten finish. Thank you to Andrew Taylor for his preparation of the girls. Speaking up introduced debating to the school, and encouraged Kambala students to become ‘world citizens’. Congratulations to Helena Hu who won the Senior Section and Alice Nason who won the Junior section. They earned high praise from the KOGU adjudicators, and they were presented the prizes on behalf of the Kambala Old Girls’ Union. 27 The was followed by House debating, which was won by Roseby in the Senior Section, debating the topic That Disney princesses are good role models for today’s young women and Wentworth in the Junior Section debating the topic that ‘rom-coms’ ruin real life relationship expectations. Untouchables – By Jasmine Khurana T he faded shacks stretch ‘neath the stained grey sky, As stagnant urine and disease creep in. Hunched at the pyramid’s tight base we lie: Looked down upon by our superiors. In this poor life we’ve been condemned to die; Forever stuck to our unwanted caste! Our tummies are filled with what can’t be sold. Our hopes and dreams just playful fantasies. Drained from its soothing warmth, the earth feels cold. Where, I ask you, are the democracies That stop worthless things like me getting sold? We are all just pawns in conspiracies. Besides the wealthy, we’re easy to find: We are the untouchables of mankind. These and many other girls provide excellent role models for their peers and younger students to follow. F irst semester concluded with a showcase of the impressive public speaking talent at Kambala. The Joyce Gibbons Public Speaking Competition took place, with the competitors speaking on such topics as The time is right and Music to my ears. The annual competition is named in honour of former Principal Joyce Gibbons, who 4 — Lilli Duncan 5 — Greta Szangolies on the moguls 6 — Olivia Carolan wins 2nd place in NSWPPSSA Cross Country 7 — Emily Bassett 8 — Maddie McCathie VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — KPA 28 1 — Catherine Happ, KPA President A s we walk through the gates of the School when our daughters first start at Kambala, I am sure we don’t fully comprehend the role and the effect the School will have on our daughters, us as parents and the wider family. The influence of the School via its mission, its education, its academic staff and just as importantly the influence of our daughters’ peers is immense. With this influence in mind, it is vital that the role of the KPA becomes relevant and also reflects the views of the parents within the wider community of the School. It is in this area that I would like to provide an update. The KPA has a strong and interested group of parents who feel that the KPA is an appropriate vehicle that can enable parents to become better informed about current issues in either education or the general welfare of their daughters. We are currently in the process of planning a list of guest speakers who will speak at the regular KPA meetings on a variety of issues. It will cover areas that are focussed on those with younger daughters to those whose daughters are almost at the end of their time at the School. We are working on accessing the best possible experts in each of the areas of interest, with the assistance of Mrs White, Mrs Crossman and the Kambala Executive. The speakers will discuss such issues as cyber bullying, alcohol and drugs in teenager years, through to developing good study habits and HSC and IB preparation. — The Soubeiran I would welcome input from parents as to their areas of interest, please feel free to email me. We plan to have a calendar of events on the KView during Term 4. I was delighted to attend the Parents of Boarders Weekend earlier in Term 3. I attended the weekend as both the KPA President but also as a parent of a Year 7 boarder. I would like to thank the organisers for all the effort and for making it such a fun weekend. The boarding community is an important part of the Kambala Community and an important part of the KPA. The Year 12 Father and Daughter Breakfast was held at the end of Term 1 and I am sure was an emotional one. It is these simple events that the KPA arrange that often form an enduring memory both in the mind of the girls and their fathers. An event to be held later in Term 4, which also marks the end of a special time, is the Year 6 Dinner. I have many fond memories of this night, and trust all those involved and those attending have a special night, as the girls end their time in Junior School. We have held three very successful Cocktail Parties at the School this year, and I would like to thank all those who gave their valuable time to make these events such a success, not just from a monetary point of view, but also as a way of bring the parents of the School together in welcoming manner. Another event that the KPA were involved with this Term was the Junior School Open Day which was enjoyed by all. We were lucky to have such wonderful weather. Thank you to all those who gave their time and effort to making it a day not just for current parents to view the School, but for prospective parents to see why Kambala is such a special place. The KPA recently funded the installation of a commercial grade dishwasher in the Canteen. This purchase was made after a number of the Canteen volunteers and the school expressed a desire to acquire one. The KPA will announce later in the year where funds will be invested to provide more facilities and learning aids for all our girls. I do hope I will see many parents at the Farewell event for Mrs White and her husband James. This will be a wonderful night for the Community to come together to recognise and thank Mrs White for her tireless contribution to the School over the last 14 years. On behalf of the KPA I would like to thank her for her support and openness in discussing the many issues that the KPA feel are relevant. We all know we are all working together to provide a safe, caring and academically stimulating environment for our girls. If I can be of any assistance at any time, or if you would like to get involved in the work of the KPA, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the KPA Executive. 1 — Parent helpers at the Junior School Open Day on 30 August 29 — caption page 39 VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — President’s Report h ow glorious is our winter weather after our treacherous wet summer? The Kambala grounds are looking especially green and luscious, and it’s a wonderful sight to see so many girls enjoying the KOGU courts. President: Julie (Kelly) Reid ’77 Vice Presidents: Anne Crooks ‘80, Penelope (Lehmann) Donaldson ‘81 Secretary: 30 Our very popular Vintage Lunch will be held on 30 October 2013. This will be a lovely opportunity for our Old Girls to farewell Margaret White and acknowledge the enormous contribution she has made to Kambala during the 13 plus years she has been in charge. On behalf of the Old Girls I would like to thank Margaret for her commitment to excellent education at Kambala and her support of the various opportunities that have been presented to the girls, in the pursuit of becoming confident and accomplished young ladies. We wish her every success and happiness with the next chapter of her life. The KOGU Committee is very enthusiastic about the launch of its new Networking and Conversation Series on Friday 30 August 2013. Patria Mann has been instrumental in developing this idea featuring guest speakers, and encouraging networking between the entire Old Girl community. All Old Girls have something to offer at these meetings whether they are just completing a degree and considering employment, or have years of experience to share. We expect these events will offer Melinda (Thew) Hudson ’80 Treasurer: Patria (Harris) Mann ’80 (Acting Treasurer) Public Officer: our Old Girls many opportunities and benefits. Penelope (Lehmann) Donaldson ‘81 We hope you are enjoying the fresh look to our KOGU Website and Facebook page and the ease with which you can access stories and information about your School friends, the reunions and other events that are taking place. This is a work in progress and we thank Anne Crooks for her ongoing commitment to KOGU and its digital and communications affairs. We look forward to regular updates from our Old Girl community to our various communication outlets, including stories, notifications and photos. Patria (Harris) Mann ’80, Emily (Smith) Behncke ’96 The Committee welcomes any suggestions and assistance, and I am happy to discuss any matters. Please note you can contact Anne Harris in the KOGU Office to RSVP for events or for any Old Girl matter on 9388 6888 or email [email protected]. — Julie Reid, President Committee: Patria (Harris) Mann ‘80, Juliet (Brockhoff) Ovnerud ‘73, Hannah Ryan ‘07 Sub Committee: Peggy (Winning) Formosa ’72 Editors: Anne Crooks ‘80, Anne Harris www.kogu.kambala.nsw.edu.au www.facebook.com/ KambalaOldGirlsUnion Join us on LinkedIn – Search Groups/KambalaOldGirls Don’t miss out on To ensure your contact details are current: 1. Update My Account at www.kogu.kambala.nsw.edu.au. requests the pleasure of your company at the Annual Reunion Luncheon 2. Join Groups/KambalaOldGirls on LinkedIn Kambala Old Girls 1939 - 1962 3. Let us know at [email protected]. Date: 30 October 2013, 11.30am – 2.30pm Venue: Kambala, 794 New South Head Road Rose Bay Price: $50 (members) $55 (non members) RSVP by 20 October 2013 or [email protected] — KOGU NEWSLETTER School Council Representatives: KOGU’s New Initiatives Vintage Lunch — Vintage Lunch Beatrice (Peel) Watts ‘41, Lorna (Halloran) Stewart ‘40 and Margaret White at the 2010 Vintage Luncheon. 2013 KOGU Committee Due to catering arrangements, we will be unable to accept any bookings after this date. The Soubeiran can also be downloaded from the KOGU or Kambala Websites and there is a free app at the iTunes Store to download to your iPad or phone. Reunions A little more from last years’ 50 year Reunion from Class of ‘62 W hat a time we had with laughter and memories! After the initial meeting on the Lawn at Kambala where there were quiet asides to friends asking, “Who is this?”, nothing held us back from talking and sharing stories. 31 Prue’s poem, delivered during dinner summed it up and was widely acclaimed. — 1963. Left to right – standing: Elizabeth (Ross) Allchin, Margaret (Bear) Harris, Janet (Graham) Williams, Peta (Sweetnam) Hall, Alexa (Henry) Gilbert-Obrart, Jenny (McIver) Anderson, Sue (Carr) Blair, Christine (Horsfield) Clarke, Marcia (Van Coevorden) Phillips, Susan (Haining) Dadswell, Lyndie Hemery, Elizabeth (Isaacs) Sternfeld, Danni Oliver, Kathy (Stewart) Neilson, Julie (Grace) Drew, Margaret (Copp) Armstrong, Jenny (Abbott) Michelsen, left to right – kneeling: Susan (Nivison) Bettington, Vivien Liibus, Kit Steele 1963, 50 Years 1 963 was a fabulous year. It was a momentous time in history to be young and starting life outside school. The average cost of a car was $3,200 and 22 cents bought a loaf of bread. Channel 9 was founded as a national network where you could watch the Dick Van Dyke Show, Coronation Street and The Avengers. At the movies, you could see Steve McQueen and James Garner in The Great Escape, be terrified by Alfred Hitchcock’s the Birds, or maybe Lassie. The Four Seasons, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and the Beatles were shaking up the generations, musically and culturally. In history, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I have a dream” speech; the Profumo affair filled the papers, and Indigenous Australians were permitted full voting rights for the first time. In tennis, Margaret Court, Lesley Bowrey and Roy Emerson were the champions in Wimbledon, Australia and the US Open. In that year, Australia retained the Ashes. At Kambala, things in education were changing. The School Certificate and HSC were about to be phased in, and high school would change from five to six years. There was greater focus on sciences and math; the names of classes were altered so that 6th class became Form I, and so forth. And so in 1963, Kambala prepared six classes to sit the Intermediate Certificate. As a result, it was an unusual year where there were double lots of prizes and Scholarships awarded. 28 Old Girls from this fabulous cohort met in May, toured and enjoyed the many changes to Kambala. They found the facilities breathtaking. All commented how lucky the students are today to attend such a special school. They felt that Kambala girls today could achieve anything given such a wonderful and positive environment. As always, the Drawing Room in Tivoli is a special place for Old Girls and an important link to our School Days over many decades. For the girls who left in 1963, it brought back many memories, and they were very thankful that the lawn outside remains as it was in their school days. It was a very special day. Those who could not attend were sadly missed and we hope will be there for the next reunion. — Anne Crooks ’80 Editor and Lyndie Hemery ‘63 We’ve seen it all We’ve done it all We’ve been around the block. We’re living large We’re so in charge Old ladiesWhat a crock! We’ve just begun to have our fun We’ve earned each little wrinkle. Say it loud We’re downright proud Real women feel it’s no big deal to add another candle. We’re old, we’re bold, we’re solid gold There’s nothing we can’t handle. — Prue (Walters) Layton 1962 — Reunions in 2013 2008 – 5 year 1978 – 35 year 2003 – 10 year 1973 – 40 year 1998 – 15 year 1968 – 45 year 1993 – 20 year 1963 – 50 year 1988 – 25 year 1958 – 55 year 1983 – 30 year 1953 – 60 year Function Dates 2013 — KOGU Committee Meeting Wednesday, 16 October Term 4, 6.30pm — KOGU Vintage Lunch Wednesday, 30 October — KOGU Melbourne Cup Function Tuesday, 5 November — KOGU Committee Meeting Wednesday, 27 November VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — Your Reunion If you want to register interest, have any ideas for your reunion, would like to plan a reunion at the School or if you know others who may like to organise it, please contact Anne Harris in the KOGU Office who will advise you on (02) 9388 6888, 0412 112 063 or [email protected] — 1973, 40 Year Reunion Date: 13 October, 2013 Joyce Gibbons Public Speaking – Friday 21 June Venue: 11am Tour of the School, 1pm Lunch at Rose Bay RSL Contact: Fiona Verge [email protected] — 1983, 30 Year Reunion Date: 26 October, 2013 Venue: 4pm Tour of the School, 7pm Royal Oaks Hotel, Double Bay Contact: Lisa Yazbek [email protected] — 1988, 25 Year Reunion Details to be confirmed. Please contact Narelle (O’Conor) Boyd: [email protected] or 0405 835 559 — 1993, 20 Year Reunion Date: 26 October, 2013 Venue: 4pm Tour of the School, 6.30pm ‘Midas Room’, Golden Sheaf Hotel, Double Bay Contact: Charlotte (Christmas) Schaefer [email protected] — 1998, 15 Year Reunion Date: 12 October 2013 Venue: 7pm Verde Restaurant and Bar 115 Riley Street, East Sydney Contact: Diane Wilson 0411 668 844 — 2003, 10 Year Reunion Date: 31 August 2013 Venue: 3pm Tour of the School, 5.00pm Drinks at the Sheaf, Double Bay. Contact: Lauren Esdaile 0414 849 001 [email protected] or Luci Sheppard 0467 978 390 [email protected]. — 2008, 5 Year Reunion Date: 2 November 2013 Venue: 7pm Harbourview Room, Hampshire House, Kambala Cost: $30 each Contact: Gen George 0427 676 708 — L to R: Annie Handmer ‘11, Maria Fidler, Helena Hu, Grace Donaldson, Grace Franki, Alice Nason, Heather Robson ‘04, Mirella Carr, Jade Hazan, Grace Mathew ’05 (absent Belinda Guo) I n June, Kambala and KOGU hosted the Joyce Gibbons Public Speaking events attended by Years 7-12 of the Senior School. Participants in the Junior section were Belinda Guo (Year 7) and Mirella Carr, Alice Nason (Junior prize recipient) and Jade Hazan (all Year 8). Senior School speakers included Grace Franki, Helena Hu (Senior prize recipient), Maria Fidler and Grace Donaldson. Ms Meghan Long (Religious Education Department), who coaches debating and public speaking, prepared the girls for the competition and offered behind the scenes support to the speakers. This year’s adjudicators were Heather Robson ‘04, Grace Mathew ‘05, and Annie Handmer ‘11, while Julie (Kelly) Reid ‘77 (KOGU President) also attended the event. Kambala’s Head of Senior School, Ms Jenny Crossman joined the Old Girls and Speakers in the Tivoli Drawing Room for morning tea. networking (more on p.35) Next events: Wednesday December 4, 2013 Tuesday March 4, 2014 Many Old Girls were disappointed that they did not hear about our first Networking Event. Please make sure your contact details are current. Put us in touch with any of your KOG colleagues who are interested. You can also invite them to join LinkedIn/Groups/ KambalaOldGirls. Year 11 Morning Tea — Margaret Esdaile, Julie (Kelly) Reid ‘77, Jade Clarke’ 12, Margaret White, Alice Donaldson ‘12, Pen (Lehmann) Donaldson ‘81 O nce again the Foyer of the Ann and John Lewis Music Centre provided a beautiful backdrop to the Year 11 Morning Tea hosted by KOGU on Tuesday 4 June. Pen (Lehmann) Donaldson ‘81 a KOGU VP did a magnificent job of running the event with President Julie (Kelly) Reid ’77. We were very fortunate to have 2012 graduates, Alice Donaldson (IB) and Jade Clarke (HSC), return to address the current girls. Currently at the University of Sydney, Jade is pursuing an Arts degree and Alice is studying Media and Communications. Alice and Jade shared their insights into coping with Year 12 and preparations for the HSC and beyond, including technology-free days and down time. They stressed the bonds which form between girls during Year 12 and facilitated by interactions in the Soubeiran room which provided them both with lifelong memories. Jade — OGs Lisa (Malouf) Yazbek ‘83, Suellen (Adair) Thompson ‘81, Susie Pincombe ‘72, Yvonne Scali ‘79, Jade Clarke ‘12, Alice Donaldson ‘12, Pen (Lehmann) Donaldson ‘81, Julie (Kelly) Reid ‘77 and Alice are now running an Internet radio show each Wednesday evening from 6-7 pm on Sydney Uni radio called Biscuits in Britain. KOGU also thanks the Old Girl mothers of Year 11 for their generous contributions of delicious treats for the morning tea. Principal Margaret White joined us for the morning and Phil Milton (Year 11 Coordinator) was there along with Robyn McMillan and several other teachers. VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — Teachers who made a Difference W e would love to hear from you about Kambala experiences including anecdotes of teachers or friendships that had an impact on your lives. Please send to [email protected]. 34 Miss Elizabeth Campbell – history Teacher 1967-1980 I t is one of the few regrets I have from my school years that I was not one of Miss Campbell’s fortunate history pupils. Outstanding and inspiring, she gave her students a love of inquiry and quest for meaning. She came to Kambala in 1967 and as Head of History taught 24 classes per week, supervised extracurricular studies and shared the administrative tasks with Patricia Cockburn as Co-Head under Headmistress Joyce Gibbons. Miss Campbell fostered a great love of history and archiving. During the 90th Anniversary of Kambala, it was her idea to place a time capsule in the foundations of the Tivoli building. All students and staff, including this Editor contributed to the contents. Many of her students found her genuine interest in them as individuals empowering. She was funny but always gracious. Many may not be aware of her life before Kambala. Not surprisingly she was a brilliant student completing her Intermediate Certificate at the age of 11 and her Leaving Certificate at 14 from PLC. During WWII, she was the first woman appointed to the position of radio announcer with the ABC. She managed a large department for the ABC after the War and spent two years with the BBC in London. She also cofounded the Australian chapter of an organization that helped to evacuate and relocate European refugees. One woman who she helped relocate and settle in Australia was Mrs. Eleonore Eggers who coincidentally was Head of Mathematics when Miss Campbell came to Kambala twenty years later. — KOGU NEWSLETTER — Jayne Symon and Lynne Whan — Miss Elizabeth Campbell It was after WWII that Miss Campbell decided to pursue teaching. After obtaining a Diploma of Education and a M.A., she joined Kambala. school; she knew the broader responsibilities of the educator and felt her skills would make more difference to students who lived in not such fortunate circumstances. What kept her at Kambala was her devotion to the girls she taught, a genuine fondness for the people she worked with and her appreciation of how much the students valued her, something which as far as I know, she never publicly acknowledged. Only ill health forced her to leave Kambala and sadly, teaching altogether. One of her students in this Editor’s Peer Year is now an archivist and recorder of oral histories. She has always loved history and reading, and a book club she founded when we were at university is still meeting monthly 25 years later. When I asked if Miss Campbell may have had something to do with her life choices, she smiles and nods. I am sure many of you have wonderful memories of Elizabeth Campbell. KOGU would love to share them, email [email protected]. Lynne Whan – Teacher Modern history 1970-2001 I f Lynne Whan had to say how long she had been at Kambala, she’d say, half-joking, half not, “Forever”. Her last year of teaching at Kambala was 2000 and she was definitely at Kambala the year I did my prac teaching in 1987. She had an easy camaraderie with the students, I remember once when a student commented she had a shirt just like the one Lynne was wearing, Lynne, who constantly fought to be a different shape than she was, stood at the front of the class, held her arms out wide and said –‘But not quite the same size.’ Occasionally Lynne felt she should be teaching in a less privileged Lynne had a vast knowledge of Modern History, particularly Chinese and Japanese history, to which she brought enthusiasm for the subject, a sense of humour and belief in even the most reluctant student. Part of her secret was that Lynne did not confine her wisdom to her subject, she always taught the whole person. Of all the people I have worked with she was one of the very best. After she died there was, at her request, typically, no funeral. Many of those who taught with her or were educated by her regretted not having the opportunity to show her family how fond of her we were, and that although she is gone she is not forgotten. And I can just hear her repeating that cliché ending...... and laughing. — Kate Pardey, history Department, Kambala KOGU Tennis Day Friday 17 May, 2013 T he KOGU Tennis day is for all members of the Kambala Community, current parents and friends, as well as Old Girls. It is a fantastic opportunity to use the KOGU Courts at Kambala in one of the best settings in Sydney for a wonderful morning of tennis and good company. KOGU provides lunch in the Tivoli Room afterwards where, this year, we awarded past parent Caroline Frykberg as the overall winner, with Becky Sinnott (Year 6 mum), Sally Wade and Nicola Peters (Year 6 mum) hot on her heels. — Tennis Day ‘13. Victoria Gooch, Nicola Peters, Caroline Frykerg, Iona Duncan, Sally Wade, Milenka Kolenda, Fiona Pullen, Lewena White, Sharon Frost, Julie Reid, Kneeling Jennie Kluck, Jenny Miles, Becky Sinnott New KOGU Initiatives K ambala Old Girls has developed the KOG Networking Event and Conversation Series with the aim of providing unique opportunities for all Old Girls to meet, socialise and share experiences in a relaxed and friendly environment. Both the Networking Events and Conversation Series will provide the opportunity for every Old Girl, no matter their age, to meet, support or learn from other Old Girls. We anticipate a number of events will be held each year at different locations, with a variety of speakers on particular topics of interest. The first event KOG Networking Event was held on Friday 30 August, 2013 in the Boardroom of First State Super in Sydney CBD. Thank you to our hosts, for their generous support of KOGU, for giving us the benefit of their time, experience and insights, and for making this inaugural event such an outstanding success: Suzanne (Bunce) Williams’67, BSc LLB, Partner, Korn Ferry Patria (Harris) Mann ’80, BEc CA, Non-Executive Director — L to R: Sophie Newman ’04, Amelia Gilbert ’11, Alexandra (Cowlishaw) Macauley ’85 and Grace (Livingston-Clark) Atkinson ‘00 at Inaugural Networking Event Alix (Varley) Rimington, ’96, BA (Media & Communications), Group Manager, Corporate Affairs, Telstra Mandy Gooch ’05 BCom MComm, Analyst, Macquarie Group Updates and photos are available on www.kogu.kambala.nsw.edu.au and our Facebook pages. Please join our LinkedIn Group Page www.linkedin.com/groups/ KambalaOldGirls for details of upcoming events. Next events: Wednesday December 4, 2013 Tuesday March 4, 2014 VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — Creative Careers – Life as an Artist K ambala’s graduating classes in the last few years have been dominated by further studies in business, legal and communications related fields. However, Kambala has produced some outstanding talents in the Arts, in drama and television and in Fine Arts. 36 KOGU is delighted to focus on several Old Girls who are award winning painters, who have generously shared their thoughts on their careers and lives as Artists. Sally West ‘89 When you read Sally’s history on her website, you learn a lot about the choices of creative souls. Not only did Sally pursue classical training in Fine Arts but she travelled Australia and overseas to learn technique and find inspiration. You see there is great tenacity in her efforts to develop and promote her work. She believes her career as a professional artist began in 1998, where she held her first exhibition at the Bondi Pavilion. It was very well received and was in effect, the beginning of her career as a professional artist. — “Catalina’s, Rose Bay”, Finalist Waverley Art Prize 2013: Sally’s works have been recognised by the NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize, Redlands Art Awards, Waverley Art Prize, Salon Des Refuses (Wynne), Hawkesbury Art Prize, Portia Geach Art Prize, Mosman Art Prize, Charlatan Ink Art Prize NYC, Prometheus Art Award and Country Energy Art Prize. Since then her work has been exhibited in Paris, London, Hong Kong, New York and many other places. “The thing that I love most about my “job” is that my hours are flexible and I travel a lot. My annual solo exhibition in New York is a great highlight of my year, where my work has also featured in 11 mixed exhibitions. This year was my 4th solo there. I usually take my children with me, (my girls are 11 and 8) and my international profile is growing with each showing. I have a great love for the outdoors and being a passionate ‘en plein air’ painter, I revel in the opportunity to take my studio outside. I usually go out once a week and since relocating to Sydney this year from the mid north coast of NSW; I am really enjoying painting the Harbour, the Eastern Suburbs and the Northern Beaches”. — KOGU NEWSLETTER — Bungwahl Vista, 46x46cm, oil on canvas. Finalist 2013 NSW Parliament Plein Air Art Prize — Nai Nai – My neighbour in Nanning was born the same year as the last Emperor Puyi. She was in her 40’s during the Cultural Revolution, and Great Leap Forward. Her 2 storey home is about to be knocked down and developed into a block of flats to cater for the growth of population in the city of Nanning, which means she will be relocated soon by the Chinese Government to somewhere unknown. Kate Kennedy ’96 – the winding path from IT Producer to Gypsy Artist Kate Kennedy has generously shared her thoughts about seeking a career in the fine arts. Kate’s career path encompasses the stresses of deadlines in the business sector, to travel and adventure. For Kate, a strong sense of creativity has allowed her to make some fascinating career and life choices. Kate majored in Time Based Art in her Bachelor of Fine Arts (UNSW), where her knowledge of software led her to work in flash design and animation in various Sydney advertising agencies. From website development and e-learning, she then managed the application development for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. For ten years, Kate worked adrenaline-fueled deadlines in this challenging and interesting field. Then in 2009, a desire for an extended vacation took her to India where she travelled from the relatively wealthy state of Kerala — Little Birds – is a painting where I explore eastern and western concepts of freedom through central India into war-torn Kashmir in the north. “Hearing distant gun-shots at night for the first time was a stark reminder of how good life really is for us in Australia. It was a hard six months of travelling, but well worth the sensational experience of eye-popping sights, smells, and most of all, the inspiration to find a way to start painting again”. “Reading about the rapid growth and economic boom in China while the rest of the world was in recession made me want to see and experience firsthand what it would be like to live there. So my partner and I moved to the spice capital of China, Chengdu in Sichuan Province, and with the help of Google translate rented an apartment for three months before heading south to Nanning in Guangxi Province. I took lessons in traditional Chinese Art which helped me immerse myself into local culture. My art teacher couldn’t speak a word of English so I found an English speaking waitress at a local tea-house to translate for me. I stuck to a routine of painting five days a week, and referred to Australian and Chinese art to help develop and refine my own language and style in art. This of course was broken up by bike trips around our city and other towns like Guilin, Yangshou and Xinping famous for their karst landscapes and traditional Chinese painting”. Kate currently lives in regional NSW and is now focusing on Australian landscapes. “For any student seeking a career in the fine arts, my advice is to be prolific and disciplined. Don’t be afraid to try new techniques and materials. I’ve found I’ve learned the most from the mistakes I’ve made. Enter art competitions, apply for art grants, explore artist-in-residence programs, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from galleries and fellow artists. Most of all, be curious about the world around you and always look for the hidden beauty and art in life”. VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — Births, Engagements, Marriages & Deaths Births Amy (Pongrass) Dusseldorp ‘00 and husband Tom Dusseldorp welcome a daughter Araminta Kristina Dusseldorp (Minty), born in London 6 October, 2012. She is little sister to Finn Alexander Dusseldorp, three years old. Amy has already enrolled Araminta to be a Kambala girl too! The family is now living in Sydney after two years overseas. 38 Tamara (Lang) Isaacs ‘01 and husband Andrew welcomed a daughter, Emily Jane, on 20 June. Proud Kambala relatives include Grandmother Betsy Lang (Head of IT, Kambala), aunt Kirsty (Lang) Berger ‘95 and great-aunt Suzanne Lang ‘72. Lisa (Mayson) Shaw ‘91 and husband Wes announce the birth of their second child Benjamin Michael Richard Shaw on 27 December, 2012. A brother for Olivia and a grandson for Kathy (Photios) Mayson ‘65. — Amy (Pongrass) Dusseldorp ‘00 with Minty and Finn — Anna Karina Smart first daughter for Robyn (Jewell) Smart ‘01 — KOGU NEWSLETTER Robyn (Jewell) Smart ‘01 and husband James welcomed their first daughter Anna Karina Smart on 2 February, also a first grandchild for Jeni (Folkard) Jewell ‘70. Deaths Nell (a’Beckett) Allworth ‘41 passed away on 9 June in Wellington, NSW. She attended Kambala for only one year before returning to the family property due to wartime labour shortages. Nell was born in 1924 and married John Allworth in 1950 - they had 3 children, but sadly he died in 1959 at the young age of 34 years. In 1965 Nell moved to Sydney`s north shore to educate her children at private schools. She returned to Wellington in 1978, where she became an active member of various charities including the Patron of Red Cross for a number of years and a board member of the retirement village named Maranatha. She was Wellington`s Citizen of the Decade in 1990. After her death part of Maranatha was named “The Allworth Wing” in her honour. She is survived by her daughters Ann and Elizabeth, son David and brother Robert. (thanks to Thea (Carruthers) McKeown ‘57) Joseph (Joe) Chadwick passed away 27 May after a brief illness. Husband of Deb (Hing) Chadwick ‘76 and father of Sam ‘10, Nikki ‘12 and Amanda (Year 10). A Memorial celebrating his life was held at St. Michael’s Anglican Church with a request for no black clothes. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Haematology Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital were appreciated. Peter Fraser Davidson passed away 21 May, aged 77 years. Peter had a long history of supporting Kambala as a member of the School Council and as father, husband and brother-in-law of Old Girls. Husband of Sandra (Crago) Davidson ‘59, father of Elizabeth (Davidson) Newman ‘84, Prudence (Davidson) Gibson ‘86 and Peter. Brother-inlaw of Jill (Crago) White ‘57 and Sally (Crago) Humphrey ‘65, uncle of Olivia ‘94 and Jane ‘97 Humphrey. Father-in-law of Brett, Michael and Peta. Grandfather of Thomas, George, Zachary, Zoe, Claudia, Eve, Angus, Benjamin and Amber. Rose (Molly) (Williams) Donaldson ‘48 passed away 2 June. Sister of Mary (Williams) Armstrong ‘44. Mary (Molly) (Cox) Fitzharding ‘37, passed away 27 May aged 94 years. Wife of the late James. Mother of Susan, John, Kathryn. Missed by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Passed away peacefully. A celebration of her life to be held in Canberra at a later date. Isobel Mary (Beechie) (MacLachlan) Holthouse born 3 March 1939 at Cipolletti Argentina, passed away 17 March, at Braidwood NSW. Wife of David, mother of Guy and Victoria Holthouse ‘84, motherin-law of Lucy and grandmother of Isabelle and Madeleine. Margaret (Brown) Irwin ‘48 passed away 17 May. Wife of Patrick, mother of Jane and Jennifer, mother-in-law of Michael and Andrew. Grandmother of Victoria, Lucy and Heather and great-grandmother of Henry, Orsom, Hamish and Alice. Joan (Walder) Kersey ‘44 passed away in May. She was a multi-talented woman, passionately interested in politics and social justice. She was an Australia Party candidate in the 1973 New South Wales Legislative Assembly Armidale by-election. She represented the Australian Democrats in the House of Representatives elections for Wentworth in 1977, 1980 and 1981 (by-election). Joan is survived by her children, Susan (Kersey) Winkler ‘73, Sarah and Julian, grandchildren, Mella, Iain, Noni Winkler ’07, Tara, as well as great-grandchildren, Lyla and Oscar. A celebration of Joan Kersey’s life was held at Nielsen Park restaurant. Josephina Lee ‘08 passed away 22 April. The Class of 2008 requested a memorial service for Josephina at St Michael’s, which was followed by a gathering at Christine & Nick Southcombe’s home. Josephina was a very gifted student, excelling in music. school prefect in 1944 and sister of Joyce (Miller) Beaumont ‘45 (dec). Mona leaves three daughters, Janet Rankin-Hambleton, Marilyn Rankin-Harris and Susan RankinGolding, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren in Canada and a niece and nephew in Australia. Mona’s family had all been together for a large Christmas gathering at her house and take some comfort in knowing she saw everyone before she died, right down to the two little great grandchildren. — Eva MacLean 39 — Marjorie (Monk) Meddows ‘44 — Mona (Miller) Rankin ‘44 Eva MacLean, passed away on 17 January, in Melbourne aged 97 years. Mother of Alison (MacLean) Parkinson ‘67 and mother-in-law of Elizabeth (Sayer) MacLean ‘66, Eva worked tirelessly for Kambala Parents and Friends Association. Eva worked full time but felt strongly about contributing to the School community. She held the position of secretary for many years, working with school presidents Bruce Jackson and Basil Bruce, even after Alison left school. Eva was a great role-model with her boundless energy, unfailing kindness and tolerance, and her ability to see good in all people and situations. At the age 97, her optimism and kindness still shone through. mother of Peter, Bronwyn, David and their families, grand-mother and great-grandmother of Paul, Sarah, James, and their families. Sister of Edna (Monk) Mitchell ‘40 (dec), Davida (Monk) Winning ‘42 (dec) and Connie (Monk) Nicolson ‘45 (dec); cousin of Barbara (Mort) Thelander ‘39, Mary (Mort) Mackenzie ‘36 and Margaret Mort ‘35 (dec) aunt of Peggy (Winning) Formosa ’71, Jenny (Nicolson) Greenwood ‘74, Elaine (Nicolson) Budd ‘65 and great aunt of Georgie Formosa ‘11. Marjorie also had many second cousins attend Kambala and was Vice President of Kambala Old Girls’ Union from 1973 until 1977 inclusive. Marjorie (Monk) Meddows ‘44, passed away 4 June. Wife of Jim (dec), — Cover photo credit: 1906 Kambala Victoria Road Bellevue Hill. (From the Kambala Archives photographic collection) Help us W e are looking for Old Girls to send us their favourite memories or donate archival material to the school for our next newsletter and to keep our history intact. Mona (Miller) Rankin ‘44 passed away suddenly 11 January in Ontario, Canada. She was a Naomi Meares (Stevenson) Trenerry ‘47 passed away on 27 May. Wife of Peter, mother of Penny, Jo, Sue and Annabelle. Mother-inlaw of Brian, Warren, John and Jeff. “Namie” to Miranda, Ross, Pip and Edwin, Phoebe and James, Kate and Jonty, Matthew, Nicholas and Jeremy. Naomi was a prefect in 1947 and on the KOGU Committee in 1951. David Tym of Gullargambone passed away suddenly in a farming accident, March this year. Husband of Sue and father of Annabel ’10 and Charles. Son of Gwen (Lambell) Tym ’47, brother of Sandra (Tym) Curnow ’77 and Helen (Tym) Malone ’72. Vanda Wright died peacefully at home 2 July, aged 92. Wife to John for 64 years, mother of Laura Wright ‘67 and Mary (Wright) White ‘69 (dec). Vanda always cherished the friendships she made with other Kambala mothers. Please send notices for inclusion in this section to Anne Harris: [email protected] Don’t lose touch! T he KOGU Online Directory is a way to stay in touch with Old Girls, share photos and keep up to date with Kambala and KOGU. Log on to http://www.kogu.kambala.nsw.edu.au or access the directory through the Kambala View site by selecting Portals from the top menu, then select KOGU from the drop down box. Any material submitted constitutes your permission for, and consent to, its dissemination and use in connection with the Archives in all media perpetuity. Please contact Anne Harris on 9388 6888 or [email protected] VOL 7 , OCT 2013 — 794 New South Head Road Rose Bay NSW 2029 TEL. (02) 9388 6777 EMAIL [email protected] http://www.kambala.nsw.edu.au