From the Upper School

A Message from Mr Riley, Head of Upper School

This week I had the privilege of attending the ‘Rise Up For Unity’ colloquium at Hornsby PCYC, a unique police force-led project involving students from 17 local schools, and our Year 9 Mind Body Spirit Day, ‘The Butterfly Effect’. The focus of both events was on building stronger connections within our community, and it was fantastic to see our girls leading the way.

As part of our involvement in the ‘Rise Up For Unity’ project, our Year 10 students (Maiya Foster, Chloe Kim, Ava Thomas, Margaret Wu, Yu Zhou and Yuki Wang) have been developing resources to share with their cohort at school to promote greater understanding, acceptance and connection.

I hope you enjoy their short movie clip titled #ditchthelabels that will be incorporated into assembly and our Directions program later this term.

A Message from Mrs Hunt, Deputy Head of Upper School

Year 9 Mind Body Spirit Day: The Butterfly Effect

On Tuesday, Year 9 received the opportunity to engage with “The Butterfly Effect” workshop in the Jobson Lecture Theatre. It was run by Enlighten Education and we received an awesome speaker, Nikki, who taught us about the importance of feminism and standing up for ourselves.

Some of the activities we took part in were writing compliments to our friends (i.e. how we appreciate them and everything we value about their friendship), and forming groups and writing slogans about how and why we are feminists.

We spoke about friendship and what we do and don’t value in our friendships and why it is important to speak clearly about how we feel. The Butterfly Effect was an awesome day and Year 9 really enjoyed it. Nikki was a great speaker and we all agreed she was one of the best speakers we’ve ever had.

Written by Grace Rew (Year 9) and Phoebe Paleologos (Year 9)

Oxford Tour Review

Having the unbelievable opportunity to learn alongside fellow students from all over the world at Oxford, one of the world’s most prestigious universities, was an experience that I will never forget. I gained fresh insights every day and made valued connections which I cherish dearly. As well as that, I built my confidence and independence as I tried to navigate the ups and downs of dorm life 11,134 km away from home. I needed to be self-reliant and responsible – a challenge which I rose up to with great eagerness (and more or less ultimate success…!).

As a business student at the academy, I had the incredible occasion to receive pearls of wisdom from my teacher, an entrepreneur and highly sought-after keynote speaker who has decades of experience in the world of business. His expert teaching style and poignant anecdotes created an engaging classroom atmosphere. He was also extremely attentive to all the students’ needs, allowing for a personalised learning experience. There was no need to worry if you didn’t have much prior experience in business studies – the lessons were fast-paced yet well-rounded, covering a lot of important content in the space of a few days. In addition to our time with our teacher, my class listened to lectures and presentations from other business experts, where we appreciated developing key skills like lateral thinking and innovation. At one point, we participated in a Venture Capitalism Seminar hosted by a high-ranking member of Google, which inspired many of us into thinking about a career in business management. Finally, we got to apply the knowledge we had gained by working in groups on an assignment, where we had to formulate our own business idea and present a pitch to ‘potential investors’ (i.e., our teacher and our class). There was plenty of teamwork and laughs involved, so that the whole task didn’t feel much like an assignment at all, but rather a passion project! 

Outside the classroom, the academy provided us with a jam-packed schedule full of enriching activities. There was punting, where we had a taste of the traditional British experience out on the river, a visit to Cadbury World (very popular amongst those of us with a sweet tooth – I mean, all of us!), and to top it all off, a magnificent Great Debate, where friendly competition and enthusiasm reigned. In our free time between classes and meals, we could stroll out to the beautiful town of Oxford to admire its antique buildings, cultivated flowers, shopping malls and gourmet food. I also joined a tour with a professional guide, who outlined the intriguing history of the university. Towards the end of my trip, the school organised for us to visit London for an exciting day of sightseeing and musicals (we were blown away by the spectacular performance of ‘The Lion King’). Each day felt like an ethereal mirage crammed with novel delights and pleasant surprises. 

Of course, I must mention the friendships that I made along the way. I met people from Spain, Greece, America, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, India, Argentina… The list goes on. All of these people brought a new perspective with them, and every time I have a conversation with any one of them, I feel that I have come away with a more nuanced understanding of the world. 

The tour also gave me a chance to strengthen the existing bonds that I had with my friends at Pymble. There is nothing that can bring you closer than travelling a whole exotic foreign land together!

I had such a wonderful journey of growth and discovery on the tour, and whilst I savoured every moment of it, I am also keen to use the knowledge that I have taken away from my experience back to my studies at Pymble. I know that I have come back stronger, more resilient, and more mature from being immersed in the unique academic and cultural landscape of Oxford. If luck allows it, I would be more than happy to leap onto Oxonian soil again in the future!

Written by Julie Sheng (Year 10), Business student at the Oxford Royal Academy

We would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the following students, and all attendees, of the Oxford Royale Trip and to thank the staff for giving up their break to attend the trip.

A message from Mr Levin and Mrs Richter, Heads of Year 9

Year 9 have had a lovely start to Term 3. The Mind Body Spirit Day on Tuesday – ‘The Butterfly Effect’ – saw students examine friendships and cliques, learn about using their voice to stand up for their beliefs and was a wonderful reminder for the students to love the skin that they are in. 

In Directions this week we have been investigating the difference between goals and expectations. It is important that students are aware of the expectations that parents, the College and their friends have of them, as well as the expectations they have of themselves. By being aware of these many expectations, students can better manage their levels of stress and have conversations with others if their expectations are not met.

Congratulations to the many students who received Sports Colours from Semester 1 2022.

A message from Ms Beaumont and Mrs Michie, Heads of Year 10

It has been a busy but exciting start to Term 3 for Year 10. On Monday, I was lucky to join the Marine and Aquaculture Technology students on an awesome whale watching excursion. After so many cold and rainy days and a cancellation the week before due to rough seas, we enjoyed an amazing day. We followed a female humpback whale and her juvenile as they headed north. They put on a fabulous display for us – breaching, fin slapping, tail slapping and swimming.

Later this week the Textiles students have the opportunity to show off their work at Textiles on Parade and next week the Agriculture students go on a three-day field trip to Dubbo. We look forward to sharing photos and updates from these exciting opportunities.

Learning to drive a car is one of the many rites of passage that students undertake around this time. Whether as a driver or as a passenger, our young people will start to find themselves in motor vehicles with friends over the coming years. Next week, Year 10 will attend the RYDA Road Safety workshop out at Homebush.  RYDA helps young people make positive contributions to safety from any seat in a car and is an important event for the students. Click here to view the RYDA brochure and learn more about the workshop. Please make sure you have signed the permission note and given approval for your daughter via the MY PYMBLE app.

This term in Directions, Year 10 will be focusing on their future with lessons centred upon the skills needed for future employment.

Key Dates

Tuesday 2 August – Year 10 Agricultural Science Three-Day Field Trip

Thursday 4 August – Year 10 Road Safety Education Workshop

Sunday 7 August – Year 9 Residential Program Community Day

REMINDER FOR ALL STUDENTS

Learning for Secondary School students will be face-to-face and on campus from Term 3 as advised via the Parent Portal at the end of Term 2.

Secondary students who test positive to COVID or are not well enough to attend school are to follow the normal procedure by contacting their subject teachers via email and/or referring to Canvas to catch up on missed work.

Homework Help in Term 3

Homework Help is an after-school service offered to all Pymble students in the Secondary School to provide assistance and support with everyday homework, assignments and research skills in a friendly, quiet environment. Homework Help is staffed by teachers from the Learning Support Team. 

When: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday after school: 3.30pm to 4.30pm 

Where: Classroom C3 (Top floor of the Colonnade Building) 

Dates: From Monday Week 3 (1 August) to Thursday Week 9 (15 September)     

For further enquiries, please contact Mrs Lora Lim, Head of Learning Support at llim@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Volunteers Needed for the Sri Lankan Food Stall at Pymble’s Garden Party

Mr Tom Riley

Head of Upper School