From the Principal
daydream
noun: a visionary fancy indulged in while awake; reverie
It’s great to be back for the final term of the year. Judging by their energy, our students have returned recharged and ready for an action-packed end to their year, too.
During the break, I read a thought-provoking piece of research for the master’s degree I have been working towards since the start of the year. The paper proposed the notion that daydreaming a positive scenario or outcome could be the yang that counters the yin in relation to a problem in your life. Yin, of course, being the negative, hidden, passive and contracting aspect and yang representing the positive, obvious, active and expansive in Chinese philosophy. According to this philosophy, to understand and deal with any issue well, you must understand its yin and yang and how these aspects interact.
The idea resonated with me on multiple occasions throughout the week. On Sunday night, I countered the worries I harboured about all the things that could possibly go wrong in the term ahead (the yin) with the yang of imagining seeing our beautiful students on campus again and spending time with them in Term 4. In the wake of the resignation of our fabulous Senior Deputy Principal, Julie Shaw, I reflected with the girls that I often regard Julie as the energetic and positive yang to my yin – especially when I am dealing with the nitty gritty of school leadership and feeling a bit locked away in my office.
Julie’s decision to step away from a role she has upheld in her own inimitable style for 13 years has led to a re-evaluation of our school leadership structure and careful consideration of how we ensure continuity of excellence now and in relation to our plans for the future. Subsequently, we have made a few strategic changes to our Senior Executive team, which were communicated to you this week. If you missed my notice on Wednesday, please click here for the overview.
The big news this week is, of course, the commencement of HSC examinations for Year 12. It was wonderful to see the girls approach each day with to-be-expected nervous excitement along with a quiet calm and confidence, the hallmarks of a well-prepared cohort. Could HSC exams be the yin to the yang of our girls’ hopes and dreams for their future? Both are necessary to move into their next stage of life, and it’s interesting to consider daydreaming about the future as a balance to the intense final HSC exams. Food for thought in any case.
Speaking of teens…
Last night’s parent information session, Speaking of Teens: Holding Onto Love presented a smorgasbord of food for thought for parents when it comes to dealing with tricky teenage issues.
Interestingly, two of our experts mentioned the value of thinking and daydreaming time for our young people. Author Madonna King’s comment, “Let’s give them time to lie on the trampoline and ruminate,” echoed the notion of using seemingly idle thinking time as a way of finding balance and possibly the first step towards resolving an issue playing on your daughter’s mind.
Brad Marshall (aka The Unplugged Psychologist) similarly reflected: “It’s okay for our kids to be bored; to stare at the wall and watch paint dry sometimes.” This provides space for imagining a scenario that may counter a negative story in their mind, as per the yin and yang daydream theory.
Please click here for a summary of the practical advice and suggested approaches shared at the event.
A huge thank you to all our panellists, including Pymble parent John Vassiliadis who moderated the discussion with wisdom, compassion and humour in all the right places. Without our Deputy Principal – Students, Lamia Rockwell and her team, and the Community Engagement team, this event would not have happened. An equally big thank you to the many parents who joined us to have this incredibly important conversation about leading our teenagers through complex issues, in a complex world, with love.
Focus groups for parents
Speaking of important conversations, in Week 6 I will be hosting a series of five focus groups for parents and carers to discuss ‘what’s working well’ and what would be ‘even better if…’ at Pymble.
These groups are intentionally small to ensure all participants have a voice. Translators are available on request in the two sessions marked with an asterisk.
The sessions will be held on:
Monday 14 November: 2.30pm*
Tuesday 15 November: 7.30am
Wednesday 16 November: 9.00am, 2.00pm*, 5.00pm.
Please click here to join a session.
Festival of Speech is back – and the girls need your help!
It is always a joy to showcase the power and passion of student voice, and this year’s Festival of Speech feels like an extra special treat. After COVID-19 moved the event to an online format for the past two years, we are looking forward to welcoming competitors from 27 girls’ schools to Pymble for the resumption of the face-to-face competition from Friday 21 October to Saturday 22 October 2022.
Open to students in Years 7 to 11, the festival offers a friendly and competitive platform for participants to develop the core competencies that are critical to their achievements both within and beyond their lives at school. These include critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity, citizenship and character. Don’t just take my word for it, though. This is the perfect occasion for Pymble students to define the value of Language Arts activities in their lives.
“Language Arts is a large part of my identity. When I introduce myself, when people ask about my hobbies, I always say ‘Debating’ first.” Angie Wang – Year 11
“In Debating, we have opportunity to question, seek to understand and think about solutions to the issues that we see around us. I have developed skills in, for lack of a better name, productive skepticism. Faye Chang – Year 12
“Language Arts is about questioning ourselves and the world, seeing the unbiased truth and creating solutions through a strictly open-minded and nuanced perspective. It is something that will always be a prominent part of my life, and I hope to share this with as many others as possible.” Maya Garg – Year 9
Thank you to our Head of Language Arts, Bronwyn Hubbard, for all her hard work in organising this event, the many students and parents who have volunteered to assist, and our fabulous Facilities, Community Engagement and other staff for making it all happen.
We still need more student and parent volunteers to ensure the day runs smoothly, so if you are interested in helping out and learning more about Language Arts in the process, please sign up via the forms below.
We look forward to a wonderful display of Language Arts talent when the festival begins. Who knows, perhaps the debating, public speaking and other sessions might spark some productive daydreaming for you.
Signing off with a heart full of joy – joy at having our students back on campus, joy at seeing our staff fully engaged in supporting our students, and joy that HSC exams have started smoothly.
Dr Kate Hadwen