From the Senior School

From our Head of Senior School

Yesterday the Year 12 girls began their Trial HSC examinations online and we all couldn’t be prouder of this year group. They have faced uncertainty, change and disappointments with wisdom and acceptance, understanding that they have the skills and the support to get through this. Well done girls – please know that during the Trials period your Compass teachers, subject teachers and the Senior School team are here to offer support and guidance as required.  

It has been so heartening to see support for the Year 12 girls from across the College. Many thanks to our Junior School girls who sent a padlet packed full of love, care and admiration to our Year 12 girls. Similarly, the Middle School girls created a beautiful video of support – many Year 12 girls have acknowledged how much these acts of kindness have helped them as they prepare and sit their exams. 

I would also like to acknowledge the commitment and resilience that Year 11 is showing during our lockdown. We have been receiving wonderfully inspiring photos and updates of new challenges the girls are setting themselves and creative ways of staying in touch. 

Mrs Nikki Wyse

Head of Senior School

From our Heads of Year 11

With yearly exams being rescheduled to Weeks 8 and 9 there have been some big sighs of relief which should be accompanied by some revised study plans and practice exam questions. Year 11 is managing their study as well as homework demands with maturity and enthusiasm. Whilst it may be hard at times to maintain the motivation, they are finding ways to keep up their spirits by communicating through social media, dropping presents off at each other’s houses for birthdays or meeting with those in close proximity for walks. As always, keeping to routines and maintaining good sleep patterns will assist in keeping a sense of perspective and purpose.

In Directions classes, we are continuing with our Careers presentations and mindfulness activities. The Year 11 cohort has found guidance through the presentations and it has helped to answer the overarching thoughts of what subjects to continue with in Year 12. The mindfulness activities have allowed students to improve their sense of being and be present in the moment. It might be helpful to ask your daughter about these techniques and practise together as a family to reinforce their application. 

During our online Compass sessions each week, the girls have been checking in with their groups to share stories, achievements, frustrations and connect with each other. The students and their teachers have been suggesting activities that they would enjoy, for example, Mrs O’Brien’s Compass group spent time doing yoga and reading together. 

These Compass sessions are providing a great link for students to keep their relationships with their peers and teachers and share suggestions for managing online learning and lockdown restrictions. My thanks to all the Compass teachers for their engagement and care in this aspect of the students’ weekly experience. Compass teachers are also available for one-on-one chats with your daughters – they just need to make a time during a Compass session to catch up. 

From our Heads of Year 12

We are all navigating a challenging time full of uncertainty and change. When we are faced with these fears and realities it is comforting to recall many conversations with our Year 12 students via Microsoft Teams chats, where they remind us to celebrate the good times we have had as a year group with special attention to the wonderful formal earlier this year.  

Girls remind us of the opportunity to learn from what is happening, Directions classes have explored the new knowledge we now have about ourselves and how we cope (or not) with change. We have talked about how important it is to reach out when we need support, intentionally involving those who listen and care.  

As we continue to make plans for the future, it has been exciting to receive emails from our girls sharing their news of early entry offers for university next year and seeing beyond the status quo of the present. Some Directions groups have also used the work of Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author, to create a sentence that captures who they are and what motivates them: 

These are some examples which should be kept front of mind and possibly even on the fridge at home for all to see. Further information can be found by googling Dan Pink and watching a couple of his YouTube clips.  

We wish our girls well for the HSC Trial examinations. They have worked very hard and should feel proud of their efforts in extraordinarily difficult times. This will make them stronger and more flexible as they are finding the courage within themselves they may never have thought they had. That is something really positive and worthy of acknowledgement and celebration. 

Essential Workers

A friendly reminder from our Healthcare Team

If your daughter has a Critical or Medical Alert plan, these need to be updated every 12 months with your GP and forwarded to the College. This includes, but is not limited to, medical plans for asthma, anaphylaxis and allergies. We appreciate the challenges of organising a consult with a GP during lockdown, but please know that you can also arrange a telehealth appointment to have your daughter’s plan updated. It is vital that we have a copy of the plan in Healthcare so we are aware of how to manage your daughter’s condition if an incident occurs on campus, or when she attends an excursion or camp. Before any camps or excursions, you are asked to fill in a permission form and a medical form. Please remember that students are not permitted to attend camps or excursions until these forms are completed. Please contact healthcarecentre@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au if you have questions regarding these plans. We are more than happy to help.