From the Boarding School
It has been a real treat for me to be on the road this week and to spend time with our Boarding families and meet future Pymble Boarders. I have had an excellent travelling companion in Miss Kathryn Glover, House Supervisor of Marden House, and we have both enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about our girls’ hometowns and spend time with their families.
Our first stop was Walcha where we stayed at the beautiful home of Edwina and Sam Payne, parents of Elke (Year 7). From Walcha we drove to Moree and had a fabulous night with a big group of current and soon to be Pymble families. This was followed by a trip to Walgett where we were treated to a tour of Fairland, home of the Weber family including Hannah (Year 8), and a great evening in the local pub with current and past families.
It has been such a pleasure for us to spend time with these special people. We thank them deeply for making us feel so welcome and for their generous hospitality. We feel very lucky!
Tomorrow there is another opportunity to catch up with families at the Dubbo Boarding Schools Expo, follow by a special event for our present, past and future families. I look forward to sharing news of this event next week.
Welcoming Visitors to Lang House
Last week we were delighted to welcome students from Kinross Wolaroi School to stay with us in Lang House. The girls were here to take part in a leadership workshop with the Moderator of the Uniting Church Synod of NSW-ACT, Rev Simon Hansford. This was an opportunity for Years 11 and 12 student leaders from Uniting Church Schools to discuss pressing issues surrounding consent, climate justice and mental health especially for young people.
It was a great chance for our Year 12 Boarders to demonstrate their hospitality and our visitors enjoyed their company and the beautiful accommodation in Lang House.
From Mrs White
This week in Chapel as we lead up to our second Community Weekend for the year, I spoke to the girls about how we can better support each other within our community. I reflected on a Year 9 class that I taught this week about relationships and the languages of love. We all give and receive love in different ways. I challenged the girls to consider how they like to receive love and conversely how they like to demonstrate their love. In communities like ours, considerations such as this can only strength the bonds that we have. Do they like to show love through physical touch, the giving of gifts, acts of service, words of affirmation or quality time? How do their roommates and sisters in Boarding like to demonstrate love? Awareness of the love languages for those around us will lead to better communication and enhanced relationships.
The upcoming Community Weekend will be jam packed with activities. We are looking forward to getting our Houses ready for Boarders’ week. Stay tuned to our Instagram page to keep up to date with all the awesome activities that have been designed to promote our wonderful community.
A View From My Window
My name is Sophie and I am a Year 12 student and have boarded at Pymble since Year 7. I live in both Avalon Beach in Sydney’s Northern Beaches as well as Binalong which is a small country town approximately three hours from Sydney.
In Binalong I live on a property that’s about 11,000 acres where my dad, step mum and two half younger brothers Hunter and Sinclair live. On our farm we have both cropping and livestock including sheep, cattle and horses. My favourite thing about our farm is the country landscape. The land is very hilly and there are so many great spots to look out onto the land below. When I look out of my window I see my backyard which, in the good season, is green and covered with many bushes of flowers. We sometimes have a few rabbits here and there in the grass. The grassy hills you can see as well, which are covered with gum trees along with lots of animals. My favourite thing to do on my farm is to ride my horse Jack through the paddocks and creeks and help with mustering.
Avalon is also home to my mum, stepdad and my younger brother Ollie. When I look out of my window, I can almost see the ocean over our deck which I often sit on to have breakfast. My favourite thing to do at home is to go to the beach and on long bushwalks. Frequently, I have brekky at some of the local Cafés after a refreshing dip in the ocean.
I feel lucky to have two beautiful homes as well as my home here at Pymble.
Boarder of the Week
Aneeka Reilly has been a lovely addition to our Pymble Boarding family. Since joining us from Kempsey at the start of the year, Aneeka has embraced every opportunity. She is a delight to have in Goodlet House where she shares her radiant smile with everyone she encounters. She consistently demonstrates the College values; taking great pride in wearing her uniform correctly and maintaining an immaculate room are just two examples of her responsible approach. Aneeka is always there to lend a hand around the house. Her generosity of spirit makes her a much-loved friend.
Mrs Carolyn Burgess