From the Boarding School

From our Head of Boarding

We made it! It has been a whirlwind term filled with love and laughter. We have felt blessed to have so many of our Boarders back with us and we have all enjoyed the beautiful sense of companionship that exists amongst the girls.

This sense of community was never more evident than in our final week of the term. It has been a busy time filled with gingerbread houses, new student sleepovers and our special Christmas Chapel Service and party. I hope the images below capture the sense of fun, friendship and festivity.

Staff News

I am delighted to announce our new Heads of Year (Boarding) who will join us in the new year.

Head of Years 7 and 8 Boarding

Ms Nikki McWhirter will be our new Head of Years 7 and 8 Boarding. Nikki hails from Coonabarabran in Western NSW. She is in experienced educator having spent the last six years at St Johns College, Dubbo, where she enjoyed teaching PDHPE and leading year groups.

As you will read below, Nikki is super excited about joining us at Pymble.

“I am making the move to the Head of Year Boarding role with a strong interest in female education and commitment to guiding and leading young females into strong women. I love everything extra-curricular, especially sports such as netball, touch football and water polo. I am looking forward to being part of all the co-curricular activities and supporting each student to reach their goals.

I am a country girl at heart, however I look forward to making the change from the country to the city. I see this as a great opportunity to support and encourage those young girls who are also from the country with their transition. I am super excited to work with everyone and meet all the girls, Boarding staff and the wider school community.”

Head of 9 Boarding

Ms Beth Ayling will join us from the start of 2021 as our Head of Year 9 Boarding. As you will read, Beth has a wealth of experience in the education sector and a passion for building strong connections.

“I am overwhelmingly thrilled to be joining the Pymble Ladies’ College family in 2022. I have worked as a primary teacher for the past 12 years and I found great joy in the connections I formed with students, parents and colleagues over this time. For the past two years I have worked in distance education and given the nature of this type of instruction, I found that I truly missed the opportunity to forge long lasting bonds with my students. This is what attracted me to Boarding, due to the huge focus on developing positive relationships rooted in care, empathy and mutual respect. I bring with me my partner, Ben, and our three fabulous children, Louis (six), Jimmy (three) and baby Billie (one). We are all excited about this new chapter in our lives and can’t wait to meet our Boarding families!”

While it is wonderful to welcome these new staff members, I am sorry to say we will be farewelling some of our current staff.

Mrs Gaby Smith joined us last term as our Head of Year 11 Boarding. Gaby has been a fantastic addition to our team but following much consideration, she has decided to pursue opportunities beyond Pymble. I am incredibly grateful for Gaby’s gentle and comprehensive care of our Year 11 Boarders. As a mark of her commitment, Gaby has ensured that these girls have been well supported until their last day of 2021 and ready for their final step of their Boarding journey.

Our deep thanks go to Gaby and her family for their many contributions to our Pymble family. I know you will join me in wishing Gaby all the best for the next stage of her professional journey.

We also say goodbye to our wonderful Gap Staff member Miss Emma Kelly. Emma joined us from Victoria at the start of the year and quickly became an indispensable member of our Boarding team. She has been hard working,100 per cent reliable and incredibly organised. We thank Emma for her dedication and diligence and wish her all the best as she resumes her studies in Melbourne next year.

Our good wishes also go with Mrs Emma Allsopp, Assistant Head of Year 10 Boarding, as she takes maternity leave at the end of the term. Emma has been a great asset in Goodlet House and she will be missed next term. I thank Emma for her support of our Goodlet girls and staff and thank her for so generously sharing her many talents with our Boarding family.

Sporty Boarders

Yes, we did win the Day girls versus Boarders sporting events this year and given the results from the Annual Sportswomen’s Dinner it is no surprise!

Congratulations to the following outstanding sportswomen who also happen to be star Boarders:

Laura Papworth – Athlete of the Year, AFL

Stella Robertson – Athlete of the Year, Gymnastics

Grace Whyte – Athlete of the Year, Basketball and Strive for the Highest Award and Team of the Year Award

Abigail Ballhausen – Athlete of the Year, Cross Country

Sophie Graham – Athlete of the Year, Rowing

Amarley Bron – Strive for the Highest Award and Team of the Year Award

Rylee McKinstry – Strive for the Highest Award

Aspen Moore – Strive for the Highest Award

Lucy Robertson – Strive for the Highest Award

Phoebe Roberts – Strive for the Highest Award

Chloe Hanlon – Team of the Year Award

Alice Hillsdon – Team of the Year Award

Tiffany Mak – Representative Team of the Year Award

The Margaret Brooke ‘Brooksie’ Award

Congratulations to Year 8 Boarder, Sophie Laing, who is our Term 4 ‘Brooksie’ recipient. Sophie joined us last year from Tullamore in the Central West of NSW. She has been a bundle of energy, dedicated to her studies and a kind friend to many ever since she arrived. Despite her busy schedule, which includes playing water polo and representative netball, Sophie always finds time to help out around the house. Most recently, she produced a fun video to farewell her Year 9 Boarding sisters as they move to Goodlet House. She consistently demonstrates beautiful manners and excellent organisation and her room is always spotlessly tidy.

Sophie finds the best in any situation; this was particularly apparent this term when restrictions related to COVID-19 meant that some much longed for leave could not go ahead. In her usual style, Sophie accepted this with good grace, reorganised her plans and made the most of the weekend. Our thanks go to Sophie for her cheerful disposition, she brightens all of our days!

Lastly, and most importantly, my heartfelt thanks for sharing your beautiful girls with us. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of their lives and watch them grow and develop into the caring, giving and capable young women that they are.

Every good wish for a happy, safe and family filled festive season.