From the Boarding School

From our Head of Boarding

Thank you to our beautiful girls, wonderful families and amazing staff for a great term. It’s been a tough one for a number of reasons and all members of our Boarding family have been patient, kind and compliant with what sometimes felt like ridiculous precautions. We have welcomed 38 new Boarders with open arms, two new Heads of Year and Chartwells as our Catering team. So, it has also been a time of change, and I have been impressed with the manner in which our community has embraced the challenges that go hand in hand with this.

It has also been a term of great celebration – we have been reunited! Thanks to Mrs White, the ‘Love It’ program has been filled with fun and adventure – ice skating, movies, football, bowling and lots of beach trips. Thank you to our Boarders, for being so keen to participate and to our intrepid staff who are unfailing in their good humour and enthusiasm in leading the expeditions.

Mrs White has also taken our ‘Learn It’ program to the next level, and I thank our Boarders for embracing the opportunities and taking the pursuit of academic excellence so seriously. My special thanks go to Mrs Collins and Mrs Gray for sharing their expertise so generously and for tirelessly supporting our girls to ‘Strive for the Highest’.

We celebrated these many accomplishments in our End of Term Chapel, Easter Egg Hunt and Celebration Dinner. It was a lovely occasion, led by our Spirit House Captains and wonderful Revs. A real highlight was the outstanding performances by our Year 11 Boarders – Lucy Robertson, Abigail Ballhausen, Isabellle Francis, Lauren Purkis and Indi Tishler and a cello solo by Isabelle Burke of Year 7. Thank you to these girls for making it such a special occasion.

Farewells

It is with sadness that we farewell Miss Nicki McWhirter, Head of Years 7 and 8 Boarding. Nikki has been a terrific addition to our Boarding team and we are sorry that her stay was so brief. I thank Nikki for her dedication, good humour and professionalism throughout the term. I have no doubt that Nikki will make a significant contribution to the world of education and wish her well on her journey.

I am also sad to say goodbye to our wonderful Matilda Milford, Assistant Head of Year 10. Matilda has been in Boarding in one capacity or another for nine years. Some of you may know that Matilda was Deputy Head Boarder in 2017 and she has been working with us in Boarding for nearly four years. She is loved for her efficiency, compassion and gentle sense of humour. Thank you, Matilda for your generosity of spirit, you are a truly wonderful human being and will be greatly missed. 

It’s not too late to sign up to ‘Eat like a Boarder’

As you are aware, we welcomed our new Catering team, Chartwells, mid last year. To date, there hasn’t been the opportunity for our families to experience the meals that your girls enjoy and I am hoping this is about to change! 

Please accept the invitation to join us for a meal on Tuesday 26 April at 6.00pm, when you return your girls from the Easter term break. This will be the ‘real’ experience, with you being able to enjoy the regular dinner service, just as the girls do each evening. If you would like to join us please RSVP to boarding@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au by no later than Friday 15 April.

The Brooksie

The Margaret Brooke Award, also known as ‘The Brooksie’ is awarded to a Boarder who exemplifies the spirit of a tenacious, courageous, compassionate and giving woman. Our Term 1 recipient is the most deserving, Alice Beveridge. A fourth-generation Pymble girl, Alice joined us in Year 7 from Young in the Southwest Slopes of New South Wales and she has consistently demonstrated the Boarder spirit throughout this time. Alice can be relied on to give everything a go, she is kind, industrious and pragmatic. She is a regular at Boarders Get Baking, where she demonstrates great skills and enjoys going ‘off script’ to produce delicious food that she generously shares. An accomplished sportswoman, Alice is a valued teammate, and her competitive spirit ensures she gives her all to every challenge. She is a ‘no-nonsense’ sort of girl, who is focused during the evening study program and works hard to maintain an excellent academic standard. Alice is a much-valued member of the Boarders’ Representative Council, bringing forward innovative and thoughtful ideas and providing considered feedback from her peers. On top of all this, Alice has a fabulous sense of humour and is great fun to be around. Congratulations Alice!

Mrs Carolyn Burgess

Director of Boarding

A View From My Window

Hi, my name is Emma Toynton I’m in Year 11 and, during term time, I live in Goodlet House here at Pymble. My home is a farm 50 kilometres out of a town called Coonabarabran in Central West New South Wales. My farm is 3,000 acres, I live on it with my dad (Tom), mum (Kylie), my older sister Millie, younger sister Phoebe and across the creek my Nan (Jewel) and Pop (David).

On our farm we have around 930 Angus beef cattle, one labrador puppy, and a few crazy cats. I’m the fourth generation to live on this farm, and in my lifetime, I’ve seen it all fires, flooding, hectic storms, and the worst of all, four years of drought. From my window I can see the garden in our backyard and the sun setting on the paddock behind our house. When I’m home I like riding my motorbike and hanging out with my Pop, helping him out as much as I can.