From the Director of Community Engagement and Advancement

Welcome to 2023!

Week 1 of the new school year is always busy, and Term 1 of 2023 is already in full swing. We love seeing the girls back on campus and especially welcoming new students to Pymble.

Once again, the calendar is packed with plenty of activity. All community event dates can now be found on the calendar within the MyPymble app. Additionally, we also send out specific event invitations and booking links via notices on the app.

MyPymble App and Calendar

All communications at Pymble are published on MyPymble, so we highly recommend each family download the app to stay on top of notices and action items. In particular, the Calendar tab at the bottom of your screen gives you instant access to information to every one of our upcoming events.

This includes excursions, school events, social events and camps, as well as other important dates to keep in mind. By clicking the three lines at the top right of the screen you can view the calendar in multiple formats (day, week, month) so you are able to see what is ahead. There are more useful app updates on the way, too. We look forward to further developing the usability of this function to keep every parent well informed – stay tuned!

Actioning your feedback

Based on the responses from the community during last year’s focus groups, we know that keeping up with communications can be a bit of a challenge for our Pymble families given the sheer volume of information we need to distribute. With this feedback in mind, we are currently working on a more streamlined and succinct newsletter design which you should find easier to consume. This will be launching in the coming weeks.

This term we will continue to invite parents and carers to take part in focus groups. The first will be during Week 6 and the topic will centre around the MyPymble app and how you are using it, if you are finding it useful and any other feedback regarding this communication channel. If you would like to participate in these sessions, please contact communityengagement@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.

Upcoming Events

We begin the term with parent breakfasts and our annual Icebreaker event.

We have moved our parent breakfasts back onsite and these are a wonderful way to meet new families and connect with friends in your daughter’s cohort and across the College. These events offer a light meal and will be attended by Kate Hadwen, Heads of Schools and other Pymble staff. Please RSVP at the links below:

JSPG Parent Breakfast for Kindergarten to Year 3 parents, Friday 10 February

JSPG Parent Breakfast for Year 4 to 6 parents, Friday 17 February

SSPG Parent Breakfast for Year 9 to 12 parents, Monday 6 March

SSPG Parent Breakfast for Year 7 to 8 parents, Monday 13 March

Icebreaker is on Friday 24 February from 6.45pm to 9.00pm and this will be our first whole-school event for 2023, with this year’s theme being Summer Nights. Please click here for tickets.

Lunar New Year Lion

We were lucky enough today to be visited by the New Year Lion to the delight of many of our students at the Lunar New Year Celebration. The lion made his way around the school with an impressive display and accompanying drums, joining us for dumplings, prawn crackers and traditional Chinese treats and crafts. We loved seeing so many girls in traditional attire! A huge thank you goes out to the parents that cooked and served food today, contributing to the festive spirit across lunchtime.

Pymble Gives Back

You may have noticed our newest initiative of Pymble Gives Back as part of our 2023 efforts to use our talents and gifts to be of service to our community. There are donation bins at Sunshine Square in the Junior School, in the Centenary Car Park and at the Colonnade near the Middle School Office which we are accepting donations for;

clean and good quality clothing and footwear (especially suit jackets and pants)
clean blankets and linen
non-perishable food items
personal care items
new and unopened packages of underwear and socks.

As Pymble Gives Back is an ongoing program, students have the option to purchase a t-shirt to wear with pride to all opportunities to be of service to others throughout the year. To order, please click here.

Here’s to a fantastic 2023. We can’t wait to see you soon.