From the Middle School
From our Head of Middle School
Well, we have made it! Reflecting back on all we have achieved, what a wonderful term it has been for our Middle School students. Congratulations to our Year 7 students in particular who have navigated the challenges of transition with stamina and enthusiasm. Thank you to the Middle School Leadership team – Mrs Harrison, Ms Ventura, Ms Lombard, Ms Carr and Mrs Budd – for your commitment to ensuring the girls feel well supported and engaged whilst at school, for your dedication to designing effective, targeted Directions experiences and for your willingness to always go the extra mile. Congratulations to Mrs Sibug who has stepped up to the position of Middle School Administration Manager – I am very grateful for her ongoing support and the support of Mrs Volonakis, whose warm and welcoming smile greets the girls each day.
This week the girls gave generously to the Costumes for Cancer appeal, embracing the opportunity to ‘Get Active’ and have some fun on Tuesday at the Walkathon. We have continued to bring girls together across lunchtimes with our Gloucester gatherings – this week the egg and spoon race went down a treat with well-deserved ice blocks for all participants at the end of the finals. We will continue with this initiative of facilitating fun and varied activities at lunchtimes on Gloucester Lawn on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please encourage your daughter to get involved.
Well done to all the Year 7 applicants who put themselves forward for leadership positions over the last few weeks. The team has enjoyed chatting with the girls at interviews and has been impressed with the level of responsibility demonstrated. Congratulations to the appointed Year 7 Leaders for 2022:
|
Middle School Leaders |
Tyra Ifada Saskia Nicholson Kyraa Vig Sophie Ngai |
| Intercultural Leader | Sienna Melton |
| Wellbeing Leader | Clare Ferreira |
| Community Service Leaders | Irisara O’Brien and Jacquelyn Zhu |
| Environment Leader | Amrita Marwah |
| Communication Leader | Serena Cummings |
| Chapel Leaders | Cindy Wang and Grace Murphy |
|
House Leaders |
Bennett Jaya Chand Goodlet Leander Mclaughlin Marden Alannah Tang Lang Anjali Shah Ingleholme Eloise Stewart Wylie Jolie Glas Hammond Mie Naito Thomas Sitian Chen |
Please note that the Middle School Office will be closed for the holiday period and will re-open on Tuesday 26 April. A final email has been sent to the girls by their Head of Year, you can view this email here.
All the very best to our Middle School families for the Easter break. Thank you for working in partnership with us to ensure the girls have a great experience here at Pymble.
Year 7
‘Make hay while the sun shines’ is exactly what we did on Tuesday. The Costumes for Cancer Walkathon was a wonderful success with Year 7 looking their brightest dressed in their red outfits and raising money for a very important cause. We would like to thank our Compass captains for their leadership this term especially since this was uncharted territory for them, they were all keen to step up to the role. Their Compass teachers have congratulated the support and connections facilitated by their captains. We encourage Year 7 to get involved in House leadership and being a Compass captain is a special role indeed.
We would like to remind the girls that they will return in Term 2 wearing their full winter uniform, including their blazer, stockings and winter hat. Students are not to wear their jumpers as an outer garment as they travel to and from school. If they want to wear their jumper when travelling, this needs to be under their blazer.
In Directions we have been thinking about and discussing the dynamics of friendships and how to navigate changes. We encourage a culture of an open circle where girls can move in and out of groups without judgement. Year 7 has been a new start for all, even those students who have come from the Junior School, and as such there continues to be an ongoing period of change with friendships and social connections. Involvement in Co-curricular activities, Gloucester Gatherings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Friday Karaoke and other Middle School fun will help girls to feel a sense of belonging and connection. Remaining kind and open to what might come up is important.
As we reflect on a very busy term full of new adventures, lessons, routines and people, we wish our girls a very happy, restful holiday and celebrate the beginning of their journey in Middle School. Well done and best wishes!
Year 8
What a big term it’s been! As we celebrate the end of a long term, we wish all our students and families a safe and restful Easter break. Well done to our Year 8 students who tried their best in class, took part in sporting and Co-curricular endeavours this term, and showed kindness and empathy towards one another.
Term 2 will be an exciting and adventurous term for Year 8 with their upcoming Outdoor Education program in Week 6. There will also be an array of events including the Athletics Carnival, the da Vinci Decathlon, guest speaker presentations and the Sharing Stories Festival; a special week led by our Conde Library team which celebrates intercultural diversity.
Speaking of intercultural celebrations, we would like to thank our four student representatives, Rosa Kim (Year 8 Intercultural Captain), Lillian Li, Jahle Tez and Helena Tang who took part in a Directions workshop with Ms Carr and Ms Lombard to develop two lesson plans to be delivered in Directions next term. We commend these students on their thoughtful contributions which have led to the development of two meaningful and engaging lessons to promote intercultural understanding and celebration.
This week in Directions, our classes have been discussing the importance of sleep quality and sleep quantity. Students have reflected on strategies to improve their wind-down routine, including ensuring that technology remains outside the bedroom, aiming to be in bed by 9.00pm and including ‘switching off’ activities such as reading before bed to help give the mind something to gently focus on whilst winding down. Whilst the Easter holidays will be an opportunity for students to catch up on some much-needed sleep, it’s important that they also maintain healthy sleep routines, aiming to have between eight and ten hours of sleep a night.
We look forward to seeing Year 8 back next term in their winter uniform on Tuesday 26 April. In the meantime, we wish you and your families a wonderful Easter break.
