From the Preparatory School

From our Head of Preparatory School

At the start of every race each competitor looks to the finish line as the end goal. A line to cross knowing you have achieved a degree of personal triumph or perhaps, achievement of a personal best. However, in reflecting on the term that has been and the approaching finishing line, my feeling is that we focus on the race itself rather than the end point when celebrating achievements, goals and personal bests.

All who participated in learning this term, be it the girls, staff or parents by our side, were not really competitors in a race to the finish line but rather travellers on a journey. A journey where unexpected wonders, mysteries and intriguing enlightenments emerged.

Yes, there were times when deep breaths were needed to keep going but there were also times of enormous strength of spirit. Spirit to believe in self and courage to manage all that life brings. There were times of wonder, where girls were captivated by new topics with high energy to share thoughts and understanding, and great excitement for new knowledge and skills.

This was most apparent earlier this week while I was in a conversation with one of our Year 1 parents, when a scream of delight came from her kitchen. Olivia Birch came confidently in to join us in our conversation, explaining that her excitement was due to her Mathematics lesson that she was doing and expressing her absolute excitement about the capacity lesson she was about to undertake. Adding to the enthusiasm was her younger sister Ella, who already identifies as a Pymble girl since she is “in Kindergarten next year and has already met with Mrs Roberts”. Ella took great pride in sharing her joy of participating in Monday’s Pymble Picnic with her sister and shared with me her drawing of an imaginary creature complied of a cat and an octopus.

This conversation enabled me to consider the diverse experiences made possible during the term. So many moments that were totally unexpected but also not possible in our usual attendance mode. Times when parents worked alongside their daughters and had a view into her learning and understanding. Shared assemblies that were watched by families together, and individual Microsoft Teams calls from teachers to check that girls were feeling confident in tasks.

While it may feel like a race to the end of a term that none of us may have anticipated, when reflecting it was a journey of experiences that can be embraced with positivity and yes, at times struggle. Nonetheless, it was a journey of experiences and wonder, even when extra courage and resilience were needed.

For the next few weeks, I encourage all to take the opportunity for a new journey of connection. Connection with books, play and a different daily routine. I look forward to our shared Term 4 journey and the girls’ return to Campus.

STAFF NEWS

This term, our 1W girls have had the opportunity to learn and grow under the supportive guidance of Mrs Christine Cassidy as Mrs Michelle Cook took well deserved leave. I would like to express our appreciation for the care and positive relationships Mrs Cassidy developed with our girls and for the creative and engaging learning environment she created. We look forward to Mrs Cook’s return at the commencement of Term 4.

Take care and know that we are journeying together with the knowledge that your daughters are achieving great things!  

Please note that all correspondence to the Preparatory School Office should be via prepschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or by phone on + 61 2 9855 7720.  

Mrs Karen Ahearn
Head of Preparatory School

 

From our Kindergarten Co-ordinator

As the end of Term 3 draws near, Kindergarten girls have been reflecting about their learning. We are so very proud of the way the girls have applied themselves with enthusiasm and curiosity across all the key learning areas. They are not only learning new content and skills but also how to be resilient, how to share ideas, how to problem solve and how a question can be the beginning of learning something new. Kindergarten girls are making amazing progress with their reading and writing, which is opening the doors to even more exciting learning adventures. We discussed our favourite memories of Term 3 and reflected on what we had learned and the things we were proud of. Here are some of our responses:

“I am proud of myself because I learned lots of tricky things.” – Alyssa Wang
“I am proud of trying.” – Aviana Faraz
“I liked learning about roller coasters.” – Sarah Kitzing
“I am proud of planting my mung beans.” – Nina Li
“I am proud of all the dancing in Performing Arts.” – Chloe Pan
“I am proud of being kind.” – Ariana Brandner
“My best memory was learning about bees and making bee craft.” – Mia Whitehead
“I am proud of everything I did at school.” – Echo Rao

Kindergarten continues to celebrate the start of spring. As scientists, we ventured into our backyards and looked out windows to detect signs of spring. We observed deciduous trees regrowing their leaves, flowers budding and blooming and bees buzzing. We also noticed that the days were starting to feel a little bit longer as the sun was not leaving us so soon of an evening. We have absolutely relished all our learning about plants, bees and the seasons. As part of our spring theme, we revised patterns in Mathematics and used nature to create our own repeating sequences.

It has been a term of courage, curiosity and care in Kindergarten. We look forward to more amazing learning in Term 4.

Mrs Catherine Casey
Kindergarten Co-ordinator

 

From our Year 1 Co-ordinator

Shadow monsters, people and animals, oh my! What an adventure Year 1 went on during their latest Compass Directions lesson when they ventured out into the great outdoors. The girls took the opportunity to step away from their devices and enjoy the sunshine as they made creations using their own shadows and other natural materials from the environment around them. From funky-haired monsters to crazy animal creatures, the students loved spending the time using their imaginations to create original and wild characters. What a wonderful way for our girls to get in touch with their surroundings in a fun and different manner!

Miss Emily Boyd
Year 1 Co-ordinator

 

From our Year 2 Co-ordinator

It has been a very busy term for Year 2 online. It has been wonderful to see the girls finish the term with the same dedication and energy they have shown all term. We are incredibly proud of the girls’ resilience and motivation during this time, their enthusiasm during lessons and the care and kindness they continue to show their teachers and each other online. They have shown maturity and thoughtfulness when reflecting on some of the positives of this time – I have lost count of the times I have heard the girls express their joy at getting to spend more time with their families, not having to wear their full school uniform and being able to sleep in a little more than usual. I love their ability to be positive, grateful and find that silver lining!

In Compass Directions this week, the girls explored all the different emotions that they feel and went on a scavenger hunt to find representations of things that made them feel happy, brave, proud and more. It was wonderful seeing the girls reflecting on their different emotions so thoughtfully.

The Year 2 Leaders are also to be commended for their eagerness to fulfil their roles while online. The final SRC theme day, Pyjama and Onesie Day tomorrow was suggested by the girls when focusing on the positives of being at home. It will be a fun way to end the term!

I will now hand over to the leaders to share some of their reflections about the term and working online:

What were your favourite activities when working online this term?
“Everything!” – Kaylee Tian
“All the art lessons, especially drawing.” – Bella Geng-Yang
“Maths, especially the capacity activities which were so fun.” – Aisha Younus
“Building things in Maths and Science lessons was so much fun – we should do more!” – Isabella Wang
“Art, PE and Performing Arts were my favourites as they were so much fun.” – Julie Kang

What did you enjoy most about working from home?
“Learning can still happen, we can still see our friends and we get to see our families more.” – Emma Feng
“We get lots more family time.” – Vanessa Lee
“We can still chat to our friends and see them online.” – Loriah Zhang
“Going for walks with our family and seeing our friends online.” – Nouvelle Nicholson
“We can sleep in and we don’t have to waste time travelling to school.” – Elaine Wang

What challenged you most learning online?
“Missing playing with my friends and seeing my teachers.” – Christina Yang
“When the Wi-Fi doesn’t work or my iPad is not working properly.” – Stephanie Zhao
“When you need to call your teacher to help you.” – Lora Guo
“It is harder to concentrate at home and I miss my friends and teachers.” – Polly Zhao

What suggestions do you have for your teachers for working online?
“More activities when you can design and make things.” – Lakey Boyes
“More Art activities and more break times.” – Afra Sarchami
“More times to chat and talk to our friends.” – Jessica Xu
“A mufti day every Friday.” – Christina Yang

What do you want to tell your teachers?
“Because you are working so hard I think you should take a break.” – Safa Ali
“Thank you for being so thoughtful and loving and selfless.” – Isabelle Wang
“Thank you for teaching us and caring for us when we are online and on campus. You are the best teachers in the world!” – Julie Kang
“Thank you for teaching us, helping us, looking after us and caring for us. I hope the virus will go away so we can all come together like before. I miss you all!” – Bella Geng-Yang
“Thank you for all the amazing work you have done during this lockdown and for making lockdown so much better.” – Elaine Wang

Mrs Kate Giles
Year 2 Co-ordinator
 

From our K-6 Psychologist: Having fun and staying safe in the school holidays

After a long and challenging term, the spring school holidays are finally upon us! All the girls have been working so hard and it is now time to unwind, recharge the batteries and have some COVID-safe fun. Even though we are unable to do the things we normally would do, there are still lots of great activities to keep kids occupied and combat “I’m bored”.

You might like to think back to your childhood and the things that stood out for you as a guide in coming up with ideas. As an example, I enjoyed spotlighting for possums when I was a child and so will be heading out to the bush one evening in the holidays to do this again. If you are a bit stuck or need more inspiration, the following are some tips:

  1. General tips: divide the day into sections, such as morning after breakfast, mid-morning, after lunch, afternoon and evening after dinner. Work out what your day is going to look like, print out the plan and pop it on your fridge. This is especially helpful when, as a parent, you are continuing to work or study throughout the holiday period. Another way to mix things up is to have a lucky dip for picking activities.
  2. Indoor activities: we have all no doubt become experts in coming up with creative and fun indoor activities that can be done at home! There are so many options including making a pillow fort, playing with cardboard boxes, making a Stop Motion video and LEGO challenges.
  3. Outdoor activities: likewise, there are lots of fun outdoor activities that can be done from home. Options include creating chalk cities, backyard camping, making s’mores, shadow drawing, or going for a bushwalk.
  4. Quiet time: board games, reading, yoga, smiling mind and drawing are all great options for when some down time is needed or if it is a rainy day.
  5. Chores: that’s correct, even chores can form part of holiday activities! It helps in the running of the family and some chores can even be fun, like washing the car.

For lots more fantastic ideas, check out: https://www.danielaminns.com/mega-list-of-screen-free-activities? If you feel you are needing extra support throughout the holiday period, the Parent Helpline is available on 1300 1300 52.

From the counselling team, we hope you have a wonderful and safe break.

Dr Danielle Ellis
K-6 School Psychologist

 

From our Teacher Librarian

Read By Us!

Years 9 and 10 have now read 11 stories for the girls in the Preparatory School! You can view the stories here https://pymblelc.padlet.org/jlaretive/hn7dhh8zl9gijxg2.

Have you visited World Book Early Learning?

World Book Early Learning provides access to online stories, videos and activities. World Book Early Learning can be found on the World Book App Homepage. This video overviews key features of World Book Early Learning:

Preparatory Online Learning Resource Guide

Prep Online Learning Resources

Mrs Josephine Laretive
Preparatory School Teacher Librarian

 

Notices

TERM 4

Pymble is following the NSW Government’s staged return to campus plan for all year groups, which is as follows:

  • Monday 25 October (Week 4): Kindergarten, Years 1 and 12
  • Monday 1 November (Week 5): Years 2, 6 and 11
  • Monday 8 November (Week 6): Years 3, 4, 5, 7 8, 9 and 10.

 Please keep informed of any further updates from the College to the Return to Campus plan for Term 4.

CONTACT DETAILS  

A reminder to keep your contact details up to date. For any changes, please use MyPymble Change of Details link.