From the Preparatory School

From our Head of Preparatory School

The time is here! You may be thinking ‘Christmas or end of the school year?’, which would be accurate. Or your thoughts may travel to considering this as a time to take a breath following a year of unexpected challenge and extended online learning. Many may be identifying this as a time when your daughter has achieved much and has grown as both a social being and engaged learner having established new friendships and grown in her knowledge of the world. So what time is it?

For me, the time is to say goodbye to the Preparatory School family as the Preparatory and Junior Schools come together in 2022. During my nine years of leading an extraordinary team of committed educators, I have greatly valued so many things. So, I start with those who first put their trust in us.

Thank you to the many parents who have walked this journey beside me. From the very first question so often asked, “So what brings you through the gates of Pymble for your daughter’s learning and care?” to the celebrations of each girl’s achievements that we shared together during Celebrations of Learning, please know that you were heard and that your excitement, concerns and voice were valued and considered deeply. Trusting in others to do their absolute best is not an easy path when we are talking about our children and I, along with the Preparatory staff, have so valued the responsibility you offered us.

To our many Preparatory School girls, thank you for your spirit, your excitement and your wonder. As owners of the future, your creativity, capacity to navigate change and delight in invention is astounding. You have each given of us so many things to ponder and to question. We have learned so much from YOU! “Watch us change the world” reflects that your impact is already causing us to change – each of you has most certainly changed our world as educators of young minds. I am so very thankful for knowing every one of you!

Preparatory School staff, the dedicated educators who respond to the needs and interests of young learners to engage each child and co-construct knowledge in a climate of respect, please know your tireless energy and commitment have been appreciated beyond words. You have helped to develop confidence, voice and sprit within the Preparatory School girls, ensuring they will have belief in themselves, confidence to navigate challenge and presence to bring about a new world. This is a big expectation for such young children to carry, but it is my absolute belief that the early years of a child’s life defines who they can become in the future.

I wish all in our Preparatory School family a very special Christmas and holiday period. Time to reconnect, to breath and to explore new adventures. It has been an honour to have your trust during my time as Head of the Preparatory School and I look forward to welcoming families as we enter a new chapter for the College, with the introduction of an early learning centre of the future.

“If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings and grow.” – Alfie Kohn

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 Deputy Head of Preparatory School

As the end of my journey at Pymble draws near, I would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thanks to the wonderful students I have had the privilege of teaching and guiding over the last seven years. It has been an enormous honour to know and guide them and their families and to share in the adventures of life and learning. My passion has always been wellbeing and now more than ever, I know how much emotions matter and influence every avenue of our lives. It has been such a joy helping to develop the girls’ understanding of emotions, guiding them towards an understanding that hard and sad days will pass and recognising the things that make us most happy. I have had the opportunity of working with an incredible team here at Pymble and know that they will continue to grow and flourish in 2022. Thank you again for all the wonderful memories! Wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas.

Mrs Tracey Frater

Deputy Head of Preparatory School

From our Kindergarten Co-ordinator

2021 – what a year it has been! Even as change and challenge occurred, our Kindergarten girls always exuded positivity, joy and curiosity; both on campus and online. The word proud doesn’t seem to be enough to sum up the feeling the teachers have for everything the girls have taught us and all they have achieved in their first year of school. We have been looking at our work from the start of the year and have been exclaiming, “Now we can write!”, “Now we can read!”.

It has been an absolute privilege for us to be able to facilitate that journey and help them take their first steps of learning at Pymble. Kindergarten 2021 girls have amazed us with their courage, resilience and endless wonder about the world around them. We have loved learning about dinosaurs together, celebrating spring and bees and hearing all their questions and wonderings.

We know they will enter Year 1 ready to challenge themselves and embrace new knowledge and learning. We also know that their kindness and compassion for each other will continue to spread the College values at Pymble and beyond.

We wish all the girls and their families a safe, happy and restful holiday season.

“When I was little, I didn’t know how to write and now I’ve improved a lot.” – Olivia Huang

“I am proud of adding up numbers because I didn’t know before.” – Aviana Faraz

“From Term 1 until now I have grown so big and I am more confident.” – Ariel Wang

“I am proud of trying my best when things are very hard. I am proud of making things.” – Chloe Yu

“I am proud of my reading. Reading is fun.” – Echo Rao

“I am proud of my work, my neat handwriting, art and craft and my reading.” – Mia Whitehead

“My favourite moment of Kindergarten was meeting my teacher.” – Li-Ya Koo

“My favourite moment of Kindergarten was looking after the ducklings.” – Myraa Jain

“I am proud of all the art I worked on.” – Ines Wang

“The best part of Kindergarten is learning lots of new things.” – Isabel Chang

“I am proud of learning Italian.” – Alicia Gong

“I love doing art and painting in Kindergarten.” – Audrey Conn

 Ms Casey, Mrs Carré, Mrs Melrose and Mrs Clark

Ms Catherine Casey 

Kindergarten Co-ordinator

From our Year 1 Co-ordinator

Do you know how much an elf weighs? Year 1 students were intrigued by this question and used their knowledge of mass to investigate, estimate and record their findings. Buddy, Sugarplum, Holly and Jasper, the Year 1 elves, were our willing test subjects as they sat carefully in the balance scales so that the mathematicians of Year 1 could accurately weigh them. We used chocolate baubles and Christmas gummies as our measuring objects. The girls first estimated how many of each object they thought would be required and then tested their prediction. We found that each elf weighed eight chocolate baubles and seven Christmas gummies. Oh, what fun we have in Year 1!

Miss Emily Boyd

Year 1 Co-ordinator

From our Year 2 Co-ordinator

As Term 4 draws to a close, the Year 2 teachers have been so incredibly proud of the growth the girls have made this year, and their maturity and readiness for Year 3. This was seen particularly last Friday when we held our ‘Believe in You Bootcamp’. The aim of this day was for the girls learn more about themselves, embrace challenge and learn skills to build resilience and manage change.

The girls took part in a variety of activities based around the Mind, Body, Spirit framework. These included planting plants where we discussed how much they themselves had grown and talked about needing to have a growth mindset when trying new things. The girls were excited to be taking their plants home to take care of them and watch them grow!

We then heard from our wonderful Kindergarten to Year 6 Counsellors, Dr Danielle Ellis and Frieda Stemp, who talked about change, strategies for dealing with uncomfortable feelings and who the girls can go to for support. They then made calm down jars using glitter, sequins and coloured water and learned techniques for relaxation such as belly breathing.

The afternoon activities included some mindfulness activities and a time for self-reflection, dancing and yoga, as well as energetic team sport activities like a tug of war. It was wonderful seeing the girls challenging themselves and trying new things – from planting a plant for the very first time to supporting their friends to win a tug-of-war. We have no doubt that they are more than ready for Year 3 next year!

Mrs Kate Giles

Year 2 Co-ordinator

Notices

TRAVEL

For the last day of term, the Preparatory School girls go home at 11.30am on Friday 3 November. Out of School Care is open from 11.30am, however parents must book their daughter in for OSHC to confirm her attendance.

Kidsoft parent portal link

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Co-curricular program 2022 registrations have opened for Kindergarten to Year 12.  Registrations are essential for participation in Co-curricular programs and places are allocated on a ‘first in first served’ basis.

The Aquatic Centre is also taking Learn to Swim bookings for summer. Please contact Learntoswim@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au for more information or assessments.

LOST PROPERTY

All items of uniform should be named including the summer hat, play hat, uniforms, shoes, sneakers, socks, lunch box and drink bottle. Lost items can be readily returned if they are labelled.

Summer hats should have your daughter’s name written in white pen on the black elastic inside the crown. If there is a circular label inside the hat, don’t use this as it is inclined to come loose.

Please be aware that unnamed items will only be held at the Preparatory School Reception for two weeks.

CONTACT DETAILS  

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