From the Senior School

From our Head of Senior School

The students in Years 11 and 12 were fortunate to participate in presentations from Paul Dillon last week. Paul is an expert in educating communities about the latest research regarding drugs and alcohol. He has established his own research-based company, Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA). For more information, please click the following link: https://darta.net.au/.

Mentoring

We have also now formally launched the Senior School mentoring program to both Years 11 and 12. Senior students are offered the option of working with a mentor – a senior member of staff who is willing to meet individually with the girls to discuss their long-term goals and challenges. The mentoring partnership is a structured one-to-one relationship that focuses on the requirements of the student, or mentee. The relationship can be described as ‘walking alongside’ a younger person with the goal or aim of assisting that person to achieve their potential in a supportive environment.

Students in both years have been invited to sign up for this voluntary program if they are interested – many Year 12 girls are continuing with their mentors from last year. I would really encourage all students to take this opportunity to invest in themselves.

Dress Code

While most Senior students are wearing their uniform with pride, it is disappointing to see that some students need to give this their attention. An integral part of how the girls show respect for Pymble, and how the community perceives our College depends on each student’s presentation and behaviour. Senior students are expected to take personal responsibility for this. Many situations in later life will require this of your daughter and we do regard it as part of her wider education.

Uniforms are checked regularly and if they are ill-fitting or damaged, they need to be repaired or replaced. Any missing items must also be replaced. You may find it helpful to refer to pages 28 to 29 of your daughter’s school diary for the details of what is expected in our dress code.

Mrs Nikki Wyse

Head of Senior School

From the Heads of Year 11

What’s happening in Directions?

In Year 11 Directions this week, students have been developing their class communities by getting to know one another through the process of show and tell. Show and tell is not just for primary school. Rather, sharing can provide a sense of pride, create enthusiasm, and develop positive culture and team spirit. More information can be found here.

Students have been asked to bring an object/photo of an object that is important to them. Some important objects included sand from the beach, a treasured bear from childhood and a medal. We thank students for being willing to share a bit of themselves and look forward to more classes engaging in this task.

Directions classes further along in the syllabus have had the opportunity to build on their knowledge of cyber safety through the study of their digital rights and responsibilities. This lesson sought to build off Paul Dillon’s presentation in Week 3. Resources from the eSafety Commissioner and Legal Aid provide excellent resources for Year 11. We encourage you to speak with your daughter at home about what she has learned regarding her rights on digital platforms as well as where she can seek help if needed.  

From the Heads of Year 12

Year 12 is in the full swing of the school year. The Kate Mason Building is alive with students seeking assistance from teachers, studying independently and in groups, sharing stories and laughing with friends. It is great to see the girls making good use of their study time which will alleviate time pressures and allow them to keep some balance in their lives.

Learning discussions for Year 12 were on Wednesday night. They have provided a valuable conversation between students, teachers and parents to ensure that student learning and performance is maximised. It is a time for students to reflect on what is working well, what study techniques and habits they want to keep and what practices they may need to review.

We have included one Year 12 student’s thoughts on learning discussions:

“…A chance to show evidence of your learning to parents and they can see how you’re tracking. Through feedback given we can openly discuss goals to work towards to improve.” – Haley

2023 Gap Program

Senior Deputy Principal, Mrs Julie Shaw, spoke to interested Year 12 students this week about the process of applying for a Gap position in 2023. More information can be found on the Class of 2022 Microsoft Teams page under the ‘Gap’ tab.

From the Head of Learning Support

Homework Help Term 1

Homework Help is an after-school service offered to all Pymble students in the Secondary School to provide assistance and support with everyday homework, assignments and research skills in a friendly, quiet environment. Homework Help is staffed by teachers from the Learning Support Team.

For further enquiries, please contact Mrs Lora Lim at llim@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.

Mrs Lora Lim

Head of Learning Support

From the Futures Department

Professional Cadetships Australia (PCA) will be presenting in KM10 at lunch Wednesday 23 February to interested Year 11 and 12 students. Cadetships allow students to get paid while they study at university. This particular scheme is a great opportunity offered in the areas of Business and Engineering. During this talk, students will also be addressed by the Head of People and Culture at Barrenjoey Capital Partners. Last year, Pymble was offered two cadetships through PCA (one at UBS and one at Barrenjoey). We would like to see more of our students apply this year and next, and this information session will allow them to understand more fully how the process works and what it takes to be a cadet. For more information:

https://www.professionalcadets.com.au/index.asp

Mr Andrew Kozyra

Director of Futures and Partnerships (K-12)