Congratulations to the our Garden Party competition winners!

A big thank you to everyone who took part in the many competitions, raffles and auctions at Garden Party last weekend.

Congratulations to the following winners:

Cake Decorating Competition results

Junior School Winner – Nikita Orena Barlin Yr 5

Secondary School Winner – Josie Green yr 9

Adult Winner – Nicole Yin

Family Collaboration Winner- Lourds Fernando & Diyana Palihawadana

Cake Box Decorating Competition Results

Years K to 2 Winner- Siena Cassidy

Years 3 to 6 Winner – Emily Pu

Secondary School Winner – Chloe Lau

Performing Arts Support Group Raffle Winners

First Prize – Queenie Sun

Second Prize – Emma Maple-Browne

Third Prize – Joy Luo

Fourth Prize – Sophie Vander

Year 12 Garden Party Guessing Competition winners

First Prize – Lilian Ariston

Second Prize – Emi Hosaka

Third Prize – Allan Stewart

Boarders’ Auction

Congratulations to our generous winning bidders at the Boarders’ Auction in support of Pymble’s Boarding Scholarships.

Mudgee Getaway Package – Kate Hadwen

Luxury beach house getaway at Copacabana Beach – Michelle & Adam Mitchell (parents of Ella Year 8)

Forster getaway at One Mile Beach – Larissa & Michael Burke (parents of Isabelle Year 7)

From the Principal

Term 3 has ended on a high note – and, for some of us, there is still the Year 12 Valedictory Dinner to look forward to tonight. Cue those dancing shoes!

The week was full of celebrations and special end-of-term activities across Kindergarten to Year 12, the latter of which spent their last official day on campus today before they commence HSC exams next term. It has been such a joy to spend time acknowledging our Class of 2022 in their Honouring Ceremony, Gratitude Assembly, Boarders Farewell and today’s Year 11 and 12 Speech Day. An even bigger joy is seeing parents and carers at many of these events. If COVID-19 has taught us one lesson, it is to treasure opportunities for connection, especially with those who mean the world to us.

Which brings me to Garden Party. Wow. Just wow. The campus was buzzing with positive energy and a palpable sense of appreciation for the gift of being together at this much-loved day.

While we are still crunching the numbers to determine the amount of money raised for our three beneficiaries (The Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter, Pymble Parent Association and Boarding Scholarship), we send our heartfelt thanks to all who gave their time and effort to support our Garden Party in one way or another, including the 360 parents, students and staff who worked as volunteers on the day. We had between 6,000 and 10,000 people through our gates, which is a phenomenal tally at either end of the scale. A common refrain was how special it was to share this day with family and friends again after a two-year COVID-induced hiatus. Garden Party is a wonderful showcase of the strength of our community, and it lifted my heart to witness the outpouring of care and gratitude for each other on Saturday. Thank you for a memorable day.

With the College calendar back in full swing this term, our thoughts have turned to life at Pymble before COVID. As you will be aware, the past few years have seen some evolution in terms of the way we operate, including an increased use of technology in learning and to facilitate parent/carer information sessions and meetings. Many of these changes have occurred out of necessity as we learned to live with COVID, however now it is time to assess which ones to keep and which ones to discard or revert to our pre-COVID mode. We are a different version of the College today compared to last year, 2020 and even 2019 when I first arrived as Principal. My focus is to continue to be intentional about changes to the College in the post-pandemic environment. We are intent on only keeping evolutions that are worth keeping, and will continue to uphold traditions and practices of our pre-COVID life.

Insights from our 2023 Prefect team

It was interesting to hear a similar theme emerge from our incoming Prefects during their leadership retreat at Vision Valley. The girls had full use of our newly renovated Stringybark Lodge for two days, which they spent in leadership training, meeting with staff mentors, hearing from past years’ Prefects and planning their goals and initiatives for 2023. Before I hand over to our new Head Prefects, Freya Carmody and Alyssa Yee, to report on their plans to date, allow me to give a special vote of thanks. Each time I visit Stringybark, I am reminded of the generous donors in our community who have gifted our girls with this beautiful, functional and versatile space. Thank you again, you know who you are. ❤️

Over to Alyssa and Freya now for a hint of things to come in 2023.

“The COVID years have influenced how we are shaping our main goals for 2023 – we hope to rebuild and redefine the things we love about Pymble life that have been missing during COVID. We recognise that the Class of 2023 will be the first year where restrictions from the pandemic are less limiting, and we want to make the most of this to foster a positive and engaging environment throughout the College. Being able to come back together as a school is something really special and we can’t wait to share and grow with everyone.

“Our overarching vision for 2023 focuses on fostering a strong sense of school spirit and community through unifying and supporting our Pymble family. It’s really important for us to look beyond our immediate circles to listen to the voices of students in the Junior, Middle, Upper and Senior Schools.

“We hope to implement a culture of support and positivity into all aspects of life at Pymble, from Kindergarten to Year 12. One of the most powerful parts of being at a school like Pymble is the potential to lift others up and strengthen connections, as there are so many opportunities to get involved. We truly believe that through leading with enthusiasm and exercising the power of positivity we can help students of all ages feel connected and supported.

“Above all, we want every student to remember 2023 as a time where they made the most of school life – sharing laughter with friends, making the most of learning and co-curricular opportunities, taking on new challenges, and overall feeling seen and heard. We want students to echo support through each other as a part of the wider Pymble community and embrace what makes them unique.”

Great job, girls. We look forward to supporting our 2023 Prefects as they weave their magic across the College and create a host of joyful opportunities to enhance your daughters’ sense of school spirit, connection and belonging.

Opportunities for parents as leaders

Speaking of new leaders, this is the time of year when we begin seeking expressions of interest to fill the various roles within our wonderful Pymble Parent Association (PPA). There are several positions across the breadth of the PPA as well as sub-school-specific roles and positions dedicated to Boarding, Rowing and Performing Arts. Our PPA and parent volunteers are integral to so many experiences for students and their families and we warmly encourage all parents and carers to become involved in the life of the College in any way they can. A huge thank you to our current leaders, who we will formally thank and farewell at the upcoming Annual General Meeting where we will also induct our incoming 2023 team.

Click here to learn more about PPA leadership roles for 2023

It’s almost time to put on my dancing shoes and join Year 12 students and families for their final hurrah before we enjoy the end-of-term break. For those who are travelling in the holidays, hopefully you enjoy the opportunity to discover new places or reconnect with family and friends. For those who are working through, may the change of pace and routine be a welcome respite from term time. To all our Pymble family, thank you for a wonderful term of care, connection and supporting our girls and each other. My wish is that you head into this break, like me, feeling truly blessed to be part of our very special community.

Dr Kate Hadwen

Principal

From our Chaplains

Week 10 has finally arrived and both Reverend Lorenzo and I feel a heaviness in our hearts as we bid Year 12 farewell. Graduation is such a milestone for a student and their family, but for the teachers and other staff around school, it is a letting go of those you have journeyed with for a long period of time, so it can also be a time for grieving.

As we write prayers and reflections to share with the Year 12s and their families, we are mindful that God is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Every beginning has an end, and every end has a beginning. God is the One who circles us and enfolds us in this dance called life.

As we experience this change in and around us, we pray for a blessing upon all our families, but especially our Year 12s who navigate what comes next. We have been blessed with their company and as fellow sojourners, we pray God’s Spirit to be upon them as they study, travel and find their own spaces to be and become.

Best wishes to our Jewish families celebrating Rosh Hashanah and our Hindu families who will be celebrating Navratri. The UN International Day of Peace is on 21 September and some students from Years 9 to 12 will be accompanying us to Knox for a service where they will hear from leaders of various faiths. We are looking forward to this day where we can pray for ourselves and the world as a place of healing for those who are broken and displaced.

Have a safe and great school break; we hope you enjoy some precious time with your children and families. I wrote these words for a Year 12 student in their notebook, which resonate in my own soul:

‘All the best for the future, and may you step on stars which will illuminate your path.’

Blessings and hope for spring!

Reverend Punam Bent
College Chaplain

COVID-19 Response Plans and Advice

Please note the following health and safety guidelines for students and staff in Term 3.

Stay at home if unwell

Students and staff are asked to stay at home if they have any COVID, cold or flu symptoms. Please do not allow your daughter to attend campus until she is symptom-free in addition to having returned a negative RAT result.

If your daughter is not well enough to attend school, please follow the normal process of reporting the absence to her teacher/sub school via the MyPymble app.

Testing positive

If the result of your daughter’s RAT (or PCR test) is positive, please follow the normal College procedure of emailing health@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au and reporting the absence to the relevant teacher/sub school via the MyPymble app.

As of Friday 9 September, the isolation period following a positive RAT or PCR test has been reduced to five days. If students still have symptoms after five days, they should continue to isolate. Students should continue to register a positive RAT result with NSW Health.

Changes to reinfection period

NSW Health has revised the COVID-19 reinfection period from 12 weeks to four weeks, effective immediately.

This means a person who has previously had COVID-19 will be required to re-test for COVID-19 from 28 days after their last isolation period ended if they experience symptoms. A positive result is regarded as a new case, which must be reported as such, and the person will need to follow the relevant health advice again.

Masks

Students and staff are required to wear a mask at large indoor gatherings, such as assemblies and Chapel services.
Students who travel to school via public transport or the Pymble Bus Service must wear a mask at all times during transit.
Masks are strongly encouraged, especially in situations where it is difficult to maintain adequate distance between you and others.
Students are encouraged to pack a supply of masks for each day.

Hand hygiene

Sanitiser will continue to be provided at key points around the College.
Unmissable new posters have been placed around campus encouraging frequent handwashing.

COVID boosters and flu shots

Students who are due for a COVID-19 booster shot are encouraged to have their next vaccination.
We encourage all eligible students who haven’t had a flu shot yet to do so, as the health authorities are also predicting a substantial flu season.

Any further information or advice for Term 3 will continued to be shared by notifications via the MyPymble app.

From the Junior School

From our Head of Junior School

Celebrating our Community

The Garden Party was a glorious day and our sense of community shined even more brightly than the spring sunshine. Even the showers of rain couldn’t dampen the positive spirit and sense of fun there was around the campus as we came together for the day. An enormous thank you to all of you who helped plan, resource and run the many Junior School stalls we had in action throughout the day. The girls were clearly having the best time at all the stalls and celebrating their school with one another. I am so proud of the girls and their performances as musicians and dancers throughout the day.

I wish you all a safe and restful holiday with your families. The girls have put heart and soul into their learning adventures this term, so I hope they enjoy lots of relaxation time over this break.

Celebrating our VEX IQ Robotics teams

Our Year 5 and 6 robotics girls showcased their Pymble spirit as they missed out on the Garden Party and instead had an action-packed day of fun and competition at the VEX IQ Robotics Regionals competition at Barker. A huge thank you to Mr Brown and Miss Baker who supported these teams throughout the day.

I was lucky enough to be there in the afternoon to see and feel the excitement as each team showcased their skills as designers, and coders with their individual robots. Each team is impressive in terms of skills, commitment and determination so whilst one of our teams (Jessica Persson, Celine Soo and Leahara Wijesuriya) has achieved the outstanding success in progressing to Nationals later this year all our teams deserve to feel extremely proud of their achievements.

I therefore interviewed Mr Dan Brown about the teams to celebrate each one and his responses are:

Jessica Persson, Celine Soo and Leahara Wijesuriya: This team showed amazing persistence and built an excellent robot which is now progressing to Nationals. Congratulations girls!

Nicole Fan, Elaine Zhang, Chloe Shao and Valerie Zhao: They were creative and experimented with many unique designs throughout the process building a robot that could perform well in all aspects

Lily Xing and Scarlett Wong: They built an extremely sound robot which looked simple but was deceptively simple as it was highly effective with many different highly technical elements.

Annabella Bayfield and Sophie Kidd: This team was highly creative and enthusiastic with big ideas and lots of passion.

Kathy Wang, Lulu Li and Yuecheng Xu: This team collaborated to build a technical robot that showed great potential. Excellent teamwork!

Audrey Wyldhill and Sophia Wong: This team was brilliantly creative. They loved experimenting with different aspects of their design.

Cabrini Lee and Sophie Harris: They built a structurally sound robot which showed impressive engineering skills. This is a great partnership who showed consistent commitment to their robot and the process.

Kiara Excell and Oriana Fenton: This partnership showed great tenacity and dedication throughout the design and build process. They learnt new skills quickly and applied them to their robot.

Isabella Eum, Heidi Ferreira and Aurora Zhang: This team built a very technical robot and showed amazing resilience, rebuilding it after a last minute accident when the robot broke!

Ashley Du and Rebecca Zhou: This team aimed for a highly technical robot which was impressive for a first time build. They reworked their design and embraced the challenge of the process.

Anika Verma and Phoebe Scott : This partnership designed and built a simple but highly effective robot; an amazing first time effort for this team!

Hayley Zhang, Selina Jiang and Arianna Ng: This new team demonstrated a capacity to learn quickly and work brilliantly as a team.

Angela Mao, Jing Yuan Liu, Jennifer Xu and Sophia Felizzi: An amazing first time effort! This team learnt many different engineering principles and worked hard to develop highly effective team communication.

Waging our war against plastic waste!

Our Kindness Captains have worked hard to lead a social experiment where we have collected all the plastic waste we generate within our Junior School over one week. The results are in! As a Junior School, we collected 4.7 kilograms of plastic waste during just one day! The Kindness Captains are determined we can do better than this and reduce our plastic waste. Next term, the girls will launch ‘Nude Food November’ where we will encourage one another to bring less plastic into our school.

As we come to the end of our focus on kindness to the environment, I want to share this amazing video which our Sustainability Captains have created with Mrs Jill King. Mrs King continues to inspire our girls and staff to focus on ways we can be kinder to our precious environment and she is working hard to empower our girls to advocate for change.

“Do a little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu

We are so proud of the efforts all our girls have made with their acts of kindness to the environment and these examples reflect the outstanding 3,777 acts of kindness we have completed as a Junior School over these last ten weeks!

Rachel Zhang – “Being kind and of service to the environment made me feel calm, glad and proud.”

Mia Bai – “I took a shorter shower, turned the lights off when I wasn’t using them, didn’t litter and donated old toys.”

Cadence Wong – “Being of service made me feel excellent because I’m reducing plastic, so our marine animals won’t suffer because of us.”

Charlotte Woo – “I started to play with toys I haven’t played with in a long time.”

Rosie Rew – “It made me feel like little things can make a huge difference to our world. I try to walk to school in the mornings when I don’t have an activity on. This doesn’t use fossil fuels which looks after the environment.”

Eesha Adusumilli – “ I felt helpful as I made a small difference which may turn out to be bigger over time.”

Kindness Shoutouts

This week I want to honour acts of kindness by a couple of girls. I am constantly amazed by the lengths all our girls will go to in their willingness to show kindness to others and whilst it’s impossible to give a shout out to each girl, in our newsletter, these acts of kindness reflect the many authentic acts of kindness we see from our girls each day:

Zoey Fernandes (Kindergarten) brought in her most special teddy for the recent Kindergarten Teddy Bears’ picnic. Her friend did not bring in a teddy on that day, so Zoey very kindly offered to share her teddy bear with her friend.

Molly Liu (Year 5) The teachers all noted how kind Molly was towards them at Vision Valley during their Outdoor Education Program, offering them snacks and frequently checking if they were ok.

Save the dates – an important note for our Year 6 families!

As we come towards the end of their Junior School journey for our Year 6 girls and their families, I want to ensure you all have these dates on your calendar. More information on each event will follow:

Tuesday 22 November 2022, 8.45am – 11.00am: Year 6 final Chapel (for Year 6 families and girls only), honouring ceremony and showcase of learning.

This event will be a celebration of our Year 6 girls and their journey from Kindergarten (wherever they started their schooling) to Year 6. We will start with the Chapel service and then each Compass Class will have an honouring circle where each student is ‘honoured’ by her Compass Teacher. The girls will also have the chance to thank their teacher and families so come ready for a special, and potentially emotional moment with your daughter! Then the girls will invite you to share their learning this year and their personal growth as a learner and young person over the last seven years in Junior School.

Thursday 24 November 2022: 6.00 – 8.00pm: Year 6 girls’ disco on campus and cocktail evening for Year 6 parents organised by our JSPG.

Friday 2 December 2022: 1.00pm – 3pm: Celebration of Learning Years 3-6

Year 1 History Incursion

What was family life like in the past?

On Monday September 19th, Year 1 delved deeply into this fascinating question with a full day of engaging and practical activities designed to explore what life was like for children living in the past.

Our History Incursion Day began with an informative session with our Pymble Ladies’ College archivist, Mrs Enid O’Carroll. She arrived in Year 1 equipped with books, uniforms, bags and even a desk which have all featured in the lives of Pymble girls in the more than 100 years since our school opened in 1916. After looking at lots of wonderful black and white photos, the girls had a wonderful time dressing up in aprons, Tam o’ shanters, white gloves, sun hats and parasols.

Next, Year 1 delighted in making their very own Victorian peg dolls and even had a go at writing with a quill pen and ink! For the remainder of the day, the girls enjoyed playing fun games like Quoits, Fly, Pick Up Sticks, and Elastics as they continued to deepen their understanding of what life was like for children in the past.

“The girls didn’t wear the same uniform as we wear today. I even got to try on the old Pymble summer and winter hats.” Selena Rezaei

“I have learnt that some people could not afford to buy dolls, so they had to make dolls. To make a peg doll you get a peg, you glue on threads to make hair, you can make a dress out of patty cakes or fabric, and you can make arms from a pipe cleaner.” Li-Ya Koo

“I was always curious about games in the past and today I got to learn about them and play them.” Hillary Yip

“I have learnt that children played pick up sticks, elastics, quoits and fly in the past for fun.” Chloe Chen

“I leant that in the past there was a library under our Chapel and that things were very different to the way they are now.” Saoirse McCabe

“In the olden days when you were a student at Pymble, you had to sign your name in a special book called a register.” Isabel Chang

From Mrs Lara Bird – Deputy Head of Junior School – Academic

Throughout the term our girls have borrowed 8,426 library books across a range of genres. They have collectively completed (as a conservative estimate) 110,880 hours combined of Mathematics and English during the school day.

They have also participated in the K-2 concert, author visits, Italian Day, book parades, excursions, incursions, undertaken scientific investigations, presented speeches, written persuasively, informatively or imaginatively, carried out mathematical investigations, created artworks, performed in music and drama activities, learnt to swim, played basketball and have explored the cultures and languages of Itaty and France. They have also engaged in STEM activities as well as various academic competitions.

What a busy term! I hope the girls have a restful holiday, enjoying time with family, spending time outdoors and finding moments to relax and rest, ready for a busy Term 4.

Congratulations to Phoebe Scott who was awarded 1^st place in the Mathematics Association of New South Wales (MANSW) Investigating Mathematics Competition for her individual entry in the Year 5 category. Her entry has now been entered into the National Competition.

Congratulations to Madeleine Martin, Mia Bai, Kimberly Zhao, Sophia Wu, Vivienne Guo who were also awarded 1^st Place in the Mathematics Association of New South Wales (MANSW) Investigating Mathematics Competition Year 2 Small Group Category. Their entry has been entered into the National Competition.

Digital Safety with Kindy – led by our Digital Learning Leaders: Mrs Christine Cassidy, Mrs Siobhan Rooney, Mr Dan Brown and Mr Jake Turnbull

What is a stranger?

What is the internet?

What is a password?

Over the past three weeks, Kindergarten have been investigating digital safety with their Compass Teachers and the Digital Learning Leaders. We began our investigation by exploring what information is and is not safe to be shared in the real world. We talked about how when we go online it is like opening a door to the world and how important it is to keep our personal information safe.

With the aid of a ball of string, we made the internet. The girls delighted in creating a network and sharing messages with each other. Lastly, we brainstormed where and when we use passwords, created our own passwords and role played using our passwords to open our lockers.

We had lots of fun learning about digital safety through this play-based approach.

Academic Competition – National History Challenge

Well done to Yuna Shin, who participated in the National History Challenge. This year’s theme was “Causes and Consequences” which invited students to explore various topics in History. Yuna shares her experience entering this academic competition.

What inspired you to enter the History Challenge?

What inspired me to enter the History Challenge was that my brother was entering the challenge before me this year for the first time. My curiosity accelerated when I heard about the topic and the different stories my brother learned when he was researching for it.

What is your entry about?

My entry for the history challenge is about World War I, the main cause of it and also the consequence of it. I chose to write about World War I because I wanted to learn more about it, especially about the mistakes we could have avoided.

Can you explain the writing process?

The writing process was to focus on researching the beginning and end of World War One. I looked at many different websites, secondary sources and primary sources. I learned what each of them are, which is, a secondary source is a website or is written through collecting information, while a primary source is a source which was written by someone who was there, such as a diary. Other than reading and collecting information for websites, I also looked at a few books, including The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne and Horrible Histories: Frightful First World War written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown.

What challenges did you face throughout the process?

The challenges I faced throughout the process was finding the primary sources and the websites because often, I would ponder if the website was stating the truth or if it contained a few things that weren’t true.

What did you take away from this experience?

What I took away from the experience was that it is important to do a lot of research on the subject and the things that you might not have imagined may be related. Before I commenced my research, I never knew that WWII and WWI were related to each other. I learned that WWII started because of the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles that were placed on Germany, who was assumed to take all the blame even though other countries were the ones that started WW1.

From Mrs Nerissa Davey – Deputy Head of Junior School – Operations

SRC Wrap up – a busy term of making change!

This term has been filled with exciting adventures across the Junior School. Our SRC has been very active and the girls are to be commended for always turning up to meetings, bringing along their class suggestions and sharing back information from meetings. This term we have made bird feeders for our native feathered friends in the playground, we have voted to give our bathrooms a lift with some decals, the girls will be participating in Buddy Reading from K-6 on the last day of school and scrunchable plastics bins will be placed around the Junior School. These are all very worthwhile initiatives which the girls have taken from suggestions in their classrooms. Such a wonderful display of student voice! Well done girls!

Connecting Communities

After the huge success of our first Dubbo/Goodooga trip for Year 5 we are very excited to share that Mrs Brown, Mr Tyson and I will be embarking on our next adventure to forge further relations with our First Nations People. This time we will be heading to Brewarrina, Bourke and Dubbo. We will camp at Dubbo Zoo, tour the Aboriginal Museum in Brewarrina, head to the Central School and tour the Aboriginal fish traps to build our understanding of our First Nations People. Year 5 have once again put themselves out there, embraced risks and new challenges, and shown their courage and leadership qualities in a chat with Mrs Brown and me! We are thrilled to announce that the following girls will be joining us in Week 2 of Term 4 on our trip to Brewarrina:

Ellie Cao

Zeta James –Taylor

Eloise Gavagna

Avika Kapoor

Annabel Makeham

Polly Hargraves

Blair Tang

Gloria Yang

Estelle Macolino

Adele Cassidy

Lily Dao

Aaliyah Khanche

Grace Jacobs

Richielynne Xiong

Chloé Shires

Molly Hardiman

Sophia Guo

Mia Zhu

We are also delighted to share that as a Junior School we will be attending our first Indigenous Games day in Sydney. This will take place on 23 November 2022 and ten Year 5 girls will represent Pymble on this day. This is a wonderful way for us to further connections and interactions with students of many different backgrounds and for more of our Year 5 girls to represent our College and Junior School as leaders of community and cultural understanding. Keep an eye out for a write up next term!

Year 3 and 5 Outdoor Education Program – Camp

Over the last 2 weeks our Year 3 and 5 girls have enjoyed the facilities and activities at Vision Valley. The sun shone and the girls’ smiles shone even more brightly! They embraced orienteering, canoeing, team building activities, high ropes challenges and whizzing down the giant slide. We are so proud of their courage as they tried new activities, slept away from their families and forged new friendships. Add photos of OEP

Junior School Digital News

From the Junior School Parent Group

We wanted to send out a big thank you to our amazing Junior School parent community who have provided overwhelming support both attending and helping with our events during a very busy Term Three. We are incredibly grateful for your support and we hope you have a very restful and safe holiday break. Our final JSPG meeting for the year is being held on Friday 21 October (Week 2) at 8:45am in the Junior School Library. An agenda will be issued by the start of Term Four. We look forward to seeing you there.

Co-curricular Term 4 2022

As per the portal notice from CCSA, registrations for the following programs opened on Wednesday 7 September:

Term 4 programs
Intakes for some yearly programs
Term 1 2023 Saturday sports

Program information for all programs is available on the Co-curricular at Pymble pages of the Pymble website. This page can be accessed by clicking here; a parent login is required.

K-2 families please email juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au for any updates to your daughters travel arrangements for Term 4 2022. A reminder for all girls registered for Tennis, your daughter needs to be re-enrolled for Term 4 should you wish to continue this activity.

Reminders from the Administration Office

AFTERNOON TRAVEL CHANGES

Please email juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au to advise any changes to afternoon travel arrangements. Late changes should be made prior to 2.00pm to ensure messages are received by staff and students prior to the girls end of formal day routines.

LOST PROPERTY

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

Winter should have your daughter’s name written in white pen inside the crown of the hat. 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 each Junior School Administration Office for two weeks.

Final meetings and Annual General Meetings

In Week 2 of Term 4, the final meetings, and annual general meetings (AGM) for the Pymble Parent Support Groups (PSGs) and the Pymble Parent Association (PPA) begin. At these meetings we get the opportunity to thank the 2022 volunteer committees and hear about the events and activities they have assisted with during the year. We will also hear from key Pymble staff and discuss plans for 2023.

These meetings also include inductions for our 2023 committees. There is most often no voting at the AGMs as positions are decided beforehand so that these meetings are more a chance to welcome in our new volunteers.

The PPA and PSGs are a vital part of our school, and many events and activities could not be run without the support of these volunteers. There are considerable advantages to being part of these parent groups. Being involved gives parents and carers a voice, allows for greater connection within our community and of course provides them the opportunity to spend time with their girls in the school environment.

We are currently calling for expressions of Interest for positions within these groups. All positions can be found on the MyPymble App or by clicking here (you will need to be logged into MyPymble to view) . If you are interested in getting involved, we would love to hear from you and would be happy to talk you through the various positions and what is involved. Please call us to discuss on 9855 7717 or email our Community Events Manager (events@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au) before Wednesday 12 October.

Meeting dates:

PPA and Secondary School Parent Support Group meeting: Monday 17 October, 6.00pm to 7.00pm
Junior School Parent Support Group meeting: Thursday 3 November, 8.45am to 9.45am.

More details to follow regarding the agenda and location of these meetings.

Dates for your Diary

Term 3 

23 September Last Day of Term 3

Term 4

11 October First Day of Term 4

13 October Year 3 and 5 Author Visit

17 October                  Year 2 Outdoor Education Program

17 October Year 1 Science Incursion

19 October                  Year 1 Outdoor Education Program

20 October                  Kindergarten Outdoor Education Program 

20 October Year 2 Ranger Jamie Excursion

25 October                 Year 6 Musical Performance, 7.00pm 

26 October                  Year 6 Musical Performance, 7.00pm 

28 October                  Links Day 

17 November Swimming Carnival

22 November Year 6 final Chapel and celebration of learning 8.45am – 11.00am

24 November Year 6 Disco

1 December                Kindergarten Celebration of Learning, 9.00am

1 December                Years 1 and 2 Celebration of Learning, 11.00am

2 December                Years 3 to 6 Speech Day, 1.00pm

Mrs Kate Brown

Head of Junior School

From the Middle School

From our Head of Middle School

As the Term 3 draws to a close, I would firstly like to express my gratitude to the team who continue to work tirelessly to support the girls. I would also like to acknowledge the true spirit of Middle School – which embodies a sense of inclusion, care and pride in all we do. We have seen examples of this demonstrated by our Year 7 and 8 students on so many occasions across the last 10 weeks. The growth and sense of responsibility embraced by so many individuals is well worth celebrating.

Thank you to all of the families who generously supported our MS Basket Stall at the Garden Party last Saturday. The creativity and thought that went into so many of the baskets was a testament to your willingness to enthusiastically get behind the initiative and give back. Middle School’s focus on Service will continue into Term 4 with new and continuing projects to contribute to during our Monday Mind/Body/Spirit time. We are already seeing the fruits of the girl’s labour with some unique creations being made to share with others outside the Pymble community.

Below is an impressive list of girls who have achieved outstanding results across a number of areas. Well done to each of you!

Our MS Robotics teams secured some spectacular results at the VEX Robotics Competition at Barker last weekend.

Year 7-8 65100A: Design Award and qualified for Nationals

Year 7 65100C: Innovate Award and qualified for Nationals

Year 8 65100F: Excellence Award and qualified for Nationals

Jenny Xu of Year 8, competed at the State Semi-final of the Legacy Public Speaking competition last Saturday and is now through to the State Final of the comp!

A special congratulations to Gemma Stanbury who has been selected by Basketball NSW to join the U16 D-League and the U16 ECC (East Coast Challenge). A fabulous achievement!

I was fortunate to be a part of the crowd of supporters at the Year 7 Netball finals held here at the college prior to the Garden Party. What an impressive game that kept us on the edge of our seats until final victory!

(L-R) Hayley Browne; Harriet Murphy; Maile Wilson; Georgina Curtis; Isabel Grant; Eloise Stewart; Alexandra Reardon; Alexandra Warren; Serena Cummings and Emily Raaff

Congratulations to the fabulous cast and Crew of the Peter Pan production that entertained audiences last week. I attended the Thursday evening performance which was such a polished and enjoyable experience.

Good luck to our Artistic Gymnastics teams who will be competing at the Nationals on Friday.

Year 7 National’s Team: Stella Paterson, Gabriella Sheh, Isabelle Burke

Year 8 National’s Team: Mahika Swamy, Emma Baikie, Vivienne Eaton, Siobhan Hsu, Sasha Clark, Holly Graham.

Reminder lost property is available in the Middle School. Girls have been emailed to collect anything they may be missing.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday break with family and friends. The girls are tired and very much looking forward to enjoying some down time.

If your daughter requires assistance or needs to speak to someone urgently over the break, please consider contacting the following services and/or utilising the Mental Health Support Services and useful apps included below.

The NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

Lifeline: 13 11 14

eHeadspace: 1800 650 890

Mental Health Support Flyer – External Services and Helplines

Click here to view a list of helpful apps.

Year 7

This week we celebrate 140 days of being in Year 7. We have loved getting to know all our Year 7 girls over their first three terms of high school. Many wonderful new friendships have formed and it is pleasing to see that new friends are always welcome as older friendships change and expand. Many thanks to our Year 7s for donating such beautiful baskets to our Garden Party stall; it was a great success and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with our Pymble community for the first time in two years.

This week in Directions Year 7 were able to connect with our Year 8 girls, forming inner and outer circles on Main Oval and chatting with each other about various topics and creating fun secret handshakes of which there was a play off. We look forward to more combined Middle School fun next term. We look forward to welcoming our girls back next term on Tuesday 11 October and in the meantime we wish you all a safe and restorative holiday break.

In Term 4 Week 1, Year 7 will attend a special presentation with Michele Chevalley Hedge. Michele will discuss the importance of nutrition and balance with study, sleep, exercise, friends and sunshine.

Michele Chevalley Hedge is a qualified nutritionist, health author and an expert in nutritional medicine, including mental health. She is the founder of A Healthy View, and the author of Beating Sugar Addictions for Dummies, Eat, Drink and Still Shrink – a joyful guide to living, and The Australian Healthy Hormone Diet is on the list of best-selling health books internationally.

Year 8

It was wonderful to see so many of our Year 8 families out at Garden Party on Saturday. Thank you for all who took part and assisted with the Middle School stall. For many of our Year 8 students, this will have been their first experience of Garden Party. Thank you to Zoe Blanks who has kindly written a brief reflection on her experience:

This was my first Garden Party experience and I was thoroughly impressed. It had such a warm and kind atmosphere and you could have conversations with everyone. The food was excellent and the people working on them were lovely and kind. There were many different stalls to choose from and very family-friendly rides. The stalls were filled with great jewellery clothes and more to choose from. It was a delightful experience, and I can’t wait to go again next year.

As we reach the end of another busy term, it’s important now for our girls to take some time to relax and recharge their batteries. For some, these last few weeks will have been jam-packed between rehearsals for Peter Pan, assessments and co-curricular commitments. We have been so impressed at the way our Year 8 girls have stepped up and given their best in all that they have undertaken.

In Directions this week, we had a lovely opportunity to combine with Year 7 for a Middle School connections session. The aim of the session was to build connections with Year 7 students through a range of activities, including a Speed Connections activity and a secret handshake challenge. Next term, Year 8 will also be reconnecting with Year 9 students as we start to prepare for the transition to Upper School.

A reminder that Myvanwy Carr will be on Long Service Leave for the first three weeks of Term 4, returning on the 1^st November. Please contact Mariel Lombard or the Middle School team with any questions or concerns during this time. We wish you and your families a safe and restful break, and look forward to welcoming back our beautiful girls on Tuesday 11 October.

Our Middle School Maths Whiz

Amber Li (Year 8) has achieved some fantastic results in Mathematics! Last Friday, she was presented with a High Distinction in the difficult and prestigious UNSW Schools Mathematics Competition.

She was also awarded a Bronze Certificate in the Australian Mathematics Olympiad Committee’s Senior Contest. Amber was invited by the Australian Mathematics Trust to enter this contest despite only being in Year 8; a competition that is usually reserved for students in Year 11 and 12. Congratulations Amber on these phenomenal results!

Amber Li (Year 8) with her sister Josie (Kindergarten) after being awarded a High Distinction.

From the Secondary School Parent Group

Meeting dates:

PPA and Secondary School Parent Support Group meeting: Monday 17 October, 6.00pm to 7.00pm
Junior School Parent Support Group meeting: Thursday 3 November, 8.45am to 9.45am.

More details to follow regarding the agenda and location of these meetings.

Year 7 Co-ordinators

Carol Bai 0450855866

Shiva Rich 0414322874

Year 8 Co-ordinator

Sunny Hres 0424878781

Mrs Jenny O’Donnell

Head of Middle School

From the Upper School

A Message from Mr Riley, Head of Upper School

And just like that, we reach the end of busy another term! I am so proud of the efforts of our girls and firmly believe they need a well-earned break after all their tireless pursuits. Last week, I particularly enjoyed watching our incredible Year 9s in Peter Pan and meeting with families at the Garden Party on the weekend. Wasn’t it great to get that exciting sense of community again!

Whilst some of our Year 10s might like to begin their revision schedule for their yearly examinations, I do encourage parents to be mindful of the time they are spending and to be sure to include adequate time for rest and relaxation. This article on the ‘Antidote to Burnout’ was shared with me during the week and I love how it closes in describing the need to be “unproductive to be productive”. Over the break it is so important that our girls spend time doing nothing, just being, and prioritising self-care. They live such busy lives and occasionally it is important to stop, to ponder, and to recharge those batteries ready for a big push to end the year. I too hope you manage to find time to spend with them and that you get some downtime yourselves.

A Message from Mrs Hunt, Deputy Head of Upper School

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and restful break. Ms Sweetman, Mrs Boyd and I are most excited to accompany 30 talented Drama students on the Drama tour to London, Stratford-upon-Avon and Paris. We are looking forward to creating awesome lifelong memories and no doubt having some laughs overcoming some unusual situations as they arise. My wish is that our Upper School girls also have a joyous break and create fun memories to share when they return in Term 4.

A Message from Mr Levin and Mrs Richter, Heads of year 9

Garden Party

A massive thank you to all the students who assisted on the Photo Booth stall and to those who helped as student ushers. You were all fantastic. It was such a beautiful day and we hope all of our Year 9 community enjoyed the day. Thank you to those who contributed to the bottle bingo stall. There was a large variety of fabulous bottles. All proceeds from the day go to support Hornsby Women’s Shelter.

Directions this week

Mindsets are the series of beliefs people hold about themselves, which determine their behaviour, outlook and attitude. This lesson explored the concepts of ‘failure’ and ‘mindset’ and helped students understand the importance of approaching tasks and challenges with a growth mindset. This is critical for students’ development of resilience and confidence when approaching new tasks. The learning intention for this lesson is for students to understand that learning happens through failure, effort and hard work, and that a growth mindset is the key to this process and to making progress.

Peter Pan

Congratulations to all those involved in the production of Peter Pan. It was a fantastic performance with brilliant costumes and casting. Well done!!

Best wishes to all those families who have a Year 12 student as they graduate from school this week. Have a lovely holiday and enjoy time with family and friends.

A Message from Ms Beaumont and Mrs Michie, Heads of Year 10

Karen and I are extremely thankful for all your arduous work behind the scenes in preparation for the Garden Party. It was fantastic to see so many of you and to finally put faces to names of parents and carers who we have not met yet due to COVID. Bottle Bingo was a hit and sold out in only a few short hours. We are yet to hear the final count of how much was raised for the Hornsby Women’s Shelter, but we do know that it is all thanks to you and your daughters. We are extremely thankful for those last-minute, late-night shopping trips to purchase jars and miscellaneous things to put in them.

This week was a shorter week, and everyone is very thankful that we have a rest day before we say goodbye to our Year 12 sisters. Our Directions lesson this week was spent focusing on our minds and unwinding for the holidays. The weather was beautiful, so we encouraged classes to get out into the sunshine. Some classes coloured in, whilst others played UNO on the lawn. The students have done an excellent job moving through the Term 3 assessment period, and they can all now breathe a collective sigh of relief moving into the holidays.

We have a packed Term 4, with exams, the Future You Festival and Allwell testing to name a few. There are a huge amount of transition activities to get the students feeling comfortable to move into the Senior School at the beginning of 2023.

Of course, the big topic of conversation at the moment is the ‘Shormal’ which is a Pymble and Shore social event on the first Friday of next term (14 October). A gentle reminder, if your daughter is going shopping in the holidays for something to wear, it needs to be appropriate as this is a social event and not a formal. We have two years ahead of us filled with high heels and formal dresses, and this is merely an event to have fun and to socialise. We are encouraging the students to wear sneakers as there will be dancing and we do not want any injuries.

Karen, I and everyone here at Upper School wish both you and your families a fun, safe and happy holiday. We look forward to hearing about your trips and news upon our return in Term 4.

Key Dates

Friday 23 September Last day of Term 3

Term 4

Tuesday 11 October First day of Term 4

Thursday 13 October Year 9 Residential Program (Term 4) Parent Information Evening

Friday 14 October Year 10 Pymble Shore Dance

Sunday 23 October – Friday 18 November Year 9 Residential Program Term 4

Monday 31 October – Friday 4 November Year 10 Yearly Examinations

Friday 11 November Upper School End of Year Dance

Monday 14 November – 17 November Year 9 OEP Camp

Monday 21 November – 25 November Future You Festival

Pymble Parent Support Groups and the Pymble Parent Association Expressions of Interest

We are currently calling for expressions of Interest for positions within these groups. All positions can be found on the MyPymble App or by clicking here (you will need to be logged into MyPymble to view). If you are interested in getting involved, we would love to hear from you and would be happy to talk you through the various positions and what is involved. Please call us to discuss on 9855 7717 or email our Community Events Manager (events@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au) before Wednesday 12 October.

Meeting dates:

PPA and Secondary School Parent Support Group meeting: Monday 17 October, 6.00pm to 7.00pm
Junior School Parent Support Group meeting: Thursday 3 November, 8.45am to 9.45am.

More details to follow regarding the agenda and location of these meetings.

Mr Tom Riley

Head of Upper School

From the Senior School

From the Head of Senior School

This is such a big week in the Senior School. Recently we have announced the new student leadership body, as all Year 11 students begin the process of assuming leadership as Year 12s next term. Congratulations to all and I am confident that every Year 11 student is ready for this huge step and will continue the fine tradition of student leadership at Pymble.

These final two weeks have been filled with many exciting stories of dreams for the future and heartfelt thanks and farewells. On Monday this week, the Year 12 girls enjoyed a picnic lunch at Clontarf, as part of their final week of farewells and celebrations. Although the sun struggled to shine all day, the smiles and warmth more than made up for the weather. We have also enjoyed some very special time at the Honouring Ceremony, Gratitude Assembly and of course, the Countdown. On behalf of all the staff at Pymble, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Year 12 students and wish them all the very best as they leave – they have been final role models for compassion, good sense, friendship and good humour. I am looking forward to the events on Friday to say our final congratulations to this wonderful group.

Best wishes to all the Senior School girls and their families for a safe and restful break. My thoughts will be with Year 12, as they prepare for their final HSC examinations – the girls should be continuing with their preparation over the break, remembering that much progress can still be made.

From the Heads of Year 12

Well, it is finally here, the last week of high school for our amazing Year 12s! it has certainly been a big one, with so much to acknowledge and celebrate!

The Garden Party on Saturday was a lovely way to start our graduation week, we loved seeing the Year 12 girls volunteering their time on the day, or prior to sell their raffle tickets in support of the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Women’s shelter. We are yet to find out our total but from the looks on the day, we are sure we smashed our goal of $1500.

Our picnic day on Monday at Clontarf was a wonderful time to get off campus and give the girls an opportunity to let their hair down and connect. Many embraced the teddy bear picnic theme, though not as many braved the chilly temps in the water.

As we head towards the holidays we want to wish Year 12 a safe and restful break, while we know there will be a lot of study happening across these few weeks in the lead up to their HSC examinations, we hope there is time to connect with friends and family and reflect on everything they have achieved up to this point. As always there is always support if the Year 12s need it, and we will share some resources with them for the holiday break should they need to connect.

From the Heads of Year 11

For our final newsletter of Year 11, we asked our Senior School Leaders to reflect on the event or activity that has shaped them in 2022.

Jessie chose to write about International Women’s Day –

Whilst the Senior School Leaders helped with a variety of activities this year, one main event that stood out to me was International Women’s’ Day. International Women’s Day remains to be the first major event that the Senior School Leaders hosted and organised. Throughout this time, we met up with our co-ordinators, the Senior School Liaisons, and other leaders to organise the different activities.

All of us understood the importance of International Women’s Day in recognising, celebrating, and understanding gender equality, hence, motivating the student leader team to work together in order to create the best time for everyone. In the weeks leading up to to International Women’s Day, many students collaborated together to prepare a variety of musical performances, bookmarks, decorations across the school, movies dedicated to celebrating gender equality, a photo booth located within the KM and selling purple ribbons as a method of fundraising for the Hornsby Women’s Shelter. From the feedback that we received throughout the week, International Women’s Day was a successful plethora of fundraising, celebrating, and raising awareness on gender equity.

Overall, this event allowed me to grasp the roles that I needed to fulfil as a Senior School Leader and helped me improve on my communication skills through the organisation of these activities. These skills were vital to my work in the future, both within and outside of the leadership sphere. Moreso, International Women’s Day connected students from across the Senior School with each other, consequently, allowing each of us to understand the collective power of women in encouraging and establishing a world of equality.

Alyssa chose to write about the Ensemble Concert to farewell Mrs Sabina Turner –

This year has been such an amazing celebration of our Pymble community, and I really value the opportunities and experiences we have had to learn and grow as a cohort and as part of the Senior School community. Reflecting on the special moments we have shared, one particular highlight was the Ensemble Concert to farewell Mrs Turner and the Music Class of 2022.

It was such a warm evening that served as both a celebration of the students and Mrs Turner, but there was also a tinge of sadness as we said auf wiedersehen. This sadness was because goodbyes are hard when we care for people in our lives. There was a strong acknowledgement of that gratitude and love, and whilst a few tears were shed, it was a really beautiful evening where we could celebrate and cherish the memories made.

Although it was a farewell, the concert was such a positive evening and reminded me to frame our final years at Pymble as a celebration of what we have. Whilst I’m going to be sad to say goodbye in the next year, I want to focus on the joy of what we have together, cherishing past memories and making special new ones.

Eleanor chose to write about the Colour Run –

For me, I’ve loved everything about year 11 but a standout event for me would be the recent colour run. It was such a great event for R U OK DAY which I really think brought so many people together from every year group. A couple of years ago, I remember Pymble did a colour run in year 8, but since COVID we couldn’t take part in whole school activities like that. Finally, big school events have come back post-pandemic and I feel it has made such a positive impact on our wellbeing as students.

Aside from the colour run, I think year 11 has been such a great year for our year group to bond together and for everyone to become quite close as we enter our final years of schooling. It’s been amazing to see our whole year group come together, as we have created such a positive and warm environment for each other. Seeing girls merge their groups or just laughing around the KM has been such a highlight for me and having such a strong community around you really makes a difference. Bring on 2023!

Pymble 2022 [EX]plore Conference

You know those days when you get to do the parts of your job that spark joy? Well, Monday was that day for me when I got to watch six of our Year 12 students present at the Science Extension [EX]plore Conference at Macquarie University.

Congratulations to Olivia Harvey, Sophie Coughlan, Lauren Solness, Elisa Yang and Joy Wang on their presentations, and to Macquarie University on the fabulous job they did bringing this opportunity to life.

They created an event where school student research was celebrated and students were able to complete their research journey by communicating their findings to their peers. What is more authentic in science research than that?

The students rose to the challenge and then some with their talks and posters being both informative and entertaining; many a career researcher could enhance their own communication styles by watching these students present.

Joy said she enjoyed seeing the different ways people tackled their projects.

“It was interesting to see the different approaches other people took in their Science Extension projects,” she said.

Sophie, on the other hand, particularly enjoyed the tours of the facilities, saying “they inspired me and gave me much more of an insight into what my journey at uni could look like.”

NSW Chief Scientist Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte did a wonderful job in his keynote speech painting a picture of what a future in science in Australia might look like.

Kerry Sheehan (from NESA) and Professor Sham Nair (from the Department of Education) were like proud dads, watching their Science Extension baby step beyond the school gates and showcase the exceptional worth of this amazing HSC subject.

Students also got to go on tours of science laboratories around the university, giving them deeper insights into life as a research scientist.

We look forward to seeing next year’s Year 12 Science Extension students present at the [EX]plore Conference, and hopefully some aspiring Year 10 and 11 students can enjoy this event, too.

Save the date – 11 September 2023 (TBC) – for next year’s conference and get your projects ready for a day that could be the step that takes you right into the science research pipeline.

Pymble Parent Support Groups and the Pymble Parent Association Expressions of Interest

We are currently calling for expressions of Interest for positions within these groups. All positions can be found on the MyPymble App or by clicking here (you will need to be logged into MyPymble to view). If you are interested in getting involved, we would love to hear from you and would be happy to talk you through the various positions and what is involved. Please call us to discuss on 9855 7717 or email our Community Events Manager (events@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au) before Wednesday 12 October.

Meeting dates:

PPA and Secondary School Parent Support Group meeting: Monday 17 October, 6.00pm to 7.00pm
Junior School Parent Support Group meeting: Thursday 3 November, 8.45am to 9.45am.

More details to follow regarding the agenda and location of these meetings.

Mrs Patricia Gallardo

Deputy Head of Senior School

From the Boarding School

From our Head of Boarding

What a fabulous week we have had in Boarding! On Friday, it was great to have our Boarder Parent Group together to discuss all things Boarding. The minutes of the meeting can be accessed by clicking here..

This was followed by a fabulous evening of catching up, celebrating and dancing at the Warrawee Club. Our ABBA cover band, Mamma Mia, was a real hit with universal appeal for our youngest Boarders all the way through to the oldest member of our Boarding family – Dr Hadwen’s dad! The Boarders gave the night 100 out of 10, so I think it is fair to say the event was a true hit!

We were delighted to awaken to a sunny Saturday and it was wonderful to see our Boarding family coming together to celebrate the Garden Party. A laden produce stall, the fabulous Hillybilly Cider Bar and gourmet pork rolls all helped to ensure the Boarder Produce stall was a must visit on the day.

None of this would have been possible without the amazing Kylie Levy who coordinated the Boarders’ stall. Kylie worked tirelessly with her committee of Edwina Beveridge, Tessa McLaughlin, Julie Carmichael, Jane Francis, Jane Hillsdon and Kerry Roberts to ensure day was a huge hit. Thank you to all of you who contributed in so many special ways. It was a fabulous effort and even better to know that all profits will go to the Boarder Parent Scholarship Fund.

Congratulations to our CIS Champion!

I am delighted to share the success of our very own Grace Peters at the CIS Athletics Championships held at SOPAC on Tuesday. Despite being unwell for several weeks in the lead up to the Championships, Grace triumphed in her events coming first in Shotput, second in Discus and third in Javelin. We are so proud of you Grace!

Eat like a Boarder – Don’t forget to sign up!

I hope you can join us for dinner on Monday 10 October at 6.00pm, when you return your girls from the Term 3 break. This will be the ‘real’ experience, with you being able to enjoy the regular dinner service, just as the girls do each evening. If you would like to join us please rsvp to boarding@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au by no later than Thursday 29 September.

Happy Holidays!

It has been a busy and productive term and I am sure you are all looking forward to some special family time. Thank you for your support and generosity in sharing your beautiful girls with us. Every good wish for a happy, safe and relaxing break and I look forward to welcoming back you and your daughter from 2.00pm on Monday 10 October.

Mrs Carolyn Burgess

Director of Boarding

Co-curricular Administration

Performance Awards

Congratulations to the Year 11 and Year 12 students who have received a Performance Award for Term 3 2022. Please click here to view the full list of award winners.

End of Term 4 Registration Period

The End of Term 3 registration period opened at 12.00pm on Wednesday 7 September. This registration period will allow families to register their daughters for Term 4 programs as well as Term 1 2023 Saturday Sports.

Registration for Term 4 programs will close at 12.00pm on Wednesday 28 September 2022. Term 1 Saturday Sports will close at 12.00pm on Friday 28 October 2022.

Co-curricular Communications

To ensure you are receiving the latest updates for your daughters’ Co-curricular programs, it is essential that all families download the Pymble app as all communication regarding changes or cancellations to classes will be sent via the app. Minimal communications about programs will be sent via email. For more information and download instructions, click here.

Co-curricular Sports Photos

Our wonderful sports photographer Anthony Khoury has been taking some great action shots of our Pymble girls at their events. For anyone interested in viewing or purchasing photographs please go to http://www.akphotos.com.au/albums.

Once the website has opened click on ‘Click here to access the Gallery’, then head to the Pymble logo. The password required to access the photographs is – kelso.

Mrs Susan Lindsay

Acting Head of Co-curricular Administration

Sports

Co-curricular Sports Photos

Our wonderful sports photographer Anthony Khoury has been taking some great actions shots of our Pymble girls at their events. For anyone interested in viewing or purchasing photographs please click here.

Once the website has opened click on ‘Click here to access the Gallery’, then head to the Pymble logo. The password required to access the photographs is – kelso.

Mr Greg Meagher

Director of Sport

The shortcode only works for newsletter articles

Diving

Pymble Garden party

Whilst the Garden Party saw lots of excitement in the gardens around the school, the Aquatic Centre also became a hive of activity. The Come and Try FunDive for children and adults was a fantastic highlight of the day. It was so much fun for the courageous parents who decided to try diving and experience first-hand the courage and skill required to be a diver. It certainly gave our parents a full appreciation of both the beauty and pain of diving!

Frank Murphy Interclub

Well done to all divers who competed on Sunday in the second Interclub for the season at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Once again it was exciting to see our youngest divers trying new skills and our competitive divers refining theirs.

Congratulations to all divers on the following results:

Junior School – Pathways

Level 3

Emma Ware (Year 2), 3rd place

Jasmine Smith (Year 2), 4th place

Level 4

Zara Ware (Year 3), 2nd place

Indie Leon-Searle (Year 4), 4th place

Level 5

Amelie Berg (Year 3), 1st place

Emily Long (Year 3), 2nd place

11 Years and Under

Amelie Rahme (Year 4), 1st place and qualified for Age Nationals

Chloe Shires (Year 4), 4th place

12 and 13 Years

Addison Woods (Year 7), 4th place and qualified for Age Nationals

Anne Liu (Year 6), 7th place

Ava Jamieson (Year 5), 11th place

14 and 15 Years

Abby Smith (Year 8), 1st place and qualified for Age Nationals

Mea Shires (Year 8), 2nd and qualified for Age Nationals

Angela Xenofontos (Year 8), 6th place and qualified for Age Nationals

Leila Rich (Year 7), 11th place

16 to 18 Years and Open

Ilaria Crowley (Year 9), 4th place – 3 metre and qualified for Age Nationals, 4th place – Open 1 metre

Holiday Diving Program

Pymble Diving is offering training sessions during Week 1 and Week 2 of the Spring School Holidays as follows:

Monday 26 September and Thursday 6 October

11.30am to 12.30pm – Little Rippers (Kindergarten to Year 2 students)
12.30pm to 2.00pm – Competitive Diving located at the Pymble Aquatic Centre and dry land training located at the Gym from 2.00pm to 3.00pm

Tuesday 27 September and Friday 7 October

11.00am to 12.30pm – Vertical Fun Dive (Year 3 to Year 12 students)
12.30pm to 2.00pm – Competitive Diving located at the Pymble Aquatic Centre and dry land training located at the Gym from 2.00pm to 3.00pm

If you would like to register your child for the Diving Spring Holiday Sessions, please complete this form ASAP.

Please Note: This holiday program is limited to a minimum of five students and maximum of 20. Confirmation emails will be sent in the first week of the holidays.

Mrs Chris Lang

Head Coach – Diving

Hockey

Senior Firsts Hockey – Crowned 2022 Champions!

Congratulations to our Pymble 1 Hockey team for their stellar performance last Friday in the igsa Hockey semi-final at the Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre. Our players competed against PLC Armidale who were sitting at 2nd place on the leaderboard. Pymble were victorious with a score of 3 goals to 1.

Our players returned to Olympic Park the next morning to play against the undefeated PLC Sydney team in the grand final. In a dynamite performance, and with everyone on the edge of their seats, the score at full time was even at 1 goal to 1 which led the game into extra time (15 minutes). With an additional 7.5 minutes each way in a 9 versus 9 player scenario, zero points were placed on the board. To add to the thrill and adrenaline, this led to an additional 7.5 minutes in a 7 versus 7 game, where our Pymble 1 players delivered exceptional defense and a monumental goal to win the premiership 2 goals to 1!

Congratulations again to all our Pymble 1 Hockey players for a momentous effort!

A big thank you to Graham Brennan, Kate Jenner and all of our Hockey coaches for their efforts and for such a successful season of Hockey.

Thank you to our Hockey parents for their commitment, ensuring our athletes attend all training sessions and games. I hope your daughters have enjoyed the season and we hope to see them all back again in 2023.

To our Year 12 Hockey players, thank you for all your contribution towards igsa Hockey over the years – you will be missed.

Well done to Sydney Auld (Year 12) for being a wonderful leader and Hockey Captain for 2022. You have been tremendous role model for our players across the entire Hockey season.

Junior Firsts Hockey – Sensational Semi

A wonderful result for our Junior Firsts Hockey team who competed in the semi-final last Friday in a 1 versus 4 game, against the undefeated New England Girls School (NEGS).

Our team were impressive for the entire game, displaying resilience and persistence. They walked away with a well-deserved win over NEGS with a final score of 5 goals to 4.

Our Pymble 4 players also backed up the next morning for the grand final game against Ascham School. Unfortunately, the result was a loss of 0 goals to 1, however they should be proud of their performance.

Thank you to all Hockey parents and players. We are looking at potentially entering an Indoor Hockey competition in Term 4, I will send the information once I have all the details. Watch this space!

Ms Laura Verlinden

Sports Co-ordinator – Hockey

Junior School Sport

Congratulations to the eight Pymble Students who competed at NSWCIS Athletics Championships on Tuesday 20 September. Please see our fantastic results below.

Amaila Bond (Year 6) – Progressed through to NSWPSSA Athletics

1st 12 Years 200m

1st 12 Years 100m

1st 12 Years Long Jump – with a new record of 5.05

Claudia Wyatt (Year 6) – Progressed through to NSWPSSA Athletics

2nd 12 Years 1500m

1st 12 Years 800m

2nd Junior 4 x 100m Relay – Progressed through to NSWPSSA Athletics

Florence Cheng (Year 4), Emma Deere (Year 3), Zoe Liang (Year 4) and Marley Titley (Year 5)

Florence Cheng (Year 4)

Finals of the 9 Years 100m

Special mention also to Ava Costa – Discus (Year 5), Heidi Ferriera – Shot Put (Year 6) and Zoe Liang – 200m (Year 4) who all competed in true Pymble Spirit. Well Done girls

Mr Matt Tyson

Head of Sports – Kindergarten to Year 6

Netball

Congratulations to all teams that played in the grand final on the weekend. It is a fantastic achievement to make the grand final in the igsa competition.

We saw some great display of sportsmanship both on and off the court from all Pymble players. We look forward to seeing everyone back on the court in 2023 and remember to tell all your friends how great Netball is and come along and join next year.

Below are the results from the weekend:

Pymble 1 – Won 30 to 21 against Brigidine College1

Pymble 4 – Won 30 to 20 against St Vincent’s College 3

Pymble 5 – Won 20 to 16 against Abbotsleigh 4

Pymble 7 – Lost 19 to 39 against Loreto Normanhurst 5

Pymble 15 – Lost 12 to 29 against Kincoppal – Rose Bay 3

Pymble 20 – Won 10 to 20 against Queenswood 18

Pymble 22 – Won 19 to 12 against Ascham School 11

Pymble 24 – Lost 20 to 31 against Meriden School 19

Ms Kate Irvine

Sports Co-ordinator – Netball

Water Polo

Congratulations to our all our Pymble Water Polo players on an outstanding Term 3 season There was great teamwork and improvements throughout the season.

Special mention to Lucinda Middleton (Year 9) who was selected in the New South Wales “born 2008”, team.

The National State Championships (NSC) are a performance competition for State Representative teams. It is a Water Polo Australia selection event for National Age Group Program squads. The NSC is an opportunity for the best athletes in each State to compete against each other for the National Title.

Lucinda will compete in the Female National State Championships held on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Good luck!

Ms Brigette Moore

Head Coach – Water Polo

Performing Arts

As we conclude Term 3, I just wanted to recognise and celebrate the myriad of achievements by students across the performing arts.

The Garden Party, as well as being a magnificent reflection of Pymble Ladies’ College as thriving and nurturing community, was also a fabulous showcase for Performing Arts students from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Music, Dance and Drama events joyously abounded across the College.

The spirit, commitment and also sheer diversity of the presentations offered tantalising captures of the broader Performing Arts programs experienced by Pymble students.

Well done to all the students involved and the dedicated practitioners who have supported them.

Mr Michael Griffiths

Director of Co-curricular Performing Arts

The shortcode only works for newsletter articles

Robotics

Our Pymble Robotics teams competed in the VEX IQ Competition Tournament 1 and the VEX Robotics Competition Tournament 1, with four teams qualifying for the VEX Nationals in Sydney in December 2022.

For many of our Junior VEX IQ teams, this was the first in-person tournament, after years of remote events due to Covid-19. Robotics tournaments are more than just competing in matches. They require time management, making sure they arrive at matches and other events on time in addition to solving the inevitable problems that pop up during the day. It can be an overwhelming experience, but one that prepares our students for the challenges they face in any career.

The morning of the VEX IQ Competition Tournament 1 started with qualification matches, with many of our young teams performing admirably.

In Pymble team 6510E The Robotic Cookies, Anika Verma (Year 5) and Phoebe Scott (Year 5) were placed in the top 10 for most of the morning, with their sturdy and deceptively simple robot, Chip, scoring solid points.

Sophia Wong (Year 5) and Audrey Wyldhil (Year 5) entered a very creative robot that sported scissor lifts, spinners and a far-reaching arm. This was a wild, unique and creative entry which was built from a desire for exploration.

In Pymble team VEX Vegetables, Lily Xing (Year 6) and Scarlett Wong (Year 6) entered an engineeringly sound robot, Broccoli, that was so strong it did not break and racked up points with a solid strategy.

After qualifying rounds, it was finals time, and three Pymble teams made it through.

The 6510F VEX Koalas, being students Chloe Shao (Year 6), Nicole Fan (Year 6), Valerie Zhao (Year 6) and Elaine Zhang (Year 6), together with a Barker College team, put in a mammoth effort this build season. They developed their robot and trialled many types of designs. They were first to compete and posted a sound score of 35 points for finals. This team was very capable of scoring a final winning score, however, never quite had the opportunity to post its highest scores. Nonetheless, because of its ability to score points in many ways, it was one of the most consistent runners, and won the Build Award. Watch out for this robot in future competitions!

Next to compete was our Pymble alliance, 6510K Axolotls, Jessica Persson (Year 6), Celine Soo (Year 6) and Leahara Wijesuriya (Year 6) and 6510H, Kathy Wang (Year 6), Yuecheng Xu (Year 6) and Lulu Li (Year 6) who came from a hot qualifying round, where they worked together to score an impressive 89 points. In the finals they posted a solid 58 points, which saw them through to finishing third place on the day. Though they were very capable of scoring higher, unfortunately the nature of competition was that it wasn’t their day.

Celine Soo (Year 6) and Jessica Persson (Year 6) showed amazing resilience after their robot failed in the first few matches, posting a score far beneath their robot’s potential. Nonetheless, they persisted, and ended with one of the highest scores of the day in their last qualifying match. Celine and Jessica submitted a world-class engineering notebook that outlined their design process. Through their teamwork and high performing robot, Celine and Jessica won the Design Award.

All teams put in a stupendous effort, with Year 5 following on from Outdoor Education at Vision Valley the week before. What wonderful resilient and dedicated technicians we have – congratulations to all students!

Congratulations to all our Year 5 and Year 6 VEX IQ Competition teams:

6510A – Isabella Eum (Year 6), Heidi Ferreira (Year 6), Aurora Zhang (Year 6)

6510B – Sophia Wong (Year 5), Audrey Wyldhill (Year 5)

6510C VEX Vegetables – Lily Xing (Year 6), Scarlett Wong (Year 6)

6510D Azzz – Ashleigh Du (Year 5), Rebecca Zhou (Year 5)

6510E The Robot Cookies – Anika Verma (Year 5), Phoebe Scott (Year 5)

6510F VEX Koalas – Nicole Fan (Year 6), Chloe Shao (Year 6), Valerie Zhao (Year 6), Elaine Zhang (Year 6) – Finalists and Build Award

6510G The Robotics Children – Jennifer Xu (Year 5), Haley Zhang (Year 5), Ariana Ng (Year 5), Seline Jiang (Year 5)

6510H – Kathy Wang (Year 6), Yuecheng Xu (Year 6), Lulu Li (Year 6) – 3rd place finalists

6510J UHB – Kiara Excell (Year 5), Oriana Fenton (Year 5)

6510K Axelotls – Jessica Persson (Year 6), Celine Soo (Year 6), Leahara Wijesuriya (Year 6) – 3rd place finalists and Design Award. Qualified for Nationals.

6510M Pymble Tinkers – Annabella Bayfield (Year 6), Sophie Kidd (Year 6)

6510N Raptors – Jing Yuan Liu (Year 5), Angela Mao (Year 5), Sophia Felizzi (Year 5), Jennifer Xu (Year 5)

6510P Ice Cream – Sophie Harris (Year 6), Cabrini Lee (Year 6)

Our Year 7 and Year 8 teams competed in VEX V5 Competition, showed amazing teamwork across a hectic, action-packed day. They helped each other in many ways, including devising strategy and giving each other moral support throughout the day as challenges and problems arose. At one stage, 65100H Mia Squared, lost their identification plates, a mandatory requirement to complete. With no spares, they were given some by another team when Celine Liu (Year 7) hurried to their assistance.

Team, 65100R My Favourite Team, was first in the ranking for many of the qualification matches and eventually progressed to finals.

Team 65100C Pymble Primos, competed in the finals as alliance captains giving them the chance to choose which team they would like to progress with. When selecting a team, they were looking for one that would compliment their strategy. Choosing a team that was mid-table in the rankings, raised a few eyebrows, however, it was the right choice. The team went on to become Tournament Champions. However, this was not without challenges. Like other Pymble teams, the secret to their success was not just about technical skills, but the values the teams uphold. We are so proud of our team for focussing on what’s important and endeavouring to compete with pride and integrity. In addition to Tournament Champions, they also received the Innovate Award, for their design.

This season has been one of our strongest, with the most advanced field of robots our teams have ever produced. The judges were very impressed with our teams engineering notebooks, specifically team 65100F. They received accolades for documenting their engineering process and the judges were impressed with their knowledge in the technical areas of the robot. Consequently, they were awarded the Excellence Award, the highest award possible at a VEX tournament. This award not only considers robot performance, but their technical knowledge, engineering process and teamwork.

Team 65100A The Pymble Peashooters, placed 5th on robot skills, where their programming and driving skills are challenged over one minute. The team were given the Design Award.

What amazing results for all teams!

Congratulations to all our Years 7 and 8 VEX V5 Competition teams:

65100A The Pymble Peashooters – Anna Le (Year 8), Katherine Lee (Year 8), Iris Li (Year 8)

65100B Incognito – Audrey Lin (Year 7), Camille Xiao (Year 7), Helen Zheng (Year 7)

65100C Pymble Primos – Abani Dhaliwal (Year 7), Alice Mao (Year 7), Annabelle Li (Year 7), Kitty He (Year 7) – Tournament Champions and Innovate Award winners. Qualified for Nationals.

65100D Cappachina & the Marshmallows – Dia Verma (Year 7), Emily Huang (Year 7), Fiona Pan (Year 7), Jacquelyn Zhu (Year 7)

65100E Berries in Space – Celine Liu (Year 7), Jenny He (Year 7), Olivia Moon (Year 7), Jessica Shi (Year 8)

65100F SixFiveTenZeroF – Grace Beck (Year 8), Penelope Danziger (Year 8), Michelle Pan (Year 8), Rosa Kim (Year 8) – Excellence Award. Qualified for Nationals.

65100G Cabbage Radge – Audrey An (Year 8), Lexi Zhang (Year 7), Miranda Chen (Year 7), Bridget Wu (Year 7)

65100H Mia Squared – Catherine Zheng (Year 7), Mia Chan (Year 7), Mia Zhang (Year 7), Nicole Jiang (Year 7), Ranalee Siriwardana (Year 7)

65100J Spanish Luigis – Jessica Xu (Year 8), Jessica Zhai (Year 8), Jocelyn Ying (Year 8), Meimei Jiang (Year 8), Liuyi Cai (Year 8)

65100K Thina’s Churners – Elysia Sun (Year 8), Imogen Wu (Year 8), Lisa Wang (Year 8), Lucy Xie (Year 8)

65100M Defenestration – Amelia Carlan (Year 7), Charlotte Henderson (Year 7), Jemma Hung (Year 7), Nicole Zhang (Year 7)

65100N Pymble Guppies – Varada Vinay (Year 7), Isha Satpathy (Year 7), Nazgol Koochakzadeh (Year 7)

65100P Uno Reverse – Averie Sun (Year 7), Lillian Wang (Year 7), Sophie Guo (Year 7), Xiran Rong (Year 7)

65100R My Favourite Team – Isabella Zhang (Year 7), Manulya Gunasekera (Year 7), Nikita Srivastava (Year 8), Thenulya Gunasekera (Year 7)

Dance

Ms Katrina Cluff

Head of Dance

Drama

Peter Pan – Year 7 to Year 9 Co-curricular Drama Production

Congratulations to our Year 7 to 9 Co-curricular Drama students who performed to an exceptional level in their recent production of Peter Pan. These students impressed audiences with their fun and engaging portrayals of the various characters in this classic tale. A special thank you to the Director, Sarah Boyd (Co-curricular Drama Coach) for all her efforts and hard work in creating the production, as well as to the Theatre and Production Staff. Also, thank you to our Drama Parent Support Group who supported backstage, with refreshments and created the spectacular foyer decorations. It was a wonderful production of high quality which was very well received by audiences.

We wish all our Peter Pan cast members the very best for their upcoming performances:

Wendy Darling Madeleine Watson

John Darling Imogen Wu

Michael Darling Alannah Tang

Mrs Darling Genevieve Hartin

Liza Diana Attinger

Nana Phoebe Paleologos

Mr Darling Andelle Parker

Peter Pan Darcey Hawkins

Tinker Bell Elizabeth Tang

Tootles Sarah Usher

Nibs Nityasree Viswanathan

Curley Addison Woods

Pots Zoe Bloom

Pans Isabelle Port

Slightly Mahika Swamy

Lost Boys Ensemble Angelina Attinger; Katerina Economou; Sophie Ngai

Captain Hook Claire McPherson

Smee Indianna Joyce

Starkey Zarina Nurlanov

Cookie Sehjal Baveja

Skylight Lara Waterhouse

Noodles Laranya Nanthakumaran

Crocodile Charlotte Ford

Pirate Ensemble Emily Chiang; Lucinda Martin; Kristine Weng; Chloe Wang

Great Big Little Panther Candace Xi

Tiger Lily Madeline Potts

Two Moons Mia Chan

Chattering Chipmunk Selina Huang

Raging Waters Rachel Zhao

Indian Ensemble Abigail McKinnon; Andelle Parker; Ruhani Surana

Garden Party – Drama Performances

Two of our HSC Drama Group Devised Performances wowed audiences at the Garden Party, performing to a packed Drama Studio. This will be their final performance for Pymble Drama and audiences were very impressed by the high calibre and performance skills of these students. Their work has also been recently nominated for Onstage, recognition of the most outstanding work in NSW.

Drama Tour – London and Paris

We are so excited for our first ever Drama Tour to London and Paris coming up this September break. We have 30 students from Year 9 to 11 leaving this coming Saturday. We’re sure it will be a very memorable tour and look forward to hearing about the amazing Drama experiences and Theatre on their return.

Ms Tamara Sweetman

Head of Drama

Term 4 bus registrations are now open!

Registrations are now open for the Pymble private bus service during Term 4 – all students must be registered and must have a current student ID card to tap on and off each trip.

Buses will be operating from Tuesday 11 October until the end of term, finishing with the scheduled afternoon run on Friday 2 December 2022.

Registration for the Pymble bus service is offered on a term-by-term basis, in two formats:

Term registration enables the student to access the bus service every day in the morning and afternoon. The charge is set at $390 per term.
Flexible registration enables the student to register for specific day(s) with a choice of morning and/or afternoon runs. The charge is set at $6.50 per trip.

While face masks are no longer mandatory on Pymble buses or all public transport options per the updated COVID-19 rules in NSW, students are encouraged to wear one when travelling on Pymble buses. Existing government guidelines for household contacts/positive cases remain in place.

Please contact College Services via collegeservices@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au if you have any further questions about transport to and from Pymble Ladies’ College.

Thinking of a career change? Think Pymble!

At Pymble, you will be wrapped in a culture of care, community and commitment to educational excellence. You’ll also enjoy all the benefits of a big and beautiful working environment. For more information about working at Pymble, please click here.

Job of the week: Teacher Librarian

Following the successful expansion of our Outdoor Education Programs, through which our teachers have the opportunity to change their scenery and teach at our Vision Valley campus, we have the opportunity for a passionate Teacher Librarian to join our Pymble campus team on a full-time basis for Term 4 this year.

As an experienced teacher looking to expand your skills into a new space, or a recent graduate passionate about research and literacy, you will work to enhance students’ learning using a variety of resources and platforms. You will demonstrate enthusiasm and have the ability to inspire others in their pursuit of learning.

You will have a history of working cohesively with others and the ability to team-teach with your colleagues. A rounded teaching style is encouraged as you will also teach a dedicated wellbeing class, which enables students to focus on the importance of holistic learning outside of curriculum work, and ensure they regard our library as a place of refuge. Further opportunities to extend your impact could also involve supporting our Student Research or Book Clubs or contributing to other Library-led initiatives.

For more information or to apply, click here.

Speaking of Teens: Holding onto Love

We are delighted to present a special parent seminar, Speaking of Teens: Holding onto Love. Exploring positive and proactive parenting strategies, this Healthy Habits Event aims to tap into the love, hope and optimism we share for our daughters without being caught up in the drama that can dominate the teen years.

As parents, we don’t just want to survive these years, but to find a way together to enjoy them; to have meaningful discussion with our daughters, celebrate their accomplishments, live in each ordinary moment and be able to look back on a cache of memories we have spent years building with gratitude and love.

An expert panel including John Vassiliadis, Madonna King, Donna Cross, Michelle Chevally Hedge, and Brad Marshall, will discuss evidence-based approaches to mental health, digital intelligence and building solid foundations of communication for parents and carers of teenage girls.

Date: Wednesday 12 October

Time: 6.30 to 8.30pm

Venue: GMCPA, Pymble Ladies College

This event is free of charge, but not yet open to the public. We encourage you to book your tickets as soon as possible before we open it up to the general public on Friday 9 September, click here to register. More details will follow shortly.

Masks on Public Transport – UPDATED

While face masks are no longer mandatory on Pymble buses and all public transport options per the updated COVID-19 rules in NSW, students are encouraged to wear one when travelling on the Pymble buses. Existing government guidelines for household contacts/positive cases remain in place.

2022 MMG Parent Survey Feedback

On behalf of all of us at the College, we would like to thank parents of Year 2, 6, 8, 10 and 12 students for their participation in the 2022 Pymble ‘experience’ survey. The information provided is extremely valuable in our strategic and operational plans and leaders across the College have already been working with their feedback packs.

We hope you enjoy seeing the data in a new, visual form thanks to the creative work of the Community Engagement team.

Please click here to view the 2022 MMG Parent Survey Feedback.

The results from the Student ‘experience’ and ‘wellbeing’ surveys will follow shortly.

Pymble in Scone

You’re invited to attend a relaxed evening where you’ll meet our Chair of the Board, Mr James Hunter, our Principal, Dr Kate Hadwen, and our Director of Boarding, Mrs Carolyn Burgess, to connect with the Pymble community and celebrate our proud history.

Futures Team @ Pymble

emPOWERED Lunch

This week, we were lucky enough to have Dr Jennifer Matthews and Zoë Callister-Hakewill join us for a double emPOWER Lunch. Students had the opportunity to talk to these inspiring women about their careers and life experiences, giving us a glimpse into life after school.

Dr Jennifer Matthews is a coral biologist and a Human Frontiers Science Program Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Future Reefs Research Program, who has pioneered the application of metabolomics in coral health. It was amazing to hear about the fascinating, and sometimes surprising, journey that her career has taken her on – whether that be conducting research in the Amazon, or having a two-week long holiday in Thailand becoming a four year stay, founding Big Blue Conservation to protect Thailand’s reef ecosystems.

Above all, Dr Matthews talked to us about the importance of following your passion, wherever it may lead you. Relaying her own experience, she explained that your path in life can change so much – when she left school, she never imagined that she would become a marine biologist. She encouraged us to take any opportunity and learn what it is that we love doing. We can’t wait to see some of our students become pioneers in biology and conservation. Thank you so much, Dr Matthews!

We also wanted to thank Zoë Callister-Hakewill for the thoughtful discussion she had with students about medical technology and bioengineering. Zoë graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Medical Science, and has since completed Masters in Public Health, Business Administration, and Health Law.

Currently, she is the general manager of Dr’s On Call and the host of the podcast Beyond the Medicine Cabinet. It was extremely interesting to hear about the different intersecting pathways between medicine and other disciplines, as she delved into the various careers, roles and projects we could undertake.

She was passionate about the need for further communication between health sciences and the public, which motivated her to create her podcast talking about innovative medical technologies in an accessible manner. Her enthusiasm and depth of knowledge was so inspiring, and we hope that our students continue to forge a pathway for women in STEM, just as she has.

2022 Census Privacy Notice

We’d like to pass on a message from the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment who recently sent out a Census Privacy Notice advising parents and guardians that it collects certain information about Pymble Ladies’ College, its staff and student body.

The information that is collected is done so in accordance with the Australian Education Act 2013 and the Australian Education Regulation 2013 and is provided to the department by Pymble via various data collections on the SchoolsHUB website.

The Census Privacy Notice – which can be read by clicking here – explains why this information is collected, how it is collected, exactly what information is collected, how the information will be used and disclosed, and the steps they’re taking to maintain student privacy.

Pymble Cyber Safety Hub

Your family, your school and cyber safety

Our school recognises that children today are growing up in an increasingly online world and that it’s important that we do more to support and guide them to navigate this digital landscape.

Successfully developing healthy and responsible digital citizens requires a holistic approach, and that’s why our school’s cyber safety ecosystem allows us to work collaboratively with you to support your children’s digital development and provide the advice and support you need.

Click here to access the Pymble Cyber Safety Hub.

Pymble Station Upgrade

Click here to read information from NSW Government about the Pymble Station Upgrade.

From the Director of Community Engagement and Advancement

Upcoming Events – Enjoy the break!

This term has certainly been a busy one, culminating in Garden Party and end of year celebrations for our graduating Year 12 students – but there is still more to come next term. Stay tuned for more information for the full schedule of events in Term 4, and in the meantime, to view the upcoming calendar please click here.

Speaking of Teens: Holding onto Love

Nothing is ever quiet for long at the College; Week 1 of Term 4 kicks off with a much-anticipated forum including five panellists discussing the concerns and possible strategies of parenting teenage daughters. In this event, we welcome; Madonna King, Donna Cross, Michele Chevalley Hedge, Brad Marshal and Pymble parent John Vassiliadis as our panel of experts.

The panel is perfectly balanced to meet our aim of the evening; to learn to celebrate the formative development that occurs during the teenage years and not only survive but thrive throughout them. Topics covered will include the use of devices and the technological diet, navigating friendship connections, nutrition and sleep, social/life balance and approaching difficult conversations with daughters.

The event is free and is open to the public, but bookings are essential. We have had a huge response so far, and there are limited seats available, so book now to avoid disappointment.

Garden Party

What an incredible weekend for Garden Party! It was wonderful to see so many of our students and their friends and families on campus for the biggest event at the College in years! The weather was (mostly) wonderful, with plenty to see and do across our campus. We loved seeing the smiling faces at all of this year’s activities and hope you all enjoyed the return of old favourites as well as some new additions. A big thank you to everyone who got involved.

Year 12

This week we have farewelled our graduating Year 12 students with the appropriate fanfare. With the ESU/Alumni presentation, Countdown, Final Assembly, Speech Day and Valedictory dinner all in our very packed diaries this week, it has been busy, but so incredibly worthwhile as we watch our girls go forth with all that Pymble has armed them with. We wish them all the very best in their exams and in the years to follow, remembering that they are and always will be Pymble girls.

Pymble Parents Association Annual General Meeting

We are currently calling for expressions of Interest for positions within these groups. If you are interested in getting involved, we would love to hear from you and would be happy to talk you through the various positions and what is involved. Please call us to discuss on (02) 9855 7717 or email our Community Events Manager (events@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au) before Wednesday 12 October.

Meeting dates:

PPA and Secondary School Parent Support Group meeting: Monday 17 October, 6.00pm to 7.00pm
Junior School Parent Support Group meeting: Thursday 3 November, 8.45am to 9.45am.

More details to follow regarding the agenda and location of these meetings.

Mrs Kelly Mancey

Director – Community Engagement & Advancement

Semester 2 Community Events Calendar

Communications at Pymble

Important: MyPymble app updated  

We hope you have been enjoying the benefits of our MyPymble parent portal – the one-stop shop for parents and carers to receive and store College communications. Going forward only minimal communications will be sent via email, with our ultimate goal being 100 per cent of communication to be viewed via MyPymble.

The College greatly encourages all parents and carers to please update the app via the app store as we have updated the software with some new features and technical enhancements to further improve the user experience.

Communications posted on MyPymble include academic, community, events, sport and co-curricular information, as well as important messages from Dr Hadwen. All communications sent to a year group, sub-school or the entire school will be posted on MyPymble and will not be emailed.

Please check your family is set up for success this term by ensuring you download the MyPymble app and have access to all the information relevant to your daughter’s learning.

To log in you will need to use your unique carer number and password, which you should have all received via email. If you are unable to log in, please reset your password using this link, or alternatively, contact the IT Helpdesk on +61 2 9855 7771 for assistance.

For further information on these tools please click here to view the MyPymble User Guide.

Parent Contact Directory

We are excited to launch the new user-friendly Parent Contact Directory which you can access via MyPymble or the MyPymble app. The Parent Contact Directory has been developed for parents and carers to opt-in to sharing their contact details with other parents and carers in their daughters/s year group to help build community connections. Please note if you give permission for your details to be added to the directory this will enable all parents across your daughter’s year group to also view your details.

As per our Privacy Policy (which can be viewed on our website), these contact details are for personal use only and not to be shared with other parties. They should only be used to make appropriate, school-related contact between parents and carers and they must not be used for any other purpose.

If any details are not listed on the MyPymble Parent Contact Directory this is likely because a parent or carer has not opted in to having their information shown. Please note contact lists constantly change as parents and carers update or add their details and you should refer to the list available on MyPymble for the latest correct details. You can also change your sharing preferences via MyPymble.

To log in you will need to use your unique carer number and password. Please refer to the email you will have received with your carer number to log in. If you are unable to log in, we would request that you reset your password using this link, or alternatively, contact the IT Helpdesk on +61 2 9855 7771 for assistance.

PymConnect

PymConnect is our online mentoring platform, designed to link our Pymble alumni, parents and carers to facilitate mentoring opportunities that help create a culture of shared learning, and enhance personal and professional growth. 

Since the launch of PymConnect last year we have received an enthusiastic response from our community. We currently have 177 mentors and 159 mentees making connections and building a sense of belonging.

The past 18 months have been extraordinary with lockdowns and restrictions impacting the lives of everyone – including our current Year 12 students. As they prepare to complete their HSC studies and embark on their next life journey, this is a time where connections and support are important. In preparation for our newest graduates joining PymConnect, we would like to invite you to participate in this program as a mentor.

A special thanks to those of you who have signed up to join the program following our last invitation.

To express your interest or to ask us a question, please feel free to reach out to us at pymconnect@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or phone +61 2 9855 7799.

Pymble Business Directory

Pymble Business Directory – Now Live

The College is pleased to announce the Pymble Business Directory to current families. The Pymble Business Directory will allow Pymble families to advertise your business or service to our Pymble family.

Businesses who have registered can now be found on the Pymble website here.

To list your business, please complete the attached form.

With your support, we hope the Pymble Business Directory will grow to become a valuable resource to our Pymble families.

From the College Uniform Shop

A reminder that girls need to be wearing the winter uniform in Term 3. This includes the navy blazer, which is a compulsory garment to be worn to and from school.

Important Winter uniform notes

Girls in Kindergarten to Year 8 wear the winter tunic with a plain white pointed collar blouse and tie.
Kindergarten to Year 6 girls have the choice of knee-high black socks or 70 denier black opaque tights.
All Secondary School girls wear 70 denier black opaque tights.
Years 9 and 10 wear the winter skirt with a plain white pointed collar blouse and tie.
Years 11 and 12 wear the skirt with the long sleeve tartan trim long sleeve blouse and tie.
The navy blazer and winter navy hat must be worn to and from school each day.

Click here to access the shop online.

Parent Handbook 2022

Our Parent Handbook provides a quick and easy reference for families on all things Pymble. We encourage all our families to familiarise themselves with the handbook.

Should you have any questions or require further clarification on any of the information contained in the handbook, please contact communityengagement@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.

Pymbulletin

Pymbulletin is our magazine-style publication covering student, staff and College news, initiatives, events and achievements.

The Ex-Students’ section of Pymbulletin reports on the achievements of Pymble alumni, news items and engagements, weddings, births and vale notices.

The Magazine

We are excited to share a digital copy of The Magazine 2021 with you. This is our yearly school magazine, compiled with the help of our students, providing an overview of the events, activities and achievements of our girls from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Look out over in the coming weeks for the opportunity to order a hard copy version. Happy reading!

Illuminate

Pymble Ladies’ College publishes its research and innovation journal twice a year that features a diverse range of articles written by staff members and guest writers. You can read the latest edition of the College’s research publication, Illuminate: Research and Innovation, below or by clicking here.

Edition 7 includes many insightful pieces spanning across a wide range of topics, providing insight into current issues in Pymble’s classrooms and staff rooms.

Highlights from this edition include:

Journeys of curriculum innovation in Geography education with articles from Ray Howells (focus on agriculture) and Liam Hume and Deb Owens (focus on interdisciplinary learning); all of whom are members of our Geography, Business and Economics team;
Mapping a college-wide approach to internal teacher accreditation and reward by Kerryl Howarth, Director of Professional Learning;
Starting a kindness revolution through research and student leadership by Kate Brown, Head of Junior School;
Looking at local history through a First Nations perspective by Ryan Stewart, History and Aboriginal Studies teacher and PhD candidate;
Other articles including research into HSC teaching strategies, research cultures in schools and teachers’ experience in global mentoring programs.

Congratulations to the our Garden Party competition winners!

Cake Decorating Competition results

Cake Box Decorating Competition Results

Performing Arts Support Group Raffle Winners

Year 12 Garden Party Guessing Competition winners

Boarders’ Auction

From the Principal

Insights from our 2023 Prefect team

Opportunities for parents as leaders

Dr Kate Hadwen

Principal

From our Chaplains

Reverend Punam Bent College Chaplain

COVID-19 Response Plans and Advice

Stay at home if unwell

Testing positive

Changes to reinfection period

Masks

Hand hygiene

COVID boosters and flu shots

From the Junior School

From our Head of Junior School

Celebrating our VEX IQ Robotics teams

Waging our war against plastic waste!

Kindness Shoutouts

Save the dates – an important note for our Year 6 families!

Year 1 History Incursion

From Mrs Lara Bird – Deputy Head of Junior School – Academic

Digital Safety with Kindy – led by our Digital Learning Leaders: Mrs Christine Cassidy, Mrs Siobhan Rooney, Mr Dan Brown and Mr Jake Turnbull

Academic Competition – National History Challenge

From Mrs Nerissa Davey – Deputy Head of Junior School – Operations

Junior School Digital News

From the Junior School Parent Group

Co-curricular Term 4 2022

Reminders from the Administration Office

Dates for your Diary

Mrs Kate Brown

Head of Junior School

From the Middle School

From our Head of Middle School

Year 7

Year 8

Our Middle School Maths Whiz

From the Secondary School Parent Group

Mrs Jenny O’Donnell

Head of Middle School

From the Upper School

A Message from Mr Riley, Head of Upper School

A Message from Mrs Hunt, Deputy Head of Upper School

A Message from Mr Levin and Mrs Richter, Heads of year 9

A Message from Ms Beaumont and Mrs Michie, Heads of Year 10

Key Dates

Pymble Parent Support Groups and the Pymble Parent Association Expressions of Interest

Mr Tom Riley

Head of Upper School

From the Senior School

From the Head of Senior School

From the Heads of Year 12

From the Heads of Year 11

Pymble 2022 [EX]plore Conference

Pymble Parent Support Groups and the Pymble Parent Association Expressions of Interest

Mrs Patricia Gallardo

Deputy Head of Senior School

From the Boarding School

From our Head of Boarding

Congratulations to our CIS Champion!

Eat like a Boarder – Don’t forget to sign up!

Happy Holidays!

Mrs Carolyn Burgess

Director of Boarding

Co-curricular Administration

Performance Awards

End of Term 4 Registration Period

Co-curricular Communications

Co-curricular Sports Photos

Mrs Susan Lindsay

Acting Head of Co-curricular Administration

Sports

Co-curricular Sports Photos

Mr Greg Meagher

Reverend Punam Bent
College Chaplain

Important: MyPymble app updated  