From the Principal

Today was a historic day for our First Nations students and wider College community as we officially opened our First Nations Garden. Tucked away in a peaceful, green pocket of the College, the central feature is an emu-shaped yarning circle symbolising the local star stories of the Emu Dreaming. With open hearts full of gratitude and curiosity, we learned about the significance of the emu from Uncle Neil, who also performed the smoking ceremony, and watched the Dinawan Dance by our ‘song ladies’ (also known as our First Nations dancers). Dinawan means emu in Wiradjuri, which is the language of Diyan Coe who worked with the girls to choreograph their beautiful performance. The garden welcomes one and all to come together to learn more about First Nations culture, acknowledge their stories and experience, and reflect on how we can all work towards a reconciled future.

Thank you to all the students and staff who helped bring this seed of an idea from our Stage 5 History Co-ordinator, David McKinlay, to fruition. Our 2021 Aboriginal Studies students are responsible for the design of the garden, and David, along with Ryan Stewart, Edwina O’Brien, Kate Howie, Nikki Kiddle and our Senior Deputy Principal, Julie Shaw, all helped bring it to life.

Please click here to learn more about our First Nations Garden.

Our incredible teaching, coaching, operations and administration staff find so much joy and purpose in devoting their professional lives (and, at times, a great deal of their personal time) to ensuring each student in our diverse College family continues to grow and flourish in a learning environment that sets her up for a fulfilling and exciting future. You may not know this, but some of our staff have left previous careers in law, health, media, the corporate world, sports and the arts to retrain as teachers or to redeploy their skills and expertise in the education sector because they are passionate about helping to shape young people’s lives. Such is their belief in the value of a life-long learning mindset, many staff members take on the additional commitment of post graduate study and professional learning throughout the year for the sake of continued innovation and excellence in the work they do at Pymble.

Today it is my great pleasure to showcase and celebrate some of the formal learning achievements of Pymble staff in 2022, but please note this is by no means a comprehensive list!

Pymble Plus accreditation – congratulations to our first five graduates!

This year was the first year of implementation of an internal accreditation process developed specifically for Pymble by our Director of Professional Learning, Kerryl Howath. The program recognises experienced teachers with exceptional teaching practice, just as the NSW Education Standards Authority Accreditation (NESA) accreditation program does. To achieve Pymble Plus accreditation, teachers engage in innovative student-centred professional learning projects that directly benefit student learning.

Congratulations to the following teachers for their completion of their Pymble Plus projects:

• Catherine Casey (Kindergarten): developing oral language skills as a precursor to writing.
• Victoria Aikman (Year 4): increasing student voice through the use of visible thinking routines.
• Stephanie Attley (Science): integrating STEM learning into the subject of Agriculture.
• Cara Smith (Mathematics): growing and developing students’ ability to think mathematically and solve challenging problems.
• Julia Squires (Mathematics): improving flexible thinking in Year 10 accelerated mathematics through multiple solutions tasks.
• Candice Cooper (Mathematics): strengthening outcomes in statistics in Stage 6 mathematics.

How wonderful that this work will significantly benefit student learning as well as other teachers at Pymble who will draw from the findings and be inspired to undertake their own projects. A huge congratulations and thank you also goes to Kerryl Howarth for her outstanding leadership of this important program.

The following teachers have also worked hard to achieve their next level of accreditation from NESA:

Experienced Teacher Accreditation

– Sree Raniga (English), Brendon Long (Science), Valerie Agapides (Science) and Luczia Bain (Music).

Proficient Teacher Accreditation

– Ashleigh Mead (Design Technology), Peter Veliotis (Mathematics), Peter Fogale (Geography, Business and Economics), Cedric Le Bescont (Data Science), Penny Charalambous (Junior School), Sarah McGeoch (Junior School) and Scott Johnston (Science).

At last count, we have 15 staff members who are working towards or have achieved a PhD or a Master’s degree. Adam Levin (Upper School/PDHPE) has also achieved his MBA. Fantastic work – congratulations to you all!

Teachers’ Guild Awards

At the recent Teachers’ Guild of NSW Awards dinner, three Pymble teachers were recognised for excellence by their peers. Mariel Lombard (Middle School/Languages) was announced winner of the Research Award; Alexandra Storey (Science) received an Early Career Educator Award and Kate Giles (Junior School) received a World Teachers’ Recognition Award. Go team Pymble! It’s so wonderful to have our outstanding educators recognised for leading the way in their profession.

Kate Giles also became a Global Action Research Collaborative on Girls’ Education (GARC) Fellow, which involves undertaking a series of professional learning requirements. This includes a research project exploring how to create optimal environments at school and home for students to be able to collaborate and work in genuine partnership with their families and educators, and presenting these findings at the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) Conference. How exciting – and congratulations, Kate!

ICGS, which is mentioned above, also runs the global Bright Field mentoring program, which three of our staff members undertook this year. The program matches staff with a mentor who is an international leader in their field and involves completion of a project, which is later presented at the ICGS conference.

Through this program, our Head of Senior School, Nikki Wise, is investigating how light-hearted or comedic literature may assist students with building a sense of hope, fun and joy in their lives, especially during challenging times. Cedric Le Bescont launched our Data Science course, and Stephen Robinson (Junior School) focused on staff wellbeing, exploring the needs of academic staff from beginner to experienced level and how the College can best respond. Great work from all!

In other external awards, we celebrate:

• Maddie Gardener (PDHPE) who was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Bank Early Career Teaching Award.
• Asaph Mross Becker (Robotics) for winning the FIRST Robotics Competition Woodie Flowers Award celebrating effective communication in the art and science of engineering and design.
• Our Wellbeing and Robotics teams whose programs were finalists in the 2022 Educator Awards, which of course is a testament to the excellence of our staff leading and working in these areas.
• Our Horticulture team and contractors, Green Options, who jointly received the GoldAward for Best in Category, Commercial Maintenance (Educational Campus) at the recent Landscape Excellence Awards for 2022.

Pymble also has our own staff recognition program, including biannual LOVE Awards through which individual staff members nominate colleagues who Live Our (College) Values Everyday, and the less formal Staff Members of the Week acknowledged every Monday morning. In our half-yearly LOVE Awards, 18 staff members received a trophy and prize for being role models in a diverse range of positions across the College and we look forward to celebrating our second group of LOVE Award recipients for 2022 at the end of this term.

Wow, wow, wow. That’s a seriously impressive Staff Honours Board for 2022 and no doubt there are many other fabulous staff members who have quietly gone about adding to their skills and credentials when no one was looking – such is Team Pymble’s commitment to excellence in all that they do.

We have a few more student awards events to go before the end of the year. As we continue to come together in our last week to celebrate your daughter’s learning and achievements, can I ask you to please take a moment to acknowledge the 500+ people on our campuses – here at Pymble and at Vision Valley – along with an equal number of casual staff involved in our co-curricular programs who have spent the last four terms guiding and caring for her every step of the way. Sometimes these people are front-of-stage and visible, other times they are way back in the wings, beavering away behind the scenes. Either way, they are a remarkable group of people who continue to make me so very #PymbleProud. Team Pymble, take a well-deserved bow. ❤️

Dr Kate Hadwen

Principal

From our Chaplains

This is my last newsletter reflection for 2022, so I would like to thank you for reading and for your time. This week has seen us immersed in events and the highlight so far has been the Year 6 Chapel service.  The music by the students (thanks to Mrs King and Ms Buckley), engagement by parents and families and the commitment of the Junior School executives and Year 6 teachers made it so meaningful.

The Church liturgical calendar has started a new year with the season of Advent and we light the first candle of Hope, which is the candle of the prophets to think about God and the light of Christ. As we reflect on the floods in NSW and Victoria, the aftermath of floods in Southern Queensland, the bushfires a few years ago and the state of the world, we ponder with Mary, the mother of Jesus, who would have wondered 2000 years ago as to how a child could be God in the midst of humanity.

The Scriptures assure us through the word of the prophet Isaiah, ‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9:6).

I would like to take this time to thank you – the Pymble community – for your donations and kindness shown through the giving of food items and gift cards for OzHarvest, the Bill Crews foundation (Exodus) and the Children’s Hospital in Randwick.  As we think about suffering in this world, may the words and life of Jesus draw us to love one another.

Have a blessed rest of the week, practice the pause and rethink the need to be busy and frenetic. Peace begins with us at home and in our hearts.

May Christ bless us with His peace. 

Reverend Punam Bent

College Chaplain

From the Deputy Principal – Academic (K-12)

Staff and student feedback prompted an opportunity to improve the timetable for 2023.

The final result of this process yielded a five-period day timetable with each period 60 minutes in duration. To support movement around campus, 5 minutes travel time has been allocated between periods. Lunch has been slightly increased in length to 45 mins. Consensus from the focus groups was that this timetable will:

• Provide optimal conditions for learning with the allocated time in class and frequency of lessons.
• Reduce the negative compounding effects of homework due to a reduction in the number of periods a day.
• Increase a sense of wellbeing by minimising the number of movements around campus and providing a longer lunch time.
• Increase the effectiveness of the Mind Body Spirit program through an increase in time and a redesign of how that time is distributed.

The 2023 secondary day structure is as follows:

The distribution of MBS time across the cycle allows time for the following:

• Chapel
• Teaching of the Compass curriculum
• Combined assembly
• Year assemblies and meetings
• House meetings
• Time with Compass teachers to build strong relationships
• Professional learning and planning for Compass teachers regarding the Compass Curriculum

The Mind Body Spirit time is distributed as follows:

Mr Justin Raymond

Deputy Principal – Academic (K-12)

From the Director of Student Learning (11-12)

Year 12 2023 – Holiday Consolidation

In my presentation at the Senior School Evening last week, I suggested some questions that can prompt a rich conversation with students around assessment tasks. Hopefully these have been useful as students are receiving their tasks back.

• What did you learn from this task?
• What good strategies/practices did you use that you will repeat next task?
• What strategies/practices will you change next task?
• What feedback/comments did you receive and how could you apply that feedback?
• How would you like me to support you?

Students have been working so hard this term and should be incredibly proud of the seamless way they have transitioned to Year 12 and the responsibilities that come with being the leaders of the College. They need to have a mental and physical break so I would strongly advise taking time off over Christmas. Having time to recharge is very important so the students can bring their best and most productive self to the HSC year in 2023. However, it is also a good opportunity to consolidate everything from the start of Year 12 in Term 4.

But what does it mean when we ask students to ‘consolidate their learning’? This should involve –

• Ensuring that all class work is up to date – practice essays, worksheets, experiments, research and homework assignments.
• Reviewing concepts that are not yet fully understood by accessing class notes, videos and other resources on the VC, Edrolo (for some subjects) and textbooks.
• Reviewing and taking note of feedback on the first assessment task and class work.
• Making study flashcards, mind maps or notes which can be used for retrieval practice throughout Year 12. The next time students may revisit this work may be just before trials so regular revision will keep these concepts in their long term memory.

Completing this consolidation as well as having a good rest, plenty of exercise and time with friends and family will enable a confident start to the new year. 

Illness/Misadventure Procedure REminder

Please refer to the instructions in the HSC Assessment Booklet if there is a situation arising at the time of an assessment task. Students can download this booklet and the Illness/Misadventure Form from the Senior School VC and parents can access both documents on My Pymble in the Curriculum section.

UPDATED: COVID-19 Response Plans and Advice

You may be aware that COVID-19 self-isolation rules in NSW have changed.

From 14 October 2022, anyone who tests positive for COVID does not need to self-isolate for a mandated period of time. However, as a school that cares deeply about the health and wellbeing of our wider community, we ask students, staff and families to continue to follow the recommendations of NSW Health and NSW Department of Education, which include:

• staying at home and taking a COVID test (RAT or PCR) if you have a cough, cold or flu-like symptoms
• waiting until you feel well and symptoms abate before returning to school
• wearing a face mask upon your return to school until you are completely symptom-free.

Year 12 students are reminded to follow the guidelines for COVID during the HSC exam period as outlined by out Director of Student Learning (Years 11-12), Mrs Natasha Stanfield.

There will no longer be a dedicated email address for reporting positive cases.

Please use MyPymble as per normal to advise the College if your daughter will be absent from school for any reason, and if she has tested positive to COVID.

To help protect our community, your daughter’s school office will have a supply of masks and RAT kits which will be available for students and families on request. These will also be available in the Boarding House and at Vision Valley for residents and visitors.

Please remind your daughter to remain vigilant about hygiene as we enter this new phase of living with COVID-19. This includes:

• coughing or sneezing into the crook of your arm
• disposing of used tissues carefully and thoughtfully
• washing/sanitising hands before and after eating, and following sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose.

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.

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.

 Any further information or advice for Term 4 will continued to be shared by notifications via the MyPymble app.

From the Junior School

From our Head of Junior School

I am thrilled to see how many of our Junior School girls have been exploring their 100 Adventures to Complete in Junior School throughout the year. Many congratulations to Dionne and Grace Jacobs who have successfully completed all 100 adventures!

It takes courage to embark on adventure which is a concept our Year 3 girls have been exploring throughout their Inquiry investigations into explorers this term.

Mrs Lara Bird, Deputy Head of Junior School Academics, Mrs Jayne Mercer, Lead Coordinator Years 1-3 and I were deeply impressed as we explored the girls’ board games, interactive models and activities all the while building our knowledge of these famous explorers. The girls have researched widely over the term and then been courageous in choosing their own way to showcase their understanding.

Some of our Year 3 girls also demonstrated their courage when they presented their speeches in assembly last week. Congratulations to Emily Chen, Zining Wong and Isabella Yang for your thought-provoking speeches about how we can show and foster courage in ourselves and others:

‘Courage – something that helps you be brave, like a candle in the dark or an arm around your shoulders.’ – Zining Wong(Year 3)

‘Courage to me means standing up for myself and trying new things even though it can be difficult or scary… Courage helps you become brave and be proud of yourself.’ – Isabella Yang (Year 3)

‘To me, courage is just taking a little step forward. Three years ago, when I was sitting in my classroom, hoping that nobody would ever choose me to answer a question. However, I talked to my teacher, and she encouraged me. My classmates’ smiling faces also gave me a little more confidence. Now it doesn’t ever seem to be a big problem anymore. I received not only courage but also friendship.’ – Emily Chen (Year 3)

Our gymnasts, drama and filmmaking students have been showcasing their courage, commitment, skills and passion this week in their end of year showcases.  Congratulations to all these girls on your wonderful achievements in your area of passion.  I was very proud of some very kind Connection Club girls who helped Mrs Bird and me write positive good luck messages for all the Kindergarten to Year 2 Drama girls and their performance.

Staff News

Some of our permanent staff are also being courageous and embarking on new adventures next year. Mrs Chantelle Durrant is heading back to Perth to be near family as her daughter grows up. Mrs Monica Medeiros is moving to part time work next year to give herself more time with her young family. We are excited that whilst she is heading to teach in another school, she will also be teaching with us as a casual teacher throughout 2023!  Mrs Alexandra Gordon is looking forward to further exploring her expertise in teaching within the International Baccalaureate system.

Mrs Jill King is heading off to work in a Kindergarten to Year 12 role in a school closer to home. We know she will bring joy, passion and a wealth of experience to all the students she will work with in years to come and we look forward to hearing all about her new creative adventures in the future.

We are very proud of Mr Stephen Robinson who heads off to be the Deputy Head of Junior School at Ascham next year. We know he will flourish in this role. We are looking forward to opportunities to explore kindness and learning partnerships with Ascham in the years ahead!

Whilst we are always sad to farewell staff, we are thankful for the years of dedicated service they have collectively given us, and we are so proud of their many achievements. Please join me in wishing these amazing staff members much love and luck in their future adventures.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Sophie Kidd and Annabella Bayfield (Year 6) who successfully qualified for VEX IQ Robotics Nationals on Friday at the competition at Barker.

Our Junior VEX IQ teams are now the highest ranked school in Australia on World Skills! This is a phenomenal achievement and testament to the success of this program and the girls’ dedication, tenacity and team spirit over the year. We had 5 teams in the finals at Friday’s competition, more than any other academy or school and we now have 4 teams heading to Nationals.

Congratulations girls and a huge thank you to Miss Charlotte Baker, Mrs Alison Tedesco, Jet, Fiona and Mr Brown who mentor the girls in our Robotics programs.

Congratulations to Aimee Qiu who achieved phenomenal results in the NSW Fencing Championships over the weekend. Aimee was awarded the gold medal for U8 girls’ Sabre and also achieved bronze in the U10 competition. These are fantastic results and a reflection of Aimee’s dedication and skills.  We are Pymble Proud of you, Aimee!

Congratulations to Elyséa Jones (Year 3) for winning the U11 Nepean Tennis tournament on the weekend at Penrith.

Our Year 6 girls have been enjoying a huge week of celebrations this week as their end of Junior School draws near. In their final Chapel Service, I asked the girls to reflect on how far they have grown through their learning adventures over the last 7 years and gave them these 7 top tips as they look forward to their many new adventures in Year 7:

1. BE PRESENT – Take the time to treasure small moments throughout your journey. The journey is always more important than the destination. Remember to look up from your screens and see what’s around you!

2. LOOK CLOSELY – Always remember that you are never too busy to stop and see the beauty in nature. Make time to sit quietly and enjoy the peace nature offers you.

3. ASK QUESTIONS – Be curious, wonder, dream and question.  Discover your own path.  Seek out problems and be a change maker.

4. BE BRAVE – Take risks and try new adventures.

5. MAKE CONNECTIONS – Have a go at making friends with people like you and have a go at making friends with people unlike you.

6. BE KIND – Never underestimate the power of a kind word to others or to yourself.

7. BE YOU – Always be true to yourself and be proud of who you are.

The Year 6 girls lifted the roof of the Chapel with their exceptional performance in French, English and AUSLAN of the beautiful Kindness Mantra. Our Year 6 girls are leaving a powerful and positive kindness legacy for our incoming 2023 leaders to uphold.

Year 6 Surf Education Day – Mrs Michele Wilson, Year 6 Coordinator

On Friday, 18 November, Year 6 packed their beach bags with great enthusiasm and excitement and travelled to Manly Beach to participate in the Surf Education Australia Program focusing on swimming and rescue skills. The girls enjoyed many opportunities to ‘have a go’ and try new challenges as they participated in activities including wading, learn to surf, rip detection, duck diving, paddleboarding and ocean swimming with their trained surf instructors.

Some quotes from our Year 6 students sharing their surf stories –

When we went to do Surf Education, we got to float in the ocean and run in the waves! My classmates and I got to body surf in two teams, and it was so satisfying to get pushed in with the waves. Luckily, the sun was out and shining brightly so I wasn’t cold at all. – Elizabeth Liu
We enjoyed three rotations, survival skills, surfing without boards and surfing with boards. This was a very exciting and nerve-racking experience for me, but the only challenge I had was to get into the cold water. I’m very glad I tried this and I would love to do it again. – Amara Ahmed

Surf Education was a really fun experience at Manly Beach last week. We learnt to survive rips, water skills and how to catch waves back into shore on a board. My favourite part was when we got to catch waves without a board, because if you took a breath you stopped, but it was satisfying to get to shore without a board. Surf Education was very a lot of fun and I want to back and do it another time. – Eva Still

The Surf Education experience was amazing. I got to have so much fun. The only challenge I had was getting into the water because it was freezing! But all up, I think it was a great experience and I got to have fun with my friends. – Abigail Martin

Surfing at the beach is one of my favourite things that we have done in Year 6! We had to learn how to float in the ocean before we actually started surfing. One of the challenges for me was that swimming is something that I don’t do a lot and the sea water was freezing cold! Even if I’m not a great swimmer, I still had a go and I really, really liked it. – Sally Zhou

Junior School Swimming Carnival – Matt Tyson, Head of Sport K-6

On Wednesday, 17 November 2022, Junior School girls competed in our annual Swimming Carnival. We had to modify the carnival to fit with the capacity limits of the Aquatic Centre. As a result, we ran the carnival over 4 sessions; Championship events and Year based Race League Events. 

Championship Events 

During PE lessons, the girls competed in swimming trials. We used this data, along with times submitted on NSW Swimming Central database to then invite the top girls from each event to participate in Championship Heats. 

25m Races and Race League Events 

Girls competed in teams for their house in 25m races, novelty events and relays. The activities catered for all swimming abilities with emphasis being fun, participation and house spirit. 

There were 2 new school records set on the day, along with more swimmers participating in all the events than in previous years. Results will be published in next week’s newsletter and our Age Champions and House winner will be announced at our Final Kindergarten to Year 6 assembly.

Library – last day for borrowing

All books are due back tomorrow Friday 25 November. Please contact Mrs Laretive or Mrs Itzcovitz if you have a concern about book loans. Thank you for your support.

Kindergarten to Year 6 Co-curricular Reminder

All Co-Curricular classes finish tomorrow Friday 25 November for 2022. Except for Competition Gymnastics and Swim lessons and Swim Squad continue. All girls should go to car line or their regular mode of transport home unless otherwise advised to Junior School Administration Offices juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Jacaranda Day

Thank you to all our families for your wonderful donations supporting the Children’s Hospital and Exodus Foundation.

Kindergarten to Year 2 may still donate up until end of this term if they would like to with a gift voucher or gift for a child, unwrapped, and placed in a gift bag for the Sydney Children’s Hospital. Please note that gifts should be new items/toys not pre-loved. Thank you to our K-2 families who have donated so far, we have collected $1,820 in vouchers and a lovely selection of gifts to be given to the Children’s Hospital and who will appreciate the kindness of our Junior School community.

Uniform

Please ensure your daughter has her play hat at school, to keep your daughter sun safe, the Junior School enforces with the girls a no hat no play policy and your daughter will be asked to sit in the shade if she has no play hat at recess or lunch.

All items of clothing should be clearly labelled so they can be returned to your daughter’s classroom if they are handed into the office.

Celebrations of Learning Kindergarten to Year 2

Term 4 will end for Kindergarten to Year 2 students after their Celebration of Learning on Thursday 1 December. Kindergarten to Year 2 girls are not required to attend school on Friday 2 December. Should your Kindergarten to Year 2 daughter need supervision at school on Friday 2 December, please complete the form by clicking here.

Booklists 2023 – Kindergarten to Year 6

As per the Portal notice, your daughter’s 2023 booklist is now available to order through Campion. Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students will have their stationery kits delivered to the College during the holiday period ready for their first day of school. Years 3-6 will have their orders delivered to their home. 

To gain direct access to Pymble’s textbook lists click here. You will need to select the booklist for the grade your daughter is in next year (2023) and type in code 2677.  

Your daughter will need the items found listed under “additional stationery”. If you have these items already, please retain for 2023. If you do not have these items, please purchase them. 

Please order before Thursday 8 December to ensure delivery before Term 1 2023 commences. Please contact Campion on 02 8905 8691, email campionsydney@campion.com.au for any order enquiries.

Junior School News

From Out of School Hours Care (OSHC)

Bookings are now open for the school holiday programs in December and January. All bookings can be made through KidSoft.

For more information on how to book a place, please click here or contact us via email at oshcadmin@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

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.  

Dates for your Diary

Term 4 

1 December                Kindergarten Celebration of Learning 9.00am, term ends for Kindergarten children

1 December                Years 1 and 2 Celebration of Learning 11.00am, term ends for Year 1 and 2 children

1 December.               Years 4 to 6 Speech Day rehearsals

2 December                Years 3 to 6 Speech Day, 1.30pm 

Mrs Kate Brown

Head of Junior School

From the Middle School

From our Head of Middle School

This week in Middle School we are beginning to tie things up for the year and preparing for our final celebration assemblies including the Speech Day event on Friday 2 December which will be held here on campus in the gymnasium. Congratulations to the award recipients and congratulations also to all those students across the Middle School who always try their best and contribute in such a positive way to building our community.

Last week at Barker VEX V5, our Year 7-8 Robotics teams, as usual, were a force to be reckoned with. There were gallant efforts and great improvement from all team members; but unfortunately we didn’t make it through. Nonetheless, our little gems of a Year 7 team won the Excellence Award for Middle School, the highest award a team can get. We are so proud of your commitment and achievements.

Year 7

This week it has been another exciting week hosting some fun Christmas activities such as our Christmas Biscuit Houses and upcoming House Christmas Festival on Friday. Each House will be preparing and then singing a Christmas carol which will be judged by a special panel of staff and students. We also celebrate the end of the year with a Middle School lunchtime barbecue on Friday. Girls can wear PE uniform on Friday and bring along a Christmas accessory to wear during the performance.

We are very proud of the achievements of all Year 7s who have enjoyed a lockdown free year, the first time in two years. Year 7 have been developing connections with their peers and adapting to the routines of high school, we know it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. In 2023 we will continue to work with the girls on developing the skills they need to form respectful relationships, be organised, to make positive decisions and build their capacity to take on new challenges.

We are delighted to announce a new student Leadership team for 2023. Congratulations to:

We are sure that they will continue to build on the great work done by the outgoing Leaders. Thank you to Saskia, Kyraa, Sophie, Tyra, Serenna, Jada, Leander, Anjali, Sitian, Mia, Jolie, Eloise, Alannah, Sienna, Clare, Irisara, Jaquelyn, Cindy, Grace and Amrita for all their fabulous contributions this year.

This week the Award Winners for next Friday’s College Speech Day were announced. We congratulate these girls on this special recognition of their commitment to their academic studies and contributions to the College community. We look forward to acknowledging these girls next week and expect to see all Year 7 students in attendance on the final day of school. Please ensure that your daughter’s uniform is to the expected standard.  Students will be dismissed for the summer break at 11.30am on 2 December.

As we approach the final week of school we will remind the girls about clearing out their lockers. It is best that the girls do this gradually over the next week to ensure they don’t have too many items to take home on the last day of school.

Year 8

Congratulations to the students listed below who will take on leadership positions in Year 9. Students who did not receive roles are encouraged to seek feedback.  More opportunities for leadership roles will arise in 2023. We encourage all students to try out and participate in projects and initiatives which interest them.

Year 8 have continued with Transition to Upper School activities this week. On Tuesday Year 8 Compass groups combined with their corresponding Year 9 Compass group during Mind, Body, Spirit time to discuss and clarify questions Year 8 have about Year 9.  The Year 8s also had time to connect again with their big sisters (Year 9s) who were with them in Middle School when they arrived in Year 7, through conversations and games. Some Year 8s were relieved to hear that not all subjects have half yearly exams and that the yearly exams are not as daunting as they thought. One student was very pleased to hear that they have the opportunity to go home to study after writing an exam. This reflects the responsibility Year 9s can step up to in the Upper School.

On Friday Year 8 will celebrate the end of year with a Middle School barbecue on Gloucester Lawn. This will be followed by a House Christmas performance competition for the last two periods of Friday.

From the Middle School Parent Group

We would like to invite you to our final coffee for the year:

Year 7 and 8 Coffee Morning for Parents

Date: Friday 25 November

Time: 8.00am

Location: Bricklane Espresso, Shop/21 Philip Mall, West Pymble

We hope to see many of you there!

Malini (Year 8), Sunny (Year 8), Shiva (Year 7) and Carol (Year 7)

Mrs Jenny O’Donnell

Head of Middle School

From the Upper School

A Message from Mr Riley, Head of Upper School

There has been so much happening in the Upper School over the past week. From Year 9 Outdoor Education in the Royal National Park, our Year 10 Future You Festival, The Great Return of our second group of Pioneers at Vision Valley, a week of Service Learning for our inaugural Vision Valley Pioneers, The Patricia Burgoyne Public Speaking Competition for Year 10, and the Young Entrepreneur Society (YES) Lunchtime Marketplace to name but a few!

On a personal note, it was fantastic to be offsite last week with a group of Year 9s enjoying some hiking, canoeing and more hiking in the glorious sunshine. I was so pleased to see my average screen time for the week was 17 minutes (a dramatic reduction on its usual value) and wanted to share this interesting article about being present and connected the world around us. With the holidays coming up, hopefully you have an opportunity to put some time aside to spend with your daughter enjoying our wonderful state in summer.

A Message from Mrs Hunt, Deputy Head of Upper School

As many of you will know, service is very close to my heart, and I am so proud to share the reflections of our Year 9s from their week serving the community.

Sewing with Heart

During Week 6, myself along with five other girls were chosen and placed in a group called ‘Sewing with Heart’ where we would go on to sew scrunchies, quilts and ornaments. Participating in community service for four days couldn’t have been more rewarding, and by the end we had picked up lifelong skills and, more importantly, put in many hours helping those in need. As young people receiving an education at Pymble, we each have a responsibility in life to serve those who are less fortunate. This is something that was truly emphasised while we completed our week of community service, even though it was undeniably difficult to get into the swing of things.

Starting out on day one, I remember thinking, “Oh my gosh, I have no clue how to sew. This is going to be a complete disaster.” And while it was a bit of a disaster at first with me not even knowing how to properly set up a sewing machine, it didn’t take long before the Sewing with Heart group made over 100 scrunchies over the span of two days. 

By the end, I could make a scrunchy from start to finish like it was second nature – one of the many surprising things I got out of this experience. These scrunchies will be sold by the Junior School girls to raise funds for a school of First Nations’ children, which is why all our scrunchies had gorgeous Indigenous Australian patterns on the fabric.

The hardest thing about doing service, as our wonderful teachers Ms Schumann and Ms Myles told us before we began, was to pour your heart and soul into something and give it away – as all of us had to accept by the end. But the sad feeling of saying goodbye to our creations was accompanied by an overpowering sense of achievement and pride. We had managed to support and provide for people in need within our community, while also solidifying the fact that giving to others is the greatest gift you can give to yourself.

Written by Rebecca Ryan

Exodus

During our service learning week, we had the opportunity to go to the Loaves and Fishes Exodus Foundation in Ashfield. We were privileged enough to work in the restaurant serving meals and packaging take away meals. We created hampers and Christmas decorations for the community, then spent time transferring donations between two of the different Bill Crews’ sites in order to prepare for the Christmas hampers to be made. After our second last day, we had the honour of meeting Rev Bill himself, he thanked us for all our work, and we thanked him for the opportunity to have this new experience. On our last day we spent the morning unpacking donations counting and sorting stock and then spent the rest of the day making more Christmas decorations. Overall, it was an amazing and eye-opening experience that we were all grateful to be a part of.  

Written by Mika Naito and Tully Black

Easy Care Gardening

This week for service we were part of the Easy Care Gardening program and went out to help garden the houses of elderly and people who are unable to do it themselves. This involved weeding, raking, and mulching. It was an amazing experience that allowed us to learn new techniques and get outdoors, whilst also helping those in need. It was great to see how our contributions make an impact on the clients, lives and their environment.  

Written by Abby Sywak

Cook for Good 

This week as part of our Service Learning Program, we stayed at school and participated in the Cook for Good project. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, especially knowing that the treats we made will have direct impact on those who really deserve them, the parents of the campers who will attend Sony Camp in the weeks to come. We also spent time communicating with Hornsby Women’s Shelter and are going to donate the money we raised from selling over 300 gingerbread cookies around the school. Overall, we had a wonderful week, not only making the treats but also keeping in mind that our hard work will pay off when those in need are able to taste our Christmas treats!  

Written by Phoebe Cooper

Cromehurst 

During week 6, some of us attended Cromehurst school for our service learning week. Cromehurst school is a school that provides a range of programs for students with moderate to severe disabilities. The Pymble girls were allocated to different primary school classes to meet and help students throughout the week. In my class, we would listen to the kids read, help them write and do maths, etc. Over these 4 days, it was truly a rewarding experience as we watched the progress these students make in just a few days and how they were excited for even the slightest things like when we arrived every day. Each of us enjoyed our individual experiences in which we were able to meet some really great kids and bring light to the difficulties they struggle with at school. Overall, we learned so much about how to interact children with special needs effectively and enjoyed the time we spent with them so much. We are all so sad to be leaving them and are hoping to arrange another visit to their school soon to see all our friends again! 

Written by Sabrina Cooke

MUSEC 

This past week Lauren, Annabel and I volunteered at MUSEC as part of our service learning program, and it was probably one of the best experiences we’ve had. Throughout the week we worked in two classrooms with primary years students with a range of disabilities such as ADHD and autism. On day one we arrived at 8:30am and met with the wonderful principal as we got to learn a little bit about the students we would be working with. We even watched a video about reading and interacting with the kids but our favourite part of the day was meeting these children.

They were all energised and excited to see us, making everything very worthwhile. At the start, we sat at small tables with the different teachers and just observed how they interacted with the kids, the teachers were all so patient, and they really loved what they did. We also were able to take the kids into quiet rooms where we read with them one-on-one, that was probably my favourite. There was something really rewarding about hearing them implement the corrections that we gave them. We sat with them during morning tea and lunch, and those were the times when we actually got to know them.

We played hide and seek and tip with them religiously! On days two and three, we continued with a meticulous schedule that the teachers used which helped the children understand routine and discipline, but Lauren and I got upgraded to our own desks. The kids moved around every 15 minutes in rotations to keep them engaged and we worked with them in literacy and maths rotations. We also PDHPE with them, outdoor gymnastics was really something. We loved all the kids from the moment we met them, which made leaving that much harder.

On the last day, we gave the kids a heartfelt gift from us based on things we heard them say in the playground and in the classes. We got them a range of gifts from board games to hula hoops, to Rubics cubes (which turned out to be a favourite), and we’ll never forget the priceless look on their faces after receiving their gifts. This experience really put things into perspective for us and made us understand just how challenging some of their lives are. It felt amazing being able to make a difference in the lives of those children, and we wholeheartedly recommend this experience to everyone else. 

Written by Nandika Singh

St Eddie’s 

This week we were assigned to spend time at St Edmunds College in Wahroonga. The experience was challenging but unforgettable. All four Pymble girls were assigned to a class in either year 9 or 10 and over the week we got to know the students as we spent more time with them. All the kids were so welcoming and always had a positive approach to all challenges during the day. From this experience, we have learned more about ourselves and about the different communities around us. For all of us girls I’m sure this week has really impacted us in the best way possible. We were so grateful to have had this opportunity with the children at St Edmunds 

Written by Mia Tesoriero

Clarke Rd 

Mary, Lavan, Catherine and I were so privileged to be able to take part in going to Clarke Road School (a school for children with additional needs) for 4 days for our Service Learning. During our time we were able to interact with the variety of kids, learning lots of things from the staff and one another. Whilst we were there, we got to know the kids in our classes very well. From basketball at lunch, playing with the chickens, going on excursion through their community access, enjoying catch in the morning or watching them how they adapt to learning in the classroom. The last day was quite emotional with lots of high fives and hugs, we were able to reflect on our experience and see the genuine hearts and all their individual personalities. After the week well spent, we were very happy with the impact and connections we had made in their community. We definitely have lots of gratitude for the teachers and staff of both schools for making this happen and greater appreciation for educators everywhere! 

Written by Jocelyn Teni 

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

What a unique week we had last week. Our Year 9 Pioneers were involved in Service Learning which was a great way to give back. It was such a successful week, and these students should feel proud of their efforts. The second Residential Program also finished with a Great Return. A huge congratulations to all of these students on their fantastic achievements over the past four weeks. There was also the Outdoor Education Program with Southbound down on the South Coast. We were so lucky with the weather and our lovely camp sites, especially the Bonnie Vale campsite. Well done to all who challenged themselves well beyond their comfort zones. Student Outdoor Education Program reflections are below.

Last week, those in Year 9 who hadn’t gone to Vision Valley attended a 4-day camp at the Royal National Park with Southbound Adventures. Over the course of the 4 days we hiked, canoed and used public transport to move around from campsite to campsite on a daily basis. The camp started with the highly anticipated city challenge where we worked with our new camp groups in order to complete given tasks across Sydney’s CBD. This activity provided us with an amazing team bonding experience and a great kick off to our camp experience.

On this camp, we completed a 12km hike with rucksacks on Day 2, which was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. This task at times seemed impossible but at the same time taught me to never give up, and to always keep going even if your limits are being challenged. Although this day was challenging, the amazing views we got along the way at Uloola Falls and Karloo Pools definitely made it worth it. During this camp, we were also meant to take part in a canoe journey to our night 3 campsite, but due to the weather we instead took part in a canoeing skills session at Yowie Bay. Here we learnt the three main canoeing strokes, the forward stroke, the reverse stroke and the emergency stop.

Another key highlight was visiting the Bonnie Vale campsite where we stayed on night 3. Here we got to experience the spectacular views of the ocean and faraway towns from the shoreline. A couple members of my group and I also took part in a sunset swim here, this being a fun way to spend our time at our final campsite. The camp ended with what was a beautiful hike along the Royal National Park Coastal Trail where we got to view the amazing Indigenous Rock artworks at Jibbon Head. When we reached the end, the relief felt by everyone was evident, as we finished what was a challenging but at the same time unforgettable camp experience.

Written by Katherine Macpherson

My favourite part of OEP was arriving at Bonnie Vale. After an exhausting day long hike, carrying our tents and camp gear through the bush for hours, it was so relaxing to just stop and admire the view. I found it so peaceful being surrounded by old and new friends and it was very amusing watching some of my friends go for a swim. I found it so valuable when our camp instructor Beth gathered my group around the beach and shared with us the importance of spreading positivity, having time alone to explore your thoughts, expressing appreciation for others, and slowing down by practicing mindfulness in our busy lives. Our camp instructor’s positive attitude towards everything is something I aspire to embody and impacted everyone in my group. From this experience I have grown as a person through strengthening friendships and learning how to make the best of any situation. I really enjoyed my time on OEP and I made so many memories.

By Jasmine Economou

Peer Support training was held on Tuesday with Burn Bright for the newly elected Year 9 students. These students will be a Big Sister in Year 10 in 2023 and continually meet with the Year 7 2023 cohort during Mind Body Spirit time to build stronger connections.

A huge congratulations to Alethea Levy in Year 9 for her selection in the International Football Group Australia U14 Girls Team. Please could you assist her by bringing in any lightly used football boots that you can spare?

A message from Alethea Levy

I have been selected to play in the 14’s Girls Youth team representing the International Football Group Australia at the 2022 Ultimate Fiji Soccer Cup. I’m very excited about the football opportunities and experience. 

I leave next week on Tuesday 29 November until Tuesday 6 December. We will play against three Fijian sides Nadi, BA and Lautoka. The final game of the week, and the one I’m most excited about, is against the Fijian National G15 team.

Off the field, I will have the opportunity to travel to some of the local villages and a primary school. I hope to take over as many lightly used football boots and kits to donate to them. When I have travelled to less developed countries, I’ve seen their passion and love for football. Very few of them have boots or even proper footballs to play with, but this doesn’t stop them from playing. Football has given me many opportunities and I want to be able to give something back to others that also love the sport.

With our season just about to start up again I know many of you may have outgrown your boots or football kits. If your old boots are still in good condition and just sitting in a cupboard, please bring them to Upper School by next Monday 28 November so I can take them with me to Fiji to give to the local children. I’m hoping to fill up my entire suitcase because I know how much excitement those boots will bring!

Thank you!

A message from Mrs Beaumont and Ms Attley, Heads of Year 10

The Future You festival has been jam-packed with a range of presentations, interviews and activities. Please enjoy Julie’s reflection on the first day of the festival:

Future You, Day 1

As Year 10 students edge closer and closer to the exciting new realm of Senior School and a future of boundless opportunities, many of us find ourselves mulling over the same questions in our minds: What next? What will I do after school? Where will I allow life to take me?

Obviously, these are big questions – and immensely important ones too – which is why the ever-supportive College has kindly organised two days packed with motivational guest speakers, consultants and university workshops to guide us on our quest to finding our career of choice. These two days constitute Pymble’s inaugural ‘Future You Festival’ – an apt name, considering the joy it brought to everyone attending. Whether we were gaining pearls of wisdom from our guest speaker Dr Amira Howari, who is an inspirational clinical optometrist and leader in medicine or learning how to present ourselves as professionals for the job interviews that will inevitably pop up in our later years, we all took away many profound insights and enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

Of course, these weren’t the only fun events on the schedule. The professional analysis of our Motivational Maps, which are reports that identify our motivations and explain how we should embrace them to maximise our success in life, greatly resonated with us and spurred us to reflect deeply on our inner selves. We also got a taste of what it would be like to study at university by participating in a range of workshops provided by Australia’s leading colleges – the content of these immersive sessions spanned everything from Physiotherapy to Marine Studies to Biomedicine and Law.

And how can I forget to mention gelato? I am happy to report that, as a cherry on top of all the other amazing activities, we received a welcome sweet treat!

And that’s not all. Tuesday promises a Mock Interview, guest speaker presentations on community service, and workshops that will teach us how to get the best out of our credentials and personal statements – all of which I am definitely looking forward to (I already have my smart casual interview outfit planned!).

Looking back on today, I realise that it’s okay if I haven’t come up with exact answers to the questions I posed at the very beginning of this reflection. Year 10 is all about exploring different pathways and trying everything out there. But although we still have plenty of time to decide what kind of professions we will pursue in future, I do certainly appreciate the help that the Future You Festival has given me in getting me started on my career journey. It has opened up my vision and allowed me to see the endless possibilities lying on the horizon.

I am eagerly anticipating another day of Future You festivities tomorrow. I cannot wait to learn more about both the world of work and the world of my own personal passions, and I’m sure that this sentiment holds true for my peers too!

Written by Julie Sheng

We are blessed to have ex-students and experts in different fields come to address our wonderful group to inform them of the realities of work after school. We hope every single student brings new knowledge home to discuss and is able to connect to a passionate area important to them. 

Additionally, this week we will have opportunities for service learning and fun on our Urban Challenge adventure. We look forward to updating you next week.

With the end of year fast approaching and the end of Upper School nigh, we hope Year 10 enjoy the little moments and relish the opportunity to learn about themselves as well as giving back to a range of worthy causes.  

Ecologically Sourced Seafood – Mr Brendon Long, Marine and Aquaculture Technology Co-ordinator

In our final topic for the year, our Year 10 Marine and Aquaculture Technology students have been investigating Food From The Sea. Following an exploration of the many stakeholders in the seafood industry, we turned our attention to the stressors on the natural systems and the long term implications of current management and practices. With 1 in 5 people (out of now 8 billion on the planet) depending on fish as their primary source of animal protein in their diet, and demand sharply rising, the sustainability of seafood is a global concern. In promoting the health benefits of eating seafood, we have turned our attention to making a range of seafood meals onsite to encourage our students to try new things, or build upon their seafood cooking repertoire. 

We began the term by making sushi (with sustainably sourced salmon and tuna), and we assessed the buying options available to us as consumers. Our students can now make a variety of sushi rolls by hand, with the protein of their choice, and we would love to see more being brought in as school lunches if the traditional sandwich is getting a bit monotonous. 

 

 

 

 

Mid-term, our students learned about the anatomy, life cycles and sustainability of prawns and salmon before learning how to peel cooked king prawns and grill farmed Atlantic salmon fillets on the BBQ. If your daughter is studying our elective, you should now have another family member at Christmas time to help with the prawn peeling duties, and confident enough to put on a seafood inspired meal for the family.  

 

 

 

 

This week, we were lucky enough to have Mrs Fiona Walmsley (Woolworths General Manager – Climate & Environment and Co-Chair Gender Equity Network) give up her time to address our cohort. She shared with us the challenges facing large industries in their push to lead by example to source and stock sustainably caught seafood. As an ex-student herself, Fiona with our students about her own time at the College, her subjects studied, her tertiary education pathway and career progression. Her valuable insight added depth to our content, and showed firsthand the difficulties the industry faces to serve up sustainable seafood. 

 

 

We wrapped up our sustainable seafood cooking unit with an Aussie favourite; fish and chips. Following Fiona’s presentation, and feeling confident to buy sustainably sourced fish, we made a simple but tasty batter from scratch, and deep fried our fillets (along with some chips) leading into recess. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks go out to our amazing TAS colleagues for sharing their spectacular food preparation spaces and cooking knowledge with us, the Facilities team for their work behind the scenes, and my exceptional team (Mr Hare and Ms Hessel) for supporting this unit with gusto. 

We would like to give a special shout out to the Sydney Fish Markets for their support of our unit goals, last year and this year, to assist us in showcasing the best seafood available. We purchased our stunning seafood from Claudio’s Seafood. All students present will attest that the quality of the seafood was of the highest order. Whilst we weren’t able to fit in a visit to the fish markets this year, I hope we have instilled a healthy appetite for seafood in our students, and upskilled our students in how to assess and buy sustainable seafood. 

Key Dates

Term 4

Monday 21 to Friday 25 November                    Year 10 Future You Festival 

Tuesday 29 November                                       ‘Walk for Cassius’

Friday 2 December                                             Speech Day and Final Day of Term 4

Mr Tom Riley

Head of Upper School

From the Senior School

From the Head of Senior School

Responding to feedback

As the newsletter is published, the Year 12 students will be finishing their first round of assessment tasks and receiving feedback. While there may be some excitement, pride or disappointment upon receiving their results, it is really important that students look to the feedback for ways to improve.

Please remind your daughter to check in with her teacher if she does not understand her feedback or would like further support. If your daughter is disappointed, an initial emotional response can be understandable but doesn’t help in moving forward with clarity on how to improve.

Remind your daughter that the mark is not the essential point of focus, instead ask her about the feedback she has received. It is also useful to help your daughter reflect on the strategies she used in preparing for the task – eg were all aspects of the task covered, did she leave sufficient time for preparation and review? Remember too that feedback can look different in different subjects – there is generally some written feedback, some verbal feedback and some time for personal reflection. Engaging in this will help improve preparation for the next task. A good sense of perspective can also be very helpful.

From the Heads of Year 12

Last week’s year assembly saw the year group recognise and honor several students who have been involved in the Smith Family Student2Student reading program.  

Odessa Girdis, Jemima Burney, Emma Lau, Ning Ning Jin, Grace Li and Serena Leung were awarded certificates for their involvement in the program that required them to assist and read to a younger period over a one year period. 

Serena reflected that: 

“I chose to do the Student2Student Reading Program because I was interested in being a buddy to another student who has having trouble in reading. I thought it was a nice way to support other students. What I enjoyed about this program was seeing the progress of my reader. We built a strong friendship during the process, which helped my them feel more confident in reading challenging books. I always looked forward to reading with her because she had a positive attitude towards learning and was engaging with me. The program taught me patience and communication skills towards younger children. I loved the experience of this program and enjoyed helping another student.”

Grace also noted that: 

“I joined student to student because it seemed one of those simple things you can do that just helps another – I thought to myself “why not?”.  

Watching my ‘student’, Mohammad, improve was both motivating and heartwarming. What I loved most was seeing his vocabulary bit by bit expand – a word he would stumble on before he said easily the next session, and in our four months, he moved up from level 9 to level 26 on the S2S scale – a very hard worker!  

Mohammad was highly ready and resilient and always showed up to the rescheduled times.”

From the Boarding School

From our Head of Boarding

This is our last full weekend in Boarding at it promises to be a bumper! There will be a trivia night with our Knox neighbours, a trip to a fabulous Italian bakery, a beach adventure and, of course, lots of packing!

Thanksgiving

For our American and Canadian friends, Thanksgiving is a celebration of sharing and abundance. For us here in Boarding, it is also another opportunity to be thankful and a time to remember and embrace those who enrich our lives. Our Boarders took the opportunity to write cards to family, friends and staff to whom they are grateful for the blessings they bring. We all enjoyed a beautiful Chapel service where our ‘K Pop Krushers’ performed and, amongst others, we celebrated the wonderful Mrs Shaw. A lovely evening was ended with a turkey dinner, a fitting celebration of Thanksgiving!

Big Sisters

Our Boarding community is a tight knit family who enjoy the company of girls from around the world. We treasure all of our Boarders, but our Year 7 cohort are extra special bringing the vitality and sparkle of new girls about to embark on their first experience of Secondary School.

For Year 7 it is a year of firsts – the first time away from home, the first time in Secondary School and perhaps, their first mobile phone. Our ‘Big Sisters’ have an important role in supporting and encouraging these girls as they negotiate their new life as a Boarder. They demonstrate empathy and act as friends and mentors, helping to make the transition to Boarding as smooth as possible.

I am delighted to announce our ‘Big Sisters’ for 2023.

Lola Barwick

Alice Beveridge

Phoebe Bucknell

Hannah Carmichael

Mia Chambers

Holly Craig

Ella Graham

Imogen Hawkins

Sophie Laing

Gina Lau

Evie Leahy

Dezi Magann-Jones

Siena Novak

Nandika Singh

Hannah Weber

End of Year Arrangements

The last day of school for 2022 is Friday 2 December with the day concluding at 11.30am following the Year 7-10 Speech Day. Our Boarders are welcome to leave from 11.30am and we ask that they are collected by no later than 5.00pm on this day. Boarders are required to take all of their belongings home for the holiday break so that we can ensure there is a thorough cleaning of all the rooms.

If there are special circumstances that mean your daughter needs to leave earlier than the above date, please email the relevant school office to request permission. Once you have permission, please enter details as ‘special leave’ in Orah.

Christmas comes early

Santa Claus is coming to town! Here at Pymble we are making sure that he knows that we are all on the good list this year. Last weekend the girls did a great job at decorating the houses with plenty of festive flair. It all started with a trip out to the Christmas tree farm with Courtney while the other girls were doing Christmas craft. Once the trees were back, the houses had Mariah Carey on the speakers while the boarders decorated and dressed up. Saturday night, the girls then all settled in for the latest Christmas movie to take Netflix by storm – Falling for Christmas. Sunday was a continuation of the decorating but this time, the focus was on the outsides of the houses. 

We can’t wait to welcome out Knox Boarder friends this weekend for Christmas Trivia. The Spirit House captains have been working hard behind the scenes being the best little Christmas Elves to make sure this event is a hit for all. 

The rest of the weekend will include a trip to the Christmas Markets at the Rocks and a beach trip late on Sunday afternoon. The other super fun activity for this weekend is pack up – the girls will be starting to prepare themselves for the end of the year as we enter into our last week of term and the year!

View From My Window

Hi, my name is Ella Graham and I joined the Pymble Boarding family at the start of Term 3. I was originally born in Dubbo and lived on a 30-acre block just out of town. I moved from Dubbo in 2017 to Kew which is about 25 minutes south of Port Macquarie and now live on a five-acre block on top of a large hill with a great view. I am going to tell you a little bit about Dubbo and Port Macquarie, as I still consider Dubbo my home. So first, here’s the view from my window in Dubbo.

On a small farm I had two dogs, an emu, lots of chickens, dorper sheep and a random bull my dad bought. I have a sister named Bridey who is 18 months younger than me and an older Indigenous foster brother who is now 19, his name is Brenden. We always got up to trouble as kids on the farm, like trying to ride the sheep after getting them into yards, building flying foxes (that weren’t always safe!) and practising how to do smooth gear changes in the paddock basher while dodging our emu named Eddie who would follow us everywhere. I loved riding motorbikes with my neighbours and yabbying in our dam. We had an enormous pool which was everyone’s go-to spot after a long hot day at work. Usually on a Friday night we had 15+ people at our house from neighbouring farms socialising while the kids played in the pool. I have great memories of this time.

From my window on the farm I would often see our peacock and emu standing together beside the water trough on a hot summer’s day. I remember looking out across the flat paddocks towards our dam and seeing dry strands of grass and tall pine trees which would sway in the wind. I could just see the dam from my window where all of us kids would go swimming, catch yabbies and paddle the canoe. There were also garden beds beside my window and I could often smell the sweet scent of the pink and white roses.

The peacock I mentioned earlier just randomly turned up at our place one day – it was so strange as no one knew where he came from. This peacock would come and go over the years and he developed a name for himself, Peter the Peacock. He became a part of our family and it was our job to feed and look after him until we left Dubbo, which was very sad. Along with the peacock we had out pet emu named Eddie. We got him when I was eight years old – he came from Engonia which is a very remote town in far north-western NSW. One strange thing about Eddie was that he made a drumming sound in his throat which would often wake me up in the morning because it was so loud. We learned that this drumming was actually the call of a female emu! Our Eddie was in fact a girl! So we quickly renamed her to Edwina the Emu.

Another great thing about living in Dubbo was that we were only a few minutes from the Dubbo Zoo, where I always got to have my birthday parties.

In 2017, my family and I moved from Dubbo to a place called Kew just 25 minutes south of Port Macquarie. After 12 months of living here our house was finally built. I remember how excited I was the day we moved in as I already knew many kids in the neighbourhood. We have no been living in our new house for five years and it’s been the best five years of my life.

From my window I currently have an amazing view over Kendall and Kew towards the Comboyne Mountains, along with a gorgeous sunset every evening. I can also see my dad’s shed where he spends most of this time fixing cranes, designing and creating new things. As we are on top of a hill we get refreshing coastal breezes every afternoon which is pleasant in the humid summer months. I’m surrounded by large grey gums and enjoy looking into the treetops – I feel like I’m on top of the world! I love that I’ve had the opportunity to live on a farm out west, live on the beautiful mid-north coast and now also get to experience city life here at Pymble.

Boarder of the Week

Congratulations to Year 10 Boarder, Lauren Whitfield Lowe who is our last Boarder of the Week for 2022. Since joining us last year, Lauren has consistently demonstrated the Boarding spirit. She is kind and gracious and goes about her business in a quiet and fuss-free manner. Lauren always volunteers to help out around the house and is there to support her friends when they need a little extra encouragement. She is also works hard on her academics and makes good use of the Learn It program. She is an amazing dancer, excelling in ballet and jazz and a shining star in the recent Dance Showcase. We feel very grateful to have Lauren as a member of our Boarding family.

Mrs Carolyn Burgess

Director of Boarding

Co-curricular Administration

End of Term 4 Registration Period

The End of Term 4 Registration period will allow families to register their daughters for Term 1 2023 programs. Registrations will open via the online registration system at 12.00pm on Wednesday 30 November. Please access the online registration via the Co-curricular pages on MyPymble by clicking here.

A parent/carer log in is required to be able to register. We recommend families check they can access the system well in advance of the opening date to avoid any technical issues on the day as registrations CANNOT be processed via email or phone.

A notice will be placed onto the MyPymble app prior to registrations opening as a reminder of the opening date and time. All program information will be finalised on the Co-curricular pages of MyPymble by Wednesday 23 November.

Term 1 2023 Saturday Sport Registrations

Registrations for Term 1 2023 Saturday Sports closed on Friday 28 October at 12.00pm. To request registration into an available Saturday Sport for Term 1, you will need to complete a registration request by clicking here. Requests will be sent to the Co-ordinator for approval, and you will receive an email of the outcome.

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. 

Mrs Susan Lindsay

Acting Head of Co-curricular Administration

Sports

Fencing

Congratulations to Renee Leung (Year 9) who has had an exceptional past few weeks of Fencing! Renee entered her first national competition event in the Senior Women’s Foil category of the Australian Fencing Circuit (AFC) #4 in Melbourne where she came 7th.   

In addition, last weekend, she also entered the New South Wales (NNSW) Under 20 Junior State Championship and came second. We look forward to seeing Renee continue bringing home great results in her next competition, the Australian Open Fencing Championships on Friday 25 November in Adelaide. 

As a result, Renee has also been accepted into the Australian Fencing Federation Adult National Squad for Women’s Foil and is aiming to compete in international events in 2023. 

Congratulations Renee!  

Ms Megan O’Keeffe

Sports Co-ordinator – Fencing

Junior School Sports

Junior School Swimming Carnival

On Thursday 17 November 2022, our Junior School competed in the annual Swimming Carnival. We had to modify the carnival to the Aquatic Centre’s capacity limits and the carnival was held over four sessions; Championship events and year-based Race League events.  

Championship Events  

During Physical Education (PE) lessons, the students competed in swimming trials. We used this data, along with times submitted on the New South Wales (NSW) Swimming Central database to then invite the top athletes from each event to participate in Championship Heats.  

25m Races and Race League Events  

Students competed in teams for their house in 25m races, novelty events and relays. The activities catered for all swimming abilities emphasising fun, participation and house spirit.  

There were two new school records set on the day, along with more swimmers participating in the events than in previous years. Results will be published in next week’s newsletter and our Age Champions and House winner will be announced at our final Kindergarten to Year 6 assembly 

Mr Matthew Tyson

Head of Sport – Years 3 to 6

Volleyball

Round 6 of the Santa Sabina Invitational Volleyball Competition took place this past Saturday with Pymble winning three out of six games, and one of our teams having a BYE. Unfortunately, our Pymble 3 and Pymble 6 teams lost their semi-finals in very close games. A big shoutout to Pymble 7 (also our Team of the Week), for winning their first game of the term. It was great to see how excited they were and the huge improvements they’ve been making come to fruition. This weekend’s results mean our Pymble 1, Pymble 2, and Pymble 5 will be going for gold this coming Saturday, so please come and watch our talented teams in action! 

Team of the week 

This week’s “Team of the Week” goes to our amazing group of athletes in Pymble 7! Here’s what the captain for the day, Lucy Sun (Year 7), had to say about their first win of the season: 

“I was extremely grateful to have the opportunity to be Pymble 7’s captain this week. Thank you to Grace McSweeney (our usual captain) for her assistance. Everyone was convinced that it would be the day when we won our first game of the season! 

In the first set, everyone was nervous and excited, however, we weren’t moving or calling much. The score was in our favour, however, Brigidine College caught up mid-match. It was really close at the end, but our serving took the win. In the second set, Brigidine College started to lift, so we struggled a bit. Our communication and movement were really improving, and we ended up winning the second set too. During the last set we continued to play well, with us taking the third set.  This concluded our match with a score of 3 to 0. We were all so happy at the end of it all and hope to win next week’s match as well. 

I am really proud of Pymble 7 and how much we have all improved. I saw a huge improvement in movement and serving with most of them going over or being aces. Leura Sayers (Year 7) who is completely new to Volleyball, did amazing with her serving. I hope to see more team spirit, cheering, movement and stopping, and communication for our last game. We celebrated our first win with chocolates and lollies.” 

 Year 11 NSW Volleyball Schools Cup 

On Monday 21 November, our Year 10 Volleyball team participated in the New South Wales (NSW) Volleyball Schools Cup and played in the Year 11 division 2, tournament. As our students missed the Year 10 tournament because of exams, they got to test themselves in an older age group. The team won both of their games by a score of 3 to 0, giving them an automatic spot in the semi-finals. Thanks to some amazing serving and great structured play in the semi-finals, our team won 3 to 0 win against Blayney High School. There wasn’t much time to waste as the final started five minutes later, and our team took a commanding lead in the first set to hold on for a 16 to 12 win. In the second set, Rose Bay came back strong with our athletes tiring a bit. The second set went the way of Rose Bay (15 to 9), the first set Pymble had dropped all day. Our players showed great nerve and resolve to not let the second set deter them and they showed true championship spirit to win the third set, 18 to 11. 

Well done Coach Sheilah Adams and team on a great day of Volleyball! 

Our team consisted of the following Year 10 students: Alicia Slobodian, Caitlin Costello, Carly You, Charlotte Dhanu, Chloe Teng, Eva Liu, Lily Huang, Margaret Wu and Vanessa Liu 

Latest Update from our Volleyball Captain’s State Team – Emma Sargeant (Year 12) 

Last weekend my team, the NSW Phoenix Women’s Volleyball team, travelled to the Australian Institute of Sport in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) to play against Canberra Heat in the Australian Volleyball League (AVL). On Saturday, our team unfortunately lost 3 to 0. On Sunday I went to the courts with tactics in mind and we were ready to take on Canberra Heat. Unfortunately, in a long four sets, we lost 3 to 1, which is a devastating loss for the team, as it means it will be the final match that we play in AVL. Although this was the outcome, I had an amazing experience, playing at this level, with this team. 

 
In other Volleyball News 

Finally, well done to the following students who competed in the Volleyball NSW Junior State Cup this past Sunday for ProVolley Academy, and were coached by our very own Head Coach, Sheilah Adam: Chloe Gu (Year 9), Ruthia Moore (Year 9), Khatthaliya Elliott (Year 9), Daisy Le (Year 9), Isabella Xie (Year 9), Isabella Chen (Year 9) – absent due to injury, Vicky Hu (Year 9), Olivia Ayton (Year 8), and Ruby Lyons (Year 8). 

A huge achievement for all students, who also all play together in our Pymble 3 team. 

Chris Wood
Sports Co-ordinator – Volleyball 

Water Polo

A great weekend of Water Polo was played at Pymble on Saturday 19 November for Round 6 of IGSA Sport. There were some close results leading into our last week of competition. Special mention to our Year 7 Firsts who played a cracker of a game against the top of the table school Ascham, narrowly going down 9 to 6. Well done to all teams and best of luck for final games of 2022 this weekend. 

Mrs Brigette Moore

Head Coach – Water Polo

Performing Arts

The Senior School Music Ensemble Concert presented last Thursday was, quite simply, a triumph.

The Concert celebrated the choral and instrumental co-curricular ensembles of the Senior School in a polished and vibrant program of performance items.

Congratulations to every musician who participated in the concert and also the dedicated teacher practitioners who not only conducted the final performances but also guided the student musicians through the challenging and rewarding rehearsal processes through the 2022 year.

This Drama Showcase for 2022 was launched last Friday with a range of creative student visions realised in the filmmaking courses.

Further showcase nights this week have recognised the skills of students in Theatre Sports, devised group performances and interpretations of drama texts across the Years K to 12 student contexts.

As the end of the year approaches, we look forward to celebrating the achievements of Pymble Performing Arts students in 2022 through Speech Day performance items and the Celebration of Christmas.

There has been much achieved in the Performing Arts for 2022. So much more to achieve in 2023.

Michael Griffiths

Director of Co-Curricular Performing Arts

Dance

2022 Pymble Dance Awards

Congratulations to all students who were presented with awards at the 2022 Dance Showcase last week:

Most Improved

Contemporary Navy Eisteddfod          Cienna Harvie

Contemporary Scarlet Eisteddfod       Arabella Sherlock

Contemporary White Eisteddfod         Haley Spring

Jazz Navy Eisteddfod                          Ashleigh Henderson

Jazz Scarlet Eisteddfod                       Natalie Yang

Jazz White Eisteddfod                         Victoria Pattison

Junior Jazz Eisteddfod                        Imogen Jones

Junior Lyrical Eisteddfod                     Jessamy Facer

Most Outstanding

Contemporary Navy Eisteddfod          Ann Kyle

Contemporary Scarlet Eisteddfod       Emilia Ruscio

Contemporary White Eisteddfod         Isabel Dean

Contemporary White Eisteddfod         Anika Perera

Jazz Navy Eisteddfod                          Aashna Rana

Jazz Scarlet Eisteddfod                       Emilia Ruscio

Jazz White Eisteddfod                         Jessica Woo

Jazz White Eisteddfod                         Delta Zarafetas

Junior Jazz Eisteddfod                        Michelle Song

Junior Lyrical Eisteddfod                     Lana Tao

Dancers Dancer

Contemporary Navy Eisteddfod          Ingrid Hastings

Contemporary Scarlet Eisteddfod       Emilia Ruscio

Contemporary White Eisteddfod         Denise Wang

Jazz Navy Eisteddfod                          Alexandra Stansall

Jazz Scarlet Eisteddfod                       Emilia Ruscio

Jazz White Eisteddfod                         Grace Perrignon

Performer of the Year

Secondary Jazz                                   Zoe Orr

Secondary Contemporary                    Fiona Fu

Junior Jazz                                           Feifei Wang

Junior Lyrical                                        Emma Scott

Outstanding Participation in Dance

Delta Zarafetas

Haley Spring

Artistry in Dance

Jessica Tse

Magic Moment

Reese Zhang

Certificate II in Dance with Excellence

Gigi Spiller

Grace Perrignon

Georgia Shaw

Certificate III in Assistant Dance Teaching with Excellence

Bonita Xie

Denise Wang

Dance Showcase Photos

To purchase photos from the Dance showcase, please follow the below instructions

1. Visit: lightboxphotography.com.au
2. Select ‘View and Order Photos’ from the right hand menu. User registration will be required to view your photos the first time.
3. Enter your name, email and a user password. Note: This ‘password’ is not the access login but your own user password that you create. This prevents others accessing your photo order.
4. Select ‘Access Gallery’ (top right).
5. Enter the following code into ‘Access Gallery’ Photos code: stories22. To view the photos on repeated occasions only your email and ‘user password’ is required. In the ‘Prints & Products’ column select the product with associated size.

• Selection of prints
• Block mount prints
• Canvas prints

To finalise your order please select ‘Check Out’ and complete the payment and postal details. 

Options for sending your order can be via online or postage (Lightbox Photography, 24 Alder Avenue, Lane Cove SYDNEY 2066)

If you have any further inquiries, please contact Lindsay Kearney – 0425 255 264 

Ms Katrina Cluff

Head of Dance

Music

Pymble Christmas Celebration

All members of the Pymble community are warmly invited to attend the College Christmas Celebration on Sunday 27 November.

Below is a list of the participating ensembles and the times they need to arrive for their sound check/ rehearsal. These rehearsals will be held in the College Chapel: 

• Pymble Chorale: 3.00pm
• Senior School Choir: 3.00pm 
• Symphony Orchestra: 3.30pm 
• Senior Chamber Strings: 4.30pm
• Pizzicatos String Ensemble: 4.45pm
• Picoline Choir (Year 1 and 2 Choir): 4.45pm
• Jazz Ensemble and Stage Band: 5.00pm
• Junior School Choir: 5.00pm
• Capella Choir (Junior School Chamber Choir): 5.00pm
• Junior School Chamber Strings: 5.15pm

All Secondary School performers are reminded that they will be performing in their Red Performance Jackets, black dress trousers (no leggings or jeans). School Choir members are to perform in a plain white top. Students new to ensembles must ensure they visit the Music Office ASAP to be sized for their Performance Jacket. All other students should check their jacket to ensure that it still fits properly. Students may swap their jacket for a different size at no extra cost. Junior School performers will perform in a plain white top, blacks on the bottom (pants or a skirt) and black shoes.  

Students are encouraged to wear a splash of Christmas for the occasion (Christmas hats, tinsel, etc). 

Gates will open from 5pm, with the Pymble Parent Association offering a barbecue dinner. Families are also welcome to bring a picnic. The College Jazz Bands will provide musical entertainment from 5.30pm, and the Christmas Service will commence at 6.30pm.   

I hope you can make it to this very special service.  

Term 4 Secondary and Junior School Ensemble Concert photos

There are some wonderful photos of all the music ensembles from the Term 4 Ensemble Concerts. These can be purchased through LightBox Photography. Please follow the details below.

1. Visit: lightboxphotography.com.au
2. Select ‘View and Order Photos’ from the right hand menu. User registration will be required to view your photos the first time.
3. Enter your name, email and a user password. Note: This ‘password’ is not the access login but your own user password that you create. This prevents others accessing your photo order.
4. Select ‘Access Gallery’ (top right).
5. Enter the following code into ‘Access Gallery’ Photos code: music2022. To view the photos on repeated occasions only your email and ‘user password’ is required. In the ‘Prints & Products’ column select the product with associated size.

• Selection of prints
• Block mount prints
• Canvas prints

To finalise your order please select ‘Check Out’ and complete the payment and postal details. 

Options for sending your order can be via online or postage (Lightbox Photography, 24 Alder Avenue, Lane Cove SYDNEY 2066)

If you have any further inquiries, please contact Lindsay Kearney – 0425 255 264 

AMEB Results

Congratulations to Hayley Lan (Year 6) on her outstanding AMEB result. Aine was awarded her Cmus (A+ Honours) on Flute. It is a wonderful achievement for a student of such a young age. 

Mr Kurt Schweinberger

Head of Co-curricular Music

Walk for Cassius

Our ‘Walk for Cassius’ has been rescheduled to take place in Week 8 on Tuesday 29 November.  Fingers and toes are crossed that wild weather and other unpredictable events do not impede our plans again!

If you do not want your daughter/s to participate, please email your school office/s before 3.00pm on Friday 25 November and she/they will remain at school under supervision during the walk.  

Key details:

• Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11* will assemble on Mollie Dive Field at lunch time and undertake their walk during lunch, Compass and Mind Body Spirit time.
   *Year 11 students who have assessments during that time will be excused from the walk. 
• Students will exit the campus via Gate 3 and walk through the quiet back streets of Pymble up to Sheldon Forest Track before looping back to re-enter the campus at Gate 3. See attached map for further detail. 
• Staff will accompany students along the route and be stationed at key supervision locations. 
• Girls are asked to wear their PE uniform and a hat on the day.

Our peaceful walk of reflection stems from discussions with First Nations students at Pymble and is supported by Cassius Turvey’s family.   

Thank you in advance for your continued support of our ‘Walk for Cassius’.

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: Indigenous Student Education Coordinator – full-time from Term 1, 2023

With our Indigenous Program experiencing unprecedented growth each year, we are searching for an exceptional coordinator to join us as our Indigenous Student Education Coordinator (ISEC) on a full-time basis from Term 1, 2023.

A unique and out-of-the-box role, our ISEC will be the first point of call to mentor and guide our First Nations students in all aspects of their growth, including academic support and providing them with a sense of cultural safety in their ‘home away from home’. You will work closely with our Indigenous Education Leader to not only support these students, but also to lead other staff in understanding the individual needs of our Indigenous students, partnering with them to ensure holistic wellbeing and academic excellence. With a background in working with a wide scope of students with diverse needs, you will bring empathy and understanding to connect and mentor through a range of situations, including helping students who have previously experienced trauma and hardships.

With a functional and administrative requirement to this position, you will be available outside traditional hours, including evenings, to be present when the students are not in class. Your working hours day to day are flexible to suit these needs. A teaching load can be negotiated for appropriately qualified and accredited candidates.

In joining Pymble, you will be given the opportunity to work autonomously in your role and use your initiative to drive your passions. In building connections with our First Nations people, the opportunity to travel is possible in meeting with potential students and their communities. You will become a member of our Reconciliation Action Plan committee and be supported in your own personal professional development, with opportunities for acting roles and higher duties in the future.

For more information or to apply, click here.

Futures Team @ Pymble

On 18 November, the Pymble Learning Portfolio hosted the first EmPOWER lunch of the year, with guest speakers Dr Hannah Ireland, a specialist in radiology and breast cancer, and ex-student Arabella Hamilton, a designer in the field of architecture. The EmPOWER lunches offer an opportunity for students in Years 9 to 12 to speak to a professional in their field of interest, and ask questions they may have about future careers and pathways available.

The speakers gave us valuable insights into the fascinating and diverse range of career pathways into medicine and architecture, and the great depth of opportunities in these areas to change the world. They highlighted the importance of soft skills, and preparing your personal toolbox alongside your academic records for successful interviews and job experience. The speakers emphasised how there wasn’t just one way to do things, but many ways to achieve your goals, as they themselves had simply done what they enjoyed and ended up in fantastic fields, suiting their interests and aspirations. We’d love for any students interested in future careers to come along!

Save the date: Vision Valley Holiday Camp

Junior School girls and their siblings (male or female) in Year 3 to 6 are invited to attend the Vision Valley Holiday Camp. The first camp will run in the 2023 Easter school holidays from Monday 17 April to Friday 21 April.

The holiday camp will offer overnight and day visit options and will feature a full activity program, including outdoor adventure activities, nature play and recreational games, all supervised by our experienced Vision Valley staff.

Bookings will open Term 1 Week 1 2023 and there will be limited places available. More information about the holiday camp will be published in the coming weeks.

Future holiday camps

• Monday 10 July to Friday 14 July 2023
• Monday 25 September to Friday 29 September 2023
• Monday 11 December to Friday 15 December 2023

Mrs Rebecca Pearce

Operations Manager – Vision Valley

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.

From the Director of Community Engagement and Advancement

Upcoming Events – On the home stretch

Another term is almost complete, and we’re looking forward to catching up with Pymble families at the last remaining celebrations as 2022 draws to a close. We have our annual College Christmas celebration and speech days still to come. For more details, click here to view the Semester 2 calendar.

Year 6 Parent Cocktail Evening

This evening, parents of our outgoing Year 6 girls will gather for a well-deserved celebration on Marden Lawn as their daughters enjoy their final silent disco. This event promises to be a calendar highlight and we would like to thank all the parents that have purchased tickets and contributed to the evening. Before long, we will be welcoming these girls and their parents and carers into Middle School for the beginning of a new journey through their secondary years. Congratulations to all on the completion of Junior School and we hope you have a fantastic evening!

The Magazine 2021

We have just had delivery of The Magazine 2021, written by students at Pymble to reflect the year that was. The yearly magazine provides an overview of the events, activities and achievements of girls from Kindergarten to Year 12. The printed version will be available from Monday at each school office. Please encourage your daughter/s to collect a copy before the end of term. A digital version is also available by clicking here.

Speech Days | RSVP

The final events for 2022 are fast approaching with both the Junior School and Secondary School Speech Days taking place on Friday 2 December. If you would like to RSVP, please click here for Junior school or click here for Secondary School.  

Pymble Christmas Celebration – this Sunday

This Sunday marks the Pymble Christmas Celebration, Chapel Service and Christmas Carols. Gates open from 5.00pm, with entertainment by the College Jazz Ensembles starting at 5.30pm and the Carol Service in the War Memorial Chapel beginning at 6.30pm (including a live audio feed to Gloucester Lawn). The Pymble Parent Association is putting on a barbecue for attendees, however guests are also welcome to bring their own picnic. We invite the entire Pymble community to join us as we bring in the festive season and welcome a very jolly guest with a red suit and white beard to the College.

Looking forward to future events – cultural celebrations

We are always looking forward to future events at Pymble and 2023 is just around the corner. The recent Community Engagement event survey results and focus groups showed enthusiastic support for more cultural events, and following this we are excited to offer an event for all Pymble families celebrating the Dragonboat Festival in June 2023.

The event, also known as the Duanwu Festival and based on the writings of Chinese poet and politician Qu Yuan who died in the Miluo River in 278 BC, is celebrated throughout Asia with dragonboat races, delicious cuisines and a range of festive activities.

We warmly invite the entire College community (siblings included) to celebrate our cultural diversity on 22 June 2023 at King Dynasty Restaurant, Chatswood with a banquet feast and plenty of activities for kids. Please complete the expression of interest form here so we can gauge potential numbers for this event.

In 2024, we will be holding a similar cultural event, however this time celebrating Diwali. While we would like to include an all-parent cultural celebration for every culture every year, our busy school calendar means that we will select a different cultural event each year to complement our existing celebrations like our yearly College Christmas Carols and other student-based cultural events during the year.

Mrs Kelly Mancey

Director – Community Engagement & Advancement

Semester 2 Community Events Calendar

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. 

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

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!

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.  

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.