From the Principal

There’s one thing that always accompanies me back from my travels and that is a deep appreciation for home. Home to me, of course, means Pymble. It has been pure joy to reconnect with our Pymble family and our very own “fearless girls” this week having returned from an enriching time away looking at buildings, meeting with partners, exploring program opportunities and engaging in the Oxford Initiative Global Women’s Narratives Project.

During my time away I managed to visit, meet or host the following groups:

USA
University of California, Los Angeles
The Nueva School (Pre-K to Year 12)
Autodesk Technology Centre
Brightworks School (K-12)
St Albans School (Years 4 to 12)
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Avenues The World School (2 to 18 years)
Dwight-Englewood School (Pre-K to Year 12)
The Brearley School (K-12)
Harvard University’s Science and Engineering Complex
Harvard University’s Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center
Harvard University’s ArtLab
Cambridge Public Library’s STEAM Makerspace, The Hive
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s NuVu Innovation School
Global Forum on Girls’ Education
International Coalition of Girls’ Schools Board meeting
Pymble Alumni in New York and Los Angeles

England
Oxford Initiative Global Women’s Narratives Project
Headington School (Nursery to Year 12)
Oundle School (11 to 18 years)
Wellington College (13 to 18 years)
London School of Economics and Political Science
Francis Holland School (4 to 18 years)
Dulwich College (2 to 19 years)
Pymble Alumni in London

Greece
The Melissa Network
Solidarity Now
Diavata Refugee Camp

It certainly was an action-packed adventure. Although a few more hours of sleep would help to unpack my learnings in greater detail and order, I thought you might like to hear a few initial thoughts and highlights.

Pymble is a wonderful place to be

There wasn’t one school among those I visited that offered the range of co-curricular activities we have here at the College. These visits also confirmed our facilities are second to none and, even though we are working on upgrading our learning facilities, how well we are placed globally. Meeting some fabulous educators gave me cause to reflect on our outstanding staff at Pymble; how invested they are and how hard they work. While there is no room for complacency, it is reassuring to know the College offers our students a global standard in every aspect of their education.

Internships in America are helpful for students

Historically, and certainly when I went to school, work experience was the way we first engaged with the world of work. In some schools in America, Years 10 and 11 students undertake one or several internships for a period of up to six weeks during their extended break in the middle of the year (this would translate to the Christmas break for us). These internships are often hosted by parents in the workplace. Our Careers and Partnerships team are already developing a similar concept so look out for an invitation to get involved as employers coming your way in the future!

Strengthening partnerships

Our Data Science program is off to a flying start this year and my discussions with UCLA left me feeling confident about the future of the program and its importance. It was amusing to see a robot delivering food around the UCLA campus!

I also reconnected with our newest learning partner, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s NuVu Innovation School. Our Co-curricular Robotics Co-ordinator, Mr Dan Brown and I have met previously with their leadership team and Mr Brown has undertaken the NuVu training, so we are equipped and ready to launch this program at Pymble in 2023.

Building designs for the future

Perhaps the most impressive building I had the pleasure of touring was Harvard University’s Science and Engineering Complex. While at a scale that no school could consider, it featured wonderful examples of engaging learning spaces, design spaces, collaborative spaces, a modern library, eating area and so much more. Right down to every detail, they got it so right – even the signage was impressive! Here are a few of my favourite pictures of this amazing learning space for now, and I will also add more information about schools visited and my learnings in future Newsletters.

From the voices of refugees

My course with Oxford took me to Athens and Thessaloniki to work with refugees and to collect the narratives of women who were forced to flee their countries due to political destabilisation. I spoke with women from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Serbia, Africa and other parts of the world. It was humbling and heartbreaking to hear of the immense challenges these women and their families have endured. I met five-year-old children who were born in detention and know no other life.

Our work was with The Melissa Network and Solidarity Now and we also spent time in the Diavata Refugee Camp. These NGOs are keen to partner with us to provide an annual experience for students and I am working with my connections to frame what this would look like. More information on this will follow as the concept evolves.

Climate change

My final thought to share today is one of surprise. I didn’t expect locals at every destination would tell stories of how their climate has changed in recent times. Moving from place to place and hearing the same concerns voiced time and again, it was hard not to begin my trip home with a deep sense of concern for our world. The final comments from the NGOs we worked with in Greece drove home the urgency around redress actions needed. These organisations are preparing for the next wave of refugees, which they have termed “Climate Refugees”.

I’m pleased Pymble has begun the journey to become Net Zero; however, in other parts of the world pressure is mounting on organisations to go one step further and be Net Positive, a goal worthy of further consideration, I’d say.

During the Oxford course I had the pleasure of listening to the outstanding Professor Andrew Golser, researcher of ethno-ornithology, which is the study of birds and the study of human engagement with birds within the broad context of nature conservation. Prof Golser outlined the challenges ahead of us regarding climate. Yesterday in assembly, I showed our student this fabulous clip showing the impact of change – definitely worth watching if you have five minutes to spare.

Of course, back at Pymble, life goes on and this week has been another busy week of activities.

From the Junior School, five of our Year 5 girls are currently in Dubbo and Goodooga with our Head and Deputy Head of Junior School, Mrs Kate Brown and Mrs Nerissa Davey, to take part in the Indigenous Games at Goodooga Public School. This is part of their ongoing work with the Dubbo Opportunity Hub, an Indigenous-owned support service our Year 5 students initially connected with to learn about the importance of Reconciliation Week. The trip to Dubbo aims to continue to build connections with our First Nations communities and to learn about country and culture, learnings which will be shared in the Junior School in the coming weeks.

This week we also welcomed home three of our First Nations students along with our Senior Deputy Principal, Mrs Julie Shaw, and Indigenous Education Leader, Ms Kate Howie, who attended the Garma Youth Festival in East Arnhem Land last weekend. You can read more details about this important meeting of hearts and minds in Mrs Shaw’s column.

HSC Trials also began on Monday and I am reliably informed by our Deputy Principal of Academics, Mr Justin Raymond, that the cohort is taking each paper in their stride, just as we expected. Great job, girls, and a huge thank you to the teachers who have prepared their students so thoroughly for these exams.

The big buzz, however, is around our 56 Year 9 pioneers who will commence Pymble’s inaugural Residential Program at Vision Valley on Sunday. The four-week program is in collaboration with 39 boys and staff from St Ignatius College, Riverview, who will join our students for three of the four weeks to live and learn in the natural environment of our outdoor campus, embrace the challenge of three outdoor expeditions and discover the joys of a digital detox for the duration of their stay.

We honoured our pioneers in Combined Assembly this week and gifted the girls with their outdoor gear, which they are free to wear as a badge of honour for the rest of the week. Next week, I will share more details of this once-in-a-school-lifetime experience, including the big reveal of the newly renovated Stringybark Lodge that this cohort and many subsequent year groups will have the pleasure of enjoying in Year 9 at Pymble.

Thank you!

In wrapping up my first week back on campus, some very special thanks are due to some very special people. Firstly, thank you to our College Board for this wonderfully enriching opportunity of sabbatical leave, for which I am very grateful. Thank you also to our families who pay the fees that provide the capacity for me to undertake experiences that lead to the further development of our fabulous school.

Last but by no means least, sincere thanks to our outstanding Acting Principal, Mrs Julie Shaw, and our fabulous Deputy Principals, Mr Justin Raymond and Ms Lamia Rockwell, for their leadership of all things Pymble during my absence. Their ongoing support is invaluable and was especially so in the last few weeks as it allowed me to focus on an incredible professional learning experience safe in the knowledge that the College was in the very best of hands.

Dr Kate Hadwen

Principal

Futures Team @ Pymble

We will be sharing a lot more information going forward regarding Futures and Careers which we will publish each week here in The College Compass. It is called Futures in Focus  and contains all the latest information regarding open days, info sessions, workshops, courses and scholarships for your daughter.

From the Deputy Principal

Garma Festival – finally!

It was a case of third time lucky for me, our Indigenous Education Leader Kate Howie and three of our First Nations students in Year 11, Georgia, Indi and Amarley, when we finally had the opportunity to attend the Youth GARMA Festival in the Northern Territory last weekend. This trip was first planned in 2020 and has since been cancelled twice.

The meaning of Garma is ‘two-way learning’ and the theme of the 2022 festival was Nhana Nathilyurra – Looking Ahead Towards the Future. The festival took place on the land of the Yolngu people on Gumatj country in East Arnhem Land where the local language is Yolngu Matha, which simply means Yolngu language. To set the scene, you might like to play this soundbite of a didgeridoo which I recorded during our stay.

Garma is Australia’s premier Indigenous cultural exchange, attended by guests from all over Australia and the world, including students and staff from seven other schools and Pymble. It attracts a wide range of people yet there’s a strong sense of one community, one culture and the topic of Voice to Parliament was omnipresent.

The Youth stream of the festival was led by AIME mentors who guided the students’ curiosity as they took a deep dive into the local Yolngu culture, the Imagination Declaration and their mantra, “We are the solution not the problem”. 

While chatting with the girls, they shared their significant moments and highlights of our three days at Garma, which included: 

• meeting many new people from diverse backgrounds and cultures; 
• learning from a healing ceremony, where they felt a strong sense of connection to ancestral spirits; 
• the twice daily Bungul (dancing); and
• feeling inspiration, awe and perhaps envy of the Yolngu people and their strong connection to culture.  

We were all impressed by the number of dignitaries who made it their business to be at Garma, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his entourage, Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, Minister for Indigenous Affairs Linda Burney, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar, US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy and journalist Stan Grant.

Our girls enjoyed the opportunity to share their experiences of our First Nations program at Pymble on Q&A and NITV, meet Carolyn Kennedy and grill the Prime Minister about the role of imagination in forging unlikely connections that lead to a different and fairer world.

The discussion, dialogue, cultural activities, dance and presence of so many interested parties from near and far suggests increased hope for an Indigenous voice enshrined in the Constitution but, of course, we all have a part to play in achieving that goal.  

Mrs Julie Shaw

Deputy Principal

From our Chaplains

Walking around and speaking to the Year 12’s made me realise how pressure-filled it is for them during the trials.  They weren’t too happy with their second English paper, and I assured those I met that perhaps moving on to the next exam would serve them well.  Easier said than done.

So how do we keep moving forward, especially when the day has brought us news that is wearisome, or we feel like our hearts could use a paperweight either to hold our worries down or an air balloon to lift them away? Either way, the words of Jesus from this week’s chapel do help me and I hope they do the same for you.

In Luke 12: 22-23, when Jesus says to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” These words can offer us comfort and strength for the day.  The moments of each day can sometimes be daunting depending on what is unfolding in our lives. It may be a tragic loss, an illness, or a family situation that we find difficult to talk about. God knows our heartbeat – every single one – and holds us when we cannot hold ourselves.

Special prayers for our Year 12’s as they walk through these trials; may serenity and peace be theirs. Prayers also for our Year 9’s as they go to Vision Valley for the first ever Vision Valley residential program. I am very thankful to be seeing them on Sunday so I can pray with them as they begin this journey. As I always assure our students in Chapel, I assure you today: God knows each one of us by name and loves us as if there were only one of us to love.

May Christ uphold you in His grace, and may peace be yours as you celebrate or grieve, sit with yourself or others, find strength in what you know worked the last time you had a struggle, and hopefully step into spaces where people have walked before.

Blessings, peace and love.

Reverend Punam Bent

College Chaplain

From the Director of Student Learning (Years 7 to 10)

Years 8 to 10 2023 Subject Selection Information Evening

Our Subject Selection Information Evening for Year 8 to 10 2023 will take place on Wednesday 17 August as an online live event. Please find the specific start times below:

• Year 7 into 8 commencing at 6:00pm
• Year 8 into 9 commencing at 6:30pm
• Year 9 into 10 commencing at 7:00pm

I look forward to providing you with information on the subject selection process. The initial presentation should take roughly 15-20 minutes, allowing for a short break before you transition into the subject specific Q&A session.

Representatives from each Learning Area will be available to discuss their subjects with you and to answer your questions in a Q&A session immediately after my opening presentation. 

Note: Links to access the Q&A will be nested on the Subject Selection Website.

We hope that you and your child will be able to attend what should be an enjoyable and valuable evening.

Year 10 to 11 2023 Subject Selection – Online portal is open!

A communication was sent via the MyPymble app to all parents/carers about the online portal for subject preferences yesterday afternoon. In summary, each family should have received an email with their child’s unique student code to log into the subject selection form.

If you experience issues with submitting your child’s choices, please refer to the list of requirements outlined in the email as there is likely a clash with one of those parameters.

Should you experience any technical difficulties, or believe that your child’s choices are correctly entered but that the system will not allow you to submit the choices, please contact the Curriculum Office (curriculum@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au).

Note: Subject preferences are due by the end of day Friday, 5 August.

Jake Plaskett

Director of Student Learning (Years 7-10)

From the Director of Student Learning (Years 11 to 12)

Year 12 are Champions 

Trial examinations are in progress and the students are awesome! They arrive ready to go in a calm and mature manner each day and are so supportive of each other. Thank you to the Senior School team for assisting the students and helping to facilitate any catch up exams. Thank you to the parents and families for providing the study snacks and hugs of encouragement. Students are enjoying a good luck play with Turi and Archie before and after exams.

Congratulations to all our conscientious Year 12 students and very best wishes for the rest of your exams.

Illness during Trial exams:

Students follow the usual Illness/misadventure procedures.  

• Email the Senior School and CC in their teacher to notify that they are ill and unable to do the exam
• Obtain a medical certificate and attach this to the IMA form and submit to curriculum@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au(For Covid, a screenshot of the PCR result or email from NSW Health is needed in lieu of a medical certificate)
• Students will be emailed with the catch-up time for their exam which will be completed within the Trial examination period if possible.

Year 11

Thank you to the Year 11 students for being so considerate by being quiet in the Senior Centre during the Trial exams. Year 11 students will have yearly exams in Week 6 and 7 this term so Year 12 will be able to return the favour. 

Exams are an opportunity for students to display their understanding, their ability to analyse unseen questions and apply their knowledge. They test work from the whole year in most subjects. 

They are important preparation and practice for the trial and HSC examinations which they will be doing this time next year.  

The manner in which students prepare and perform in their exams will be one helpful tool in deciding which combination of subjects to pursue into Year 12.  

The Year 12 2023 online subject selection evening is on 14 September to talk about the options moving into Year 12. Students can make appointments with me to discuss possible subject options using the link on the home page of the Senior School Canvas course.

Mrs Natasha Stanfield

Director of Student Learning (Years 11-12)

From the Director – Pymble Institute

Shining a light on education and research

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, 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.

I hope readers enjoy the insights into research at the College and in education more broadly. If parents or community members would like to contribute to the Illuminate: Research and Innovation journal, please don’t hesitate to email me at sloch@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.

Dr Sarah Loch

Director – Pymble Institute

Textiles on Parade and Year 12 Major Textiles Exhibition

Last Thursday and Friday evening, a presentation by the very talented Textiles students from Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 was on display for all to see.

The parade featured the TAS initiative of War on Waste that was showcased with the creative use of recycled, repurposed items, representing how waste can truly be changed into something wonderful.

Each year the Whitehouse School of Design very kindly donates drawing workshops as a prize, this year providing four online workshops each to the value $50. The deserving recipients this year were:

Bronte Lamb (Year 11): made an inspired piece that was fully reversible shibori, dyed on one side and hand painted onto the other, inspired by an Japanese ceramicist, jacket and skirt.

Ava Thomas (Year 10): Ava used old placemats as decoration. She repurposed an old knitted bag, unravelled the threads and crocheted them into a skirt along with many other details.

Arabella Sherlock (Year 10): a costume inspired by the song “Singing in the Rain”. A contemporary interpretation for a dance sequence.

Emily Kim (Year 9): inspired by the theme, ‘Wish you were here’. A resort-style apparel item full of colour.

Given we had so many wonderful projects presented, there were commendations and certificates for the following students:

Alex McColl (Year 11) – for her outstanding artwork used for all posters and invitations.

Georgia McDonagh (Year 11) – for technical precision.

Samantha Beverley (Year 11) – for Designer of the Future.

Sophie Ma (Year 10) – for creative use of fabric.

Brielle Mann (Year 10) – contemporary use of fabrics.

The People’s Choice Award went to Madeleine Raymond (Year 10), while Textiles TAS Captain Georgia McDonagh (Year 11) was a gracious master of ceremonies for the night.

Jessica Scott (Year 12), last year’s TAS captain, was the master of ceremony for the Year 12 Major Textiles Exhibition. She communicated her fellow textiles students’ journey of working on a Major Project with kindness and candour in relation to the process.

Mrs Heather Hansby
Technology and Applied Studies Teacher

COVID-19 Response Plans and Advice

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

Stay at home if unwell

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

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

Testing positive

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

Students who test positive will need to isolate at home for seven days and follow NSW Health Advice for managing positive cases. 

Changes to reinfection period

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

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

Masks

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

Hand hygiene

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

COVID boosters and flu shots

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

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

Pymble Swimming – Winter Promotion

From the Junior School

From our Head of Junior School

Last week there was a flurry of activity, much laughter and an abundance of fluffiness as our K-3 girls built their bears, bunnies and huskies with the assistance of our Junior School Parent Group (JSPG). It was lovely to watch and hear the girls’ joy as they made their fluffy friends, chose their names and attached a College value to their collars.  Thank you to all these amazing parents who assisted on the day:

Janine Ahmed, Katrina Jones, Saba Ali, Camille Kong, Aimee Birch, Michelle Leclercq, Shweta Chauhan, Wenyan Lu, Kadie Cheng, Nomali Madugalle, Jing Cross, Joan Martel, Grace Deng, Nithya Sivasamy, Jingjing Du, Lalenya Waterhouse, Jing Gao, Yicheng Zang, Weili Gao, Hanna Zhang, Jingjing Guo and Colleen Zhang.

Jeans for Genes Day is tomorrow!

Please remember that we are supporting Jeans for Genes Day tomorrow, Friday 5 August and all girls from K-6 are invited to wear mufti tops and jeans to school and bring a gold coin donation to support this worthy cause.

Heading for the Goodooga Games

This week, Mrs Davey and I are off campus in Goodooga with some of our Year 5 girls who have been invited to participate in the Goodooga Games. This is a huge honour for our Junior School as it’s the first time we have been invited to participate in these games and partner with schools in Dubbo and Goodooga. We look forward to sharing our learnings with the Junior School next week. Later in the year more of our Year 5 girls will participate in a trip to Brewarrina. These opportunities to learn about country and build relationships with our First Nations People are being led by Mrs Nerissa Davey, Deputy Head of Junior School Operations.

Welcome to our new staff!

Whilst Mrs Medeiros is away on family leave, we welcome Ms Louise Florance and Ms Amanda Blackshaw to our Year 6 team. Both teachers bring a passion for leading learning in a nurturing environment, and we know they will guide and challenge our girls to be the drivers of their own learning by providing thoughtful and constructive feedback. We know the girls will be in good hands until Mrs Medeiros returns.

Congratulations!

Emma Fu (Year 4) won Highly Commended in the recent Sydney Eisteddfod 20th or 21st Century Piano (9 & 10 Years) and delighted in both her achievement and that of her classmate Vivian Zhang (Year 4) who won first place. What a phenomenal achievement by both girls and such exciting news as they are in the same class and have developed a friendship through their shared passion for the piano. We are so proud of them both.

We are also so proud of these girls who have been selected to compete in the State Interschools Snowsports from 22 August to 26 August in Perisher:

Michelle Zhang – KM

Kimberly Zhao – 2M

Christina Yang – 3N

Zoe Liang – 4D

Zara Younger – 4D

Amélie Rahme – 4R

Ashlee-Rose Saba – 4A

Hilary Eyers – 5T (absent from photo)

Eloise Gavagna – 5O

Bella Xu – 5O

Aurora Zhang – 6M

Congratulations to our Junior School dancers who placed second in the Sydney Eisteddfod in both the Primary School Lyrical and Primary School Jazz Section. This is an outstanding achievement with over 20 schools in each section. We are very proud of them and their teamwork.

Junior School K-2 School Concert

As the final stages of our rehearsals for the 2022 Junior School Concert, The Journey to Treasure Island, are undertaken, the excitement within the Junior School is very apparent.

The girls are looking forward to sharing this very special event with you and we are confident parents will be amazed by the talents of our youngest performers. The girls have been very involved in the shaping of this performance and have choreographed much of it themselves. The performance therefore reflects the girls and their learning. We are so proud of them.

This year we have provided a choice of matinee and evening performances for families and friends to attend. All girls are expected to be at each performance, and we ask that parents note these dates in their diaries. To purchase tickets please click this link. 

Friday 12 August – 2.00pm and 5.00pm

All girls will remain at school between 2pm and the second performance which starts at 5pm. Please send in your daughter with her afternoon tea on that day. There will be no co-curricular activities for K-2 girls on Friday 12 August.

Book Week is coming in Week 6

In Week 6 we will celebrate the girls’ love of literature with our Book Week celebrations. This year’s theme is Dreaming with Eyes Wide Open and as a school we encourage all our girls to dream big, to wonder, question and set goals for the adventures they can have as they grow and learn.

As a Junior School we will be holding our book character parade on Thursday 25 August and our girls are invited to dress up as a favourite book character. We are encouraging our girls to try their hardest to create their own dress up outfits rather than buying as this aligns with our focus on kindness to the environment fact number 1 which is ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’.

Learning in our Junior School: A focus on Mathematics

With our continued focus on Mathematics this term, the girls will participate in a range of in-class learning opportunities including hands-on activities, learning through inquiry, as well as explicit instruction and mathematical investigations to acquire new knowledge and build upon existing understanding.

We want Mathematics to be seen as an opportunity for our girls to be creative, develop their understanding and apply this newly acquired knowledge to real world problems. Like reading, writing and skills found in gymnastics and diving, Mathematics requires opportunities for students to practice in order to consolidate and master their understanding, and to see that to take a risk or make a mistake is evidence of being an activity learner; being a mathematician.

Girls will participate in activities that involve problem-solving, collaborating, critical and creative thinking and open-ended questioning to develop a strong understanding of mathematical concepts. Girls are encouraged to “play” with data, look for patterns, observe and ask questions. We want the girls to be curious, build an ability in making choices, formulate and investigate problem situations and then communicate solutions. We also want our girls to make connections between concepts and how to represent these concepts in different ways. To apply their ideas by testing it or extending it, discussing it with a peer, and even to have the courage to discard it and start again. We want the girls to have a go and develop their love of mathematics.

Across the Junior School we will see participation in Maths Olympiad, completion of the Mathematics Association of NSW Investigating with Mathematics Competition, or participation in the Mathscraft Curriculum, an outreach initiative of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, University of Adelaide to develop mathematical behaviours, as well as a variety of in-class explicit instruction, investigations and inquiry learning.

Lovy Chen – I love doubling numbers using a dice and playing the Greedy Pig dice game.

Tabitha de Bilde – I like using the big number line in Maths as it helps me when I am adding my numbers together.

Isabel Chang – My favourite thing to do in Maths is flipping over the coloured numbers when I skip count in 5’s on the hundreds board. I am really fast now!

Poppy Zhu – I like playing the Odd/Even number race game and yesterday I even beat my partner! 

Rebecca Cooke – I love maths because it makes me think and it helps me learn as well. What I have learnt in Maths I can use in my daily life; I like to add up items when I am shopping to find the total amount. I also like to talk to my friends on how to understand it and I learn better working with my friends and new people from other classes because we bring in different ideas and also I can make new friends.

Emma Deere – I love learning new things. Today I learnt how to draw many different two-dimensional shapes using just a ruler and pencil and had to find the lines of symmetry. I discovered the parallelogram I drew didn’t have any lines of symmetry which was a surprise.

Orla Cottrell – I love Maths because we get to be very creative. What we do and what we think about are things that actually happen in the real world. Some of my favourite things to learn about were diversity in Asia, thinking about different populations of countries and thinking about all the different patterns that occur in nature.

Chloe Xiong – Sometimes people think that Maths is really dry, but what I love about maths is that it is really creative and interesting. We don’t just learn about strategies, but we also investigate where these are used in the real world. We to got build a whole range of 3D objects, then we thought about different buildings and landmarks that used these shapes. At the moment, we are researching length, by thinking about the different routes that the Queen’s Baton Relay took on the way to the Commonwealth Games.

Through your daughter’s curiosity of the world, she will see that Mathematics is all around her and that she is already applying her mathematical understanding in her daily life. To build a love of Mathematics, we must continue this important conversation and encourage questioning and curiosity.

Our Digital News

Enjoy the Junior School Digital News created by our ICT Captains this week!

Win an Unlimited Rides Pass!

Do you think you have what it takes to create the best poster for the Garden Party? If so, put on your creative cap, and if your poster comes first you will win an Unlimited Rides Pass for free rides all day at the Garden Party!

Entries are to be submitted to the Junior School by Tuesday 30 August 2022. All posters entered will be displayed in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts foyer at Garden Party 2022. Prizes and certificates will be presented at Assembly in the week before Garden Party. Multiple entries are welcome. 

Click here to download the poster. Good luck!

From the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)

We are so excited to be holding the Junior School Parent-Daughter Dances for Years K-5 over the next few weeks.

Years K-1 – This Saturday 6 August

The event will be held in the John Reid Hall from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

The theme is ‘Parent-Daughter Masquerade’, which is a lovely chance for our littlest girls to choose whatever mask they like and their choice of party outfit. Our girls may even like to make a mask to wear! On the night, we will have a photographer, photo booth, DJ and a variety of food and drinks.

We are so excited for our Kindy and Year One girls to attend their very first dance!

Years 4-5 – Saturday 27 August

Click here to see the invitation. Book your tickets here.

The event will be held in the John Reid Hall from 6pm to 8:30pm.

The theme is “Sparkle and Shine” which is lovely for the girls and parents to dress up in a sparkly or shiny outfit or accessory. On the night, we will have a photographer, DJ and a variety of food and drinks. We are so excited for the Year 4 and 5 girls to attend their first dance in several years, and also the first dance for many of them! It will be a fabulous night!

Jeans for Genes Day Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser – This Friday 5 August

This Friday is Jeans for Genes Day and all students from Kindergarten to Year 6 are permitted to wear jeans to school and bring a gold coin donation.

The JSPG is holding a sausage sizzle in the Junior School at lunchtime for Year 3 to Year 6 students. Donations and all profit from the barbecue will be donated to the Children’s Medical Research Institute, which researches childhood genetic diseases. 

A huge thank you to our parents who have signed up to run the sausage sizzle on the day, it should be a fantastic event for our girls!

Year 2/3 Parent-Daughter Dance – Last Saturday 30 July

The Year 2/3 Parent-Daughter Dance held on Saturday night was a fantastic success! The theme was “Disco” and the John Reid Hall was absolutely glowing with shiny and sparkly decorations and outfits! Our girls and their families boogied the night away to the music and dance moves provided by DJ KitKat and her assistant.

A big thank you to Mrs Brown and Mrs Davey for attending on the night and joining in the fun. The girls and their families loved seeing them.

A massive thank you to our organising committee: Liz Greene, Leisa Whitehead, Michelle Leclercq and Aimee Birch. Thank you also to all our families who attended; your support for this special occasion means so much to our year group.

Build-A-Pymble-Bear – Last Wednesday 27 July

Our Kindergarten to Year 3 girls had so much fun making their bears, bunnies and huskies, all while raising money for Bear Cottage. Thank you to all the parent volunteers who helped out on the day. The event could not have happened without your help!

Save the Date – Garden Party, 17 September

Pymble is so excited to be holding its annual Garden Party this year again for the first time since 2019! The JSPG runs many stalls which are so much fun for the girls and their families.

Please contact us or your Year Co-ordinator if you would like to be involved in participating in one of your year group stalls!

If you haven’t been to a Garden Party, there are numerous rides, hundreds of stalls, lots of food and drinks, and it is an amazing family day out. Please save the date and look forward to the highlight of the Pymble year!

If you have any questions or require further information, please email us the JSPG at: pymblelcjspg@gmail.com

Dates for your Diary

Term 3  

5 August                      Jeans for Genes Day     

6 August                      JSPG Kindergarten and Year 1 Parent Daughter Dance

8 – 10 August             Kindergarten to Year 2 Concert Rehearsals     

12 August                    Kindergarten to Year 2 Concert, 2.00pm and 5.00pm  

15 – 18 August           Life Education Kindergarten to Year 2 

18 August                    Year 5 Author Visit

19 August                    STEM Festival 

25 August                    Book Week Parade

26 August                    Author Visit Kindergarten to Year 6

27 August                    JSPG Years 4 and 5 Parent Daughter Dinner Dance

30 August                    URSTRONG Parent Workshop, Online

1 September               Year 5 ‘Spring into Leadership’ Day

2 September               Fathers’ Day Lunch

12-14 September.       Year 5 Outdoor Education Camp – Group 1

14-16 September        Year 5 Outdoor Education Camp – Group 2

19-20 September.       Year 3 Outdoor Education Camp – Group 1

21-22 September        Year 3 Outdoor Education Camp – Group 2

Term 4 

17 October                  Year 2 Outdoor Education Program

19 October                  Year 1 Outdoor Education Program

20 October                  Kindergarten Outdoor Education Program

25 October                  Year 6 Musical Performance, 7.00pm 

26 October                  Year 6 Musical Performance, 7.00pm 

28 October                  Links Day 

1 December                Kindergarten Celebration of Learning, 9.00am

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

2 December                Years 3 to 6 Speech Day, 1.00pm

Mrs Kate Brown

Head of Junior School

From the Middle School

From our Head of Middle School

Welcome to Week 3 in Middle School! It’s so beautiful to have all this sunshine and is a wonderful opportunity for the girls to be out on Gloucester Lawn to enjoy the weather. Many of our Compass groups have been heading outside this week during Mind/Body/Spirit time to take advantage of the weather and engage in some casual games on the lawn. Great to see the girls embracing one of our 5 Ways to Wellbeing: Keeping Active.

This Thursday’s lunchtime Gloucester Gathering will be a Cookie Decorating activity. Everyone is welcome to join in so please encourage your daughters to get involved and bring a friend.

A very big thank you to the Warren family from Narromine for the delicious bowl of fresh mandarins and lemons that Ally kindly brought in for the Middle School staff this week. So thoughtful and much appreciated.

Congratulations to the Year 8 students who participated in the Textiles showcase last week. Your dynamic designs and creative sewing skills impressed all.

A reminder that our 2023 Subject Selection Information Evenings are approaching.

Year 7 into Year 8 2023 will take place on Wednesday 17 August at 6.00pm as an online live event.

Year 8 into Year 9 2023 will take place on Wednesday 17 August at 6.30pm as an online live event.

We are delighted to invite Middle School families for a preview of the Year 9 Residential Program at Vision Valley. These will be offered online on the dates below:

Year 8 on 10 August 2022 at 7pm – join here

Year 7 on 23 August 2022 at 7pm – join here

NSW Health will be running the third vaccination clinic for Year 7 and any Year 8 students who require a catch up on Thursday 18 August. Vaccinations offered at this clinic will be Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis (dTpa) and catch up for Human Papillomavirus vaccine (HPV).

Students in Year 7 will be allowed to wear their sports uniform on this day. If your daughter has had either of these vaccinations or you have any questions, please contact the Middle School office.

Year 7

It has been lovely to see our Year 7 girls making the most of the beautiful sunshine this week on Gloucester Lawn. Compass groups have been out playing games during our Compass Extend session and some girls are always keen to use the available equipment at lunchtime. A great way to break up the day inside. We also encourage all girls to get involved in the Co-curricular sports program if they are not yet doing so. Registrations close this week for Term 4 Co-curricular sports. The girls can choose from Touch Football, Water Polo, Volleyball, Summer Rowing, Cricket Sixers and Tennis. The value of participating in a team sport for our students’ social, mental and physical health cannot be underestimated so we encourage all Year 7 girls to have a go and register for a Term 4 sport. Click here to register via My Pymble.

As you would know we have robust Digital Wellbeing lessons embedded in our Directions program, and together with families recognise the importance of helping the girls develop the skills they need to use technology effectively and how to stay safe online; key messages that were reinforced in last week’s presentation by Constable Lynda Hart. There are still instances that we are made aware of in which students are using inappropriate messaging apps and are using social media platforms in unkind or unsafe ways. The app Omegle has been referenced as being used by some girls. This app promotes chatting with strangers and is not suitable for adolescents.

We ask our parents to continue to monitor technology use at home including phones in rooms at night (which adversely impacts sleep health), age-appropriate movies and television series, social media applications such as Snapchat and Discord, as well as chat platforms. Please check in with your daughter to find out what tech she is consuming and if she is protecting herself adequately.

The eSafety Commissioner has helpful parent resources https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents and it is also worthwhile having a look at the Pymble Cybersafety Hub.

In Directions this week we have started to explore Character strengths. Character strengths are the positive qualities individuals have, that impact on how we think, feel and behave. Everyone has a unique set of character strengths. Knowing our individual strengths and how to best use them is helpful in many areas of life. Research shows that when children apply their highest strengths, they have better social skills, more resilience and greater engagement in school. Year 7 students are in the beginning stages of identifying character strengths and how different strengths can be useful in different situations. 

Year 8

This week Year 8 students have been finalising their SMART goals for Semester 2. Students were encouraged to set both personal and academic goals and discuss their aspirations with their Compass teachers in one-on-one conversations during Compass Extend. Please discuss your daughter’s goals with her, it may provide further insight into her interests and concerns. Some of the goals are subject specific, for example improving specific skills in a particular subject.  In connection with passion for particular subjects – please check the Parent Portal for information about the Subject Selection evening on 17 August.  Later this term students will be setting a community service goal when the Middle School Service Project is launched in Week 4 of term.

Ethical decision making has been the focus in Directions and English this week.  The English department created the Courage pillar, led by Julia Peppitt, to develop and embed links between the English curriculum and wellbeing to encourage the development and understanding of courage. The study of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream has provided the opportunity for students to consider ethical decision making and questions such as: can we always trust authority figures to know what is best for children? Is it ever right to break the trust of a friend? Students were encouraged, through group work, to voice their opinions and ideas about ethical questions to form a considered opinion. Furthermore, in English class students explored a contemporary reimagination of a conversation between Hermia and her father, Egeus, from Shakespeare’s comedy, in which Hermia establishes her personal boundaries. This activity reminded students of the importance of setting boundaries; a concept students explored in Directions last Term.

To complement the focus in English, in Directions students considered hypothetical, ethical situations such as: what would one do if you agreed to see a film with someone, but then you get asked to a party which would be more fun? Or what would you do if your friend told you that she has told your parents she is sleeping at your house, but she isn’t, and she is actually spending the night at someone else’s house? In groups students defined the ethical problem and then came to an agreement about the best solution after consideration of the consequences.

REMINDER FOR ALL STUDENTS

Learning for Secondary School students will be face-to-face and on campus from Term 3 as advised via the Parent Portal at the end of Term 2.

Secondary students who test positive to COVID or are not well enough to attend school are to follow the normal procedure by contacting their subject teachers via email and/or referring to Canvas to catch up on missed work.

Homework Help in Term 3

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

When: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday after school: 3.30pm to 4.30pm 

Where: Classroom C3 (Top floor of the Colonnade Building) 

Dates: From Monday Week 3 (1 August) to Thursday Week 9 (15 September)     

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

FROM THE SECONDARY SCHOOL PARENT GROUP

Year 7 Co-ordinators                         

Carol Bai   0450855866

Shiva Rich 0414322874

Year 8 Co-ordinator

Sunny Ires  0424878781

Mrs Jenny O’Donnell

Head of Middle School

From the Upper School

A Message from Mr Riley, Head of Upper School

It’s been a busy week in the Upper School as we prepare for the exciting departure of our Year 9 Residential Program Pioneers and for our Year 10s to attend RYDA (Road Safety Education) at Homebush today.

We loved acknowledging our pioneers in assembly this week and getting the opportunity to tell the wider school about this exciting opportunity. There will no doubt be a few nerves as we inch closer to Sunday, but hopefully once they are in the beautifully, newly furnished Stringybark Lodge these will soon be forgotten. We look forward to sharing updates from the Valley over the next few weeks and encourage friends and family to send a postcard to our pioneers to let them know they are missing them.

Traditionally, RYDA had been an excursion in the Senior School, but after consultation with key staff we felt it is best placed for our Year 10s as they begin to think about driving and being passengers in the cars of other young drivers. To learn more, please visit this link and/or watch this short highlights video.

To celebrate a few days without rain, on Wednesday our leaders also held a paper airplane competition in the Amphitheatre. There were a lot of laughs, some great efforts and a few epic fails. Thanks to all who participated and well done to our worthy winners.

A Message from Mrs Hunt, Deputy Head of Upper School

Thank you to all the girls who supported a good cause by wearing their winter woolies last week!

Garden Party 2022

Garden Party is back and we need your help to make our stall one of the most successful, just like pre-Covid!

The Years 9 & 10 Bottle Bingo Stall is a sell out every year and we would love each family to contribute if possible as we always have more customers than we have bottles!

Please fill at least one jar with anything you would like to win yourself! In previous years, students have included in their clean jars items such as: lollies, toys, stationery and bath salts. For the uninitiated, the stall is basically a lucky dip.

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

The 56 Year 9 Residential Program students embark on their four-week journey at Vision Valley from this Sunday. These students were recognised and received their Residential Program uniforms at Combined Assembly this week.

We know that all of these students will enjoy this life-changing experience and we wish them the very best over the next month. Mrs Richter and I will be joining the girls out at Vision Valley on a few occasions, and we both are looking forward to catching up with the girls when we do.

Congratulations to the Year 9 students below on receiving a prestigious Jacaranda Award for Term 2.

9BA – Amelia Laing

9BB – Nikita Serban

9GA – Sienna (Sin Yu) Hui

9GB – Amelia Young

9IA – Sophia Chen

9IB – Adelaide Taylor

9HA – Anika Watson

9HB – Jessica (Yi Jia) Qin

9LA – Jessica Wang

9LB – Chloe (Jiayuan) Gu

9MA – Mia Tesoriero

9MB – Emily Mitchell

9TA – Thinara Siriniwasa

9TB – Eloise Makeham

9WA – Mary Cottrell

9WB – Lily Ikawa

In Directions this week the theme was Time Management. Students explored procrastination and strategies to overcome it to become more effective with their time. Students also received a weekly planner and applied the necessary strategies learnt in their Directions class to their typical school week.

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

The Year 10 students have been busy attending excursions and incursions for many of their elective subjects. Following our amazing Marine and Aquaculture Technology excursion last week, our German and Japanese students have an excursion this week, the PASS students participated in a conference-style incursion and the Agriculture students are currently on a 3 day camp, visiting various sites around the Dubbo and Wellington area.

As well as a jam-packed program during the day, these lucky students are visiting one of our very own Year 10 boarding families for a meal while on their camp. We look forward to sharing some photos with you next week.

Meanwhile, the rest of Year 10 are attending the RYDA road safety awareness workshop. Many of the students have begun their driving journey already and the rest of them are thinking about learning to drive. At some stage in the coming years, all the students will find themselves in motor vehicles driven by other young people.

We encourage you to visit https://rse.org.au/about-ryda/parents-caregivers/ for more information about how to navigate this time in your family. RYDA have provided some “dinner time conversation starters” that your family might like to use following the workshop which you can access by clicking here.

The time has come for Year 10 students to select their subjects for their senior years. We have been working through the process for several weeks and families should have received an email from the Curriculum office which contains instructions and a login for selecting subjects. Please remind your daughter that their Head of Year and the Upper School leadership team are here if they need any additional support.

The focus in Directions for the rest of Term 3 is on preparing for their future. The lessons have been written by our Futures team. The students will explore who they are now and how their ideas about their career and future might have changed. They will look at facing fear and change, and explore a range of employability skills in the 21^st century.

We wish the best for our Year 9 sisters who are heading to Vision Valley for the inaugural Residential Program. We can’t wait to hear all about their adventures.

Key Dates

Tuesday 2 August – Year 10 Agricultural Science Three-Day Field Trip

Thursday 4 August – Year 10 Road Safety Education Workshop

Sunday 7 August – Year 9 Residential Program Community Day

Tuesday 9 August – Write a Book in a Day – Year 10

Thursday 11 August – Write a Book in a Day – Year 9

Wednesday 17 August – Year 9 & 10 Subject Selection Evening (Online)

REMINDER FOR ALL STUDENTS

Learning for Secondary School students will be face-to-face and on campus from Term 3 as advised via the Parent Portal at the end of Term 2.

Secondary students who test positive to COVID or are not well enough to attend school are to follow the normal procedure by contacting their subject teachers via email and/or referring to Canvas to catch up on missed work.

Homework Help in Term 3

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

When: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday after school: 3.30pm to 4.30pm 

Where: Classroom C3 (Top floor of the Colonnade Building) 

Dates: From Monday Week 3 (1 August) to Thursday Week 9 (15 September)     

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

Mr Tom Riley

Head of Upper School

From the Senior School

From the Head of Senior School

From the Boarding School

From our Head of Boarding

This week we wished our Year 12s all the best as they embarked on the first week of the HSC Trial Examinations. They set off on Monday morning with a well-deserved, quiet confidence following many weeks of preparation. We are all proud of their diligence and steadfastness and look forward to supporting them throughout the coming weeks.

While our Year 12s were studying extra hard, our younger Boarders found time to enjoy the company of other Boarders from local schools. On Friday night, our Year 10 Boarders enjoyed a special evening with the Year 10 Boarders from Newington College. The evening was designed to encourage new friendships and to build confidence in the dos and don’ts of formal dining. It was wonderful to see new friendships being forged over a delicious meal in our beautiful new Boarders’ Dining Room.

And the fun didn’t end there! On Saturday night Boarders across all of year groups headed off for a much-anticipated evening at the Driving Range. This was followed by a Sunday afternoon for our Marden girls at Strike Bowling with our Knox Grammar Boarder neighbours. I am sure you will agree it was a terrific weekend of varied activity with plenty of opportunities to enjoy our Sydney environs and make new friends. My thanks to Mrs White who does a great job in organising these activities and to our intrepid Boarding staff who lead these wonderful expeditions.

Congratulations to our fabulous footballers!

Year 9 twins Alethea (Lethy) and Allyana (Ally) have been selected in the 2022 NSW Country Girls State Team for Football. In September they will represent NSW in the Football Australia Girls’ National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour. This tournament allows the girls to play football at the National level against the best players from across the country, representing their respective States and Territories. It is great to see the hard work of Ally and Lethy being rewarded and we look forward to hearing more about the Championships in the year to come.

View From My Window

My name is Leander McLaughlin and I am a Year 7 Boarder. I live with my Mum Tessa, my Dad Shane, my two sisters Cleo and Milla, my dog Sooty and my three horses.  

I live on an orchard in Bilpin in the Blue Mountains which is about 90 minutes drive west of Sydney. The area covers 179 square kilometres with a population of about 1,000 people.

The primary school I went to from Kindy to Year 6 had 56 kids (and at one point only had 49). The good thing about living in a small town is that you know everyone there. Bilpin is known as “the land of the mountain apple”.  

Our family business is Hillbilly Cider. The cider is sold all over Australia and we have a cellar door with a pizza restaurant. 

When I look outside my window, I can see the bright green grass that slowly turns into dense bushland. I love waking up to the massive dam with the rope swing.  Sometimes in the middle of winter when it gets to -1 degree or less in the early mornings, I see my Dad and my sister jumping into the freezing cold dam.    

One of the not so nice aspects of living in Bilpin is the bushfires. In 2019, Bilpin experienced one of its worst ever bushfires that tore through houses and businesses. Many people had to evacuate including my sisters, my mum and I. We were evacuated for one whole week while my dad stayed behind and fought the fires. When we entered Bilpin after the fires were over it was almost unrecognisable. 

Some of the things I love about home is the big dam that we swim in a lot.  I love the fire pit dinners and the bush walks down to the waterfalls. 

What I like about Pymble is there is always something to do.

Boarder of the Week

Goodlet House Boarder Angeline Sum (Year 11) was an easy choice for this week’s Boarder of the Week. She is an outstanding Boarder who is serious about her studies but always finds time to support others. She is an incredible musician and is generous in sharing her talents in our Chapel service and on other special occasions. Angeline also writes beautifully and is a prolific contributor to Keeping Up With Our Boarders. Most importantly, Angeline is a kind and caring soul and her check-ins and friendly chats are much valued by our entire Boarding family.

Save the Date

Please add the following dates to your Boarding calendar. If you missed out on a copy of our calendar, please let us know at boarding@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au and we will send one out to you. 

Sunday 14 August

Gordon and Pymble Uniting Church service (no leave for Boarders between 9.00am and 11.00am)

Friday 16 September

2:00pm Boarder Parent Group meeting

7:00pm Boarding Community Event (no leave for Boarders from 4.00pm) 

Saturday 17 September

Garden Party (no leave for Boarders)

Thursday 22 September

Year 12 Boarders and Parents’ Celebration

Friday 23 September

Boarders’ Travel Day

Tuesday 29 November
End of Term Chapel and Christmas Dinner

Mrs Carolyn Burgess

Director of Boarding

Co-curricular Administration

2022 Co-curricular Programs

All Co-curricular programs have now begun for Term 3 and confirmations were sent out on Tuesday 12 July. If you have not received confirmation of your daughters’ program or have any questions about your daughter’s registrations, please do not hesitate to contact Co-curricular Administration at ccsa@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

If you would like to withdraw your daughter from a program, transfer between programs, or have missed registering her for a program, registration requests can be made by clicking here and completing the Co-curricular Registration Request form.

The cut-off date for Co-curricular Registration Requests was Monday 8.00am of Week 3, Term 3 (Monday 1 August). As this date has now passed, the following conditions now apply to registration requests received after this date:

• Late registration requests/transfers will no longer be accepted for most Term 3, Semester 2, and intakes for Yearly programs.
• Withdrawal requests from termly programs will have the full program fee added to College accounts
• Withdrawal requests from semester/yearly programs will be charged up to the end of Term 3, except for Dance, where the full year fee remains for all withdrawals.
• Compulsory/non-refundable fees may be applicable.

Any registration requests received prior to the cut-off are currently being processed and you should receive an outcome via email by the end of this week. We have received a large volume of emails, calls and registration requests at this time so we appreciate your patience as we get back to you.

A reminder that our conditions of Co-curricular registration were updated for 2022 and can be found by clicking here.

Term 4 Saturday Sport Registrations

This is a reminder that registrations for Term 4 Saturday Sports will remain open until Friday 5 August at 12.00pm.

The options available to students are as follows:

• IPSHA Basketball (Year 3 to 6)
• IPSHA Cricket (Year 3 to 6)
• IPSHA Tennis (Year 3 to 6)
• Cricket Sixers (Year 7 to 12)
• Summer Rowing (Year 7 to 12)
• IGSA Tennis (Year 7 to 12)
• Santa Sabina Volleyball (Year 7 to 12)
• IGSA Water Polo (Year 7 to 12)
• IGSA Touch Football (Year 7 to 12)

All registrations are made via the online registration system, which can be accessed from the Co-curricular at Pymble pages of MyPymble (click here; parent log in required).

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

On-campus Injury Assessment Clinic at Pymble

A reminder to all families, the College will have an onsite Injury Assessment Clinic (IAC), which students can access conveniently, without a GP referral, and at no cost.

The IAC provides prompt and accurate diagnosis, streamline and accelerate injury management, and provide a gold standard level of care for our active Pymble girls.

The clinic is located in the Aquatic and Fitness Centre, where we have allocated a private consultation room. This service is led by Dr Nicole Sly MBBS BPhty, a Sports and Exercise Medicine Doctor who will work in partnership with our existing onsite Sports Physiotherapists, Simon and Emily.

About Dr Nicole Sly

Dr Sly has experience supporting elite athletes in Rugby Union, Rowing, and Paratriathlon internationally. She has also worked at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead Institute of Sports Medicine and Paediatric Emergency and as a Physiotherapist before studying medicine.

How to access the IAC

Availability:

Monday 7.00am to 10.00am and Thursday 8.00am to 11.00am, during term time.

Location: Aquatic and Fitness Centre.

How to access:

• Walk in.
• Referral by Pymble
• Direct bookings via QR code, which takes you to Hot Doc to make an appointment.

Other key details:

• Consent must be given by a carer/parent to attend the IAC.
• Carers and parents are welcome to attend appointments with their daughters.
• In alignment with our COVID safety guidelines.
• No GP referral is required.
• No out-of-pocket expense for consultations.

MR GREG MEAGHER

DIRECTOR OF SPORT

Athletics

Good luck to Olivia Inkster (Year 12) who is competing for Australia at the World U20 Athletics Championships this week in Cali, Colombia. Olivia will compete in the 200m and the 4 x 100m relay. If you would like to watch Olivia live, she is competing and will be shown at the following Australian Eastern Standard-Times (AEST):

Friday 2.50am – 200m Heats
Friday 6.00am – 4 x 100m relay Heats
Friday 7.15am – 200m Semi Final
Saturday 7.20am – 200m Final
Saturday 8.30am – 4 x 100m relay Final

You can watch Olivia and the whole Australian team live on Kayo or Foxtel.

Katie Edwards

Head of Sport – Year 7 to 12

Cross Country

Good luck to the following students competing in the New South Wales (NSW) Short Course Cross Country Championships to be held in Bathurst on Sunday 7 August.

Sarah Baker (Year 10)
Sophia Slater (Year 9)
Georgia Phillips (Year 10)
Tessa Newitt (Year 9)
Claudia Wyatt (Year 6)
Gemma Dixon (Year 6)
Abigail Ballhausen (Year 11)

The girls are fortunate enough to be a part of this unique opportunity to run in the World Cross Country 2023 Championships course and compete against the best athletes from around the world!

Ms Megan O’Keeffe
Sports Co-ordinator – Cross Country

Diving

Commonwealth Games

Diving can provide the opportunity for so many to gain something from this sport. During the holidays, the Junior Elite Nationals were held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) in Sydney. Thank you to Charlotte Allen (Year 11) who sang the National Anthem for the Opening Ceremony whilst standing high above the pool on the 7m platform.

Charlotte’s rendition of the anthem was superb and an inspiring start to the National Championships.

Thank you, Charlotte.

This week our focus in Diving will be on the Commonwealth Games. It is with great excitement that we will be able to watch Brittany O’Brien OLY (2016) compete in the 3m and Synchronised Diving events from Thursday 4 August. Joining Brittany at the games is Sam Fricker OLY, also one of our very own Diving Connection divers.

We are so looking forward to watching all our divers compete and celebrate all the skill and grace that is diving.

Good luck to all our Australian team.

A reminder to all our Pymble/Diving Connection divers that registrations for the 2022/2023 season are now open.

Ms Chris Lang
Head Coach – Diving

Equestrian

Congratulations to Hannah Rockwell (Year 12) and Zoe Glendenning (Year 9) for competing in the NSW State Interschool Equestrian Championships.

Zoe placed 10th in the Preliminary Dressage test and Hannah placing 2nd in the 1* Eventing.

Both achieved fantastic results in such a competitive field.

Zoe is now preparing for her next event at the ISHE Inter-School Extravaganza in Tamworth.

We would also like to congratulate Hannah who has qualified for the NSW Team to compete at the Australian Interschool National Equestrian Championships in September.

Hannah will be competing in 1* Eventing on her horse Lamondale Remini And Dressage Prix St George and Inter 1 on Baumans Diorella.

We wish Zoe and Hannah all the best of luck for their upcoming competitions.

ALISON WILLIAMS
SPORTS CO-ORDINATOR – EQUESTRIAN

Futsal

Congratulations to our Futsal U13 / U14/ U16 and Opens Futsal teams that competed at the NSW Futsal State Championships held at the Hawksbury Police and Community Youth Clubs (PCYC) in South Windsor last week. It was great to see the State Championships back in action after two years of no competition. This is the pinnacle of Futsal school competition in Australia. Each team qualified as a top two finishing side in the regional competition held in Term 2. All teams were very competitive, and every Secondary team made it out of the group stages and into the knockout finals.

Well done to the Opens Futsal team who made the semi-final of the competition on Friday 29 July and lost in a nail-biting penalty shootout against Central Coast Sports College. Congratulations to Laura Wilson (Year 12), Georgina Maher (Year 12) and Claudia Johnston (Year 12) on playing a fantastic final Futsal Competition.

Mr Edward Elwood
Sports Co-ordinator – Futsal

Hockey

IGSA Hockey

Round 2 of Hockey took place on the weekend, with most of our teams playing at the cold, but scenic, Frensham School. 

Well done to our Junior Firsts, Pymble 4, our Year 7 Firsts, Pymble 6 and Pymble 7 for taking a convincing win over Frensham School. 

Our Senior Firsts unfortunately lost by one point to PLC Armidale on the bell. 

We look forward to seeing some more great results in Round 3 from Pymble this Saturday.

Laura Verlinden

Sports Co-ordinator – Hockey

Netball

We saw some wonderful Netball on the court for Round 2 of the IGSA Competition on Saturday. The sun was shining so all games went ahead.

We had a mixture of wins and losses with some fantastic skills and sportsmanship both on and off the court.

Team of the week goes to Pymble 27 who has an impressive win over Roseville College. Congratulations Pymble 27 and all girls who participated over the weekend!

Kate Irvine

Sports Co-ordinator – Netball

Rugby Sevens

It was a fantastic day for Round 1 of the Chloe Dalton Competition last Saturday afternoon. After a term of training under their belts the Pymble girls were keen to get on the pitch and show the opposition what they were made of!

We had a number of girls who were on debut for Pymble and we had other students who had never played a Rugby match in their lives. Once these girls took the field it was hard to tell that they had never played before. Their dedication and attendance to training paid off.

From the Juniors through to the Seniors – all players made the College, parents and their teammates proud. A special shout out to Skye McLeod (Year 7) and Lucy Simpson (Year 7) who even turned their jersey inside out to play for their opposition team as they were short. 

Well done to all our Pymble Rugby players!

Results
Pymble 01 def Loreto Normanhurst 01: 35-7
Pymble 01 def Abbotsleigh 01: 19-5

Pymble 02 def Loreto Normanhurst 02 : 45-7
Pymble 02 def Abbotsleigh 02: 26-5

Pymble 03 def by Loreto Normanhurst 03: 14-17
Pymble 03 def Abbotsleigh 03: 50-7

Pymble 04 def Brigidine College 03: 21-0
Pymble 04 def Loreto Normanhurst 06: 17-7

Pymble 05 def Loreto Normanhust 05: 45-5
Pymble 05 def Brigidine College 04: 22-10

Pymble 06 def Brigidine College 05: 45-12
Pymble 06 def Abbotsleigh 04: 26-0

Mr Jack Garrad

Sports Co-ordinator – Rugby Sevens

Swimming

Knox Pymble Swim Club (KPSC) Qualifying Meet

Sunday 31 July 2022

Thank you to everyone who made our July KPSC meet on Sunday morning a huge success.

We had a total of 65 from our Pymble Swimming program racing. Of this, there were 38 Pymble Ladies (including one alumni).

They all had the same goals, achieved some personal best times, chased new times for Junior/Senior state and more importantly got some excellent race practice.

Once racing got underway there was some amazing efforts put in across the board. Special mention to Arabella Cox (Year 10) for her toughness and passion towards racing. Annalise Chow (Year 8) from Cadet squad for her dedication and commitment. Jisoo Yeou (Year 7) from Engine squad for her race attitude and for giving new events a go. Penelope Hargraves (Year 5) from Star squad for outstanding effort in achieving new goals and Emma Feng (Year 3) from Mini squad for always having a smile after every race and enjoying herself!

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who helped make the meet run smoothly, including our officials, timekeepers, coaches, committee and even our barbeque chefs. It is great seeing so many people helping and learning new roles.

Well done to all Pymble swimmers that competed:

Amalia Bond (Year 6), Samara Bond (Year 9), Hannah Carmichael (Year 9), Megan Chia (Year 6), Jennifer Chong (Year 9), Annalise Chow (Year 8), Arabella Cox (Year 10), Jessica Cullen (Year 9), Emma Deere (Year 3), Anais Drysdale (Year 9), Emma Feng (Year 3), Oriana Fenton (Year 5), Penelope Hargraves (Year 5), Hayley Johnston (Year 10), Imogen Jones (Year 6), Sarah Kranes (Year 6), Annika Lee (Year 9), Annabelle Li (Year 7), Jaya Lilienthal (Year 9), Anne Liu (Year 6), Eva Liu (Year 9), Lily Lockhart (Year 9), Jessica Munk (Year 10), Emma Ng (Year 6), Ruby Pickthall (Year 8), Lakshi Rajeev (Year 4), Charlotte Sadler (Year 50), Zara Sandham (Year 6), Emma Sargent (Year 11), Chloe Shires (Year 5), Carlyn Suhendra (Year 10), Sarah Tian (Year 8), Isabella Wang (Year 4), Lucy Xie (Year 8), Jisoo Yeou (Year 7), Elsa Yu (Year 5), Lily Zhang (Year 4), Paris Zhang (Alumni)

Mr Rafael Rodrigues

Swimming Coach

Touch Football

This week’s team of the week goes to Pymble 6 (Year 3) for an outstanding 9-1 win over PLC Sydney. Despite some girls only recently picking up Touch Football, they displayed a great ability to work and pass as a team, continuing to improve at a meteoric rate.

Zara Ware (Year 3) showed impressive pace down the sideline and kicked things off with a stunning early try, then scored two more fantastic tries. Stephanie Zhao (Year 3) displayed some silky skills and electric pace, while Dora Chen (Year 3) showed great composure and ability while in defence.

Lauren Hoch (Year 3) and Emily Walker (Year 3) were running and gaining plenty of metres with their fantastic runs alongside Aceline Mameng (Year 3). Samantha Robson (Year 3) also made some awesome runs (two tries) and defensive taps.

Emily Pu (Year 3) and Evie Sumner (Year 3) made some amazing chase-down taps, too. Such an outstanding team effort – a fantastic start to the season with plenty of improvement still to be done.  Our Pymble players are looking to be an outstanding touch team. 

Well done Pymble 6!

Mr Matt Tyson
Head of Sports – Kindergarten to Year 6

Performing Arts

Dance

Eisteddfod Dance

Congratulations to our Eisteddfod Dance Team who represented the College with pride at Sydney Eisteddfod on the weekend. The maturity, passion and skill of the team was highly evident as the Secondary Groups performed at the Concourse in Chatswood on Saturday and Junior Groups performed at the Opera House on Sunday. After a 3-year break from Sydney Eisteddfod, we were happy to be back participating in what is the largest and most exciting Dance Eisteddfod of the year. 

The competition was tough with 20 to 40 schools in each section and, although our teams performed their best with their highly artistic and thematic choreography, the Adjudicators’ preference for some placings went to some of the other great schools who also came to the arena with their strong groups. Nonetheless, our Pymble Groups had the audience in awe and mesmerised by their performances. It was also special to be able to have the Secondary Groups watch each other!

A huge mention to our Secondary Team who faced many absences due to illness / Covid-19 and many students had to learn new sections of routines in a very short time frame. Their adaptability and grace under pressure, yet again, is to be commended. A huge thank you to their class teachers who continue to inspire the girls and bounce back from the many obstacles that they have faced this year with the ‘unique’ pattern of attendance which they have experienced. 

RESULTS

Secondary Contemporary

Highly Commended – Contemporary White

Secondary Jazz

Second Place – Jazz White

Primary Lyrical

Second Place – Junior Lyrical 

Primary Jazz

Second Place – Junior Jazz

You’re Invited: HSC Dance Showcase

We warmly invite you and your daughters to attend the 2022 HSC Dance Showcase where Pymble’s best Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 Elective Dancers will put on a performance you’re sure not to forget anytime soon. 

Date: Saturday 20 August 

Time: 6.30pm – 8.00pm 

Where: Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts 

It’s been 15 years since Dance as an academic subject was first introduced at the College. Since then, we have seen a wealth of talented, passionate and engaged students undertake the journey of studying Dance as an art form. 

During the last 15 years, Pymble Dancers have received numerous HSC Dance Callback nominations, several state rankings and perfect scores of 100/100. 

However, what our students leave the subject with is far more important than impressive marks. HSC Dance is a robust, challenging and exciting curriculum that embeds skills that are learnt through dance that transcend past the dance studio. 

This event is not to be missed, so come along, support our girls and be amazed at the five-star performances on offer from our fantastic HSC Dancers.

Miss Katrina Cluff

Head of Dance

Drama

Congratulations to our Improvisors!

Congratulations to our Improvisors who performed this past week at the Ryde Eisteddfod in Improvisation Telephone Conversation for Two and Impromptu Speech, we are so proud of their wonderful achievements in their performances. Congratulations to:

Improvisation Telephone Conversation for Two

First Place: Cindy Wang (Year 7) and Alannah Tang (Year 7)

Third Place: Lucinda Martin (Year 7) and Cindy Wang (Year 7)

Impromptu Speech

First Place: Emma Wang (Year 6) Under 12s

Highly Commended: Bella Xu (Year 5) and Annabella Bayfield (Year 6) Under 12s

Highly Commended: Catherine Zeng (Year 7) and Lucinda Martin (Year 7) Under 14s

Drama Tour 2022

For our Year 9 to 11 students and parents involved in the Drama Tour to London and Paris taking place in the upcoming break, the parent information evening is being held on Monday 15 August at 6.00pm. Further details have been emailed to all students and parents involved in the Drama Tour.

Ms Tamara Sweetman

Head of Drama

Language Arts

The Great Debate at Oxford!

Genevieve Power (Year 11) and Angie Wang (Year 11) represented their constituent colleges at the recent Oxford debate held during Summer School. Congratulations to both girls and special congratulations to Angie who won the best speaker award. This is a most commendable achievement. Pre Covid, Carina Ye, now a Pymble alumni, had the same high honour when she attended Oxford Summer School. Seems like we have established a new Pymble tradition! Bravo to Angie and Genevieve.

Archdale Debating

Round 7 was held this week at Monte Sant’ Angelo in North Sydney. Results will be announced next week. Please note Round 7 marks the end of our preliminary debates. The teams who are through to the Finals rounds will be notified by CCSA. Lat week, Pymble won five out of eight debates against Loreto Kirribilli.

Social Debating

Social debating classes commenced on Wednesday this Term and have been expanded by one additional class.

PMUN

PMUN has resumed for the term. Please contact Isabella Cameron (Year 12) if you’re interested in attending. We hope to see you on Mondays in DK 05. Give it a go and learn more about our world!

UN Negotiations Competition

The UN NSW Negotiations Competition is an international diplomacy and negotiation competition that immerses students in the role of state negotiators and encourages the finding of practical and pragmatic solutions to important geopolitical international disputes.  We had three teams enter preliminary rounds last week. The girls are representing either Sudan or Ethiopia. Negotiations are continuing. Ongoing wishes to Caitlyn Tan (Year 11), Hanna Cheung (Year 11), Rachel Chan (Year 10), Angelina Lee (Year 10), Yuki Wang (Year 10) and June Yoon (Year 10).

MUN

The Rotary MUN weekend competition was held last Saturday and Sunday at Epping Boys’ High. Thanks to Kur-ring-gai Rotary for sponsoring our team. Our team of three Year Ten girls – Rachel Chan, June Yoon and Angelina Lee – represented Mexico and debated three resolutions across the two days. Well done girls! 

Legacy Public Speaking

Congratulations to Jenny Xu (Year 8) and Emily Abadee (Year 9) who have been selected to represent Pymble in the Legacy Public Speaking Competition to be held on 10 August. This will be an online heat, run at school.

UN Voice

This is a fun Term 4 challenge and open to all in Years 7-10. Please email your interest to Mrs Hubbard and Angie Wang (Year 11). Further details can be found here: https://unyouth.org.au/event/voice/voice-nsw/. We will sign you up through the school for this Term 4 competition. Thanks to all who have now expressed interest. A lunchtime meeting will be advertised on the Portal in coming weeks.

Mediation

Our Mediators are through to the Quarter finals and are currently preparing their next scenario. Well done girls!

Mock Law

Congratulations to the Mock Trial team who won their last trial against Normanhurst Boys’. Unfortunately, two out of three wins was not enough to secure them a place in the elimination rounds. Congratulations team on a solid performance this year and thank you to coach Annika Shankar.

Mrs Bronwyn Hubbard

Head of Language Arts

Music

2022 Music Scholars Recital – Week 4

The Music department hopes the College community enjoys their latest video project All You Need Is Love. Featuring music and lyrics from the Beatles, the song was performed by over 150 Co-curricular music students. Set to footage of students from Kindergarten to Year 12 having fun across the College campus, the video is a celebration of our wonderful College and our talented musicians.

2022 Music Scholars’ Recital – Week 4

The College community is warmly invited to the 2022 Music Scholars’ Recital. Featuring students from Years 7 to 12, it will be an exciting night of musical excellence. The concert will be held on Tuesday 9 August, commencing at 7.00pm in the Music Gallery. This is a free event and audience members do not need to book a ticket.

The recital will feature the following students from the Secondary School:

• Lara Albany – Double Bass (Year 12)
• Isabel Dean – Violin (Year 12)
• Odessa Girdis – Oboe (Year 11)
• Angel Yu – Cello (Year 11)
• Gabby Zhong – Cello (Year 11)
• Lux Fritz – Euphonium (Year 10)
• Ella Liu – Piano (Year 9)
• Aine Oo – Clarient (Year 9)
• Zarina Nurlanov – Violin (Year 9)
• Grace Walmsley – French Horn (Year 8)
• Sitian Chen – Cello (Year 7)
• Zoe Manning – Trumpet (Year 7)
• Joy Yin – Piano (Year 7)

Mr Kurt Schweinberger

Head of Co-curricular Music

Speech and Drama

Ryde Eisteddfod

We are thrilled to announce the results for our Speech and Drama girls who competed last weekend at the Ryde Eisteddfod, many for the first time.  From the Year 2’s to Year 8’s, they all did a fabulous job entertaining the audience. The results are: 

Poetry Speaking – 7 Years 

Cecilia Cao (Year 2) – Second Place 

Irene Du (Year 2) – Third Place  

Annette Ng (Year 2) – Highly Commended 

Jianing Li (Year 2) 

Sophia Wu (Year 2) 

Vivian Huang (Year 2) 

Avril Huang (Year 2) 

Acting Duologue – 14 Years and under 

Imogen Wu and Nikita Srivastava (Year 8) Runners-Up 

Annika Maslin and Sienna Melton  

Novice Speech Event – 12 Years and Under 

Jenny He (Year 7) – Second Place 

Evelyn Li (Year 7) – Highly Commended 

Dia Verma (Year 7) 

Mrs Sarah Meijer and Mrs Victoria Clancy

Speech and Drama Instructors

Scholarship Applications close soon

Applications for available scholarships at Pymble close on 5 August 2022. 

2023 Performance – Sport and All-Rounder Scholarship registrations are open and close 5 August 2022. 

2024 Academic, Performance – Music, Boarding and Pymble Ex-Students Union Scholarship registrations are open and close 5 August 2022. 

For full details and dates please visit the our Scholarships webpage or email cstock@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.

2022 Census Privacy Notice

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

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

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

Pymble Cyber Safety Hub

Your family, your school and cyber safety

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

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

Click here to access the Pymble Cyber Safety Hub.

Pymble Station Upgrade

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

From the Director of Community Engagement and Advancement

Our Pymble family has been very busy lately, both at home and abroad. Please enjoy these event updates.  

1972 – 50 Year Reunion

The Class of 1972 met in style on 31 July, a beautiful sunny Sunday for drinks and canapés in the David McFarlane Centre, to celebrate 50 years since leaving school. And it was made more special because it was also Commemoration Day. 

The vibe on the day was so warm and friendly! There were 82 alumni in attendance, some students coming face-to-face for the first time in more than fifty years. Ex-students came from near and far, travelling from Sydney, rural NSW, interstate and even New Zealand to attend the gathering. 

1954 – 68 Year Reunion

On Sunday 31 July, a group of lovely 1954 leavers gathered to celebrate 68 years since they finished at the College. Unfortunately, a few ex-students couldn’t attend at the last minute, however the ladies who could attend were thrilled to have a lovely luncheon in one of the Colonnade Classrooms, evoking many beautiful memories of their time at Pymble. 

Alumni Event – London

What a fitting way for Dr Hadwen to conclude her inspiring and memorable overseas sabbatical with a wonderful night spent with Pymble Alumni living in London. Proving that our girls are indeed, ‘once a Pymble girl, always a Pymble girl’, there was much reminiscing and great conversation to be had with these ex-students, who hold a special place for Pymble in their hearts.  

Alumni Event – New York

While Dr Hadwen was in the Big Apple, she had a blast catching up with Leah Mitchell (1992), Kate Lanceley (1987) and Julie Parrinello (Tunnell-Jones) (1992). The ladies enjoyed the chance to meet each other and chat all things Pymble and more. It’s true, our Pymble family can be found in all corners of the world! 

Alumni Event – Los Angeles

During Dr Hadwen’s trip to the US, she met up with three of our Pymble Alumni who reside in LA. Catching up at Superba Hollywood, Dr H swapped stories with Rebecca Vasak (2000), Vanessa Vasak (1999) and Sarah Stickeler (1988). 

Commemoration Day

On Sunday 31 July, our ex-students and their families visited the campus for our Commemoration Day Chapel Service. Celebrating the Dedication of the College, which took place on 31 July 1919, our special guests enjoyed a performance by the ESU Choir, followed by a morning tea, which was hosted by the Ex-students Union (ESU). Alumni Emma Maple-Brown (McWilliam, 1991) was guest speaker.  

 If you missed the service and would like to watch a recording, please click here.  

JSPG Years 2 and 3 Parent Daughter Dance

Thank you to everyone who attended our JSPG Years 2 and 3 Parent Daughter Dance last Saturday 30 July. The girls had so much fun getting their boogie on at the disco-themed dance, busting out their best moves alongside our Head of Junior School, Kate Brown and our Deputy Head of Junior School – Operations, Nerissa Davey. Please enjoy these photos from the evening and if your daughter’s dance or camp is coming up, please make sure you book your tickets ASAP (see more info below).  

What’s coming up on the social calendar…

We have plenty of fun events coming up for your daughter/s – here’s a snapshot of what’s in store for our girls.  

Kindergarten to Year 1 Parent Daughter Dance – last call! 

We’re two sleeps away from the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG) masquerade-themed Kindergarten and Year 1 Parent Daughter Dance this coming Saturday 6 August. Tickets includes dinner, non-alcoholic beverages and entertainment. For your last chance to book, please click here. 

Years 4 and 5 Parent Daughter Dance 

On Saturday 27 August, the JSPG will host our Years 4 and 5 Parent Daughter Dance. The theme is ‘Sparkle and Shine’ and guests will enjoy entertainment, a barbecue dinner for children and a full buffet dinner for adults, together with dessert and beverages for all. Please click here to register by Wednesday 17 August.  

Garden Party 2022 – Rides Stall convenors needed 

Our much-loved campus Garden Party on Saturday 17 September is fast approaching; however, we need your help! We are after conveners for our Rides Stall to help set up, sell tickets, and wrap up at the end of the day. If you can spare one hour to assist at our Rides Stall, we would love to hear from you. Volunteers can sign up here.  

We are also seeking donations of new and good conditioned toys for our Toy Stall. We will have more details to come regarding where to drop off etc, however please check your cupboards in the meantime! 

Year 4 Parents and Daughters Camp (Vision Valley) 

You are warmly invited to the Pymble Parent Association Year 4 Parents* and Daughters Camp - Saturday 8 October to Sunday 9 October 2022. The Parents and Daughters Camp will focus on fun games and activities, storytelling and a chance for each child to be recognised for their special gifts and talents. The aim is for the girls to feel a greater sense of connection to their family. RSVP by Friday 23 September 2022, but be quick, as places are limited and may sell out. For more information and to book, please click here. *One or both parents are welcome to attend. 

Year 5 Dads and Daughters Camp (Vision Valley) 

You are warmly invited to the Pymble Parent Association Year 5 Dads and Daughters Camp - Saturday 15 October and Sunday 16 October 2022. The Dads and Daughters Camp will focus on fun games and activities, storytelling and a chance for each child to be recognised for their special gifts and talents by their father. The aim is for the girls to feel a greater sense of connection to their family. RSVP by Friday 30 September 2022, but be quick, as places are limited and may sell out. For more information and to book, please click here.  

To view all our upcoming events for Semester 2, please click here.  

MyPymble App

The one-stop shop for College communications, aka the game-changing Pymble Portal, is fully operational and has already been updated to iron out any technical glitches and include new features. Please update your app in the app store to access these benefits if you haven’t already done so. We hope you’ve found it useful in keeping up to date with your daughter’s schooling journey at Pymble.

If you haven’t downloaded the MyPymble app, please do so here.

Mrs Kelly Mancey

Director – Community Engagement & Advancement

Garden Party – Save the Date

Junior School Garden Party Poster Competition

Girls, put on your creative hats and design a poster to promote our wonderful Garden Party for a chance to win an unlimited rides pass!

Entries are to be submitted to the Junior School Office by Tuesday 30 August 2022.

All posters entered will be displayed in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts foyer at Garden Party 2022.

Prizes and certificates will be presented at Assembly in the week before Garden Party. Multiple entries are welcome.

Click here to download the poster. Good luck!

Important: 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.  

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. 

From the College Uniform Shop

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

Important Winter uniform notes

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

Click here to access the shop online.

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.

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.