From the Principal

And so that was 2023. My Christmas wish is that each student will look back on their year at Pymble and recall many moments of joy – as a learner, as a valued member of our College family, and as a unique individual with a growing understanding of her own special gifts, talents and passions.

When I look back on the year that was, I feel an immense sense of gratitude for our Pymble family. Term 1 started with a call for all students, staff and families to consider how they could be of service to others in our year of Pymble Gives Back. I’m incredibly #PymbleProud to report this has been a roaring success, with students from K-12, staff and families all contributing to a multi-faceted year-long program built around supporting causes that make a difference in our world and helping communities in need. In addition to performing thousands of acts of service towards others, our Pymble family raised $53,562 to distribute among more than 40 charities ranging from Asylum Seekers Centre to Write a Book in a Day.

Thank you to our big-hearted students for embracing their inner ‘giver’ and going above and beyond to be kind and caring towards each other as well as people and places in need of a little TLC.

Thank you to our wonderful parents, Pymble Parent Association and all the Parent Support Groups for contributing to a multitude of donation drives and fund-raising initiatives, and for gifting their time as volunteers supporting our co-curricular programs and College events. Special shout-out to those parents and carers who also stand in as readers and writers in examinations; this means so much to our students who need practical learning support, and their families.  

Thank you to our incredible staff who work tirelessly to give your daughters the very best educational experience possible, in addition to role modelling the joys of being of service to others. Tomorrow, approximately 350 of our executives, academics and professional services staff will spend the day working at one of 34 locations supporting multiple charities, including food kitchens, local aged care facilities, charities, schools for children with special needs and more. If you see us out and about in the community in our Pymble Gives Back shirts, please stop and say hello, we’d love to see you.

And, of course, our Year 11 students will take on the role of carers of children with disabilities at our annual Sony Camp, co-hosted by Pymble and Shore, which commences on Sunday. Another big heart-felt thank you to all the staff members and parents who will be providing additional and specialised support at the camp, which, for some parents, is the first time they have had a few days of respite from the demands of caring for a child with special needs. What a wonderful gift to give and receive.

We end the year grateful for having shared time working alongside a few forever members of our Pymble family, including our beloved Rev Bent, who I paid tribute to in last week’s Newsletter. I hope you find time to read Rev Bent’s parting message in this edition. Our outgoing Chair of the College Board, Mr James Hunter, has been a guiding star in every imaginable way, including in our adorable Kindergarten Nativity play on Tuesday. It was wonderful to celebrate James’ significant contribution to our College in all our Speech Day events and Celebrations of Learning this week. We also give thanks for our College Board, and our Foundation Board, who gift countless unseen hours and professional brain space to ensure Pymble is the best educational experience for your daughter, along with our incoming Chair of the Board, Mr Chris Fydler OAM, who takes over from James in January 2024.

Mr Stuart Clark leaves his spiritual home at Vision Valley to take on a new adventure in Experiential Learning at Knox Grammar School; thank you Stu for 10 years of dedication to all things Pymble and Vision Valley. Just between us, I can tell you that we have appointed a new Director of Campus – Vision Valley, and this announcement will be made early in 2024 so watch this space! Speaking of the Valley, I can also finally announce what has possibly been the worst-kept secret at Pymble this term – yes, in 2024, a group of Year 9 boys from Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) will be joining our residential program. We are very excited about this partnership and delighted that 66 boys from Churchie signed up almost overnight to experience life at ‘the Valley’ in Term 2.

We look forward to revealing many more exciting initiatives for students in 2024, including one that stems from a group of our Year 12 students who came to me with a great idea to amplify Pymble spirit next year. Keep your eyes out for the Term 1 2024 launch of a College-wide campaign to support our girls as they play, compete and perform in the sports and activities that make their hearts sing.

For now, I sign off with a full heart and all best wishes for a wonderful Christmas surrounded by the best gifts of all, your family, friends and loved ones.