From the Upper School
A message from Mrs Victoria Harrison, Acting Head of Upper School
A very warm welcome to 2024 and the exciting start of a new school year! It has been lovely to meet the new girls to the Upper School and hope that they have enjoyed their first week as part of our Pymble family. We are sure that they will all make wonderful contributions to the life of the College and look forward to getting to know them well. We will have further opportunities to meet parents at the Upper School Information evening in a few weeks and the Pymble Icebreaker evening in early March.
2024 has brought change to the Upper School, this year the Upper School has a new home in Lower IH building while we await the renovation of an exciting new space for our Year 9 and 10 girls. We know that a dedicated Upper School space is going to be extremely popular when it is ready later this year.
We bid a fond farewell to Mr Tom Riley, from his role as Head of Upper School. Mr. Riley will be moving on to new challenges at Vision Valley as Head of Campus where he will continue to contribute to the growth of this great facility. We wish Tom continued success in this role and look forward to working closely with him through the Year 9 Residential program.
Mr. Riley’s leadership, care, and commitment to our students and colleagues has been exemplary. His positive influence has shaped the Upper School environment, fostering a culture of support and achievement.
I am looking forward to working in the Head of Upper School role following Mr Riley’s move and excited to collaborate with the dedicated Upper School team to provide strong support for your daughters. Working alongside Ms Mariel Lombard, Acting Deputy of Upper School, and our Heads of Year 10, Ms Myvanwy Carr, and Mrs Felicity Gray, as well as Head of Year 9, Mrs Stephanie Attley, and Mr Peter Fathers, we are committed to ensuring a positive and enriching academic experience for all students.
It is always a big adjustment for the girls (and families) as we settle back into the school routine. As we begin the year, we hope that the girls are feeling refreshed after the break and have reflected on what they would like to achieve this year. I have been encouraging our girls and staff to be kind to themselves and ensure that they establish effective and healthy routines that will serve us well throughout the year.
A key focus across the college this year is to improve the sleep and movement habits of our community. We will be building more opportunities for movement into the school day and educating the girls on how healthy sleep habits are a key driver in positive wellbeing and to being a great learner. To kickstart this initiative, the upcoming swimming carnivals provide a fantastic opportunity for movement, we encourage all Upper School students to have a go. In the spirit of diversity and positivity, two of our trademark behaviours, let us ensure we get out there, support our peers, and contribute to house points!
On Thursday, our Year 10s enjoyed a talk from Paul Dillon from Drugs and Alcohol Research and Training Australia. As always Paul provided an engaging experience in explaining how our girls can look out for each other at parties, how to navigate safer forms of risk-taking behaviour, and highlighted the potential dangers of vaping. Parents are encouraged to attend the parent version of this presentation at 6.00pm Thursday 1 February in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts. There is also a great range of helpful resources on the DARTA website.
2024 Student Exchange Applications – Year 10
Applications for the 2024 Student Exchange (Cultural and Language) program will close on Friday 2 February 2024.
Interviews will take place Week 2/3 of Term 1 (students will be notified) and places will be advised Week 3/4.
For details on how to apply, please click here.
Any further questions, please email studentexchange@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au
Key Dates
Friday 2 February – School Photo Day
Sunday 4 February – Year 9 Residential Program Term 1 commences at Vision Valley
Saturday 10 February – Saturday sport begins
Wednesday 14 February – Year 7 to 9 Swimming Carnival
Thursday 15 February – Year 10 to 12 Swimming Carnival
Monday 19 February – Upper School Parent Information Evening (Begins at 6.00pm)
Thursday 22 February – Year 10 Careers Strengths Day
Thursday 22 February – Year 9 Residential Program Term 1 Parent Workshop
Wednesday 6 March – Year 9 Residential Program Term 2 Parent and Student Information Evening
Tuesday 12 March – Urban Challenge for Year 10
Thursday 11 April – Year 10 Learning Discussions – Evening
Friday 12 April – Year 10 Learning Discussions – All Day (No classes)
Friday 12 April – Last Day of Term (For Year 9)
Victoria Harrison
Acting Head of Upper School