From the Junior School
From the Head of Junior School
Thank you to the 500 mums and grandmas who were able to attend our Mother’s Day last Friday. Despite the cloudy weather, our Junior School spirit shone brightly, and I hope you all had a wonderful time connecting with your daughter and friends. Please enjoy the video we’ve created for our Mother’s Day celebration which shows some of our girls sharing their dreams and their gratitude for their education here at Pymble.
At our Mother’s Day event, we aired videos featuring students from across the Junior School. Our girls expressed why they love Pymble, what they dream of becoming in the future and what they look forward to in our new Grey House Precinct.
As I spoke about on the day, I am grateful for your determination as parents to empower your daughter to dream big dreams and to be courageous and tenacious in the pursuit of those dreams. I am proud of the confidence our girls show as they speak about their passions and dreams.
- 43% of our girls across K-6 currently dream of a future working in STEM including robotic engineers, astronauts, NASA scientists, gamers and software designers
- 24% of our girls across K-6 currently dream of a future working in the Arts including many singers, actors, dancers, designers and even a few future mermaids and fairies!
- 19% of our girls across K-6 currently dream of a future working in the Service industry, with the majority of these girls aspiring to be teachers and quite a few lawyers
- 14% of our girls across K-6 currently dream of a future in professional sport particularly gymnastics and swimming.
Building our girls’ passion and confidence in STEM begins from Kindergarten and last week the girls were exploring forces in action as they investigated how cars and billycarts move.
Olympic dreams
Last weekend was a once in a lifetime opportunity for some of our girls who were lucky enough to meet and chat with six phenomenal female Olympians at Pymble as part of our official launch as an Olympic Pathways school. The Olympians each spoke about their passion for sport and the way in which sport has opened many opportunities for them beyond the specific sport they have chosen.
Most interesting was the research from Ernst and Young which reveals that 94% of women who end up in Senior Executive roles and as CEOs and CFOs played sport whilst they were at school. I look forward to continuing to cheer our girls on at their Saturday sports as they have fun, stay healthy and build the skills which will equip them for success in their careers.
‘When we look at others, we may see their faces or their clothes..but we are only seeing a tiny piece of who they really are. We often don’t notice the important things, like their capacity for love, what they hope for, what they dream of, or who they can become.’ – Kobi Yamada
Dreams for our world
This term as we continue our focus on the power of ‘noticing’, I have asked the girls in Years 3-6 to reflect on the beauty they notice in our world. In our fast paced, digital world it’s important that we encourage ourselves to slow down long enough to notice the many wonders around us and to appreciate the beauty in nature and in one another.
This is particularly important for our girls in Years 4-6 as they begin to become more interested in the sparkle and lure of MECCA, Sephora and fashion. There is nothing wrong with an interest in beauty products or fashion; it’s just important we empower our girls to balance that fascination with a sense of their own inner beauty and the strength there is in them being themselves and staying grounded in the natural world.
I have been impressed by the thoughtfulness of our girls as they have spent time reflecting on what they notice as beautiful in their world and I would love you to encourage that conversation at home.
Superwomen in STEM
I would love to ascertain how many of our Junior School mums are engaged in STEM focused careers. I know we have many entrepreneurs in our community and many of you work in technology, finance, product design, architecture, software design and engineering. I would love to hear from you all! Please click here if you are happy to help me collate data of how many STEM Superwomen we have within our community.
Service opportunity for Years 4-6 helping vulnerable babies this winter
I am very excited to announce that Pymble is partnering with the Sydney Nappy Collective in a community service initiative. Pymble Junior School will be hosting the Sydney Nappy Sort and Count event for 2024 on Saturday 1 June 2024 from 9.30am to 12.30pm. This is an opportunity for 15 students who are available and willing to help on the day as part of their service commitment for this term. The girls will be involved in sorting, counting and packing new nappies with volunteers from the Nappy Collective and me. The Nappy Collective will provide all sorting essentials (packing boxes, tape, labels, sharpies, hand sanitiser)
Our girls will be supervised by me all the time they are volunteering and I will then walk them back up to Flagpole for collection by their parents at 12.30pm.
Please click here for the Google Form if you would like your daughter to volunteer. There is a strict limit of 15 girls for supervision purposes, so it is first come, first served!
60,520 nappies are needed in Sydney from this campaign to help 2000+ families in the local region over the coming months.
There is also the opportunity for families to donate nappies for this collection. If you are interested in donating, please send nappies into Hedgehog House before Sunday 1 June, 2024. For more information about the Nappy Collective, please click here.
A message from Mr Stephen Robinson – Acting Deputy Head of Junior School – Operations
STEAM Festival – Student Marketplace
Preparations for the STEAM Festival, to be held on the last day of Term 2 are well underway. This week I spoke to students in Years 3-6 and invited them to sign up to hold a STEAM-themed market stall. Stalls can be operated individually, or collaboratively in groups of up to five students. Please register your daughter’s market stall via this link.
STEAM Festival – Resource Collection
We are currently seeking donations of:
- Newspapers
- Paper towel rolls (not toilet paper rolls)
Please drop donations to the boxes located inside Hedgehog House.
Winter Uniform Matters
Please ensure all girls come to school in the correct (and full) school uniform each day.
Formal winter uniform includes:
- Blazer (must be worn to and from school)
- Polished black shoes
- Correctly fitted neck tie
PE/Sport uniform includes:
- Red/white/blue V polo shirt
- Tracksuit pants and tracksuit top
- Students may also wear a Pymble sports hoodie under their tracksuit top, but this cannot be worn during the school day alone.
Please ensure all items are clearly labelled with name and student class.
Wellbeing Weekly by Mrs Kate Giles – Head of Wellbeing K-6
One of the most common questions parents ask and one of the biggest parenting challenges relates to the management of technology use. Both in my wellbeing role and as a parent, this is something I have been keen to learn more about. There are some experts in this area whose research and wisdom in this area have stood out to me.
Jonathan Haidt is a psychologist who has been researching the impact of technology use, particularly smartphone use, on children’s developing brains. In his new book “The Anxious Generation” he states that the decline of a play-based childhood and the rapid rise in smartphone use have contributed to the increasing mental health concerns in children and adolescents. His research centred around four main concerns:
- The smartphone is an ‘experience blocker’, taking up hours in the day that would otherwise be spent playing or having real life connections with other people.
- Too many young people are spending time late into the night on their devices when they should be sleeping, leading to chronic sleep deprivation.
- The impact on focus and concentration for young people due to the constant alerts and messages from devices continually take young people away from the present moment.
- Applications and social media are deliberately designed to be addictive.
These concerns are echoed by Brad Marshall (The Unplugged Psychologist) who spoke with our school community in our Wellbeing Panel event last year and has recently written a useful and practical guide for young people “How to say no to your phone- an empowering guide for young people”. Brad notes that importantly most children and teens cannot manage their own screen use due to their brain development. It is this inability that is then targeted by the tech industry, making It virtually impossible for young people to self-manage their device usage.
Further, the recent ‘Technology on Her Terms’ report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO, 2024) found that social media exposure can have particularly detrimental effects on girls’ self-esteem and body image and reinforces gender stereotypes. As a result, this negatively impacts girls’ mental health and wellbeing which are essential for academic success.
The big question from all of this is what can we do as parents and as a school? The good news is there are things that we can do to help our children manage their technology use and balance the reality of living in a digital world. Some tips for managing at home include:
- Setting clear boundaries and expectations around screen use, for example only after specific tasks are completed and time limitations.
- Limiting social media use. Many applications provide age limits of 13 years old and the experts recommend limiting social media use until 16 years old.
- Leading by example- show your daughter healthy habits by limiting your own use.
- Encouraging balanced activities, including outdoor play, hobbies and spending time with families and friends.
- No phones or devices in the bedroom.
- Encouraging open communication where your daughter feels comfortable discussing her experiences and concerns with technology.
In addition to this, some of the tips from the experts for schools which are being utilised in the Junior School include:
- Enforcing a phone-free school environment.
- Providing opportunities for free play, independence and healthy risk taking such as outdoor education programs and unstructured play.
- Providing education to students about the pitfalls of technology use and social media.
If you are keen to learn more about how to help your daughter in this area some useful resources include:
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources
“The Tech Diet for your Child and Teen” by Brad Marshall
“How to say no to your phone – an empowering guide for young people” by Brad Marshall
Running Kilometres for Kindness at the Lindfield Fun Run
The Junior School Kindness Club invites you to run kilometres for Kindness this weekend, Sunday 19 May. The event, the Lindfield Fun Run is a Rotary Club community event with proceeds going to local community charities. Participants can walk, jog or run 2km, 5km or 10km while raising money for charity.
To join us, please sign up and select the Junior School team when registering using this link. Mrs Brown, Mrs Giles, Mr Brown and Mr Schweinberger have all already signed up to run with the girls on the day.
Please note that a parent or carer must attend with their daughter at the event.
Junior School Digital News
Term 2 2024 Key Dates
Friday 17 May Years 5 and 6 Drama Eisteddfod Teams 5.30pm to 6.30pm
Friday 17 May Kindy Nature Play Incursion (girls please wear their PE uniform and bring gumboots and raincoats)
Friday 17 May IPSHA Debating
Saturday 18 May IPSHA Saturday Sport
Sunday 19 May Lindfield Fun Run
Wednesday 22 May National Simultaneous Storytime 12.00pm K-3
Wednesday 22 May JSPG Term 2 Meeting 8.15am to 9.15am
Thursday 23 May Year 6 Police Liaison Visit 1.30pm
Friday 24 May Y2 Nature Play (girls to wear PE uniform and bring gumboots and raincoats)
From the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)
- JSPG Term 2 Meeting – Wednesday 22 May
The Term 2 JSPG Meeting will be held next Wednesday 22 May from 8.15am – 9.15am. This meeting will be held in a different format to past meetings and will allow for greater interaction with the Junior School leadership team. All parents and carers are welcome. No RSVP required.
- *Final Call* – PPA Year 4 Mother and Daughter Camp – Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June
Year 4 Mums, don’t miss this exciting opportunity to experience the Vision Valley offering with your daughters!
The Mother and Daughter 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.
There’s been a fantastic response in registrations so be quick, as places are limited and may sell out. Please click here to register by Sunday 19 May.
- PPA Trivia Night – Saturday 22 June
The PPA warmly invites you to our annual Trivia Night on Saturday 22 June 2024. Create your own table of ten or we’ll seat you with others from your year group to meet new people! Fantastic prizes will be won and auctioned throughout the night and raffle tickets are available for advance purchase. All proceeds will go towards the Teacher and Staff Development Program and the Thank You Lunch on World Teachers’ Day.
Please note this is a parent only event and registration is essential. Tickets are available for purchase here. Please RSVP by Wednesday 12 June.
Other Upcoming Events
- Year 4 Mums’ Night – Wednesday 22 May
Year 4 Mums, please join us at Kipling’s Garage Bar in Turramurra for dinner next Wednesday 22 May at 6.30pm. Please register here by Friday 17 May.
- Year 2 Dads’ Night – Friday 24 May
Calling all Year 2 Dads! Please come along to our night out at the Bavarian in Chatswood next Friday 24 May from 6pm. Further details in the flyer.
- Year 3 Play Date at the Park – Sunday 9 June
Come along for a fun afternoon at Bicentennial Park, West Pymble. Catch up with some old friends and meet some new ones too! The whole family is welcome to join.
Please contact us with any questions at pymblelcjspg@gmail.com
Kate Brown
Head of Junior School