From the Junior School
From the Head of Junior School
As we head towards the end of Semester 1, I have been reflecting on the year so far and I want to take a moment to honour the leadership shown by our Year 6 leaders. Given the maturity and grace with which these girls embrace their leadership, it’s easy to forget they are still 12 years old. At the start of this year, I asked the girls to think about the impact and footprint they want to leave in the Junior School at the end of this year and it’s clear they are committed to leaving a very positive impact.
Mr Robinson and I met with our House Captains last week and they are busy thinking about how we can highlight inspirational Olympians and our Pymble passion for sport next term. It’s lovely to chat with them as a group and to watch as they bounce ideas off one another and commit to advocating for the younger girls in their house. It’s clear our Athletics Carnivals are going to be high energy with these girls leading the house spirit!
Our Kindness Leaders were exemplary leaders as they helped host our Children’s Kindness Convention last week to over 100 Year 5 children from other schools and ensured all felt welcomed and empowered to ideate change. I work closely with these four girls each week, and they continue to impress me with their determination to change the world through kindness.
Our SRC leaders continue to shine with the responsibility and respect they display as they represent the voices of the Junior School in advocating for ideas and change to ensure our Junior School continues to be the best it can be. Some of their many ideas that have already been enacted in our Junior School including a day that celebrates kindness (which we will hold in Term 3), better access to lunchtime play equipment as well as the opportunity to access the playing fields at lunchtime to participate in a range of organised sports.
Our Chapel leaders continue to show grace and respect as they help our Chaplains lead Chapel each week and model our College values by consistently being impeccable role models to all Junior School girls. As our Chaplains look to lean into being involved with our Junior School Service opportunities, our Chapel leaders will have more opportunities to advocate for change through actions in our community. At the moment our Year 5 and 6 girls and families are showing their kindness to the community through the generosity in donating blankets and beanies which will go to help the homeless this winter.
Our Sustainability leaders are leading the campaign for change and kindness to our environment with much thoughtfulness and passion. I was lucky enough to watch these girls inspire our younger sustainability captains as they explained their designs for homes for our native animals and birds last week to our environmental partner from Sydney Wildlife Rescue.
Our STEM leaders are extraordinarily busy leading all STEM Captains from Years 1-6 in preparation for the STEAM Festival. These four girls are leading activities for our STEM club with Mr Brown and are currently designing and making a confetti dispenser, the Great Glass Elevator and Violet’s inflatable costume for our upcoming production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Our Library leaders work assiduously in the libraries helping ensure these spaces remain the heart of our Junior School and a calm, welcoming area for all to enjoy whether for reading, researching or ideating.
The commitment, creativity and positive energy of each of our 2024 Year 6 leaders is phenomenal and I look forward to seeing what they bring in the second half of the year.
As I celebrate our school leaders, I also want to acknowledge the fantastic leadership of Mrs Kate Giles, Head of Wellbeing, who heads off early next week to the USA to showcase her research, titled Connecting with our feelings – using collaboration to strengthen social and emotional skill development in Year 3 girls. Mrs Giles was recognised for her depth of knowledge in wellbeing as she was selected to be part of the Global Action Research Collaborative on Girl’s Education (GARC) through the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools. Please read more on this topic in Mrs Giles’ Wellbeing Weekly section of this newsletter.
As we head towards the STEAM festival, our Junior School girls continue to work hard in preparing aspects of their learning they are excited to share. Mrs Maria Lee is working with girls in Year 4 as together they learn to code Dash Robots to perform a square bush dance. Please click here to enjoy a sneak preview and to see the girls’ joy and pride in their learning:
A Kindness Shoutout
This week I want to give a heartfelt shout out to Stella Shen’s (Year 1) grandma who has very kindly knitted a tent to keep Heidi the Hedgehog warm this winter. Thank you.
Congratulations
Congratulations to our Chamber Strings girls who performed at the City of Sydney Eisteddfod this week and were honoured with Highly Commended.
Congratulations to our Junior Capella girls who also performed at the Eisteddfod and were honoured with Highly Commended.
Wellbeing Weekly from Kate Giles- Head of Wellbeing K-6
Social and emotional learning skills are vital to student wellbeing and there is a considerable body of academic research demonstrating the significant relationship between student wellbeing and academic outcomes. The influence of key adult figures at home and at school has been shown to shape children’s social and emotional development. Seeking to understand this further, I was lucky to be able to work with the 3K girls and Miss Kennett as a part of my research through the Global Action Research Collaborative on Girl’s Education (GARC) through the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools.
The topic of my research was Connecting with our feelings – using collaboration to strengthen social and emotional skill development in Year 3 girls. The research project consisted of two lessons per week where the girls were explicitly taught skills and collaborated with each other to learn a variety of techniques to regulate and manage their emotions. They then shared these and reflected upon them together at school and then at home with their parents. The project culminated in the girls creating their own ‘toolkit’ of strategies for use at home and at school in times of challenge or emotional regulation.
The main findings of the research included:
- Collaboration during lessons teaching self-management and self-awareness skills creates an environment of shared understanding and trust in the classroom.
- Improved self-management and self-awareness skills in the girls, particularly when managing feelings around making mistakes and friendship conflict.
- There is benefit in having consistent strategies and activities across both the home and school environments that the girls can use.
- The girls reported greater connection to their parents sharing their thoughts and reflecting on the activities with them at home. The girls were very keen to find other projects and activities where they could collaborate with their parents.
Thank you to the girls and families of 3K for your support of this project and thank you to Miss Imogen Kennett for allowing me to work with you and 3K on this. Following this project, I will be continuing my research in this area and continuing to grow our partnerships with Junior School families to support the wellbeing of all girls.
Term 3 Wellbeing Series Workshops
In Term 3 we will continue our Wellbeing Series with two more workshops. These will be held on 1 August and 22 August in our Junior School 3-6 Library. Links to register for these sessions will be sent shortly.
A message from Heidi Lynch – Sustainability Club Leader
Last Wednesday, our Junior School Sustainability Club was fortunate to have Tracey from Sydney Wildlife Rescue visit and share her extensive knowledge and experience. Tracey highlighted the critical role Sydney Wildlife Rescue plays in helping local native animals, from rescue and rehabilitation, to release back into their natural habitats.
We were lucky enough to show Tracey our designs and ideas to help house the native wildlife within our College. She provided valuable feedback and advice on our design ideas for animal homes, ensuring our designs were both practical and beneficial for the wildlife. Our time with Tracey not only increased our understanding of wildlife care and conservation but also inspired us to take active steps in protecting and supporting biodiversity within our school grounds.
A message from Kurt Schweinberger – Head of Creative and Performing Arts K-6
Best wishes to our Eisteddfod Dancers
We wish our Junior School Dance Eisteddfod troupes all the best as they prepare to perform at Abbotsleigh this coming Sunday! Good luck to all the dancers – may your hard work and passion shine on stage!
Highly Commended to our Chamber Strings
I am pleased to announce that the Hindson Chamber Strings has been awarded a Highly Commended at the prestigious City of Sydney Eisteddfod! Competing against many other schools, the ensemble stood out with their exceptional performance and musicality. This recognition is a testament to their dedication, skill and passion for music. Congratulations to all the members and their director, Ms Alexandra D’Elia for this outstanding achievement. We look forward to their continued success and beautiful performances in the future!
Year 5 Showcase
Please join us for a heartwarming showcase of unique stories through dance and singing at the Year 5 Showcase: Everyone Has a Story – What do you call your Grandma?
At the heart of the showcase is the recognition that each person has a story worth sharing. Whether it’s the endearing nickname for their grandma, the cherished memories of family gatherings, or the tales of resilience and love passed down through generations, everyone has a story that deserves to be heard and celebrated.
Through music, stories and dance, Year 5 students will honour the rich tapestry of cultures and traditions that make up the College community and beyond. These stories will inspire and remind people of the beauty of our shared humanity and diverse backgrounds.
We look forward to seeing you at the Year 5 Showcase, where every story is valued, and each voice is heard.
Performance dates: Wednesday 19 June, commencing at 1.30pm
Venue: Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts
Tickets: This is a free event, no ticket is needed.
Junior School Digital News
Term 2 2024 Key Dates – Week 5 and 6
Friday 14 June House time 11.45am to 12.45pm (No K-2 assembly)
Friday 14 June Year 2 Nature Play 1.00pm to 2.00pm (girls to wear PE uniform and bring gumboots and raincoats)
Friday 14 June IPSHA Debating (St Andrews)
Saturday 15 June IPSHA Saturday Sport
Sunday 16 June Junior Eisteddfod Team Extreme – Abbotsleigh
Monday 17 June Year 3 The Dish visit
Monday 17 June Year 5 Writer in Residence
Tuesday 18 June Year 5 Performing Arts Showcase Rehearsal Day 1
Wednesday 19 June Year 5 Performing Arts Showcase (Parents) 1.30pm
Wednesday 19 June Year 3 Author Visit – Period 1 and 2
Friday 21 June House Time 11.45am to 12.45pm
Friday 21 June Year 1 Nature Play 1.00pm to 2.00pm (girls to wear PE uniform and bring gumboots and raincoats)
Saturday 22 June IPSHA Saturday Sport
Saturday 22 June PPA Trivia Night
From the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)
- *Final Call* – PPA Trivia Night – Saturday 22 June
Thank you to our parents who have registered for the upcoming Trivia Night, which will be held at an exciting new venue this year – Miramare Gardens at Terrey Hills. There will be prizes for the best dressed individual, best dressed group and best decorated table so it’s time to plan your outfits and table decorations!
If you are unable to attend the event but would still like to show support, raffle tickets are available for advance purchase via the ticket link here. There are fantastic prizes to be won.
To make it a successful evening, we rely on the kind support of our community for donations for the live and silent auctions, year group baskets and raffles. Types of donations could include:
- Bottles of wine / champagne for “Wine / Champagne Lovers” basket (please contact Kenneth Kok at kenneth@kok.family – alcohol cannot be dropped off at school);
- Items “For the Child” group basket;
- Items “For the Family” group basket;
- Items “For the Dads” group basket.
These items can be dropped off at Hedgehog House.
If it’s easier to make a cash donation towards these items, please click on the link here and we’ll do the shopping on your behalf.
Proceeds from this fund raiser will go towards the Teacher and Staff Development Program and the Thank You Lunch on World Teachers’ Day. Thank you for your ongoing support – we appreciate your generosity.
Other Upcoming Events
- Year 1 Mum’s Night Out – Thursday 20 June
Please join our Year 1 Mum’s Night Out on Thursday 20 June from 6.30pm at the Governor Hotel. Please book through the QR code on the flyer.
Please contact us with any questions at pymblelcjspg@gmail.com
Kate Brown
Head of Junior School