From the Middle School

It was lovely to welcome our Middle School students back onto campus on Tuesday morning looking refreshed and rested after the long weekend. Although a short week, Week 7 has offered our students several learning opportunities in and outside the classroom. Below our Middle School students share their experiences through recounts and reflections on the week that’s been.

Peer Support – A fun and collaborative way to start the week

What is peer support?

Year 7 had Peer Support with the Year 10s on Monday last week, and it was a fun and collaborative experience to start the week. Our Peer Support Leaders engaged us in many teamwork activities, such as Jenga and skipping with our friends. Peer Support with Year 10 was fun and welcoming, leaving us all in a positive mood.

How does Peer Support benefit us?

Peer support can help improve communication and cooperation skills as students work together in different activities and games. The help provided by the lovely Year 10 students gives us guidance and encouragement; basically us Year 7s get a fresh start to our week. Peer support is a fun way to take a break from our stress and study and collaborate and engage in community activities with our friends. Additionally, the fun and engaging activities left the students in a positive mood for the rest of the week. Peer support creates a supportive school environment where Year 7s are able to feel more connected to some of the older girls.

What do we do in Peer Support?

During Peer Support on Mondays, the Year 7 Compass groups participate in activities such as:

– Jenga

– Group games such as Splat and duck duck goose

– Hanging out on Gloucester Lawn

– Scavenger hunts

– Card games

– Kahoot and Blooket

Participating in Peer Support with Year 10 students is an enjoyable experience that uplifts everyone’s spirits for the rest of the week. By participating in these activities, students build valuable skills, form stronger bonds, and create a supportive school community. Let’s look forward to every Monday, knowing that Peer Support will bring joy and camaraderie to our week!

Personal experiences we have had

One of my favourite things in Compass time is to have a session with the Year 10 Peer Support Leaders. With the Year 10s, we get a variety of options on what to do. Some weeks we may have a wellbeing session or we may have a packed session with games for our Compass class to interact and bond as a group.

Written by Lucy Liu, Wenhui Zheng, Georgina Lewis and Aaria Khan (Year 7)

Year 7 Mollie Dive Field Fun

On Tuesday, Year 7 gathered on Mollie Dive Field during Mind Body Spirit (MBS) time to participate in the Push Up Challenge, play games and enjoy the company of their peers. It was great to see students leading and joining in. We look forward to enjoying more activities like this in Semester 2. The equipment is always available for our Compass groups during Compass/MBS time.

Bell Shakespeare

On Wednesday, Year 7 attended a performance by Bell Shakespeare to support their learning in English. Year 7 is currently studying a unit on Shakespeare’s Women. Needless to say, the performance was thoroughly enjoyed by all with a robust question and answer session at the end. A special thank you to the English department for organising the event.

Today, all of Year 7 gathered in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts to learn about Shakespeare and how he lived in his time, and what things were like in a formal and humorous manner. We learnt about Shakespeare’s language and how people spoke. Things were different back in those days. They played different games and had different ways of entertainment and fun. Overall, it was a great, interactive and humorous experience I had with my friends.

Written by Tangia Sun (Year 7)

I personally really enjoyed Bell Shakespeare because it was really entertaining and amusing, and it cleverly presented facts about Shakespeare’s life and famous plays in a way that was not only informative, but intriguing and enjoyable to watch. One of my favourite parts about the Bell Shakespeare performance was that they separated different parts of Shakespeare’s plays using acts, and that the performance included phrases and words that are popular in 2024, and everyone loved it!

Written by Diyana Palihawadana (Year 7)

Bell Shakespeare had lots of funny lines, making the story of Shakespeare pleasant and entertaining, not only teaching us how Shakespeare wrote his plays, but getting us to laugh every so often. One of my favourite parts was when they said a couple of Shakespearean insults, it was funny and interesting, and made me think about using it sometimes against my friends! Overall, it was a really nice show, and I think I can speak for everyone that we all enjoyed it!

Written by Farah Ahmad (Year 7)

Shakespeare Is Dead is a play written by Joanna Erskine, that goes with a group of teenagers who go on a quest of asking the question, “Shakespeare is dead so why are we still performing his plays?” It features an abundance of his plays and quotes, featuring everything from romance and tragedies to histories and comedies. We were introduced to Shakespeare’s characters, a few of his most famous scenes, plot devices he used, language techniques, iambic pentameter, and learnt about what life was like during the Elizabethan era.

Bell Shakespeare’s production of Shakespeare is Dead is a bright and insightful exploration of the life, times, and long living legacy of the iconic playwright and poet William Shakespeare. Through a dynamic blend of storytelling, historical anecdotes, and theatrical prowess, the performance captivated Year 7 students from start to finish.

The production navigates through key moments in Shakespeare’s life and career, offering a rich tapestry of historical context. From the tragic fire at the Globe Theatre during a performance of Henry VIII to the romance from William Shakespeare’s plays, and how to speak in Shakespearean language, each scene unfolds with precision and authenticity.

Throughout the performance, the audience is actively engaged, with jokes and audience engagement. One of the highlights of the production is its celebration of Shakespeare’s linguistic genius. Through a myriad of words and phrases coined by the bard, audiences are reminded of Shakespeare’s contribution to the English language. From everyday expressions to timeless idioms, Shakespeare’s influence is global and enduring.

In summary, Shakespeare is Dead is a triumph of storytelling, bringing to life the world of Shakespeare with wit, and authenticity. With the actors’ amazing performances and celebration of Shakespeare’s linguistic legacy, this was an amazing and intriguing production.

Written by Neve Anderson, Emeliana Barry and Carla Eiback (Year 7)

Congratulations to our Year 8 students who competed in the OzCLO competition, the Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad. The contest challenges students to develop their own strategies in teams of four to solve problems about fascinating real languages.

In 2024, nationally, 2,573 students participated in 661 teams from 94 schools. In most regions (and overall nationally), more junior than senior teams participated. OzCLO is a challenging problem set, and this year was particularly challenging. The highest score nationally was 84.5 per cent.

The first round is a two-hour competition held at the school with teams submitting their answers through an online quiz.

The national round is by invitation to the top three teams for each region and is held at a local host university.

The winners of the national round are offered the opportunity of representing Australia at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) which takes place in different locations around the world every year. This year it is being held in Brasilia, however Pymble didn’t progress to that stage. Congratulations to the following girls:

Year 8

Celine Cai, Isabel Chook, Ruby Chu, Nicole Fan, Yen Huynh, Jasmine Jung, Erica Kwok, Chloe Shao, Alina Shi, Alexa Wu, Katherine Xu and Bella Yang.

Reminder

A reminder to our Year 7 families to complete the NSW Health Consent Form for the School Vaccination Program. The first vaccination clinic will be held on Thursday 1 August. Please provide consent by Thursday 25 July.

Key Dates

Friday 28 June – Last day of Term