From the Principal
What a start and what a finish for our Class of 2024! You may recall our Year 12 cohort began their HSC examinations knowing they had already received 58 showcase nominations collectively for their practical and performance works in Drama, Dance, Textiles and Design, Design and Technology, and Music. We also had one student nominated for the Young Writers Showcase for her work in English Extension 2 and, just this week, we were delighted to learn that 24 of our Year 12 Visual Arts students’ major works have been nominated for ARTEXPRESS. That’s 83 nominations in total!
We are incredibly proud of our students and their teachers who put in countless hours of thought and creativity to arrive at their finished works and performances; each one a true labour of love and a massive team effort. Thanks also to our families who nurture the creative talents of their children and provide hours of love and support – well done! The last big reveal will be on Thursday 19 December when all HSC results are released, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with our Class of 2024 girls and their parents who are able to join us for morning tea.
Feeling the joy of Jacaranda Day
This week also saw us host our annual Jacaranda Day service where we acknowledge and affirm our community’s commitment to being of service to others, along with the joy we experience by giving.
In our Junior School in 2024, this included:
- Visiting elderly residents in Uniting Care facilities.
- Delivering meals and food hampers to The Dish at St John of God at Hornsby for disadvantaged people.
- Teaching and playing with students at St Lucy’s School at Wahroonga.
- Donating countless items of clothing, toys, board games, stationery packs and children’s books to different support organisations.
Service in the Secondary School has supported:
- Days for Girls.
- Taldumande Youth Services.
- St Edmund’s College swimming and athletics carnivals.
- Environmental service at Vision Valley.
- The World’s Greatest Shave for blood cancer research.
- Wrap with Love.
- The Push Up Challenge for mental health.
- Hornsby Women’s Shelter.
Students and staff across the College have also provided many hours of practical assistance, along with donations from various fundraisers, to support the specialist work of The Barbara May Foundation and Sony Camp. Thank you to our army of kind souls who have been part of all these events, and some!
Our special guest speaker at the Jacaranda Day Service was former student, Katherine Halliday (2017), who is now an ethical fashion advocate at Baptist World Aid Australia working to create a fashion system that benefits people and our planet. Katherine also co-authored the 10th edition Ethical Fashion Report which gives brands a score out of 100 to show how they’re protecting workers and the environment.
In her address to students, Katherine recalled being in Year 10 at Pymble and shocked to learn how underpaid young mothers working in garment factories overseas were unable to feed their families. After class, she had a conversation with her teacher that went something like this:
Katherine: “Mrs Gleeson, does knowing so much about the world’s problems make you overwhelmed about the impact of your choices?”
Mrs Gleeson: “Katherine, sometimes it is overwhelming but I’m making an impact by teaching you about these problems so you can understand and make a difference.”
Ten years on from that conversation with her teacher, Katherine is often reminded of just how right she was.
“The things we learn in school about how the world works don’t just matter for our next assignment. They matter for the people we become and the impact that we go on to have,” Katherine said.
This was the perfect message for Jacaranda Day and our students who strive to bring positive change to the world through their actions and future vocations.
Introducing our Service Framework for 2025
Service has been a big part of life and learning at Pymble for many, many years and we are incredibly proud of some of the life-changing opportunities we have established – our Tanzania Service Tour supporting school communities, maternity hospitals and the work of The Barbara May Foundation being just one example.
In 2025, we will be launching our official Service Framework, which aims to achieve several outcomes:
- Link service at Pymble to increased knowledge and understanding of issues in the world, and the reciprocal benefits of serving others.
- Introduce students, staff and parents to opportunities for service in local, national and global contexts of need and injustice, working together for practical, respectful and lasting change.
- Build respectful and collaborative service partnerships so we can contribute positively towards the goals of those we serve.
- Demonstrate our College values in our actions.
Our focus for 2025 will be women and girls and putting our vision for service into practice across the College in ways that are meaningful and appropriate for the different ages, skills and resources of each year group or sub-school.
This vision is to shape the world together, through care, solidarity, respect and justice. You’ll be hearing more about our service opportunities next year, and I warmly encourage all in our community to join us on this life-enhancing learning journey.
Windows into Learning
This week, we shed a light on the development of mathematical skills in the Junior School and plunge into the darkness of film noir.
Hands-on learning in Year 1
Teaching volume and capacity with sand and water brings mathematics to life in the most delightful ways. Watching our Year 1 girls pour, measure and make discoveries together is a wonderful reminder that learning isn’t just about numbers – it’s about curiosity, teamwork and the pure joy of understanding the world. By interacting with physical objects students grasp concepts more deeply and develop critical thinking skills that develop beyond the classroom.
Later, while exploring History, students played games from the 1800s, including pick-up sticks and quoits. Like mathematical measuring, these traditional games teach skills such as strategy, precision and patience. Seeing our girls dive into these experiences was a beautiful example of how timeless the joy of discovery really is.
Ms Hilary Alo-Emile
Year 1 Compass Teacher
Year 9 Drama
This week in Year 9 Drama Film, students stepped into the shadowy world of Film Noir. After studying camera techniques, editing, and acting for screen, they were given just two lessons to create their own short noir-inspired films. From sharp silhouettes and shadowed alleys to mysterious, low-lit frames, students experimented with classic noir elements like tension, intrigue, and suspense. One group devised a storyline about a detective trying to uncover who killed his wife in a clip entitled The Lonely Man. Watching them adapt their ideas on the spot, using their newfound skills in framing and editing, was a joy and a reminder of how quickly students can bring a genre to life when encouraged.
Mrs Rebecca York
Co-curricular Drama Co-ordinator
