From the Boarding School

It has been a busy week with our Christmas festivities well underway. Last Friday, we enjoyed the company of our boarding neighbours from Knox Grammar School at our annual Christmas Trivia night. It was a fun night and the perfect lead up to our very own Christmas celebration on Tuesday night. This evening started with a beautiful Chapel service, followed by Christmas feast and dancing.

A real highlight was the Year 12 nativity play directed by our Avonmoore Prefect, Alice and performed by all our Year 12 Boarders. It was a fun and beautiful way to bring the retelling of the birth of Jesus to life for our Boarding family and I look forward to this becoming a special tradition for our Christmas celebrations.

As part of our service, Head Boarders Celeste and Sophie recognised the many people who work so hard to make Pymble Boarding so special. I am sharing their speech below for your enjoyment.

Welcome everyone to our end-of-year Christmas chapel service. We’d like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Hadwen, Ms Rockwell, Heads of Schools, Heads of Years and the Heads of Houses. We’d also like to welcome Laurel, Rev Danielle, Rev Cass, Rev Karen, and Mrs O’Brien, and all of our guests. We really do appreciate you being here tonight and involving yourselves so wholeheartedly in our Boarding community – it means a lot to us. Everyone, you’ve made it to the end of 2024, and that’s something to be proud of. Let’s give ourselves a round of applause!

2024 sure was an exciting year! We started off with the Community Weekend at Raging Waters, which is always lots of fun, although we are all still waiting for Mrs Burgess to go on ‘The Drop’ with us like she promised in Year 7! Then, we had the swimming carnival where the Boarders, obviously dominated… beating the Day girls in the relay. Next was our fierce and ferocious Just Dance night where, not surprisingly, the Year 11s, now Year 12s took out the title. And then of course the Year 7 to 9 social, where we heard there was a lot of success with many new snapchats being added.

We then had Boarders’ Week, with some wins and a couple of losses, but we’ll look ahead to 2025. We also had our fair share of late nights thanks to fire alarms and running in the rain, which really wasn’t great for the fake tan!

And how can we forget, the shift into vertical boarding – a change that has brought our Pymble community closer together, truly emphasising that Boarding is the heart of the college and a family everyone wants to be a part of.

We’ve also seen the induction of our new Leadership teams for 2025 – the Year 12 Boarding Prefects, Spirit House Captains, and the Boarders Representative Council. Congratulations to you all. We know you’ll do amazing things, and we’re excited to see how we can support you in achieving everything you set out to do next year.

We could’ve made our slogan, 2024, the Year of Avonmoore – because this year the first ever round of Year 7s brought it to life. Even though the house is the newest thing you’ll ever see, it’s like they’ve always been there, and I’m sure you Year 7s are feeling much older and more mature to move into Marden or Goodlet next year.  And as for us Year 12s, we’re currently settling into Lang House and excited for this new chapter in Boarding.

There’s so much work that goes into making Pymble such an amazing home for us. So, on behalf of all the Boarders, we’d like to say a special thank you to Mrs. Burgess, Ms Mimmo, Ms Ayling, Kate, Danielle, Mardi, Dan, and all the casual staff. You all make such an impact on each Boarder’s unique experience here at Pymble, and your unwavering dedication to the Boarding family at Pymble does not go unnoticed. We truly appreciate everything you do for us.

As this year comes to an end, let’s take a moment to reflect on what we’re most proud of. Maybe you made it to the grand final in your sport, or perhaps you made a new friend this year. Or maybe it’s something like you’ve been making a conscious effort to find joy and gratitude in everyday life. Maybe you finally learnt where the house has good wifi! Whatever it is, give yourself a pat on the back for what you’ve accomplished.

We also want to thank the chefs, kitchen staff, the cleaners, the Healthcare team, the gardeners, and all those behind the scenes – IT, facilities, and everyone who makes sure our packages get delivered, we all know the boarders love an online shop! Your hard work ensures everything runs smoothly, and we are so very grateful for you all.

Lastly, congratulations to anyone who’s won some sort of award this year. But more importantly, thank you to the people whose kindness and integrity sometimes unnoticed. Whether you’re a Boarder, or member of staff. Maybe you helped set something up, kept the kitchen clean, maybe you dropped everything one day to support someone who really needed it. We want to remind you that these small acts make a huge difference, and they all add up and make boarding school a better place. So keep doing these things, even if no one sees them, because you’re putting good things into the world. And that’s what Pymble does.

As we approach the holidays, we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. This year has been massive and we are so proud of everyone’s efforts in making it so successful. As Mrs Burgess says, Boarder’s rule the school and we are the best. This year we sure have proven that! With this in mind we are super excited to see what next year holds and we are confident that it can be even better than this one.

Have a great holiday and all the best,

Celeste and Sophie

Our Term 4 Pink Ladies – by our Head Boarders Sophie and Celeste

Pink Ladies are special people in the lives of our Boarders who go out of their way to make our time in Boarding easier, happier and much more connected.

This term we would like to recognise the wonderful Naito family: Mika, Mie and their amazing parents, who have consistently offered their help towards giving Boarders lifts to sport. Whether it’s for rowing, rugby sevens or more. 

The Naitos are generous to the Boarding community and ensure that people get to where they need to go. They are kind and treat us Boarders like part of their family. We hope you understand the immense impact your efforts have on our Boarding community.

We would also like to acknowledge a wonderful member of our Pymble staff. If you’ve ever been in the Boarders’ Dining Room, you might have seen this man. When you see him, he immediately yells out, “Hey, girl!” He is like a ray of sunshine in the Pymble Boarding community. Yes, it’s Gary!

Gary has the very important job of serving the food, but most importantly, he serves. Period. Gary, you have a gift for turning a hall into a home, and you bring so much value to Pymble Boarding. So for this, we couldn’t have thought of a better person to pick!

The Margaret Brooke ‘Brooksie’ Award

The Margaret Brooke Award, also known as the ‘Brooksie’, is awarded in the final chapel service at the end of each term to a Boarder who exemplifies the spirit of a tenacious, courageous, compassionate and giving woman. This was an easy decision, and our Head of Marden House, Beth Ayling shares, Addison (Addi) of Year 10 is a most worthy recipient.

Addi is been a shining example of the values celebrated by the Brooksie Award. As this term’s recipient, she truly embodies its spirit through her caring, considerate and joyful nature. Addi is someone who consistently demonstrates integrity and responsibility in everything she does, whether it’s in her academic work, co-curricular activities or interactions with others. She approaches everything she does with a sense of tenacity and excitement.

Addi is a loyal and caring friend. She will always put her hand up to help anyone who needs it. She is inclusive, kind, thoughtful and empathetic. She cares about others and tries hard to put herself in their shoes so she can understand and relate to them on a deeper level. Addi ensures everyone feels welcome and inspires those around her with her unwavering kindness and selflessness, making her a universally beloved and admired member of the Pymble Boarding family.

Addi has an infectious sense of humour. She never takes herself too seriously, and she is always up for a chat and a laugh. Her natural warmth and magnetic personality mean others naturally gravitate towards her to enjoy her company. 

Addi displays ‘Pymble Pride’ in all that she does. She consistently wears her uniform beautifully; she ensures that she is organised and punctual and keeps her living space tidy. She will always put her hand up to volunteer for opportunities that present themselves and is willing to challenge herself by stepping out of her comfort zone.

Addison has truly been a gift to the Pymble community since the day she joined us in Year 7 and we are beyond proud to call her one of our Boarders.

Live It, Love It, Learn It – Ms Theresa Mimmo, Deputy Director of Boarding

All Boarders came adorned in Christmas spirit last Friday as they enjoyed a ‘build your own burger’ dinner and trivia on Marden Lawn with Knox Boarders. Evie and Jemma, supported by their Year 12 counterparts, were enthusiastic in their running of the event and encouragement of others. Year 12 took out the prize for the best dressed Boarders; their costumes were well thought out and in the spirit of the evening. Winners were grinners as the team named “Year 10 PLC” took out the win and a chocolate prize. After trivia, all Boarders enjoyed a ‘Just Dance’ session. All Boarders participated in copying the dance moves from the screen to their favourite songs. There was lots of laughter and fun for everyone, including staff.

Boarders also enjoyed a Christmas shopping trip on Thursday evening to purchase Christmas gifts for staff on behalf of all Boarders. Staff were appreciative of their gifts and the thoughtful messages that were written by the girls on Christmas cards. With the warmer weather the pool was available and there was a beach trip to Clareville on Sunday which was a welcome relief from the heat.

This weekend, Year 9 is heading out on Friday night for a picnic at Balmoral beach. Year 12 Boarders have the opportunity on Saturday to learn about beach safety at Newport. Saturday afternoon, we can head into town to view the David Jones Christmas windows and surrounding decorations that are displayed. On Sunday, The King’s School has invited different schools to attend a sports day which promises to be a lot of fun.

View From My Window

Hi! My name is Isabelle, and I’m from Indonesia, a vibrant country made up of thousands of islands. I split my time between Jakarta, where my mother lives, and Bali, where my father resides.

At home, I have two adorable Shih Tzus named Pipin and Donut, and I’m the youngest of three sisters, both of whom live and study in Sydney. In Jakarta, I’m surrounded by towering skyscrapers and a bustling city life, while in Bali, I’m treated to breathtaking sunsets right from my window or the rice fields next to my villa.

What I cherish most about both homes are my wonderful friends, my dogs, and the amazing experiences Indonesia offers—like relaxing Balinese massages, stunning sunsets, and the warm-hearted people. One of my favourite activities in Jakarta is taking night drives around the city with friends, while in Bali, I love biking during sunset and feeling the refreshing breeze on my face.

Being back at Boarding gives me a sense of productivity and focus; the academic environment really helps me concentrate on my studies. No matter where I am, my heart is always connected to my homes, where every moment is filled with love and happiness.

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