From the Upper School
A message from Mariel Lombard, Deputy Head of Upper School
This week, our Year 9 and 10 students ‘came alive’ as they took part in the Junior and Secondary Swimming Carnivals. It was wonderful to see the talent on show, and to see many of our students step out of their comfort zone in order to earn extra house points. Congratulations to all our swimmers, both competitive and social, for having a go!
The end of this week marks the half-way point for our Term 1 adventurers on the Year 9 Residential Program. Our students have been putting their resilience and flexibility to good use as they navigated changing weather forecasts and headed off on their first expedition last week. It has been lovely visiting our students at Vision Valley, and it was great to welcome the parents of our Term 1 adventurers for a parent workshop on campus earlier this week. Thank you to all who joined for this special evening with Dr Arne Rubinstein.
Paul Dillon Presentation to Year 10
Late last week, our Year 10 students had the opportunity to attend a presentation by Paul Dillon from Drug and Alcohol Research Training Australia (DARTA). Catherine Li, our Year 10 Communications Leaders, has shared a reflection on the presentation:
Last Friday, Year 10 had the pleasure of listening to Australian Drug and Alcohol educator Paul Dillon speak. Paul’s insightful and engaging presentation focused on the crucial process of how to treat intoxicated young people with care and responsibility.
He walked us through the steps of managing situations involving drunk people, emphasising the importance of remaining calm, ensuring safety and observing the state of the person. Paul’s use of real-life examples helped to create a sense of awareness, encouraging us to think critically about the choices we make and the consequences they can carry. His insights into how to de-escalate situations effectively and responsibly were incredibly valuable, offering us a clearer understanding of how to manage these encounters with maturity and care.
Safer Internet Day 2025
Earlier this week we recognised Safer Internet Day, a Global Day of Action aimed at raising awareness of online safety issues. According to the eSafety Commissioner, up to 45 per cent of young people aged between 8 and 17 years old have been treated in a hurtful or nasty way online. To ensure we continue to work towards a safer, more positive internet for all, the eSafety Commissioner has shared the following five tips:
- Be kind: Practice respect, empathy and kindness online
- Be mindful: Ensure your daughter balances her time online and consumes positive and respectful content
- Speak up: Ensure your daughter knows how to report online abuse and harmful content to the relevant platform and eSafety website
- Start the conversation: Talk about online safety as a family
- Share resources: Promote online safety tools and tips
Upper School Parent Information Evening
We are looking forward to seeing as many parents as possible at the Upper School Information evening on Monday 17 February. This event will commence at 5.30pm on Gloucester Lawn, and then at 6.00pm the two year groups will attend a presentation in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts (Year 9) or the Chapel (Year 10).
This is a great opportunity for you to meet your daughter’s Compass teacher, hear from key staff about learning and thriving in Year 9 and 10, and for Year 9 families, a comprehensive overview of the Vision Valley Residential program will be included in the presentation.
Please click here to RSVP to the evening to assist with catering.
Administration Reminders
We ask all parents to update our contact details, especially our Year 9 families now that your daughter has moved to Upper School. The office number is 9497 7865 and the email address is upperschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.
If your daughter is going to be late for school or needs to leave early for an appointment, please email the office by 8.15am at the latest.
The portal is to be used for full day absences ONLY or you can email the office.
The updated Parent Handbook will be available on the parent portal. This contains everything that you need to know about the College. If you cannot find the answer you’re looking for, please feel free to call the Upper School office.
Student Achievements
Congratulations to the First 9 Quad who won a gold medal at the NSW Rowing Championships last weekend. Madeline Gaden, Cleo Mclaughin, Claudia Wyatt, Madison Landgrebe and Emma Wang are the first Pymble crew to win this event in seven years!
Key Dates – Term 1
Monday 17 February – Upper School Parent Information Evening
Friday 21 February – PPA Icebreaker
Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March – Year 9 NAPLAN
Saturday 5 April – Pymble Foundation Gala Ball
Thursday 10 and Friday 11 April – Year 8 to 10 Learning Discussions
Friday 11 April – Boarder’s Travel Day
Friday 11 April – Pupil Free Day
Key Dates – Term 2
Monday 28 April – Boarder’s Travel Day
Tuesday 29 April – First Day of Term 2
From the Year 9 Parent Co-ordinators
We hope the girls have settled well in Term 1 and those at Vision Valley are having a great time.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Icebreaker event next week. For those who have bought tickets, the school is also providing shuttle services from College to Turramurra station and Pymble Hotel. Please fill out the form sent via MyPymble if you want to utilise this service.
For any help or assistance, please feel free to contact us.
Jenny (0422 716 808) and Ira (0415 112 575)
From the Year 10 Parent Co-ordinators
We look forward to welcoming you to Icebreaker next week. Booking of tickets has been extended to 7.30am Monday 17 February. The school is also providing shuttle services from the College to Turramurra Station and Pymble Hotel. Please fill out the form sent via MyPymble if you want to utilise this service.
For any help or assistance, please feel free to contact your Year 10 Co-ordinators – Joan Finn (0412 522 609) and Sylphia Wang (0468 464 388).
Victoria Harrison
Head of Upper School