From the Junior School
From the Head of Junior School
The capacity to think creatively is a critical skill our girls will need as they navigate future careers beyond school. As such we continually investigate, through research and professional discussions, how we can integrate creative thinking further into the curriculum. The English curriculum defines creative thinking as the capacity in children to ‘generate and apply new ideas in specific contexts, seeing existing situations in a new way, identifying alternative explanations, and seeing or making new links that generate a positive outcome’. Play and playful learning is an easy way for our girls to develop their creative thinking skills.
As we seek to inspire wonder and curiosity in our girls, creativity opportunities have come to the playground this term. With the money generously donated by our JSPG last year, we have purchased some new play equipment and STEM equipment which we introduced last week. Thank you all for your generosity. The girls are loving being able to explore their creativity through play. Play is not just for the youngest children; it’s a crucial tool in the normal development of all children. Children change and experiment whilst they play, they create their own rules and explore what it is like to be in control. Play helps them develop a sense of self and how to interact with others. When playing, children can explore emotions through the stories they create as they play, without any real consequences. They can also have some control over uncertain situations, often of their own making, allowing them to start developing resilience.
As someone who has always loved the craft of writing, I love seeing our Junior School girls engage enthusiastically in creative writing and the writing process. This term I am lucky enough to be collaborating with girls and their teachers across Year 2, 4 and 6 in their writing journey, and it’s wonderful to watch the girls play with language, explore texts, share ideas and use their experiences to shape their own voice as writers. Thank you for supporting the growth of your daughter as a writer by encouraging her to read widely, to talk about texts, to observe and connect with the world around her, and to make new friends. Experiences like this help enhance our voice and power as a writer.
Our girls have also showcased their creativity with their entries to our Sustainability Art Competition led by our Semester 1 Sustainability Captains, Georgia Friedel and Charlotte Pang. Whilst not everyone can be awarded a certificate, we are immensely proud of the Pymble Spirit shown by each girl who entered an artwork that she had created, and which reflected her passion for the environment. To acknowledge their efforts and courage at sharing their creativity we enjoyed a special morning tea together this week.
Year 1 Winner: Rachael Herath
Year 1 Runners-up: Grace Yu and Megan Ye
Year 2 Winner: Abby Su
Year 2 Runners-up: Violet Li, Aviana Faraz and Emily Ma
Year 3 Winner: Murong Li
Year 3 Runners-up: Rayna Wang and Grace Li
Year 4 Winners: Christina Yang and Vivian Li
Year 4 Runners-up: Angela Xiong and Megan Ng
Year 5 Winner: Bianca Ng
Year 5 Runners-up: Audrey Quan and Emily Deutscher
Year 6 Winner: Amber Chen
Year 6 Runners-up: Rose Craig and Richielynne Xiong
House Spirit
This week the girls are celebrating house spirit with a special assembly for Years 3 to 6 on Monday and Kindergarten to Year 2 tomorrow, to officially launch the new house banners and badges. The assembly had a wonderful spirit of magic and pride as the girls celebrated their house and learnt about the history behind their house, its motto and the badge. A formal presentation of the house badge to each girl from her 2023 House Captain forms a key part of this assembly.
This year we are proud to introduce House Champions for each house and thank these teachers who have enthusiastically stepped into this leadership role:
Lang: Miss Rosie Prince
Marden: Miss Penny Charalambous
Thomas: Miss Imogen Kennett
Bennett: Mrs Shaira Musico
Ingleholme: Mrs Nicola Michie
Hammond: Mrs Tracy Reid
Wylie: Mrs Cindy Anderson
Goodlet: Miss Sarah McGeoch
We look forward to many varied opportunities throughout this year, and in future years, for our girls to build strong connection to their house. This term we have our Athletics Carnivals and our inaugural Inter-House Robotics Competition.
Service update – Nerissa Davey – Deputy Head of Junior School – Operations
Post cards to raise funds for the Welcoming Refugees Project
We are very proud to announce that our Junior School girls have created over 800 postcards for this project. This means over $8,000 has been raised. The Bezos Foundation will be contributing funds for every postcard created. This is a massive effort by our girls.
Careers Day
We still have spots available for parents to showcase their careers to our girls. The event will be for our Year 3 to 6 girls and will take place on Wednesday 17 May, Week 4 from 10.45am to 12.45pm. We will have ‘stalls’ set up in the hall and the library again to showcase the careers. Parents can set up from 10.00am. Parents who wish to participate will be invited to join their daughters for lunch. There is no requirement to stay after 12.45pm, this is merely an invitation.
Please don’t be shy, this is a request from your daughters to find out more about what you do in your day. We look so forward to hearing about your chosen careers. If you are interested in partaking in this initiative, please click here to register.
An invitation to have your say: An invitation to be part of a focus group
I need your help please! I feel very honoured, and deeply challenged, to be co-leading our College’s Social Intelligence strategic focus and looking at how we shape our community. We are determined to foster an inclusive community for all our families to enjoy and in which we all feel safe and valued. I openly say this is a challenge because my cultural background shapes my knowledge base and experiences and I’m trying to broaden these by learning from the stories of others. As such, I am hoping to work with a wide range of our community, so all perspectives and members of our College family are heard. It is important that we strive for equity of voice, active engagement for all members of our community and a strong sense of our collective citizenship.
There are a number of dates and times available for focus groups to come and share your thoughts with me, so if you are interested, please select the one that suits you.
What things/events could or should we celebrate throughout the year as a community? How would you like to celebrate special events and cultural celebrations?
- Tuesday 23 May at 6.00pm
- Tuesday 30 May at 8.00am
- Monday 5 June at 5.00pm
Please click here to make a booking.
- Monday 15 May at 2.00pm – **this focus group will be hosted in Mandarin** –
周一15/5 中文小组讨论 : 如果你想说中文 – 有老师帮您翻译.
Topic: What things/events we should and could celebrate throughout the year as a community? How would you like to celebrate special events and cultural celebrations?
话题: 我们学校应该庆祝哪些节日? 您想在学校如何庆祝特别活动和文化节日?
Please click here to make a booking for the Mandarin focus group. 预订中文小组讨论
Permission for Excursions
A reminder when your daughter has an excursion, please give permission for your daughter to attend through MyPymble, please select Approve or Not Going. Your daughter cannot attend the excursion until the permission is approved.
Please contact IT Help desk if you have any technical problems on +61 2 9855 7771
Scholarship registrations open to current Year 5 students
Pymble offers a number of scholarships each year to girls starting in Year 7 including current Pymble students moving into Year 7. Registrations for Year 7 2025 Junior Academic Scholarships and Year 7 2025 Performance Scholarship – Music are currently open to our Year 5 students.
Registrations close from 26 July 2023 depending on the scholarship. The examination will be held at the College on Sunday 13 August 2023.
Information about portfolio requirements and how to apply can be found online through the Scholarship webpage.
K-2 Travel Term 2
Please email juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au with your daughters full name and class if you have any travel changes for Term 2.
Uniform and Appearance
All students are expected to wear their uniform correctly and with pride. Uniforms cannot be mixed with each season. Junior School has a strict ‘no hat no play policy’, please ensure your daughter has her bucket play hat at school every day. Please make sure that your daughter’s uniform is named.
Absent, Late Arrivals/Early Departures, Vacation
A reminder if you daughter is absent from school please enter your daughter’s absence through the MyPymble app or email Junior School Administration Office juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au . For any changes to your daughter’s travel, late/early arrivals please email the Administration Office.
Exemption from Attendance Application form can be found on the Portal, please ensure if your daughters is away for two days or more to complete the application form two weeks in advance from the start of your daughter’s absence.
Lost Property
Please ensure your daughters full name is clearly labelled on all items of clothing including socks, hats and lunch items so it can be quickly returned to your daughter if it is found.
From the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)
Family Fun Day & Movie Night – Saturday 20th May
We are very excited to invite you to our upcoming JSPG Family Fun Day & Movie Night on Saturday 20 May from 3.00pm to 7.00pm.
This day is traditionally the most popular and exciting event in our JSPG calendar. It is a day specially designed to catch up with our existing families in the Junior School, and just as importantly, welcome our new families.
This year, the theme of our event is: “Old-fashioned family fun”. We are providing an opportunity for all our families to unwind and enjoy an afternoon of food and festivity, at a low cost.
The day will feature a barbecue dinner, a big screen movie, popcorn, fairy floss, an inflatable obstacle course, karaoke and dress-ups and a range of carnival games. Available for purchase at food and drink trucks will be crepes, coffee, hot chocolate and other drinks. We will also have sideshow attractions for purchase of items such as glow products and crazy hair.
To purchase your tickets, please click here. Please note tickets are only $20 (three years and under are free) and include the following attractions:
– Barbecue dinner plus one drink (please note that we will cater for dietary restrictions)
– Popcorn and fairy floss
– Family movie Ferdinand (rated G)
– 20m commando challenge obstacle course
– Old-fashioned games
– Karaoke and dress-ups
– Access to food/drink trucks and sideshow attractions.
We are looking forward to catching up with you all soon.
KA Park Play Date – Saturday 13 May
Please join us for a park play date for class KA between 2.00pm and 4.00pm at St Ives Village Green playground.
Key Dates
| Friday 5 May | Catch Up Photo Day |
| Sunday 7 May | Her Village Championship |
| Thursday 11 May | ‘Madagascar’ Year 8 Musical – Years 1-3 attending 1.30pm to 2.30pm |
| Friday 12 May | Mother’s Day Morning Tea – 10.15am to 11.15am |
| Friday 12 May | Windows into Learning Year 3 and 5 – 8.30am to 10.30am |
Kate Brown
Head of Junior School