From the Boarding School
It is no surprise that our Year 12 Boarders have taken the challenge of the HSC Trial Examinations in their stride. They have worked hard all year and are justifiably confident that they are well prepared to show what they know about each of their subjects. There is certainly a big fan club cheering them on here in Boarding and it is lovely to know that our extended family of Pymble and Gordon Uniting Church also hold them in their prayers. Our Year 12s were delighted with the delivery of high tea treats on Sunday afternoon from the local congregation. We look forward to welcoming the community to our War Memorial Chapel on Sunday 13 August for a celebratory service.
Boarders’ Parent Group meeting
It was great to catch up with our Boarder parents last Thursday night. The minutes will be emailed to Boarding families in the coming days. Please make a special note of our next meeting which will be held on site on Friday 15 September, prior to the Boarding family community event and on the eve of the Garden Party.
Our Football Superstar
This week we bid a brief farewell to resident football superstar, Althea (Lethy) Levy who is heading off to play for Football NSW at the HiFA Peace Memorial 2023 International Tournament in Japan. She was very excited to receive her playing shirt on the weekend and we wish her well for a fabulous tournament.
Love It – Kate Inglis (Acting Deputy Director of Boarding)
Last weekend was an action-packed one for our talented Boarders! They were on the move, participating in various exciting events and showcasing their remarkable skills.
Friday – TAS Fest and Knox Senior Social
Friday evening was a blast at the TAS Fest! Our Boarding students were busy baking, displaying projects, and even strutting their stuff on the catwalk! Staff and Boarding sisters were thrilled to attend, and they were blown away by the incredible talents of our TAS girls! Meanwhile, our Goodlet Boarders had a great time at the Knox Senior Social. Dressed in fun and stylish outfits, the girls enjoyed a fabulous evening of dancing, singing, and making new friends.
Saturday – Barbie Movie and Newington Dinner
On Saturday morning, our Boarders showed their dedication and commitment to sports with many participating in both netball/hockey and rugby. We applaud their enthusiasm and sportsmanship!
In the evening, the excitement continued with a Barbie Party at Hornsby Odeon Theatre for Years 7-9 and 11. All dressed in pink, the girls relished the highly anticipated movie of the moment! Back on campus, our Year 10 Boarders enjoyed a memorable Formal Dinner with Newington. The evening began with mocktails on arrival and continued with a delightful 3-course etiquette dinner. It was wonder to witness the lessons taught by our very own etiquette expert, Carolyn Burgess, on full display in the dining hall!
Sunday – High Tea at Pymble Uniting Church and Knox-Pymble Junior Social
Sunday morning brought more wonderful experiences. Twelve of our Boarders walked up to Pymble Uniting Church for the ‘High Tea with a Twist’ event. They proudly represented Pymble and engaged with members of the community, including many Pymble Alumni.
Meanwhile, our youngest Boarders had a fun-filled time at Chatswood during their junior social with Knox. Year 7 & 8 students were eager to showcase their fabulous bowling skills, resulting in many strikes and endless laughter.
We are proud of our Boarding students for making the most of their weekends and embracing the ‘Love It’ Program.
Love It Agenda for Week 3
Friday: Boarders Get Baking
Saturday: An evening of Laser Tag
Sunday: Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes (Art Gallery of NSW)
View From My Window
My name is Hannah Carmichael, I am 15 years old, and I come from Forster, on the beautiful mid-north coast of NSW. I started as a Boarder at the College in 2022 when I was in Year 9.
When at home I live with my mum (Julie), dad (Lachie), 12-year-old brother (Hamish) and my extremely cute and fluffy labradoodle, Paddy, in a beautiful house on the iconic One Mile Beach at Forster. For those of you who know the area, that’s the beach with the large sand dune at the North end.
My mum works as a high school teacher at one of the local schools in Taree and my dad is a helicopter pilot in Western Australia where he flies offshore to oil and gas rigs. My dad is a FIFO (fly in fly out) – he works two weeks away in Karratha and then has two weeks at home.
Forster is an amazing place to live. It is a very popular tourist location where lots of people come for holidays. It is popular all year round because of the amazing beaches and lakes and the whale watching in winter.
It is not only the view from my window that makes it special, but also the noise of the waves crashing on the sand in front of our house and the smell of the salt air. Through the trees in front of my window I can see glimpses of the ocean and the surf gently rolling onto the shore.
My favourite times of day on the beach are sunrise and sunset. At the start of the day the beach is full of people walking their dogs and exercising and enjoying the beautiful sunrise. At the other end of the day, the waves are packed with surfers enjoying the last few rolling waves of the day. This is my favourite time of day to surf – just as the sun is setting and the sky changes colour from blue to pink to orange.
Dolphins are frequent visitors to the beach. Sometimes if you are surfing you can get close enough to touch them. And in winter they are joined by migrating whales, jumping around, breaching, and slapping their tails with their calves.
My favourite thing about being at home is spending time on the beach. Every afternoon I like to go down to watch the sunset with my dog Paddy. I particularly love the long summer holidays as the weather is amazing and the days are long and warm. I like to sunbake on the beach or around my pool with my collection of bikinis and tanning oils.
When I go back to Boarding after the holidays I really the miss my family (especially my dog), the beach and the smell of the salt air. But I am always happy to go back to see my boarding and day-girl friends.
Boarder of the Week
Congratulations to Boa Kim of Year 10 who is our well deserving Boarder of the week. Boa joined us last year from South Korea and her kind, gentle manner quickly won her the respect and admiration of others. She is diligent, considered and is always willing to assist staff or her peers. Boa is a talented artist and enjoys spending her downtime in our music rooms with her Boarding sisters. Boa is caring and supportive of our younger Boarders, by visiting Marden House, escorting Boarders on leave, or enjoying activities around campus. Boa’s smile and friendly nature never fails to lift the spirits of her peers.
Save the Date
Friday 4 to Sunday 6 August – Boarder Parents Regional Weekend in Mudgee
13 August – Combined Chapel service – All Boarders required to be in attendance between 9.00am and 11.30am
8 September – Pymble in Orange
15 September – Boarder Parent Group meeting and Community Event – all Boarders required to be in attendance
16 September – Garden Party
20 September – Year 12 Boarder and parent celebration
21 September – Year 11 and 12 Speech Day and Valedictory Dinner
Carolyn Burgess
Head of Boarding