From the Principal
Whether you love, loathe or feel indifferent to Barbie, it’s hard to ignore her recent success. Barbie the movie has just made box office history by topping US $1bn in global sales in two weeks and breaking a record for female directors in the process. With a marketing budget reportedly bigger than its entire production budget, the movie is highly visible and highly likely to entice many of the girls and women in our community into the cinema to see what it’s all about. So, when a group of super-excited Year 8 girls emailed me about seeing the movie and holding a Barbie-themed assembly, it struck me as a great opportunity to connect with our young people, reflect on the messages we can take from the film, and align these messages with our vision for students at Pymble.
It’s an understatement to say, hosting this assembly was not a decision made lightly. To be honest, I was mildly terrified about the negative feedback the College might receive for channelling a divisive pop culture icon to talk about the incredibly important topic of belonging versus fitting in. It took an enormous dose of courage to get into that hot pink suit on Tuesday and speak to a sea of faces – some gleefully engaged, others not so much – but getting out of your comfort zone is what we encourage our girls to do, and so I did.
For me, the Barbie movie represents girl power; it’s about being the very best version of ourselves, quirks and all. And the character that can teach us most about ourselves is not Stereotypical Barbie, looking perfectly poised in her Dreamhouse, it’s Weird Barbie, the dishevelled doll at the bottom of the toy box with her hair partially hacked off, legs akimbo and random Texta markings all over her face. Weird Barbie was played by the actor Kate McKinnon, who eloquently described her character as follows:
“Weird Barbie has sort of been relegated, sequestered, quarantined to this space, which is her weird house, a sort of freakish amalgam of shapes and colours that obviously is the manifestation of who she is in this world: the keeper of everyone’s hidden weirdness. It’s that journey of self-actualisation that every human being is on and is thwarted by these rigid gender roles and ideas of what we ought to be.”
The truth is, there’s a little bit of weirdness in each of us, and that’s also the great joy and beauty of humankind. We are all “startlingly or extraordinarily singular, odd” (the Macquarie Dictionary definition of weird) or, in other words, “the only one of the kind; unique” (the Macquarie Dictionary definition of singular).
Weird Barbie makes us think about the complexity of identifying as unique individuals who seek to belong and, in doing so, challenges our understanding of what it is to belong.
In her book Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, researcher and author Brene Brown highlights a critical difference between belonging and fitting in, which I also shared with the girls:
“Fitting in is one of the greatest barriers to belonging. Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be in order to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.”
As our students grow and become who they are meant to be at Pymble, my hope is that each individual can be the truest version of themselves – their best Barbie, in keeping with our theme – and that they genuinely feel they belong here in our school family.
Each day, I hear from students who have the most amazing stories to share about their passion projects, how they are helping other people in the community, and the steps they are taking to chase their dreams. We see each person for the unique gifts and talents they bring to our Pymble family. We highlight their achievements as our sportswomen, academics, da Vinci Decathlon scholars, musicians, debators, dancers, artists or first-time performers in the Years 1 and 2 Showcase on Friday. Equally, we celebrate the student who finds the mettle to come to school when she really feels like curling up under the covers for the day, or the Year 6 girl who is already thinking ahead to next year and figuring out how to be the best Year 7 student she can be. Each student matters.
Feeling more than a bit weird in my hot pink Barbie suit, against a backdrop of hot pink streamers, balloons, glitter and a fabulous Barbie photo box whipped up for the occasion by our amazing Technology and Applied Studies HOLA, Mr Ellis, my take-home message for the girls was this:
Sometimes we don’t feel like we measure up to expectations.
Sometimes we stand out as a bit weird.
The sooner you understand that who you are is enough; that all the things that are quirky and weird about you also make you magnificent and wonderful; the sooner you will make your mark on the world, in a way that is meaningful to you.
Like happy memories of favourite toys, I hope this message stays with our girls for life.
Say hello to our HOLAs
This week, it is my pleasure to shine a light on our Head of Learning Area – Science, Mrs Kylie Cooley, who has been a valued member of our academic staff since 1998 – that’s 25 years! Mrs Cooley stepped into the HOLA position this year to lead the delivery of the following subjects at Pymble: Science, Marine and Aquaculture Technology, and Agriculture (for Years 7 to 10); Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, and Physics (for Years 11 and 12); and Investigating Science, and Science Extension (for Year 12). Mrs Cooley currently teaches Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science, and Year 12 Investigating Science.
Kylie, what was the ‘aha’ moment that led you into teaching?
“During my Honours year at university, my supervisor asked me if I could help in his palaeontology lab sessions and go on different field trips to assist the first, second and third year students. I loved it so much. Showing people amazing things and helping them discover the meaning to the patterns in nature was so much fun that I ended up doing a Diploma of Education after my Science degree.”
What is the most rewarding aspect of the work you do here?
“I love working with the students on the clues, patterns and logic they can use to help them understand the world around them. Watching someone have an ‘aha’ or ‘wow’ moment is really rewarding.”
What are you most proud of achieving as a Pymble HOLA?
“This is my first year in the HOLA role, so I am still learning the ropes; however, I am proud of many of the initiatives I have helped build within our amazing Science team during 25 years at Pymble. This includes embedding more ‘working scientifically’ skills in the Years 7 to 10 syllabus to better prepare students for Years 11 and 12. We are lucky to have a team that has the depth and breadth of expertise to continually innovate to improve student outcomes.”
Work aside, tell us a fun fact about you…
“I nearly studied Graphic Design instead of Science!”
Finish this sentence: If I could impart one life lesson to our students, it would be…
“Stay curious, ask questions and be grateful for the amazing opportunities you have been given.”
See you at the ball!
No, we’re not leaping from Barbie to Cinderella in one fell swoop. 😉 This is just a friendly reminder that tickets for our inaugural Pymble Foundation Ball go on sale Monday 14 August, via a notification sent on MyPymble, where you can also find out more about the fine dining, entertainment, dress code, auctions and raffles planned for the night. Tickets are limited, so make sure you secure your table if you don’t want to miss out. Thank you in advance for your support of our College, and our current and future generations of Pymble girls.
