From the Acting Principal
Good evening, I hope you and your daughter(s) have had an enjoyable and productive week. It has certainly been productive for our Year 12 students as they approach the end of HSC Trial Examinations calmly and confidently, thanks to their hard work and the efforts of our academic staff, who have ensured they are well prepared. With only two days of exams remaining, our Class of 2024 are on the downhill run to their final exams and last days at Pymble, which is both exciting and a bit sad as they are wonderful role models and leaders of our student body.
You may be aware we brought the process of electing Prefects forward from Term 3 to Term 2 this year for the first time. The reason for this was to allow more time for our current Year 12 Prefects to share relevant information and handover advice that will assist our incoming leaders when they officially assume their roles in Term 4. It has been wonderful to see many of our current Prefects meet with their incoming counterparts, bring them into their leadership team meetings, and engage their help with projects in progress.
Building leadership experience and providing mentoring opportunities is a huge part of what we do at Pymble for students and staff across the College as these are critical skills for life.
I have the great fortune of being mentored by Dr Hadwen, who provides exemplary guidance and support as I navigate my professional journey. Dr Hadwen has helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses, provides valuable feedback on different projects and issues I am dealing with, and encourages me to take on new challenges. Additionally, she has introduced me to new networking opportunities and helped me develop a strong sense of direction for my career.
It is a pleasure and a privilege to have the opportunity to step into the Acting Principal’s role while Dr Hadwen takes four weeks of well-deserved sabbatical leave. My first full day was interesting, to say the least, starting with a phone call at 7.00am advising that our water supply had been accidentally cut off while Sydney Water was doing maintenance in the local area.
Just as our staff go to great lengths to ensure our students are thoroughly prepared to undertake all their commitments and responsibilities at Pymble, our leadership team goes above and beyond to ensure the College is equipped to respond to any operational or safety issues that may arise while the girls are in our care. Our risk assessment is second to none and we regularly engage expert external facilitators to help us develop best-practice responses to a wide range of scenarios and challenges that could potentially affect our main campus at Pymble or Vision Valley. This came in handy on Tuesday. Our real-life challenge was: how long could we function comfortably and safely on the main campus without running tap water and flushing toilets (other than a few in the Senior School Centre that are connected to rainwater tanks) while waiting for the water supply to be restored?
Our critical incident team assembled in minutes and flew into highly efficient management mode. Each person knew their role. Simultaneously, we had staff negotiating deadlines with Sydney Water, redirecting students to the Senior School bathrooms, placing hand sanitiser near all taps, distributing crates of drinking water around campus, confirming Plan B learning arrangements for the day, and lining up communication of our K-12 response plan to send to our community should the water supply be unavailable indefinitely.
Fortunately, Sydney Water came to the rescue, water was promptly restored, and the school day was uninterrupted, with student comfort and safety ensured at all times.
I share this anecdote proudly to reflect the College’s unwavering commitment to the care and safety of our community, and as a reminder to all parents about how we will communicate to you in the event of an emergency.
- Firstly, you will receive a short text message to your mobile phone from PymbleLC directing you to a more indepth notification via the MyPymble app and/or email.
- The notification will outline what is happening and what we require you to do.
- Please follow the instructions relevant to you depending on whether your daughter(s) is/are in Junior School, Secondary School, both Junior and Secondary, or Boarding.
Signing off today with a wonderful quote that sums up what I believe leadership to be from an incredible woman who was a volunteer in WWII, a two-star flag officer in the US Navy, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a pioneer of the computer industry who invented the compiler.
Leadership is a two-way street; loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one’s superiors, care for one’s crew.
Rear Admiral Grace Hooper (1906 – 1992)
Windows into Learning
Please enjoy this week’s Windows into Learning at Pymble.
Building House spirit at the K-2 Athletics Carnival
One of the most exciting and heartwarming House events in the Junior School is the K-2 Athletics Carnival, made even more special this year as it coincided with the Olympic Games in Paris. Our youngest students competed with joy, enthusiasm and commitment to our College values. Courage and responsibility were demonstrated by all students as they took ownership of their participation in every event. Respect and integrity were evident as students displayed outstanding sportsmanship, and care was shown as they cheered each other on and helped each other overcome challenging moments.
Proud teachers and parents watched as the Year 6 House Leaders embodied kindness, serving as shining role models of House spirit by encouraging their younger peers. The carnival was a wonderful reminder of the joy in participation and movement, the strong community spirit within our school, and the importance of supporting one another in all endeavours.
Miss Penny Charalambous
Year 2 Compass Teacher
Collaborative discussions in PDHPE
Year 10 students are currently deepening their understanding of social justice and the diverse populations that make up Australian society. After investigating the impactful work of Street Side Medics, students divided into small groups to consider how they could further advance social justice for people who are experiencing homelessness, using a creative card-based activity. Each card suit had a specific role: a club allowed students to ‘Offer an idea’ (joining the club), a heart to ‘Challenge’ an idea (showing heart and courage), a spade to ‘Evaluate’ an idea (calling a spade a spade), and a diamond to ‘Extend’ an idea (polishing the diamond). This was a fun and effective way to facilitate the sharing and development of ideas and perspectives.
Mrs Alison Cruz
Head of Learning Area PDHPE
Have a fabulous weekend, when it arrives!
