From the Boarding School
It has been a week of hellos and goodbyes with the very last of our Year 12 students of 2025 completing their HSC examinations and spending their final night in Lang House on Friday evening. They have been a wonderfully close year group and we are happy to send them off, knowing their friendships will endure well beyond their years here. Meanwhile, our Year 12 2026 students have spent the week settling into their new home in Lang House. On Friday night, we will celebrate with our new residents and their families at the Lang Housewarming.
Superstar athletes
Our Boarders are well known for their sporting prowess, so the Annual Sports Awards Dinner is always a busy night for our athletes. I have the privilege of observing the commitment and energy that all our Boarders direct towards their sport and it was great to see many of them receiving well-deserved accolades on the night. Congratulations to all of our sporting Boarders and in particular the following girls who received special awards on the night.
Strive for the Highest Awards: Ruby Azar (Year 8), Poppy Barwick (Year 10), Isabelle Burke (Year 10), Milly Farr (Year 8), Jade George (Year 8), Leander Mclaughlin (Year10), Siri Taubenschlag (Year 9) and Alexis Whitton (Year 8).
Members of the Representative Team of the Year 2025 – Rowing U17 VIII – Erin O’Kane and Allegra Taubenschlag
2025 Sportsgirl of the Year: Bella Croker
2025 Athlete of the Year, Netball: Charlotte Craig
2025 Athlete of the Year, Touch Football: Rosalie Eggins
2025 Athlete of the Year, Equestrian: Madeleine Gaden
2025 All-rounder of the Year, Year 8: Quinn Parry-Okeden
Love It, Ms Theresa Mimmo, Deputy Director of Boarding
The weekend felt relaxing and calm in the Boarding Houses with the HSC finished and lots of sport and leave. Year 10 Boarders enjoyed a picnic on Friday night down at Balmoral Beach. Even though it was a little cool, they still managed a dip in the ocean. Our Year 7 Boarders enjoyed a trip down to South Curl Curl Beach on Saturday. The water was chilly but the sun was out and they had a great time together. On Sunday, a couple of Boarders caught the train to Kirribilli Markets for a walk around and tasted some of the treats on offer. Our Year 7-10 Boarders that were in-house in the afternoon were lucky enough to learn a dance routine from Lea. There was lots of laughs as the routine came together and the group performed as one.
View From My Window
My name is Alice and I am 12 years old. Home for me is in the centre of Tokyo, Japan. Living with me at home, is my mum, Nori, my dad, Scott and my little sister Amy who is 6 years old. Before coming to Pymble, I was in the British curriculum at the British school in Tokyo. Unlike other schools in Tokyo, I had to wear school uniform and Japanese was only an optional class (my mum told me I was definitely doing Japanese - 日本語を習うんだよ! )
Back home, I live in an apartment with my family on the 13th floor of a 15-floor sky-rise building. Looking outside my window, I see hundreds of other sky-rise buildings and the occasional plane. One time, a helicopter flew so close to us that they waved through the window to us. Some of you may be big Harry Potter fans, and my apartment is right next to the live-action Harry Potter Studio in Akasaka.
I came to Pymble at the start of this year. One of the reasons I wanted to come to this school is because my great-grandma, grandma and grand-aunt were all born in Australia and also went to Pymble as Boarders. You can even see their names written on the Head Boarder Prefect Honour Board in the Boarders’ Dining Room. They were all in Marden House and I’m excited to move across to Marden House next year to follow in their footsteps. You can even see my great-grandma’s old brown wooden chair in Lang House that has the letter M for Margaret engraved into it for her name.
When I first joined Pymble Boarding at the start of this year, I couldn’t believe all of the trees and greenery as I don’t see any of this outside my window back home. I also loved how big the school is, because it gives me so much freedom to roam around the campus. I am looking forward to the next five years and how many possibilities there are for me here!
Boarder of the Week
We are delighted to celebrate Alice as our Boarder of the Week. Alice first joined us in Year 7 from Moree, is now in Year 9 and residing in Goodlet House and she is a truly-deserving recipient of this recognition. A homebody at heart, it has been wonderful to watch Alice grow into a strong, resilient and caring young woman. Her unwavering kindness and gentle nature make her the quiet rock of our Boarding family; she is always there to support those around her. No job is too tedious for Alice, and she is never too busy to lend a helping hand, whether it’s assisting around the House or being present for a friend in need. She wears her uniform with pride, keeps an immaculate room and consistently embodies the College values. As an added bonus, she has an excellent sense of fun and shares her smile readily.
Congratulations, Alice, we are so proud of you!
Save the Date
14 November – Lang Housewarming for Year 12 2026 and their families
1 December – End of Year Chapel Service and Christmas Party*
3 December – Year 7-12 Speech Day*, followed by end of term Travel Day.
And while you have the diary out… some important dates for 2026
28 January – New Boarders and current Year 12 Boarders arrive from 2.00pm
28 January – New Boarders’ Welcome Dinner
29 January – Current Boarders return from 2.00pm
29 January – Boarder Parent Group (BPG) meeting at 3.30pm
29 January – BPG welcome drinks at 5.00pm
30 January to 1 February – Boarders’ Community Weekend*
20 February – Boarding Family Friends’ Event
20 February – PPA Icebreaker followed by Boarding Parent “Afters”
15 March – Mother and Daughter Lunch
24 March – Boarders’ End of Term Chapel Service and Dinner*
1 April – Boarders’ Travel Day
2 April – Year 8, 9 and 10 learning discussions
* No leave during this time