From the Boarding School
Christmas has come early for our Boarding family and it is lovely to see the Houses so beautifully decorated and to have the fresh smell of pine filling the halls. Last Saturday our Boarders made their annual trip to Dural to select their Christmas trees and on return, they spent a festive afternoon busily decorating. My special thanks go to Vicki McGilvray, Assistant Head of House, who once again went all out to bring the Christmas spirit to our community. This annual tradition heralds not only the start of yule tide season but it is also a signal that it is almost time for the girls to pack up and head home for a well deserved break. Exciting indeed!
Farewell to our much loved Lea
On Monday evening we said goodbye for now to Lea Waterhouse, our wonderful Assistant Head of Goodlet House. Lea joined us in Boarding just over two years ago and during this relatively short time she became an invaluable member of our team. Lea has a special knack of ensuring everything is super organised in House all the while maintaining a calm and measured approach. Her deep care for the Boarders is palpable and her commitment to deliver the best outcomes for them obvious. This was reflected in Lea’s willingness to undertake additional study as she completed Certificate IV in Residential Care where she achieved a distinction standard in her coursework. Lea will be greatly missed, and we wish her all the very best as she sets off on an extended European adventure.
Lang Housewarming
The ‘unending chain’ of girls certainly rings true in Boarding, and it is a special privilege to be part of the Boarders’ journey—from the early days in Avonmoore to their final Boarding home in Lang House.
This unique journey was celebrated on Friday evening, as our oldest Boarders, the Year 12 2026 cohort, completed an important rite of passage: graduating to Lang House. To mark this meaningful milestone, we held a Housewarming celebration, drawing inspiration from history itself—reminiscent of the 1916 event when the very first Pymble girls made their way across from PLC Croydon. As recorded in Issue No. 90, April 1916 of the school magazine, Aurora Australis:
“Quite the social event of the first term at Pymble was the housewarming, which took place on the first Saturday evening. Dancing was the first item, the rooms used for the purpose being the four music-rooms, a dark and narrow passage, and finally round the pianists themselves, who were so overawed at the prospect of playing for PLC Pymble, that their hands refused to do more than a few feeble waltzes.”
The recollection goes on:
“After the pianist had collapsed from nervousness, Misses Mavis and Rene Parker were masterfully acted by Misses D Abbott, E Wait, K Brodie, D Pitt, P MacFarlane, M Abbott and H Stitt. After three humorous recitations from Maysie Greig-Smith, a still more humorous Highland fling from Doris Witts, and a few clever imitations by Lorna Hinder, it was proposed that the old Croydon girls should sing ‘School and Home’. There were six old girls, so our song was scientifically rendered.
Of course, at the close of the entertainment we formed a circle and sang ‘Auld Lang Syne’ with much vigour and, after cheering from ‘The Boys at the Dardanelles’ to ‘Our Oak Floors and Rubber Heels’ inclusive, we thanked each other most profusely and went home.”
While our recent Housewarming did not include pianists or waltzing, the evening was filled with shared laughter, delicious food and excellent company. Surrounded by our Year 12 families and staff, we celebrated not only a step forward in the Boarders’ journey, but also the deep traditions and connections that make our community so special.
It is moments like these that remind us: though the names and faces change, the spirit of camaraderie and celebration endures, unbroken – an ‘unending chain’ linking past and present, shaping the memories our girls will carry with them always.
Love It – Ms Theresa Mimmo Deputy Director of Boarding
Last Friday we welcomed some of our new 2026 Boarders. It was a lovely chance for the girls to get a head start on making new friends and the opportunity for a sleepover in their soon to be term time home. After the day in lessons, everyone enjoyed a delicious and chocolatey session of Boarders Get Baking before dinner. The Dance Showcase was well timed and the evening was spent watching the dancing talent of Pymble. Special thanks to our Boarder buddies for helping our ‘newbies’ feel so welcome.
Saturday was another opportunity for Boarders to attend the matinee to watch more dancing talent including some of our Boarders. The Houses decorated Christmas trees on Saturday and the Christmas movies were on offer for the start of the festive season. It was lovely to see the girls together in our common spaces. With the gorgeous weather on Sunday a group of Boarders headed to Manly to walk along the coast to Shelly Beach. It was a great opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and a swim on a beautiful day.
Our Spirit House Captains Poppy and Rain organised an exciting handball challenge for our Boarders on Tuesday. The competition started within year groups and then the final games was the best of the best from each year group. There was a lot of cheering and screams as the games played out. It was a great activity and we can truly say everyone was a winner today!
View From My Window
Hi, my name is Rosalie, I am in Year 12 and come from Old Bar and Wallabi Point on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales.
Old Bar is a small coastal village just a five minute drive from Wallabi Point, which is even smaller. Both are right by the beach. My mum lives in Old Bar, and my dad’s over in Wallabi Point. I split my time between the two places. I live with my mum in Old Bar, along with my brothers Jesse and Sam and my little sister Florence. When I’m with my dad in Wallabi Point, I’m never far from the beach or our hunting dogs, Twinkle, Jojo and Rambo.
Dad runs the bus company around Taree and nearby areas, but when he’s not working, he loves going out west hunting or heading east fishing and taking me snorkelling on our boat.
I’m also half Canadian on my mum’s side, and we love visiting during the summer. When we’re there, we spend time with lots of family, at my Uncle’s apple orchard, and catching up with old friends from when we lived there when I was in fifth grade.
I love going home for holidays because I have so many close friends there, it always makes leaving hard. But coming back to Boarding is easier thanks to my boarding sisters. One thing I really enjoy about Boarding is meeting so many different people, from overseas and all over country NSW, every girl inspires me in some way.
Looking out my window here, I mostly see a fence and my dogs, but if I walk ten minutes, I’m at the beach. My favourite beach is Saltwater Point at Wallabi Point. The memories there are most valuable, spear fishing with my dad, surfing with my friends and winter beach fires.
At home, I love going to the beach, watching the local footy, cooking dinners with my family and camping with my friends. At Pymble I love to do Rowing, Rugby and AFL.
I’m really grateful to have grown up on the Mid North Coast. Homesickness is definitely bittersweet, but calling my friends and family and keeping busy with sports helps a lot.
Even though it’s always hard to leave home, I’ve realised that Boarding has given me another one, just with a few more sisters. I’m so grateful for where I come from, the people who’ve shaped me, and the memories I get to take with me wherever I go.
Boarder of the Week
We couldn’t go past fabulous Year 9 Goodlet House Boarder, Stella for our Boarder of the Week. Stella is an absolute delight to be around – she is kind, considerate and full of joy. Always ready with a smile, nothing is ever a problem, and she is always there ready to lend a hand. Stella is an active member of the Boarders’ Representative Council, fulfilling this role with professionalism and purpose. She has had an exceptionally busy week – shining in the Dance Showcase and being the perfect buddy for one of our new Boarders yet hasn’t missed a beat. We couldn’t be prouder to call her one of ‘ours’.
Save the Date
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