From the Boarding School
It was lovely to welcome back our Deputy Director of Boarding, Katie White, on Monday. Katie left big shoes to fill and we have all missed her energy and cheerfulness. We have all missed her energy and cheerfulness.
Our Boarder Parents
While our focus is always on supporting your girls to be their very best, it is wonderful to hear about our Boarder parents enjoying being together, this time in Mudgee, as Year 10 parent, Jacqui Schofield, shares below.
What a wonderful parents weekend we had last weekend celebrating our girls in Mudgee.
It was an opt in, opt out weekend & I opted for it all! We had a fabulous meet and greet on Friday night at ‘The Ori’ with a very relaxing meal & drinks. It didn’t take long for the stories to start, the laughter to begin and new & old friendships forged.
On Saturday we began the day with those that wanted to join us for lunch & a wine tasting at Gilbert’s, we enjoyed it so much we forgot to get a group photo! The venue was superb and we had exceptional service by the Gilbert’s staff.
The bus then collected us at 3pm for Vinifera Wines & Baker Williams Gin Distillery, they looked after us so well & everyone really enjoyed the afternoon of tastings, the scenery, the giant Jenga but most of all the company.
Our bus driver kept us on schedule & we arrived safely at our final venue, 791 Estate. ‘Fiona the owner’ introduced herself and we were inundated with wine, beer and a magical Mudgee sunset. The whole group came together for a fantastic night and we all thoroughly enjoyed the delicious meal by ‘from farm 2 plate’ Mudgee & Wellstead Shrubs.
Kerry, Gicinta, Woop and I would like to thank all the families that joined us for our inaugural Boarder Parents’ Regional weekend, it truly was so much fun and we hope you’ll consider the next one. Rumoured to be a very long lunch at Hillbilly Cider in Bilpin…. (we are hoping? Tess & Shane xx)
Garden Party News
Our parents came together again on Monday evening to firm up plans for the Garden Party. We enjoyed great success last year, raising significant funds for the Boarding Parent Scholarship fund and, more importantly, having a fun time together. We are hoping to be an even bigger hit in 2023 as we trial a new location on Marden Lawn.
We are keen for donations for our renowned produce stall and it would be great if you could email Garden Party convenor, Kylie Levy, k_levy@bigpond.com and let her know what you would like to contribute. We are also in need of people with a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) qualification to work on the Hillbilly Cider stall. If this is you, Kylie would love to hear from you.
Stay tuned for more details on Garden Party in the weeks to come and most importantly, save 15 and 16 September for our Garden Party ‘pres’ and the big day itself.
Love It – Kate Inglis (Acting Deputy Director of Boarding)
This weekend our Love It program sees us heading out to Allianz Stadium to watch the Roosters play the Dolphins in the NRL. On Sunday we will be welcoming the Pymble and Gordon Uniting Church Community for our Sunday Service followed by brunch. A reminder that this is a community event and leave will not be permitted until after lunch.
On Sunday afternoon we will be ready for some sports action with our Year 7/8 Boarders heading to Riverview for a games afternoon and barbecue. Our Year 9 to 12 Boarders will be welcoming the boys from St Gregory’s onto campus. We are looking forward to introducing the boys to Netball and potentially Bench ball if time permits. These events last year were excellent, and the weather is looking perfect for some fun in the sun again this week.
View From My Window
Hello, my name is Alice Gall, and I am a new Boarder in Year 7 at Pymble. I live on a farm called Tycannah of 15,000 aces just out of Moree in northwest NSW with my Mum, Dad and three older brothers Will, Sam, and Jack as well as my puppies Rosie and Georgie and my brother Sam’s dog Bruce.
On the farm we grow wheat, barley, chickpeas, cotton, and sorghum we also have cattle on our other farm which is about an hour east of Moree.
I am the 5th generation to live on Tycannah. Moree is best known for its artesian hot spring water; we have many tourists visit to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the water.
When I am at home, I love to take my dogs for a walk and chasing pigs with my brothers. We live very close to the Moree Water ski park and in the summer, we like to go water skiing and sometimes take the dogs.
When I look out my window, I can see George and Rosie playing in the garden while Mum is planting trees.The barley is in the distance glowing bright green and growing fast after the rain we have had over the holidays. My brothers are kicking the footy and riding motorbikes. Dad is fixing machinery.
What I love about being home is going in the buggy with the dogs and being able to get away from all the chaos of the city. I enjoy the peace and quite of our farm and looking at the stars – something you can’t do in Sydney.
When I return to boarding, I feel lots of different emotions, not wanting to go back to boarding but also excited to see all of my friends and see all of the day girls and getting to hear about everyone’s holidays.
Boarder of the Week
Congratulations to Year 12 Boarder, Isabelle (Izzie) Francis. Izzie, who joined us in Year 9 from Forbes. As Head of Year 12, Anne Graham writes:
Izzie has such a lovely personality – her beautiful smile warms the hearts of everyone around her. Always upbeat, she spreads kindness and positivity. She brightens our days. Her endearing nature makes her everybody’s friend. She effortlessly connects with those around her and is always inclusive, making sure everyone feels valued and appreciated.
One of her most endearing qualities is her cheerfulness. No matter the challenges, she’s always optimistic and her optimism is infectious reminding us all to find the silver lining in every situation. She never forgets to say hello to staff any time she passes the office brightening our day. Beyond her cheerfulness, she is always ready to lend a helping hand.
She embodies the true spirit of empathy and compassion. Izzie is a shining example of the power of a lovely personality. Kind, cheery, and friendly, she leaves a trail of positivity in her wake. Her presence is a gift to Boarding and we are fortunate to have her brightening our days.
Save the Date
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