From the Boarding School
One of the many bonuses of being a Boarder is having Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell as neighbours. These special people consistently go out of their way to enrich the lives of our girls and Mr Bell really out did himself this time! Following some hard bidding at the Pymble Foundation Gala Ball, Mr Bell secured the opportunity of a behind the scenes tour of Sydney Swans HQ and promptly donated the experience to our Boarders. Our fabulous Head of Year, Beth Ayling accompanied the lucky four Boarders and, as Beth writes, it was an unforgettable experience.
On Tuesday evening, four of our AFL-loving Boarders were granted the opportunity of a lifetime – to spend an evening at Swans HQ with the AFLW. Allyana Levy, Isabelle Johnston, Jaidey Samuelsson and Ineke Sunderland made their way to Moore Park with Head of Year, Beth Ayling for a private tour of the brand new, state of the art headquarters, as well as exclusive access to the SCG.
The excitement began with a tour of the facilities, including the amazing indoor field, the pools, the high performance gym, altitude room and production studio. They girls were also given the opportunity to watch the team train, which was at high intensity due to a loss against Hawthorn last weekend. The girls were then given an exclusive tour of the belly of the SCG – a place where the public is rarely allowed to go. They saw the warm up rooms for before the game, the private locker room and were able to run through the tunnel up to the field. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.
It was then back to Swans HQ to kick the footy with the Assistant Coach and Manager of the Swans AFLW. They were both highly impressed with the talent shown by the girls and gave them some pointers of how to build on their skills. A huge highlight was catching up with ex-student, Alice Mitchell, who was excited to see Pymble girls there for a visit.
The members of the Swans AFLW were incredibly welcoming and kind to the girls and the experience was one they won’t quickly forget. We are incredibly grateful to Mr Bell, who so kindly donated this experience to our Boarders and to Mr David Burns who generously donated the prize for auction.
Go Lethy!
Speaking of sporting super stars, last week I shared the news of Year 10 Boarder, Alethea (Lethy) Levy’s participation in the National Youth Championship Tournament in Wollongong as a member of the New South Country team. As Lethy shares below, it was a fabulous experience with a great outcome.
Last week I represented NSW Country U16 at the National Youth Championships. It was an amazing experience playing football against some of the best 15/16 year old girls in Australia. There is some incredible talent out there!
I went into camp three days before the tournament began and then spent the next five days of the tournament in Wollongong with the NSW coaches and players. We played five games in total with a win against Tasmania, a draw against both QLD sides, and a loss to SA and Northern NSW. The games are fast, physical and challenging and are used as further talent identification.
It has been a huge year of football for me. I have been invited to play with the Football NSW Institute in 2024, an amazing opportunity that will allow me to continue to further my football development.
Love It Mrs Katie White – Deputy Director of Boarding
What a weekend! We kicked off the term with Year 10 heading to the Dance with Shore, and Year 11 had dinner at Balmoral on Friday. Sunday the girls had the chance to head out to the basketball to watch the Sydney Kings. This is always a popular activity.
This weekend it will be Year 8’s turn to head out for a Friday night beach trip and then we are heading to Wahroonga Park on Saturday evening for a twilight concert. Our neighbours from KNox and Abbotsleigh will also be attending the event. equipped with picnic blankets and packed dinners it is sure to be a great event, the weather is looking promising for a beautiful spring evening. Sunday’s activity is a walk to the America’s Bay waterfall and pools in the Ku-ring-gai National Park. The weather looks to be warm, so pack your cossies for a dip in the natural pools along the way.
View From My Window
Hi, my name in Madeleine “Mads” Gaden. I am 12 years old, and I come from Dunedoo, in the Central West of NSW. The town of Dunedoo is situated between Mudgee and Dubbo. My family consists of my Dad (Will), Mum (Jacquie) and my brother (Ollie). Ollie is in Year 10, boarding at Shore. We also have a third child, the Jack Russell (Jilly), Labrador (Marley), seven work dogs, three poddy lambs (they are three now), Jimmy, Peanut and Louie, four horses, and Arthur the cat, they are all very much a part of the family. It really is quite the menagerie.
Dad is the third generation of farming on our properties “Lockerbie”, “Bullinda” and “Wheogo”. We own 8000 acres; 700 acres of cropping and the rest of our property is native grass country and introduced pastures. We run 7000 head of Merino sheep and we also run 300 head of Hereford and Angus Cattle. We run a lamb feedlot throughout the year when opportunities rise. This year we built a new five stand woolshed, holding 1500 sheep. It makes for a very productive shearing and maybe for future parties as it is a great space.
Outside my window I see all the animals roaming around the garden, I think someone has left the gate opened. Jimmy, Peanut and Louie are trimming the hedge, the dogs are sunbaking, the horses are in their paddocks grazing as well as the sheep, and cattle. The rolling hills and flats that go forever filled with grasses and the newly sown crops. My window also has the views of our beautiful big orchard with oranges, mandarins, lemons and more. There are also the stables, chook yards and dog kennels.
When I’m home on holidays the days start early to let the horses out of their stables and clean them. I ride my horse Rooster and then it’s out to help Dad. It’s mostly stock work at this time of the year and sowing the last of the pasture crops. I love being with my family the most. Spending time with them is always so special. Even though my brother is 20 minutes away when we are at boarding school, it is always good to be home with him riding motorbikes, canoeing on the big dam and being together helping on the farm.
I have only been Boarding for a short time and I miss my Mum, Dad and animals terribly, however when I return to Boarding it is always so good to see my friends and the Boarding staff as they are like family to me. Catching up with everyone on their holidays, and just regrouping with each other. Going back to Boarding is like another adventure because you never know what might happen in the term and what memories you are going to make. Although I am missing home, my time in Marden is like a home away from home.
Boarder of the Week
Livia (Liv) has been a delight to have in Marden since she first arrived from Darwin in Term 1 this year. Since Day 1, she has shown unwavering enthusiasm for all that is on offer at Pymble. She has thrown herself headfirst into every opportunity and she is never afraid to step out of her comfort zone to try new things. Liv’s kindness, consideration and genuine care for her Boarding sisters shines through in all of her interactions, and her positive nature never fails to make us smile. Nothing is ever a bother for Liv; she is always willing to put others before herself and consistently shows her strong sense of integrity and responsibility. Liv is a hard worker, always taking her studies seriously and using our Learn It Program to her advantage. Liv has stepped up to each and every challenge presented to her with determination and a calm and measured attitude. We are thrilled to have her as part of our Boarding family and can’t imagine a time without her!
Save the Dates
It will be a busy term! Please make note of important dates as follows:
Thursday 19 October, 7.00pm – Boarder Parent Group Meeting (Microsoft Teams)
Tuesday 28 November – End of Year Chapel Service and Boarding Christmas Party (all Boarders required to be in attendance)
Wednesday 6 December – Year 7 to 10 Speech Day (all Boarders required to be in attendance)
Wednesday 6 December – Boarders’ travel afternoon (following Speech Day)
Carolyn Burgess
Head of Boarding