From the Boarding School
The ‘unending chain’ of girls certainly rings true in Boarding and it is a special privilege to be a part of the Boarders’ journey commencing in Marden House through to their final Boarding home in Lang House.
This journey was celebrated on Sunday evening as our oldest Boarders, the Year 12 2023/24 cohort made an important rite of passage, graduating to Lang House. The evening was celebrated with a House Warming, inspired by the 1916 event when the very first Pymble girls made the trip across from PLC Croydon.
The Boarders were delighted with their new rooms and the fabulous celebration meal organised by our Head of Year 12 Boarding, Anne Graham and Senior Boarding Assistant, Roz Martindale. Of course, there was a housewarming present and who would have thought an air fryer would bring such squeals of joy?!
Diwali
On Tuesday night we enjoyed celebrating the Festival of Lights, Diwali with our Boarders. The evening was filled with fun and the Boarder competitive spirit, as the Spirit House Circles took on the challenge of creating the most creative Rangoli. This was followed by a delicious Indian feast in the specially decorated Boarders’ Dining Room.
Love It – Mrs White Deputy Director of Boarding
Friday – Year 10 and New 7/8 Boarder – Balmoral Adventure
Our beautiful Year 10 Boarders were treated to a Balmoral Beach Picnic Dinner on Friday evening. The water glistened as the sunset, and the sea temperatures were perfect for a dip! It was a lovely occasion for fish and chips by the beach, followed by an ice cream treat for dessert! Year 10 were also joined by our new Year 7/8 2024 Boarders, who resided in Goodlet House on Friday evening for a Boarding sleepover. With many of our Year 10 Boarders 2024 Big Sisters, it was the perfect occasion for the girls to chat all things Boarding and the exciting adventures that await them next year!
We also welcomed back our Year 7s for 2024 for their second sleep over. The girls were exhausted after a busy Links Day in the day school and enjoyed some down time around the grounds on Friday evening. Their highlight of the sleepover was the basketball game they all played after dinner. We can’t wait to welcome them all back next year.
Saturday & Sunday – A cosy night in
Our Boarders enjoyed a quiet night in with many visiting friends and family over the weekend. Our Marden ladies settled in for a movie night on Saturday, followed by a shopping adventure for Secret Santa presents on Sunday. Our Goodlet ladies had a busy weekend preparing for Year 10 Camp, with 6 girls heading to the Snowy Mountains on Sunday Morning. We also had 5 ladies depart to the Blue Mountains and 12 to Murramurang (South Coast) on Monday Morning. We look forward to hearing about their adventures! Our Year 12 Boarders spent the weekend settling into Lang after their move from Goodlet House earlier in the week.
This weekend – Christmas Festivities Begin
Friday: Christmas Dinner with Knox – A fabulous Christmas themed BBQ Dinner and Trivia
Saturday: Christmas Tree Farm Adventure & Christmas Movie Night in the KM
Sunday: Glebe Markets
What’s on this week:
Friday: Year 10 Balmoral Adventure and Year 7/8 Sleepover
Saturday: Manly Adventure
Sunday: Bondi to Bronte Walk and Lang Housewarming
View From My Window
My name is Stella Robertson, I am currently a Year 12 Boarder and have been at Pymble since Year 7. My hometown is Gunnedah, NSW (often mistaken with Canada!), where I stay in the holidays with my mum, dad, sister, and of course, my dog, Max, and cat, Luna.
Gunnedah is named the koala capital of the world, but I can’t say that I have seen many koalas there throughout my life. My home is close to town, which is really convenient for sport, work, and the occasional drive down the ‘mainy’ for some shopping. While we’re not on a property, we have a beautiful view of the town and Porcupine lookout as our backyard, with a lovely pool that is put to good use throughout the year.
What I love about being home is the ability to see my family of course, with the addition of my grandparents, my aunt, and my friends who all live within walking distance. I am often able to go down the road or around the block to my friends’ houses, where we sometimes try to be productive with schoolwork… but are hardly ever successful as we catch-up from the term apart.
When I look out my window, I see my family sitting on the veranda, with the dog on the lawn, and the cat strutting past, watching the sunset over the mountains. I see my mum outside, changing the hoses and trying to fend off the dog trying to bite at the water. I see my dad mowing the lawn, with his worn-out bucket hat and old ray-bans sunnies that only just manage to do the trick. My sister is out the back, with her music blasting and her swimmers on, getting ready to get in the pool after her run. I see my neighbours walking their dog down the wallaby-trap to the side of our house and give a yell to old Warren who always greets us with a smile. I see my grandpa in the driveway, waiting to take me for a drive to get my hours up, and my grandma walking in to inspect the garden out the back. And finally, I see my friends driving up the road to take me downtown, whether it be CrossFit, out to lunch, or one of their houses to spend the day lounging around.
While I absolutely love being at home, I still enjoy returning to Boarding and catching-up with the girls. I’ve never gone very long without seeing my Boarding sisters, and it’s always the best feeling when we gather in the one room on the first day back to give a debrief of our holidays. Of course, the opportunities given to us at school are extremely beneficial which is always a mind-opener on our return, but I’ll always miss home.
Boarder of the Week
Congratulations to our Boarder of the Week, our fabulously talented Year 10 athlete, Lana Pike. Lana joined our Pymble family from Temora at the start of the year and has hit the ground running! Between her training schedule, competitions and schooling commitments, she is a go-getter and her organisation and dedication is admired by her peers. In House, Lana is always willing to assist staff and volunteers during Boarding activities. She mentors her younger Boarding sisters during weekly community events, including Spirit House Circles.
Lana has an infectious sense of humour that never fails to uplift her peers, and is always ready for a chat during her evening tea time. Her uniform is always immaculate and leaves her room sparkling every morning. We are delighted to call Lana one of ours!
Save the Dates
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