From the Boarding School

Last weekend was a wonderful celebration of our Boarding family. Starting with our Year 7 to 9 Boarders’ Social on Friday evening through to our Angus Cup challenge on Sunday afternoon, there was something for everyone.  Of course, the socials are always a hit and it was lovely to see new friendships being forged and old friends reunited across schools including St Joseph’s College, Knox Grammar School, Shore School, Ravenswood School for Girls, Wenona School and Ascham. While our younger Boarders were having fun onsite, our Year 10 to 11 girls enjoyed themselves at the Ravenswood social.

The Pymble and Gordon Uniting Church gathering is always a special occasion. There was a beautiful service including the baptism of two beautiful little girls and another outstanding violin performance by our Year 12 virtuoso, Airiana. My favourite thing, however, was watching your daughters engage so authentically with the congregation. Every girl made it her business to seek out a visitor and make them feel welcome. Hospitality is an often underrated trait but the ability to extend a warm welcome and communicate effectively with people from a range of backgrounds is one which your girls have in spades.

The last part of the weekend was pure energy, with a lot of competition thrown in. The ‘Just Dance’ party saw our Boarders dress up to the theme of the Paris Olympics. I think you will agree our Year 12 Boarders were the deserving winners. The fun flowed on to the Angus Cup Challenge with the Spirit Houses battling for the trophy in games of Dodge Ball and Bench Ball.

Boarders’ Week

We are all set for another exciting week of celebration with National Boarding Week commencing on Monday 12 May. The girls will be busy decorating the Houses over the weekend and getting ready for the Day Girls verses Boarders competitions as well as the many other festivities we have planned.

Year 12 Boarder, Andie, produced a fabulous video on the theme of “What makes our Boarders tick?” Please click here to see the Boarders’ Week program.

Love It – Mrs White, Deputy Director of Boarding

We’re gearing up for an exhilarating weekend ahead for our Boarders! It all kicks off on Friday with the return of Boarders Get Baking for Term 2. Anticipation is high as we await the creative delights the girls will whip up. Friday night promises to be a blast as our Year 12s gather for a cozy pizza night.

Throughout the weekend, our Boarders will be busy adorning the houses for Boarders Week, while our Year 7s eagerly await the Big Sister and Little Sister movie night in Avonmoore. And the excitement doesn’t end there! On Sunday, an exciting trip to Taronga Zoo awaits our girls. Keep an eye out for some captivating snapshots capturing the highlights of the weekend!

Dinner with Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell

Our Boarders have been delighted to attend dinner at the home of Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell. So far, our Year 7, 8 and 12 Boarders have been treated to this most special of occasions with dates for Years 9, 10 and 11 planned. The girls appreciate the fun activities as Stella, our Year 12 Goodlet House Boarding Prefect shares below

On Sunday 5 May, our Year 12 Pymble Boarders were invited by the lovely Dr Hadwen, Mr Bell, and her adorable dogs, Chase and Molli for dinner at their house in Pymble. It is safe to say that as soon as we arrived, we were welcomed with open hearts ready to share a great evening together. Each aspect of the four-course meal, home-made by Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell themselves, was extremely delicious and made with love, to which we hold at high gratitude. Our generous hosts even gifted each guest with a present waiting for us at our tables, with a mix of Peter Alexander slippers, reusable cups, scrunchies, and glasshouse candles that were all enjoyed as we arrived back to the house.

In between the delicious entrées of the cauliflower tart and the scallops, as well as our main meal, slow-cooked beef with brussels sprouts and mushrooms, we were able to share with Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell a few of our favourite boarding memories from over the years. This not only allowed us to bond with our beloved Principal, but we were able to immerse ourselves in the nostalgia that was the last six years, remembering all the great moments that brought us here. It is safe to say that when our dessert for the night came out – chocolate lava cake with ice-cream and berries – we were all very happy with how we spent our Sunday night, and it was a fabulous start to the week. We have all been grateful for this evening and are very glad to have this as one of our memories for Year 12. Thank you, Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell.

View From My Window

Hi, my name Is Harriett Lisle and I am a Year 8 Boarder here at Pymble. I come from a small town called Walcha, which is five hours north of Sydney and one hour east of Tamworth. Walcha is known for its natural beauty with waterfalls and gorges, along with beautiful rivers full of trout. I have three younger siblings, Tom, Will, and Edwina. We live on a sheep and cattle farm, with a bunch of pets including our dogs Pip, Dea, and Ruby, our cat, Tabby, our chooks and ducks, and Pumbaa, the feral pig. 

I came to Pymble because of the amazing opportunities, variety of sports, fantastic education and lots of my family who went before me.

I have loved hockey for a long time but Pymble has helped improve my skills and I really enjoy playing here. My great-grandmother also went to Pymble, she always tells me that when she was in Year 7 there were only 60 girls in her year, and that was considered big! They used to sit together on Gloucester Lawn in a big circle.  Great Nanny used to run around the hockey field and in those days they didn’t have shin guards so she was hit in the shins every game. Apparently her bones still have dints in them from the hockey ball. Thank goodness Pymble hockey is much safer now!

When I look out my window I see my sister Edwina playing with the animals, my brother Will mustering sheep, and my brother Tom building things, I see baby lambs prancing, and I see my mum’s garden. When I am at home I like to help Dad mark the lambs or cook with my mum, but my favourite thing to do is spend time with my animals and see my cousins. When I return to Boarding, I feel sad but I know good things are ahead of me and I enjoy seeing my friends and Sydney family.

Boarder of the Week

Year 10 Boarder, Ella was a natural choice for our Boarder of the Week. Amongst a standout group of 130 Boarders, Ella was there leading the way by example. She was an invaluable support at the Year 7 to 9 Social, giving up the opportunity to attend her own event and welcoming visitors and encouraging Boarders from other schools.

Ella was a delightful dining companion for our Pymble and Gordon Uniting Church visitors and an incredible participant in the Angus Cup games. None of this was a surprise to us, Ella is always full of energy and enthusiasm and is a kind ‘mother hen’ to all in Goodlet House. We feel lucky to have her in our Boarding family.

Save the Date

13 – 17 May                Boarders’ Week

18 -19 May                  Regional Weekend on the Hawkesbury for Boarder parents only

25 August                   Father, Daughter event

20 September             Boarders and their Families event

21 September             Garden Party

3 November                Mother, Daughter Lunch (please note revised date)

Boarder Parent Group Meetings

20 September – 2.30pm onsite

24 October – 7.00pm Microsoft Teams meeting

Carolyn Burgess

Head of Boarding