From the Boarding School
Our Boarders are certainly a sporty bunch, so much so, sometimes it is a challenge to keep up with their triumphs. So this week I am playing catch up with a snapshot on just some of our sporting superstars starting with Year 9 Boarder Allegra who spent the previous holidays training with the Perisher Winter Sports Club and had a very successful Interschools event, coming away with her best individual results and a Team Gold and Silver. Allegra continues training and we look forward to celebrating her successes in the weeks to come.
Year 11 Boarders, Alethea (Lethy) and Allyana (Ally) continue to shine on the football field and over the term break, once again competed at the national level as members of the NSW Country Under 16 side. Lethy had the additional, and well-earned honour of captaining the side in her fourth national tournament.
Not to be outdone, tennis sisters Giselle and Sophia, did us all proud at the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival in Darwin over the weekend. It was a great experience for the girls and they were thrilled to catch up with some other tennis superstars. Special congratulations to Giselle who placed second in the under 18 division and Sophia who came third in the under 14 division.
Goodooga Games
Last week four of our Boarders – Jaidey, Sienna, Evie and Ellie – headed north west to experience the annual Indigenous Games in Goodooga. I hope you enjoy reading about their experiences, as written by Sienna:
Last week, myself and a handful of other Pymble students travelled to regional NSW to attend the Annual Indigenous Games at Goodooga. At the start of the week, we travelled from Sydney to Lightning Ridge – home of the famous black opal and stayed there for two nights. We took a day trip to Brewarrina, where we met with a local Elder from the community.
He explained to us the significance of the heritage listed Brewarrina Aboriginal fish traps. We learnt about how they came to be, how they worked and why they are still important landmarks. For the remainder of the trip we stayed in Goodooga, which is a small town located 20 km south of the QLD border.
While staying at Goodooga we enjoyed a relaxing swim in the hot spring bore baths and attended the Indigenous Games held at the local school. We saw many students from various schools from across the region compete in a series of traditional Indigenous games.
Our Pymble students had a lot of fun participating in the games and helping out the younger kids. At the conclusion of the games, we started the long journey back to Sydney with a night stopover in Dubbo.
Dinner with Dr H and Mr Bell
As our Boarders enjoy the last of their special dinners with Dr H and Mr Bell, it is clear that the love of these Boarder-only events grows stronger. Year 10 Boarder Rose shares her recount of a fabulous evening:
Last Sunday, Year 10 Boarders were lucky enough to attend Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell’s home for a delicious meal and a catch up. Mr Bell was a chef extraordinaire and whipped up an amazing fresh pasta dish that we all inhaled immediately, followed by Dr Hadwen’s yummy cheesecake. It was so nice to have a warm, home-cooked meal on such a chilly night.
Each year, these dinners are highly anticipated by all Boarders. They are a great opportunity for us to get together with our grade and talk with Dr Hadwen about all things happening with school, Boarding and the journey we’ve had since coming to Pymble.
Dr Hadwen’s personal experience as a Boarder is clear and she shows a deep interest, appreciation and excitement in regards to our boarding lives. We are grateful for the care and kindness shown to us by Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell and feel so lucky to have been invited to their home and to have Dr Hadwen as our school leader.
Love It – Mrs Beth Ayling, Acting Deputy Director of Boarding
We were incredibly lucky that the weather held out this weekend and the Boarders got to enjoy a wide range of activities here at Pymble and off-site.
Friday afternoon saw the return of one of our favourite Love It staples, Boarders Get Baking, where Mrs Wiedemann leads the girls in the creation of the Brookie, a brownie/cookie fusion treat! This is always a wonderful afternoon and the Boarders adore having the time and space to try new recipes.
Saturday was busy with the likes of netball, hockey, rugby and various other sports. In the evening, our Avonmoore Boarders headed off to Strike Bowling to knock down some pins. Sunday saw a Sydney adventure to Pancakes on the Rocks and the Rocks Markets where the girls enjoyed browsing for handmade or unique treasures. Our Year 10 Boarders also had a special weekend with their dessert and games night on Friday and dinner with Dr H and Mr Bell on Sunday.
This coming weekend will be another eventful one. Those attending Boarders Get Baking will be trying their hand at a Viennese apricot cake. Year 9 also have their turn for dessert and games on Friday. Saturday evening will see us heading to the Swing Factory at Terrey Hills to work on our drive. Sunday is our annual trip to Luna Park to catch up with our Boarding brothers and sisters from Knox, Wenona, Riverview, Abbotsleigh and Loreto Normanhurst. Always such a fantastic event.
The Press Club
Don’t forget to sign up for our next Boarding Community Event, to be held on 20 September, the eve of the Garden Party. Following the Boarder Parent Group meeting and some last minute Garden Party preparations, join our Boarding parents for a dinner at the Butcher’s Block at Wahroonga before heading to the Warrawee Club for an evening of live music and dancing. All Boarders are required to be in attendance on this night and we hope our families can join in the fun too.
A message about our Garden Party
As you may be aware the Garden Party is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Boarding community. Last year we raised $17,000 and $20,000 the year before. It is being held on Saturday 21 September and is a fantastic day. We will be running three stalls: the Produce Stall, the Boarders’ Barbecue and the fabulous Hillbilly Cider Shed. We will also be holding a raffle. This is a shout out to get you thinking of what you may be able to donate or contribute to the Produce Stall or the raffle.
Anything produced by Boarding families is welcome. Some examples include baked goods, jams, chutneys, sauces, pickles, fruit, eggs, bunches of herbs, flowers, wheat and cotton. It is a very popular stall and loved by all the city folk. Any donations for raffle prizes would also be greatly appreciated.
On the barbecue this year, we will also be serving bacon and egg rolls with tomato relish between 10.00am and 11.30am, and after that it will be our delicious pork and slaw rolls. Any donation of eggs for this stall would be amazing.
Finally, keep your eye out for the Google form to book a spot on the roster. Any help is appreciated and it really is a great way to catch up with other parents while contributing to the day.
View From My Window
Hi, I’m Lucy! I am 14 years old and I come from Glenthorne on the mid-north coast. We live approximately three hours north of Sydney and our farm is located along the Manning River.
I started at Pymble this year as a Boarder in Year 8. I reside in Marden House and have loved Boarding so far. From my window at school, I see buildings and sporting fields which are completely different from home; this has been a huge change.
Our family consists of Dad (Rob), Mum (Kylie) and my brother Hunter who is in Year 11 at St Ignatius, Riverview. My parents run their own Ray White agency business throughout the Manning Valley. In the holidays, I love to go into the office and help where I can. I often go and look at the ‘for sale’ properties with Dad. When I finish school, I too would love to work in the real estate industry.
From my window at home, I look out over our paddocks across the river and to the distant mountains with the big blue sky. I often see my dad driving around and around on his mower making our lawn perfect. We have a joke that he’s obsessed!
We live along the Manning River and we run cattle who are stirred up by my favourite dog Zoey, a Border Collie. I have my own small herd of speckle park cows which have just calved so I can’t wait to see them next time I’m home. When I’m home, I also work on a speckle park stud and have done several shows including Sydney Royal which was a great experience.
During the summer, we go water skiing and tubing with friends and we have this really cool spot down at Manning Point which we all love to go, we park the boat on the sand and swim. Each New Year’s Eve, we watch the fireworks off the boat.
My grandparents live in Tamworth and Armidale, so we often head out to see them, we always play tennis, yet last time I tried golf which was cool. My favourite sport is hockey, and I’ve represented the Manning Valley and recently in the under 14’s Northern Suburbs and Beaches at the Field State Championships. I am looking forward to this term representing Pymble in the Juniors team.
Pymble has provided the opportunity for me to continue my interests in hockey and cattle, and I love that I have made so many great friends at Pymble!
Boarder of the Week
Stella joined Pymble at the start of Term 2, from her hometown in Bolwarra. She quickly settled into Goodlet House and it feels like she has been part of the Pymble family for years! With her friendly nature, infectious sense of humour and eagerness to include everyone, she has quickly won the admiration of both staff and peers. A true champion of all things Boarding, Stella is always the first to volunteer for activities, showcasing her incredible team spirit.
Even on crutches, she doesn’t let anything hold her back—Stella has been all over campus, cheering on her fellow Boarders during sports events. She has fully embraced the vertical Boarding experience and loves sharing teatime with her friends. Stella also bakes delicious cookies with her mum to share with Goodlet House. Thank you, Stella, for being such a shining light in our community. You truly deserve the title of Boarder of the Week!
Upcoming Events
Save the Date
25 August – Dads and Daughters event
20 September – Boarders and their Families event (all Boarders required to be in attendance)
21 September – Garden Party
24 September – Boarders’ End of Term Chapel and Farewell to Year 12 Boarders (all Boarders required to be in attendance)
26 September – Year 12 Boarder and Parents’ celebration event (Year 12 Boarders and parents only)
27 September – Year 11 and 12 Speech Day, followed by Boarders’ Travel Day
Term 4
14 October – Boarders return from 2.00pm
18 October – Boarding lockdown and evacuation drill (all Boarders required to be in attendance)
Term 4 TBA – Mother Daughter Lunch
4 December – Year 7 to 10 Speech Day, followed by Boarders’ Travel Day
Boarder Parent Group Meetings
20 September – 2.30pm onsite
24 October – 7.00pm TEAMS meeting
Carolyn Burgess
Head of Boarding