From the Boarding School
It has been another busy week here at Pymble with our Boarders well and truly in the swing of life on campus. On top of a busy academic schedule, our Boarders are actively engaged with their various co-curricular pursuits with everything from AFL to orchestra to surfing. It is wonderful to see them embracing the opportunities and making the most of their time here at Pymble.
As always, there is an exciting program of activities in our Love It program and some special activities for our families. On Sunday 2 March, we have a lunch planned for the special women in our Boarders’ lives and we hope as many of you as possible can join in the fun. Please let us know if you can attend by Sunday 23 February.
Middle School Morning Tea
We are always grateful to the day school staff who take such great care of our Boarders. They understand the challenges of living away from home and take the time to ensure our Boarders are well equipped to maximise their learning while feeling cared for and valued.
Last week, our Middle School team organised a special morning tea for our Year 7 Boarders. It was a wonderful opportunity for the girls and staff to come together and share stories over some delicious treats. As Year 7 Boarder Zoe shared, the girls appreciated this special time together and the thoughtfulness of the Middle School team in making them feel welcome.
Help us find out more about phone use
The College is currently asking parents to complete this survey in an attempt to better understand how students and parents in Years 4 to 8 are using their phones: Wise, smart, brick and none!
Parents are encouraged to share their insights. Thank you to the Years 7 and 8 parents who have completed it already. We want to ensure as many voices as possible are included as survey feedback is helping our team to understand student and parent perspectives and develop our approach accordingly.
Early responses are helping us to understand students’ phone and social media use, and issues parents may be experiencing. Did you know, according to data so far:
- parents mostly get a phone for their daughter to “communicate with her” and “track her movements”;
- the main reason parents opted-in for a Wise Phone is to “support the College’s direction” and “limit their daughter’s use of social media”; and
- parents report their daughters with smart phones are spending longer hours on these phones than students with a Wise Phone, both during school days and at weekends?
You can complete the survey by clicking here.
It takes five to ten minutes to complete and will be open until Wednesday 26 March.
Pymble comes to you
Just a reminder Pymble staff will be in Scone on Friday 21 March and would love to see you at our gathering. The invitation can be accessed by clicking here.
We also have other plans to visit in the months to come. Please make a note of the dates when we will be ‘on the road’ or let us know if you would like a visit.
Live It, Love It, Learn It – Ms Theresa Mimmo, Deputy Director of Boarding
Year 7 was lucky enough to start the weekend with a picnic at Balmoral Beach. The girls enjoyed poké bowls prepared by the kitchen and a swim together. A chillier Sunday didn’t stop 34 of our Boarders enjoying time at Central Coast Aqua Park. They all had a lot of fun and enjoyed the challenge of the inflatables.
This week, we will welcome day girls into the Boarding houses during the PPA Icebreaker event. This provides a fantastic opportunity for the Boarders to share their boarding experience with their friends. On Saturday, there is a chance for Boarders to visit a driving range and on Sunday go for a walk and swim at Palm Beach.
A View From My Window
Hi, my name is Sophia and I have been Boarding at Pymble since I was in Year 8. I originally come from Thursday Island, which is located in the Torres Strait, but I currently live in Cairns, Queensland with my mum, dad, older sister, Giselle (who completed Year 12 last year) and younger sister, Jolie. My dad is from Badu and St Paul’s, which is also part of the Torres Strait, and my mum is from Papua New Guinea. We also have British heritage.
Cairns is a very small and friendly town with a lot of locals. It is very hot and humid because it’s close to the equator. When I look out my window, I see a beautiful garden full of vibrant flowers. Our house is located in a very friendly street, and we are very close to our neighbours. We are, however, known to experience extreme weather such as cyclones due to being in the tropics.
Cairns is most famous for the Great Barrier Reef, which is a popular tourist destination for cruises and snorkelling. There are islands, such as Fitzroy Island and Green Island, which have big wharfs for boats to dock in, and fun attractions such as restaurants and trails for hiking that end in beautiful lookouts.
The Kuranda Train most famously goes through a village that has a bird and butterfly sanctuary, and on the way down there is a sky rail which gives an amazing view of the surrounding mountains and jungles.
I miss the warm weather and sunshine, as well as being so close to the beach all the time, because I am absolutely an island girl. When I leave Pymble, I would love to work either with animals or in tennis back home in Cairns!
Boarder of the Week
After reading the above, it is no surprise that wonderful Sophia is our Boarder of the Week! As you will read our Head of Goodlet House, Kate Inglis, cannot speak highly of our wonderful her!
Sophia is a ray of sunshine in our Boarding family. Sophia joined us in Year 8 in 2023 all the way from Cairns and has always been a friendly presence to both staff and peers. Sophia is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman, who is a Big Sister and mentor to her younger Boarding Sisters.
Sophia is always willing to escort her Boarding sisters on weekend adventures and support them with their transition into Boarding. Sophia is also a talented sportswoman, who is busily training for her upcoming Tildesley Tennis Competition. Sophia always embraces the wonderful Pymble campus and is often at the Agricultural Plot or tennis courts and enjoys watching the sunset from the Goodlet verandah.
We have seen such immense growth in Sophia’s organisation this term and she keeps an immaculate Boarding bedroom. Thank you, Sophia, for your contribution to all things Boarding. We love having you at Pymble.
Save the Date
Friday 21 February – PPA Icebreaker and Boarding parent “afters” at Pymble Pub
Friday 28 February – Year 12 Formal
Sunday 2 March – Mother and Daughter Lunch event – venue TBA
Friday 14 March – Year 11 Formal
Friday 21 and Saturday 22 March – Year 12 Boarder and Day Girl Parents’ regional weekend
Saturday 8 April – Boarders’ End of Term Chapel Service and Dinner
Monday 10 April – Face-to-Face Learning Discussions for Boarding Families
Tuesday 11 April – Boarders’ Travel Day
Carolyn Burgess
Head of Boarding