From the Boarding School
Our Boarders are blessed to have a whole team of wonderful people all dedicated to supporting them to make their time on campus happy and meaningful. Our College Chaplains are key to this endeavour and wonderful people to have in our Boarding family. Every second Tuesday, we come together to celebrate Boarders’ Chapel and these are special times of reflection and togetherness.
We usually celebrate the diversity of our community through our View From My Window program and it was lovely to hear from Lexie this week (albeit on her tippy toes to reach the microphone!). Rev Danielle has also been creating special spaces for thinking and this week the Boarders enjoyed ‘losing themselves’ in a range of activities from jigsaw puzzles to quiet card games and drawing. I have included a few photos as a snapshot of this special time.
End of Term Leave
It’s the wonderful time of term again that we start to remind Boarding families to enter end of term leave. We kindly ask that ‘end of term leave’ passes are entered in Orah by no later than tomorrow, Friday 21 March. If your daughter is catching a train or flying home, please ensure timings and flight numbers are entered into the notes. Please let Boarding staff know if you have any questions.
Eat Like a Boarder
And while you are planning for the return of your girls, you might want to consider joining us for dinner on Monday 28 April at 6.00pm. This will be the ‘real’ experience, with you being able to enjoy the regular dinner service, just as the girls do each evening. All family members are welcome. If you would like to join us please RSVP to boarding@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au by Monday 8 April.
Live It, Love It, Learn It – Ms Theresa Mimmo, Deputy Director of Boarding
On Friday night, our Year 9 Boarders enjoyed a picnic at Balmoral Beach after a warm day. Boarders stayed in on Saturday with an afternoon of tennis on Mollie Dive Field. Many Boarders elected to go to jet boating on Sunday in what was a hot and glorious day in Sydney. I hope you enjoy the comments from some of our Boarders who participated in the activity.
On Sunday, some of my fellow Boarders and I had a fun trip to the city for jet boating. It was a great experience as the boat sped through the waves with water splashing all around and the sun beating down, leaving everyone laughing. There were cheers from the boat as we were soaked with water and joy! The DJ music was a great addition as we saw the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and famous landmarks of Sydney. Of course, an ice cream at the end of all the excitement was the perfect way to end the day!
Written by Alice (Year 9)
Jet boating was such a fun time! Everybody loved the beautiful scenery and the thrill of speeding through the water of Sydney Harbour. It was a big mix of excitement and joy, and I would love to do it again.
Written by Maggie (Year 7)
A View From My Window
Hi, my name is Lexie. I’m 13 years old, and I live on a place called Rawdon Island, which is about 15 minutes west of Port Macquarie. Port Macquarie is a town with a population of around 50,000 people. My house sits on a small rural property of about five acres, right next to the riverbank. I was born in Sydney and moved to Rawdon Island when I was just six months old. Since then, my parents have made our land feel like home. I live with my mum, dad, two brothers and some chickens. Both of my parents are doctors. My dad is a gastroenterologist, and my mum is a GP and cosmetics doctor.
When I look out my window, I can see my neighbour’s house. They have a little granddaughter who always waves to me whenever she visits. I can also see the river, it’s always peaceful and quiet. Sometimes, I’ll catch someone fishing or boating down the river. But my favourite view, by far, is in the winter. My neighbours never even had to call or tell us – whenever we saw a little pile of sticks outside, we would all gather sticks from around the yard and add them to the pile, making sure to save at least eight good ones. We’d buy marshmallows and bring our lawn chairs to have a bonfire when it got dark.
There are a few things I love about being at home. Little things like how my dad would wake me up by planting a kiss on my forehead and whispering so quietly that it was hard to even hear him in the silence. He was always so careful not to wake me, though I’d pretend to still be asleep when I heard him coming down the hallway. He’d whisper something like how he hoped I’d have the best day, and that he wanted to hear all about it when I got home, and that he loved me more than anything.
I also love how my mum cheers for me on every little accomplishment, whether it’s something as simple as a soccer game, or just making sure I always know how proud she is of me. She still writes me letters to remind me of that. I also have a special memory of my mum from when I was little. Whenever I couldn’t sleep, she would sing me Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley. No matter how energetic I was, I would always fall asleep instantly.
In conclusion, I’m so happy to live with such supportive people in such a beautiful place, both at Pymble and Rawdon Island.
Boarder of the Week
Thank you to Anne Graham, our Head of Lang House, who perfectly sums up Year 12 Boarder, the fabulous Evie.
Evie embodies the perfect balance of leadership and kindness – she leads naturally by example. Always willing to lend a hand, she steps up whenever others need help or support and is a great role model to our younger Boarders. She’s also fantastic at organising events and thrives in her role as Community Spirit Prefect.
She can juggle multiple responsibilities, from coordinating Boarding projects to ensuring her Boarding sisters are comfortable and supported. Her natural inclination to care for those around her makes her approachable and dependable, and she never hesitates to step in and take control of situations when she sees it’s needed.
She’s quick to assess situations, organising assistance and offering help if needed. Her quick thinking and calm demeanour are really appreciated and make all difference in stressful moments. She is such a thoughtful leader and ensures that everyone feels included and heard, while her organisational skills keep things running perfectly.
Save the Date
Friday 21 March – Pymble in Scone
Friday 21 and Saturday 22 March – Year 12 Boarder and Day Girl Parents’ regional weekend
Tuesday 1 April – Boarders’ End of Term Chapel Service and Dinner
Thursday 10 April – Face-to-Face Learning Discussions for Boarding Families
Friday 11 April – Boarders’ Travel Day
Monday 28 April – Boarders return from 2.00pm
Monday 28 April – Eat Like a Boarder 6.00pm
Wednesday 30 April – Learning Discussions for Year 7
Carolyn Burgess
Head of Boarding