From the Junior School

A Message from Mrs Kate Brown, Head of Junior School

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Last night, our outstanding musicians showcased their skills and passion for music with the 2025 Ensemble Concert. I am so proud of the girls and grateful to all of you who have encouraged their practice throughout the year and supported their progress. A huge shout out of thanks to our phenomenal music staff who empower the girls’ musical journey with such dedication and care: Tiffany Farlow (Training Band), Ellen Buckley (Brumby Strings, temporarily accompanying Capella Choir, String Quartet JS Choir), Maria Lee (Stanhope Band and JS Choir), Julie Hare (Helper) and Sam Macourt (JS Choir). 

Other music Staff who lead ensembles: Sarah Turner (Brumby Strings), Kurt Schweinberger (Capella Choir), Charlotte Aquaro (Stanhope Band), Sarah Ashton (Year 4 Training Band), Luczia Bain (Year 3 String Orchestra), Narelle Colbey (Yr 3 String Orchestra and Hindson Strings), Patrice Goodman (Jazz band and Grainger Band), Claire Race (Accompanist), Marcus Stafford (Head of Bands), Julia Zeltzer (Training Band). 

Spark Lab success – congratulations to our courageous entrepreneurs. 

On Monday, a pioneering group of Year 6 students stepped up to pitch their entrepreneurial concepts to a panel of ‘Sharks’ in our inaugural Spark Lab. Inspired by Shark Tank and led by Mrs Bird, Deputy Head of Junior School Academics, the girls have worked over the year to devise ideas they would like to bring to the market. Having researched competition, as well as planned corporate and marketing strategies, the girls pitched for potential investors, demonstrating mature confidence, courage and quick thinking as they answered hard-hitting questions. Congratulations girls on your entrepreneurship and collaboration. We look forward to bringing Spark Lab to Year 5 and Year 6 in 2026 as part of the DREAM Diploma.  

Throughout Spark Lab, I learnt about the world of marketing and selling products that appeal to a particular audience. I worked in a team and considered all the possibilities of our product. Pitching was also a great experience for me and taught me so many skills that I will indisputably apply in future tasks. I also learnt how to calculate finances and alter the product to achieve the highest possible profit margin that would benefit the business.  

I enjoyed collaborating with my team and using creative thinking to design the product and packaging to appeal to our target audience, working with each other to expand our collective knowledge and learning. Researching prices and competitors was also a highlight as it gave me an insight into the business and marketing world. I felt as if I had been given an opportunity to showcase my skills and pitch to an audience. I also enjoyed working with other teams, applying their feedback to improve my team’s pitch and presentation.  

Something that I found challenging throughout this experience was facing my fears and actually presenting the product to prospective investors, who proposed offers in which we had to accept or deny, as well as looking out for any minor mistakes in our finances that could have had a major effect on our revenue and profit margins – Emma Feng, 6P

I enjoyed so many aspects of Spark Lab, especially the development of our business concept and design, it was incredibly fun to present to the investors, this experience is one that I will remember as I step into middle school. I’ve learnt a variety of skills such as collaborating with my team members, understanding business concepts such as finance estimations, and of course, challenging myself in creating a presentation to seek investment. Overall, I think I have a better insight on the level of effort and strategic thinking required to build a successful business. Leadership and critical thinking are areas that I have improved over the duration of Spark Lab. The area I found challenging was the financial aspects of a business and getting our ideas together to create a sustainable, futuristic and authentic design. At first, my group had trouble developing a realistic and profitable product. Eventually, we took inspiration from some of the shoes and products that we owned and developed a marketable product, confidently presenting a strong pitch. – Emma Feng, 6S 

I enjoyed presenting our pitch, as well as answering the investors questions during the Q&A and listening to their perspective on our product. Overall, being in Spark Lab was an interesting experience where I could create a product that matched my interests. I learnt how to manage the financials, develop persuasive points for marketing, and use visual literacy to make the presentation eye catching. I found presenting our pitch challenging, despite this, I still enjoyed presenting to the investors. – Ella Li, 6P 

Being part of Spark Lab, I learnt how to develop a good pitch and presentation. I also learnt that even if the product seems simple or underdeveloped at the start, sometimes you can turn it into something innovative and clever that the investors will want to invest in. I was challenged by the whole project at the start. I remember the first few lessons, my group and I struggled to come up with ideas, and there was a patch in the middle where we weren’t sure where we were heading with the finance and investment ideas. It was almost like we were pulling numbers out of thin air, trying to balance affordability and profitability. We also didn’t know how much we wanted the investors to actually invest until close to the end. While we struggled with these problems in the finance section, near the deadline, we were able to focus and really bring our presentation, pitch and finance together, getting all three investors to make offers and actually being prepared ourselves. Strangely enough, I actually enjoyed pitching to the investors at the very end. This was something we could do, that we were prepared for and knew that we could achieve. Apparently, we were also the first to question the investors by asking them what they would bring to the business if they were to go through with the investments. While there were some bits where I was wondering whether I should have signed up at all, in the end it was worth it and it is something I can look back on and know that we did well. – Caitlyn Ho, 6P

National Portrait Gallery winner – congratulations Maggie! 

Grandparents’ Day 

Tomorrow, we welcome our grandparents and special elders to our Junior School as we honour the special place they hold in our lives. I always look forward to this event as I was fortunate enough to grow up with my maternal grandmother, Lois, living with us for many years. As an English teacher, Grandma inspired my lifelong passion for reading and writing. As a boarder from the age of 9 years, Grandma would write to me each week with news from home and parts of a story that she wrote and illustrated. I would then continue the story and send it back to her in my weekly letter home. Together, we would craft stories over many months with the back and forth of our story letters. This is one of the many reasons why I value the letters the Junior School girls write to me and ‘post’ in our Hedgehog House mailbox as they are a special way to share a quiet conversation, ideas and stories whether written or drawn. 

Robotics 

Last week our Year 1-2 Robotics girls showcased their coding skills as their Dash robots trick and treated their way around the learning area. Thank you to the many parents who came in to support the girls in their learning. Thank you to Mrs Anderson, Miss Prince, Miss Ng, Miss Anderson and Miss Nolan who mentor the girls each week. 

The passion for Robotics continues in Years 3-6 where our girls work as a team under pressure, make quick decisions, and learn to adapt fast. It’s a roller coaster of emotions with ups, downs, and ups again. 

One of the most rewarding parts is seeing how they rise to the challenge. They learn that it is important to cheer for each other. They learn to be confident, to trust themselves and their potential, and to realise that they are capable of much more than they thought. For example, we had a team completely rebuild part of their robot to pass inspection, and the pride they felt afterward was incredible. 

We’re also working through some challenges, such as teaching our students how to handle situations where other teams aren’t showing great sportsmanship. With the right mentoring, they’re learning to speak up for themselves and to model fairness and respect, which is just as valuable as any trophy. 

This year, we have attended six VEX IQ competitions, and their results have been fantastic: 

• 6510A (Genevieve Wong, Rebecca Cooke, Hayley Du, Isabella Li and Anna He) – Judges Award 
• 6510B (Aisha Younus, Arin Sadananda, Mia Farthing, Caroline Liu, Chhichi Lee) – Teamwork Champion Award and Sportsmanship Award (qualifying for the VEX IQ State Championships) 
• 6510D (Aurora Lin, Sooin Lee, Mikayla Kiang, Claire Que) – Teamwork 2nd Place Award, Excellence Award, and Amaze Award (qualifying for the VEX IQ State Championships) 
• 6510E (Vivien Huang, Alex Xiao, Alyssa Ng, Euphemia Wang) – Innovate Award and Inspire Award
• 6510G (Evie Cho, Ellie Zhang) – Innovate Award and Build Award 
• 6510K (Miranda Liu, Jianing Li, Jing Huang, Mia Wang) – Create Award and Sportsmanship Award 
• 6510P (Annabel Zhang, Adela Wu, Jacqueline Yang, Madeline Martin) – Amaze Award 

Formula Goblin 2026 

Last week we launched applications for our 2026 Formula Goblin team and I’m looking forward to seeing who the next generation of our Future Force Racers team will be. Good luck to all the girls who are expressing interest in being part of the team. As a College, we’re noting with interest the number of other Independent Schools who are starting EV racing teams next year, as it’s exciting to see a growing race community here in Sydney.  

Deputy Head of Junior School – Academic: Mrs Lara Bird 

Spark Lab Entrepreneurial Program 

Across the year, our Spark Lab program has been a hub of imagination, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. Inspired by Shark Tank, a group of Year 6 students took on the exciting challenge of becoming young inventors – researching, designing and pitching their very own products. 

Throughout the program, the girls worked collaboratively to develop product ideas, conduct research on current market competitors, and design products that addressed real world needs. They explored every stage of the design and business process, learning how creativity, critical thinking and teamwork come together to turn an idea into something tangible. They also developed their understanding of financial literacy, learning to use spreadsheets to calculate costs, pricing and profit margins, which helped the girls make informed business decisions. 

The girls participated in workshops where they listened to Mr Andy Lang, Chief Financial Officer at Pymble. He showed the girls how to calculate costs, including production and retail costs. Mrs Courtney Stanley, Director of Community Engagement, shared valuable insights into crafting a compelling pitch for potential investors. These sessions gave the girls a real world perspective on strategic thinking and entrepreneurship. They also considered how to sell a product successfully, exploring the power of marketing and brand identity to connect with their audience. There was a strong sense of business acumen at play as students worked to design and create an original product. 

On Monday, the girls confidently presented their products to a panel of expert ‘investors’. Each team impressed with their creativity, knowledge, and professionalism – answering challenging questions with clarity and confidence while showcasing their innovative designs and understanding of their business. 

We are very proud of the effort and teamwork our students have shown throughout this journey. We look forward to bringing Spark Lab to Year 5 and Year 6 students in 2026 as part of the DREAM Diploma. 

Deputy of Head of Junior School – Operations: Mr Stephen Robinson 

JSPG AGM and 2026 Leaders 

Thank you to all who attended the final JSPG meeting for the year on Tuesday. These meetings are always a valuable way to share what is happening in the Junior School and thank parents for their involvement and contribution. 

With 2025 coming to a close, we sincerely thank those who are stepping down from various leadership roles. Particular thanks to Percy Yang and Lalenya Waterhouse who have been Relationship Leaders, to Betty Zhu who has our Finance and Records Keeper, as well as Fatimah Khamash who has been a Year Co-ordinator for five consecutive years. 

The 2026 JSPG Leadership team: 

Relationship Leader (K/6) – Cheryl Wang Shi 

Relationship Leader (1) – Angelina Liu 

Relationship Leader (1/3/6) – Dee Jolapara 

Relationship Leader (2) – Bill Chen 

Relationship Leader (2) – Tara & Prad Navaratnam 

Relationship Leader (4) – Jay Jay Xu 

Relationship Leader (4) – Selina Kadeer 

Relationship Leader (4/6) – Sam Birch 

Relationship Leader (5) – Own Brandner 

Care and Support – Bowen He 

New Families – Aimee Weng 

Finance/Records – Victor Liu 

Parent Co-ordinators (K) – Jennifer Zhang and Abi Dickenson 

Parent Co-ordinators (1) – Vivian Liu and Keira Bai 

Parent Co-ordinators (2) – Katie Isaac and Wendy Li 

Parent Co-ordinators (3) – TBC 

Parent Co-ordinators (4) – Sonia Yeung and Julia Yang

Parent Co-ordinators (5) – Archana Singh and Melinda Wijesuriya/Himashini Weeraratne 

Parent Co-ordinators (6) – Ruby Wen/ Winston Qiu, Cindy Excell and Aimee Birch 

Should you wish to volunteer for one of the vacant Parent Co-ordinator roles, please email me directly.  

Class parents for 2026 will be settled in the new year, but should you have a desire to volunteer for this or an event convenor role, please contact your relevant Parent Year Co-ordinators.  

School and Co-curricular Attendance 

A reminder to families that regular full attendance at school is essential for all students. When a child is sick and unable to attend school, they are precluded from attending after school co-curricular activities. Should students have appointments during the school day, please ensure they are at school by 11.45am in order to attend co-curricular activities.  

Summer Uniform Matters 

Many of our students have grown significantly since they last wore their summer uniform at the beginning of the year. A reminder that summer uniform must be within 5cm of the knee. Please visit the uniform shop in person or online to order a replacement if your daughter has grown.  

White hats are to be worn to and from school daily. This is a whole-College expectation.  

Junior School Canteen Helpers   

Thank you to the parents who gave up their time to volunteer last term.  Term 4 dates are now available on the google form. Please click this link if you can volunteer your time. For the care and safety of your daughters, all volunteers must have a current Working with Children Check Number (WWC). If we do not already have your WWC on file, please email to juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au your WWC number and date of birth so your WWC can be verified.   

Message from Junior School Administration Office  

A reminder to email juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au when your daughter is late or needs to leave early. Please continue to use the MyPymble application to mark your daughter absent. For any absence of two days or more, please complete the Exemption from Attendance at School form, which you can download from MyPymble, or email through a medical certificate for illness. 

Important Dates for your diary Term 4 Weeks 3-4 

Tomorrow	Grandparents Event 12.30pm-2.00pm
Saturday 1 November	IPSHA Saturday Sport
Monday 3 November	Year 6 Surf Education
Wednesday 5 November	Year 3 Big Band Blow P1-P2, Year 2 Strings Sample P5-P6, Year 5 Riverview STEM Excursion

End of Year Junior School Celebration dates 

Thursday 27 November	Year 6 Chapel, Celebration of Learning and Morning Tea
Tuesday 2 December	Years 3-6 Speech Day 9.00am – 11.00am Kindergarten Celebration of Learning and Nativity 11.30am – 1.00pm Years 1 and Year 2 Celebration of Learning 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Wednesday 3 December	Last day of Term 4