From the Junior School
From the Head of Junior School
Thank you to our Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)
As we come towards the end of the year, I want to thank all our parents who have been involved in the many events we have helped over the year. I feel so lucky to have such supportive families in our Junior School community. As some of our JSPG Relationship Leaders move into Middle School with their daughters, I say a special thank you to them for their dedication and passion for our Junior School. I also want to celebrate and express my deep gratitude to the Relationship Leaders and Parent Grade Coordinators who have volunteered to help support our Junior School community in 2024:
Relationship Leaders: Emma de Bilde, Leah Deutscher, Shweta Deshpande, Hanson Han, Jessica Jingjing, Leisa Whitehead, Percy Yang, Colleen Zhang
Care and Support Leaders: Mimi Hu and Leyya Li
Finance Coordinator: Aimee Birch
Year 6 Parent Coordinators: Edwina Burns and Maria Guo
Year 5 Parent Coordinators: Katrina Jones and Laura Walsh
Year 4 Parent Coordinators: Fatma Khamesh and Cheryl Wang Shi
Year 3 Parent Coordinators: Cindy Dowling and Krystal Ma
Year 2 Parent Coordinators: Selina Kadeer and Elaine Yu
Year 1 Parent Coordinators: Dee Jolapara and Emma Kerle
Kindergarten Parent Coordinators: TBC
Our new Junior School Office – Hedgehog House
Please enjoy this video which showcases the opening of our new Junior School office, affectionately known as Hedgehog House!
Kindness and Service
I am endlessly proud of our Junior School girls and their service and kindness mindset. Each week we have girls looking for ways they can genuinely be of service to others. This week, some of our girls volunteered their lunchtime to help the gardeners around the K-2 courtyards on a very hot day.
We also have a group of Year 6 girls who are volunteering their skills and time at Uniting Northaven Care. Thank you to Bebe Brennan, Yenyu Chen, Chloe Deng, Arianna Li, Duola Lin and Charlotte Pang who were the epitome of kindness and Pymble spirit as they connected with the elderly residents, shared their learning with them and made them smile. Special thanks to Mr Jake Turnbull (Mr T) who is leading this service opportunity. Mr T was bursting with pride when he came back and told me how huge an impact our girls had on these community elders in just one visit. One of these visitors was delighted to have a visitor as he has no family or friends available to visit him as they all live in Malaysia or in Foster, so having a visit made his week. My biggest moment of pride was being told that when one of our girls realised that her partner was deaf, she immediately used her initiative and used her iPad to message the conversation, using large font so her elderly partner could read it easily. This maturity and kindness is what makes our girls so special.
The Magic of Christmas
As Christmas approaches, I wanted to acknowledge how special a time of year this is for many of our Christian families. I am proud of the way we celebrate all cultures in our Junior School and this time of year is important for many of our families who celebrate the joy of the nativity and have many special family traditions to enjoy. I am delighted that this year our Kindergarten girls will share the nativity story as part of their Celebration of Learning and I am looking forward to the small role I get to play in this!
As with many celebrations, there is much joy in the magic of Christmas and great excitement about the arrival of Santa which we work hard to help all our girls enjoy. Please help us keep the joy and magic for all our girls.
Whilst I don’t want to be the Grinch at Christmas, please may I encourage parents not to send in candy canes to school. I have a particular wobble at this time of year as I worry about girls running with candy canes in their mouths, tripping and doing significant damage to themselves in their fall.
A message from Lara Bird, Deputy Head of Junior School Academics
Congratulations to our Junior School girls who participated in the 2023 Pens against Poverty Schools Writing Competition. We are very proud that our Junior School girls collectively were awarded Highly Commended for the quality and standard of all entries submitted. With great excitement we had individual students recognised for their wonderful work.
Chloe Ma – Year 3 – Winner – Year 3 and 4 Poetry
Charlotte Xue – Year 5 – Highly Commended – Year 5 and 6 Story
Chloé Shires – Year 6 – Highly Commended – Year 5 and 6 Poetry
The girls will be honoured at a ceremony at Government House in Canberra later this year. The ceremony will be hosted by His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley, Governor General of Australia.
Their award winning entries have been published and can found using this link.
Junior Scientia Program for Gifted and Talented Students
The University of New South Wales Education Faculty (GERRIC) have announced the January 2024 student programs for gifted and talented students. The Junior Scientia Programs run from 17-19 January 2024 for students in Years 3-6. The workshops are structured to provide academic rigour and challenge for gifted students and the level of difficulty of the workshops are set two years above the enrolled school level of a child.
For more information, please click here.
A message from Stephen Robinson, Acting Deputy Head of Junior School Operations
Let’s Get Creative Festival – Thursday 16 November 2023
As we shared last week, the Junior School is buzzing with excitement ahead of our Let’s Get Creative Festival occurring Thursday 16 November. Parents and families are most welcome to join us for the celebration, with events taking place between 9.00am and 12.30pm, followed by an optional family picnic lunch.
Should you be unable to attend during the day, we warmly invite you to attend an evening showing of student artworks the evening of Wednesday 15 November between 5.00pm and 6.00pm.
Please register your interest to attend our Let’s Get Creative Festival here.
Pymble Gives Back
Thank you to all our wonderful families who have throughout this year donated clothes and linen as of our Pymble Gives Back initiative. With the end of year fast approaching and as we enter the warmer months, please consider donating any suitable items that are no longer being used. We would love to see the bin once again overflow with donations with the generosity of our Junior School Community.
A message from Kate Giles, Lead Coordinator K-3 and Jayne Mercer, Lead Coordinator 4-6
Parent Friendship workshop- How to support your daughter with her friendships
We are starting a number of parent workshops following the parent wellbeing survey last term. These workshops will provide an opportunity for you to discuss various issues to assist supporting your daughter with her health and wellbeing. The workshops will be small to ensure a relaxed atmosphere and allow for discussions and questions, so will be capped at 20 parents.
The first workshop will be held on Thursday 9 November at 8.30am in the Junior School Library. Should you wish to attend this workshop, please sign up using this link: Parent Friendship Workshop sign up
Should you have any questions, please email us at kgiles@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or jmercer@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au
HARK Refugee Clinic
In the lead up to Christmas, the HARK Clinic are seeking donations of toys, specifically Barbie dolls, baby dolls, playdough, matchbox cars, soccer balls and Lego. These items can be brought to school by your daughter or dropped at the Junior School office. If you have any questions, please email kgiles@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au. We thank you for helping support the HARK Refugee Clinic at Westmead.
Junior School Panel Event: A focus on student wellbeing for academic success
On Tuesday 14 November the Junior School will host a panel event in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts (GMCPA) from 6.00pm to 8.00pm. This event is best suited to parents of students in Kindergarten to Year 8.
The panel will feature experts in fields from child psychology, parenting strategies, child advocacy and digital media. Alumni Zoe Robinson will emcee the evening, centring the discussion on student wellbeing for long term academic success.
Zoe will be joined on stage by:
- Brad Marshall, the Unplugged Psychologist
- Judith Locke, author of The Bonsai Child and The Bonsai Student
- Lisa Maltman, founder of The Sleep Connection
- Andrew Scott, Leader of Psychological Services at Pymble
Date: Tuesday 14 November
Time: 6.00pm to 8.00pm
Venue: Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts
Registration: This is a FREE event, but registration is essential and tickets are limited.
To register please click here.
Pymble families are offered an early bird booking before tickets open to the wider community.
Please note: due to privacy guidelines there will be no recording of this event and no video link available following the panel.
Around the Grounds
Junior School Ensemble Concert
Wednesday evening, parents, teachers, and fellow students alike were treated to an unforgettable night filled with melodies that range from classical compositions to contemporary tunes. The Junior School Ensemble concert was a wonderful showcase of musical excellence and highlighted the importance of teamwork, discipline, and the joy that comes from creating music together.
As we celebrate this success, let’s extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the students who participated and to the dedicated conductors who guided them. The Junior School Ensemble Concert was not just a concert; it was a celebration of the power of music to bring people together and inspire a sense of community.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a tremendous success. Looking ahead, we look forward to seeing members of the Junior School String in Choir programs enchant us once again at the College Christmas Service on Sunday 3 December, in the College Chapel.
Messages from Junior School Administration Office
Birthdays
There is no expectation that you supply treats for your daughter’s class. We will make every girl feel special on their birthday. But, if you would like to provide treats for the class on your daughter’s birthday, she may come to school with a small cupcake for each student in the class or an ice block if the weather is warm. Please do not bring in gift bags.
Late Arrivals and Early Departures
When your daughter is late to school could you please assist us by reminding your daughter to sign in at the Junior School Administration Hub (Hedgehog House). When your daughter needs to leave early for an appointment please send an email to juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au and sign your daughter out from the Junior School Administration Hub.
For K-2 girls travel arrangements which have changed for Term 3 please email juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au
All absences for must be emailed to juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or preferably submitted through MyPymble.
Lost Property – please help!
Please check that all your daughter’s items are named including socks, hats, lunch boxes and drink bottles. All unnamed items are stored in the K-2 Upper Performing Arts Room.
Important Dates for Term 4
| Friday 27 October | K-6 Links Day and Kindergarten 2024 Parent Info Evening |
| Saturday 28 October | Year 6 Allwell Testing for Year 7 2024 |
| Wednesday 1 November | Year 6 Surf Education, Dee Why Beach |
| Wednesday 1 November | Big Band Blow Year 3, 8.30am to 10.30am |
| Friday 3 November | Grandparents Day, 12.30pm to 2.00pm |
| Tuesday 14 November | Jacaranda Day |
| Tuesday 14 November | Focus on Student Wellbeing for Academic Success – Expert forum for parents K-6 |
| Wednesday 15 November | Years 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival |
| Thursday 16 November | Let’s Get Creative Festival |
| Thursday 23 November | Kindergarten to Year 2 Swimming Carnival |
| Thursday 30 November | Year 6 Silent Disco and Parent Cocktail Party, 6.30pm to 8.30pm |
| Tuesday 5 December | Kindergarten Celebration of Learning, Year 1 and 2 Celebration of Learning |
| Wednesday 6 December | Year 3 to 6 Speech Day |
Kate Brown
Head of Junior School