From the Junior School

From the Junior School

From the Head of Junior School

Welcome to 2024 and Xīnnián kuàilè to all our families who celebrate Lunar New Year.

The girls arrived for the start of the term and year with huge smiles, positive spirits and excitement for their learning adventures. A particularly warm welcome to all our new families. We are so glad you have joined our Junior School community of kindness and I look forward to getting to know you all more over the coming weeks.

Please know that we are keen to connect with you all, so we grow as a community this year and our girls grow and learn in a strong, supportive sisterhood.

‘When you are interested, you are curious, and when you are curious, you discover things – amazing things, about yourself and about the world.’ – Kobi Yamada

This year, as a Junior School I am asking the girls to ‘notice’ more. Inspired by my reading of the wonderful picture book Noticing by Kobi Yamada, I am challenging the girls to be curious in their learning, to wonder and question.

Our Junior School continues to have a key focus on the power of kindness as I believe this is a critical strength in the world today. Sometimes acts or words of kindness are mistakenly viewed as weakness. I don’t agree. I believe kindness is strength. If we can empower our girls to walk through life with kindness, they will change the world. This kindness needs to start within themselves.

As we focus on Kindness to Self in Term 1, we want each girl to notice her passions and to know or discover what makes her the extraordinary young person we know her to be.

The Power of Kindness – Kindness to Self

We want each of our girls to be kind to themselves, and to:

  • like herself; her mind and her body, and know she is loved for who she is
  • be prepared to challenge her thinking and embrace learning that is tricky, knowing that she can achieve great learning if she tries
  • approach problems and mistakes she makes in her learning with a resilient mindset and trusting her capabilities.
  • face the unknown with creativity and courage, knowing she has the inner strength to explore new opportunities
  • have enough sleep each night so she can embrace her learning opportunities with enthusiasm and a mind ready to learn.
  • notice the ways she can be her healthiest self through a balance of movement and rest; energy and calm

Together with the girls, we will explore the many ways we can be kind to ourselves, and we hope the girls celebrate themselves for the extraordinary energy and heart they bring to our school.

Throughout the term I will talk to the girls about our four ‘Kindness to Self’ facts:

  1. I will speak to myself with a kind voice (talking to myself as I would speak to a best friend)
  2. I will be nervous sometimes, and that’s ok
  3. I will have a go
  4. I will make mistakes, and that’s ok

Please help us to encourage your daughters with these challenges.

I also encourage each of you to be as brave as your daughters and reach out to someone you don’t know yet and have a chat with them…it could be the start of a wonderful new friendship!

A huge shout out to all our Kindergarten parents who modelled bravery on Tuesday as they sent their daughters off on their first day of school and then chatted with new friends they were making for themselves over a cup of coffee.

We are very proud of Chloe Ma and Charlotte Xue who attended a special ceremony in Canberra in late December as winners of the Pens Against Poverty writing competition last year. Congratulations girls! Please keep writing and advocating for change in our world.

A message from Mr Stephen Robinson – Acting Deputy Head of Junior School – Operations

Name badges: All students in the Junior School are expected to wear a name badge as part of their uniform. At the beginning of the year, the College provides all students with two name badges free of cost. In the event that these become damaged or lost, students will be provided with a replacement, with the cost of $10.50 charged to student accounts.

Padlocks: All students in Years 5 and new students in Year 6 are provided a padlock for their lockers. This device remains with students as they travel through the Junior School and onto secondary years. The initial padlock is provided by the College, but replacements will incur a fee of $33.30, which will be charged to student accounts.

Critical Medical Information: As part of the College’s commitment to keep all students safe, it is vital that we have all requisite information and medication relating to allergies and medical conditions. It is imperative that information shared with the school is complete and up to date for our staff and nurse’s to ensure optimal care if provided for your daughter when they are on campus. If your daughter suffers from anaphylaxis or asthma, please register the action plan with the College and provide all the necessary medication. Further information can be obtained from our Healthcare team or from Junior School administration.

A message from Mrs Shaira Musico – Junior School Service Coordinator

As part of our Junior School focus on service, we will be supporting a number of different initiatives this year.

  • Kindergarten to Year 2 will continue to support the HARK Refugee Clinic at the Children’s Hospital Westmead this year. We are seeking donations of new stationery items to assist students at school. This could include lead or coloured pencils, pencil cases, pens, textas, glue sticks, scissors and other small stationery items. These items can be brought to school by your daughter or dropped at the Junior School office.
  • Years 3 and 4 will be ‘Cooking to Care’ an initiative started by Jasmine Smith in Year 4. Further information about this initiative will be coming shortly.
  • Years 5 and 6 will be supporting Pass it on Clothing through the donation of clothing to help those in need. Further information about this initiative will be coming shortly.

We thank you so much for your support and look forward to making a difference together.

Nut Allergies

Please ensure that your daughter’s food does not contain any nuts as some of our students have severe allergies to food containing nuts and nut products.  This includes spreads such as peanut butter and Nutella.

Birthday Treats

If you would like to send in birthday treats for your daughter and her class please limit this to either small (mini) cupcakes or iceblocks (Zooper Doopers) only. Please only supply for your daughter’s class (not the whole grade). If your daughter has allergies please make arrangements directly with your class teacher. We ask that you do not send in presents for the girls to school as these distract the girls from their learning – presents are lovely for parties at home!

Car Line

Thank you for your patience with car line over these first 2 weeks until co-curricular activities begin. For parents of girls in Kindergarten to Year 2, please do not arrive before 2.30pm in the afternoon. Girls are escorted to car line after the conclusion of the school day at 2.45pm. We do our best to ensure drop off and pick up is a smooth process but we need your help!

Please remain in your car displaying your daughter’s name as you approach the collection area. Parents are asked not to exit their vehicles as staff will assist the girls in getting into their cars. Please note that this is a single lane and drivers must wait for the car in front to depart rather than exiting the car line lane. Parents may be asked to go around car line again if their daughter is delayed. Please follow teacher instructions in carline so we keep all our girls and staff safe.

If you are delayed in collecting your daughter, she will be taken to Out of School Hours Care until your arrival so we can keep her safe and she can play with friends.

Departure: Daily Routines

Parents of girls in Kindergarten to Year 2 will need to complete the travel for by clicking here if you have not already done so. 

Girls in Year 3 to 6 are responsible to remember where they need to go after school each day, please use your daughter’s diary to assist her to remember where to go each afternoon.

Any changes to these routines must be sent in writing to the Junior School office juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au . Please note that it is important that any changes to travel arrangements are received prior to 2.00pm.

Girls with Older Sisters

Girls wait at the Junior School Library until their sister collects them by 3.30pm or at OSHC if they have a Senior School sister.

Girls Traveling on College Buses

Girls wait in the K-2 School Office and are supervised until 3.00pm when they are walked to Sunshine Square to join the Year 3 to 6 girls. All Junior School girls are then walked to James Kelso Field bus area by a teacher.

A reminder that all students travelling on the Pymble bus service must have a current registration. Please link your daughter for the bus.

Lost Property

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.

Term 1 2024 Key Dates (Weeks 1, 2 & 3) 

Friday 2 February – Individual Photo Day Year 3 to 6

Saturday 3 February – IPSHA Saturday Sport trials 

Monday 5 February – Year 6 Leaders’ Induction, 8.45am to 9.45am in the Chapel

Tuesday 6 February – Foundation Day Assembly

Saturday 11 February – IPSHA Saturday Sport starts 

Monday 12 February – Kindergarten to Year 2 Individual Photos and Year 3 to 6 Catch Up Day, 8.30am to 12.30pm

Thursday 15 February – Kindergarten to Year 6 Parent Information Evening

Thursday 15 February – Junior School Parent Group drinks

Friday 16 February – Year 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival

Saturday 17 February – IPSHA Saturday Sport

Saturday 17 February – Year 4 to 6 Band Camp

Saturday 17 February – Year 3 String Intensive          

From the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)

A warm welcome back to our Pymble families, and a big welcome to our new families joining us this year.  We hope you all enjoyed the summer break and are recharged and ready for another exciting school year. 

Thank you to our Junior School Administration team who have provided the list of Junior School and JSPG Events for the year in the MyPymble notices this week.  We hope this will help you to manage your calendars and plan for the year ahead. 

Here is a list of links to our WhatsApp groups for each year group if haven’t already joined and would like to.  From there, you will be able to find the links to join your class groups as well.   

Kindergarten

Parent Year Coordinator:  Freda Liu

Click here to join the Kindergarten WhatsApp group.

Year 1

Parent Year Coordinators:  Emma Kerle & Dee Jolapara

Click here to join the Year 1 WhatsApp group.

Year 2

Parent Year Coordinators:  Selina Kadeer & Elaine Yu

Click here to join the Year 2 WhatsApp group.

Year 3

Parent Year Coordinators:  Krystal Ma and Cindy Dowling

Click here to join the Year 3 WhatsApp group.

Year 4

Parent Year Coordinators:  Fatima Khamash & Cheryl Wang Shi

Click here to join the Year 4 WhatsApp group.

Year 5

Parent Year Coordinators:  Katrina Jones & Laura Walsh

Click here to join the Year 5 WhatsApp group.

Year 6

Parent Year Coordinators:  Maria Guo & Edwina Burns

Click here to join the Year 6 WhatsApp group.

Upcoming Events

  • 2W Playdate – Sunday 11 February

Let’s celebrate together at ELS Hall Park, North Ryde.  Please see the flyer for details. 

  • Save the Date:  Year 1 Easter Egg Hunt – Sunday 24 March

Hop on over for our Year 1 Easter Egg Hunt at Bicentennial Park West Pymble.  Please see the flyer for details and RSVP to your Year Coordinators. 

We hope everyone has a fantastic first week back to school, and we look forward to updating you on plans for the year ahead at our first JSPG Meeting on Wednesday 28 February from 8.15am to 9.15am in the 3-6 Junior School Library.  All Junior School parents and carers are welcome to attend. 

Please contact us with any questions at pymblelcjspg@gmail.com

Kate Brown

Head of Junior School