From the Junior School
A Message from Mrs Kate Brown, Head of Junior School
State Champions!
Huge congratulations to our phenomenal Snowsport team who have been crowned State Champions. This is the 4th year running and it reflects the commitment and collaboration of the team over the months and years.
We have so many talented girls in so many sports and each sportswoman in our school dedicates time, energy and passion to her chosen sport and we celebrate them all for the Pymble spirit they bring to each training session, game and competition.
Congratulations to our Eisteddfod dancers are also achieving exceptional results and on the weekend achieved
1st place – Junior Lyrical 3-6
1st place – Year 3-4 Jazz
1st place – Junior Jazz 5&6
This week, we came together as a K-6 community to celebrate our passion for reading. As someone who has always loved reading, this is a special week in my calendar as it is a chance for all our girls to ‘book an adventure’ into the world of a character they choose.
The Book Parade is not just a chance to dress up; it’s an opportunity to start a conversation with friends about the book character you have chosen and, therefore, to build a community of keen readers. Reading widely is something that helps grow skills and confidence as a reader. It also grows vocabulary and a sense of style and ‘voice’ as a writer. Reading is something easy to do anywhere, and losing yourself in the world of a book is a wonderful way to stop, breathe and just ‘be’. There are so many strengths to be found in the world of stories and non-fiction. Let’s keep working together to keep our girls reading as widely as they can…oh, the adventures they will have!
It was wonderful to hear Year 2 this week celebrate the courage and strength of Jane Goodall as they listened to her story from the ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ series. From next year, we are looking to be part of Jane Goodall’s mission to Rewild the World, through a shared partnership with Gavin McCormack and her as part of our DREAM Diploma for Years 5-6.
This week, I want to take a moment to publicly honour and thank our amazing Junior School staff. Our Book Week Parade is a moment in time and yet our staff spend many months planning and creating their team costumes to respect and inspire our girls who love this annual event. I was chatting with a Year 6 student recently, and she reminisced on the teachers’ costumes over the last four years and spoke about the impact these had on her.
This is one of the many reasons why our Junior School staff are so special, as the learning and care they offer to your daughters is exceptional and has such a lasting impact on the girls. It’s not just ‘teaching and learning’ they offer; it’s the sense of belonging they create through the way they lead the learning for your girls and the way they empower your girls to believe in themselves and therefore lean into stretch challenges for themselves. Every staff member, including our phenomenal nurses, horticulturalists, and Reverends, was dressed in character and was a key part of the parade for the girls. Even Heidi the Hedgehog and Archie joined the fun as Little Miss Tiny and Mr Daydream!
Our amazing Year 1 and 2 performers
I had the privilege of watching both performances by our Years 1 and 2 girls on Friday. WOW! The confidence the girls demonstrated as they acted, sang, and danced belied their young age. Congratulations to all the girls for these memorable performances. I am in awe of your talent and energy on stage!
A message from Mrs Martha Itzcovitz and Mrs Josephine Laretive
The Junior School went on an adventure this week! ‘Book an Adventure’ is the theme of Book Week this year, and we certainly did that! Starting with our wonderful Library Leaders Assembly—an illuminating book Q&A with Mrs Brown, Mrs Giles, Mr Robinson, and Archie, and finishing with book charades from the leaders—we went on to our fabulous K-6 Character Parade, through scavenger hunts, author visits, story walks, book trivia, and into quiet reading. It was an adventure to remember.
And speaking of book characters, I think it was our best parade ever. I loved the thought the girls and teachers put into their costumes, the effort they took to put them together themselves, and the joy they shared as each group paraded. As one of the Library Leaders, Genevieve Wong, commented to me afterwards, “I felt an overwhelming sense of community walking with Year 6 today at the parade—sad that this was our last Junior School Book Week but also happy that we were sharing it together.”
A message from Cindy Anderson, Year 2 Co-ordinator
Year 2 welcomed their parents into the classroom for ‘Windows into Learning’, celebrating National Science Week by diving into the intriguing world of materials. Throughout the morning, students and their families investigated what happens when different solids and liquids combine, then embraced the challenge of figuring out how these mixtures might be separated again. It was inspiring to watch our students’ curiosity and excitement grow through hands-on discovery, as they expanded their scientific thinking and enjoyed learning alongside their families.
Parent Series – Academic and Wellbeing – Reading Comprehension
Mrs Lara Bird, Deputy Head of Junior School – Academics, will be hosting a workshop focusing on reading comprehension across Kindergarten to Year 6.
This session will explore strategies aligned with the NSW English Syllabus, highlighting the importance of comprehension—how students can understand, interpret, and respond to texts. Comprehension is a key component of literacy and is central to developing critical thinking, effective communication, and a lifelong engagement with reading.
A notice with details on how to register for this session has been sent via the parent portal.
Date and Time: Wednesday 27 August at 7.30am
Location: 3-6 Library
Deputy of Head of Junior School – Operations: Stephen Robinson
‘Wearing my uniform with pride is showing up with Respect’
It is wonderful to see so many students turning up school in their full winter uniform including blazer and polished shoes (shoe polish is available at Hedgehog House too).
Arriving at School in the Morning
Please ensure your daughter arrives at school prior to 8.15am. Teachers are on duty in the playground and the K-2 drop off zone from 7.45am, allowing plenty of time to drop off prior to lessons commencing.
We are noticing that lots of girls are coming in after 8.15am. Please help us to help your daughter start her day in a calm way by having her at school by 8am.
Alternate Ways to School
Do you want to avoid the traffic in the morning? Consider dropping your daughter off at Grandview Street (near the train station) between 7.40-7.55am or Grey House Walk 7.30-7.45am. Junior School staff are at these locations between these times and walk students to school. This eases congestion with vehicles on Avon Road and within the College and allows students to undertake a little morning exercise.
Junior School Canteen Helpers
Thank you to the parents who gave up their time to volunteer last term. Term 3 dates are now available on the google form. Please click here 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 MyPymble to mark your daughter absence, for two days or more absence please complete the Exemption from Attendance at School form or email though a medical certificate for illness.
After school arrangements for girls in Years K-2, please email juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au if you have changes to your daughter’s after school arrangements in Term 3.
Important Dates for Term 3 – Week 5 and Week 6
Friday 21 August Junior School Wellbeing Week – No homework
Monday 25 August Swap ‘til you drop: Years 3-6
Tuesday 26 August Year 2 Outdoor Education Program
Wednesday 27 August K-6 Academic Series 7.30am – 8.30am
Thursday 28 August Year 1 Outdoor Education Program
Friday 29 August Kindergarten Outdoor Education Program
Saturday 30 August IPSHA Saturday Sport