From the Junior School
A Message from Mrs Kate Brown, Head of Junior School
It’s been another dynamic week within the Junior School with our intrepid Year 4 students and teachers on Outdoor Education out at Webbs Creek, a celebration of Aviation with visits to our onsite Planetarium and drone flying, the IPSHA Social Action Day and Windows into Learning for our Year 1 and 3 students and families.
Year 4 at Webbs Creek on their Outdoor Education Program
It was lovely watching our Year 4 girls head off to their Outdoor Education Program supporting one another and encouraging those who had natural nervousness about the adventures that lay ahead. We are always proud of the way the girls lean into their courage and resilience to try new things, new foods and sleep away from home. Thank you, parents, for your trust in our care of your daughters whilst they are away at camp.
Kindergarten and Year 1 Outdoor Education Program
Last week our youngest students showed their courage through their engagement with their Outdoor Education programs. Year 1 spent the day at Vision Valley and Kindergarten explored Lane Cove National Park. These are big days for our young people and particularly for many of our Kindergarten students who then performed their ballet on stage as part of the production of Hansel and Gretel.
Congratulations to our ballerinas
Congratulations to our fabulous ballerinas who graced the stage last weekend with their spectacular adaptation of the fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel. I was captivated by the performance.
Aviation and Space Expo and our Drone Academy
Thank you to our Drone Academy students who showcased their skills at drone flying to Year 4 students last week. It was exciting to see so many girls have a go at drone flying around John Reid Hall during lunchtimes. Huge thanks to Mr Turnbull, Head of Drone Academy, for leading these workshops throughout our College Aviation and Space Expo.
A review of the Planetarium by Ms Jacqueline Ng – Year 2 Compass Teacher:
As we stepped into the dome, it took a few moments for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. We were strapped in, ready to travel through time and across our galaxy. Our first stop was the Sun, surprisingly white, not yellow as we had always imagined.
We drifted slowly past the planets, pausing to explore their surfaces and atmospheres. As we zoomed past Jupiter, we caught a glimpse of an eclipse. One of its moons blocked the sunlight, casting a black shadow across its surface.
A little further on, we glided into Saturn’s dazzling icy rings. Just before we turned back toward Earth, we spotted a strange looking planet orbiting on its side—Uranus. Unlike the other planets, it tilts dramatically, spinning sideways through space.
Quick! The bell is about to ring—we need to hurry back to Earth and return to school in time.
We don’t know where things go when they enter a black hole but we know it gets stretched out. – Matilda Gu
Mars is known as a red planet because it has red dust on it and you can see the redness from space. – Nymea Fenton
Exploring Space and the properties of materials: our Year 3 and Year 1 Windows into Learning
This week our Year 1 and Year 3s showcased their scientific knowledge and investigative skills through their Windows into Learning.
Year 1 looked at the properties of materials, grouping and sorting using different criteria and applying that knowledge to an engineering challenge to design and make a hat that was comfortable, provided shade and was waterproof.
Year 3 showcased their understanding of the orbit of the Earth around the sun and the effect this has on night and day and the seasons through hands-on experiments, VR, data analysis coding and engineering. The girls even created a scale model of the orbit of the Earth around the sun on Main Oval– measuring the distance between the Earth and the sun at different points in the year.
Happy Father’s Day to all the special men in our girls’ lives. Thank you for being the kind role models you are. To all those in our community who celebrate Father’s Day and are not able to be with their dad this weekend, I send you love and strength.
Wellbeing Weekly- Kate Giles, Head of Wellbeing K-6
Thank you to families in Years 4 and 5 who brought in non-perishable food items to support The Dish through Cook2Care. It was wonderful to see the amount of food being donated, thank you!
Year 3 and 6 Walk-a-thon
Our Junior School girls continue to advocate for initiatives that are important to them and make a difference to the world around them. Estela Valente in Year 3 is leading an initiative to raise awareness and support children living with Juvenile Arthritis through a Buddy Walk-a-thon. On Friday September 12, Year 3 and Year 6 students will be taking part in the Walk-a-thon and earning House points for every lap completed. All girls in Years 3 and 6 are invited to bring in a gold coin donation to participate and all funds raised will be donated to the Juvenile Arthritis Foundation of Australia.
Supporting behaviour at home
It is often in the second half of a busy term when everyone is tired that some tricky behaviour may be seen at home. This may include not listening, pushing against boundaries and emotional dysregulation. By focusing on connection, consistency and encouragement, there are different strategies that can be used at home to assist:
- Stay calm and regulate yourself- children look to us to help them manage their own feelings. A calm tone and steady presence helps de-escalate challenging moments.
- Connect before you correct- when emotions run high, focus first on connection. For example, saying “I can see you’re upset, I want to help” can help before moving into problem solving or correction.
- Set clear, consistent boundaries- children thrive when they know what to expect.
- Notice the positives- children often repeat what gets them attention. Try to ‘catch’ them being helpful, calm or kind and let them know you saw it.
- Name big feelings- help to understand and label emotions.
- Offer limited choices- helps children to feel empowered.
- Focus on connection- spending time 1-1 with children for a short time can improve cooperation and behaviour.
It is important to remember that all behaviour is communication and that children do well when they can. Some helpful resources can also be found at:
The whole brain child by Daniel J. Siegel
Parental as anything by Maggie Dent
Raising girls who like themselves by Kasey Edwards & Christopher Scanlon
Living Library Storytellers and Mini-Workshops –
Mrs Anna To
Our Junior School is once again holding our popular Living Library event in Week 8.
We’ve invited some Pymble staff members to “tell a story with their hands” and share what they can make or do in mini-workshops for our Junior School girls.
We have a wonderful range of stories and activities on offer during lunchtime on Thursday 11 September from 1.00pm and welcome students from Years 2 to 6 to register their interest at the K – 2 and Year 3 – 6 libraries or via this link.
Sustainability Club News – Miss Avalon Treharne
Pymble Clothing Drive:
We’re excited to announce that the Sustainability Club is launching a Junior School Clothing Drive to help families in our community who need extra support. All of the clothes we collect will be donated to Vinnies, who do an amazing job helping people in need.
This initiative has been organised by the Term 3 Sustainability Leaders as part of our focus on kindness to the environment and kindness to others. By donating clothes that no longer fit or that you don’t wear anymore, you’re not only helping families but also reducing waste and giving clothes a second life!
A friendly reminder: please make sure all clothing donations are clean and in good condition. We can’t accept anything that is ripped, broken or stained.
You can drop your donations into the collection bin outside Hedgehog House anytime from now until Week 9.
Let’s work together as a school community to make a difference, one piece of clothing at a time!
Written by Harper Chen, Mia Farthing, Aurora Lin, Scarlett Qiu
Pymble Sustainability Journal
A reminder to continue working towards completing the Pymble Ladies College Sustainability Journal by the end of Term 3. As you complete your challenges, please upload a photo via the QR Code. These photos will then be shared in Assembly. This week, 4T & 4KP practised being Litter Ninjas, helping to tidy the playground without being noticed.
Ku-ring-gai Sustainable Futures Day
This past weekend, members of the Sustainability Club were invited to attend the Ku-ring-gai Council Sustainable Futures Day in Lindfield. A vibrant and inspiring event focused on building a more environmentally-friendly future.
Highlights included learning about native plants, meeting native wildlife and learning how to be more sustainable at home (or school). Juliette Benson, Year 1, enjoyed constructing solar powered cars and test driving them.
Did you know? Solar powered cars use sunlight to run. They can be significantly more eco-friendly than petrol cars because they do not pollute the air.
Simple ways to be more sustainable at home:
- Walk, ride or take public transport for short trips
- Reduce your waste, reuse what you can and recycle what is no longer useful
- Bring your own bags and containers when shopping
- Be mindful about how you use water.
It was inspiring to see how small actions can make a big difference.
Written by Miss Treharne (Special Guest – Peanut)
Deputy of Head of Junior School – Operations: Mr Stephen Robinson
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.
Walking Groups
Do you want to avoid the traffic in the morning? Consider dropping your daughter off at Grandview Street (near the train station) between 7.40am -7.55am or Grey House Walk 7.30am-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.
Pymble Private Bus Travel to and from school
The College operates five private bus services, open to students from Kindergarten:
· Hunters Hill – Bus Route 1
· Lower North Shore – Bus Route 2
· North West – Bus Route 3
· Northern Beaches – Bus Route 4 (this includes an early and late service in addition to the school hours service)
· Lower Northern Beaches – Bus Route 5
Parents can opt for a full-term or flexible registration for their child. The full-term option allows your child to travel on the bus unlimited times throughout the term, mornings and afternoons. Alternatively, they may select the flexible registration and select the travel days and times you require and will only be charged for the number of trips your child takes during the term. This will be added to your account at the end of term.
Many Junior School students use the private bus service as a convenient way to get to school and a fun way to catch up with their friends. They are met at the Pymble bus stop at Kelso by a Junior School staff member in the morning and Years K-2 are walked to the Junior School. All students are walked to the bus at 3.15pm in the afternoon, ensuing full accountability for who is on the bus.
To find out more about the bus service or to register, click here.
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 7 and Week 8
| Tomorrow | Father’s Day Event 7.00am – 8.15am (catered, pre-purchase tickets) Father’s Day Performance 8.30am-9.00am Year 4 OEP Group 2 return 3.00pm (Carline as normal) |
| Saturday 6 September | IPSHA Saturday Sport |
| Wednesday 10 September- Friday 12 September | Year 5 OEP, Vision Valley |
| Friday 12 September | Walk-a-thon Y3+Y6, P5&P6 Event |
| Saturday 13 September | IPSHA Saturday Sport |
| Sunday 14 September | NSSWE Spring Fest – Junior School Jazz Band |
Save the date:
| Thursday 18 September | Year 6 Musical Performance 1, 6.00pm |
| Friday 19 September | Year 6 Musical Performance 2, 6.00pm |
| Saturday 20 September | Garden Party |