From the Middle School

Last Friday, the Middle School team treated the girls to a hot chocolate on Gloucester Lawn as a return-to-campus celebration. It was a very welcome addition to lunch in this oh-so-cold weather.

This week, our Combined Assembly on Tuesday acknowledged the importance of NAIDOC Week within our community. Posters marking the occasion and the 2024 theme of ‘Keep the Fire Burning: Blak, Loud and Proud’, alongside a beautiful display of Wattle in the Middle School office, mark our commitment.

Themed cupcakes will also be on sale in support of the Indigenous Literacy Fund. As part of our wider College celebrations, the Middle School girls were invited to apply to attend a weaving workshop on Monday. This experience proved to be a lot of fun and a great opportunity to explore a new cultural skill and build connections.

Olympics Display in Middle School

If you get the chance to swing by Middle School, you will see that we are enthusiastically embracing the Olympic theme with our own tally board and international flag bunting. Throughout the next few weeks, we will be encouraging the girls to get active and be involved in the many opportunities to try a new Olympic sport across lunchtimes.

Our Gloucester Gatherings on Tuesdays, as well as bigger whole-school initiatives, are appropriately themed to build momentum and celebrate achievements on the sporting field. This Friday, the girls have been invited to participate in Green and Gold Day, a Year 7 to 12 extended lunch and Mind-Body-Spirt time smorgasbord of Olympic events. It should be great fun! The girls are encouraged to wear mufti and green and gold clothing.

Across the term, we will be continuing to focus on the importance of sleep. In an attempt to build awareness and encourage healthy habits, the girls will spend some time in their Compass sessions tracking their own sleep patterns and setting personal priorities. Below is an infographic to get us all thinking.

This week, I took the opportunity to speak to all Middle School students about the need for them to always be where they are expected to be throughout the day. The vast majority of students act responsibly and can be relied upon to always do so. But a reminder for those few who don’t always do the right thing was timely. The emphasis was on our duty of care and the safety of all students.

Compass Conversations

Thank you to all our Middle School families for making time to speak with your daughter’s Compass teacher on Wednesday. We hope that this is a productive conversation in which insights are shared and celebrations acknowledged. It is important that your daughter attend the session to share her own reflections.

Commonwealth Junior & Cadet Fencing Championships

Rianne Leung (Year 8) joined the National Australian Youth and Cadet Championships Team for 2024 and finished with a bronze medal for both the Cadet and Youth Women‘s Foil categories. She was then selected to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand. At this prestigious competition, Rianne finished with an impressive silver medal. Rianne and her sister Renee (Year 11) also managed to bring home a gold medal for the Australian Cadet Women’s Team Foil.

For the Commonwealth Junior Women’s Foil category, Rianne was awarded a bronze medal. Together, the sisters managed to bring home another gold medal for Australia with Rianne closing for the team in the last bout of a fiercely competitive match against Scotland.

This Commonwealth Championship also marked the first time Australia broke England’s streak and was the first time in history that Australia received the award for the nation with the best overall result!

Congratulations!

European Girls Olympiad in Informatics

Well done and congratulations to Alexa Wu (Year 8) on being awarded a bronze medal at the prestigious European Girls Olympiad in Informatics.

The Pymble Family Book Club

We are writing to announce a very exciting opportunity for Pymble families with the launch of The Pymble Family Book Club.

With this initiative, we are offering families the chance to read great stories together, share ideas, and attend events to connect with authors and fellow readers.

The first author we will be showcasing is Maryam Master. Her books Exit Through The Gift Shop and No Words have been celebrated by critics and readers alike. We are very pleased to announce she will be joining us for the first ever Pymble Family Book Club on Wednesday 28 August at 5.00pm.

We invite you to come along to spend time with your family and friends, discuss Maryam Master’s books, led by the author herself, and connect over literature. You can see Maryam talking with Pymble students earlier in the year about her books in this video.

How the Pymble Family Book Club works:

Check out Maryam Master’s books and discuss with your carer/student if there is one (or both) you wish to read, and if you’d like to attend the Family Book Club together. You could even get a reading group together. Reach out to other carers and students in the year and organise to make it a social event!
RSVP to attend the Family Book Club on Wednesday 28 August. Please RSVP via this form. There is no cost to attend the event.
You are welcome to obtain a copy of Maryam’s book/s through a library or borrow from a friend. For those who wish to purchase the books, we have organised an easy way for you to source Maryam’s books through a supplier. Please see the order form attached or click on this link to order one or both of Maryam’s books. These will be available for collection at the College in the last week of Term 2.
Both carer and student read the book/s prior to the event on Wednesday 28 August.
Put the event in your calendar and come along on Wednesday 28 August to the Conde Library at the College to have a great time.

If you can’t make the event but still want to read some Maryam Master, you are still welcome to order the books through us and email us at library@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au for some ideas about what we will discuss on the night.

We look forward to you joining us for this special opportunity to connect over some incredible stories and ideas. If you have any questions, please reach out to library@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.

Kind regards and happy reading!

From the Middle School Parent Groups

Middle School Sweet Sensations Stall 2024

We are so excited to take part in our annual Garden Party on Saturday 21st September 2024.

Middle School parents (Years 7 and 8) can get involved by helping out at the ‘Sweet Sensations Stall’. We are seeking help at the stall in the following ways.

We are seeking assistance by way of a small donation so we can purchase the lollies. Contributions are completely voluntary. If you can support the stall, please click here. We very much appreciate any support you can provide ($5 to $20).

If you can assist at the stall for one hour on the day of the Garden Party, please click here.

We look forward to enjoying this wonderful family event with you.

Year 7 Co-ordinators

Stephanie, Leigh, Briar, Jenny and

Year 8 Co-ordinator

Ms Kai Jones – 0431 725 948 and kai_look@yahoo.com

Jenny O’Donnell

Head of Middle School