From the Middle School
Week 5 has been a busy week in Middle School with many of us placed across the country whilst we support the Year 8 National Exchange Program. I am currently in Hobart at St Michael’s Collegiate with Madeleine G, Serina K and Paanya K. The girls have been exceptional ambassadors for Pymble and have enjoyed their time exploring a new environment in the brisk temperatures and clear skies of the south. It is such a wonderful opportunity for all the girls involved to build independence and grow new connections.
This experience also underscores how fortunate we are at Pymble to have so many wonderful opportunities within College life. Some of the schools we are partnering with are smaller, rural, coeducational or similar in demographic. Either way your daughters have stepped up and embraced their circumstances. This is an important Middle School initiative that we will work to grow and extend in future years. Thank you to the parents for their support and willingness to billet our returning exchange sisters.
National Exchange Reflections
“I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend Saint Michael’s Collegiate in Hobart. I really loved this experience as I made plenty of new friends and I was able to check out Tasmania! Another thing I really enjoyed was getting the opportunity to see how other boarding houses work.” – Selina (Year 8)
“Tasmania offers an extraordinary experience with its stunning natural beauty; I particularly enjoyed the Nutgrow Beach and the scenic walk along the shore with my exchange buddy. The combination of the breathtaking landscapes and shared moments made for a truly vivid and memorable experience.” – Paanya (Year 8)
“I attended exchange at Saint Michael’s Collegiate in Hobart, while it was a bit colder than Sydney, lots of memories were made with new friends. One of the trip’s highlights was seeing Mount Wellington and the memorable view. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity and would definitely do it again.” – Madeleine (Year 8)
“Being on national exchange in Brisbane has been both challenging and rewarding. Adjusting to a new city and being away from home in Sydney has pushed me out of my comfort zone, but it’s given me the opportunity to experience a different school and make new connections. Living in a boarding school adds another layer of excitement, providing a tight-knit community and a chance to build my independence while being surrounded by peers who quickly became like family.” – Ellie (Year 8)
“My experience at Strathcona was really fun, I got to learn about their school’s history as well as how their school day operated. This exchange has opened up a new perspective for me and has challenged me in ways that I didn’t think would happen. Touring Melbourne was an extremely fun adventure, we went to the Victoria Markets and visited famous places in the city including some street art. This trip was a very interesting and eye opening experience and it was an honour to participate in.” – Jane (Year 8)
“For the last couple of days I have been in Melbourne enjoying lots of things such as attending a different school, being part of a different family and looking at the sites of Melbourne. Since I have only been to Melbourne briefly before, it was an amazing opportunity to learn about its culture and the daily life of its citizens. National exchange has been an awesome experience and a highlight from my trip was when we went to the Vic markets and I got matching frog hats with my buddy, Sophie and a couple of other girls.” – Zara (Year 8)
“I found national exchange in Melbourne an exciting and memorable experience. The city is so beautiful and I loved being able to meet new people and form new friendships.” – Savannah (Year 8)
“I made lots new friends both human and animal and I learnt a lot about Melbourne.” – Aimee (Year 8)
“Exchange was an amazing experience. On the first full day we went to school at Glennie’s in Toowoomba and the school was very different to ours as it was much smaller. On the next day we went on an excursion around the city, and we did a bushwalk, went to a soft drink factory and dyed silk scarfs. Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity, and I am very grateful I was able to go.” – Maya (Year 8)
“The national exchange experience that I’ve been on was very eye opening. It allowed me to experience what living in a more rural town was like, and meet more people from a different state that I’m unfamiliar with. Some examples are that there wasn’t much activities to do, the streets were quieter than in Sydney, the schools were smaller and less populated, and other examples that made Toowoomba different than Sydney.” – Imogen (Year 8)
“During exchange, I got the opportunity to experience Toowoomba Queensland. I have enjoyed my time in Toowoomba very much because of the community and culture, such as the locally owned and produced small business and the friendly students at Glennie. ” – Francesca (Year 8)
“My exchange at Glennie, Toowoomba was an amazing chance to experience the lives of other students and what they learn at school, for example, we chose our two electives this year in Year 8, while they are choosing their electives in Year 9. Exchanging allowed me to learn about how diverse the world is.” – Charis (Year 8)
A message from our College Psychologists
We would like to raise the importance of having open conversations about wellbeing with your child, as Middle School can be a time when young people start to share their wellbeing or mental health concerns with peers rather than adults. Whilst it’s beneficial for young people to support each other, relying solely on friends can lead to complications. Often, these peers are not equipped to handle issues presented to them, causing stress for both parties.
Many students hesitate to involve adults due to fears of how their parents might react and of being judged. Some students bottle things up due to fear they will disappoint their parents, or their parents will be shocked. To help your child feel confident that they have your support, we encourage you to engage in regular, meaningful conversations about their wellbeing. Make conversations about their feelings and thoughts a normal part of daily life, particularly conversations where you simply just listen and validate. These conversations are important even for young people who seem to be going ok and help strengthen your connection with them.
It is helpful normalising seeking help from adults. Assure your daughter that it is completely acceptable, and even encouraged, to reach out to trusted adults when they encounter difficulties. Let them know they can talk openly to you and other adult family members about life stressors and their feelings. Let them know you support them reaching out to wellbeing staff at the College, including their Compass teacher and Head of Year. These staff members can provide advice about whether College Psychological Service, which provides more targeted wellbeing support, may be able to assist. They can also provide information about external mental health services that could be useful.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to Psychological Services or your child’s Head of Year if you have any questions.
Ms Stephanie Bennett and Dr Danielle Ellis, College Psychologists
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
The Garden Party, the biggest and most exciting event of the year, is coming up on Saturday 21st September – just a month away! The Years 7 and 8 Sweet Sensations Stall is one of the most popular so we are expecting huge crowds. Please help us out by either volunteering your time or donating money to help us buy lollies. See links below for both options and attached flyer.
To join us on the day, please click here.
To donate money to help buy lollies, please click here.
We thank you in advance for your generous support.
Year 8 Coffee Morning
We look forward to our Term 3 coffee morning! Please come along and join us TOMORROW, Friday 23 August at our favourite local café, Brick Lane Expresso, in West Pymble from 8.30am onwards.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Year 8 Parent Coordinators
Ms Jenny Pang 0422 716 808 and cola0214@hotmail.com
Ms Kai Jones 0431 725 948 and kai_look@yahoo.com
Year 7 Co-ordinators
Stephanie, Leigh and Briar
Year 8 Co-ordinators
Jenny and Ms Kai Jones – 0431 725 948 and kai_look@yahoo.com
Jenny O’Donnell
Head of Middle School