From the Middle School
From the Head of Middle School Jenny O’Donnell
Welcome back to Term 3, I trust that everyone has had a great break. The girls have swiftly stepped back into routine and have already taken up a number of opportunities to connect and grow. We are very excited about launching the Speaking in Colour weaving workshop next week. We have 25 girls across Years 7 and 8 who have volunteered to learn new skills and build understanding around First Nations culture. The collaborative project will run across 10 weeks with the intention of creating a woven installation piece for Middle School. I will keep you updated around this important initiative.
I would like to acknowledge all of the students involved in the College NAIDOC celebrations on Tuesday. Jade George, Narla Bron, Milly Farr, Sarah Swan-Cole, Havana Greentree- Fuller, Lailahni Blake, Kyilista Gibbs, Islah Washington and Makiitah Washington, representation from Middle School was outstanding with each of our First Nations students playing an important role whether that be through sharing personal stories and dreams, traditional dance, addressing the audience from the stage or via video. Your enthusiasm and pride are to be celebrated.
Good luck to the Year 8 students: Milly Farr, Havana Greentree-Fuller, Narla Bron, Aliya Singh, Lillie Oldfield, Adele Cassidy, Ava Welton, Chloë Lenane and Ellie Lau, who will be travelling to Central Western NSW next week to help out at the Goodooga Games. We know you will be wonderful ambassadors for Pymble. Thank you to Mrs Budd and Ms Gardiner for accompanying them.
Middle School Christmas in July
As students returned to campus, the College celebrated Christmas in July, bringing some festive cheer to the start of the new term. The Middle School and College grounds were decorated to celebrate, and the girls even had a visit from Mr and Mrs Claus. Our Middle School students had the opportunity to participate in a range of festive Gloucester Gathering activities, including Christmas Karaoke, Christmas card making and bauble decorating. Bauble decorating was a special activity run by our Head Girls, Ang-Ya Koo and Emily Abadee.
Musical Performance Achievements: Jessmay Facer Year 8 Reflection
Being in Carmen has been the most incredible experience, and I’ve met so many amazing people that have shaped my world in the past couple of months. The role of the Children’s Chorus in Carmen is to run around the stage acting like soldiers in Act One and be a part of a Spanish festival in Act Four. Although the late nights are tiring, it is all worth it being a part of this incredible journey! The audition process consisted of picking a classical or musical theatre song/aria and singing it before the Children’s Chorus Master, Micheal Curtain. Around 280 children applied, so it was such an honour to be selected out of the 14 to be in the show! Everyone in the Pymble community has been so kind and thoughtful during this time, and I hope to try for other children’s parts in the future!
Cycling Achievements: Sylivia Dagg Year 8 Reflection
‘Throughout Term 2 and during the holiday break I competed in several mountain biking and cyclocross competitions in preparation for National Championships held in August. One of my favourite events was a Cross Country Mountain bike race that was part of the NSW State Series. Held at Mogo, in Batemans Bay, the course had steep uphill climbs, fast and flowy downhills, then a technical rocky descent. I really enjoyed the racing and managed to come away with a win in U15 Girls!
Key Dates Term 3
Year 8 Goodooga Games and Cultural Immersion – Tuesday 5 August to Friday 8 August
Year7 Igsa – Friday 22 August
Year 7 Science Excursion to the Zoo – Thursday 11 September
Y8 Outdoor Education – Monday 15 September to Friday 19 September
Garden Party – Saturday 20 September
From the PPA
🍭 Let’s Make the Middle School Stall a Sweet Success 🍭
The Pymble Garden Party is our school’s biggest community event of the year – a day filled with rides, food, market stalls, music, and fun for all ages. It’s open to everyone and raises funds for two amazing charities: Mahboba’s Promiseand the HerVillage Foundation, both supporting women and children doing it tough.
This year, the Middle School Stall (run by Year 7 and 8 families) will be selling lollies and “spiders” (soft drinks with a scoop of ice cream). They’re always a hit!
To help make the stall a success, we’re asking each family to do two simple things:
- Make a contribution ($10–$25) to help cover the cost of supplies. This means we can raise more on the day, with every dollar going to the charities.
- Volunteer for a one-hour shift on the stall. Parents only (no kids please). It’s light, easy, and a great way to meet other parents. Shifts are limited, so get in early: Sign up for a shift here
Thanks so much for supporting the Middle School Stall – every bit helps us create something special.
Georgiana (Tilly’s Mum) & Mandy (Grace Scammell’s Mum) and your Class Reps
————————————————————————————————————————
Jenny O’Donnell
Head of Middle School