From the Principal
Celebratory vibes are in the air as we count down the final days of term and enjoy lots of ‘last’ gatherings for the year. At our last Combined Assembly, I spoke about this being a great time for all students to reflect on the year, by asking themselves two questions:
- In what area have I made the biggest improvement?
- What was the biggest mistake I made, and the lesson learnt to take with me into 2026?
For staff at Pymble, my reflection questions are similar, but slightly different:
- What was my single biggest time waster in life this year?
- If I could spend more time on one activity, what would it be?
It’s always beneficial to think about what has gone well and what would be “even better if” as we contemplate the end of one year and the beginning of a fresh new one. It’s something I do every year and I invite all our families to do the same – perhaps around the dinner table?
This week we also held our last Pymble Foundation Board meeting for the year, and while this is not something I would normally share, we have been so overwhelmed by the generosity of our community that I want to acknowledge everyone who has supported the Foundation in 2025. Before I do, it’s important to know that our Foundation Board members are all volunteers who are passionate about supporting the strategic direction and vision of the College. They give their time, professional expertise and resources to host events, inform and connect with like-minded people who share their passion for supporting Pymble students through innovative programs, life-changing scholarships and the delivery of outstanding learning facilities, like our new Grey House Precinct.
So saying, my heartfelt thanks and gratitude go to…
…our College Board for being so supportive of and responsive towards the work of the Foundation. This includes our Chair, Chris Fydler OAM, Deputy Chair Melinda Graham, and Board members Ziyang Chen, Eve Clark, Rev Dr Rosalie Clarke, Professor Emeritus Donna Cross OAM, Rear Admiral Lee Goddard, CSC QM, Rev Dr Chris Goringe, Dr Kate Highfield, Li-Enn Koo and Kristen Wydell.
…our wonderful Pymble Foundation Board: Chair Simon Rothery, Deputy Chair Rebecca Sullivan, and Board members David Burns, Sophia Fang, Chris Fydler OAM, Melinda Graham, James Hunter, Yehan Koo and Alison Rothery.
…all the parents, staff, friends and families who attended or supported the Pymble Foundation Gala Ball in April. Together, we raised a staggering $1.27 million, giving us the means to support five more refugee students with Foundation Bursaries in 2026. This brings our total number of refugee scholars to eight.
…the three families in our community who are each financially supporting one of our refugee students – truly, a priceless gift.
…the philanthropic and forward-thinking Pymble family who have worked with the Foundation to create our new RTG STEM Scholarship. This has been awarded to two emerging STEM stars in 2026.
…our beautiful country NSW family who have provided full boarding scholarships for two students starting with us in 2026 – the first full boarding scholarship the College has ever received!
…four generous Pymble parents who have funded the launch of our highly successful Drone Academy this year, and the STEM champion who gifted our girls Pudding the AI dog!
…the wonderful donors of solar panelling for the Ferguson Building, funds to commission music for our 110th Birthday Concert at the Opera House, and items to support the Foundation stall at Garden Party.
…and the anonymous families who give, year on year, to support so many of our students, buildings and programs, from our First Nations Scholarship Program to our Bursary Program, Voluntary Building Fund and the specific GHP campaign – you are AMAZING!
Our amazing Grey House Precinct supporters!
The big, highly visible Foundation project for 2025 is, of course, the Grey House Precinct. While the College is in the fortunate position to be able to fund most of the build, we also looked to our wider community for assistance to get this work over the line. Thanks to the generosity of our Pymble families and friends, the Foundation Building Fund campaign has raised $1.1 million since September this year, and $2.2 million in total.
This includes the purchase of:
- 79 named Dance Stars (of 100 available)
- 51 named Dance Seats (of 89 available)
- 2.5 named Dance Studios (of 6 available)
- 75 named Bricks (at front entrance, of 85 available)
- 33 named Bricks (at back entrance, of 52 available)
- 8 named Wellbeing Retreats and Consulting Rooms (of 14 available)
- Donated solar panels and installation.
It’s exciting to think, that in just a few weeks, our students will walk (or more likely, run, dance and squeal with excitement) through that stunning entrance to enjoy a whole new world of learning at Pymble.
To all who have helped bring our GHP to life, and supported Foundation programs and bursaries this year, thank you, thank you, thank you. You know who you are (and we know who you are). We hope you know the difference you have made.
