From the Principal

This week’s column focuses on mentoring at Pymble, as we are in the process of sending out invitations to the 2024 Alumni Networking Event at KPMG, one of our flagship alumni events. We would be delighted if you would consider signing up to contribute to this important initiative – you will find the sign-up link below. 

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” – Oprah Winfrey 

If you’ve ever had the good fortune to have a great mentor in your life, or to be a mentor, you will appreciate how this can be enormously beneficial, for both parties. Mentoring, for me, has always been deeply rewarding. I’ve come to the realisation that perhaps it’s really about supporting one another to grow into your greatness.  

That has certainly been my experience. In fact, every day at Pymble I feel I’m being mentored by the amazing staff or our students and, of course, our phenomenally talented Board members.  

Yesterday, for example, I had the delight of listening to six of our incredible teachers (Michelle Ward, Prasheel Kumar, Lucy Macaulay, Nick Feng, Karen Michie and Dr Kim Bunny) who have been mentored by our Director of Professional Learning and Teaching, Kerryl Howarth, for their Pymble Plus research projects. It was such an honour to hear their presentations; their subject knowledge, dedication to constantly improving their pedagogy, and passion for student voice left me not only inspired but very grateful for the wonderful staff we have here at Pymble. I went from that session straight into one of the favourite times of the week, a session with one of my Year 12 mentees – what a day! 

Mentorship is an integral part of teaching and learning at Pymble. It starts in the Junior School and extends through the Secondary School and into post-school life where we offer several programs to support our graduates, including the Alumni Networking Event, which I promise to get to in just a minute – stay with me! 

For our current students, mentoring opportunities are woven throughout the breadth of our programs because research tells us that young people who are mentored have a greater sense of wellbeing, feel more engaged and supported at school, and achieve better educational outcomes.  

Below is a summary of just a few of the countless ways in which students are supported to grow into their greatness at Pymble.  

In the Junior School

• Students in the Sokratis Junior program for Years 4 to 6 undertake a research-based project and are mentored by either the Head of Junior School, the Deputy Head of Junior School – Academic, or the Director – Pymble Institute. 

• Year 6 Leaders are mentored by members of the Junior School Executive team and selected teachers.  

• This leadership mentoring in turn empowers our Year 6 girls to lead the weekly clubs for girls in Years 1 to 6.  
   

In the Secondary School

Academic mentoring: 

• Students in the Secondary School Sokratis program for Years 7 to 11 run by Conde Library and the Pymble Institute undertake an individual research-based project with mentors drawn from staff and Year 12 students. This year, I’m mentoring two Sokratis students, and I’m looking forward to supporting these girls with their projects. 
   
• Students in Years 8 and 9 who are part of the Talent Development Program facilitated by our Centre of Excellence are supported and mentored by the Intellectual Domain Leader for their respective year group. 
   
• Science Extension students are allocated a research student mentor from University of Technology Sydney to hone their research skills and generally bounce ideas off.  
   

Leadership mentoring: 

• Year 11 students are invited to apply for the Senior School mentoring program where students are matched with College leaders to help guide and support them through their final two years of schooling. Thankfully, my Year 11 students tend to continue to want to be mentored in Year 12. It’s great to have an opportunity to get to know some of our girls more closely and to spend time listening to and learning from them. 
   
• Year 12 Prefects have a Staff Mentor for regular one-on-one meetings and to support the work they undertake within their portfolio. Luckily, I have the pleasure of regularly meeting with our two Head Prefects, Bella and Julie. 
   
• Student leaders from Years 7 to 12 who sit under a Prefect Portfolio also have access to the Staff Mentor who attends their leadership team meetings to support their work. 

Sports mentoring: 

• Students in Years 7 to 12 who meet the criteria for the Pymble Elite Sportswomen’s Program (PESP) meet regularly with the PESP Co-ordinator for mentoring to support their Individual Performance Plan for achieving their academic and performance goals. 
   
• A new program is currently being launched for students in Years 7 to 10 who currently don’t meet the PESP criteria but still compete and train at a high level. The program provides guidance and support to student-athletes in their pursuit of athletic and personal development from mentors including Head Coaches, Sports Co-ordinators, PDHPE teachers, and Academic staff. Click here to learn more. 

Boarding mentorship: 

• Year 7 Boarders are each assigned a ‘Big Sister’ in Boarding (from Years 10 or 11) who acts as a role model, friend and mentor to assist with transitioning to Boarding life and practicalities such as homework and organisation. 

This is by no means a comprehensive list – there are many other formal and informal mentorships across all areas and year groups at the College, from numerous cross-year ‘Buddy’ programs through to our First Nations program, where students have a cultural mentor on campus and access to external mentors in the corporate world through the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.  

Teacher mentorship at Pymble is another enormous program. Suffice to say all teachers at the College, at all stages of their careers in education, have access to internal and external mentorship for professional learning and career development. Again, research shows many benefits to this, including:

• Mentoring helps beginning teachers feel connected to their profession and their school and helps foster the development of a professional identity. 
• Teachers who are mentored are more likely to stay in teaching. 
• High-quality mentoring can lead to improved learner achievement. 
• The opportunity to evaluate and reflect on learning. 
• It can be part of evidence used for certification as a Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher. 

Seeking mentors for our 2024 Alumni Networking Event  

As mentioned above, today, I really want to turn your attention to our upcoming 2024 Alumni Networking Event, to which you should have received your invitation via MyPymble. 

Date: Thursday 16 May 2024

Time: 6.00pm to 8.30pm 

Venue: KPMG Sydney, Level 38, Tower 3, International Towers Sydney, 300 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo 

With keynote speaker: CEO Qantas Group, Vanessa Hudson (1987) 

Click here to see details and sign up.

This is a night not to be missed; if you can, we’d love you to attend. 

The success of this event boils down to our amazing parents and members of our community who come along each year to willingly share their experience and advice as professionals and leaders in their field with Pymble graduates who are at various stages of their careers – from starting out, to first point of promotion, to moving to Board level. These wonderful people form our Alumni Mentor Group at the event, where they spend time networking with our former Pymble students, who are now at university or in the workplace and making their mark on the world, in their own inimitable way.  

Our team will, of course, provide you, as a mentor, with all the information you need to ensure the experience is rewarding and positive for you both. Given the calibre of our graduates, this could be a fantastic recruitment opportunity for you! 

There are so many good reasons to be involved as a Pymble mentor, and one or more of them will be especially close to your heart. As difficult as it is to imagine, one day soon – possibly too soon for your liking – your daughter(s) will become part of our alumni, too, eager to begin a career or facilitate the next exciting move in life. I’m proud to say, we will be there to support her then, as we do now.  

Thank you in advance for considering how you too can play an ongoing role in the development of our inspirational and compassionate Pymble graduates. I hope to see you at this event.  

#WatchUsChangeTheWorldTogether