From the Principal

Dear Pymble family

It is so good to be back! The past four weeks of sabbatical leave have been a magical time in my life, both renewing and rewarding in so many ways. Swapping high heels for PPE gear most days, I have absolutely loved getting stuck into helping Matt rebuild our family home and spending precious time with family members I don’t always get to see so often. Highlights include a great day at the mud boat races with my sister and niece and enjoying a game of golf with Dad on Father’s Day – the first time we have spent that day together in many years. Another treasured memory was taking a mosaics class with my mum, which was something we have both wanted to do for a very long time. My muscles may be aching, but my heart is full.

Naturally, Pymble was never far from my thoughts, and I dearly missed the daily connection with our students and staff who bring so much joy and energy to my life (although I did manage to sneak in a quick catch-up with staff who were in Brisbane checking out a flight school). It was a privilege to be able to step away from campus, safe in the knowledge that we have an incredible team of leaders who work together harmoniously to ensure life at Pymble continues as normal. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the Board for this gift of time, to all our staff who stepped up in different ways, and especially to our Deputy Principal, Ms Lamia Rockwell for standing in as Acting Principal with her trademark grace, thoughtfulness and humility.

During the break, I also spent a few hours with an executive coach undertaking a reflection activity focused on my work at Pymble and the aspects that hold the most significance to me. Two strong themes emerged. One was community – no surprises there – and the importance of our students, staff, families, ex-students, and the broader Pymble community in relation to the work that I do. Hope was the other biggie.

Chipping away at bricks and demolishing old walls and ceilings afforded plenty of time for me to think about the concept of hope and the interplay between hope and action. Hope on its own is never going to be enough to effect change. It’s fair to say, hope is pretty hopeless without action.

If hope is important in relation to the future of Pymble – and it is – then it must be partnered with intentional moves towards that envisaged future. Hope is represented by all the work we have done and will continue to do to establish Pymble as a pathway for each student to achieve her personal goals and aspirations, whether that’s in sport, STEM, humanities, the arts, academia, aviation or any other field of interest, locally or globally.

Hope is our master plan of projects transforming the College footprint and enhancing learning spaces for our girls. Hope is the development of Vision Valley and Outdoor Education Programs that build character, relationships and resilience. Hope is becoming an Olympic Pathway School and forging strategic partnerships with global organisations, universities and Colleges to raise our students’ international profile and opportunities.

Hope is learning with and from our First Nations students and communities and moving towards genuine and respectful reconciliation. Hope is embracing diversity as the source of our strength and unity as the Pymble family. Hope is providing a safe haven to learn and grow, for all students, including those who come to Australia from countries at war and in conflict.

Hope is our Values Statements and leaning into those values to create an even more harmonious community and world around us.  

It is exciting to envisage the next five years at Pymble and all these actions – and more – that will play a significant role in shaping the lives of our girls, staff and families. I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone in our community in the following weeks and months to hear what is important to you, and how your hopes and actions will play out in the future.

Rather than hoping to see you around the grounds soon, I’ll plan and take action to be present at events to ensure I will see you around the grounds soon!

Windows into Learning

It’s been the term for Outdoor Education Programs for many of our Junior School year groups. Congratulations to our young adventurers for demonstrating great courage in stepping out of their comfort zones and into nature’s classroom. Meanwhile, Upper School students in TAS are turning timber into marquetry. With thanks to our fabulous academic staff for continuing to provide these insights into teaching and learning.

Outdoor Education for Year 2

Last week, Year 2 embarked on a day of hands-on learning and exploring in nature, starting with an exciting bushwalk over rocks and along tricky paths. Students enthusiastically embraced the challenge of navigating through the rugged bushland, discovering the natural beauty and complexity of their surroundings and learning about the diverse bush tucker that different animals rely on.

The adventure continued with students constructing habitats for a blue-tongue lizard named Garygon and planting seedlings of Wattle and Davidson plums. The seedlings were then carefully transported back to Pymble, where they will be planted in a designated area to contribute to our green spaces. To cap off their adventure, students created detailed maps of the area they explored, marking specific locations and features. Overall, this day offered our girls a unique opportunity to engage with nature, learn about local wildlife and plant life, and apply their knowledge in practical, creative ways.

Ms Ashlee Weir
Year 2 Compass teacher  Top of Form

Top of the box in D&T

This term, students in Stage 5 Design and Technology have successfully completed a jewellery box project, where they explored the intricate art of marquetry by designing and applying decorative patterns to their boxes. This project allowed them to build skills in working with timber tools and machinery, while learning to follow detailed working drawings and manage their time effectively throughout the manufacturing process.

Currently, students are working on a new project focused on creating a small shelving solution. This project introduces them to the innovative technique of vacuum forming timber pieces into sculptural shapes, which they will integrate into their final designs. Through this work, students are continuing to develop their skills in materials technologies, particularly in timber, while gaining confidence in using a range of additional technologies and equipment.

Both projects have encouraged students to investigate, analyse and apply design concepts, while managing their time and refining their understanding of the design process – ultimately providing valuable learning experiences that enhance their skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and project management.

Mrs Ashleigh Mead 
Technology and Applied Studies teacher