From the Principal
Hello and a very warm welcome to the next – or first! – chapter of your Pymble story. The team and I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and new year break. To our families who celebrate Lunar New Year, Gong Hei Fat Choi, Chuc Mung Nam Moi, and happy Year of the Snake! We count our blessings that all new and returning day students and Boarders have come back to us safe and sound to ‘Come Alive’ as a community in 2025.
Our campus certainly was brimming with life and energy on our first day back together last week thanks to the phenomenal effort from our Year 12s, led by Head Prefects Ang-Ya and Emily, along with Head Boarding Prefects Sophie and Celeste. Proudly sporting their ‘It’s 2025…Come Alive’ t-shirts, our Seniors were out in force from early in the morning to welcome students with cheers and high fives, setting the tone for the year, and instilling in all a sense of belonging to a very special family. Thank you, Year 12, for greeting the new school year with boundless enthusiasm, commitment and care. Something tells me this will be an inspired year under your inclusive style of leadership.
Congratulations also to our Year 6 students who were inducted as leaders of the Junior School in a beautiful Chapel Service on Monday. At the opposite end of the Junior School spectrum, a great, big high-five to our new Kindy students and their families, many of whom may be feeling a mixture of relief and nervousness right now, having successfully transitioned from Kindy Club at OSHC over the break into full days in the classroom as of this week. And an extra special shout-out to our 37 new Boarding students who joined us this year. It’s a big step to move away from home and start a new school all at the same time! Similar could be said for our 70 Year 9s who moved into Vision Valley on Sunday for four weeks to undertake our first Residential Program for the year. I can’t wait to join the girls on expedition in the Blue Mountains at the end of this week and to hear how their highly anticipated first week has been.
On a personal note, I have had the best start to the year ever! Over the break I moved office and am now located on the Colonnade overlooking Gloucester Lawn. It has already transformed my days, with a constant stream of girls dropping in to say hello, ask for help getting a straw into their sealed drink, find a classroom for lessons and co-curricular groups, or just to check out my new space. I’ve especially loved the Junior School girls who have visited for lunch – what a treat!
For all those who have started the year off on a courageous note by trying something new, like finding my office all the way from the Junior School, which could be slightly scary or unfamiliar, please know you have all the support in the world at Pymble to meet this challenge, along with others that will come your way. Mums, Dads and Carers, this applies to you, too. We are all in this together, and that’s what makes Pymble such a special community.
At this point, and I know this is getting long, but one final shout-out to our students and families who over the break adopted our Pymble Wise Phones. It took courage and trust – thank you! We are already working with our community to better understand what is working and what’s not so we can continue to refine the initiative. ❤️ 💙🤍
News from over the break
One of the things our new students and families will discover soon enough is that the incredible learning opportunities at Pymble don’t end when the school day, term or year ends.
Over the 2024/25 summer break, we had a number of students and staff representing Pymble all around the world, including on a service tour to Fiji to assist local communities in need, and on Language, Music and Exchange tours and programs in Italy, Spain and Portugal, France and Japan just to name a few destinations. Additionally, our Language Arts students became the first group in Australia to participate in the Model United Nations Conference held in The Hague!
Back home, Pymble volunteers assisted at Sony Camp, our roboticists were busily building in preparation for competition season, our rowers and swimmers were working hard at training camps, and our tennis team spent time at the Australian Open in Melbourne, where they were also interviewed by Channel 9 about our new relationship with the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain. Great job, all!
These after-hours experiences are an important part of life at Pymble and don’t happen without a great deal of thought, time and commitment from our staff and families. Thank you, one and all, for all you do to deliver these opportunities, which are truly life changing for our girls. My advice to all students – both new and returning – is to lean into every opportunity to journey beyond your comfort zones this year, safe in the knowledge that you will be known, guided and supported every invigorating step of the way.
Coming alive in 2025…with Respect
My final message to wrap up our first full week back for 2025 is about our College value, Respect. By now most families will be aware that Respect is our focus for the whole school community this year, and those who have spent time on campus this week will see obvious reminders as you move around the grounds.
In assemblies this week, we spoke to students about our expectations, breaking them down into common courtesies and basic manners that will help ensure each member of our community feels valued and respected. They include:
- Treat others the way you want to be treated.
- Think before you speak – are your words hurtful, or caring and kind?
- Remember to say please and thank you – especially to your teachers, co-curricular coaches, and staff you interact with.
- Be the first to say sorry if you mess up or make a mistake.
I am so proud of our students; as members of a deeply values-based community, they have a great base from which to amplify respect for themselves, others and the environments they live and learn in. Thank you for supporting us to support your daughters to bring their best respectful selves to Pymble as we Come Alive, together, in 2025.
P.S. Hope to see you at Icebreaker on Friday 21 February!
Our annual gathering for parents and carers to meet key staff at the College is in just two weeks. Held on our stunning Gloucester Lawn at sunset, this is always such a beautiful evening for parents to connect with one another and with our Chair of the Board, Board members, Pymble leadership team and key staff. Click here to book your tickets – I look forward to catching up with you then, if not sooner.
