From the Principal

From the Principal

Hello, I hope you are all taking good care of yourselves and staying warm and well now that we are moving into winter with its accompanying lurgies, low temperatures and rainy days and nights. Please, if your daughter is sick or coming down with something, keep her at home so she can recover faster and return to us sooner. Sometimes, a day or two of rest is all she needs to bounce back into her normal routine without missing a beat.

At Pymble, each member of our community is respected and valued for the unique energy and spirit they bring to our wonderfully colourful and richly diverse global community. This week, we are proud to celebrate our First Nations people and the care, thought and consideration they have given to this land, which we call Australia, for many generations before us.

National Reconciliation Week presents an opportunity to consciously stop and think about what it means to truly reconcile with others. We ask ourselves, what does it mean to come together in mind, body and spirit? How do we genuinely see somebody else for who they are and take the time to listen to their story, ask questions, and try to understand a position that may not be ours?

Open hearts and minds are encouraged

In assembly on Tuesday, we took the time to celebrate our students who are learning from and teaching us about First Nations people and culture. This included: Dezi Magann-Jones and Maya Dias (Year 12), who both spoke so eloquently and passionately about their learnings and HSC Major Works in Aboriginal Studies; Sahara Lemon who exemplified courage and respect as she performed her HSC Dance solo exploring the impact of colonisation; and Evie Farr, Clare Ferreira, Mie Naito and Ellie Pointon (Year 10) who recently experienced an eight-day on-country immersion with our partner school Milingimbi in the Northern Territory.

Please enjoy this clip that captures highlights of their time in Arnhem Land.

It’s important to know that our commitment to reconciliation goes deeper than an annual awareness week. Our long-standing aim has always been to educate our girls, shoulder-to-shoulder with their First Nations peers from all over Australia, so they can grow in understanding, awareness, leadership and community spirit, together. This is reflected in our Watch Us Change the World strategy, under the Social Intelligence pillar.

Did you know…?

  • Pymble’s Indigenous Scholarship Program was launched in 2007 for our inaugural First Nations student, Jessica Ah Chee (2010), an elite sportswoman who was introduced to the College by our program patron, Evonne Goolagong Cawley AC MBE.
  • This program has since grown to 21 First Nations Scholars.
  • Former First Nations scholars at Pymble now act as mentors for current First Nations students.
  • Pymble was one of the four original members schools of the AIS Waratah Project, which was established in 2017 to share knowledge and improve outcomes of First Nations students at independent schools.
  • The Waratah Project now has 40 member schools, and Pymble leads one of four hubs.
  • Aboriginal Studies is now offered to students in Years 8, 10, 11 and 12.
  • In 2024, our Year 12 student Abigail Barfield placed first in the state in HSC Aboriginal Studies.
  • Pymble has established partnerships with remote communities, including Milingimbi School (NT); Tagai State College (Thursday Island); and Goodooga Central School, Brewarrina Central School and St Joseph’s School (NSW). These reciprocal relationships are sustained features of our approach to Reconciliation, fostering connections, mutual learning and trust between students, staff and families.
  • Our First Nations Advisory Group includes First Nations alumni, current and past parents, staff, community members, and current members of the First Nations staff team. The purpose of this group is to make culturally informed recommendations and provide guidance about all matters relating to the enrolment and wellbeing of First Nations students at the College.  

You are warmly invited to our First Nations Round of Sport

This Saturday, we are proud to host our annual First Nations Round of Sport. Launched back in 2018, this event aims to unite our community in respect for the contribution, knowledge and care of the people who came way before us and the campus that we know as Pymble today. We look forward to welcoming you with open hearts and minds to a reconciled future for one and all. Sadly, I can’t be there as I will be at our annual Board off-site meeting; however, our Deputy Principal, Ms Lamia Rockwell, looks forward to welcoming you to this special occasion.