From the Senior School
As we headed into Week 3, the Year 12 students sat their first HSC Trial examination – English (Paper 1) on Monday. All students are to be congratulated on their calm and sensible approach, which has continued throughout the week. After the first examination, the girls had a special surprise on Marden Lawn – some home baked cupcakes from Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell! It was a lovely opportunity to enjoy a sweet treat, take in the sun and chat to see how everyone felt.
I would like to offer my sincere thanks to our Year 11 students, whose routines have been a little disrupted during these examinations. The Year 11s have been respectfully quiet and following a different procedure, as well as offering their care and support to their older ‘sisters’ in Year 12. The Year 11s also have constructed a beautiful heart shaped collage of positive thoughts and best wishes for the Year 12s.
TASFest
Congratulations to all students and staff who were involved in TASFest last Friday evening. What an outstanding night of great food and drinks (the marshmallows in the hot chocolate were amazing!), clever designs and dazzling fashion. Special mention to Arabella, who hosted the evening with poise and confidence. It was so clear how much effort had gone into making this such a success and the girls certainly shone in their respective roles.
Year 5 / 11 Buddy program
Last week our Year 11 students reconnected with their Year 5 buddies for some more fun. It is wonderful to see the positive role models they are providing, as they engage with their younger peers. Positive peer pressure and strong connections to community are the most effective ways to build a sense of belonging and a stronger sense of self-worth, for both our Year 5 and Year 11 students. I am really enjoying hearing some of the great stories the older girls are sharing with me about their conversations and experiences in this program.
Pymble-Knox Connections
Year 11 students enjoyed a fun night of Trivia at Knox on Tuesday night, in our most recent gathering of the Pymble-Knox Connections group. It is lovely to see some genuine friendships being built and a some tremendous fun and talent on display.
GAP Program 2024
Year 11 students are reminded that there is a special GAP presentation for those students interested in learning more about the program. This will be presented by Ms Rockwell next Monday 7 at lunch in the JLT.
Year 11 Business Studies – Rhodes Waterside Shopping Centre
Last week, the 88 Year 11 students who make up the Business Studies cohort visited Rhodes Waterside Shopping Centre to investigate the way in which successful global businesses operate and the marketing, finance, human resource and operations strategies they have adopted.
After travelling to the centre, and a brief of our mission and intentions for the day from Mr Howells, we were given total independence to explore the competitive advantage Kmart, Ikea, Aldi and Coles possess. Whether we were comparing prices, assessing where different businesses were in the business cycle, investigating different market tactics and strategies to draw in and sustain customers or grabbing some sushi between customer interviews, the day was a success. Not only did we see businesses in action for ourselves and being able to apply the theory we we’ve learnt to real life practice, and a fun day and allowed us to be self-motivated in our business inquiry.
Everyone walked away with an extended understanding of the nature of business and business functions and a deepened understanding of how customers interact with those businesses after interviewing consumers within the stores, it was a great way to step out of our comfort zones! Following on from the trip, we will apply our findings and data collection to a business report back in the classroom.
Written by Saskia Raymond (Year 11 Business Studies Captain)
Year 11 – The Road Ahead Presentation
This week, Futures Advisors, Mrs Katrina O’Kelly, presented information to our Year 11s at their Year Assembly on key terms and tips for students to start thinking about ‘the road ahead’.
Her presentation slides are attached as well as the handout ’10 Ways to Plan for the Road Ahead’ with tips and key terms for students to begin to research and fill in.
Important Updates and Information for Senior School Students
The Futures Department communicate regularly with students about important information such as deadlines and application procedures for early entry, scholarships and admissions testing for universities.
It is important that students are organised and keep an eye out for the methods of communication from the Futures Department. Please make sure to check emails from the futures@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au address and that they are not ending up in the Junk Mail folder.
The following are channels where we regularly keep our students informed:
- Futures in Focus newsletter delivered via email
- Weekly Year 12 Updates sent through the Year Advisors Update (View past ones here)
- School Compass Newsletter
For essential updates such as deadlines, we will email specific year groups to ensure communication is made.
Term 2 Key Dates
31 July to 11 August – Year 12 HSC Trial Examinations
28 August to 8 September – Year 11 Examinations
Monday 18 September – Year 12 Picnic Day
Wednesday 20 September – Year 12 Honouring Ceremony
Thursday 21 September – Year 12 Speech Day, Year 12 Final Chapel Service and Year 12 Valedictory Dinner
Nikki Wyse
Head of Senior School