From the Senior School

From the Deputy Head of Senior School

This week the Senior School has recognised and celebrated International Women’s Day in a variety of ways. The Senior School Liaison Prefects led an assembly to highlight the aims of the day and representative senior students attended the UN Women Australia’s International Women’s Day, Parliament’s Young Women’s Leadership Seminar and Ku-ring-gai Council International Women Day Forum. These events are such a worthwhile reminder to celebrate women’s achievements and educate and raise awareness about women’s equality.

As part of the wellbeing program, Ms Jilani, one of our College psychologists led a workshop for Year 11 – “How does our Self-Talk impact our Academic Performance?” Students gained valuable advice about the link between both and had a time of reflection where they shared their positive words of affirmation. Thank you to Ms Jilani for running this workshop.

UN Women Australia’s International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day, a global celebration of women’s achievements and call for gender equality, was marked this year by a remarkable UN event at the ICC, embodying the theme “Count Her In: Invest in women. Accelerate progress.”

Alongside several other Pymble students ranging from Upper to Senior School, I had the honour to attend and gain valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs faced by women globally. The two key speakers were Michele Bullock, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, who highlighted the importance of financial inclusion for women’s empowerment; and Moana Hope, AFLW powerhouse and host of the Entrepreneur Her radio show.

The Q+A with Moana Hope was particularly engaging, as her experiences in sport and business revealed both her resilience and the importance of advocating for gender equality in all sectors. Through her personal experiences and advocacy work, Hope has continued to challenge stereotypes and break down barriers, inspiring women to pursue their dreams unabashedly.

Overall, while the event underscored our ongoing journey toward equality, it also highlighted the transformative power of the female voice and how vital it is to “Count Her In”.

Written by Rachel Chan (Year 12)

Prefect Afternoon Tea

As Pymble’s Prefect Coordinators, we recently organised and hosted a Pymble’s Prefect Afternoon Tea. This was an event attended by our prefect body and twenty-eight different schools from across Sydney, with the purpose of building inter-school connections and reflecting on how we, as student leaders, can best serve our schools.

It was a jungle-themed extravaganza with a special emphasis on utilising student voice to enact change, as per the school theme, “Hear Us Roar”. The afternoon consisted of icebreakers, trivia and a leadership talk by our school captains, Bella and Julie. Interacting with students from other schools and sharing our respective initiatives was a very enlightening and enjoyable experience!

Our prefect team appreciated the opportunity to connect with other student leaders and gain inspiration for the direction of their portfolios in 2024. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Written by Emma Parsons (Year 12) and Isabel Aveling (Year 12)

Term 1 Key Dates

Friday 15 March – Year 12 Social at Dalton House

Friday 22 March – Year 11 Formal at Le Montage

Tuesday 26 to Thursday 28 March – Year 11 Assessment block

Friday 29 March – Good Friday Public Holiday

Monday 1 April – Easter Monday Public Holiday

Thursday 4 April – Year 11 University Immersion Day

Thursday 4 April – Year 12 Food for Thought

Friday 12 April – Term 1 ends

Friday 3 May – Careers Expo (date changed to Friday 3 May from Monday 8 April)

From the Secondary School Parent Group

Year 11 Parent Meet Up

We’d love for you to join us for dinner at our Year 11 parent meet up on Friday 22 March after dropping your daughter off at the Year 11 Formal at a location close to Lilyfield.

For more details, feel free to call or message me on 0426 868 643, or join the Facebook group Pymble LC Parents Class of 2025.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Jemma Barney

Patricia Gallardo

Deputy Head of Senior School