From the Upper School
A message from Victoria Harrison, Head of Upper School
Last Friday, Mrs Wyse, Mr Ellis, and I had the pleasure of judging the Trangia MasterChef Challenge. This initiative was organized by Outdoor Education Prefect Erin Porter as part of Community Week with support from Mr Riley and Mr Eckford from our Vision Valley Campus.
It was a fun event, and it was lovely to see teams from Years 9, 11 and 12 in action, applying the skills they have learned at Vision Valley and during their Outdoor Education Programs to create their meals. The contestants performed admirably under pressure as they worked to prepare their dishes. Special thanks to Sarah Quan (Year 9) for writing this thoughtful reflection.
Last Friday lunchtime, around 20 students took part in the Trangia Masterchef Challenge where each group had to cook a tasty meal on Trangias which were judged for the best looking and most delicious dishes – just like the Masterchef TV show! We made fried rice, and each group had slightly different ingredients although I think everyone’s tasted good in the end.
I was in a group with Yuna and Sarah who were both in my kin group on the Residential Program at Vision Valley and this friendly competition definitely brought back exciting memories of cooking on camp, which I’m sure many of the older girls remembered too! It was exciting to see every group’s creation and cooking a meal under the time limit was so much fun… although cleaning the Trangias afterwards definitely wasn’t the highlight!
The sun was shining on Sunday as we kicked off the 11th Vision Valley Residential Program! This year, 70 Pymble girls have started their first week at Vision Valley, joining students from Churchie for an exciting few weeks away from home.
We know families are already missing their girls and are eager to hear how they’re doing. Rest assured, everything is going really well – the girls are settling in, making new friends and enjoying all the fun activities. We encourage families to keep in touch by writing letters; it’s a wonderful way to stay connected and brighten their days while they’re away. Letters can be dropped off at the Upper School office, and we’ll make sure they get delivered straight to Vision Valley a little bit faster than regular post.
Chinese Exchange Reflection
This week we warmly welcomed Maya and Emily back to Pymble after their enriching month-long exchange in Beijing. We extend our sincere gratitude to Mrs Shelley Xie for accompanying the girls for the initial part of their stay, supporting them as they settled into their new homes and school.
It is exciting to see this partnership thriving once again, and we eagerly anticipate meeting their exchange sisters when they arrive at Pymble in Term 3. We hope you enjoy learning a little about Maya and Emily’s experiences in China.
Emily Huang
During our four-week stay on the Language Exchange Program to Beijing’s No. 39 Middle School, we had many experiences that were largely different to my daily life in Australia. The school day, the different transport and being able to visit famous landmarks in Beijing in my spare time all made this journey memorable.
In Beijing, students spend nearly 13 hours a day at school, arriving at 7.30am and leaving at 8.15pm after two hours of evening self study. They have nine periods a day, each being 45 minutes, and a one-hour lunch break, as well as 20 minutes sleeping time. During these arduous hours at school, new friendships blossomed between us and our new classmates. From the very first day, they were welcoming, curious, and willing to initiate conversation.
With the support of our class teacher, we were able to fit in very quickly. Our program coincided with their mid-term exams, and we were able to see how it worked. They have three exams per day for three days, and they get their results either on the last day, or the following Monday. Additionally, after their exams, we were able to join them on their spring trip to 长城黄花岭 (The Great Wall), where the class was split into groups to do point-based activities.
On the weekends, 依依 (my exchange sister) and I visited many places with her family. We visited Universal Studios, Jingshan Hill as well as many other famous locations. We visited her grandparents, and her family were all very warm to me.
Overall, I believe this Exchange Program was a huge success, and hope that future generations of Pymble students will also be interested in visiting China and sharing this wonderful experience.
Maya Clements
During this four-week period, I had the privilege to experience day-to-day school life and the many cultural differences and landmarks of China, while improving my own language skills. The experience proved to be harder than expected for me, in terms of my ability to speak Mandarin, but I am incredibly proud of myself for how much I was able to comprehend and speak by the end of this journey.
Outside of school, my exchange sister 林依晨, her family and I enjoyed visiting horror escape rooms and museums, while experiencing foods from all over China. I was fortunate enough to be taken to a number of landmarks with the first being the 650-year-old Forbidden City, where my exchange mother told me stories about the late emperors that had lived and served there. Following that, we also visited the Temple of Heaven.
My highlight was the friendships I made with my classmates. They were incredibly understanding when I couldn’t comprehend what they were saying, putting effort into ensuring I was included in the conversation too. The farewell ceremony was sad for all of us, but we’ve promised to visit again. I know these friendships will last a lifetime! This experience was well and truly a highlight of my year so far, and I hope that this program to China will grow in interest and become a must-do exchange in the future for other Year 10 students.
Year 10 Subject Selection Information – Natasha Stanfield – Director of Studies 7-12
On Friday during Study MBS, Year 10 will have an explicit study skills lesson looking at monotasking vs multitasking and active study methods. They will also go through events which will be part of the exciting process of Subject Selection for Year 11 2026. They will be well supported by both the Curriculum and Futures team, as well as the Upper School team, over many weeks to ensure they are making an informed decision.
Below is an outline of the Subject Selection process.
Please take special note of Tuesday 10 June which is the Parent-Student Subject Selection Evening at 6.45pm in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts.
| Term | Date | Event |
| 2 | Week 2 | Reviewing the Strengths and Skills Profile with the Futures Team to help with choices |
| 2 | Week 5, Friday 30 May | Subject Selection Launch Assembly including the Subject Selection Website with the Director of Studies. |
| 2 | Weeks 5 to 9 | In class presentations with teachers for individual subjects |
| 2 | Week 6, Friday 6 June | Subject Selection Assembly in MBS with Heads of Learning Area |
| 2 | Week 7, Tuesday 10 June | PARENT/STUDENT SUBJECT SELECTION EVENING – 6.45pm* Includes Q and A with Heads of Learning Area, Futures Team, Heads of Year and Teachers *The presentation will be a live event for Boarding families and recorded for those unable to attend. |
| 2 | Weeks 8 and9 | Draft Subject Selection submitted on google form for review Individual student interviews with an Academic Advisor |
| 3 | Weeks 1 and 2 | Individual student interviews with an Academic Advisor |
| 3 | Week 3, Friday 8 August | Final Subject Selection due online (parent/carers will be emailed a unique link). |
Pymble-Knox Afternoons
This week we started the first of three social afternoons of activities with Knox Grammar students who either opted for sport, service or a trivia option. The sessions have been organised to provide students with the opportunity to connect and interact in a coeducational environment. We look forward to seeing the girls build their connections over the next few weeks and are looking to expand opportunities for our Year 9 students as well.
Meningococcal ACWY Vaccination
A reminder to all Year 10 parents – if you have not registered for your daughter to have her Meningococcal ACWY vaccination, please do so as soon as possible. The clinic for this important vaccination will take place on campus on Thursday 15 May.
How to provide consent:
1. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit: https://engage.health.nsw.gov.au/engage and log in using your Service NSW details. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. Refer to Service NSW to create an account if you don’t already have one.
2. Update or confirm your personal details in Service NSW as required.
3. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child. Read a step-by-step guide on how to provide consent online.
Key Dates – Term 2
Monday 12 to Friday 16 May – Celebrating Boarders Week with various activities on campus
Thursday 15 May – Year 10 Vaccination Clinic
Thursday 10 June – Year 10 Subject Selection Evening
Victoria Harrison
Head of Upper School