From the Upper School
A message from Victoria Harrison, Head of Upper School
The Upper School leaders ran an assembly this week for Year 9 and 10, focusing on diversity and encouraging everyone to reflect on how they acknowledge and include different perspectives in their year group. Over the first half of the year, we’ve been working together on various initiatives to help connect Upper School students, including launching the Upper School Update, a student magazine. It is always a good time for all of us to think about how we can recognise and support diversity within our school community and consider ways we can be more inclusive in our everyday interactions.
The 2025 Pymble Athletics carnival was held at Homebush today. It was great to see the girls getting involved in the events and showing awesome House spirit. We look forward to sharing more photos next week.
Digital Skills, Safety and Resilience
Academic staff this week heard from Yasmin London, a Digital Safety Expert & CEO of The Digital Fluency Group. Her advice on digital resilience and online safety is especially relevant when considering the impact of exclusion in peer groups for girls. Research shows that around 21% of young people aged 8–17 in Australia have experienced social exclusion online, with girls often particularly affected by toxic online behaviours such as exclusion, gossip and cyberbullying. This can seriously impact their wellbeing, self-esteem and sense of belonging.
Yasmin advocates for building digital resilience and open communication, rather than simply banning social media or technology. Her approach encourages girls to develop the skills to recognise and respond to exclusion, misinformation and harmful online dynamics. By setting clear expectations, fostering trust and encouraging young people to talk openly about what’s happening online, parents and carers can help girls feel more confident to seek support when they experience exclusion or negative peer interactions. We encourage parents to have open conversations with their daughters about how they communicate with their peers, both online and offline.
We are committed to continually researching best practices to support our wellbeing curriculum and, in partnership with families, we will continue to help empower our girls with strategies to manage relationships. Promoting a culture where they support one another and know how to seek help if needed is key.
Navigating the online world as a parent is complex. Look out for an upcoming opportunity for Pymble parents to hear from Yasmin London; in the interim, it is very worthwhile to have a closer look at the advice she provides for parents and young people to stay safe.
Student achievements
Congratulations to the following girls for their success in recent competitions: Tara Sproules-Nath, who achieved a high distinction award in the Australian Science Innovations Big Science competition. A great accomplishment and testament to her hard work and commitment to her studies.
In Languages, several Upper School students recently participated in the Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad (OzCLO), which is an exciting team-based national competition that challenges students to solve fascinating puzzles in real languages. Students work together in teams of four on a range of analytical problems. Congratulations to Bella Yang, Alexa Wu, Chloe Shao, Celine Cai, Sarah Quan, Nicole Fan, Erica Kwok, Alina Shi, Estelle Lee, Harriet Gregory, Sophie Guo, Sophia Chen.
Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection evening
The Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection Evening is an important opportunity for students to explore the wide range of subjects available in 2026 and to begin shaping their senior years with intention and purpose. We encourage all students to take the time to carefully consider their subject choices, reflecting on both their interests and future aspirations. It’s vital to seek support and advice from the curriculum and wellbeing teams, who are here to help you make informed decisions. As you navigate this process, please keep in mind good and not-so-good reasons to choose a subject.
Key Dates – Term 2
Secondary School Ensemble Concert (Term 2) – Tuesday 24 June
Boarders’ Travel Day – Friday 27 June
LAST DAY of TERM 2 – Friday 27 June
Victoria Harrison
Head of Upper School