From the Upper School
A message from Victoria Harrison, Head of Upper School
We are currently exploring ways to offer additional coeducational experiences for our Year 9 and 10 girls. This work builds on the existing partnerships we have with Shore, Knox Grammar School, and Churchie, who have supported a variety of shared activities over recent years.
These partnerships have provided opportunities for collaboration in areas such as academic enrichment, leadership development and co-curricular engagement. As we continue to review and refine our programs, we’re considering how further coeducational experiences might complement and enhance the learning and social development of our students.
We were delighted to welcome St Edmund’s to Pymble on Tuesday for their Athletics Carnival, and even more thrilled that the sun came out to shine on the day. Despite a few soggy patches underfoot, it was fantastic to see the St Edmund’s students fully engaged in the track and field events with such enthusiasm. We love hosting this event and look forward to hosting the Swimming Carnival next term.
A huge thank you to our wonderful team of Year 10 student helpers, and to Ms Lombard, Mr Fathers, Mrs Attley, Mrs Seymour, and our Facilities team for their efforts in bringing the day together so smoothly.
Student Reflections:
I had the privilege of helping at the annual St Edmund’s Athletics Carnival. The buses rolled in, filled with excited students, and we were just as eager to get the day started. At the beginning of the day, I met Lawrence, a Year 5 student who is visually impaired, and we instantly clicked. After a quick explanation from Paul, who supports Lawrence with his walking cane at school, I learnt how to guide him and collected a thick string so Lawrence could run the 100 metres without his white cane, giving him a sense of direction. We ran side by side and proudly came 3rd!
After meeting more friendly students, we headed up to Kelso for a series of activities to earn house points. These included the vortex throw, chook throw, shot put, frisbee throw, and an obstacle course that had been modified so Lawrence could complete it without his white cane. Using his hearing and other senses, he was able to navigate the course and throw the equipment freely with both hands.
The day ended with house war cries and a sausage sizzle. It was such a rewarding experience to spend the day with the St Edmund’s students and to reunite with friends I had met in the classroom and in the playground during the AIM Day (initiative day) last term at the college. It was truly a heartwarming and great experience!
Genevieve Bazina
On Tuesday the 12th of August, I was one of the lucky girls to participate in the St Edmund’s Athletics Carnival. The students had a fantastic time and it was a very rewarding experience to assist with activities throughout the day.
The first event was the 100m sprint across the oval. It was really fun to run alongside the students and encourage them to get to the finish line. The atmosphere was buzzing, and it was wonderful to see the whole school cheering from the sidelines.
The second part of the day involved a rotation of activities, where I was stationed on running an obstacle course. This involved running, throwing sacks and hurdles. This was a highlight as it was great to see all of the St Edmund’s students stepping out of their comfort zone and giving everything a go; no matter their athletic ability. I really admire their positivity and enthusiasm.
The day rounded out with the long awaited sausage sizzle, followed by the anticipated war cry competition. I was cheering alongside Mt Sion, which was one of the four sports houses. Mt Sion ended up winning the carnival, but each house and student should be commended as they really gave it their all!
The AIM Initiative and Athletics Carnival event were such rewarding opportunities, and I won’t forget the friends I made with the St Edmund’s students. Thank you to all of the lovely staff for making the day so enjoyable.
Zoe Manning
Being able to participate in the St Edmund’s AIM day as well as their athletics carnivals was such a privilege.
We started off the day greeting the students as they arrived at school and walking them over to the oval. I was able to see some familiar faces that I had met last term. Once everyone was on the oval, we split up into house groups. I stayed with the Red house (Callan) most of the day. We did a warm up before the 100m races. Unfortunately we weren’t able to do the 400m races as the track was too wet. I was able to run with three of the students, as some of them weren’t as confident and wanted some encouragement to the finish line.
After the individual races there was the student vs teacher vs Pymble races. I ran one of the races and came second. It was so nice seeing all the students as they encouraged each other as well as their competitive sides. After the races, we had a house chant practice on the oval before moving up to Kelso, where we were then assigned an activity station. I was on frisbee. We had to measure who threw the frisbee the furthest as well as the top four throws. We were able to teach some of the students to throw a frisbee as some of them didn’t know how to. All of them were so excited to see who won and receive a ribbon.
After that we had a sausage sizzle and we were able to sit on the bleachers and talk to the students, I found myself singing Gangnum Style with one of the older students for most of lunch. After lunch all the house did their house songs and the loudest house was given a trophy, we then added up all the scores throughout the day. Callan did really well and came first in two events. Overall we came second!
The experience to be a part of their community for the day was very special. We got to see them excel in so many aspects of the carnival whether it was the sports or cheering their friends along and singing the house songs as loud as they could. These students are so incredible and have such a wide range of skills that can be looked over but being there and seeing them in action really makes you appreciate their strength and determination.
Sanaya Lakhani
St Edmund’s at Vision Valley
Our Vision Valley girls were wonderful hosts to a small group of St Edmund’s students at Vision Valley last week. It was a great success, with the Pymble girls proud to share their beautiful campus and keen to teach a range of outdoor education skills.
This week, the adventurers are off on their Birrong expedition, so keep an eye out for student reflections in next week’s newsletter. For all parents of adventurers don’t forget that Solo letters are due to the Vision Valley team this week Please drop to the US office if you haven’t done so already. We will make sure it arrives to the girls in time
Year 9 Design Technology Projects
Our creative Year 9 Design Technology students have been busy in the workshop on their latest projects. Their jewellery boxes are looking so good!
In our recent Design Technology project, we constructed beautiful wooden jewellery boxes using traditional joinery techniques like the stopped housing joint, carefully crafted with chisels. We took great care sanding, waxing, and buffing each piece to a smooth finish. For the lids, we designed intricate marquetry patterns using Adobe Illustrator, printed the designs on the lasercutter, and then arranged and glued veneer pieces to bring the artwork to life. My favourite part was definitely the marquetry, as it was both creatively rewarding and challenging. Overall, this has been a super cool project that allowed us to combine craftsmanship with digital design.
Hannah Murphy
Student Achievements
Congratulations to Catherine Li on her outstanding achievements at the Sydney Eisteddfod! Catherine won 1st place in the Open Age Piano category, 3rd place in the 18th Century (15–16 years) section, and received a Highly Commended in the 19th Century (15–16 years) category. A fantastic result across a highly competitive field, well done, Catherine!
At the end of this week, Willa Pearson will travel to Indonesia to represent Australia as part of the Young Matildas squad competing in the ASEAN U-12 Girls Championship. We wish Willa all the very best for this exciting opportunity. Good luck!
Garden Party is coming
We’re excited about our annual Garden Party! This year, we’ll have Bottle Bingo stalls for both Year 9 and Year 10. We would really appreciate your help by donating two or three jars for the stalls. Next week, students will start collecting bottles, and we encourage parents to support their daughter in taking responsibility for organising their donations.
Key Dates for Term 3
Year 10 RYDA Excursion – Wednesday 20 August. Please give your consent urgently via the Parent Portal
Garden Party – Saturday 20 September