From the Upper School
A message from Victoria Harrison, Head of Upper School
In last week’s Combined Assembly, we focused on young women’s health, with guest speaker Vanessa Ferguson from Adora Fertility presenting alongside two passionate Year 9 students, Ariana and Tala. Both students are exploring women’s health education and the importance of building awareness from a young age.
Through the PDHPE curriculum, PESP initiatives such as Kamana, and the annual PPEP Talk® program attended by Year 10, our students are encouraged to be mindful of their own health and the wellbeing of those around them. Being proactive about health is an act of strength and a key part of becoming an empowered young woman.
It is essential that students establish awareness now, learning to advocate for themselves and form habits that will sustain their health and wellbeing into the future. Young women can sometimes dismiss small changes or brush off symptoms, but it is important to listen to their bodies and speak up early if something doesn’t feel right.
Key messages included:
- paying attention to changes, no matter how small
- recognising the importance of rest, nutrition and movement
- seeking support from trusted adults or health professionals when needed
We encourage parents to talk with their daughters about health literacy, helping them trust their bodies and speak up when something feels wrong.
Thank you to Ariana for sharing her reflection:
Hi! I’m Ariana, and this year my partner Tala Gubera and I decided to start up a passion project. Our project specialises in women’s health, addressing the gap in education for teenage girls. As part of our project on women’s health education, we researched and focused on conditions like endometriosis and PCOS. Out of 22 Year 9 students asked in a mini-random survey, 16 had never heard of endometriosis, and the remaining six still didn’t know what it actually was. This shows just how rarely these important health issues are talked about. Did you know that severe period pain isn’t normal? Because women’s health has been historically under-researched, symptoms like these have been normalised, harming millions of women worldwide. Our goal is to make conditions like endometriosis a regular part of conversation, breaking down stigma and ensuring young people are informed rather than left in the dark, waiting decades for a diagnosis. We have been mentored by Dr Hadwen and more recently Vanessa Ferguson of Adora Fertility to help develop our project further, and to hopefully reach a larger audience.
We are publishing our current work in the school research journal: Perspective.
Keep an eye out! If you have any questions about our research email me at aazizmohammad2028@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.
R U OK? Day at Pymble
This week we came together to recognise R U OK? Day, a reminder for students to check in with their friends, classmates and teachers. Sometimes, asking “Are you okay?” and taking a moment to listen can make a big difference.
To make conversations a little easier (and sweeter!), students shared Kit Kats to have a Kit-Kat chat, because taking a break together is the perfect chance to talk.
Remember, you don’t need a special day to ask the question. Every day is a good day to reach out to support one another.
Student Achievements
Congratulation to our talented Upper School Fencers who competed at the Australian Fencing Circuit 1 in Melbourne last weekend. Lulu Hargraves placed 13th in theSenior Women’s Épée event and Rianne Leung placed 2nd in the in Melbourne. Both Rianne and Lulu have been selected in the Australian High Performance Fending Squad
Rianne has shared this reflection of her most recent competition.
Over the weekend, I competed at AFC#1 (Australian Fencing Circuit #1) to kick off the season. The event began with four pools of six and one pool of seven, everyone advances from pools to direct elimination, but the pool results determine your seeding. I was ranked third after pools and made my way to the finals and was unfortunately eliminated. Despite the loss, I’m happy to have finished second. More than the result itself, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to learn from my bouts and come back stronger. This is a great start to the season and I’m very excited for more to come.
2026 International Student Exchange Program
We are excited to launch the 2026 International Student Exchange Program, offering Upper School students a unique opportunity to broaden their horizons through cultural and educational experiences overseas.
An online information evening will be held at 6.00 pm on Wednesday, 17 September. This session is highly recommended as it will outline the program’s opportunities, responsibilities, and expectations, as well as the application process, required documents and key deadlines. Formal applications will open in Week 9.
For an overview of the program, please click here. Keep an eye out for a portal notice with the link to join the online event and please indicate your interest to attend on the attached form found here.
Year 10 Camp – Term 4
A reminder to all Year 10 parents to please complete the consent form for their daughter’s Term 4 Outdoor Education Program. This is due urgently!
All required links and detailed program information have been sent to families through the My Pymble portal, specific to each daughter’s allocated program. Additional information about the Year 10 Outdoor Education Program can also be found HERE
One Week to Garden Party
We’re excited about our annual Garden Party! The collection of bottles is steadily growing, but we are still waiting on contributions from many students. This is a wonderful opportunity to support our College service partners, and we need the help of our families to make it a success. If your daughter has not yet contributed, we would greatly appreciate your support in arranging this over the weekend.
Key Dates for Term 3
Garden Party – Saturday 20 September