From the Upper School
A message from Victoria Harrison, Head of Upper School
It has been a pleasure to welcome five new students to the Upper School this term, along with many visitors. Over the first month, our community has been enriched by visits from four students from Milingimbi Island who are attending the Vision Valley Residential program; an orientation visit from a prospective Foundation scholarship student; and 22 students participating in our International Student Exchange program. We hope our visitors have a wonderful experience at Pymble, and we extend our gratitude to the girls and their families for helping ensure everyone enjoys a welcoming and enjoyable stay.
Tanzania Service Trip
By Leander McLaughlin
Last Holidays I was lucky enough to be involved in an eye-opening trip to Tanzania. It was a highly anticipated trip due to the three terms prior spent fundraising and collecting donations. The first week of the trip was spent with the children at the East Meru Community school where we participated in playground games, teaching classes and learning about the local lifestyle. After a sad departure from East Meru, we spent three days on a safari where we saw all sorts of amazing animals like elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions and more. The last part of our week was spent at St Jude’s school where we were able to see ways in which St Jude is actively helping to fight poverty. My highlights of the trip included, the games and connections made with the children at East Meru, the dancing and singing from the staff at all the hotels, the trips we made out to houses to scout the next intake of students at East Meru, our visit to the Maasai markets and our visit to the maternity hospital. Something that I will never forget is the everyday attitude and outlook on life that the Tanzanian people had. These people, despite having very little, brightened everyone’s days with friendly smiles or a cheerful ‘Jambo’ (meaning Hello).
This was a heartwarming experience that I enjoyed thoroughly.
By Varada Vinay
In the recent holidays, we had the opportunity to go to Tanzania for two weeks, where we participated in various activities and experiences that allowed us to immerse ourselves in the culture. Some activities included volunteering at two schools, East Meru Community School and St Jude’s, going on a 3-day safari, visiting a Maasai village, and practicing our bargaining skills at the village markets. My favourite activities were spending time with the children at East Meru by playing games and sharing stories. It was really interesting to hear the experiences that many of the kids had to go through. Some of them walk nearly 2-3 hours just to get to school but still remain curious and enthusiastic every day. Another experience I enjoyed was going to the barbecue restaurant Khans in the city in Arusha. This place operates as a mechanic during the day and a restaurant at night which was very interesting and different to Sydney. Overall, it was a very worthwhile experience and I enjoyed it a lot!
Student Achievements
Congratulations to Joy who competed at the Sydney Eisteddfod recently winning 1st prize for 18th century Piano (15 & 16 Years). She played the first movement of Mozart Piano Sonata K.333 beautifully, as the adjudicator had commented:
“Great work, Joy, this was a really compelling performance. B Flat Major, especially for Mozart, is quite a noble key, and you interpreted this in your performance with great clarity and poise! What I especially loved was that you were very aware of the operatic qualities in Mozart.”
Key Dates
Term 3
Year 10 Commerce Tour to Melbourne – Wednesday 6 to Friday 8 August
Year 10 Subject Selection choices for Year 11 DUE – Friday 8 August
Year 10 RYDA Excursion – Wednesday 20 August
Garden Party – Saturday 20 September
Victoria Harrison
Head of Upper School