We are close to but not quite halfway through the term, which means we are still climbing up the Pymble hill before we can start enjoying the countdown to summer holidays. It’s a super-busy time, in a super-busy year, and people – especially the very special young people in our care – are showing signs of being tired. Meanwhile there are assessments, exam blocks, performances, concerts, competitions, showcases, festivals, Outdoor Education Programs and a whole host of other commitments demanding their attention.
Speaking of OEPs, a huge shout-out to our awesome Year 7 students for embracing their recent five-day program at Vision Valley with remarkable commitment and gusto. Such was their enthusiasm for having a go that the attendance rate amongst the cohort was almost 100 per cent. Our staff are bursting with pride for our students (and their families) who are embracing all that our OEPs have to offer, safe in the knowledge that they are in the best of hands as they build their resilience, confidence and connectedness, both as individuals and as a cohort, through each progressively more challenging experience.
Sometimes it can be hard for parents to know when to push their child to take on a challenge, when to pull them back, or when to simply let them know that you are present and available to support them while they work their way through.
In assembly this week our Deputy Principal – Students, Mr Justin Raymond, shared a strategy he used recently to complete what most of us would deem a completely unreasonable physical challenge. It’s the same one I use frequently as a life-long learner, a mentor of students and the leader of this wonderful school. We both thought it would be a handy strategy to share with our Pymble family at this point in time.
Chunking through challenge
Desmond Tutu once said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.”
What he meant by this is that everything in life that seems daunting, overwhelming, and even impossible can be accomplished gradually by taking on just a little at a time. Researchers have since agreed, coining this process ‘chunking’, which basically means breaking down big things into smaller, manageable pieces to achieve the outcome you desire.
Physical challenges
In Mr Raymond’s case, he used the chunking strategy to achieve his goal of competing in an ultramarathon of 200 miles (328km), in the tropical landscape of Cairns in Far North Queensland, across 10,000 metres of vertical gain (aka hills), with next to no sleep barring occasional 12-minute ‘dirt naps’, for four days and three nights. When the going got tough, rather than focus on how tired or sore he was or how far he still had to go, he set himself small tasks:
Run to that tree.
Run until the next dirt nap in two hours.
Run to the next snack point.
After completing each task, he acknowledged his small win and set a new task. And so the cycle of chunking continued. 81 hours and 51 minutes later, he crossed the finish line in sixth place.
“Chunking is all about positive validation,” Mr Raymond says.
“It turns an epic thing into little chunks, and each time you achieve one of these chunks you give yourself a pat on the back. You go from small win to small win, which is the mindset you need to see a big challenge through to the end.”
Studying and upcoming exams
Chunking is also an effective way to improve your short-term memory, according to researchers. By grouping different bits of information together in smaller or well-organised chunks, study notes can become easier to comprehend and remember.
Research also suggests that chunking tasks can reduce anxiety and feelings of overwhelm – a great strategy for our Secondary School students as they head into their end of year exams.
When life throws curveballs
We don’t need research, however, to tell us that life doesn’t always go to plan, relationships aren’t always easy, and occasionally something big and scary will crop up that may make you want to run for the hills rather than face the music. The first thing to remember is that the rule of thirds applies when you’re chasing a dream or doing something hard – you can expect to feel good 1/3 of the time, okay 1/3 of the time, and crappy 1/3 of the time.
The second thing to know is that ‘chunking down’ a daunting personal challenge into small steps to take, hour by hour, day by day can help you move forward and prove to yourself that you willget through this because you are doing it.
Conversely, you can also ‘chunk up’ to shift your perspective from something specific to something more general, or a bigger picture, as a way of turning the heat down on something that is making you feel all hot and bothered.
You can see why Mr Raymond and I are big fans of chunking – it can be applied to so many challenges in life. Perhaps you’d like to chat about it as a family and see how this strategy can be applied to different areas of your lives, too.
Have a great week ahead.
From the Junior School
From the Head of Junior School
Our girls showed their courage and enthusiasm as learning adventurers as they embraced the activities of Links Day last week. Throughout the day the girls from Kindergarten to Year 5, 2023 had the unique opportunity to step into the shoes of their future grade, giving them a sneak peek into the incredible learning experiences awaiting them next year. Some of the activities included:
Year 1 reading the book Isabella’s Garden by Glenda Millard and talking about the growth of the beautiful garden throughout the seasons and talking about this being their journey from Kindergarten as they bloom and blossom. The girls loved talking about all the things they are looking forward to and making their 3D Hyacinth flowers using a paper twirling technique.
Year 2 enjoying a yarn together about their hopes and wishes for the coming year and reading SmartCookie by Jory John and reflecting on all the different ways they are smart.
A special Assembly for our future 2024 Year 1 and Year 2 girls that featured our new liaison prefects, Eleni, Mia, Carly and Daniela, heard our ‘Friday Funny’ from the Year 1 teachers and celebrated Iyla Jolapara who is being courageous and generous by cutting her hair and raising much needed funds for blood cancer research.
Year 4 bringing some drama and fun to the classroom with a fairytale role play with a difference.
Our Year 6 girls have their Links Day into Year 7 on 10 November. As such, they used the day to continue working on their individual projects as they work towards their showcase of learning later this term. Year 6 also had the fun of some House spirit activities on Saturday morning with their Year 7 cohort, a glimpse of the camaraderie and teamwork that they’ll experience as Year 7 students.
Diwali celebrations are coming
This week I was honoured to be the learner as a group of four girls from Year 3. Arin Sadananda, Arya, Anya and Siya shared their knowledge of the history and traditions behind Diwali. The girls generously gave up their lunchtime to share with me the story of the love between Princess Sita and Rama and how good triumphs over evil, light over darkness. The girls showed an impressive depth of knowledge about the traditions families honour now and how the stories of Diwali alter slightly depending on where you live in India but the ultimate message of light defeating darkness and welcoming loved ones safely home remains constant. These girls will share their passion and cultural pride in our upcoming Diwali festival celebration next week.
Year 5 and Year 11 Buddies
This week our Year 5 girls shared their vision boards with their Year 11 buddies. Throughout the year we have created opportunities for our Year 5 girls to connect with Year 11 and each partnership has learnt from one another, listening to one another’s stories and finding shared interests and passions. I am proud to hear from Mrs Wyse, Head of Senior School that the Year 11 girls have loved this experience so much, they have asked to continue this buddy program next year as our Year 5 girls move into Year 6.
Teachers as lifelong learners
This week I want to honour Mrs Victoria Adamovich who has been recognised by the Teachers’ Guild NSW for her exceptional research into the wellbeing of students from language backgrounds other than English. Victoria’s research centres on understanding how migration, family structures and choices can affect children. Each year the Teachers’ Guild NSW honours just a few teachers and it is an incredible honour for Victoria to be recognised with her Finalist award.
A message from Lara Bird, Deputy Head of Junior School Academics
Wild with Words Poetry Competition
Students in Year 1 to 6 across Ku-ring-gai are invited to submit a poem about a favourite animal, plant, tree or special place in nature, sharing their love and respect for our environment. Girls are to submit a hardcopy of their poem which includes a hand drawn picture. Entries close on 14 November.
The Sokratis Junior School presentation will take place on Tuesday 7 November from 3.30pm to 4.30pm in the 3-6 Junior School library.
A message from Stephen Robinson, Acting Deputy Head of Junior School Operations
Grandparents Day Picnic
This Friday we look forward to welcoming Grandparents to the Junior School where they will be able to join their grandchildren for lunch. We have extended our lunch times to occur between 12.30pm and 1.30pm, allowing girls to spend as much time with their family members as possible.
Additional seating will be placed in the:
Kindergarten lower courtyard
Year 1 riverbed courtyard
Year 2 upper courtyard
Year 4 courtyard (behind the new JS Office), for families of students in Years 3/4/5/6.
Where grandparents have students in multiple grades, we kindly ask families to come together in the location of the youngest child.
Throughout the lunchtime we will have games and activities for all students to enjoy, including chalk drawing on the Junior School service road where we encourage students to draw their extended family.
Parking: Parking is available in the Centenary Carpark and will also be permitted in the K-2 and 3-4 carlines, accessible via Gate 1 provided cars are removed by 2.00pm. For additional convenience, Greyhouse Walk will be open for those who would prefer to enter from Pymble Avenue.
Classes resume for all students at 1.30pm and therefore no students will be permitted to leave early without a prior application for leave, as is our normal process.
Let’s Get Creative Festival – Thursday 16 November 2023
We are very much looking forward to welcoming you onto campus for our Let’s Get Creative Festival on Thursday 16 November 2023. We have a very wide range of exciting performances, displays and stalls for you to enjoy.
The following provides a brief overview of the day:
9.00am to 10.00am: K-6 House Competition in the College Gymnasium
10.00am to 11.30am: Exhibits in the Junior School
10.00 Rotation 1
10.30 Rotation 2
11.00 Rotation 3
(Rotations specific to individual grades groups will be communicated to families via Portal notice)
11.30am to 12.30pm: Finale of the PJ Factor competition
12.30pm to 1.30pm: Optional Family Picnic in the Junior School Valley Playground
Market Stall Purchases: Our 40+ student-operated market stalls will be selling a vast range of student created, home-made items being sold for $1-$2. Stalls are cashless on the day, but ‘tokens’ can be bought in advance by sending money into Compass Teachers on Monday to Wednesday of Week 6 (not exceeding $5). Tokens will then be issued to students on Thursday morning. Additional tokens can be bought on the day. We thank all our stall operators who are donating their proceeds to charity.
Parking: As with all events on campus, parking is limited. We kindly ask that all students be dropped off at school at their usual time as so they can prepare for the House Competition. Once carline operations cease at 8.30am, parking will be permitted along the upper and lower loop roads accessible via Gate 1 provided cars are moved by 2.00pm. Greyhouse Walk will remain open throughout the day.
RSVP and Dismissal Process: Please click this link to RSVP your attendance to our festival. The form allows you to identify when and how your daughter will be leaving school, whether this be at 12.30pm or at regular dismissal time.
Should you be unable to attend during the day, we warmly invite you to attend an evening showing of student artworks the evening of Wednesday 15 November between 5.00pm and 6.00pm.
Our Let’s Get Creative Festival is a new and exciting initiative this year. It will be our largest ever event hosted within the Junior School, with every student in Kindergarten to Year 6 involved in performances and the art display. Although we have attempted to foresee all eventualities, please work with us if there are any unforeseen matters as we co-ordinate this wonderful event.
We very much look forward to seeing you at the Let’s Get Creative Festival.
Pymble Gives Back
Thank you to all our wonderful families who have throughout this year donated clothes and linen as of our Pymble Gives Back initiative. With the end of year fast approaching and as we enter the warmer months, please consider donating any suitable items that are no longer being used. We would love to see the bin once again overflow with donations with the generosity of our Junior School Community.
A message from Kate Giles, Lead Coordinator K-3 and Jayne Mercer, Lead Coordinator 4-6
This week in Kindergarten the girls have enjoyed reading Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell and thinking about how they would persuade the zoo to send them an interesting and exciting pet by using reasons.
The Year 1 girls are enjoying learning how to write information reports by investigating interesting facts about animals such as the Blue Whale and the Koala. They have been fascinated by the unique characteristics of the animals and enjoyed learning how to structure their writing to be interesting for the audience.
“I was quite amazed to read that a koala sleeps for 18-20 hours a day.” – Su-Ya Koo
“I had fun trying to make a container that can hold 16 unifix cubes. It was hard but I did it in one go!” – Flora Wu
“I learnt that a baby koala is called a joey and when it is born it is the size of a jelly bean.” – Allison Lu
“It was exciting to see all different sorts of seeds inside the fruits and vegetables. Some of them were very funny shapes.” – Josie Li
“I was surprised to learn that whales have baleen instead of teeth which they use to eat small fish.” – Olivia Yang
Year 2 have enjoyed making Rube Goldberg machines in Science, creating their Mimmis in Visual Arts and convincing their teachers and classmates of their opinions on a range of interesting and varied topics such as that mosquitoes are the most annoying of all bugs, or children should have fewer toys and more cardboard boxes to play with.
‘I loved watching Rube Goldberg videos in Science where children made a maze that show push and pull forces.’ – Lexie Pu
‘I have enjoyed Maths lessons where we were asked to show all the things we know about a 3-digit number.’ – Chloe Xu
‘I have loved learning about technology from the past in History. We got to look at dolls, cassettes and a record player. It was cool.’ – Mia Wang
‘I have really liked learning about Persuasive texts in Literacy. We wrote a letter trying to persuade Mrs Brown to let us go on camp in Year 2.’ – Aimee Pan
‘I loved finding things in nature to make our Mimmi’s in Art.’ – Amelia Chen
Year 3 have been working on their research and note taking skills in Inquiry and English lessons. They have been learning about the fascinating age of exploration and have loved investigating many different explorers who discovered and mapped the trade and spice routes a long time ago. Each girl has chosen to research an early Sea explorer, researching the journey they travelled and why it was important to the world.
‘We have been researching famous explorers. One of the explorers I have learnt about is Ferdinand Magellan. Did you know he was the mastermind behind the first voyage to circumnavigate the world!?‘ – Alice Deutscher
‘In English this term, Miss Kennett has been teaching us all about explorers. One of the explorers I enjoyed researching was Captain James Cook. He was a master of mapping. Cook mapped the main islands of New Zealand and the East Coast of Australia. While he was in Australia, he studied the native flora and fauna.’ – Kelsey Huang
‘It was surprising to learn that Matthew Flinders was the first person to circumnavigate Australia.’ – Annie Yuan
‘I liked learning about Hartog and how he sailed to the unknown southern land and how he landed on the west coast of Australia, placing a special dish there to mark this special event.‘ – Miranda Liu
Parent Friendship workshop – How to support your daughter with her friendships
We are starting a number of parent workshops following the parent wellbeing survey last term. These workshops will provide an opportunity for you to discuss various issues to assist supporting your daughter with her health and wellbeing. The workshops will be small to ensure a relaxed atmosphere and allow for discussions and questions, so will be capped at 20 parents.
The first workshop will be held on Thursday 9 November at 8.30am in the Junior School Library. Should you wish to attend this workshop, please sign up using this link: Parent Friendship Workshop sign up
In the lead up to Christmas, the HARK Clinic are seeking donations of toys, specifically Barbie dolls, baby dolls, playdough, matchbox cars, soccer balls and Lego. These items can be brought to school by your daughter or dropped at the Junior School office. If you have any questions, please email kgiles@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au. We thank you for helping support the HARK Refugee Clinic at Westmead.
Junior School Panel Event: A focus on student wellbeing for academic success
On Tuesday 14 November the Junior School will host a panel event in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts (GMCPA) from 6.00pm to 8.00pm. This event is best suited to parents of students in Kindergarten to Year 8.
The panel will feature experts in fields from child psychology, parenting strategies, child advocacy and digital media. Alumni Zoe Robinson will emcee the evening, centring the discussion on student wellbeing for long term academic success.
Zoe will be joined on stage by:
Brad Marshall, the Unplugged Psychologist
Judith Locke, author of The Bonsai Child and The Bonsai Student
Lisa Maltman, founder of The Sleep Connection
Andrew Scott, Leader of Psychological Services at Pymble
Date: Tuesday 14 November
Time: 6.00pm to 8.00pm
Venue: Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts
Registration: This is a FREE event, but registration is essential and tickets are limited.
Pymble families are offered an early bird booking before tickets open to the wider community.
Please note: due to privacy guidelines there will be no recording of this event and no video link available following the panel.
Around the Grounds
Messages from Junior School Administration Office
Water Bottles
With the weather temperatures increasing, a reminder to ensure you daughter has a water bottle with her at school. Water bottle filling stations and water bubblers are available throughout Junior School.
From the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)
Swimming Carnival
The Junior School swimming carnivals will be held on the following dates:
Year 3 to 6 on Wednesday 15 November
Kindergarten to Year 2 on Thursday 23 November
The JSPG holds a refreshments stall at both carnivals, which is greatly appreciated by our girls and their families.
We are seeking convenors for both stalls. If you are able to assist at either stall, please contact us as soon as possible (through your year coordinator or on email at pymblelcjspg@gmail.com).
This is a lovely opportunity to meet other families and have fun on the day.
Important Dates for Term 4
Friday 3 November
Grandparents Day, 12.30pm to 2.00pm
Tuesday 7 November
Sokratis Showcase, 3.30pm to 4.30pm in John Reid Hall
Wednesday 8 November
Onstage K-2 Tech rehearsals for Dance concert, 1.00pm to 5.00pm
Thursday 9 November
Diwali Festival in John Reid Hall
Thursday 9 November
Dance Showcase Year 3 to 12, 4.30pm to 9.00pm
Friday 10 November
Have a Go Expo, Year 6
Friday 10 November
Dance Showcase Eisteddfod, Year 4 to 12, 5.30pm to 9.00pm
Saturday 11 November
Dance Showcase, Year 3 to 12, 1.00pm to 9.30pm
Tuesday 14 November
Jacaranda Day
Tuesday 14 November
Focus on Student Wellbeing for Academic Success – Expert forum for parents K-6
Wednesday 15 November
Years 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival
Thursday 16 November
Let’s Get Creative Festival
Thursday 23 November
Kindergarten to Year 2 Swimming Carnival
Thursday 30 November
Year 6 Silent Disco and Parent Cocktail Party, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Tuesday 5 December
Kindergarten Celebration of Learning, Year 1 and 2 Celebration of Learning
Wednesday 6 December
Year 3 to 6 Speech Day, supervision for students in K-2 available
Wednesday 6 December
Last day of Term 4 2023
Kate Brown
Head of Junior School
From the Middle School
The Year 7 Outdoor Education Experience continues this week out at Vision Valley and again the weather is on our side. The girls have embraced all activities and demonstrated initiative and determination. The Leap of Faith is proving to be a favourite with both students and teachers. As is the waterslide which has been open each afternoon inviting the girls to cool off and have even more fun. Thank you to all the staff who have supported the program giving up their own time away from their families to ensure the girls are well supported. This is such a great opportunity for the girls to kindle new friendships and for our teachers to connect with their Compass groups in an informal setting.
Friday 3 November is the Year 8 Transition Afternoon with Upper School. This event promises to build the girls’ knowledge of what lies ahead as they consider the next stage of their Pymble journey. Thank you to Mr Tom Riley, Head of Upper School and his team for facilitating the activities.
Year 7 and 8 students are busy preparing their creative takes on Christmas which will be celebrated later in the term. As is our tradition Year 7 parents have been invited to join their daughters at the Year 7 Christmas Service which promises to showcase a variety of talents and bring to a close what has been a huge and successful transition for the girls. This year the theme explored is resilience and finding your place in the world, as reflected in the age-old tale of Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. This year our Year 8 cohort are working in House groups to compile a video in response to a Christmas tune- see the table below. We look forward to sharing these in our final Middle School Assembly.
House
Song
Goodlet
Mariah Carey – All I want for Christmas
Bennett
Wham – Last Christmas
Lang
Justin Bieber – Mistletoe
Hammond
Ariana Grande – Santa Tell Me
Marden
Andy Williams – It’s the most wonderful time of the year
Ingleholme
Mariah Carey – Christmas (Baby please come home)
Thomas
Michael Bublé – Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Wylie
Michael Bublé – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
As part of Gloucester Gatherings, Halloween piñatas and handmade decorations adorned the colonnade on Tuesday inviting students to join in the fun. Our Year 7 students in Lang, Marden Thomas and Wylie who are out at Vision Valley this week didn’t miss out. Piñatas were hung from the trees to ensure everyone was included.
Congratulations to all the cast and crew who worked on the production of Hating Alison Ashley:
Saja Abdel-Megeed, Jessica Allman, Annabella Bayfield, Isabella Benjamin, Zoe Bloom, Mia Chan, Emily Chiang, Ava Christofides, Katerina Economou, Heidi Ferreira, Shereen Jawaad, Savannah Lorimer, Melanie Ma, Lucinda Martin, Grace McSweeney, Yvette Moodie, Laranya Nanthakumaran, Sophie Ngai, Irisara O’Brien, Isabelle Port, Leura Sayers, Alannah Tang, Chloe Wang, Lara Waterhouse, Addison Woods and Emma Yates.
Well done girls the show was such a lot of fun and so professionally executed.
Congratulations also to Grace McSweeney for her Festival of Speech Soapbox Junior Award. Twenty-eight IGSA schools competed at Ravenswood, with Pymble coming in at second place, so this is an outstanding result.
Gloucester Gatherings
Our Gloucester Gathering Liaisons along with our Middle School Liaisons, have put together a wonderful schedule for Gloucester Gatherings this Term. See below for the exciting activities planned for Middle School. We look forward to sharing many photos throughout the term.
From the Middle School Parent Group Leaders
Middle School Dinner for Parents in Years 7 and 8
Thank you to all parents who have purchased tickets to the dinner on Saturday night. We are looking forward to seeing you at Cavallino from 6.30pm.
If you are keen to come along and haven’t responded yet, it’s not too late to RSVP. The cost of this event is $70 per person plus a booking fee. As time is quickly running out, please RSVP by TOMORROW by clicking here.
Year 7 Yum Cha Brunch
May Tai warmly invites all Year 7 parents and carers to join her for a Yum Cha Brunch to be held at Star Capital Seafood Restaurant in Chatswood on Friday 10 November between 11.30am and 1.30pm.
Please come along to catch up with friends, meet new people and enjoyed a relaxed and delicious lunch to celebrate the approaching end of the school year. The cost of this event is $45 per person plus a booking fee.
Please RSVP to this event by Thursday 9 November 2023 by clicking here.
Key Term Dates
Monday 23 October to Friday 27 October – Year 7 Camp Group 1
Monday 30 October to Friday 3 November – Year 7 Camp Group 2
Friday 3 November – Year 8 into 9 Transition Day
Wednesday 15 November – Year 7 Christmas Service
Friday 17 November – Year 8 Environmental Day
Jenny O’Donnell
Head of Middle School
From the Upper School
A message from Mr Tom Riley, Head of Upper School
It was a quiet start to the week as our Year 9s and 10s finished their examination block. We were really impressed by the behaviour of our girls and their dedication over the past week. Despite the unexpected traffic jams, delayed trains, and broken-down buses, not to mention the hot weather, they have really persevered and hopefully can both take pride in themselves and enjoy some well-earned downtime this weekend.
At this point of the year, it can be easy for our girls to get their end of year examinations out of perspective and to see them as a destination rather than a short stop along the journey. Earlier this week I was reading to my daughter and was taken by a few paragraphs in the fantastic book, The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be.
In a nutshell it describes how each child approaches building a hot air balloon (life) differently, according to their own strengths, interests, and natural dispositions.
As they finish, the children realise the beauty of the difference they collectively helped to create in being unashamedly themselves.
I really hope that our girls can hold on to their own identity, interests, and strengths, by reviewing their growth across the year. It can be easy to become simplistic in deriving success based upon the examination block only, and I really encourage you all to reinforce that this is just one of many metrics and one that will not necessarily suit all parties.
2024 International Exchange
On Wednesday 8 November at 7.00pm we will be holding an online Information Night for our current Year 9 families (and Year 10 Japanese students) on our International Exchange Program for next year. Please register your interest here. We will record the event and share it in the newsletter for those unable to attend live.
From the Upper School Parent Group
Volunteers Needed
Could you help your year group by organising social events? The current Year 10 group in Upper School is looking for 2024 SSPG year coordinators (for Year 11 next year). This can be a solo role, or if preferred you can share with a friend. You would be supported by the experienced volunteers of the Secondary School Parent Group with lots of guidance available, so new volunteers are most welcome. If you would like to get involved, please contact any of your current year coordinators below prior to 15 November to discuss.
PymbleLC Parents Class of 2025 (Facebook for year 10)
PymbleLC Parents Class of 2026 (Facebook for year 9)
PymbleLC USPG 2023 (Facebook for all Upper School parents)
Or please contact us for an invite to a WeChat group or Dads WhatsApp group.
Key Term 4 Dates
Friday 3 November – Year 10 into 11 Transition Afternoon
Friday 3 November – Sportswomen Awards Night at Miramare Gardens
Saturday 11 to Tuesday 21 November – Year 10 Namadji Outdoor Education Program (OEP)
Sunday 12 to Tuesday 21 November – Year 10 Snowy Mountains OEP
Monday 13 to Friday 17 November – Year 10 Blue Mountains and Murramarang OEPs
Wednesday 22 November – Secondary School Ensemble Concert
Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December – Year 10 Future You/Service Week
Wednesday 6 December – Year 7-11 Speech Day in Gym
Tom Riley
Head of Upper School
From the Senior School
From the Head of Senior School
Year 5/Year 11 Honouring activity
This year the Year 11, now Year 12 students have been getting to know their Year 5 buddies – acting as friends or ‘big sisters’. Both year groups have shared their personal Vision Boards, which represent their interests and goals and the Year 12s have been able to impart valuable knowledge and wisdom about how to approach Year 6.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the care, support and warmth of all of the Year 12 students, who have made such a positive impression on their younger peers. This week, when the students came together, there was genuine excitement from the Year 5s to see the older girls, who some introduced to their friends and teachers. The Year 12s showed so much pride and interest in the stories that the Year 5s shared. This program will have its last session at the end of term, making Christmas decorations and sharing some festive cheer.
Here are some reflections from the Year 12 students:
We have had the pleasure of spending time with a Year 5 student for the past four sessions, where two Year 11 students were paired with a buddy to share our vision boards and goals. Not only was this such a fun experience, but this allowed us to broaden my communication skills with younger girls from the Junior school and give us the opportunity to showcase leadership and step up into Year 12 2024. We designed vision boards and showed them to our buddies. A few weeks later, the Year 5 girls made their own. It was really great to see both the contrasts and similarities in passions, hobbies, and our hopeful future endeavours and encouraged us to reflect on how we felt in Year 5. – Written by Lisa
I really loved my experience with my year 5 buddy, because not only did it allow me to connect with somebody younger than me who actually happened to have a lot in common with me, but also somebody who was in the same position as me, about to become head of our individual schools. It was a really rewarding experience to be able to provide advice and tell her things that l wish l had heard going into Year 6, and secondary school. My buddy was also a bit shy at first, so being able to help get her out of her shell and start talking to me, starting conversations, and feeling comfortable asking questions was a fulfilling experience. My favourite activity that we did throughout the whole program was the collages that we made about ourselves to show our buddy, not only did l enjoy sharing a bit about myself with her, but l loved how excited she was to show me hers! I hope this program will continue in the future as l found it really beneficial. – Written by Eleni
On Monday, our year group had an opportunity to connect with our Year 5 sisters while discussing future aspirations based on their personal vision boards. My buddy Charlotte and I shared our common passion for art, and the challenges of balancing schoolwork and extracurriculars. Through this experience, I was energised and motivated by her confidence and enthusiasm to succeed, hopefully becoming a year 12 role model for her. – Written by Shruti
Winning’s A Lousy Teacher – presentation by Dan Haesler
Pymble Ladies’ College is excited to announce that they will be hosting a presentation/workshop “Winning’s a Lousy Teacher” by Dan Haesler on Thursday 23 November from 5.00pm to 6.00pm in the Jobson Lecture Theatre, in the Kate Mason Senior School. There will be an opportunity for Q&A after the workshop. Students and parents will explore how mindset impacts their approach to sports and life. They’ll learn strategies to nurture their mental game, handle setbacks and enhance performance.
Dan Haesler is a performance coach with a wide range of clients, including elite athletes and corporate leaders. The workshop is open to students in Year 7 to 12 and their parents who represent Pymble in a sports or co-curricular team. There is limited space, so click here to RSVP by Friday 17 November.
Year 12 Information Night
As you may know, we had our Year 12 (2024) Information Night last week. For those parents and carers who were unable to attend, please click here for a recording of those presentations.
2023 HSC Examinations
The 2023 HSC examinations will conclude this week on Friday 3 November, with the students sitting the final examination, Food Technology, in the morning session. It is timely to congratulate the graduating Year 12s on their fine preparation and calm presentation throughout these exams. They leave with all of our very best wishes and keen interest to see what their future brings in 2024. Many thanks to the current Year 12 students who have maintained such a calm, supportive and quiet presence throughout the duration of the exams.
Farewell and thank you – Mrs Hickson
Mrs Belinda Hickson, our Senior School Administration Co-ordinator, has resigned from her position at the College after many years. I would like to take this opportunity to wish her all the best for her future and thank you for all the warmth and support she has provided to the students, parents and staff in the Senior School.
Term 4 – Key Dates
23 November – Dan Haesler presentation – Winning’s a Lousy Teacher
6 December Speech Day Year 7 to 11
6 December Term 4 concludes
Nikki Wyse
Head of Senior School
From the Boarding School
It is always such a joy to welcome new Boarders to our super-sized Boarding family and the day our new Year 7s arrive for their first sleepover is always extra special. Last Friday was no exception and we were delighted to be joined by 14 of our 2025 Year 7s.
The day began with a catch up in Marden House before the future Year 7s headed off for an adventure in the city with their Big Sisters, Mrs Katie White, Mr Ray Howells (Head of Year 7 2024) and Mrs Kathryn Weidemann (Boarders Get Baking Extraordinaire). Train cancellations and wet weather were no match for our determined posse and the Boarders enjoyed familiarising themselves with the Sydney public transport network along with a great Ten Pin Bowling session, a tour of Barangaroo, followed by a mandatory ice cream! Meanwhile, our families remained back on campus where they met key staff and enjoyed a presentation on getting ready for Boarding.
And as if that wasn’t enough, our new recruits had a lovely afternoon making Halloween treats at Boarders Get Baking. A fabulous day culminated with a sleepover in Marden House.
A Spooky Tuesday
Our beautiful Boarding Houses were all set to scare on 31 October and it was lovely to have our youngest Pymble students visit for a healthy dose of trick or treating. Of course, our Boarders didn’t miss out either and we were incredibly grateful to one of our day school families who delivered a beautifully bagged bounty of treats for every one of our Boarders. And, while the treats are delicious and dress ups are fun, it is the thoughtfulness, generosity and kindness of the good people of Pymble that has made our Halloween so special.
Keeping Up With Our Boarders
Thank goodness we have moved into the warmer months. But if you are harking for the cooler times with a good dose of Boarding banter – please click here and take the time to leaf through our winter edition of Keeping Up With Our Boarders.
Commonwealth Regional Scholarship Information
The Commonwealth Regional Scholarship Program is an initiative of the Australian Government delivering scholarships to students from regional, rural and remote communities to assist with the costs of attending a boarding school.
The Commonwealth Regional Scholarship provides –
Assistance to eligible students from rural, regional and remote areas with a contribution towards boarding fees, in order to provide a quality education option where local alternatives may not exist or be suitable.
Additional financial support to families who are unable to afford the full cost of boarding school fees and associated costs even with existing government support, with the intention to reduce families’ financial contribution towards boarding school fees; and
A supported boarding school experience for students and families from low socioeconomic status backgrounds or those experiencing financial hardship.
Scholarships for up to 6 years are offered to successful applicants who are commencing or undertaking secondary school education in Australia in 2024 and be able to provide proof of enrolment in an eligible boarding school or facility.
The following scholarships will be available from 2024 –
Tier 1 – Scholarships of $20,000 p.a. per student, for students from low-income families
Tier 2 – Scholarships of $10,000 p.a. per student, for students from low-to-middle income families experiencing financial hardship.
More information and eligibility criteria can be found by clicking here.
Love It – Mrs White Deputy Director of Boarding
Last weekend was a little quieter as many of the Boarders were studying for their exams. With exams now over we can’t wait to have some fun this weekend. On Tuesday night this week our Year 10 Boarders were invited to Newington for a Halloween social. The Boarders enjoyed a meal and a movie together. It was a lovely chance to catch up with the boys from Newington. It is Year 9’s turn this Friday to head to Balmoral for dinner and a swim. We have a trip to the beach planned on Saturday afternoon and then Sunday we will be heading to sculptures by the sea. It’s been a few years since we last went to this exhibition and by all reports this year is just spectacular.
View From My Window
My name is Alex Reardon I am a Year 8 student and I have boarded at Pymble since the beginning of Year 7. I live on a farm just outside of Moree, New South Wales, just an hour away from the Queensland border. I live with my parents, Dan and Bec, and my two brothers, Hugh and Angus. My grandparents, Ian and Jackie, live only two kilometres away, which gives me easy access to the ice creams in their freezer!
The thing I love most about home is having a whole 10,000 acres to myself to go on afternoon runs with my dog and just enjoy fresh air. On our farm we have plenty of sheep, two horses (Chicksy and Shadow), two dogs (Coco and Timmy) and a cat named Puden. My cat lies on the front veranda all day, where as Coco spends most of her time helping Mum with the gardening, and annoying Timmy on the chain.
Coming home for the holidays is definitely one of my favourite things, although Moree is a long eight hour car ride from Pymble. During the holidays I also spend most of my time picking up sticks across the paddocks in 40 degree heat, that’s really not one of my favourite thing to do. However, I have recently saved myself from that misery, and started a new job at a clothes store in town.
When I look out my window I see the wheat and barley growing in the paddocks, trucks and tractors carting off grain, and my dad’s large shed blocking the sunset. I try to make the most out of the short two week holidays, spending time with my family, catching up with old friends and just enjoying myself as much as possible.
Boarder of the Week
Congratulations to our Boarder of the Week, the fabulous Charlotte Craig who joined us in Year 10 from Mullaley at the start of this year. Charlotte is a kind, thoughtful, lively and friendly member of our Boarding family. She wears her uniform with pride and keeps an immaculate room.
A representative netball player who trains hard, Charlotte still finds time to contribute to our Boarding family and has already proven herself to be an outstanding ‘big sister’. Charlotte always works hard in the Evening Study Program and is generous in helping out around Goodlet House. She is much loved by her fellow Boarders for all these wonderful traits, with the added bonus of her excellent sense of humour.
Save the Dates
Tuesday 28 November – End of Year Chapel Service and Boarding Christmas Party (all Boarders required to be in attendance)
Wednesday 6 December – Year 7 to 10 Speech Day (all Boarders required to be in attendance)
Wednesday 6 December – Boarders’ travel afternoon (following Speech Day)
Carolyn Burgess
Head of Boarding
From the Chaplains
First of all, I would like to wish my fellow Indian community a very happy Dusshera and season of Diwali! May light and life be yours as you celebrate in community.
This week in Chapel we focused on our circle of control in life. I used the image drawn by ex-student Jess Harwood who is an artist and lawyer and does some amazing work through her art.
As we reflect on the issues around domestic violence and war around the world, we are mindful of the trauma surrounding our communities impacted by news that can sadden our hearts and minds. By reminding ourselves what our circle of control is we can pace ourselves and generate light and love to those around us. This will help us to keep walking through a hectic term.
I couldn’t hand out my treats to children on Halloween evening as no one came to collect them; my son said I should have decorated the fence with ghosts and ghouls.
This opportunity now gone, I shared with the students in Chapel how I have been enjoying the beauty of our Pymble campus with the blossoming Jacaranda and all the other trees. My favourite is the Ilawarra Flame tree, as one student educated me. It is right in front of reception and is blossoming in all its glory.
As we think of moments passing us by, perhaps grief, heavy hearts, and the sadness of all we hear and absorb in a day, may God who is our comfort and strength be the One who sustains us, and may we be able to offer comfort to one another with all we receive. ‘….The only pilgrimage necessary is the one that, by virtue of our birth we have already embarked upon, the journey of life itself.’ – Rabbi Alvin Fine
May the good Lord sustain you and keep you well and loved as we step into November.
Reverend Punam Bent
College Chaplain
From the Community Engagement Team
Calendar of Events
All community and academic events can be found on the MyPymble app in the Calendar tab.
Toowoomba Reunion
On Saturday 28 October The Plate Restaurant in Toowoomba hosted the Annual Luncheon for Pymble Ex Students from Northern NSW and Border Districts. Twenty Alumni attended from classes ranging from 1957 to 1996.
The afternoon featured great food, plenty of reminiscing and a lot of laughter including a discussion about comparisons of 1964 formal dresses with those worn by Pymble granddaughters in 2023 – quite a difference of course!
We’d like to thank Robin-Anne Baker (Duncan 1964), Fiona Ferguson (Jones 1994) and Louise Mylne (Love 1973) for making the day possible. This event will be held again in 2024.
Year 6 Parent Cocktail Party
On Thursday 30 November Year 6 parents are invited to attend a parent-only cocktail party on Marden Lawn. The event coincides with the final event for the 2023 Year 6 class, a Silent Disco hosted by the Junior School. This gives our parent community the opportunity to celebrate the Junior School journey and the start of a new chapter for their daughters in Middle School.
Details for the Year 6 Parent Cocktail Party will be posted shortly.
Celebration Events to Close Out 2023
The year end is just around the corner and planning is underway for a number of events to celebrate. Dates to save include;
Sunday 3 December; College Christmas Celebration for the entire Pymble community
Tuesday 5 December; Kindergarten to Year 2 Celebration of Learning from 12.00pm to 1.00pm
Wednesday 6 December; Secondary School Speech Day from 9.00am to 11.15am
Wednesday 6 December; Junior School Speech Day from 1.00pm to 2.30pm
We look forward to ringing in the festive season with our Pymble families.
Kelly Mancey
Director of Community Engagement and Advancement
From the Pymble Institute
It has been a privilege to welcome Dr Debra Dank to the College this week as the inaugural Pymble Institute Fellow. Debra is a Gudanji/Wakaja woman whose Country is in the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory and her celebrated book, We Come With This Place, tells stories of this beautiful place. Debra’s scholarship in language, literacy and semiotics brings many opportunities for staff professional development and Pymble has been incredibly fortunate to benefit from Debra’s teaching this week. Debra’s experience as a primary and secondary teacher makes her contributions especially dynamic as she deeply understands schools and has enjoyed spending the week learning about our community.
The following list gives an indication of the range of things a Research Fellow can contribute to a school.
Being part of welcoming yarn with students and staff at the College’s Yarning Circle
Participating in a Q&A at Assembly with English Captains, Julie Sheng and Bella Walker, who asked Debra about her book and the question asked of it in the recent HSC Advanced English paper
Joining the Pymble Ethics Committee to discuss Indigenous research methodologies
Working with the English Department to explore texts by Indigenous authors, Aboriginal English, writing, and the important concept of mankujba
Assisting Year 12 Aboriginal Studies students with ideas for major works
Sharing the story of her PhD, writing, methodology and Country with the Education Journal Club and Junior School Research Club
Visiting Mrs Anderson’s Year 2 class to explore English language and storytelling
Being guest of honour at the Pymble Staff Book Club, hosted by the Conde Library team, to discuss her book, We Come With This Place, which has just been nominated for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award.
With Debra’s mentorship, the Pymble Institute is embarking on important research into the experiences First Nations ex-students who are now in post-school education and careers. We have been exploring the possibility of conducting research using narrative methods. It has been a privilege to meet online and face to face with ex-students from areas all around Australia and overseas to hear of their success in areas including speech pathology, medicine, entrepreneurship, art and design, and education, as well as parenting, community work and maintaining responsibilities to family and Country.
On behalf of the Pymble community, we extend our sincere thanks to Dr Dank for her generosity, kindness and wisdom as she has opened many eyes to issues which are important to Pymble and all the communities within our College. We look forward to staying in touch and continuing to learn together.
Sarah Loch
Director – Pymble Institute
From the Futures Team
Work Experience Stories – Australian Museum
Yu Zhou (Year 11) attended the Australian Museum’s work experience program at the end of term 3.
This high school work experience program offers students the chance to explore a variety of careers including science and cultural research, education, public programming, curatorial and exhibition design, marketing, communications and corporate services.
Read about her experience below:
At the end of Term 3 I had the magical opportunity to experience a week in the life at the Australian Museum in mineralogy & petrology, marine invertebrates, education, archaeology, and airstrikes DNA testing. The remarkable range of collections allowed me to strengthen my analytical skills, critical thinking, problem solving, communication and understanding of historical analysis and appreciation of the precision required to preserve artefacts. My days at the Museum were never tedious, you easily get intoxicated by the labyrinths of a bewitching sea of colourful minerals, artistic creations, the evolution of science at your fingertips and archaeological riches peppered throughout the maze of wonders.
My favourite day was when I was able to work with Dayna McGeeney and Ross Pogson in the mineralogy archives and using the X-ray diffraction spectrometer to detect distinct minute fragments from different types of minerals. Ross and Dayna taught us the geochemistry of minerals in addition to a variety of investigation techniques and how to use laboratory apparatus. Under their guidance, we were able to shoot X-rays into a paste we generated by grinding the mineral into fine powder. After coating it with a layer of acetate to smooth its surface, the X-rays formed a fingerprint of the species that computed the percentage composition of each element in the mineral. Being able to work with both incredible scientists who devote their life to educating and discovering mineralogy was truly an invaluable opportunity for me as well as understanding the process behind predicting minerals based on their colour, shape, and size.
The most invaluable advice I had received during the week was from Dr Rebecca Jones who took us behind the scenes to study the process of conserving fragile objects in the AM’s collection area and conservation team. Rebecca, who specialises in zooarchaeology, showed us how to analyse and contextualise museum exhibits. I was able to research and analyse Nephrite Jade from China, which was formerly owned by a high-status family who lived in Henan, for historical and scientific importance. Most ornamental minerals were opaque to transparent and fine grained, reflecting Confucian ideas of virtue, preciousness, and beauty as well as being merely decorative.
Something I didn’t expect to do but thoroughly enjoyed was testing for Tiger DNA from tiger tissue. Behind the scenes, the Australian museum helps with identifying wildlife from aviation airstrikes. The museum has been working with commercial and defence airports since 2006 and used DNA to identify 100s of different birds and bat species involved in collisions of aircraft. The process was very meticulous with crushing the mitochondria to obtain only the white strand of the DNA. I loved everything about the process and understanding the work behind the science of geometrics.
Overall, the experience has made a significant lasting impact on how I view the world around me, the past and the future for education, history, and science. I highly recommend this work experience which will allow you to experience the beauty of learning, creation, preservation, and the past.
From the Co-curricular Sports Team
Presentation/Workshop: Mr Dan Haesler – Winning’s a Lousy Teacher
Pymble Ladies’ College will be hosting a presentation/workshop “Winning’s a Lousy Teacher” by Dan Haesler on Thursday 23 November from 5.00pm to 6.00pm in the Jobson Lecture Theatre in the Kate Mason Building, with an opportunity for Q&A after the workshop.
Athletes and parents will explore how mindset impacts their approach to sports and life, learning strategies to nurture their mental game, handle setbacks, and enhance performance. Dan Haesler is a performance coach with a wide range of clients, including elite athletes and corporate leaders.
The workshop is open to students in Years 7 to 12 who represent Pymble in a sports team (and their parents). There is limited space for this presentation – please RSVP by Friday 17 November by clicking here.
Adam Raw
Director of Sport
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Co-curricular Administration
Term 1 2024 Saturday Sport Registrations
The closing date for Term 1 2024 Saturday Sports has been extended to Monday 20 November at 12.00pm. Please access the online registration via the co-curricular pages on MyPymble by clicking here. A parent or carer log in is required to be able to register. If you require any assistance with completing your registration, please contact Co-curricular Administration at ccsa@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or on +61 2 9497 7848. A reminder that registrations must be completed online and cannot be processed over the phone or via email.
Reminder notices will be posted on the Pymble App in the weeks and days before registrations close.
The Term 1 Saturday Sport options are as follows:
IGS AFL (Year 7 to 12 – Saturday afternoons)
igsa Tennis (Year 7 to 12)
igsa Badminton (Year 7 to 12)
Pymble Water Polo Competition (Year 7 to 12)
Pymble Softball (Year 8 to 12)
Sydney Sixers Cricket (Year 7 to 12 – Saturday afternoons)
IPSHA Football (Year 3 to 6)
IPSHA Water Polo/Flippa Ball (Year 3 to 6)
End of Term 4 Registration Period Changes
The End of Term 4 registration period will allow families to make selections for their Term 1, Semester 1, and Yearly 2024 Co-curricular Programs. We are making several significant changes to this registration period as per the below:
The open date has changed from what was previously advertised. The End of Term 4 registration period will now open at 12.00pm on Wednesday 22 November. This is one week earlier than the registrations would normally open. One of the main reasons for this is to allow more time for families to register before the holidays begin, and so that we can send families a summary of their current confirmed selections prior to school finishing. Changes can still be made to the registrations until the system closes in January, however this will help families better be able to plan for 2024 before the end of 2023. Please note, the original changed date changed clashed with the Junior School Swimming Carnival.
The closing date will be moved forward one week to 12.00pm on Wednesday 10 January.
This registration period will no longer include Saturday Sports. Registrations for Saturday Sports will now open on the first Wednesday of each term and close on the third Friday, with registration for the sports being played the following term. As such, Term 2 2024 Saturday Sports will open for registration on Wednesday 31 January and close on Friday 16 February 2024.
Reminders of the opening and closing dates will be sent closer to each time, and a full calendar of registration dates will be provided at the start of 2024.
Co-curricular Registration Requests
Registrations for Term 4 are now closed. Confirmation emails were sent to all families on Wednesday 4 October. If you missed the registration period and need to request a late registration for your daughter, please click here to complete a registration request. Please note that requests may take up to two weeks to process during busy periods and your daughter cannot begin participating until you have received confirmation of acceptance via email.
Monique Zahra
Head of Co-curricular Administration
Cricket
Another lovely sunny day for our Pymble cricketers on Saturday 28 October.
Our Pymble 1 team played against Mosman at Pottery Green Oval in Lane Cove. The team were consistent and able to bat out the entire 20 overs. Well done to Dezi Magann-Jones (Year 10), Charlotte Henderson (Year 8), Sierra Borean (Year 7) and Indigo Meldrum (Year 7) who contributed to the batting total and were just as effective with the ball in hand. Alice Mao (Year 9) was versatile in the field and saved several runs. Mosman fielded an incredibly talented team and were able to chase down our total. Despite the result there were noticeable improvements in running between wickets and making great contact with the bat!
Pymble 2 took the field against North Sydney at Darnley Oval in Gordon. A true team effort on this match with all Pymble cricketers contributing to the run score. Bethany Carruthers (Year 7) and Olivia Pragassen (Year 7) were our top scoring players. Special mentions to Ava Christofides (Year 7) and Olivia Pragassen (Year 7) who managed to take a wicket each. Unfortunately, these efforts were not enough for a victory – North Sydney were too strong with the bat and reached our total with overs to spare.
Keep up the great effort Pymble 1 and Pymble 2, a win is not far away!
Jack Garrad
Sports Co-ordinator – Cricket
Hockey
For the first time at the College, Pymble have entered a team into the Sydney Indoor Hockey (SIH) Competition.
Playing in the U18 top division, our Pymble Hockey players were incredibly competitive.
After two rounds, against other schools that have been playing for many years consecutively, our players drew with Ascham (4 to 4) in Round 1 and played a dynamic and competitive game against SCEGGS last week.
Indoor Hockey is aimed at continuously developing and fast tracking our Hockey players, as we start to work towards our 2024 season.
Congratulations to our Pymble Hockey players! We look forward to seeing more of your fantastic display of skills as you face Round 3 this week against Ascham.
Go Pymble!
Laura Verlinden
Sports Co-ordinator – Hockey
Junior School Sport
This week we have two Junior School Sport Teams of the week.
Congratulations to IPSHA Basketball Pymble 5 (Year 5) for being IPSHA Team of the Week! In a hard-fought battle that saw the lead change hands multiple times, the girls displayed incredible teamwork and unwavering determination. Though the game ended in a draw, their pride in representing Pymble and their commitment to our values shone brightly on the court. Well done, team!
A huge shoutout to the Year 2 “Have a Go @ Saturday Sport” Team for also being our Team of the Week! Over the last three weeks, these students have shown incredible dedication to their tennis program, which focuses on the long-term athletic development of our youngest Pymble Junior School students in a variety of sports. Students have one more week of Tennis before they start Basketball. Their enthusiasm and commitment are truly commendable. Keep up the great work, team!
NSWPSSA Athletics
Congratulations to our Pymble athletes who competed at NSWPSSA Athletics Championships on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 October 2023. Please see our fantastic results below.
Florence Cheng (Year 5)
10 Years 200m – 26th place in heat
10 Years 100m – 20th place (Semi Finalist)
Junior 4 x 100m Relay – Finalists – placed 8th overall
Florence Cheng (Year 5), Emma Deere (Year 4), Safina Burgess (Year 5) and Isabelle Lau (Year 4)
Matt Tyson
Head of Sport – Kindergarten to Year 6
Tennis
Our Pymble tennis players achieved a mix bag of results in round 3 of igsa competition:
Team
Opponent
Result
Score
Pymble 1
Saint Catherine’s 1
Loss
3 to 5
Pymble 2
Kambala 2
Loss
1.5 to 6.5
Pymble 3
Loreto Kirribilli 2
Loss
2 to 6
Pymble 4
Saint Catherine’s 4
Win
5 to 3
Pymble 5
Loreto Kirribilli 6
Loss
2 to 6
Pymble 6
Loreto Normanhurst 6
Win
5.5 to 2.5
Pymble 7
Loreto Normanhurst 8
Loss
2 to 6
Pymble 8
Roseville 11
Loss
2 to 6
Pymble 9
MLC 5
Win
8 to 0
Pymble 10
Kambala 7
Win
5.5 to 2.5
Pymble 11
Ascham 12
Win
5.5 to 2.5
Pymble 12
Meriden 1
Loss
0 to 8
Pymble 13
Ravenswood 10
Win
4.5 to 3.5
Pymble 14
Roseville 16
Loss
2.5 to 5.5
Pymble 15
Santa Sabina 2
Loss
0.5 to 7.5
Pymble 16
Abbotsleigh 7
Loss
3 to 5
Pymble 17
Monte 11
Loss
0 to 8
Pymble 18
Meriden 5
Win
8 to 0
Pymble 19
Ascham 15
Win
5 to 3
Pymble 20
Roseville 20
Loss
0 to 8
Pymble 21
Roseville 21
Loss
1 to 7
Pymble 22
Frensham 11
Loss
1 to 7
Pymble 23
Loreto Kirribilli 19
Loss
2 to 6
Pymble Tennis Academy is pleased to announce that starting from November, we will be implementing the use of a new Tennis specific registration platform, InTennis, for all Tennis registrations including private, semi-private and group lessons. This change aims to improve the ease of booking into private and semi-private lesson times, and being able to select the most appropriate group lessons for each student’s age and ability.
To help explain these changes and share the direction of the Pymble Tennis Academy into 2024, we will be hosting an information evening at the College on Wednesday 15 November from 6.00pm to 7.00pm in the Jobson Lecture Theatre. This session will cover topics including:
The Pymble Tennis Academy squad pathways
Hot Shots Tennis programs
Competition opportunities
And give you a chance to meet our team of tennis experts.
Please click here to register your attendance for the information evening.
Further information about the new registration system, including a form to create your account, will be distributed via email in the coming weeks.
Jufri Foss
Sports Co-ordinator – Tennis
Touch Football
In the third round of igsa Touch football on Saturday 28 October, five Pymble teams played tough matches at Frensham School, Mittagong. Pymble 6 have continued their winning streak and secured another victory with a score of 8 to 1.
Over the weekend, Pymble had a total of 11 teams playing. Seven teams came away with a win in their respective matches. I would like to give a special shoutout to the Year 7 Pymble 19 and Pymble 20 teams for their commitment to attending regular training sessions with their entire team. As a result of their hard work at training, Pymble 19 managed to secure a draw, while Pymble 20 won their match.
Good luck to all Pymble touch football teams for their upcoming matches on Saturday 4 November.
Samantha Dale
Sports Administrator Assistant
Volleyball
Round 3 of the 2023 Santa Sabina Invitational Volleyball Competition was held on Saturday 28 October. Some fantastic performances were seen over the course of the morning, with Pymble winning seven out of their eight matches. Teams Pymble 4 and Pymble 8 had their first wins of the season, which was great to see all of their hard work at training come to fruition. Our two senior teams, Pymble 1 and Pymble 2, remain undefeated with two impressive performances.
Team
Opponent
Result
Score
Pymble 1
St Scholastica 1
Win
2 to 0
Pymble 2
Loreto Kirribilli 2
Win
3 to 0
Pymble 3
PLC Sydney 5
Win
3 to 0
Pymble 4
PLC Sydney 6
Win
2 to 1
Pymble 5
PLC Sydney 7
Win
3 to 0
Pymble 6
St Scholastica
Loss
0 to 3
Pymble 7
Monte 16
Win
2 to 1
Pymble 8
PLC Sydney 14
Win
3 to 0
Week 2 Most Valuable Players
Pymble 1 – Chloe Gu (Year 10)
Pymble 2 – Ray Jones (Year 11)
Pymble 3 – Elle Harsany (Year 8)
Pymble 4 – Elise Lin (Year 9)
Pymble 5 – Sophie Zheng (Year 9)
Pymble 6 – Thiloksha Perera (Year 8)
Pymble 7 – Haylee Lam (Year 7)
Pymble 8 – Celine Cai (Year 7)
Week 2 Most Improved Players
Pymble 1 – Charlotte Dhanu (Year 11)
Pymble 2 – Cynthia Xie (Year 10)
Pymble 3 – Camille Xiao (Year 8)
Pymble 4 – Lucy Sun (Year 8)
Pymble 5 – Katherine Pan (Year 9)
Pymble 6 – Scarlett Wu (Year 9)
Pymble 7 – Emma Sim (Year 7)
Pymble 8 – Estelle Lee (Year 7)
Senior First Report – Chloe Teng (Year 11), Volleyball Captain
This week Pymble 1 played their third game against MLC, one of the best teams in the competition, coming away with the win 2 to 0. In this game, Pymble 1 displayed focus and determination whilst having fun.
The first set started off with stable serves that have been improving each week, showing more consistency within their game play. Against tougher competition than their previous games, Pymble 1 faced difficulties against well executed attacks and a strong blocking line from MLC.
However, with their improving back court consistency, they were able to carry out longer rallies and play the ball to win points. Pymble 1 had strong attacks, especially from Chloe Gu (Year 10), using the net height to her advantage. Pymble 1’s game has shown a massive improvement since the last week within both communication and on-court skill, and we hope it continues for the games in the next coming weeks.
Chris Wood
Sports Co-ordinator – Volleyball
Water Polo
Pymble Water Polo is in full swing achieving 90% of wins in Round 3 of the igsa competition.
Shout out to Pymble 1 winning their evening game on Friday 27 October against Loreto Kirribilli and backing up for an early morning game on Saturday 28 October to win their second game against SCEGGS.
Pymble 2 had their first win of the season against Frensham 7 to 6. Congratulations Pymble 2!
Special mention to Willow Schmidt (Year 8) and Zara Orr (Year 8) for helping our Pymble 3 team at Frensham.
Keep up the good work!
Brigette Moore
Head Coach – Water Polo
From the Co-curricular Performing Arts Team
Performing Arts continue to flourish in Term 4 with the commencement of multiple showcases from Dance and Drama as well as Music Concerts.
Come and see the fabulous performance work of our students from the Junior School and the Senior School in the GMCPA in the next few weeks!
Congratulations to the Theatresports teams for their achievements this week.
Michael Griffiths
Director of Co-curricular Performing Arts
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Drama
Hating Alison Ashley
Wow, what a sensational start of Term 4 we have had in Co-Curricular Drama! In Week 2, our Year 7 to 9 Co-Curricular Drama Production of Hating Alison Ashley wowed audiences with their impeccable comedic timing and silly characterisation. Delivering true Australian nostalgia, the casts’ hard work truly paid off and made for a very entertaining evening. A huge congratulations goes to all students in the cast:
Saja Abdel-Megeed, Jessica Allman, Annabella Bayfield, Isabella Benjamin, Zoe Bloom, Mia Chan, Emily Chiang, Ava Christofides, Katerina Economou, Heidi Ferreira, Shereen Jawaad, Savannah Lorimer, Melanie Ma, Lucinda Martin, Grace McSweeney, Yvette Moodie, Laranya Nanthakumaran, Sophie Ngai, Irisara O’Brien, Isabelle Port, Leura Sayers, Alannah Tang, Chloe Wang, Lara Waterhouse, Addison Woods and Emma Yates.
Theatresports Schools Competition
Additionally, our Junior (Years 7 and 8) and Primary (Years 5 and 6)Theatresports troupes both competed in their preliminary Heat of the Theatresports Schools Challenge over the past fortnight. This is a prestigious competition hosted by Improvisation Australia in which over 100 schools compete to be crowned as the Improv champions! I am delighted to announce that our Junior team were Runners Up, and our Primary team came 4th! We wish them the best of luck as they compete in their Semi-Final over the upcoming few days.
Primary Team: Lilyan Shen, Kelly Qian, Aaradhya Singh
Junior Team (pictured L to R): Sitian Chen, Nina Wang, Emma Wang, Ella Gungor, Zoe Bloom
End of Year Showcases
The end of year Drama Showcases are quickly approaching, and we encourage you to note down the following dates in your diaries.
Monday, 27 November – 6.00pm to 7.00pm – Drama Theatre
On Camera: a celebration and showcase of the work of our Year 3 to 12 Filmmaking students
Tuesday, 28 November – 6.00pm to 7.30pm – Drama Theatre
Improv-Off: an internal competition for our Year 5 to 12 Improvisation students
Wednesday, 29 November – 5.00pm to 6.30pm– GMCPA
Centrestage (Year 2 to 6): a showcase featuring performances from all of our Year 2 to 6 Drama Skills and Performance students, as well as our Year 5 to 6 Drama Eisteddfod troupe.
Thursday, 30 November – 6.30pm to 8.30pm – GMCPA
Centrestage (Year 7 to 12): a showcase featuring performances from all of our Year 7 to 12 Eisteddfod students, our Year 7 and 8 Drama Skills class, as well as our newly formed Musical Theatre class.
All events will be free with no registration or ticket required. We hope to see you there!
Sarah Boyd
Co-curricular Drama Co-ordinator
Language Arts
Language Arts Picnic Day
A Language Arts picnic lunch will be held on Tuesday 7 November on Gloucester Lawn. Zooper Doopers and picnic lunch boxes will be on sale and Soapbox speeches will be presented for your entertainment. Be there and met our new Language Arts Captains and our Language Arts Prefect! We will be raffling two beautiful holiday baskets full of fun items to get you ready for Summer such as suncream, a new beach towel, a holiday novel to read and a pool toy! Please come along and join the fun! There will be rugs to sit on…See you there!
Thanks to our Captains and Language Arts Parent Support team for all your assistance in making this a reality!
International Debating Championships (IDC)
We are now up to week 3 of IDC this Friday. The topic area this week is education. See you in the Colonnade!
Social Debating classes
Our Social debaters will be visiting Abbotsleigh this Wednesday and next for some fun, Social debates.
Model United Nations (MUN)
Knox Grammar school has commenced an afterschool MUN program each Thursday from 4.00pm to 5.00pm. Pymble MUN students have been invited. Please email our new MUN Captain Catherine Shi or Mrs Hubbard, if you are interested. Mrs Hubbard or a Language Arts coach, will attend Knox each Thursday for the program. Please note that students are to make their own transport arrangements. This week MUN did not run as KMUN boys attended a conference in Singapore. MUN will resume next week.
Pymble Model UN runs in DK05 and DK06 every Monday lunch time – All welcome
PMUN Tour
We have had a wonderful response to expressions of interest for the January 2025 Language Arts tour to London, Bruges, Amsterdam and The Hague. We plan to attend THIMUN at The Hague. Details can still be obtained from Travel@Pymblelc.nsw.edu.au
UN Voice of Youth Public Speaking
Pymble hosted a heat on Friday 20 October. Results will be announced following the conclusion of all heats.
Secondary School Debating Auditions
Please contact Amy Zhang, Debating Captain to register for a Debating audition for 2024 ISDA, Archdale, FED and Social teams. Auditions will take place from 3.30pm in the Colonnade classrooms.
2023 Year 9: 7 November
2023 Year 10: 8 November
2023 Year 8: 9 November
2023 Year 6: 10 November (New students only)
2023 Year 11: 27 October at lunch time in C10
Additional dates will be available and Current Year 7 and Current Year 6 audition dates are to be announced.
Junior School Debating Auditions
Auditions for 2024 ISDA Debating will be held in Term 4 Week 5 over a series of lunchtimes.
If you would like more information or to sign up for an audition, please see Ms Itzcovitz.
Bronwyn Hubbard
Head of Language Arts
Music
Another busy week for the Music department since our last entry.
On Wednesday 25 October the Junior School Ensemble Concert was held in the GMCPA. This was a brilliant showcase of all the talent and skill of our younger girls, under the direction of each of their conductors. Music was carefully selected by each member of the Music team to allow the girls to perform polished repertoire. The girls enjoy their rehearsal time, and this is a lovely culmination of the early mornings and late afternoons, the practice sessions with tutors, the tears over a difficult patch, followed by the joy in the triumph of getting it right! Congratulations to all the Music team, ably led by Mr Kurt Schweinberger and thanks to the theatre staff for their ongoing support of our musicians.
On Tuesday 31 October the College String Quartet performed at the opening of Barrenjoey House, providing some background music whilst people mingled in the levels above. These students: Claire Lee, Charlotte Wykes, Annie Luo and Sitian Chen work hard each week with Mr Rossman to collate enough repertoire to be able to perform at high profile events.
On Wednesday 1 November our Year 3 students took part in the annual “Big Band Blow”. This is when our band tutors demonstrate the instruments on offer at the College, and the current Year 4 Training Band proudly show how far they have progressed since their initial “blow”. Thank you to Mr Stafford, Ms Zeltzer, Ms Farlow and the private music tutors for this fun morning.
Tour 2024 to Spain/Portugal
Emails have been sent to all parents who submitted an EOI, asking for passport information. Please note that this is due before November 6. The link can be found here.
Dates for your diaries
3 November: Senior Jazz Ensemble and Stage Band performance at Miramare Gardens 5.15pm for 5.30pm to 6.15 performance
9 November: Open Evening – Middle School trio to play from 4.30pm to 5.00pm
13 November: EOI for the Concerto Competition Close
14 November: Jacaramda Day (Junior School Capella to perform)
22 November: Secondary School Ensemble Concert: 6.30pm in the GMCPA (this is a compulsory event for all Secondary School ensemble members)
2 December: Choral Climate Festival – All students in the School Choir (notes have been sent through the portal)
3 December: Community Christmas Carols Service – from 5.00pm on Gloucester Lawn then the Chapel. Bring a picnic, your voices, and your joy of Christmas.
6 December: Speech Day Celebrations for Junior and Senior Schools.
Sarah Turner
Head of Music
Extended Learning: Cattle Team
Report by Lucy Pennington, Captain – Cattle Team
My name is Lucy Pennington and I am the Cattle Team Captain for 2024!
I would like to share some results of our Pymble Cattle Team from our recent competition at the Upper Hunter Beef Bonanza, held from Thursday 26 October to Monday 30 October 2023. Our Cattle Team members, Annabelle Jones (Year 9), Livia Armstrong (Year 9), Addison Hartog-Smith (Year 9), Anais Vander (Year 9), Elizabeth Graves (Year 11), Lucy Pennington (Year 11), Olivia Burney (Year 11), Eilidh Skelton (Year 9), Hannah Weber (Year 10), Zoe Glendinning (Year 10) and Mia Lorimer (Year 9) competed in a number of events including Junior Judging, Paraders class, Steer class, Meat judging and a saleyard night. Three of our Pymble steers competed alongside us, two purebred Angus steers, Tonka and Turtle, from Knowla Livestock and our Angus x Simmental steer, Tucka, from the Fitzgerald’s Pymble family.
In the Junior Judging, all Cattle Team members competed in judging three classes of heifers, steers and bulls. Eilidh Skelton (Year 9) was selected to orally present her placings and justifications to judges on the heifer class and proudly won a 4th place ribbon in her age group.
The Pymble Meat judging team – Lucy Pennington (Year 11), Olivia Burney (Year 11), Elizabeth Graves (Year 11), Zoe Glendinning (Year 10), Livia Armstrong (Year 9), Eilidh Skelton (Year 9) and Hannah Weber (Year 10) placed 3rd in the beef carcass judging competition.
Lucy Pennington (Year 11) paraded Tucka in the heavyweight steer class, Mia Lorimer paraded Tonka in the heavy middleweight steer class and Annabelle Jones paraded Turtle, also in the middleweight steer class. The steers performed fantastically but didn’t take home a ribbon this year.
At the saleyards, we entered one unled Pymble-Fitzgerald Steer who was selected to be judged in the wider competition and took home 4th place.
Please see below Pymble students who paraded at the show and had successful results:
Addison Hartog-Smith (Year 9) (14 years) – Fourth Place
I am so proud of our Pymble students for competing this week and working as a team! I would also like to thank our two cattle team coaches, Kit and Jill and Grace Collins, Farmer Dave and Ms Cunningham for committing and training our Cattle Team to prepare us and look after us at this show. Thank you!
Jenny Olsen
Head of Extended Learning
Reminder – Term 4 Pymble bus service – register now
A reminder to parents to register your daughter for the Pymble private bus service for travel during Term 4 if you have not already done so and check that your daughter has her current student ID card to tap on and off each trip.
In Term 4, the bus service will operate from Tuesday 10 October to Wednesday 6 December 2023.
Please check thebus stops and timesfor your preferred bus route. This will also be attached to your registration confirmation email as per normal.
Registration for the Pymble bus service is offered on a term-by-term basis, in two formats:
Term registration enables the student to access the bus service every day in the morning and afternoon. The charge is currently set at $430.00 per term.
Flexible registration enables the student to register for specific day(s) with a choice of morning and/or afternoon runs. The charge is currently set at $7.50 per trip.
A reminder for parents and students:
Student ID cards must be used to tap on and tap off each trip. If your daughter has lost her card, please contact College Services for a replacement form. The cost for a replacement card is $15, charged to your College account.
Pymble buses can be tracked through the TransportMe Passenger app in real-time using the free app, available on Android and Apple devices.
Please contact College Services via collegeservices@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au if you have any further questions about transport to and from Pymble Ladies’ College.
Vision Valley Summer Holiday Camps – Bookings now open!
There are two holiday camps at Vision Valley over the summer break – keep the kids busy at Camp 1 and give yourself some time to get ready for Christmas, and then let them make the most of the last of their summer break at Camp 2.
The camps are open to Pymble students, their friends, and siblings (girls and boys) who are in Years 3 to 6 in 2023 and 2024.
Camp 1 – Monday 11 to Wednesday 13 December
Camp 2 – Monday 15 to Friday 19 January
December is the last opportunity for the current Year 6 students to spend time with their friends at our popular holiday camps!
We have lots of great activities planned including our new archery tag, and outdoor cinema, our nocturnal nature walks and myo pizza in our new pizza oven.
Bookings are strictly limited and allocated on receipt of payment.
Year 8 Dads and Daughters Camp at Vision Valley – Don’t miss out!
The PPA Camps at Vision Valley provide the perfect opportunity for Dads and their daughters to spend quality time together in the great outdoors at our beautiful bushland campus.
The Year 8 Dads and Daughter camp is on Saturday 18 to Sunday 19 November 2023 and places are filling quickly.
It’s a great weekend of adventure activities, toasting damper around the campfire and camping under the stars.
Places are limited to 60 Dad and Daughter pairs. All dads must provide a valid WWCC to Vision Valley prior to attending. See the flier for more information.
A few months ago, Community Engagement put the call out to the Pymble community to submit your favourite recipes to feature within a College cookbook, and after an enthusiastic response and outpouring of contributions, we’re thrilled to announce The Pymble Pantryis now available to download for just $9.95!
Inspired by Lucinda Woodfield (Year 11), the 2023 Food Technology Captain, The Pymble Pantry is a crème de la crème, digital collection of over 100 recipes, crafted with passion and brought to you by the talented students, staff and parents of Pymble Ladies’ College.
Within these deliciously curated chapters, you’ll embark on a journey through the kitchen of our talented, cooking-savvy contributors, with each recipe a testament to the rich tapestry of flavours, techniques and cultural influences that shape our vibrant community. From classic comfort foods to exotic masterpieces, you are sure to find something to make your taste buds tango.
But this cookbook is about more than just good food – it’s about making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. As a part of the College’s 2023 Pymble Gives Back initiative, every cent generated from the sale of The Pymble Pantry will be divided evenly and donated to two amazing charities: Dignity and The Smith Family.
So, whether you’re a seasoned chef, an aspiring home cook or simply someone who loves enjoying a good meal, through The Pymble Pantry, we invite you to open your own pantry and experience the tastes of Pymble for yourself – all while contributing to the betterment of the lives of those doing it tough.
Click here to purchase your copy of The Pymble Pantry today!
