From the Principal
This time of year is always exciting, in a bittersweet kind of way. On the one hand, we have the great joy of welcoming our new Kindergarten students for 2024 – so tiny! – and on the other, we are preparing to farewell our current Year 12 students and announcing next year’s Prefects. Congratulations to all our incoming student leaders, including co-Head prefects Julie Sheng and Bella Walker, and Boarding Head Prefects Aspen Moore and Skye Pockley. And our warmest thanks go to our outgoing Prefect team, led by Freya Carmody and Alyssa Yee, as well as Abigail Ballhausen and Amarley Bron in Boarding. We look forward to celebrating your fantastic work and our entire Class of 2023 next week at our special graduation celebrations.
As I said to all the girls at the Leadership Announcement Assembly on Tuesday, setting the tone for the school might start with the leadership team, but we all have a responsibility to create an inclusive environment at the College where we feel safe in being ourselves. This can start with the smallest of steps, and you don’t need a title or a badge to get going. Leadership positions aside, our entire Year 12 cohort, under their motto of “You’ve got a friend in me”, have been wonderful role models of care and kindness and have created an environment where all students and their unique gifts and talents can shine.
On that note, a huge congratulations to Lucinda Woodfield (Year 11) for taking her passion for Food Technology one step further and inspiring families across the College to donate their favourite or most meaningful recipes for publication in The Pymble Pantry digital cookbook. The book is now available to download here and all proceeds generated from sales will be donated equally to two charities we have been supporting this year, Dignity and The Smith Family. I purchased my copy yesterday and it looks great! Well done, Lucinda, and thank you in advance to all who have supported this wonderful way of giving back to others.
When we consider the two cohorts of Kindy and Year 12, who are at opposite ends of their school journeys, we are reminded of the transformative power of a Pymble education and the joy we share in playing a formative role in our students’ lives. We are also reminded that not everyone has access to the opportunities our girls have throughout their time at Pymble, and we give thanks for our privilege.
On October 14, the College is hosting our inaugural Pymble Foundation Ball to raise funds to support future generations of Pymble students. One of the three focus areas of the Pymble Foundation is to provide means-tested bursaries for deserving students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the gift of a Pymble education, along with supporting our master plan program of building and upgrading facilities and additional programs for our girls. Our aim is to provide three new bursaries for refugee students to commence at Pymble in 2024, this is in addition to the one currently supporting a student who was displaced from her home in Ukraine as a result of the current war with Russia. I warmly invite you to join me at the Pymble Foundation Ball to help change the lives of more young girls for the better; information and tickets are available via this link.
Meet our new Head Prefects
Back to our new student leaders, it is my great pleasure to hand over to our incoming Head Prefects, Julie and Bella, who I’ve asked to introduce themselves to you.
Hello everyone, I’m Julie!
“I remember how the first time I stepped onto the beautifully manicured lawns of Pymble in Year 7, I was immediately infused with a sense of awe and wonder. The smiling faces of the students and staff brightened up my day, and the laughter that hung in the air lifted up my spirit. I knew right then and there that this was my school, my community, my family. At Pymble, I always feel safe, secure and supported. The College is my happy place, where I can flourish in the care of my teachers and friends, but it also pushes me to step out of my comfort zone and rise to exciting new challenges.
“Pymble has given me countless opportunities to discover who I am and to explore my deepest interests. It is thanks to this school that I have developed my passions for literature, academic research, debating, and taekwondo. I also enjoy playing the piano and watching movies. And how can I forget the hobby very close to my heart (and stomach) – eating good food?
“But my favourite thing to do is to give back. The College has enriched my identity and helped me find my place in the world. Its positive force has shaped me as not only a student but also a human being, and my wish is to be a part of this force in the lives of other girls through my role as a leader.”
Dear Readers, I’m Bella and it’s great to e-meet you!
“I’m honoured to represent Pymble in the position of co-Head Prefect in 2024, alongside the incredible Julie. I started Pymble in Year 5, and ten-year-old me was overwhelmed by the amazing sense of community and the seemingly endless opportunities that awaited. I was so eager to jump right in!
“I’ll never forget seeing the sculpture of the Pymble girl holding the world in her hands on Flagpole Lawn for the very first time on my College tour. I immediately felt a wave of inspiration and motivation of those girls who have come before me. To me, this sculpture truly embodies what it means to be a Pymble girl and acknowledges the privileges we share, in being presented countless opportunities that if we reach for we can achieve. Pymble’s opportunities continue to shape my identity, allowing me to pursue my interests in sport, drama, outdoor education and volunteering, all activities which have led to lifelong friendships and enriching lessons for which I am forever grateful.
“Pymble has provided me a place where I can be me, unapologetically, and feel empowered and safe to live out the Pymble motto ‘All’ Ultimo Lavoro’ – to strive for the highest in any area I find myself keen to pursue.
“Ultimately, it is my goal to continue to foster Pymble’s strong sense of community. Above all I hope to instil amongst my peers, across all year groups, that no matter their goals, big or small, sporting, academic, artistic or performing, they should always believe in themselves. Because with enough hard work, courage and determination, embracing the wisdom and support of teachers and each other, great things are accomplished.”
Thank you, Julie and Bella and I look forward to working with you both to make 2024 a very special year for all students across the College.
Say hello to our HOLAs
We only have a few HOLAs left to go in this series of getting to know our amazing Heads of Learning Areas. This week – drumroll please – meet our Head of Learning Area – Performing Arts, Mr Marcus Stafford, who leads Music, Drama, Dance, and Vet Entertainment Industry courses for Secondary students at Pymble and also conducts our Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and the Senior Stage Band.
Marcus, what was the ‘aha’ moment that led you into teaching?
“It was a gradual thing. I was given a one-year placement at Sydney Boys Tech High School as a first-year graduate. I was only going to teach for a year and then travel. As the year went on, I enjoyed my teaching time more and more and realised that it was what I wanted to do for a career.”
What is the most rewarding aspect of the work you do here?
“It would have to be when a student tries to understand something (whether performance or theory based) and then it all just clicks, and they can do it. Also, doing a great performance at a concert and observing the joy and satisfaction that it gives an ensemble when they are receiving the applause for all their hard work is very rewarding.”
What are you most proud of achieving as a Pymble HOLA?
“The incredibly high standard of the curriculum showcase performances across the Performing Arts, and the very consistent, commendable and pleasing HSC results across all the Performing Arts subjects.”
Work aside, tell us a fun fact about you…
“I taught in London for five years and enjoyed travelling to many new cities. I was also involved in starting a rugby league team when studying at the Conservatorium of Music. We were called the Mozart Maulers. We won one game – woohoo! – and we got thrashed in plenty. Channel 9’s Today Show did a story about us and there is a YouTube clip to prove it!”
Finish this sentence: If I could impart one life lesson to our students, it would be…
“Don’t give up! Particularly when learning an instrument or a performance routine.”
