Nine of our cadets took part in the King’s Birthday Parade held at Government House, Sydney on Saturday 8 June. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to represent the Pymble army cadet unit and showcase their skill alongside cadets from all three services.
Marching with precision and pride, Pymble cadets demonstrated their dedication to service and discipline. It is an honour to represent Australian Army Cadets in such a capacity, and our cadets rose to the challenge.
We congratulate Pymble cadets on their involvement and thank them for their excellent representation of our school and unit. We’re proud of their achievements and look forward to seeing more from them in the future.
CUO Madeleine Raymond (Year 12)
CDTSSGT Mia Tesoriero (Year 11)
CDTSGT Darcey Hawkins (Year 11)
CDTCPL Hannah Weber (Year 11)
CDTSGT Wyinne Qin (Year 11)
CDTCPL Alia Curren (Year 10)
CDTCPL Siena Parsons (Year 10)
CDTLCPL Annabel Morris (Year 10)
CDT Iris Fan (Year 10)
Please click here to watch 7News coverage of the event.
Claudia Braysich
Army Cadets Administration Co-ordinator
Community Week at Pymble
Pymble’s inaugural Community Week was celebrated from the middle of Week 4 to the end of Week 5, with workshops and events put on throughout the week by our team of wonderful prefects. The purpose of this week was to encourage and showcase our sense of unity, diversity and connection as a community.
We aimed for students to understand Pymble as a place outside of the microcosm of learning. We are extremely fortunate to be a part of this fantastic community which fosters opportunities to make life-long friendships, try new things, and challenge personal comfort zones.
Through promoting the spirit of 2024’s Pymble Pulse and the theme ‘Hear Us Roar’ we engaged with the concepts such as the ‘Circle of Community’ and ‘Jungle of Community’ to emphasise Pymble’s relationship with family circles, friendship circles, teacher circles and the wider community. We are extremely proud of the leadership, friendship and sense of community which was displayed throughout the week.
Yarning Circle Plant-Out
To begin our first Community Week, Carrie and I collaborated as Outdoor Education and Environment Prefects to run a lunchtime activity on 22 May, that allowed students to connect outside and get their hands dirty at the same time. We chose to freshen up the Pymble Yarning Circle which opened in 2022 as we noticed it needed some TLC.
Yarning Circles are traditionally used as a place to talk, discuss and share ideas without judgement and they have been used for thousands of years by the Indigenous Australians. Our Yarning Circle is located behind Avonmoore and is in the shape of an emu. The emu holds cultural and spiritual significance for Indigenous communities, where it has been an integral part of their cultural practices and beliefs for thousands of years. In many Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, the emu features prominantly as a powerful and spiritual creature, often associated with creation, life, and the land.
A group of around 30 student volunteers helped plant some native grasses, weed and remove leaf litter using rakes, spades and gloves. The gardeners helped out and educated us about proper techniques of planting and the importance of removing grubs as they are very harmful to plants.
Some of our First Nations girls also attended, starting the activity with an Acknowledgement of Country and discussing the importance of the space. Overall this was a big success and we are looking forward to continuing this type of activity in the future creating a Bush Regeneration Club which will meet monthly to continue to care for our beautiful grounds.
We also hope to further extend this into the wider community outside of Pymble. We encourage you to get involved, and invite your friends to the Bushcare group mailing list on this form. We are thinking to have a plant out towards the end of June.
Written by Anna Ward (Environment Prefect) and Carrie Luo (Outdoor Education Prefect)
Intercultural PAC
On Friday to celebrate Intercultural Day as part of community week, the intercultural committee put together the intercultural PAC, to promote the cultural diversity existing around the College. We had five cultural performances, celebrating the diverse cultures ranging from Chinese, Indian and French!
The performance began with Alice playing a chinese instrumental piece called butterfly lovers on the violin, followed by a group of three students Jessica, Jacqueline and Cynthia singing Jia Bin, a chinese song. Anarghya followed with singing an Indian song titled Agar Tum Saath Ho (If you’re with me), followed by another group of three students Jess, Maddy and Emily who sang an adapted version of the French song C’est Soirées Là. The performances ended with Nicole playing a Chinese song, Silver Cloud Chase the moon on the piano.
Written by Chloe Kim (Intercultural Prefect)
Minute to Win It Competition
On Monday, we had the teacher and student Minute to Win it competition. It involved a group of student and teacher contestants battling out some simple challenges in the amphitheatre in aims to connect the students and teachers better. It was entertaining, but also a little challenging to keep everyone engaged in the audience. We had audience members do some commentating to keep the energy high.
Next time, it would be better to do activities that involved more people or were more silly. The crowd’s favourite activity to watch was the peg shake, especially Mr Routledge taking it all out to try and shake the pegs off! Thank you to the teachers for giving their time to participate and to everyone who watched and supported.
Written by Carrie Luo (Outdoor Education Prefect) and Yu Zhou (Executive Community Prefect)
Pulse Poster Making
This year’s theme of Pymble Pulse is about encouraging students to support each other, through an infectious pulse of energy and spirit. On Thursday we celebrated with a small group of girls and made some posters which were displayed in the Kate Mason Building to remind people to share the love at this time through assessments and as Year 12 looks to trials.
Written by Charlotte Wykes (Executive Community Prefect)
PenPal Initiative Lauch
On Tuesday, we had a Penpal initiative activity, where a group of students wrote letters to some people at an aged care home.
Written by Georgia Bicego (Service Prefect)
From the Principal
This week was a significant one for all students, and especially our Year 11 cohort, with the announcement of our incoming 2024/2025 Prefects and Captains of portfolios spanning all aspects of College life. Congratulations to our Head Prefects to be, Emily Abadee and Ang-Ya Koo, our Boarding Head Prefects to be, Sophie Lang and Celeste McDermott, our Executive Prefect team, and all the Captains of Sport, Performing Arts, Extended Learning, Houses, Community, School Liaison and SRC who officially take up their posts in Term 4.
When thinking about leadership advice to share at the announcement assembly, a beautiful mosaic that was gifted to me by the girls at OSHC when I first started at the College five years ago sprang to mind. I treasure this artwork equally for the thought and care that went into making it as I do for the reminder that life is a bit like a mosaic. Sometimes the pieces fit together and the picture turns out exactly how you want it to look. At other times, it’s up to you to use all your creative endeavours to create a different vision.
We are now halfway through the year, and I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage all students, including our incoming and outgoing leaders, to think about the pieces of your mosaic and the picture you wish to create by the end of this year. You have opportunities, you have support, and everyone here is willing to help you put those pieces together to make your vision come to life in a way that is special and meaningful to you, and that also creates a better picture for all the students who walk alongside you now and those who will follow in years to come.
It has been an honour to work with our current Year 12 leaders, Bella Walker and Julie Sheng, and the wonderful 2023/2024 Prefect team, and I look forward to a last flurry of pieces falling into place in Term 3 as they celebrate their final term at Pymble and assist with the incoming leaders’ handovers.
On the topic of creating your own meaningful mosaic, it is a pleasure to handover to our Technologies Prefect, Elena Zhang (Year 12), to share the story behind last week’s inaugural AI for Students Conference at Pymble.
How did the AI For Students Conference come to life?
The idea of a student-run conference came from our Director of Futures and Partnerships (K-12), Mrs Maksimovic. Originally, I envisioned inviting guest speakers to talk about their careers in AI but, after speaking to students and staff, we realised that there aren’t many formal opportunities for high school students to contribute to the discussion. For instance, when I spoke on a panel at the Informa AI in Education conference alongside Isabella Attard and Caitlin Kim (Year 10), we were, ironically, the only students there, despite it being a relatively large conference with many educators in the audience! And so, we changed the focus of our conference to student presentations.
Tell us how students and other schools were involved in the event.
I led a committee of Year 11 Pymble students (Allison Wang, Ayana Sapra, Ariana Bansal and Sophia Chang) to help organise the conference. We brainstormed activities, such as student presentations and panel discussions, that would meet our goal of promoting student learning and engagement in the discussion around AI. Organising the event also involved administrative/logistical tasks such as contacting guest speakers, booking the Library Learning Studio space, arranging catering, advertising through emails and posters, and more. I was also the emcee and ensured the event ran smoothly and adhered to the schedule so that all the students would get the opportunity to present or speak on the panel.
Students from Wenona, PLC Sydney and Knox joined us, and our guest speaker, a teacher-librarian, was from Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane. TED-style presentations from students covered topics including art generation, ethics and biases, and using AI to solve data coding challenges in Data Science.
Our team also hosted a panel of students who prepared responses to pre-set questions as well as impromptu questions from the audience. One example was “do you believe AI enhances or restricts creativity and innovation among students?”
What did you hope to achieve with this event?
The purpose of the event was to show students that their ideas and perspectives about AI are just as important as adults’ and professionals’. Advocating for student voice is known to enhance their engagement in their learning and promote mutual trust and understanding between teachers and students. I also hope students appreciate that it’s important to be curious about AI and how it’s used, rather than fear it.
Where to next?
Hopefully, Pymble will host another AI for Students conference next year, expanding our audience to include more schools. Perhaps we could start an interschool group to organise similar events or meetups on a more regular basis. I’d encourage students reading this column to take the initiative to learn about AI on their own and create opportunities for others to do so!
Elena Zhang (Year 12), Technologies Prefect
Congratulations to Elena and the team for leading the way in this space. Next week, we will continue the AI conversation with our Director of Innovative Learning Technologies, Mr Anthony England, who will share insights into our new portal for students and staff. Officially launched last week (having been in soft launch stage for the past few months), the new portal includes a suite of a suite of bespoke AI tools created exclusively for Pymble to amplify student growth and ensure we remain at the forefront of AI in education. Exciting times, so stay tuned.
Windows into Learning
From conferences to the classroom, the snapshots of inspired learning continue thanks to our wonderful academic staff.
Year 3 Library
Our Year 3 students have started on a journey to become lifelong inquisitive researchers by exploring non-fiction books. They are learning how to find the books in all our libraries, how to find information within the books and, most importantly, how to choose the right information to answer their questions.
With the abundance of information online, it is important for our girls to learn that books are a rich and trustworthy source of information. And exploring the range of topics in the non-fiction section of the library is fun, especially when one of our lessons is a treasure hunt! This week, after talking about how books are shelved in categories by number and playing a game on their iPad to “shelve” non-fiction books in order, the girls paired up and were given clues containing book titles with their call numbers. Once the girls found their books and understood how the Dewey Decimal system works, they explored the books in the collection, borrowed something of interest and sat and read. It was wonderful to see the excitement as they discovered the wide range of topics in our non-fiction collection and how much interesting information is contained within the pages of a non-fiction book.
Mrs Martha Itzcovitz Junior School Teacher Librarian Years 3-6
Year 9 Marine and Aquaculture Technology
Our budding Year 9 Marine Biologists hosted two Year 4 classes in advance of World Oceans Day on June 8. This year’s theme, Waves of Change: Collective Actions for the Oceans, emphasises the importance of working together to find solutions to ocean challenges.
Having just completed a detailed investigation into the world’s oceans, our Year 9 students worked together in small groups and planned an engaging lesson for their Year 4 visitors. The objective was to upskill our younger students in being able and confident to take some form of action to protect our oceans from a range of current threats.
It was wonderful to see Year 9 take responsibility for the guardianship of our oceans and seize the opportunity to upskill and enable our younger students to care for our ocean environments.
Mr Brendon Long Secondary School Science teacher
Support for our Annual Appeal
Finally, this week saw the launch of our Annual Appeal inviting our community to invest in the People, Places and Programs that ensure Pymble remains a leading school in Australia, if not globally. Our heartfelt thanks go to each person who contributed to our Pymble Foundation in the past 12 months. We are blessed to have such an engaged community of students, staff, families and alumni who value the incredible opportunities Pymble offers during the school years and in life beyond. For those who are able, we warmly invite you to consider making a tax-deductible gift to our Pymble Foundation Scholarship Program or Pymble Foundation Building Fund.
As we head towards the end of Semester 1, I have been reflecting on the year so far and I want to take a moment to honour the leadership shown by our Year 6 leaders. Given the maturity and grace with which these girls embrace their leadership, it’s easy to forget they are still 12 years old. At the start of this year, I asked the girls to think about the impact and footprint they want to leave in the Junior School at the end of this year and it’s clear they are committed to leaving a very positive impact.
Mr Robinson and I met with our House Captains last week and they are busy thinking about how we can highlight inspirational Olympians and our Pymble passion for sport next term. It’s lovely to chat with them as a group and to watch as they bounce ideas off one another and commit to advocating for the younger girls in their house. It’s clear our Athletics Carnivals are going to be high energy with these girls leading the house spirit!
Our Kindness Leaders were exemplary leaders as they helped host our Children’s Kindness Convention last week to over 100 Year 5 children from other schools and ensured all felt welcomed and empowered to ideate change. I work closely with these four girls each week, and they continue to impress me with their determination to change the world through kindness.
Our SRC leaders continue to shine with the responsibility and respect they display as they represent the voices of the Junior School in advocating for ideas and change to ensure our Junior School continues to be the best it can be. Some of their many ideas that have already been enacted in our Junior School including a day that celebrates kindness (which we will hold in Term 3), better access to lunchtime play equipment as well as the opportunity to access the playing fields at lunchtime to participate in a range of organised sports.
Our Chapel leaders continue to show grace and respect as they help our Chaplains lead Chapel each week and model our College values by consistently being impeccable role models to all Junior School girls. As our Chaplains look to lean into being involved with our Junior School Service opportunities, our Chapel leaders will have more opportunities to advocate for change through actions in our community. At the moment our Year 5 and 6 girls and families are showing their kindness to the community through the generosity in donating blankets and beanies which will go to help the homeless this winter.
Our Sustainability leaders are leading the campaign for change and kindness to our environment with much thoughtfulness and passion. I was lucky enough to watch these girls inspire our younger sustainability captains as they explained their designs for homes for our native animals and birds last week to our environmental partner from Sydney Wildlife Rescue.
Our STEM leaders are extraordinarily busy leading all STEM Captains from Years 1-6 in preparation for the STEAM Festival. These four girls are leading activities for our STEM club with Mr Brown and are currently designing and making a confetti dispenser, the Great Glass Elevator and Violet’s inflatable costume for our upcoming production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Our Library leaders work assiduously in the libraries helping ensure these spaces remain the heart of our Junior School and a calm, welcoming area for all to enjoy whether for reading, researching or ideating.
The commitment, creativity and positive energy of each of our 2024 Year 6 leaders is phenomenal and I look forward to seeing what they bring in the second half of the year.
As I celebrate our school leaders, I also want to acknowledge the fantastic leadership of Mrs Kate Giles, Head of Wellbeing, who heads off early next week to the USA to showcase her research, titled Connecting with our feelings – using collaboration to strengthen social and emotional skill development in Year 3 girls. Mrs Giles was recognised for her depth of knowledge in wellbeing as she was selected to be part of the Global Action Research Collaborative on Girl’s Education (GARC) through the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools. Please read more on this topic in Mrs Giles’ Wellbeing Weeklysection of this newsletter.
As we head towards the STEAM festival, our Junior School girls continue to work hard in preparing aspects of their learning they are excited to share. Mrs Maria Lee is working with girls in Year 4 as together they learn to code Dash Robots to perform a square bush dance. Please click here to enjoy a sneak preview and to see the girls’ joy and pride in their learning:
A Kindness Shoutout
This week I want to give a heartfelt shout out to Stella Shen’s (Year 1) grandma who has very kindly knitted a tent to keep Heidi the Hedgehog warm this winter. Thank you.
Congratulations
Congratulations to our Chamber Strings girls who performed at the City of Sydney Eisteddfod this week and were honoured with Highly Commended.
Congratulations to our Junior Capella girls who also performed at the Eisteddfod and were honoured with Highly Commended.
Wellbeing Weekly from Kate Giles- Head of Wellbeing K-6
Social and emotional learning skills are vital to student wellbeing and there is a considerable body of academic research demonstrating the significant relationship between student wellbeing and academic outcomes. The influence of key adult figures at home and at school has been shown to shape children’s social and emotional development. Seeking to understand this further, I was lucky to be able to work with the 3K girls and Miss Kennett as a part of my research through the Global Action Research Collaborative on Girl’s Education (GARC) through the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools.
The topic of my research was Connecting with our feelings – using collaboration to strengthen social and emotional skill development in Year 3 girls. The research project consisted of two lessons per week where the girls were explicitly taught skills and collaborated with each other to learn a variety of techniques to regulate and manage their emotions. They then shared these and reflected upon them together at school and then at home with their parents. The project culminated in the girls creating their own ‘toolkit’ of strategies for use at home and at school in times of challenge or emotional regulation.
The main findings of the research included:
Collaboration during lessons teaching self-management and self-awareness skills creates an environment of shared understanding and trust in the classroom.
Improved self-management and self-awareness skills in the girls, particularly when managing feelings around making mistakes and friendship conflict.
There is benefit in having consistent strategies and activities across both the home and school environments that the girls can use.
The girls reported greater connection to their parents sharing their thoughts and reflecting on the activities with them at home. The girls were very keen to find other projects and activities where they could collaborate with their parents.
Thank you to the girls and families of 3K for your support of this project and thank you to Miss Imogen Kennett for allowing me to work with you and 3K on this. Following this project, I will be continuing my research in this area and continuing to grow our partnerships with Junior School families to support the wellbeing of all girls.
Term 3 Wellbeing Series Workshops
In Term 3 we will continue our Wellbeing Series with two more workshops. These will be held on 1 August and 22 August in our Junior School 3-6 Library. Links to register for these sessions will be sent shortly.
A message from Heidi Lynch – Sustainability Club Leader
Last Wednesday, our Junior School Sustainability Club was fortunate to have Tracey from Sydney Wildlife Rescue visit and share her extensive knowledge and experience. Tracey highlighted the critical role Sydney Wildlife Rescue plays in helping local native animals, from rescue and rehabilitation, to release back into their natural habitats.
We were lucky enough to show Tracey our designs and ideas to help house the native wildlife within our College. She provided valuable feedback and advice on our design ideas for animal homes, ensuring our designs were both practical and beneficial for the wildlife. Our time with Tracey not only increased our understanding of wildlife care and conservation but also inspired us to take active steps in protecting and supporting biodiversity within our school grounds.
A message from Kurt Schweinberger – Head of Creative and Performing Arts K-6
Best wishes to our Eisteddfod Dancers
We wish our Junior School Dance Eisteddfod troupes all the best as they prepare to perform at Abbotsleigh this coming Sunday! Good luck to all the dancers – may your hard work and passion shine on stage!
Highly Commended to our Chamber Strings
I am pleased to announce that the Hindson Chamber Strings has been awarded a Highly Commended at the prestigious City of Sydney Eisteddfod! Competing against many other schools, the ensemble stood out with their exceptional performance and musicality. This recognition is a testament to their dedication, skill and passion for music. Congratulations to all the members and their director, Ms Alexandra D’Elia for this outstanding achievement. We look forward to their continued success and beautiful performances in the future!
Year 5 Showcase
Please join us for a heartwarming showcase of unique stories through dance and singing at the Year 5 Showcase: Everyone Has a Story – What do you call your Grandma?
At the heart of the showcase is the recognition that each person has a story worth sharing. Whether it’s the endearing nickname for their grandma, the cherished memories of family gatherings, or the tales of resilience and love passed down through generations, everyone has a story that deserves to be heard and celebrated.
Through music, stories and dance, Year 5 students will honour the rich tapestry of cultures and traditions that make up the College community and beyond. These stories will inspire and remind people of the beauty of our shared humanity and diverse backgrounds.
We look forward to seeing you at the Year 5 Showcase, where every story is valued, and each voice is heard.
Performance dates: Wednesday 19 June, commencing at 1.30pm
Venue: Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts
Tickets: This is a free event, no ticket is needed.
Junior School Digital News
Term 2 2024 Key Dates– Week 5 and 6
Friday 14 June House time 11.45am to 12.45pm (No K-2 assembly)
Friday 14 June Year 2 Nature Play 1.00pm to 2.00pm (girls to wear PE uniform and bring gumboots and raincoats)
Friday 14 June IPSHA Debating (St Andrews)
Saturday15June IPSHA Saturday Sport
Sunday 16 June Junior Eisteddfod Team Extreme – Abbotsleigh
Monday 17 June Year 3 The Dish visit
Monday 17 June Year 5 Writer in Residence
Tuesday 18 June Year 5 Performing Arts Showcase Rehearsal Day 1
Wednesday 19 June Year 5 Performing Arts Showcase (Parents) 1.30pm
Wednesday 19 June Year 3 Author Visit – Period 1 and 2
Friday 21 June House Time 11.45am to 12.45pm
Friday 21 June Year 1 Nature Play 1.00pm to 2.00pm (girls to wear PE uniform and bring gumboots and raincoats)
Saturday 22 June IPSHA Saturday Sport
Saturday 22 June PPA Trivia Night
From the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)
*Final Call* – PPA Trivia Night – Saturday 22 June
Thank you to our parents who have registered for the upcoming Trivia Night, which will be held at an exciting new venue this year – Miramare Gardens at Terrey Hills. There will be prizes for the best dressed individual, best dressed group and best decorated table so it’s time to plan your outfits and table decorations!
If you are unable to attend the event but would still like to show support, raffle tickets are available for advance purchase via the ticket link here. There are fantastic prizes to be won.
To make it a successful evening, we rely on the kind support of our community for donations for the live and silent auctions, year group baskets and raffles. Types of donations could include:
Bottles of wine / champagne for “Wine / Champagne Lovers” basket (please contact Kenneth Kok at kenneth@kok.family – alcohol cannot be dropped off at school);
Items “For the Child” group basket;
Items “For the Family” group basket;
Items “For the Dads” group basket.
These items can be dropped off at Hedgehog House.
If it’s easier to make a cash donation towards these items, please click on the link here and we’ll do the shopping on your behalf.
Proceeds from this fund raiser will go towards the Teacher and Staff Development Program and the Thank You Lunch on World Teachers’ Day. Thank you for your ongoing support – we appreciate your generosity.
Other Upcoming Events
Year 1 Mum’s Night Out – Thursday 20 June
Please join our Year 1 Mum’s Night Out on Thursday 20 June from 6.30pm at the Governor Hotel. Please book through the QR code on the flyer.
It was lovely to welcome our Middle School students back onto campus on Tuesday morning looking refreshed and rested after the long weekend. Although a short week, Week 7 has offered our students several learning opportunities in and outside the classroom. Below our Middle School students share their experiences through recounts and reflections on the week that’s been.
Peer Support – A fun and collaborative way to start the week
What is peer support?
Year 7 had Peer Support with the Year 10s on Monday last week, and it was a fun and collaborative experience to start the week. Our Peer Support Leaders engaged us in many teamwork activities, such as Jenga and skipping with our friends. Peer Support with Year 10 was fun and welcoming, leaving us all in a positive mood.
How does Peer Support benefit us?
Peer support can help improve communication and cooperation skills as students work together in different activities and games. The help provided by the lovely Year 10 students gives us guidance and encouragement; basically us Year 7s get a fresh start to our week. Peer support is a fun way to take a break from our stress and study and collaborate and engage in community activities with our friends. Additionally, the fun and engaging activities left the students in a positive mood for the rest of the week. Peer support creates a supportive school environment where Year 7s are able to feel more connected to some of the older girls.
What do we do in Peer Support?
During Peer Support on Mondays, the Year 7 Compass groups participate in activities such as:
– Jenga
– Group games such as Splat and duck duck goose
– Hanging out on Gloucester Lawn
– Scavenger hunts
– Card games
– Kahoot and Blooket
Participating in Peer Support with Year 10 students is an enjoyable experience that uplifts everyone’s spirits for the rest of the week. By participating in these activities, students build valuable skills, form stronger bonds, and create a supportive school community. Let’s look forward to every Monday, knowing that Peer Support will bring joy and camaraderie to our week!
Personal experiences we have had
One of my favourite things in Compass time is to have a session with the Year 10 Peer Support Leaders. With the Year 10s, we get a variety of options on what to do. Some weeks we may have a wellbeing session or we may have a packed session with games for our Compass class to interact and bond as a group.
Written by Lucy Liu, Wenhui Zheng, Georgina Lewis and Aaria Khan (Year 7)
Year 7 Mollie Dive Field Fun
On Tuesday, Year 7 gathered on Mollie Dive Field during Mind Body Spirit (MBS) time to participate in the Push Up Challenge, play games and enjoy the company of their peers. It was great to see students leading and joining in. We look forward to enjoying more activities like this in Semester 2. The equipment is always available for our Compass groups during Compass/MBS time.
Bell Shakespeare
On Wednesday, Year 7 attended a performance by Bell Shakespeare to support their learning in English. Year 7 is currently studying a unit on Shakespeare’s Women. Needless to say, the performance was thoroughly enjoyed by all with a robust question and answer session at the end. A special thank you to the English department for organising the event.
Today, all of Year 7 gathered in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts to learn about Shakespeare and how he lived in his time, and what things were like in a formal and humorous manner. We learnt about Shakespeare’s language and how people spoke. Things were different back in those days. They played different games and had different ways of entertainment and fun. Overall, it was a great, interactive and humorous experience I had with my friends.
Written by Tangia Sun (Year 7)
I personally really enjoyed Bell Shakespeare because it was really entertaining and amusing, and it cleverly presented facts about Shakespeare’s life and famous plays in a way that was not only informative, but intriguing and enjoyable to watch. One of my favourite parts about the Bell Shakespeare performance was that they separated different parts of Shakespeare’s plays using acts, and that the performance included phrases and words that are popular in 2024, and everyone loved it!
Written by Diyana Palihawadana (Year 7)
Bell Shakespeare had lots of funny lines, making the story of Shakespeare pleasant and entertaining, not only teaching us how Shakespeare wrote his plays, but getting us to laugh every so often. One of my favourite parts was when they said a couple of Shakespearean insults, it was funny and interesting, and made me think about using it sometimes against my friends! Overall, it was a really nice show, and I think I can speak for everyone that we all enjoyed it!
Written by Farah Ahmad (Year 7)
Shakespeare Is Dead is a play written by Joanna Erskine, that goes with a group of teenagers who go on a quest of asking the question, “Shakespeare is dead so why are we still performing his plays?” It features an abundance of his plays and quotes, featuring everything from romance and tragedies to histories and comedies. We were introduced to Shakespeare’s characters, a few of his most famous scenes, plot devices he used, language techniques, iambic pentameter, and learnt about what life was like during the Elizabethan era.
Bell Shakespeare’s production of Shakespeare is Dead is a bright and insightful exploration of the life, times, and long living legacy of the iconic playwright and poet William Shakespeare. Through a dynamic blend of storytelling, historical anecdotes, and theatrical prowess, the performance captivated Year 7 students from start to finish.
The production navigates through key moments in Shakespeare’s life and career, offering a rich tapestry of historical context. From the tragic fire at the Globe Theatre during a performance of Henry VIII to the romance from William Shakespeare’s plays, and how to speak in Shakespearean language, each scene unfolds with precision and authenticity.
Throughout the performance, the audience is actively engaged, with jokes and audience engagement. One of the highlights of the production is its celebration of Shakespeare’s linguistic genius. Through a myriad of words and phrases coined by the bard, audiences are reminded of Shakespeare’s contribution to the English language. From everyday expressions to timeless idioms, Shakespeare’s influence is global and enduring.
In summary, Shakespeare is Dead is a triumph of storytelling, bringing to life the world of Shakespeare with wit, and authenticity. With the actors’ amazing performances and celebration of Shakespeare’s linguistic legacy, this was an amazing and intriguing production.
Written by Neve Anderson, Emeliana Barry and Carla Eiback (Year 7)
Congratulations to our Year 8 students who competed in the OzCLO competition, the Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad. The contest challenges students to develop their own strategies in teams of four to solve problems about fascinating real languages.
In 2024, nationally, 2,573 students participated in 661 teams from 94 schools. In most regions (and overall nationally), more junior than senior teams participated. OzCLO is a challenging problem set, and this year was particularly challenging. The highest score nationally was 84.5 per cent.
The first round is a two-hour competition held at the school with teams submitting their answers through an online quiz.
The national round is by invitation to the top three teams for each region and is held at a local host university.
The winners of the national round are offered the opportunity of representing Australia at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) which takes place in different locations around the world every year. This year it is being held in Brasilia, however Pymble didn’t progress to that stage. Congratulations to the following girls:
A reminder to our Year 7 families to complete the NSW Health Consent Form for the School Vaccination Program. The first vaccination clinic will be held on Thursday 1 August. Please provide consent by Thursday 25 July.
Key Dates
Friday 28 June – Last day of Term
From the Middle School Parent Groups
Year 7
Mother and Daughter Day at Vision Valley
This is being heldthisSunday 16th June from 9am to 3pm.
Please refer to your email for further details.
PPA Trivia Night
Please note we are also looking for donations to the Trivia Night which can be given as prizes.
Years 7 and 8 are putting together hampers “For the Mums”.
To do this, could you please bring in any items you might have such as body lotion, body wash, spa vouchers etc to the Middle School Office.
A message from Mrs Victoria Harrison, Head of Upper School
As we approach the end of term, students are busy completing their assessments. This is when it can become apparent if your daughter’s homework and study habits are working effectively. Students in Year 9 and 10 receive an explicit study lesson once a term during Mind Body Spirt. The focus of these lessons for Term 1 and 2 are listed below.
Term 1
Term 2
Year 9
Engaging in Active Study methods rather than Passive Study. E.g. Study that requires active recall such as flash cards, teaching a friend, brain dumps, mind maps and practice questions.
Time Management – Students learnt different ways to use their diaries so they are effective at planning out their study time. E.g. The use of Active To-Do lists and creating a weekly schedule.
Year 10
The importance of monotasking rather than multitasking. When you multitask, you are really just task switching which is less efficient. Students can set a timer, remove distractions and complete one task at a time.
Spaced Repetition – breaking study into smaller chunks and revising regularly so that concepts can have time to move into students’ long-term memory. Engaging in Active Study methods rather than Passive Study. E.g. Study that requires active recall such as flash cards, teaching a friend, brain dumps, mind maps and practice questions
The girls also have access to great resources thorough the Study Skills Handbook. If you think your daughter needs help with time management or improving her study habits, please encourage them to check in with their Compass teacher. You can also find helpful tips on Reach Out.
Subject Selection
It is exciting for our Year 10s to have started their subject selection process. It was wonderful to see and hear the buzz of excitement at the recent student sessions led by the Curriculum team and teachers. We hope that Wednesday night’s parent information session was helpful and started great conversations at home about your daughter’s senior subjects. I encourage students and families to explore the well resourced Pymblesubject selection website as they consider their future and subjects choices, due at the end of Week 3 Term 3.
Student Achievements
Congratulations to Eloise Stewart (Year 9) who has been selected to represent the NSW All Schools AFL team at the School Sport Australia AFL Championships on the Gold Coast from Friday 26 July until Saturday 3 August. We wish Eloise the very best in preparing for and competing in this event.
It has been a busy few weeks for Athletics and Cross Country competitors. Well done to those Upper School students who competed in the Pymble Championship Athletics Carnival this week at Homebush. Congratulations to Ellie Pointon, Harriet Murphy, Indianna Vale, Layla Abdel-Mageed and Grace Beck who represented Pymble and igsa at CIS Cross Country last week.
This week Zara Cooke of Year 10 has departed for Turkey to represent Australia in the World Aquatics Women’s U16 Water Polo Championships. We wish Zara the very best for her final training camp and the tournament.
Another straightforward way that families can support women and girls is to buy some undies over the weekend to donate as part of our support for Days for Girls. The undies are included in the menstruation kits for women around the world; a small gesture that makes an enormous difference. Thank you in advance for your support of this great initiative.
Key Dates
Tuesday June 25 Secondary School Ensemble Concert
Friday June 28 Boarders’ Travel Day & last day of Term 2
From the Upper School Parent Group
We are looking for donations for the PPA Trivia Night on 22 June. In particular we are looking for items for the theme of gardening to make up hampers. If you are able to donate, please drop your item into the box at the Upper School office.
Victoria Harrison
Head of Upper School
From the Senior School
From the Head of Senior School
Cultivating Kindness and Care
This week we enjoyed a Senior School assembly and spoke about the power of a kind community. As we navigate through this academic year, it’s important to remember the power of kindness and the profound impact it can have on our community. Kindness is not just an act; it is a way of being, a philosophy that shapes how we interact with ourselves and others. As senior students, our girls are leaders and role models and can set a great example to their younger peers. Their actions set the tone for the entire school, and by fostering an environment of care and compassion, can leave a lasting legacy.
Henry David Thoreau once said, “Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you, it will gently come and sit on your shoulder.” This wisdom reminds us that by focusing on kindness and mindfulness, we can cultivate a sense of happiness and fulfilment that naturally enriches our lives and the lives of those around us.
Kindness to Yourself
Taking care of yourself is the first step towards being able to care for others. It’s essential to prioritise your wellbeing amidst the pressures of academic work, extracurricular activities, and future planning. Here are some ways to practise self-kindness:
Self-Care Routine: Establish a routine that includes activities you enjoy and that relax you. This could be anything from reading a book, taking a walk, or practising a hobby.
Healthy Boundaries: Learn to say no when necessary and ensure you’re not overwhelming yourself with too many commitments.
Mindfulness and Reflection: Take time to reflect on your experiences and feelings. Mindfulness practices, such as meditation or journaling, can help you stay grounded and focused.
Kindness to Friends
We often encourage the Senior girls to broaden their friendship networks and consider making connections with other students outside of their immediate group. This is great to build community, and the interpersonal skills that are so needed today. Your friends are your support network, and nurturing these relationships is crucial. Show kindness to your friends through:
Active Listening: Be present when your friends need to talk. Sometimes, just being there and listening can make a huge difference. Equally, if a friend shares feelings which might be overwhelming for both of you, thank them for their trust and explain that you need the further support of a trusted adult such as a parent or teacher. It is important to remember that there are some concerns that do you might need further advice about and that is not a betrayal, but courageous care.
Encouragement and Support: Celebrate your friends’ successes and offer a helping hand during challenging times. Your support can motivate and uplift them.
Random Acts of Kindness: Small gestures, like a kind note or a thoughtful message, can brighten someone’s day and strengthen your bond.
Kindness to Teachers
Our teachers play a pivotal role in our education and personal growth. Showing appreciation and kindness to them fosters a positive and respectful learning environment:
Respect and Courtesy: Simple acts of politeness, such as saying thank you or greeting them warmly, show your appreciation.
Feedback and Communication: Constructive feedback and open communication help build a collaborative atmosphere. Let your teachers know when their efforts positively impact you, or if you need further assistance in mastering a skill or concept.
Patience and Understanding: Remember that teachers also have challenges and stressors. Being patient and understanding goes a long way in creating a supportive community.
Building a Culture of Care
As your daughter continues her journey at our school, remember that kindness and care are not just individual acts but part of a broader culture. By practising kindness daily, we can all contribute to a positive, inclusive, and compassionate school environment. These actions inspire others to do the same, creating a ripple effect that extends beyond our school walls.
Thoreau’s words remind us that happiness comes from noticing the beauty and opportunities for kindness around us. Let’s commit to making our school a place where kindness and care are at the forefront of everything we do. Together, we can build a community where everyone feels valued, supported, and loved.
New Leaders Announcement
We had all the excitement of learning about our new student leadership team for 2024/25. Congratulations to all the Captains of Sport, Performing Arts and Co-Curricular activities. Congratulations too to our newly announced student leaders in the Prefect body. I have every confidence that our College is in great hands, as our Year 12 2025 group prepares to move alongside our graduating Year 12 students in leading their younger peers. There will be a Year 12 Badge Ceremony next term for parents to attend to witness their daughters receiving their Year 12 badges and leadership pockets.
Senior School Knit In
We warmly invite all parents, grandparents and carers to come along to our annual Knit In in the Senior School on Friday 14 June, from 12:45pm – 2:00pm. Please bring your knitting needles and wool to help us knit up a storm for Wrap with Love over a warm cup of tea or coffee. We all appreciate your support of this amazing charity, which supplies warm blankets for those in need in Australia and overseas.
Term 2 Key Dates
14 June – Senior School Wrap with Love Knit-In
28 June – Term 2 concludes
From the Secondary School Parent Group
Hi Year 11 parents! A reminder that the Trivia Night is coming up very soon at the end of next week on Saturday 22 June. Could you help donate a gift for our homes hamper?
Year 11 are making hampers ‘for the home’ so it would be great if you would consider dropping off an item to the Senior School office such as candles, cushions, picture frames – it would be much appreciated. Or if easier, please contribute to the GroupTogether by clicking here.
Thank you so much everyone!
Nikki Wyse
Head of Senior School
From the Boarding School
On Wednesday, I was delighted to announce our Boarding Prefects for the 2024-25 year. They are a fabulous team of young women and I am super excited about working with them. I was also very proud (and not surprised) to see the long list of Boarders who were successful in gaining leadership positions in the Day School. I know you will join me in congratulating the following Boarders:
Boarding Leaders
Head Boarders: Celeste McDermont and Sophie Laing
Community Spirit Prefects: Jemma Hodder and Evie Leahy
Avonmoore Prefect: Alice Beveridge
Goodlet House Prefect: Dezi Magann-Jones
Marden House Prefect: Lola Barwick
Day School Leaders
Goodlet House Captain: Charlotte Craig
Middle School Liaison Prefect: Gina Lau
Lang House Captain: Alethea Levy
Marden House Captain: Lana Pike
Academic Learning Prefect: Nandika Singh
Goodlet House Prefect: Grace Townsend
And there’s more….
Congratulations also to the following incredible Boarders who are Sport, Performing Arts and Extended Learning Captains:
Livia Armstrong – Theatre (Technical)
Joanna Au – Music – Captain of Choirs
Lola Barwick – Equestrian
Bella Croker – Hockey
Evie Leahy – Rugby Sevens
Alethea Levy – Football
Allyana Levy – AFL
Dezi Magann-Jones – Cricket
Grace Peters – Athletics (Field)
Grace Townsend – Touch Football
Hannah Weber – Cattle Club
Meet our newest Boarders’ Representative Council (BRC) members
Congratulations to Camilla (Milla) Metcalfe and Quinn Parry-Okeden who have been elected as our Year 7 BRC members. This advisory group is key to making Boarding a happy and high-functioning home for our residents. They make recommendations based on information from their peers and provide feedback to their year group on points of discussion and decisions. I am looking forward to the fresh perspective that Milla and Quinn will bring to this important group.
Boarders leading the way
Congratulations to Matilda (Tilly) Batman and Vanessa Yiu for their contribution to the Gordon and Pymble Uniting Church (GPUC) community. Despite being incredibly busy Year 12 students, Tilly and Vanessa found time to complete the GPUC Kids Club Leadership Training so they could assist in a voluntary capacity at the church’s weekly Kids’ Club. Reverend Karen praised the girls for their willingness to give back, particularly in the context of their final year at school. These incredible young woman are already well known for their generosity of spirit in our Boarding community and we couldn’t be prouder of them.
Love It, Mrs Katie White – Deputy Director of Boarding
We have some slight changes to the Love It program for this weekend. On Friday evening the Year 11s will be enjoying a pizza and games night. On Saturday night we have been invited to the ice hockey by the boarders at Knox. For those who have never seen ice hockey – you are in for a treat. This thrilling game will be action packed! We have even arranged a meet and greet with the team after the event. On Sunday, we are going to head to Brookvale Oval to watch the Sea Eagles play the Dragons.
Pymble goes South
A final reminder that Pymble will be in Wagga Wagga on 21 and 22 June at the Boarding School Expo. If you are in the area we would love you to call in and say hello. Better still, if you are available on the evening of 22 June, it would be great to see you at the Temora home of Pymble Parents, Jo and Mark Brennan for a gathering of Pymble friends. Please click the link to see the invitation and RSVP.
Supporting our wider Boarding family
Last week you would have read about Amy’s efforts to support her young cousin Jack in his battle against neuroblastoma. Please make a note of Saturday 3 August when Amy is organising a bumper sausage sizzle to raise funds for this most worthwhile cause.
Eat like a Boarder
Please accept the invitation to join us for a meal on Monday 22 July at 6.00pm, when you return your girls from the term break. This will be the ‘real’ experience, with you able to enjoy the regular dinner service, just as the girls do each evening. If you would like to join us please RSVP to boarding@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au by no later than Friday 28 June.
View From My Window
I am Livia and I am a Boarder in Year 10. I live on a small farm an hour outside of Darwin. For the long weekend I was lucky enough to fly back home on Thursday to see my family. The flight is four-and-a-half hours long and I arrived back home at 1.00am in the morning. Waking up in my own bed on Friday was a pretty good feeling!
My favourite thing to do once I get home is heading outside to look around the farm. In my pyjamas generally, Basil our little dog and Jess the blue heeler join me in the buggy to check the cattle. Our farm is 150 acres in a wetland area, and we run Brahman cattle and horses.
My family is generally quite busy, but it was nice to have a weekend that was laid back and spent at home. Saturday was spent going on a horse ride as a family which has become a rare, special occasion. Dad joined in, sitting in the buggy with the job of picking up jump rails while my sister and I race around our makeshift jump course. We have old metal drums set up as cross rails out in the front paddock. Mum walks around on her horse watching us and keeping out of the way of me and my sister’s races.
In the afternoon, just before the sun sets, we race out in the buggy to go exploring in the nature reserve that backs onto our property. Harrison Dam Reserve is full of wildlife and little tracks that lead off in all directions. In the wet season we can’t go very far into the bush exploring due to all the water, so it was nice to finally get to some of my favourite spots. We stayed out there until sunset admiring the massive dam on the left and the wide-open flood plains on the right.
Boarder of the Week
We couldn’t be prouder of Millie, our Boarder of the Week, as Beth Ayling, Head of Marden House, shares below:
Millie joined our Marden family from Dubbo at the beginning of this year, and I mean it when I say that it feels like she’s been here forever. She quickly slotted right in, no fuss, and became one of our beautiful Boarding sisters that we couldn’t imagine life without.
Millie greets everyone she sees with a big smile and is always ready for a chat about what’s happening in the lives of those around her. She is a proud Wiradjuri woman, a brilliant basketballer (winning the award UAA Indigenous Athlete of the Year last term) and an altogether lovely person to be around.
Nothing is a bother for Millie, she is always happy to volunteer to help out with projects for the College or taking our newer Boarders under her wing. We love having her in Marden House and we’re so glad she joined our Pymble Boarding family.
Save the Date
28 June Last day of term and Boarders’ Travel Day
22 July Boarders return to Boarding from 2.00pm
22 July Eat like a Boarder, 6.00pm
3 August Fundraiser for Jack Schofield
4 August Boarder Community Day (all Boarders required to be in attendance)
25 August Father, Daughter event
20 September Boarders and their Families event
21 September Garden Party
Term 4 TBA Mother-Daughter Lunch
Boarder Parent Group Meetings
20 September – 2.30pm onsite
24 October – 7.00pm Microsoft Teams meeting
Carolyn Burgess
Head of Boarding
From the Chaplains
I invite you, before you continue reading, to take a moment to pause and simply listen to the world around you.
Begin by focusing on your breathing and then slowly open your senses to the world around you. The sounds and smells. The feeling of the air against your cheek. The warmth or the coolness of your hands.
Close your eyes if you need to.
What did you hear? What did you feel?
Where was God?
In chapel this week we have been introducing Pymble to the prophet Anna.
Anna only features in a few small verses in the book of Matthew. She is the only woman identified as a prophet in the entire New Testament. She is given this title because she was one of the first to see and name the newborn Christ Child as God, and she was the first to share this news with the people of Jerusalem.
Ana is interesting because up until that point she spent her days repeating the exercise that I invited you to start with. For Ana each day was spent temple waiting for God through prayer and fasting following the death of her husband. And nothing ever happened, or so we assume because we are only told about the waiting.
And then one day, something did. Mary and Joseph entered the temple with their newborn baby. And in that moment, because she was waiting and noticing Anna saw the newborn Christ child for who he was. God incarnate. And she went into the world to share this good news.
I can’t help wondering if this is what Ana’s waiting had been what she thought she was waiting for, or something else?
And I can’t help wondering what difference it would have made in the faith of those who follow Jesus today if Ana and others like her did not notice him through his life praying, healing and teaching among them?
Because many people didn’t. And this is understandable. They were busy. They had other priorities. Just like we do.
This week I want to invite you all to simply take a few moments each day to pause.
To notice your breathing, and then to open your sense to the world. To hear the sounds, you would normally not hear, and to see the things that you would normally not see in the busyness of all that you do.
My prayer is that you see God in that moment in a way that you did not expect. In yourself, in others, in the wind. Because it is in in noticing, and waiting, in the cracks in between and in the moments, we least expect that we realise that God is always there.
Danielle Hemsworth-Smith
College Chaplain
From the Futures Team
Applying to the USA for tertiary study. Masterclass: Friday 4th June during MBS time in the Library Learning Space. Students will be introduced to factors they need to consider if they are planning to apply for US universities after school. Open to all Years 9- 11 students. An email was sent for students to register for the Masterclass. Students need to register to attend.
The next round of registrations for Term 3 and Semester 2 programs will open via the online registration system at 12.00pm on Wednesday 12 June and close at 11.59pm (midnight) on Wednesday 10 July. Please access the online registration via the Co-curricular pages on MyPymble by clicking here. A parent/carer log in is required to be able to register. We recommend families check they can access the system well in advance of the opening date to avoid any technical issues on the day as registrations CANNOT be processed via email or phone.
A notice will be posted on the MyPymble app prior to registrations opening to all families as a reminder of the opening date and time.
Term 4 Saturday Sports will open for registration on Wednesday 24 July at 12.00pm and close at 12.00pm (midday) on Friday 9 August.
Co-curricular Registration Requests
Registrations for Term 3 Saturday Sports closed on Friday 17 May, with many sports already having completed their trials. If you missed the registration period and would like to request registration into a sport, please click here to complete our registration request form. A reminder that late registrations are NOT guaranteed.
Registrations for Term 2/Winter Semester/intake programs are now closed and the cut-off date for registration requests has now passed as per our conditions of registration. What this means is that any late requests submitted after Monday 13 May will not be approved and any withdrawals after this date will be subject to the charge as indicated in the conditions. Requests submitted prior to the cut-off date are currently being processed and will adhere to the conditions of being submitted prior to the cut-off.
Monique Zahra
Head of Co-curricular Administration
AFL
Congratulations to Evie Farr (Year 9) and Eloise Stewart (Year 9) who recently attended the NSW All Schools 15 Years and under AFL Championships in Albury.
Well done to Eloise Stewart who was selected for the NSW team to compete at the School Sports Australia Games on the Gold Coast in July/August.
Jack Garrad
Co-ordinator – AFL
Hockey
Pymble 1 Match Report – By Arabella Smithyman, Hockey Captain
On Tuesday 4 July, Barker hosted our Mollie Dive match. Pymble 1 remain undefeated this season having drawn with Abbotsleigh earlier in the term, so we were keen to keep this streak running, especially against Barker who always put up a tough match.
The match started quite evenly with Pymble having early opportunities to score, however, Barker’s goalkeeper made some great saves. Good movement up the right wing resulted in Bella Croker (Year 11) having an amazing shot to the left post, which was deflected in by Isabelle Johnston (Year 11), resulting in our first goal! Our defence was on point led by Thyra Schuszler (Year 10) in centre back, who controlled our back line allowing us to spread the ball out wide.
Early in the second half, a big push up through the middle resulted in Bella Croker (Year 11), again, scoring an excellent goal from the top of the D. It was great to have our Year 9 players returning from Vision Valley as it added some extra speed to the wings! This year has been fantastic because we are all working together as a team while highlighting our individual strengths and the results speak for themselves.
We continued to dominate the game and on one of our short corner opportunities we managed to convert with Tessa Newitt (Year 11) executing an amazing trap allowing for a straight shot at goal! Barker had some late opportunities but could not break down our Pymble wall of defence, resulting in the final score of 3 to 0 and Pymble taking the win. Pymble 1 progress into the Semi-finals on Tuesday 11 June, hoping to continue our current form to come away with a victory!
Good Luck to all teams who will compete in semi-finals and play-off matches this week.
See below Round 5 results:
Team
Opponent
Result
Pymble 1
Barker College
Won 3 to 0
Pymble 2
Abbotsleigh
Lost 0 to 8
Pymble 3
Willoughby/ Marist
Lost 0 to 2
Congratulations to the following students who received best and fairest for their match last week:
Pymble 1 – Bella Croker (Year 11)
Pymble 2 – Isla Campbell (Year 9)
Pymble 3 – Harriet Lisle (Year 8)
Shellie Davis
Co-ordinator – Hockey
Junior School Sport
NSWCIS Cross Country
Congratulations to our Pymble Junior School athletes who competed at the CIS Primary Cross Country in wet and muddy conditions. We are pleased to share some outstanding results below:
8 and 9 Years 2km
2nd Siena Cassidy (Year 3)
67th Rose Wang (Year 4)
10 Years 2km
33rd Amélie Berg (Year 5)
11 Years 3km
44th Anna Smart (Year 6)
Matt Tyson
Head of Sport (K-6)
Netball
Congratulations to our Pymble netballers who competed at the NSW Senior State Titles over the long weekend. This prestigious competition features the top Under 15 and Under 17 netballers from NSW. Pymble was proudly represented by nine students in the three day event:
Isabel Grant (Year 9) – Ku-ring-Gai Netball Association U15 Years
Alexandra Reardon (Year 9) – Ku-ring-Gai Netball Association U15 Years
Adison Hartog-Smith (Year 10) – Inverell Netball Association U15 Years
Maithili Nagarajah (Year 10) – Blacktown City Netball Association U15 Years
Juliette Mouton (Year 11) – Ku-ring-Gai Netball Association U17 Years
Sophie Laing (Year 11) – Ku-ring-Gai Netball Association U17 Years
Madeline Woods (Year 11) – Ku-ring-Gai Netball Association U17 Years
Jessica Cullen (Year 11) – Eastwood Ryde Netball Association U17 Years
Zoe Lupton (Year 11) – Cootamundra Netball Association U17 Years
A special shout out to Johanna Ricketts (Year 10) for her outstanding contribution in coaching the Ku-ring-Gai Netball Association All Stars to a championship victory in the All-Abilities State Challenge!
We were very proud of the incredible effort from all students over the weekend!
Megan O’Keeffe
Head Coach
Pymble Elite Sportswomen’s Program
I am delighted to offer the following workshop: ‘Female Athlete Health and Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle’ on Tuesday 27 August from 3.45pm until 5.00pm in the Kate Mason Lecture Theatre.
The workshop will be facilitated by Lizzie Welborn, one of the youngest competitors to qualify for the professional Ironwoman series at the age of 16. She has been competing professionally for 9 years. Lizzie has placed in the top 3 of the Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series and Summer of Surf series on multiple occasions and is known as one of the best board paddlers in the country. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree and is the co-founder of KaMana. KaMana is a program designed to educate and empower female athletes to build confidence so they can reach their potential in sport and life. For more information, visit https://www.kamanacommunity.com.
The workshop will explore:
Understanding female physiology (we are different to men)
What it means to be a healthy athlete
Understanding your menstrual cycle
Tracking your cycle and using this to support training, performance, and recovery
Tips for training in different phases of your cycle
This valuable presentation and workshop is open to any student-athlete who represents Pymble in a sporting team in Years 7 to 12 and their parent/carer. Staff are also strongly encouraged to attend.
Students, staff and parents are also encouraged to complete the following AIS education modules from the Female Performance and Health Initiative prior to the workshop presentation:
We look forward to seeing staff, students, and parents/carers in attendance for this valuable and informative workshop.
Please only RSVP if you intend on attending as the College is being charged based on the numbers attending the workshop. RSVP’s are required by Friday 16 August to assist with final numbers. Unfortunately, late RSVP’s will not be accepted.
Congratulations to our four talented students – Emily Rothery (Year 11), Eleni Vassiliadis (Year 12), Lauren Whitfield-Lowe (Year 12), and Madeline Taylor (Year 11) on completing their Advanced 1 Royal Academy of Dance Examination on Friday 7 June.
Our Pymble ballerinas attended the exam at the Royal Academy of Dance Sydney Headquarters, supported by our Senior Dance Instructors, Mr. Mitchell Raynor and Miss Laura Fishwick. The Advanced 1 Vocational Grade is a rigorous examination that demands refined technique and passion from the candidates.
We also want to extend a special thank you to all the Ballet staff who have been instrumental in Emily and Eleni’s training since their Junior School days. We were delighted to welcome Lauren to the College and Ballet in Year 7 as a boarder, and more recently, Madeleine to the RAD Ballet Stream.
Should parents be interested in learning more about their daughter participating RAD Ballet through the College please contact dance@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au to enquire for 2025.
Katrina Cluff
Head of Dance
Drama
Sharp and Short Eisteddfod
“Murderous Misunderstandings”
We are thrilled to celebrate the success of our talented drama students who recently devised and performed their original piece “Murderous Misunderstandings” at the Sharp and Short Eisteddfod.
This captivating drama, created entirely by students, revolves around a group of friends who summon a ghost at a sleepover party. The ghost, mysteriously appearing at multiple locations, including the movies, leads the friends into a series of comedic and suspenseful interrogations to uncover who killed her.
Students demonstrated exceptional creativity and collaboration in bringing engaging characters to life. Their ability to balance the elements of horror and comedy made for an unforgettable performance.
Well done to Year 5 students: Aisha Suresh, Safina Burgess, Summer Wang, Sunny Wang, and Year 6 students: Alice Wu, Cecilia Zhang, and Shilin Zhao for making “Murderous Misunderstandings” a resounding success!
Spotlight on“The Formal Club”
We are excited to highlight the creativity and talent of our students who recently devised and performed an original drama piece titled “The Formal Club. at Sharp and Short Eisteddfod.
“The Formal Club” follows the story of a group of misfits who come together with a daring plan to save their school formal. Faced with poor report cards that threaten to cancel the event, they devise a scheme to sneak into the school under the cover of darkness and alter their grades. This thrilling and humorous adventure showcases themes of friendship, rebellion, and determination.
The students demonstrated remarkable creativity and collaboration in bringing “The Formal Club” to life. Their ability to blend comedy and suspense resulted in an engaging and memorable performance that captivated the audience.
Well done Amelia Hardas (Year 7), Ellie Lau (Year 7), Ella Gungor (Year 8), Isabella Benjamin (Year 8), Isabella Fung (Year 7), Annabella Bayfield (Year 8), Dionne Jacobs (Year 7) for making “The Formal Club” a resounding success!
Quote from the cast of “The Formal Club”: “This was a great experience that built our skills in teamwork and allowed us to perform under pressure. We get to collaborate with other schools and make new friends while learning how to adapt to new situations and perform for different audiences.”
“Will of Fortune”
We are delighted to celebrate the innovative and entertaining performance of our drama students who recently devised and presented an original piece titled “Will of Fortune” at Sharp and Short Eisteddfod.
“Will of Fortune” is a game show like no other, starring a complicated family who undeservedly fight over the inheritance of their dearly departed grandfather. The game show, with its unique and comedic format, decides the fate of these family members and distributes the winnings, adding a humorous and dramatic twist to the classic tale of family rivalry.
Their ability to blend humour, drama, and suspense resulted in a captivating and memorable production that resonated with the audience. Well done to our Year 10 performers: Sehjal Baveja, Mahika Swamy, Verity Haslam, Holly Graham, Kristine Weng, Selina Huang, Chloe Brown, Rosa Kim.
I am incredibly proud of everyone’s hard work! Congratulations to all our talented students for their dedication and exceptional performances.
Upcoming Eisteddfods
JUNE
Saturday 15 June Northern Beaches Eisteddfod: Mona Vale Memorial Hall
Saturday 22 June Parramatta Eisteddfod:Dundas Area Neighbourhood Centre
Sunday 23 June Northern Beaches Eisteddfod: Curl Curl North Public School
JULY
Saturday 27 July Ryde Eisteddfod: West Ryde Community Centre
AUGUST
Saturday 10 August Ryde Eisteddfod: West Ryde Community Centre
Saturday 10 August Sydney Eisteddfod: Darlinghurst Theatre
Wednesday 14 August Ryde Eisteddfod: West Ryde Community Centre
Saturday 31 August Ryde Eisteddfod: West Ryde Community Centre
Please note that some Eisteddfods have yet to be confirmed. More information will be sent to all students involved.
Rebecca York
Co-curricular Drama Co-ordinator
Language Arts
New programs for Term 3!
Language Arts is pleased to offer two new Co-curricular programs. Please click on the links below for more information:
Registrations for Term 3/Semester 2 programs are now open – please register your daughter through the registration portal (parent log-in required).
ISDA Debating – Year 10 made it to the Grand final!
Congratulations to Year 10 who were successful in their Semi-final at Ascham on Friday 31 May and will debate Knox next Friday 14 June, at Cranbrook. Best wishes go to Kiki Chen (Year 10), Kitty He (Year 10), Rosa Kim (Year 10), Alice Mao (Year 10) and Jenny Xu (Year 10) and coach Lara Hogan.
Venue map and details will be sent to Year 10 and parents shortly. Visitors are welcome.
If attending the Grand final, please allow plenty of time for Friday traffic and parking. Parents are reminded that for finals rounds, Pymble does not arrange transport and students are not permitted to travel home without being accompanied by an adult.
Best wishes to Year 10 for the Grand final!
Congratulations to ISDA Year 7 who remain undefeated after nine competition debates!
Year 7 attended the Semi final on Friday 31 May, at Ascham but were defeated by Queenwood. Thank you for a wonderful season, Athena Wu (Year 7), Arabella Hoang (Year 7), Grace Jacobs ( Year 7), Penny Xing (Year 7), Jing Yuan Liu (Year 7) and coach Annika Shankar.
Archdale – Shield and Invitational
Archdale Shield Round 4 was hosted by Meriden. Well done to our Pymble teams! Results to follow.
Archdale Invitational was held in the new IH classrooms. Thanks to Estelle Lee, (Year 8), Athena Wu (Year 7) and Sarah Quan (Year 8) who have joined the Junior Team. Thanks to coaches Jai Nandan, Thanya Paidi and Nishant Suriyadeepan.
Parents are welcome to watch debates and are reminded to collect daughters from the venue. Round 5 Invitational debates will again run from IH classrooms. Next Tuesday Pymble will host St Vincent’s and the topic area will be The Government’s Role in Society.
Social Debating SSD – Sydney Social Debating
Bravo to our six teams of SSD debaters who debated online in the SSD competition last Friday 7 June. Training, Preparation and Online Debates will be held on Friday 7 June from 3.30pm to 6.30pm.
All debates will be held in the KM (Kate Mason) building at Pymble.
We are pleased our new Pymble debaters are honing their critical thinking, communication and teamwork skills as well as developing Public Speaking skills and keeping up to date with current affairs issues.
Absences
Debaters must inform Mrs Hubbard, their coach and team, in advance, if they will be absent for a Debating round. We do not forfeit, and subs can be arranged.
Public Speaking
PESA – Congratulations!
Jenny Xu (Year 10) has progressed to the State Semi final of the Plain English Speaking Awards. The Regional finals were very competitive! Congratulations Jenny! The State Semi final will be held on Friday 14 June in Martin Place. Results to follow.
MUN – Model United Nations
Consultation with the 2024 Australian Youth Ambassador to the United Nations.
On Monday 3 June, some of our Language Arts students had the opportunity to meet online with Gavin Choong, the 2024 Australian Youth Ambassador to the United Nations. Gavin was keen to hear from students as they discussed and prioritised the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Congratulations to Jenny Xu (Year 10) who has been selected to attend the UN Youth National conference to be held in Brisbane in July.
Evatt
Congratulations to those who entered Evatt and performed so well.
Congratulations to Maya Garg (Year 11) and Catherine Shi (Year 11) who progressed to the State Finals, which will be held in State Parliament House, Macquarie Street on Tuesday 18 June.
Harvard Model United Nations
The Harvard MUN (HMUN) was held from Thursday 6 June to Sunday 9 June. Results to follow.
The Pymble Language Arts International Tour group have been accepted as the first Australian school to attend THIMUN at The Hague. Tour details have been provided by Travel@Pymble. The tour will depart Sydney on Friday 17 January 2025 and travellers will commence Term 1 2025 on Monday 3 February 2025. We are excited for this wonderful travel experience!
Mock Law
Mediation
Round Three scenarios have been released. Our score average to date is 93/100! Bravo team and coaches.
Mock Trial
Round Three will be held at Pymble against Pacific Hills. The date is yet to be confirmed. Results are due by Tuesday 25 June and material has been released.
Upcoming Programs and Events
Farewell to Year 12 High Tea
This much anticipated annual event will be held on Thursday 27 June from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts (GMCPA) for Language Arts students in Years 10 to 12. Parents of Year 12 students are also welcome.
We hope to honour every Year 12 student who has debated this year! Parents are working hard to make this a lovely event. There will be personalised presentations, a delightful array of treats and fun games organised by our Language Arts Captains.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here. (Please contact ccsa@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au for ticket purchase codes for Year 12/Year 12 parents and staff).
IDC Debating Term 4
Staff v Student debate – stay tuned for this end of Term 2 highlight!
PMUN Winter Conference – Saturday 27 July
Bronwyn Hubbard
Head of Language Arts
Support our Annual Appeal
A Pymble education is a gift for life, and we are profoundly grateful for the support of our community in creating opportunities for girls and young women to flourish.
As a valued member of the Pymble community, you understand more than anyone the vital importance of a quality education. This year, our Annual Appeal focuses on providingneeds-based scholarships to support girls from disadvantaged backgrounds in attending Pymble, and on developing our two campuses to ensure they remain future-focused learning environments.
Founded over 100 years ago, Pymble Ladies’ College was established to create paths for women where there were none. That mission continues unabated today.
Pymble girls are nurtured to be thoughtful and considered leaders, striving for the highest standards and bringing passion and purpose to everything they do.
We invite you to join us in this mission. Your generous donation to our Annual Appeal will help transform lives and sustain the legacy of Pymble Ladies’ College. Together, we can make a difference.
The Pymble Foundation leads philanthropic engagement across our community and encourages a community-wide spirit of giving so that together we can support exceptional opportunities for current and future students.
The dedication and support of our College community is one of our biggest assets. We are immensely grateful for the generosity of our Pymble family and friends.
Transport survey for Grey House Precinct
Construction of Grey House Precinct is well underway and we are looking forward to the purpose-built educational and co-curricular spaces it will offer our students.
Due to the significance of this development, the College is required to conduct a transport survey of all Pymble students and staff.
This survey will be used to develop Pymble’s Green Travel Plan which will allow us to manage traffic flow more effectively and accurately determine parking requirements within the College. It will also help us to promote more sustainable and efficient travel choices for students, staff and visitors to the College whist recognising the unique context of travel planning for Pymble families.
Surveys have been sent to all Junior School parents via MyPymble to complete on behalf of their daughter/s. Secondary students will complete the survey themselves and time has been set aside during Compass to do this.
The survey will take five minutes to complete and all responses are anonymous and confidential. Surveys must be completed by Friday 21 June. If you have any questions, please contact Community Engagement at communityengagement@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.
Thank you for your support of Pymble’s Master Plan.
You’re invited: Research Conversations
Join us for a Research Conversations afternoon in Term 2 with Pymble Ladies’ College teachers Elaine Lee, Sandra Nolan, Kate Giles and Victoria Adamovich.
Elaine and Sandra are presenting at the 2024 International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) conference in Baltimore, along with Kate Giles who is concluding her Global Action Research Collaboration project with ICGS. Victoria will present on her Master’s Thesis on EAL/D and wellbeing. Each presenter will explain the genesis of their work and talk about the conference or course opportunity that has sparked their presentation.
The afternoon will be friendly and informal and we invite you to share ideas and discussion. If you’re considering action research, postgraduate research in education, adding skills to your practice or connecting with Pymble as a research destination, the session is perfect for you.
Please click here to learn more about Elaine, Sandra, Kate and Victoria, and click here to RSVP.
Scholarship opportunities for Year 5 students
The College offers a number of scholarships each year to girls starting in Year 7 including current Pymble students moving into Year 7. Registrations for Year 7 2026 Rosalie Ramsay Academic Scholarship and Year 7 2026 Performance Scholarship – Music are currently open to our Year 5 students.
Registrations close from 24 July2024 depending on the scholarship. The examination will be held at the College on Sunday 11 August 2024.
Information about portfolio requirements and how to apply can be found on the Scholarship webpage.
You’re invited: Girl Asleep
Girl Asleep is about closing the doors of childhood and opening the strange and incongruous doors of adolescence. From the perspective of 15-year old Greta Driscoll, we are reminded of the significant changes that take place in the minds, hearts, and bodies of teenagers.
We are also reminded that beneath the somnolence and quiet of some teenage girls, a storm rages. One that threatens to swallow them whole. On the night of her 15th birthday, Greta’s parents throw her a party that she never wanted. A party where everyone is invited. Even her worst fears and nightmares. Greta must face her challenges whether she likes or not, otherwise she might remain asleep forever.
Matthew Whittet’s play reminds us that the battles we fight as teenagers are the ones define so much of who we are as adults.
The Pymble HSC Winter Study Camp is on during the first week of the holiday break!
The camp is a five-day (non-residential) program that provides you with a structured study environment free from distractions in the lead up to the Trial Examinations.
Fabulous features of study camp:
Teachers available daily for individual or small group tutoring
Dedicated absolute quiet study space
Allocated rooms do a practice exam or collaborate in small groups
Academic advisors will be available daily for ATAR estimates and study planning assistance
The Futures Team will be onsite. Students will be able to book a time with a member of the team.
Unlimited tea, coffee and fruit
Students who are working on a major project will be able to visit their respective classrooms/spaces during this time to work on their projects if staff are available.
Camp Details: Monday 1 July to Friday 5 July 2024
Time: 8.30am to 4.30pm
Cost: $345.00 (5 days) – morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided daily
It is recommended to register ASAP as the number of teachers for tutoring is matched to the number of students attending. Last year over 70% of the Year 12 cohort participated.
For further questions, please contact: Mrs Jenny Olsen jolsen@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au (Head of Extended Learning).
Important message from the Healthcare Centre
The peak of the cold and flu season is upon us. To prevent widespread flu in the College, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines:
Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if she has any of the following symptoms:
Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
Mild sore throat
Headache
Stomach ache
Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if she has any of these symptoms:
Fever (greater than 38 degrees and your child may return to school only after her temperature has been consistently below 38 degrees, for a minimum of 24 hours)
Vomiting (even once)
Diarrhoea
Chills
General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches
Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
To help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good hygiene habits:
Wash hands frequently
Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth
Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing by using your elbow or a tissue, throw it away and then wash hands
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who has a fever should remain at home until “fever free” for a minimum of 24 hours. Often when a child awakens with vague complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to bring to school.
Your child should be physically able to participate in all school activities on return to school. Keeping a sick child at home will minimise the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom. That includes not attending co-curricular and/or the Uniform Shop.
Thank you in advance for helping make our College as healthy as possible.
