From the Principal

Congratulations to our Secondary School students for a great two-day Swimming and Diving Carnival this week. Junior School, it’s your turn tomorrow and I can’t wait to put on my House tutu again to cheer you on, too. Summoning the courage to have a go and soaking up all that joyful House spirit is an important part of school life, promoting so many positive attributes, including pride, unity and the sense of belonging that will help each student to thrive. Thank you for supporting your daughter(s) to make the most of these character-building days that ultimately have significant health benefits.

It was also lovely to see our students acknowledging their peers for recent and upcoming co-curricular efforts with a Pymble Pulse war cry in assembly this week. Special shout-out to our Model United Nations (MUN) participants for hosting last week’s student conference at Pymble, and best wishes to our 10 amazing musicians who are performing in front of adjudicators from the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the Concerto Competition held at our GMCPA tonight.

If you have never experienced MUN before, please enjoy this short video highlighting what an incredible learning opportunity this is for our girls.

First 90 days of 2024 – our pillar priorities at a glance

At the start of each year, it is my pleasure to share with our community a top-level summary of our strategic priorities and where we stand in relation to our 2021-2030 Strategic Intent. We are now in our second triennium of Watch Us Change the World, and it is with great pride that I can outline our priority for each strategic pillar and the actions we have done or are doing in the first 90 days of 2024.

Academic Intelligence

Our focus: To produce a Pymble philosophy statement which reflects our shared approach to teaching and learning. We aim to maintain and grow interest in the development of the framework by providing opportunities for all staff to participate and have a voice in its development. Staff input and agency will be measured by contributions to the process and a survey in Term 3.

First 90-days plan:

Done: Consulted widely with K-12 academic staff.

Doing: Establishing electronic access for staff to monitor and participate in the progress of the framework’s development.

To do: Provide opportunities for staff to review and contribute to the statement, which will be presented to the wider community for consideration.

Emotional Intelligence

Our focus: Research consistently demonstrates the positive value that good sleep and ample movement play in our lives. They have a positive impact on how students learn, feel and relate. With this in mind, the College will focus on fostering a healthier community in 2024 through better sleep and movement.

First 90-days plan:

Done: We have developed and launched a Healthy Habit Tracker for sleep and movement, and implemented a movement schedule for Term 1 lunch times.

Doing: We are creating movement zones and physical activities all around the campus (from classrooms to walking routes) and delivering sleep and movement information to students.

To do: Bring movement into meetings and assemblies.

Social Intelligence

Our focus: Pymble has a vibrant culture of service characterised by generous and kind hearts. Our community excels in ‘being of service’ and ‘giving back’, which has led to us managing multiple relationships and priorities. The College aims to create guidelines around our philosophy, decision making and approaching service sustainably.

First 90-days plan:

Done: We have consulted experts in the field and engaged our Executive team in workshops to reflect on, review and share new ideas around service.

Doing: We are sourcing relevant research and literature, and identifying internal and external contacts for consultation.

To do: We will communicate purpose and boundary setting around service at Pymble, and undertake a literature review on service.

Digital Intelligence

Our focus: AI is changing the Education landscape. We aim to explore, learn, experiment and modify our practice to best harness AI in our teaching and learning. In order to do this, we will develop AI champions. Initially, this will be staff, and, in the future, we will involve other members of our community.

First 90-days plan:

Done: Our initial plan was to enlist 60 AI champions from across all areas of the College – but, guess what? We already have 85 champions signed up and we are still adding more.

Doing: We are working on communications to deliver our overview, commitment and outcomes to our community.

To do: Our AI champions will share their expertise across all areas of the College, from academic to co-curricular and professional services staff.

It’s also something of a new year’s tradition for me to be completely transparent in relation to other responsibilities and commitments I will be managing throughout the year, in addition to leading Pymble. In 2024, those external commitments include:

• Advisory Board member – Association of Independent Schools NSW (AISNSW)
• Multi-Enterprise Agreement Advisory Board member – AISNSW
• Standing Committee member – Independent Girls’ Schools Association (IGSA), which is the group that makes decisions regarding IGSA sport
• Treasurer – Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia (AGSA), although I am hoping to relinquish this duty throughout the year as I’m now on the Global Board
• Board member – Australian Youth Orchestra
• Adjunct Research Fellow – Telethon Kids Institute (University of Western Australia); and The Child Health Promotion Research Centre (Edith Cowan University)
• Board Member (Australasian representative) – International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (representing 550+ girls’ schools globally).

Of course, I always have a stretch goal too, although there’s no rush on this one. This year I will be starting my third master’s degree, Master of Philosophy at the University of Western Australia with a focus on women and the first point of promotion. In my defence as the leader of a learning organisation, I feel it’s important to always be learning and role modelling this to our girls and staff.

Windows into Learning

It is such a pleasure to highlight some of our amazing teachers across all year groups and subjects at the College to celebrate the wonderful work they do with your daughters. Please enjoy this week’s Windows into Learning at Pymble.

Year 6 Science

“Our Year 6 girls have been immersing themselves in the study of forces and their significance in our daily lives. By using their curiosity and being inquisitive they are deepening their knowledge of friction, gravity, and air resistance, and the interactions between various materials. Through a series of hands-on experiments, they are actively engaging with each force, demonstrating both critical thinking and creativity in their exploration. It’s truly rewarding to observe their enthusiasm, collaboration, communication, and ingenuity as they delve into the complexities of forces. I’ve particularly enjoyed listening to the girls articulate their reasoning as they delve into these fascinating concepts.”

Miss Gabriella Gunson 
Year 6 Compass Teacher

Year 11 Extension English

“Encouraging creative and critical thinking, as well as an intrinsic love of learning, is a central goal of Pymble’s English department. This focus is actively encouraged through the Related Research Project mandated by NESA for Year 11 students undertaking the Preliminary Extension English course. The project asks students to examine how a recognised literary text has been reimagined through a modern appropriation, analysing how the original text’s content, form, features and thematic concerns have been reshaped to engage a new audience. In comparing two texts, students evaluate the ways in which different contexts influence the representation and reception of ideas, cultural norms and values. They can, for example, consider the significance of Akira Kurosawa’s film, Ran, as a Japanese appropriation of Shakespeare’s King Lear; or the ways in which R. L. Stevenson’s novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s film Alien Resurrection investigate notions of monstrosity. The students were brought together in the Library Studio this week to explore the requirements of this independent project and began to consider the texts they might wish to study. A building sense of excitement was evident as students began to research the possibilities open to them.”

English Faculty

Finally, to all our families, and especially those who celebrate the Lunar New Year, wishing you roaring success and good fortune in the Year of the Dragon. Next week, we look forward to sharing how our Year 12 cohort will harness their Prefect theme, ‘Hear us Roar in 2024’, to make this year truly memorable for all, from the quietest to the loudest voice here at Pymble.

From the Junior School

From the Head of Junior School

CHÚC MỪNG NĂM MỚI!

새해 복 많이 받으세요

Xīnnián kuàilè!

This week we have had the joy of sharing the wonderfulness of Lunar New Year as a Junior School community. A huge thanks to Ms Anna To and Mrs Victoria Adamovich who planned and led a feast of different activities for girls to explore and enjoy over lunchtimes this week.

Pymble Pulse

Our girls were proudly cheering one another one and showing their Pymble spirit as we began our 2024 Saturday sport in the rain last weekend. Whatever the final score was for each game, our girls brought their strength and sisterhood to their matches and I am always very Pymble proud watching them.

A huge shout out to our girls in Kindergarten to Year 2 who brought high energy to their soccer activities and supported each other as for some of them this was a first go at sport. A special thank you to all of you who came to support your girls and made new friends too as you stood on the sidelines.

Learning with AI

There is much talk in the media about AI; some are excited, others fear its profile in our lives and the power it may wield. Within Pymble we are embracing it with an open and curious mind as a learning partner for our girls. With AI as a collaborative tool, our girls are learning to reach higher levels of knowledge quicker, while learning to remain discerning, critical evaluators of information and ideas when collaborating with Generative AI. 

This depth of thinking is evident in our Year 5 Mission to Mars unit where girls worked last week with Mrs Jo Avraam to understand how to design, build and code a robotic arm for their Rover to pick up rock samples from the surface of Mars. Mrs Avraam modelled how to collaborate with Microsoft CoPilot effectively and safely.  With Mrs Avraam’s guidance, the girls designed questions to quickly gather knowledge about prosthetics. On receipt of the AI generated information, the girls asked different questions to unpack the information in a way they, as 10 year olds, could understand. Through the process, the girls therefore learnt how to partner with AI to gather information through effective prompts and how to evaluate the truth of that information.

Mrs Bird and I met with two of our budding NASA groups: Charlotte Lau, Olivia Headley, Amy Zhong, Madeleine Dreverman and Carolyn Sang, Uya Cheng, Harper Chen, Hayley Du and Angelina Yang  who enthusiastically shared their learning experience with us:

“Mission to Mars is all about trying to build, create and survive on a different planet. We are the intrepid explorers on this mission as it’s the first time Pymble have done this.

We’re brainstorming and asking questions for Bing AI with Mrs Avraam. Our group designed a model to help astronauts pick up samples on the surface of Mars and we combined a robotic arm with a backpack so our astronaut can store supplies and equipment to keep themself and the robotic arm safe. They can also then store the specimens they collect in the backpack.

Our group designed a hand and arm that is fully automated. It extends, rotates and retracts. We added a torch and a camera onto the palm of the hand to enable us to record data effectively by studying what the hand sees as it moves around the surface of Mars.  

This unit allows us to be so creative and we get to do lots of engineering, and Maths as we work together. We make mistakes but work together to sort them. Our robotic arm prototype broke down, so we needed to be able to work out how to repair it ourselves. We’ve modelled it off a human arm so it has an elbow joint so it’s flexible. We have so many different choices of things to learn this term and then at the end of this term we choose the NASA department we want to apply to work for during Term 2. We can get fired if we don’t work hard! 

Skills we’ve learnt along our Mars Mission so far:

What skills am I learning as I work as a team:

• Learning to give and receive feedback properly so we can improve our design
• Listening to one another’s ideas and making sure we try each other’s ideas.
• Working methodically and as a team. We designed, then tried our design, then figured out how to improve our design by problem solving.
• Continuing to think all the time about what we can do next to improve our design.

Working for NASA in Term 2

Olivia: I want to apply to the department that works out how to safely land the Rover on Mars

Charlotte: I want to apply to the department that does the lift off from Earth because one day I would love to be an Astronaut and go and explore Pluto the dwarf planet.

Maddie: I want to apply to the department that works out how to program the Rover to navigate the rocky surface on Mars

Amy: I want to apply to the department so I can work with Minecraft to simulate the journey from Earth to Mars and calculate all the things I will need along that journey. “

At our upcoming Junior School Parent Group (JSPG) meeting for Term 1, Mrs Lara Bird, Deputy Head of Junior School Academics will speak to the work we are doing to build specific learner dispositions in our girls which we know will stand them apart from others when they graduate school. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the JSPG meeting on Wednesday 28 February from 8.15am to 9.15am.  For those not able to attend, the meeting will be recorded and a link shared at a later date.

A message from Mrs Kate Giles – Head of Wellbeing K-6

‘How much you love yourself is how you teach others to love you’

This week we had a visit from Dana Kerford, the founder of the URSTRONG Friendship program. Our Years 2, 3 and 5 students explored the qualities of healthy friendships, how to use the friend-o-meter and the 4 friendship facts:

• No friendship or relationship is perfect
• Every friendship is different
• Trust and respect are the two most important qualities of a friendship
• Friendships change and that’s ok

Dana helped the girls to explore, and role play how to put out friendship fires and understand the difference between these and ‘mean on purpose’ behaviour. The girls enjoyed learning the importance of body language and the skills of starting a conversation through the idea of passing and catching. Dana finished the day by giving Year 5 a reminder that “how much you love yourself is how you teach others to love you”, reminding them to be friendly and kind to all, but that they deserve friends who want to be friends with them.

“I was surprised to learn that it was 93% how you say something”– Ellie H (Year 5)

“I really liked using my toy to learn about how to start a conversation”- Selena R (Year 3)

“Today I learnt that it is ok to say no as long as you are kind”– Ellie L (Year 5)

The aim of the URSTRONG program is to empower and equip the girls to be able to manage their friendships and it provides both parents and teachers with a common language to support them. I encourage you to talk to your daughter about this session and her friendships generally. Should you wish to learn more about the URSTRONG program, parent resources can be found by clicking here.

Parent feedback sessions

We are seeking feedback from our parent community regarding class formation. Focus groups will be held at 3.30pm on Monday 19 February in the Junior School Office. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts about the class formation process, please sign up by clicking here.

A message from Mrs Shaira Musico – Junior School Service Coordinator

As part of our Junior School focus on service, we will be supporting a number of different initiatives this year.  Kindergarten to Year 2 will continue to support the HARK Refugee Clinic at the Children’s Hospital Westmead this year. We are seeking donations of new stationery items to assist students at school. This could include lead or coloured pencils, pencil cases, pens, textas, glue sticks, scissors and other small stationery items. These items can be brought to school by your daughter or dropped at the Junior School office. We are looking to deliver these items to HARK Refugee Clinic on Monday 25 March.

We thank you so much for your support and look forward to making a difference together.

A message from Mr Stephen Robinson – Acting Deputy Head of Junior School – Operations

JSPG Term 1 Meeting

We look forward to swing many of you at our Term 1 meeting on Wednesday 28 February in the 3-6 Library from 8.15am. For those who are unable to join us in person but want to attend, please use this link to view a live stream.

Babysitting during Icebreaker

We are very much looking forward to seeing many of our parents at our College Icebreaker event in the evening of Friday 1 March 2024. To assist families, we are happy to announce we are providing FREE babysitting to current Junior School girls during this event. 

Students will be supervised by Junior School staff in the John Reid Hall for a movie night (G Rating), with craft activities also available.

Spots are limited to the first 75 children registered.  Please submit another response if you have another daughter in Junior School requiring supervision. ONLY current Junior School students may be registered. 

Students may be dropped off from 6.45pm and must be collected by 8.15pm (although the Icebreaker event ends at 9pm). Please be aware that there is no food provided. Students must eat dinner before arrival. 

Train Line

Students and parents are requested to cross from the train station using the pedestrian crossing with the crossing guard only. Please DO NOT use the crossing located on the corner outside the train tunnel, as this is not supervised and poses increased risk.

Grey House Walk Access

Excitedly, we have now broken soil on our Grey House Precinct development, with excavation and construction activities now beginning. Construction of the GHP will interrupt access to Grey House Walk and as part of our Development Approval, gates will only be open:

• 7.00am to 9.00am
• 2.30pm to 6.00pm

There will be no access outside of this time. Please plan your use of Grey House Walk within these key times. 

Access via Gates 1, 2 and 3 remain as normal, and as such there is no impact on co-curricular collection points.

Reminder: Grey House Walk is an exit point only for students with pre-approved passes and live in the local neighbourhood.

A message from Kurt Schweinberger – Head of Creative and Performing Arts (Kindergarten to Year 6)

Year 3 String Orchestra Workshop Day

Year 3 String Workshop Day is to be held on Sunday 18 February in the John Reid Hall and Sunshine Square. Notes and information have been emailed to parents and students. The girls will participate in tutorials and rehearsals from 9.00am to 1.00pm. It is essential that all students in the Year 3 String Program attend this day. Please see the parent portal for all information.

Stanhope and Grainger Band Workshop Day

All parents with students involved in the Stanhope and Grainger Bands will have received notes regarding our annual Junior School Band Workshop Day which will be held at the College on Saturday 17 February for all members of these ensembles. It will be a busy day of tutorials, rehearsals, and activities to get these ensembles off to a flying start for 2024. All members of these two ensembles are expected to attend. Please see the parent portal for all information.

Year 4 Training Band Workshop Day

The 4 Training Band Workshop Day will be held on Sunday 18 February. The girls will participate in tutorials and rehearsals from 9.00am to 1.00pm with morning tea and lunch provided. It is essential that all students attend this day. It will be a busy day of tutorials, rehearsals, and activities to get these ensembles off to a flying start for 2024. Please see the parent portal for all information. 

A message from the Junior School Administration Office

Thank you for notifying the office if your daughter has change travel after school or has an appointment. Could we kindly request for you to include your daughters full name and class on all correspondence so we can respond to your request quickly and pass the message onto your daughter.

Lunch and Recess Orders

A reminder to pack your daughter with a drink bottle, recess and lunch each day. You can order online through Flexischools, the cut off time for ordering on the day is 8.00am.

Years 5 and 6 will have access to Archie’s during lunch time.  We are encouraging use of student ID cards to pay for purchases as cash will not be accepted. Money will need to be loaded onto your daughter’s student card via Flexischools – please click the links below for how to do this.

Archie’s Café hours are 7.00am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. 

Set up account and ordering information 

Linking a student card including nominating a daily spend limit 

Setting up daily spend limit  

Term 1 2024 Key Dates (Weeks 1, 2 & 3) 

Friday 16 February                 Years 3-6 Swimming Carnival. Girls in Years 3-6 are to come to school in their PE uniform and their House shirt.

Saturday 17 February             IPSHA Saturday Sport

Saturday 17 February             Years 4-6 Band Camp

Saturday 17 February             Year 3 String Intensive

Sunday 18 February               Y4-6 Band Camp, Y3 String Intensive

Monday 19 February              Allwell Testing – Year 3: 8.30-12.30

Wednesday 21 February        Allwell Testing – Year 5: 8.30-12.30

Friday 23 February                 Kindy Exploring Pymble Tour

Friday 23 February                 Year 6 Excursion to Parliament/Gallery

Friday 23 February                 NAPLAN Omnibus Year 3 and Year 5 P1

Saturday 24 February             IPSHA Saturday Sport

Monday 26 February              Author Visit Years 1 and 2 8.30-9.30

Tuesday 27 February             Allwell Testing – catch ups

Wednesday 28 February        JSPG Term 1 meeting 8.15am-9.15am

Wednesday 28 February        Year 2 NSW Schoolhouse Museum

Thursday 29 February Years 3-6 Cross Country

Friday 1 March                        Class Photos 8.30am – 1.00pm

Friday 1 March                       PPA Icebreaker

Saturday 2 March                  IPSHA Saturday Sport

From the Junior School Parent Group (JSPG)

PPA Semester 1 Meeting – Monday 12 February

All Pymble parents and carers are invited to attend the Pymble Parents Association (PPA) Semester 1 Meeting on Monday 12 February from 6.00pm in the David Macfarlane Centre. Light refreshments will be served from 5.30pm.  

Dr Kate Hadwen, Principal, Kelly Mancey, Director – Community Engagement and Sunny Hres, PPA President will provide an update on the expected 2024 landscape.  Registration not required.  We hope to see you there.

Kindergarten Parent Breakfast – Friday 23 February

We invite our Kindergarten parents to come together for a relaxed social breakfast with Mrs Kate Brown, Head of Junior School and Junior School staff.  Please stay after dropping off your daughter, from 8.15am to 9.15am on the lawn behind Hedgehog House.  Please RSVP by Friday 16 February via the invitation on MyPymble. 

Years 3-6 Junior School Swimming Carnival – Friday 16 February

Parents are welcome to attend and support their daughter/s. We encourage parents to wear a touch of their daughters House colour and get into the House spirit with the girls. 

Refreshments for parents are available from Archie’s Café.  Lunch orders are available for the girls as usual. 

Please note this is a full school day and there are no early departures for students. 

Welcome to 2024 – Icebreaker Invitation – Friday 1 March

Please join us for canapes and drinks at our annual Icebreaker on Friday 1 March from 6.45pm to 9.00pm, held on Gloucester Lawn.

Tickets are $52 per person and include a cocktail style dinner and drinks.  This year’s theme is (an optional) touch of florals.  Banners will be set up to help group parents by year group. 

Please click here to RSVP by Thursday 22 February.  Please note this is a parent only event and registration is essential.

We hope you’ll join us as we welcome our new families, reconnect with old friends and toast a wonderful new year at Pymble!

Upcoming Events

• 3BM Playdate – Sunday 11 February

Let’s Play at Bicentennial Park, West Pymble.  Please see the flyer for details. 

• Save the Date:  Year 1 Easter Egg Hunt – Sunday 24 March

Hop on over for our Year 1 Easter Egg Hunt at Bicentennial Park West Pymble.  Please see the flyer for details and RSVP to your Parent Year Coordinators. 

As you can see, we are off to a flying start for 2024! 

We hope you enjoy meeting your daughter’s new compass teacher/s at the Parent Information Evening next Thursday 15 February.  After your session, please head to the lawn behind Hedgehog House, where you can meet and socialise with other parents for a short time.

Please contact us with any questions at pymblelcjspg@gmail.com

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Kate Brown

Head of Junior School

From the Middle School

This week in Middle School we have been very active!

On Monday the Gloucester Lawn and the colonnade were filled with festive activities in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Beautiful traditional music, talented dance performances, traditional crafts such as calligraphy and a spectacular Chinese Dragon and drumming display; captured the hearts and imagination of so many of the girls. How fortunate are we to share rich cultural stories in recognition and honour of our diversity community.

Tuesday was our annual Year 8 Mind, Body, Spirit Day which was held at Long Reef beach. We were blessed with magnificent weather and favorable surf conditions. Students had the opportunity to try their skill at either body boarding or surfing under the instruction of experts. The other half of the day was spent exploring the headland and the marine park, taking time to enjoy the sensory calm of the ocean. The girls embraced the day with enthusiasm and excitement spending time in House groups and beyond. Thank you to all the staff who support the event.

Wednesday was our 7-9 Swimming Carnival, a first for Year 7 and reportedly a day full of active participation and House spirit. Please enjoy the images which capture the enjoyment of your daughters.

We look forward to catching up with parents next Tuesday for our Knowing People/ Knowing Pymble event starting with an opportunity for you to touch base with your daughter’s Compass teacher in an informal setting and a chance for you to make connections with other parents.

If your daughter is in Year 7, please RSVP here, and if your daughter is in Year 8, please RSVP here

From the Middle School Parent Groups

Year 7

We hope that you can join us at the Knowing People, Knowing Pymble event next Tuesday evening, 20 February. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to form connections with other parents from your daughter’s cohort as well as informally meet the Middle School team and Compass teachers over light refreshments outside prior to the presentation commencing.

Registration will begin at 5.00pm in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts (GMCPA), then from 5.30pm you can meet your daughter’s Compass teacher. Middle School presentation will begin at 6.00pm.

To register, please click here.

One of the biggest and best Pymble events is coming up on Friday 1 March! This is a fabulous event for new and existing parents and a great way to start the new school year. Held on Gloucester Lawn under the stars, the Icebreaker is a Pymble tradition of 50 years. It is a cocktail function with dinner and drinks, and hosts all school years from Kindergarten to Year 12. This year’s theme is “Florals” if you would like to dress in theme (not essential).

Please book your tickets by Friday 22 February here.

We would like to organise a Year 7 coffee morning coming up so please keep an eye out for this.

We hope you have a wonderful term.

Social Media in Year 7

We run several social media groups in Year 7.

These groups are independent of the school and are restricted access groups. Being a member of these groups provides opportunities to ask questions and to connect with other parents. Please note that joining these groups is entirely optional.

We have a Year 7 Community group on WhatsApp to hopefully provide all the connections and answers that you need:

• Year 7 Parent Community – This group is only used communicate important messages, announcements and reminders. Only the administrators can post messages in this group. The WhatsApp group link is here
• Year 7 Pymble 2029 – Questions – This general chat used by parents to ask questions. The WhatsApp group link is here

Please reach out to us with any questions or if we can help.

Kind regards

Stephanie, Leigh and Briar

Year 8

Social Media for Year 8 Parents

All parents from year 8 are welcome to join the parent led chat groups.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is primarily used by our year group. It is a community WhatsApp group containing two private groups.

1. PLC Year 8 Announcements and Important Messages – This group is only used communicate important messages, announcements and reminders. Only the administrators can post messages in this group.
2. Yr 8 Parents Class of 2028. This general chat used by parents to ask questions.

Please join these groups by clicking here or please ask Cindy or I to add you to the group;

Dads@PLC All Years

Dads are welcome to join the Pymble Dads’ WhatsApp group. It is a community group for dads from Kindergarten to Year 12. Please click here to join the group or scan the QR code below.

WeChat

There is also a Year 8 WeChat group PLC Year 8 2024. Please join this group by scanning the QR code below or please ask Cindy to add you to this group.

Facebook

1. PymbleLC Parents Class of 2028 is the FB group for our year. Selected messages from WhatsApp will be posted here.
2. PymbleLC MSPG 2024. Messages about various activities will be posted here.
3. Parents are also encouraged to join PymbleLC PPA and PymbleLC SSPG Facebook groups.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with either Cindy or myself if you have any questions or need help with anything.

Ms Cindy Tian 0400 980 181 and cindy.tian@gmail.com

Ms Kai Jones 0431 725 948 and kai_look@yahoo.com

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Jenny O’Donnell

Head of Middle School

From the Upper School

A message from Mrs Victoria Harrison, Acting Head of Upper School

In assembly this week Pymble’s prefect body launched their theme for the year, Hear Us Roar in 2024, which encourages all students at Pymble to get involved in the co-curricular life of the college and support their peers along the way. In the Upper School we look forward to celebrating the many ways Year 9 and 10 explore new challenges and experiences this year.

It is with pride that we celebrate the talented Sophia Kawane. Sophia (Year 9) and her sister Giselle (Year 12) who were fortunate to be selected to take part in the 2024 Goolagong National Development Camp hosted by the Evonne Goolagong Foundation in Melbourne. Only 27 young First Nations tennis players were selected to participate. The camp involved intensive training, mentoring, and connecting with young players from across Australia at Monash University. During this time Sophia met First Nations tennis superstars like Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ash Barty. Sophia was also lucky enough to be selected to be involved in Australian Open and Tennis Australia media interviews. Both girls thoroughly loved the opportunity to be involved in this fantastic event and we look forward to celebrating their involvement in Tildesley and igsa tennis this year. Well done, Sophia.

House spirit and “having a go” attitude was evident at this week’s Swimming Carnival. Congratulations to all those Upper School Students for their involvement. It was great to see our talented swimmers in action in the pool and a positive spirit on the pool deck. Let’s carry this positive energy forward and continue to embrace House spirit and the determination to “have a go” in all our activities.

As part of the Lunar new year celebrations around the college students have been enjoying the annual visit from the Chinese dragon and the opportunity to showcase a range of cultural activities. It was lovely to hear of Elise Lin, Sophie Lin, Melody Chen and Isabelle Pak who have spent lunchtimes this week helping K-2 students design and make scales to create a Lunar Dragon for the K-2 courtyard. These young women proved to be exceptional role models, demonstrating care and patience to their younger peers. Kudos to Elise, Sophie, Melody, and Isabelle for their outstanding efforts – thank you for contributing to the spirit of our Lunar New Year celebrations in such a thoughtful way.

A reminder to RSVP via MyPymble to the Upper School Parent Information evening on Monday February 19. Key representatives from various departments across the college will provide a snapshot of essential information, and parents will have the opportunity to connect with their daughter’s Compass teacher.

Here is the link to RSVP to Upper School Parent Information Evening

Year 10 Futures – Strengths and Skills Day – Thursday 22 February

Please check MyPymble and give consent for your daughter to participate in the Strengths and Skills Day. By consenting, you are agreeing to the charge of $150 to your account for her involvement in the ongoing Future You program for the next three years.

Year 10 Drama

Year 10 Drama is abuzz with anticipation as students prepare for their first curriculum production, Yve Blake’s new Australian play, Fangirls. Dedicated rehearsals fill both class time and after-school hours as the girls immerse themselves in their roles, eager to bring this compelling and original story to the stage.

Fangirls explores the world of teenage obsession and friendship in the digital age, resonating with audiences through its themes of identity and the power of fandom. Invigorated by the fervour surrounding Taylor’s concert season, the girls are exploring their characters with zest and enthusiasm for unapologetic fan in all of us. 

Keep an eye out for details on how to secure your free tickets to Fangirls. Don’t miss this chance to support our budding actors and experience the magic of live theatre.

Key Dates

Monday 19 February  – Upper School Parent Information Evening (Begins at 6.00pm)

Thursday 22 February – Year 10 Careers Strengths Day

Thursday 22 February – Year 9 Residential Program Term 1 Parent Workshop

Wednesday 6 March – Year 9 Residential Program Term 2 Parent and Student Information Evening

Tuesday 12 March – Urban Challenge for Year 10

Thursday 11 April – Year 10 Learning Discussions – Evening

Friday 12 April – Year 10 Learning Discussions – All Day (No classes)

Friday 12 April – Last Day of Term (For Year 9)  

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Victoria Harrison

Acting Head of Upper School

From the Senior School

From the Head of Senior School

It was another busy week in the Kate Mason Building – Senior Centre!

Our Year 11 students returned from their retreat fresh and ready to learn. In their time away they have learnt some valuable skills in leadership, empowerment and have gained an insight into their motivators.

The Senior School House Prefects and leaders led both swimming carnivals with great enthusiasm and a tremendous sense of house spirit! Congratulations to all those involved – all the senior students dressed in wonderfully colourful clothes and truly led the way, inspiring their younger peers to get involved and give it a go.  

Year 11 Parent Information Evening 2024

Many thanks to everyone who attended the Year 11 Information Evening on Tuesday this week. I do understand that this was not possible for everyone, so please click here to view the recording of the information session.

Mentoring

A reminder that we have also now formally launched the Senior School mentoring program to both Years 11 and 12. Students in both years have been invited to sign up for this voluntary program if they are interested – many Year 12 girls are continuing with their mentors from last year. I would really encourage all students to take this opportunity to invest in themselves.

Year 11 Formal and Year 12 Social

A reminder that tickets are still on sale for both the Year 11 Formal and Year 12 Social. Please find all ticket information for the respective event on the MyPymble parent portal.

From the Year 11 Parent Co-ordinators

Hello, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Jemma Barney the Parent Co-ordinator for Year 11. Welcome to all 11 of our new girls and families, and welcome back to one and all.

Please join one of our parent groups:

Facebook: PymbleLC class of 2025

WhatsApp: PymbleLC class of 2025

Please contact me for invites to the WeChat group and Dads groups on 0426868643 or by email at Barneyjemma@gmail.com.

The groups are very helpful to gain more information for upcoming events. I will be arranging parent get togethers so keep an eye out for those! I look forward to meeting you all.

From the Year 12 Parent Co-ordinators

We look forward to seeing our Year 12 parents/carers at various events throughout this year.

To kick off, our first Year 12 Parent/Carer event is a Coffee Catch Up on Wednesday, February 21 at Brick Lane Espresso (21 Phillip Mall, West Pymble shops) from 8:20am. 

Please RSVP to Susan (sma.liu@yahoo.com/ 0488 998 713) so we have an idea of numbers.  We hope to see you there!

Pilar Yemma & Susan Ma

Term 1 Key Dates

Tuesday 27 February – Year 12 Learning Discussions

Friday 1 March – Pymble Icebreaker

Friday 15 March – Year 12 Social at Dalton House

Friday 22 March – Year 11 Formal at Le Montage

Tuesday 26 to Thursday 28 March – Year 11 Assessment block

Friday 29 March – Good Friday Public Holiday

Monday 1 April – Easter Monday Public Holiday

Thursday 4 April – Year 11 University Immersion Day

Thursday 4 April – Year 12 Food for Thought

Friday 12 April – Term 1 ends

Friday 3 May – Careers Expo (date changed to Friday 3 May from Monday 8 April)

Nikki Wyse

Head of Senior School

From the Boarding School

It is lovely to be back in the rhythm of living on campus and seeing our Boarders thrive. As you will read it has been another action packed week and there has been much to celebrate.

A VIP visitor to Avonmoore

As you know Avonmoore is the beautiful new home of our Year 7s. Many of you, however, may not know the origins of the name. Avonmoore was built as the home of Mrs Gillian Moore AO and her family. Mrs Moore was our much-loved Principal between 1989 to 2007. She was particularly special to our Boarders as she recognised the importance of establishing a safe, happy and home-like environment and instigated a new pastoral structure with Heads of Houses and their families living onsite.  It is fitting that her name features in our new Year 7 ‘home’.

It was lovely to have Mrs and Mr Moore tour their former home and even better to see the delight on their faces as they took in the many changes. We look forward to many more visits from the Moore family in the years to come.

Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year is always a special time in our Boarding calendar. With students joining us from around the world we take every opportunity to celebrate such occasions. Our Boarders made trips to Chinatown and Chatswood to join in the festivities. They also enjoyed a delicious Chinese meal beautifully prepared by our Chartwells team. Our chef Wei Min Jiang, who is of Chinese origin, spoke poignantly of the significance of Lunar New Year, wishing the girls prosperity and happiness.

To top off a happy week, our Boarding fairy Godmother, Mrs Sophia Fang continued her much loved tradition of bringing giant fuji apples, etched with the year of the dragon, for our Boarders to enjoy. In Chinese culture, the word for apple, “ping guo”, is a homophone for the word “ping”, meaning peace or tranquillity, so an apple symbolizes a wish for peace.

We were also treated us to special Lunar New Year cakes and stunning decorations which were lovingly displayed across the houses.  Mrs Fang sprinkles joy wherever she goes and we are so grateful for the love and fun she shares so generously with our Boarding family.

Love is all around!

Love was in the air as we celebrated our very own brand of Valentine’s Day – Galentine‘s Day. Our Boarders returned from school to find chocolate hearts on their pillows and had great fun ‘speed dating’ in their Spirit House Circles. Thank you to our Spirit House Captains who made this such a fun evening.

Loving Love It – Mrs White

Last weekend’s Love It program kicked off with a trip to Balmoral Beach for our Year 8 Boarders. On Saturday, we celebrated Lunar New Year with a trip to Chatswood. The precinct was decorated with lots of beautiful red and gold trimmings. On Sunday evening, the Boarders were treated to a night at the basketball to see the Sydney Kings play the Illawarra Hawks. With great seats close to the court, the atmosphere was electrifying.

This weekend, it will be Year 7’s turn to head to the beach for a twilight picnic. We are in the process of organising a special treat for Saturday night that will hopefully keep our resident Swifties happy. On Sunday, we will be heading to the Central Coast to the Aqua Park for an excitement filled adventure on the inflatable activity park and water obstacle course.

A View From My Window

Hey, I’m Charlotte, a Year 11 boarding student from a small village on the Liverpool Plains called Mullaley. I live on a mixed grain, cotton and angus beef farm with my parents Andrew and Elsbeth as well as my younger brother Beau.

I started at Pymble at the start of 2023 and I am really enjoying it. I was previously boarding at The Armidale School (TAS) and prior to that I was at Mullaley Public School for my primary years. It has been a big change going from Mullaley where the school has a total of 40 to Pymble where there are almost 300 people in Year 11, but it has allowed me to meet so many new people.

From my window I see our garden as well as a stable set up and beyond is various grazing lands and cropping spaces. We have around 12 horses around the place, including a new warmblood foal which we’ve named Lola. We’ve also got three dogs, a border collie, labradoodle and a fox terrier, none of which are helpful when working… A handful of chickens and a duck complete our list of pets. It’s a bit of a zoo sometimes!

When I’m home I love to spend time with the horses and around the farm. In the summer months we like to go out to Lake Keepit for a water ski as well as catching up with family and friends whenever possible. When I return to school I really enjoy playing netball. At the moment I am with Manly Warringah Sapphires in Premier League for 23’s, I am also training alongside the NSW state team which has been super fun. Whilst I love being home, boarding at Pymble has meant that I fulfil various opportunities such as netball and academics.

Boarder of the Week

Adison is a kind and considerate Boarder who shows support, care and empathy for those around her. Now in Year 10, Adi joined us from Narrabri in Term 1, 2020 and has been a lovely Boarding sister to those around her.

Adi has a strong sense of fairness and social justice and is not afraid to stand up for what is right. She speaks up for herself and her Boarding sisters, and will make sensible and thoughtful suggestions during house meetings as to how everyone can make the most of their time here at Pymble Boarding. Adi cares deeply about our younger or newer Boarders and has gone out of her way to help them settle in and make them feel at home.

She even arrived early on Day 1 of this year to help move them in and show them around. She’s also a talented and dedicated netballer and shows strong commitment to her team. We can’t wait to see what she does in years to come.

Carolyn Burgess

Head of Boarding

From the Chaplains

It’s hard to believe that we have almost finished Week 3 of term! 

To all who are celebrating the new Lunar New Year, I wish you much happiness and many blessings for this Year of the Dragon.  

For us chaplains, it has been a busy and happy start to the year, with many special chapel services such as the Induction of the Year 6 Leaders, the Welcome to Year 7 service and in Week 2 a very special Boarders’ chapel service which included Reverend Punam Bent’s Closure of Ministry Service, led by Reverend Stuart Bollom, Director of Mission (Schools) within the Uniting Church Synod of NSW/ACT, to officially mark the ending of Reverend Bent’s ministry here at the College.  

It was a moving evening service in which the boarders and staff expressed their love and gratitude for Reverend Bent through music, words and gifts.  

This week in chapel, continuing with our Term 1 theme of ‘New Beginnings’, we have been looking at the powerful creation narrative in Genesis 1:26-27: 

Then God said,  

“Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness, so that they may have custodianship over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 

So God created humankind in his own image, 
in the image of God he created them; 
male and female he created them. 

I shared with the students that during the summer holidays, when I had the very great blessing of being on Hamilton Island with my family, I spent some time doing my favourite thing, which is floating in the ocean.

As I gradually relaxed my neck, arm and shoulder muscles, I let the water hold me. If I tensed up, or tried to raise my head a bit, I wobbled and started to sink a little.  

But when I let go and relaxed, I was totally supported and held in the warm salty waters. Even when small or larger waves washed over my face, I was safely held.

Just as we float in the amniotic waters inside our mothers’ wombs, nurtured and protected, growing and developing, so the Creator holds us and protects us, helping us to grow and flourish as human beings.  

God – however we understand God to be – has made each one of us, in God’s own image. That means we are created in love, to be in relationship with the Creator. As we prayed in chapel this week: we are made ‘from love, to love and to be loved’.  

And because God created us in love, God also holds and loves each one of us throughout our lifetime – and beyond.  

And if we allow ourselves to relax our muscles, so to speak, and trust that we are held – eternally – we can come closer to experiencing the spiritual and existential peace that is promised.  

As a reminder of this, as the students left chapel this week they were able to see and touch a red heart, floating in water, to remind them that they are held by God’s love.

Ash Wednesday was marked by a special service for staff last Wednesday morning.

For Christians, we are now entering the holy time of Lent, and preparing our spirits for what is the crux and centre of our faith – the season of Easter. As we enter this waiting time, may God the Creator richly bless you and keep you and your families.  

Edwina O’Brien

Assistant Chaplain and Head of Religion and Ethics

A message from Christine Kenny – Deputy Principal Academic (K-12)

Term 1 is well underway and learning at Pymble is definitely proving to be engaging, collaborative and challenging! I’ve just observed a Year 7 Technology class where the students were assembling machines from a flat pack designed by Mr Peter Ellis, Head of TAS. They were following his video instructions and working together to solve problems as they arose. There was a palpable sense of purpose in the workshop as the girls grappled with plywood and glue!

NAPLAN

Term 1 is also the time for NAPLAN testing and parents of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will have received information about the NAPLAN tests via the Parent Portal. NAPLAN tests are held in four domains; Reading, Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy. For details about the Year 3 and 5 tests, please refer to Mrs Lara Bird’s notice on the Parent Portal.

In Years 7 and 9, NAPLAN tests will take place over two days, Thursday 14 and Friday 15 March. Students complete two tests per day and are otherwise in regular classes. We are asking Year 9 to arrive by 8.05am on both days as their tests are during periods 1 and 2. Year 7 tests will be held during periods 3 and 4. Students will use school laptops but need to bring their own headphones.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) indicates that NAPLAN tests assess knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom and that additional study is not necessary or recommended. Most students in Years 7 and 9 will be familiar with the format of the tests and we will encourage them to remain calm and do their best.

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Christine Kenny

Deputy Principal – Academic (K-12)

From the Community Engagement Team

Parent Information Evenings

Thank you to all the Year 11 parents who attended the Parent Information Evening on Tuesday night. We are looking forward to meeting our Junior School parents tonight, our Upper School parents next Monday night and our Middle School parents next Tuesday night and giving a rundown of communications and events at the College.

Semester 1 Events

Please see below the complete list of Pymble community events taking place in Term 1 and 2. We look forward to seeing you at as many of these as possible.

Icebreaker

Don’t forget to register for the College’s annual Icebreaker on Friday 1 March. Hosted by the Pymble Parent Association (PPA), Icebreaker is a tradition that is nearly as old as the College itself and is a night not to be missed. Come to connect with other parents in your daughter’s year group, meet her teachers and mingle with key staff, the Chair of the Pymble Board, Mr Chris Fydler OAM and our Principal, Dr Kate Hadwen. You can secure your tickets here.

Kelly Mancey

Director of Community Engagement and Advancement

From the Futures Team

Providing students with a future toolkit

Futures Levy

The Futures Levy will appear in charges for Term 1 for Year 10 students and new Year 11 students.

The levy covers the following components as part of the Futures Curriculum at Pymble:

Resources	Experiences
•Motivational Map and Workshops by Turning Point Consulting (Year 11 – 12) •‘The Careers Department’ subscription for micro-credentials and resources (Year 11-12) •E-Work Experience •Study Work Grow subscription (Years 11- 12)	Year 10 Strengths and Skills Day (Term 1) Year 10 Future You Festival (Term 4) Year 11 Immersion Day Excursion Masterclasses (Friday during MBS) Empower Lunches (Friday lunch) Careers Expo  Parent Information Session

Year 10 Strengths and Skills Day

All of Year 10 will be participating in an incursion on Thursday 22 March hosted by the Futures Department.

Students will be asked to complete a Clifton Strengths Assessment prior to this date. The Futures Levy for each student needs to be paid prior to receipt of their personalised code to access the survey. 

EmPOWER Lunch – Journalism

On Friday 1 March at lunchtime in the Library Learning Studio, our Learning Prefects will be hosting ex student Olivia Kinghorst (Chang, 2011) in our first Empower Lunch for 2024.

What is EmPOWER Lunch?

An initiative which started in 2022 and led by the Learning Prefect team, EmPOWER Lunches are open to students in Year 7-12 to meet with Alumni, guests and industry experts to learn about them and their career paths.

Our special guest, Olivia is a respected international journalist who has volunteered her time to come meet students to share her insights on working in the field of media and journalism and her career path to date.

Students who are interested need to register their place at the event for catering purposes. 

An invitation link will be sent to students via email. 

Masterclass

Following the emPOWER Lunch, Year 11 and 12 students are invited to join Olivia Kinghorst in a masterclass on effective communication based on her experience as a presenter, moderator and journalist.

You can read more about Olivia and her work here.

An invitation link will be sent to students via email. 

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UAC Parent Newsletter

Parents and carers who would like to keep updated with UAC news and events, please click here to subscribe to their mailing list. 

From the Co-curricular Sports Team

The shortcode only works for newsletter articles

Lauren Jackson comes to Pymble Ladies’ College

Lauren Jackson AO is widely considered to be Australia’s greatest female basketball player of all time.

Throughout her career, Lauren has led the Australian women to the Olympic podium four times in four Olympic Games. Having won silver medals in Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008), Jackson carried the Australian flag into the London Opening Ceremony before going on to claim bronze in 2012.

In exciting news to begin 2024, Lauren Jackson and Pymble Ladies’ College have formed a partnership to launch a Basketball Academy for all Years 3 to 12 students.

For further details about the program, please click here.

Should students have conflicting sport activities on the set days outlined, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Adam Raw, Director of Sport (araw@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au) to arrange flexibility with your sport commitments. We want to ensure students do not miss out on this amazing opportunity.

Concussion in Australian Sport

There is a growing concern in Australia and internationally about the incidence of sport-related concussions and potential health ramifications for athletes.

If managed appropriately, most symptoms and signs of concussion resolve spontaneously. However, complications can occur, including prolonged symptoms and increased susceptibility to further injury.

The Australian Institute of Sport has put together the following resources to keep athletes safe:  

Concussion in Australian Sport | Concussion in Australian Sport (concussioninsport.gov.au)

Pymble Ladies’ College will closely implement these guidelines across all sport programs.

The College is fortunate to have medical experts on-site throughout the week, please view below for further details:

The Sports Medicine Clinic (Medical Review)

Should a student be diagnosed with a concussion, please ensure a review with an experienced doctor occurs to advise on the next steps.

At Pymble Ladies’ College, medical review with a specialist Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician is available with Dr Nicole Sly. 

The Sports Medicine Clinic is open from 8.00am to 11.00am, Mondays and Thursdays at the Aquatic and Fitness Centre. 

Bookings with Dr Sly can be made online here, or via www.northernbeachessportsmed.com.au.

If consented to by the student and parent, the treatment plan will be communicated to the appropriate school staff, coaches and teachers to assist in facilitating recovery.

The Sports Physio Clinic (Ongoing Management)

Early recovery includes a gradual return to schoolwork and light physical activity, that doesn’t provoke symptoms. 

Once symptoms have cleared, the student begins a gradual return to sport. 

Full contact and competitive sport is allowed after medical review and in line with sport-specific protocols.

Physiotherapy treatment may assist in the management of symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, dizziness and provide education and advice on returning to exercise. 

Physiotherapy treatment is available with The Sports Physio Clinic Physiotherapists, Simon Taylor and Emily Brisbane, located in the Aquatic and Fitness Centre. Online bookings for this private service are available here.

Co-curricular Administration

Term 2 2024 Saturday Sport Registrations

Registrations CLOSE at 12.00pm on Friday 16 February for Term 2 Saturday Sports. 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.

Late registrations are NOT guaranteed, so we highly recommend completing the registration online.

Reminder notices will be posted on the Pymble App before registrations close.

The Term 2 Saturday Sport options are as follows:

• igsa Basketball (Years 7 to 12 – Saturday mornings)
• igsa Football (Years 7 to 12 – Saturday mornings)
• Rugby Sevens (Years 7 to 12 – Training in Term 2 and Competition in Term 3 on Saturday afternoons)
• IPSHA Hockey/Minkey (Years 3 to 6 – Saturday mornings)
• IPSHA Netball (Years 3 to 6 – Saturday mornings)
• Futsal (Years 3 to 12 – five week training program followed by a competition for selected students)

2024 Head of the River Pymble Pulse Supporter Bus

If your Year 7 to 12 daughter would like to go on the Pymble Pulse supporter bus to cheer on our rowers at Head of the River on Sunday 3 March, a parent or carer can provide permission in the app. Simply head to the calendar, click on the event, and provide permission by completing the “provide extra info” link.

The bus is being offered at no charge and will leave the College promptly at 9.30am from Kelso bus bay, returning to the College at approximately 4.00pm. Please ensure your daughter arrives at College by 9.15am.

If you have any questions, please contact Co-curricular Administration at ccsa@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Co-curricular Registration Requests

Registrations for Term 1/Semester 1/Yearly programs are now closed. Confirmation emails were sent to all families on Thursday 25 January. If you missed the registration period and need to request a late registration for your daughter, or if you need to withdraw or transfer programs, please click here to complete a registration request. Please check the conditions of registration for the request cut-off dates. Please note that requests may take up to two weeks to process during busy periods and your request is not completed until you have received confirmation of acceptance via email.

Monique Zahra

Head of Co-curricular Administration

AFL

The AFL 2024 season commenced on Saturday 10 February with all Pymble teams enjoying a home ground advantage. An honourable mention to Pymble 1, Pymble 3 and Pymble 5 dominating their opening matches which resulted in convincing wins for each team. Even though Pymble 6 and Pymble 4 had forfeit wins they still played a friendly match enjoying some additional practice. Our Pymble 2 team came up against a strong Monte opposition. Although our Pymble players played a strong defensive game and never gave up until the final whistle Monte were eventually the winner.  

Please see below results from the weekend:

Round 1 Results

Pymble 1 def Abbotsleigh 1 (65 to 0)

Pymble 2 def by Monte 1 (0 to 80)

Pymble 3 def Abbotsleigh 3 (60 to 0)

Pymble 4 forfeit win vs Wenona 4

Pymble 5 def Abbotsleigh 5 (74 to 0)

Pymble 6 forfeit win vs Monte 5

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Jack Garrad

Sports Co-ordinator – AFL

Athletics and Cross Country

It is so fantastic to see Pymble athletes participating at various Park Runs. From the challenging Wildflower Park Run at St Ives, ranked as the sixth hilliest in Australia to one of our boarders who competed at her home Park Run in Mudgee. The Pymble Cross Country carnival is only two weeks away – we urge everyone to keep up the great momentum.

Our Pymble track and field students continue to shine across a range of events, including the Thrower’s Club, Region Little Athletics, High Velocity and the All Comers meets. Our Pymble athletes achieved excellent results and medals from the Regional Championships.

Congratulations to all students for their continued dedication as they work towards NSW Junior Championships. A friendly reminder that entries for this event close on Friday 23 February.

The large turnout of athletes at sprints and hurdles training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings is very encouraging. We thank Melinda Gainsford-Taylor and Jilska Van Der Wall who create an energetic atmosphere on Pymble main oval.  Our students are thriving under this direction, showing speed and, importantly, having fun!

Deb Walsham

Head Coach – Athletics

Badminton

The igsa Badminton competition commenced on Saturday with 35 Badminton teams competing this term. Pymble have an impressive 14 Senior teams, 15 Junior teams and 6 Year 7 teams playing.

It was lovely to see new participants representing Pymble over the weekend as well as returning players from last year.

Well done to all players and coaches on the weekend for their efforts and fantastic results for Week 1.

Please see below Badminton results from round 1, Saturday 10 February:

Team	Opponent	Result
Pymble 1	PLC Sydney 01	Won 4 to 1
Pymble 2	PLC Sydney 02	Won 5 to 0
Pymble 3	Abbotsleigh 06	Lost 0 to 5
Pymble 4	Meriden 06	Won 3 to 2
Pymble 5	Ravenswood 03	Won 3 to 2
Pymble 6	Abbotsleigh 18	Lost 2 to 3
Pymble 7	Ravenswood 08	Won 5 to 0
Pymble 8	Ravenswood 09	Lost 2 to 3
Pymble 9	Abbotsleigh 23	Won 4 to 1
Pymble 10	Pymble 11	Lost 1 to 4
Pymble 11	Pymble 10	Won 4 to 1
Pymble 12	Loreto Normanhurst 13	Lost 0 to 5
Pymble 13	Loreto Normanhurst12	Lost 2 to 3
Pymble 14	Loreto Normanhurst14	Won 5 to 0
Pymble 15	Meriden 16	Lost 1 to 4
Pymble 16	Danebank 09	Lost 0 to 5
Pymble 17	Tara 14	Lost 2 to 3
Pymble 18	Danebank 10	Lost 1 to 4
Pymble 19	Meriden 26	Lost 0 to 5
Pymble 20	Abbotsleigh 44	Won 4 to 1
Pymble 21	Abbotsleigh 45	Won 5 to 0
Pymble 22	Ravenswood 18	Won 3 to 2
Pymble 23	Abbotsleigh 50	Won 4 to 1
Pymble 24	Pymble 25	Won 3 to 2
Pymble 25	Pymble 24	Lost 2 to 3
Pymble 26	Abbotsleigh 56	Won 5 to 3
Pymble 27	Loreto Normanhurst 19	Forfeit
Pymble 28		Bye
Pymble 29	Abbotsleigh 61	Lost 0 to 5
Pymble 30	Tara 21	Won 4 to 1
Pymble 31	Meriden 37	Won 3 to 2
Pymble 32	Abbotsleigh 65	Won 5 to 0
Pymble 33	Ravenswood 23	Draw 2 to 2
Pymble 34	Pymble 35	Won 3 to 2
Pymble 35	Pymble 34	Lost 2 to 3

Rachelle Davis

Sports Co-ordinator – Badminton

Cricket

Our Pymble cricketers played under beautiful sunny skies for the first round of Pymble Cricket. Our Pymble 1 side competed against St Ives Campbell at Warimoo Oval. Special mention for the following cricketers:

Shereen Jawaad (Year 8), Dezi Magann to Jones (Year 11), Olivia Pragassen (Year 8), Miesha Gal (Year 8) and Sheryl Alexander (Year 8) who all contributed to the run score. Miesha Gal (Year 8) was lethal with the ball achieving a wicket.  Coach Kinjal also praised the overall bowling of all students. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure the win for Pymble 1 with St Ives eventually reaching our total.

Pymble 2 took the pitch against a strong Lindfield team, and, with Pymble grit and determination, the team battled through to the end. Every player in Pymble 2 managed to secure runs which is an amazing effort.

Well done to Ashira Fonseka (Year 8), Cordelia Curtin (Year 7), Evija King (Year 7), Annika Sriram (Year 8) and Aarna Singh (Year 7) who added to the overall total! Great effort! Lindfield were too strong on the day and surpassed the Pymble total to take the win.

We wish our Pymble cricketers good luck for Round 2!

Cricket Schools Cup

Any students in Years 7 and 8 who would be interested in playing in the final of the Northern District Schools Cup on Wednesday 21 February from 4.30pm to 6.00pm at Barker College (against Barker), please email Mr Garrad on jgarrad@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

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Jack Garrad

Sports Co-ordinator – Cricket

Indoor Rock Climbing

Our Outdoor Education Prefect, Carrie Luo (Year 12) and Mrs Chris Boland, Co-ordinator – Duke of Edinburgh are excited to launch Indoor Rock Climbing, a brand new co-curricular activity for students in Years 7 to 12.

On Wednesday 7 February, Pymble held the first session at Climb Fit Macquarie, giving students the opportunity to try a new unique sport that allows them to challenge themselves and work together.

In the first session, students were introduced to the ropes, learnt how to belay and attempted climbing a few of the walls. This is a sport for people of any experience level, students in this group range from experienced climbers to first time climbers.

Rock climbing is a great way to meet students from all year groups and develop strength, confidence and physical skills that may lead to outdoor rock climbing as a hobby. Rock climbing is even an Olympic sport!

We are looking forward to seeing all students in the term 1 trial group improve. Please note that the term 1 class is full with a lengthy waitlist due to popularity, however, if successful this program may be offered in future terms.

Chris Boland

Sports Co-ordinator – Indoor Rock Climbing

Junior School Sport

Kindergarten to Year 2 – Have a Go @ Saturday Sport – Football

Congratulations to our Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 footballers for their first weekend of Have a Go @ Saturday Sport skills and drills program, run by our experienced Football coaches.  Our Pymble Football Captain, Juliette Harris (Year 12) was also on hand to help. Students played many fun games incorporating football skills and drills and finished the session with a mini game. 

For all enquiries regarding the Have a Go @ Saturday Sport – Football program, please contact the Head of Sport Kindergarten to Year 6, Mr Matt Tyson (mtyson@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au) 

Years 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival

The 2024 Junior School Swimming and Diving Showcase will be held on Friday 16 February 2024 at the Braith Williams Aquatic and Fitness Centre at Pymble. The swimming carnival aims to promote house spirit and participation therefore all students are strongly encouraged to compete in at least one event and hopefully more than one, to earn valuable points for their House. The format for the carnival will include both championship and non to championship events and races, as well as relays and a diving showcase.

All students are eligible to swim in the non-championship races and are not required to enter these events before the carnival. Students simply need to make their way to the marshalling area when the event they wish to race in is called on the day. We encourage all students to swim in at least one of these races.

If your daughter has registered for a championship event, the heat list for these races is attached below. Students swimming in the Open Girls 8 to 10 Years 100m Freestyle event can arrive at the pool at 7.30am for warm up. All other students arrive at school at their normal arrival time. 

The carnival will conclude at 2.45pm. Students will then be dismissed from their compass class as usual. All students that have Co to curricular activities will go to these activities as usual.

Please see attached the program of events; please note these times are a guide only.

Junior School Swimming Carnival Heat Entries

Junior School Swimming Carnival 2024 Information

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Matt Tyson

Head of Sports – Kindergarten to Year 6

Rowing

NSW Rowing State Championships

Our Pymble Rowing Team competed in the 2024 NSW Rowing State Championships on Saturday 10 February and Sunday 11 February. These championships are highly competitive, with the presence of approximately two thirds of all crews that will be competing at the National Championships in March. All Pymble crews raced with Pymble courage and determination against high to level opposition, achieving one gold medal. three silver medals and a bronze medal, as well as four of our Pymble crews making it to their respective A-Finals, which is a huge achievement.

On Saturday 10 February, the Senior 1st Eight achieved a silver medal in the Championship Schoolgirl Eight event and achieving the title of 2nd fastest Schoolgirl Eight in NSW.  This event included competitive crews from QLD, ACT and VIC – a fantastic achievement!  After rowing in this event, our Senior 1st Eight rower Megan Wood (Year 12) backed up this race to compete with Sydney University and Pymble alumni, Jessica Colbran and Charlotte Hartin.  This team won the Under 21 Women’s Eight State Title – what an achievement!

On Sunday 11 February, Mia Booth (Year 12) competed in the Schoolgirl Single Scull, achieving a silver medal. Holly Craig (Year 12) and Megan Wood (Year 12) also won silver in the Schoolgirl Double Scull Event, with Alessandra Braysich (Year 12) and Erin Porter (Year 11) brilliantly making the A-Final and finishing 8th. Pymble were the only school to have two boats in this final.

Mika Naito (Year 11), Scarlet Olesen (Year 10), Millie Cullinane (Year 10), Caitlyn Bilney (Year 10) and Mathilde Goddard (Year 11) made it into the A-Final of the Under 17 Quad event, finishing 4th, beating all NSW schools in the event and only being beaten by club crews and an ACT crew. Mika Naito (Year 11) raced again in the U17 Single Scull, courageously making it to the semi final after a big weekend of racing.

In the U16 Quad event, three Pymble crews competed in the A-Final (one third of the field) after some well executed heats by our Pymble Year 9 1st and 2nd Quad and Year 8 1st Quad.

Congratulations to the Pymble Year 9 2nd Quad finishing with the bronze Medal:

Emily Bartrop (Year 9), Annie Pennington (Year 9), Amber Eisenhauer (Year 9), Ellie Pointon (Year 9) and Leander McLaughlin (Year 9).

Special mention to the Pymble Year 8 1st Quad, being the youngest crew in the event and making the A-Final:

Emma Wang (Year 8), Madeleine Gaden (Year 8), Claudia Wyatt (Year 8), Madelene Landgrebe (Year 8) and Blair Elliot (Year 8) – we are expecting big things to come from these rowers! Kelly Clifton (Year 9) also raced later on Sunday in the U16 Single Scull, making it through to the Semi to Finals.

The team are now focussed and will continue to train hard towards the Schoolgirl Head of the River on Sunday 3 March 2024.

Karl Schmidt

Head of Coaching and Performance (Kindergarten to Year 12)

Rugby Sevens Tour to Darwin

I am excited to announce that we will be travelling to Darwin for a Rugby 7s Tour this year!

This tour is only available to Juniors (Year 7 and 8) and Intermediates (Year 9 and 10). If this is something that you are interested in, please can you email jgarrad@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Jack Garrad

Sports Co-ordinator – Rugby Sevens

Softball

Round 1 of the Invitation Independent Schools Softball Competition took place on Saturday 10 February with four Pymble teams competing.

On a rainy morning, our softballers fought admirably in testing conditions. Three of our games were played against Loreto Normanhurst, with our Pymble teams finishing with two draws and a win.

Our Senior 3rd team, Pymble 3, were up against the Abbotsleigh Senior 1st team and played with Pymble courage and determination. Although the scoreline was a nine-run difference, this didn’t dampen the team’s spirits, holding their heads high and singing the Pymble war cry.

Week 2 (Saturday 17 February) sees our Senior 1sts and Senior 2nds play at home against Barker and Abbotsleigh. Our Senior 3rds travel up the coast to face Central Coast Grammar, while our Junior 1sts travel take on Barker College.

Round 1 – Saturday 10 February

Team	Opponent	Result	Score
Pymble 01	Loreto Normanhurst 1	Draw	2 to 2
Pymble 02	Loreto Normanhurst 2	Win	10 to 8
Pymble 03	Abbotsleigh 1	Loss	4 to 13
Pymble 04	Loreto Normanhurst	Draw	10 to 10

Chris Wood

Sports Co-ordinator – Softball

Swimming

2024 Swimming Metro North East (SMNE) 13U Speedo Sprint meet

On Sunday 11 February, 36 Pymble students from the Knox Pymble Swim Club competed at the SMNE 13U Speedo Sprint Meet at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

Team spirit was fantastic especially when Yuxi Lun (Year 4) had to swim make the finals for the 50m backstroke and Yuxi won! A fantastic achievement for a young swimmer!

The Speedo Sprint caters for all swimmers, competitive and non-competitive. The top four competitors from each age group of the 4x50m metre events (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle) will progress to the finals, which will be held in March.

Congratulations to the qualifying Pymble swimmers that will compete in the finals of the 13U Speedo Sprint meet:

Amelie Berg (Year 5), Emma Deere (Year 5), Emma Feng (Year 5), Oriana Fenton (Year 7),

Imogen Jones (Year 8), Puisai Victoria Ko (Year 6), Crystal Li (Year 4), Yuxi Lun (Year 4),

Charlotte Sadler (Year 7), Isabella Wang (Year 5), Rose Wang (Year 4), Olivia Yu (Year 4)

Congratulations to the following top five-point scorers:

Isabella Wang (Year 5) 154 points

Amelie Berg (Year 5) 135 points

Charlotte Sadler (Year 7) 130 points

Olivia Yu (Year 4) 113 points

Rose Wang (Year 4) 98 points

Well done to all Pymble swimmers that competed over the weekend:

Amélie Berg (Year 5), Jennifer Chen (Year 5), Geena Cheng (Year 8), Emma Deere (Year 5),

Keira Donovan (Year 7), Carla Mikkeline Eibach (Year 7), Emma Feng (Year 5), Oriana Fenton (Year 7), Georgia Friedel (Year 7), Penelope Hargraves (Year 7), Imogen Jones (Year 8), Avika Kapoor (Year 7), Una Kim (Year 7), Puisai Victoria Ko (Year 6), Katherine Kong (Year 5), Sarah Kranes (Year 7), Estelle Lee (Year 8), Crystal Li (Year 4), Anne Liu (Year 8), Yuxi Lun (Year 4), Jade Mao (Year 7),

Lena Pan (Year 5), Gwen Pickthall (Year 8), Lakshi Rajeev (Year 6), Charlotte Sadler (Year 7),

Zara Sandham (Year 8), Emma Wang (Year 5), Grace Wang (Year 5), Isabella Wang (Year 5),

Rose Wang (Year 4), Erin Wei (Year 5), Genevieve Wong (Year 5), Jiayi Wu (Year 6),

Chenxuan Yu (Year 7), Olivia Yu (Year 4), Hailey Zhang (Year 4)

Rafael Rodrigues

Swimming Coach

Tennis

Welcome back to another season of igsa Tennis. This term Pymble has entered 30 teams from Year 7 to Year 12. Tennis has been an especially popular choice amongst our Year 7 students with 11 teams coming from that cohort alone. Whilst wet weather cancelled or put an early end to most matches on Saturday 10 February, our teams are well prepared for their matches. Attendance and effort at training has been very encouraging, and our coaches have admired the courage of our new players giving tennis a go for the first time. Wishing all teams the best of luck for the season ahead!

Round 1 (Saturday 10 February) igsa Tennis results:

Team	Opponent	Result	Score
Pymble 01	Meriden 02	Loss	1 to 7
Pymble 02	Queenwood 01	Washout
Pymble 03	Abbotsleigh 03	Win	6.5 to 1.5
Pymble 04	Abbotsleigh 04	Win	5 to 3
Pymble 05	Abbotsleigh 06	Win	7.5 to 0.5
Pymble 06	Brigidine 02	Loss	1 to 2
Pymble 07	Abbotsleigh 08	Loss	3 to 5
Pymble 08	Loreto Normanhurst 05	Washout
Pymble 09	Loreto Kirribilli 11	Washout
Pymble 10	Wenona 08	Loss	4 to 4 (25 to 31)
Pymble 11	Abbotsleigh 15	Tie	4 to 4 (28 to 28)
Pymble 12	Pymble 13	Washout
Pymble 13	Pymble 12	Washout
Pymble 14	Wenona 11	Washout
Pymble 15	Wenona 13	Win	5 to 3
Pymble 16	Roseville 19	Washout
Pymble 17	Bye
Pymble 18	Abbotsleigh 23	Loss	2 to 6
Pymble 19	Loreto Normanhurst 26	Win	4 to 4 (30 to 26)
Pymble 20	Wenona 19	Washout
Pymble 21	Ravenswood 15	Washout
Pymble 22	St Vincents 09	Washout
Pymble 23	Abbotsleigh 27	Washout
Pymble 24	Abbotsleigh 28	Washout
Pymble 25	Roseville 27	Washout
Pymble 26	Pymble 27	Washout
Pymble 27	Pymble 26	Washout
Pymble 28	Loreto Kirribilli 28	Washout
Pymble 29	Abbotsleigh 32	Washout
Pymble 30	Abbotsleigh 33	Washout

Holiday Results

Congratulations to Chloe Morrison (Year 6) for achieving the following results:

• Bathurst Summer Open: U10 Girls Doubles Winner
• Tennis MacArthur Summer Juniors: U12 Tier 2 Girls Singles Runner up
• Ballina Summer Open: U10 Girls Singles Winner, U12 Girls Singles Consolation Winner, U12 Girls Doubles Winner, U10 Girls Doubles Runner Up – partnered with her sister Isla Morrison (Year 3)

Goolagong National Development Camp

Two of our First Nations students, Giselle Kawane (Year 12) and Sophia Kawane (Year 9), were thrilled to share their holiday experience as participants in the 2024 Goolagong National Development Camp by the Evonne Goolagong Foundation alongside 27 other Indigenous tennis players from across Australia.

During the week long camp at Monash University in Melbourne, Giselle and Sophia underwent intensive training and had inspiring encounters with First Nations sporting legends like Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Ash Barty and Cathy Freeman. Highlights included training at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, attending ‘First Nations Day’ at the 2024 Australian Open (AO), catching up with Pymble ex-students Mikayla Zahirovic, Tiarna Williams and Ruby Pade and being chosen for AO and Tennis Australia media interviews.

Thank you to the Evonne Goolagong Foundation for providing such an incredible opportunity!

Jufri Foss

Sports Co-ordinator – Tennis

Water Polo

The 2024 Water Polo season started on Saturday 10 February with some impressive scores and water polo played, both in our Years 3 to 6 IPSHA competition and Years 7 to 12 Pymble Water Polo competition. 

Round 1 – IPSHA

Team	Opponent	Score	Result
Water Polo Year 5 and 6 Pymble 1	MLC 1	13 to 5	Win
Flippa Ball – Pymble 2	Ravenswood 2	1 to 5	Loss
Flippa Ball – Pymble 3			Bye
Flippa Ball – Pymble 4	Tara 4	6 to 5	Win

Round 1 – Pymble Competition

Team	Opponent	Score	Result
Pymble 1	Brigidine College 1	2 to 4	Loss
Pymble 2	Brigidine College 3	16 to 1	Win
Pymble 3	Brigidine College 2	6 to 9	Loss
Pymble 4	Brigidine College 5	18 to 0	Win
Pymble 5	Brigidine College 7	16 to 3	Win
Pymble 6	Brigidine College 8	4 to 5	Win
Pymble 7	Brigidine College 7	7 to 7	Draw

Brigette Moore

Head Coach – Water Polo

From the Co-curricular Performing Arts Team

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Junior School Co-Curricular Performing Arts

Year 3 String Orchestra Workshop Day 

Year 3 String Workshop Day is to be held on Sunday 18 February in the John Reid Hall and Sunshine Square. Notes and information have been sent to the Parent Portal. The girls will participate in tutorials and rehearsals from 9.00am to 1.00pm. It is essential that all students in the Year 3 String Program attend this day. Please see the parent portal for all information. 

Stanhope and Grainger Band Workshop Day 

All parents with students involved in the Stanhope and Grainger Bands will have received notes regarding our annual Junior School Band Workshop Day which will be held at the College on Saturday 17 February for all members of these ensembles. It will be a busy day of tutorials, rehearsals, and activities to get these ensembles off to a flying start for 2024. All members of these two ensembles are expected to attend. Please see the parent portal for all information. 

Year 4 Training Band Workshop Day 

The 4 Training Band Workshop Day will be held on Sunday 18 February. The girls will participate in tutorials and rehearsals from 9.00am to 1.00pm with morning tea and lunch provided. It is essential that all students attend this day. It will be a busy day of tutorials, rehearsals, and activities to get these ensembles off to a flying start for 2024. Please see the parent portal for all information. 

Kurt Schweinberger

Head of Creative and Performing Arts (Kindergarten to Year 6)

Language Arts

Debating   

Thanks to those who attended the preseason FED and ISDA meeting. ISDA Round one starts tomorrow with our debaters travelling to St Aloysius. We will be negative.  

Pymble ISDA will be at Pymble for Round 2 on Friday 23 February. We will host Knox. NB Year 7 will NOT debate on this date and will have a make up round on May 3.  

FED commences on Friday 23 February and Archdale and Social debating start later in the year.  

Pymble FED will travel to MLC for Round 1 on Friday 23 February.  

Buses will be arranged to most away venues and parents are asked to arrange collection of girls following debates. Girls are not permitted to travel home of public transport without adult supervision. Parents are welcome to watch their daughter’s/ daughters’ debate(s). CCSA will send further details.   

Year 11 and 12 FED and ISDA Debaters. Please note that you will have make up rounds due to Formals through the debating season.   

This runs in Term 4 and is open to ISDA and Archdale debaters and FED finalists. Further details will be available in Term 3.  

Congratulations to Sophie Guo and Averie Sun  

Sophie participated in the 38^th Stanford Invitational Debating Tournament over the weekend and her team won the competition! Her team won all six of the preliminary rounds and had the highest speaker point total for their division.   

 Sophie was awarded fifth best speaker for their division of the tournament. Averie Sun also participated and her team placed third in the tournament! The competition was run at around 3 am in the morning, being America-based! Let’s hope our girls have caught up on their sleep. Well done Sophie and Averie. Our Pymble Debaters are certainly world class!  

Congratulations, more than a Debating Trifecta!  

Congratulations to Jingyuan Liu, Athena Wu and Selina Jiang who recently competed in the Asian Junior Championships Winter Debates. 193 students from China, South Korea, India, Singapore and Australia, attended this event. Jing was awarded best speaker for Australia and Oceania, Athena was awarded second best speaker and Selina was awarded third best speaker and wait for it… Angela Mao was fourth. We are proud of these girls! What a start to the LA year!  

Cambridge Schools’ Debating Competition  

Congratulations to this formidable British Parliamentary Debating team! On the 27 and 28 January, two Pymble students, Amy Zhang, Year 11 and Alice Mao, Year 10 participated in the above competition and reached the finals, to be held at Cambridge University. Congratulations!  

We hear that some will be competing in the forthcoming Junior BP competition.  

Public Speaking    

Auditions – Junior and Senior 7-12   

Rostrum, The Junior and PESA (Senior) Speaking Competition auditions will run after school Wednesday 21 February. Girls must register interest by emailing Mrs Hubbard and Evelyn Zhu, our Captain of Public Speaking. BHubbard@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au; Evelyn Zhu (Year 11) ezhu2025@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au  

Topics can be found on the Portal or on the Rostrum NSW website. https://www.rostrum.com.au/voy/information-for-all-students/  

The Portal  also provides further information and Mrs Hubbard or Evelyn, our Public Speaking captain can outline the procedure. Evelyn is offered a lunchtime workshop on the 13 February in C10.  

UN Voice of Youth Public Speaking   

Congratulations to Nikita Serban, Isis Li, Catherine Shi and Katherine Pan who attended the Un Voice State Finals at the end of last year. Catherine Shi will now compete in the Nationals in April. Congratulations and best wishes.   

MUN – Model United Nations  

NSW State MUN Conference, at Pymble – We did it. We launched NSW Student MUN  

Pymble hosted the first student led, NSW MUN conference on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 February!   

This followed from our successful PMUN Winter conferences in 2022 and 2023. Congratulations to our MUN captain Catherine Shi and her team who worked so hard to ensure all was in place for a successful conference. Students from over 21 schools attended.   

Thank you also to all teachers, parents and coaches who assisted. We were delighted to have Dr Hadwen present at our opening and closing ceremonies. Our Pymble girls enjoyed mixing with like-minded students and enjoyed some vigorous debates centered on world politics. Such opportunities allow for displays of critical and creative thinking, collaboration and courage. Listening and Speaking skills are honed! Well done all.  

Congratulations Jenny  

Congratulations to Jenny Xu who competed at Yale and Harvard MUN sessions in the vacation. Jenny was awarded a coveted Yale outstanding delegate award. The keynote address was given by Ban Ki- Moon, 8^th General Secretary of the United Nations.  

THIMIUN – The Hague  

Mrs Hubbard travelled to The Hague in the recent vacation where she met with board members and the head of THIMUN. We are awaiting an offer to attend the 57^th session of THIMUN in January 25. If successful, Pymble will be the first Australian school to attend.  

This is a flagship residential event that unites exceptional high school students in Years 9-12 from across the globe, providing them with a unique platform to learn about leadership, diplomacy, and advocacy. Their goal is to empower young minds, foster understanding of global issues and inspire students to become active contributors to shaping our collective future. Pymble students who have attended in past years have enjoyed the experience!  

Key details:  

Date: 8 to 10 March  

Location: The Collaroy Centre an UTS  

Topic: The Future of Democracy in the 21st Century  

Cost: $270   

The conference promises an enriching experience with:  

Interactive Workshops: Engaging sessions on critical global topics.  

Expert Speaker Panels: Insights from prominent individuals in various fields.  

Simulated Crisis Activity: A hands-on experience in crisis management.  

Model UN Debates: A platform for students to discuss and propose solutions to international issues.  

Registrations are open and will close on 15th February: State conference rego link  

If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact the organisers directly at nswstateconferenceoc@unyouth.org.au. They are more than happy to assist you with any enquiries.   

Bronwyn Hubbard

Head of Language Arts

Music

Concerto Competition 

Congratulations to all students who performed in the Concerto Competition. Grace Ho, Yuki Wang, Airiana Chan, Vienna Li, Lux Fritz (Year 12), Zarina Nurlanov, Aine Oo (Year 11), Joanna Au, Sitian Chen, (Year 9), and Estelle Lee (Year 8). The preparation involved for something as demanding as this is outstanding, and we are all immensely proud of your daughters. 

Thanks especially to Ms Claire Race, our College Accompanist. Claire arrived at the start of 2024 and has been rehearsing furiously with all the students to ensure they presented a polished performance. 

Performing in front of two esteemed adjudicators is a difficult position to be in and our students did so with poise and professionalism. The winner will now rehearse with the College Symphony Orchestra and perform at our Term 2 Ensemble Concert. 

Term 1 Secondary School Ensemble Concert – 10 April 

Please note the time has changed to 5:30pm due to the Daylight savings time change. Please add this to your diary and more information will come through closer to the time. 

Addams Family 

Tickets for The Addams Family are now on sale. Please check the portal for purchasing information. Tickets are $40 for adults and $30 for concession. 

Music Uniforms 

If you pre-ordered a music uniform, it will be ready for pick up in Week 4 in the John Reid Hall. 

If you have not ordered one yet, please do so this week for collection in Week 5. 

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Sarah Turner

Head of Music

Get your tickets to The Addams Family!

It’s time to pay a call on The Addams Family! 

Pymble is proud to present the mysterious and spooky new musical comedy, which is bound to keep you captivated from start to finish!  

Showtime Schedule

Thursday 7 March at 7.00pm

Friday 8 March at 7.00pm

Saturday 9 March at 2.00pm and 7.00pm

This family really is a scream; make sure you come and see ’em at the Gillian Moore Centre for the Performing Arts, Pymble Ladies’ College. 

Tickets on sale now! Click here to secure your tickets today.

Master Plan Update – February 2024

Pymble’s Master Plan has made some significant progress over the holidays. We are excited to share this progress with you (below) and highlight the benefits for our girls.

The safety of our students, staff and community is always our priority. Every phase of construction has been meticulously planned to minimise disruption to our girls’ daily school experience and ensure their safety and wellbeing.

The College Map has been updated to illustrate recent staff and department movements, including the Uniform Shop, and is included below for your reference. 

The College is grateful for your support and we look forward to sharing more with you as the Master Plan journey progresses.

Please be aware, girls will now exit Grey House Walk at the Junior School. Wayfinding signs will be in place for those girls unfamiliar with the Junior School to help them find their way to other parts of the College.

Term 1 bus registrations are now open!

Term 1 registrations for the Pymble private bus service to and from Pymble Ladies’ College are now open.  

The bus service will commence from the first day of term, Tuesday 30 January and conclude on the last day of term, Friday 12 April 2024. Please check the bus stops and times for your preferred bus route prior to Term 1 commencing. 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:    

1.  Term registration – $430.00 per term    

Valid for the whole term. Cancellations of Term registrations must be made in writing within seven days of the start of term.   

2. Flexible registration – $7.50 per trip  

Enables the student to register for specific day(s) with a choice of morning and/or afternoon runs.  

REGISTER NOW

FIND OUT MORE

Please read and discuss the attached Terms and Conditions of Travel with your daughter and ensure that she has her student ID card ready to tap on and off the bus service.   

A reminder for parents and students that:      

• Student ID cards must be used to tap on and tap off each trip. If your daughter has lost her card, please complete the attached form and return it to the IT Hub. 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. Please find attached instructions on how to download and use the free app, available on Android and Apple devices.    

Please do not hesitate to contact College Services if you have any further questions about transport to and from Pymble Ladies’ College.

Meet Pymble’s bus drivers

Every week we will feature a profile on one of our wonderful Pymble bus drivers. This week, we learn more about Mark on Bus 3 and what makes him tick!

Please tell us your name and a little bit about yourself.

My name is Mark Ledgar and I’m 60 years young! People often describe me as kind, generous, fun and loving.

If any, what careers did you have before becoming a bus driver?

Before becoming a bus driver, I used to work at Westpac, mainly in leasing administration.

Which Pymble bus do you drive and how long have you been a Pymble driver?

I have been a bus driver at Pymble for 15 months, and drive the North West bus 3.

You spend a great deal of your time on the road and have no doubt seen it all. What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to Sydney drivers?

Mainly drivers who don’t know the rules of the road.

What is your favourite part of working at Pymble?

I get great satisfaction out of making sure the children on my bus are kept safe.

Where is the best excursion/charter location you have driven to for Pymble? If new to Pymble, what other locations have you enjoyed driving to?

The favourite destinations I have driven to have definitely been Dee Why Surf Club and Taronga Zoo.

What was your favourite subject at school?

Maths and geography.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

Even though it’s my job, in my spare time I also love to go for drives! It’s even better when I take a drive to go trout fishing.

Rugby Sevens Tour to Darwin

I am excited to announce that we will be travelling to Darwin for a Rugby 7s Tour this year!

This tour is only available to Juniors (Year 7 and 8) and Intermediates (Year 9 and 10). If this is something that you are interested in, please can you email jgarrad@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Jack Garrad

Sports Co-ordinator – Rugby Sevens

Register now for Sport Scholarships

Pymble offers a couple of scholarships each year to girls seeking a Performance Scholarship – Sport, Applications for 2025 scholarships are open to current or external students who are in Year 6, 7, 8, 9 or Year 10 2024. 

Registrations close on 29 February for Sport applications. 

Please note that this is an earlier timeframe than in previous years. The application process for each scholarship is also different to previous years

Please review the Scholarship webpage for specific information on each scholarship. 

Applications for 2026 Academic, Music, Boarding and Ex-Students’ Union Scholarships open in Term 2 on 30 April 2024.