From the Principal

There is so much to love about the end of the year, in particular all the celebrations of learning, concerts and showcases. Congratulations to our phenomenal Pymble musicians who treated us last night to the Secondary School Ensemble Concert, a stunning program of classical and modern pieces played to perfection. We are blessed to have such passionate and highly experienced staff leading our Music program and fostering this level of talent in our girls. It really was a magical night; well done to all.

Speaking of magic, a huge congratulations to our Junior School students and staff for hosting their sensational – and inaugural – Let’s Get Creative Festival last week. Such was the collective spirit and energy of students, staff and families in the Gymnasium that we were all on a high for the rest of the week. Take a peek at the photos in the Junior School section and you’ll see what I mean.

And a big, warm welcome home to our Year 10 OEP-ers, the last of whom arrived back from Namadji and Snowy River on Monday evening. Not long after their return, I found a delightful surprise in my inbox, the following message from our Mathematics teacher, Mrs Candice Cooper, who attended Namadji and was excited to share her feedback with me.

“I have just come back from the Namadji program – which was nothing short of amazing! We covered 100km in 7 days and the elevation was epic.

“I wanted you to know that every single person we came across in the 7 days we hiked through the Victorian high country sought out me and the two Vision Valley staff (Hannah and Lachlan in Group 2) to tell us how impressed they were with the group of girls. They ALL mentioned how polite, lovely, positive and strong they were. It was literally every person we saw. I think Group 1 had the same experience.

“The girls’ resilience on such a physically challenging journey was nothing short of phenomenal, their persistence and their positivity were such a highlight.” – Candice Cooper (teacher)

These comments highlight why we do what we do in Outdoor Education Programs at Pymble – it’s all about resilience and growth. We have high expectations for our students at all times. Our College values and student code of behaviour provide a safety rail to hold onto when they are sure of foot and during times when they have no option but to tackle daunting terrain one tentative step at a time. We are incredible proud of our Namadji groups, our Year 10 OEP-ers and all students who have been exemplars of Pymble behaviour and values in 2023.

Your feedback on our College values

On the topic of feedback, thank you to our students in Years 5, 6, 9 and 11 and our parents and carers who spent time this week in focus groups on campus to assist with an important strategic project for 2024. This project aims to develop a deeper understanding of our College values and how they are experienced and lived by all members of our community. Our desired outcome is to ensure these values are visibly embedded and articulated for all members of our community to use on a daily basis.

All parents have received a notice and the link to participate in our short online survey, which you can also access below:

Click here to participate in our short College values survey.

It’s always lovely to receive feedback about members of staff who showcase our College values in action. This week I was thrilled to receive an email from one of our Pymble parents, Ling Hu. Ling wrote to express her appreciation for Nick Lees and Richard Hernandez in our Facilities Department who were on their way home from work on Tuesday when they saw traffic was at a standstill and stepped in to assist. For the next hour-and-a-half the two men carefully managed the traffic flow to enable Ling and all the other parents and neighbours who were stuck to make their way safely home.

 “The support and dedication exhibited by individuals like Rich and Nick underscore the strong sense of community and collaboration that defines Pymble. My daughter takes pride in being part of such a wonderful team, and incidents like today only reinforce our appreciation for the caring environment you have fostered within the school.

“Rich and Nick’s commitment to maintaining order during a challenging situation reflects the values that make Pymble a special place. I am grateful for their kindness and proactive approach, which made a significant difference during a stressful moment.” – Ling Hu (parent)

Thank you, Richard and Nick, for living our values every day; and thank you to Ling, Candace and the many parents and staff who take the time to tell me about acts of kindness that occur around our campus. These are the stories that make me so very #PymbleProud.

House spirit in action

With just two weeks left of term, we look forward to more opportunities to celebrate our girls and the special magic each student brings to Pymble. For now, I will leave you with a few clips from our fabulous House Dance-Off taken by our Deputy Principal – Students, Mr Justin Raymond, who was keen to show off his own dance moves (not!) at this fabulous bonding activity held in Mind-Body-Spirit time on Monday. The House Captains did such a wonderful job motivating their teams that the decibel readings for House cheers were off the scale. A big thanks to our Science teacher, Jess Budden, who thought to bring this instrument along as part of the official judging process.

Congratulations to all who took to the Dance-Off challenge with such joyful enthusiasm and House pride, and to Bennett, Ingleholme, Lang and Marden who danced their way to another 250 House points each. The girls’ palpable sense of belonging, connection and being part of something bigger than themselves…well, to paraphrase Harry Styles in the Wylie versus Bennett challenge, that’s what makes Pymble beautiful.

Goodlet v Ingleholme

Wylie v Bennett

Hammond v Lang

Thomas v Marden

From the Junior School

From the Head of Junior School

Let’s Get Creative Festival

Our Let’s Get Creative Festival was a sensational day of creativity and house spirit. I was so proud of our girls and particularly our Year 6 House Captains who continue to lead by example and bring their full House Spirit to every house activity. I loved the way our Captains looked after the youngest girls in their House to ensure all girls enjoyed their House performance.

I want to celebrate our phenomenal specialist Art teachers, Emily Clutterham and Bella Garson who curated our inaugural Junior School art gallery. Thank you to our K-2 teachers who lead Art for our youngest girls. It was a magical display and as I stood and looked at the array of artworks and the depth of skill involved, it was hard to remember how young our girls are.

I know last week was a big, busy week for our Junior School, so I am very grateful to those parents who were able to come to the Festival to support our girls.

Our girls embraced so many different elements of creativity throughout the day with their House singing, poetry recitals, dance performances, magic and musical performances.

There were so many highlights during the day, but perhaps my greatest joy came from seeing and feeling the bustle and energy led by our Junior School entrepreneurs who had worked hard at home to make and bake goods to sell for our College charities. I am so proud that through the marketplace we have, as a community, raised $5,577. This is an outstanding effort given all goods were homemade and sold for a maximum price of $2. Congratulations girls and a heartfelt thank you to our parents who helped their daughters with their entrepreneurial/service project.

Our Year 6 girls are set to change the world

Mrs Bird and I had the privilege of listening to a group of Year 6 deliver speeches to their peers last week. Our girls are so articulate about things that really matter to them, and Mrs Bird and I were very proud of the way they spoke so passionately and with such poise. Here are some snippets from some of these exceptional speeches:

‘Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and equally, no matter how they look. By being accepting of others, everyone will feel included…By sharing all our different cultures we begin to appreciate and understand different perspectives, ways of living and experiences…..embracing everyone’s differences ..creates a more loving and peaceful society to live in.’ – Faith Hedley

‘Our biggest failure is also our biggest gift. Successful people look into their future, look for a lesson to learn….If you want your dreams to come true…if you want to reach for the stars, watch and learn not only from others, but also from your mistakes. Then take a risk and take ACTION!’  – Arianna Ng

‘When you challenge yourself and take a risk, you grow through the process, you become more confident, more resilient and more likely to achieve your goals. So to grow and be successful, you have to make friends with being uncomfortable.’ – Lilian Ahlenstiel

‘Plastic in the ocean kills over 100,000 marine animals every year…Did you know that over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year, and 14 million tonnes then end up in the ocean every year…Picking up litter, using containers or beeswax wraps instead of one time use plastic, is such an easy way to prevent plastic on the earth, and in the water’ – Olivia Hicks Duncombe

Congratulations to Iyla Jolapara in Kindergarten who has raised money for Children’s cancer research by cutting her long hair. What a wonderful and generous act of service to others!

A message from Lara Bird, Deputy Head Junior School Academics – Year 6 Farewell Chapel and showcase

As the final chapter in the Junior School approaches the end for our Year 6 girls, I want to acknowledge the wonderful Year 6 Chapel service and exceptional Showcase of Learning presented by the girls as part of their end of year celebrations. Through their presentations, the girls displayed depth of knowledge, creativity and an increased understanding of the wider world. They presented research based on their learning across the year focusing on sustainability, renewable energy, migration patterns, the plight of refugees and the homeless and democracy. The girls thoughtfully, creatively, and empathetically presented solutions to a wide range of issues, demonstrating their entrepreneurial thinking and the importance of voice.

The Junior School teachers are proud of each student’s progress, determination when faced with challenge and strengths they bring to their learning. As Mrs Brown noted in her speech, as the girls commence their next journey to Year 7, it is important to remember to be present, to look closely, to ask questions, to make connection, to be kind and most importantly, to be you!  Well done Year 6 you have made us very proud. Keep shining!

Congratulations to our new Year 6 Captains for 2024

This week in assembly we thanked our Year 6 2023 Captains and introduced our Year 6 Captains for 2024. Each girl in Year 6 will be a leader and grow her leadership skills through our mentoring program and through opportunities to step into specific responsibilities throughout the year. Some girls are elected as specific Captains to help guide our Junior School through the year and these girls were understandably excited to step into these roles and the responsibility that comes with their Captaincy.

Congratulations to: 

Bennett House Leader		Lang House Leader
Amelie Rahme		Lydia Chen
Carolyn Dou		Olivia Beaumont
Audrey Quan		Madison Burns
Abigail Wu		Chloe Pedersen
Goodlet House Leader		Marden House Leader
Bethany Tucker		Anna Smart
Anna Wang		Sueann Deng
Angela Chiang		Alexandra Qiu
Deanne Fernando		Melody Hai Chen
Hammond House Leader		Thomas House Leader
Greta Campbell		Emma Popli
Alice Liu		Sophia Sayegh
Savannah Sherlock		Leia Ripley
Cecilia Zhang		Taylor Green
Ingleholme House Leader		Wylie House Leader
Zoe Liang		Eleanor Zalewski
Trisha Viswanathan		Izabella Prokop
Marla Kazaglis		Zoey Wen
Florence Cheng		Olivia Dinnie
Student Representative Council Leader		Library Leader
Bianca Ng		Charlotte Xue
Zoe Chong		Isabelle Yeh
Chelsea Wang		Emma Campbell
Alice Hockley		Imogen Martin
Sustainability Leader		Kindness Leader
Sarah Tew		Melody Chen
Katelyn Gu		Safina Burgess
Oliana Zeccola		Ria Iyer
Sophie Ahn		Chloe Morrison
STEM Leader		Chapel Leader
Michelle Xing		Emily Deutscher
Adeline Wu		Lakshi Rajeev
Charlotte Wu		Tanvi Raniga
Lily Zhang		Olivia Guo

Windows into Learning Photos

A message from Mrs Josephine Laretive, K-2 Teacher Librarian and Mrs Martha Itzcovitz, 3-6 Teacher Librarian 

Last date for borrowing and date need to be returned

Please note that all library books are due back by Friday 1 December.  

• Final day for Years 3-6 borrowing is Friday 17 November
• Final day for K-2 borrowing is Friday 24 November
• All books due back by Friday 1 December

 If you have any concerns regarding book loans, please contact: 

• Martha Itzcovitz for Year 3 to 6 at mitzcovitz@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au
• Josephine Laretive for Kindergarten to Year 2 at jlaretive@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

 Thank you for your support!

Reminder for your daughter’s end of year Celebration of Learning/Speech Day events

Kindergarten Celebration of Learning and nativity – Tuesday 5 December

Please refer to notice here.

Year 1 and Year 2 Celebration of Learning – Tuesday 5 December

Please refer to notice here.

Years 3 – 6 Speech Day – Wednesday 6 December

Please refer to notice here.

Messages from Junior School Administration Office 

Late Arrivals and Early Departures

When your daughter is late to school could you please assist us by remining your daughter to sign in at the Junior School Administration Hub (Hedgehog House). When your daughter needs to leave early for an appointment please send an email to juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au and sign your daughter out from the Junior School Administration Hub.

All absences for must be emailed to juniorschool@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or preferably submitted through MyPymble. 

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Important Dates for Term 4

Tuesday 5 December	Kindergarten Celebration of Learning 9.00am-10.30am Year 1 and Year 2 Celebration of Learning 11.30am-12.30pm Students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and 2 will be able to go home with parents at the end of the events, or they can remain at school until the end of the day. A form to advise of family preference will be sent to families.
Wednesday 6 December	Years 3-6 Speech Day Supervision for students in K-2 is available. Last Day of Term 4 2023

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Kate Brown

Head of Junior School

From the Middle School

During our final Middle School assembly for the term on Tuesday, we celebrated and farewelled Year 8.  it was a vibrant and interactive event that invited the girls to acknowledge each other and recognise the significant contributions made to enhance our community over the last two years. The girls also took the opportunity to thank Ms Ventura for her kindness and investment in the cohort throughout the last two years. Ms Ventura will remain in Middle School as a Head of Year for Year 7 2024 helping to support their transition to high school. In previous correspondence to Year 8 families, I have shared that Mr Peter Fathers will be working with Ms Attley to support Year 9 in 2024.

Last Friday Year 8 enjoyed a productive day out at Vision Valley working to connect and care for a special place that will be home for four weeks when they move into Upper School. The Environment Day was a wonderful opportunity to gain knowledge about native plants and insight into the history of the Valley. The girls enthusiastically busied themselves clearing weeds and planting seedlings to enhance the environment. They particularly loved the experience of touring Stringybark Lodge where they will reside during their Residential program. We shared a well deserved barbecue lunch in reward for their hard work.

Congratulations to Year 8 Science class 06 and Ms Gooley! What a wonderful initiative.

Student Reflection:

When our class, 08 Science 06, decided that we wanted to do something that benefited the environment, we started brainstorming ideas. At first, we thought of just making posters to put around the school, but we wanted to make a bigger impact. Then, we decided that a Return & Earn recycling bin would be a good idea. This bin would be put in a crowded area for people to put their 10c Return and Earn bottles in them. Then, we would donate all the funds to a charity of our choice, that being the Great Lakes Women’s shelter. All in all, our science class is excited to see how this bin can not only have a positive impact on the environment, but also help a good cause.

Written by Jacqueline Zhu

Click here to learn more about Return and Earn.

Jacaranda Awards

Congratulations to our Term 4 Jacaranda Award winners. Students have been recognised by their Compass teachers for displaying the college values.

Year 8 Jacaranda Awards
Annabelle Li	For her courage in stepping outside of her comfort zone and taking on new challenges
Skye MacLeod	For mainly Care and Responsibility for maturely taking the lead on the production of the Year 8 Bennett Christmas video.
Georgina Curtis	For Responsibility. She has been a dedicated and enthusiastic Compass captain.
Fleur Houston	Linking to the Colleges values of Responsibility, Respect and Care. Fleur takes responsibility for her learning and applies strategies to maximise her learning. She takes care with her work and is respectful of others
Ranalee Siriwardana	Ranalee has shown courage through resilience by stepping outside of her comfort zone to participate in the end of year activities.
Kayra Amir	Kayra exemplifies the college values, treating everyone with respect and care, stepping up to take on responsibilities such as buddying incoming students and editing our class performance with such enthusiasm and grace. She has a kind heart, and this is demonstrated in the way she interacts with all of her peers.
Charlotte Henderson	Charlotte brings a fun and friendly energy to compass and is always inclusive of her peers. Her warm demeanour and focused approach to her studies are commended and make her a deserving recipient of the award
Tina Peng	Tina is displaying the qualities that embody the values of Pymble such as respect for others, being helpful and supportive of her colleagues. She is also doing a wonderful job in her role as Ingleholme B Compass Captain, displaying fine organisational and communication skills.
Zoe Bloom	Zoe was an outstanding contributor in her role in the Hating Allison Ashley play, demonstrating great courage. She has also been highly involved as Compass captain this term, demonstrating responsibility.
Jane Lee	The values she consistently demonstrates is courage, integrity, and responsibility.  “Jane has excelled in her endeavour to utilise her talents and time to support service initiates throughout the College.”
Isabella Woodall	For the care she has for other students within the compass class.
Mia Zhang	Mia has been keen to take on more responsibility in the compass group and becoming a even better role model for the others.
Elisa Cui	Elisa is a friendly Thomas House student. She has taken on the role of assisting with the organisation of the Thomas A Christmas video and encouraging other Compass members along the way.
Nicole Zhang	Nicole has shown excellent leadership skills by organising and coordinating student activities for the Christmas video.
Nina Wang	For being an empathetic team player and supporting others in creative group activities
Katherine Boyce	Katherine exemplifies the College values of Care and Responsibility. Although she has been an excellent Compass Co-Captain, she has gone above and beyond that roll to help the group in many of our activities. In particular, she has stepped up to direct and choreograph the Compass Group Christmas video. Drawing on her extensive knowledge of dance and performance, she has led the group with enthusiasm and creative technical advice. Katherine embodies the qualities of Pymble spirit and is always a positive presence.

Year 7 Jacaranda Awards
Shereen Jawaad	Shereen shows care to her compass group by starting conversations with her peers, she also welcomed visiting students and played cards and chatted with them to make them feel welcome. At camp she showed courage by involving herself with each activity and pushed her boundaries while also having team spirit.
Indigo Meldrum and Sarah Quan	Both girls have both demonstrated outstanding leadership skills in their roles as Compass Captains. They put so much thought and effort into organising fun activities each week and they both have continually shown the values of care and responsibility throughout the year.
Eve Clark	Eve is always respectful and demonstrates care in compass. It was a pleasure to hear how she extended herself on camp where she approached challenges with positivity and explored new friendships.
Madeleine Gaden	Madeleine always does what is best for her community. On camp, she willingly helped the instructors, and she divides birthday cakes fairly in Compass.
Claudia Sherlock	Claudia demonstrated Courage throughout Camp. She approached challenges with determination and participated in all activities, pushing herself beyond what she originally thought possible.
Yen Huynh	Yen demonstrated courage, respect and care on camp. She participated wholeheartedly in all activities, even when she wasn’t comfortable. Yen supported and encouraged all her friends in Hammond B.
Eloise Rumble	For showing care, respect and responsibility during camp. Eloise really engaged with the compass group, participated in all activities and volunteered multiple times to help out the group
Ayla Gortan	Ayla demonstrated great courage to face her fears at camp.
Cecilia Bryant	Cecilia has demonstrated courage and positive growth in how she approached the camp experiences. She challenged herself and worked well to step outside her comfort zone.
Ella Zhang	Ella has displayed courage and resilience when faced with challenges. She thinks deeply and offers thoughtful and respectful insights to group discussions. Her respectful nature was also evident on camp when interacting with staff and her peers.
Erica Kwok	Erica shows a positive and honest version of herself to all she meets and through her care of her peers she enhances compass time for all
Selina Kerin	Selina displayed integrity, care and courage during compass activities and Year 7 camp.
Eesha Adusumilli	For displaying all College values, especially of respect and care towards her peers and teachers, as well as her involvement in Compass activities.
Lily Xiao	Effectively collaborating with her fellow team members and showcasing courage during camp activities
Cecilia Zhou	Always showing care and respect towards others and for the courage she demonstrated on camp.
Maya Burgess	Maya showed courage and resilience in challenging camp activities. She demonstrates care and thoughtfulness by including others in group activities.

Diving

On the 12/13 of November Sasha Dubrovina (Year 7), Lera Dubrovina (Year 7) Rose Purcell (Year 7), and Scarlett Martel (Year 7) competed at the Metropolitan Championships. They all competed in the one metre and just missed out on qualifying for nationals. Congratulations girls!

UN Voice of Youth Semi Finals

Well done to Isis Li (Year 8) who participated at the UN Voice of Youth semifinals. Isis had a great opportunity to meet and hear from other competitors. Please enjoy her reflection below.

Attending the UN Voice of Youth semifinals was an inspiring experience. I was able to meet the other competitors who were the same age as me and listen to their ideas and solutions to the questions we were presented with. While everyone had the same questions, the solutions they came up with were varied and creative. Though having to sit in a small room for 4 hours was a slight downside, I enjoyed being able to meet so many students from across Sydney and hearing all their speeches as well as preparing my own. – Isis Li, Year 8

Gloucester Gatherings

Our Gloucester Gathering Liaisons along with our Middle School Liaisons, have put together a wonderful schedule for Gloucester Gatherings this Term. See below for the exciting activities planned for Middle School. We look forward to sharing many photos throughout the term.

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Jenny O’Donnell

Head of Middle School

From the Upper School

A message from Mr Tom Riley, Head of Upper School

It has been fantastic to have a full contingent of Upper School students back on campus, with our Namadji Hikers and Snowy River Rafters returning early this week from their epic nine- and ten-day adventures. Our canyoning and abseiling students also returned from the Blue Mountains late last Friday, a little bleary eyed having descended into the Grand Canyon at 1.00am to witness the glow worms! A massive thank you to the staff who made these trips possible for our lucky girls.

Last week our Year 9 Knox Focus Group met again, as they put the finishing touches on their plan for more collaboration and events in 2024. On Monday, our Year 9 Touch Footballers also spent the day with Knox and Oakhill as part of ‘Kids Vs Cops’, with Pymble-Oakhill taking out the win! Please enjoy some photos and a student reflection below:

The Kids v Cops League Tag Gala Day hosted by Barker College was a fun and engaging experience, Pymble was divided into two teams of five girls that were mixed with other schools – Knox and Oakhill. During the event, we were challenged by being put on the spot to learn how to play league tag and quickly getting to know the other players on your team. Although it was tricky at the beginning, the rules were easy to learn and everyone was nice to get along with, it also made the day even better with a supportive team of schools and team mates to encourage us through games and push ourselves by playing all day. Overall, it was a great experience creating bonds with other schools and learning from the police officers from around Sydney.

Written by Mia Lorimer

This week we also managed to acknowledge and celebrate our incredible Bureaucracy of Munchkins’ (their name) who took out the NSW winner for the write a book in a day competition with their submission, ‘A white Spot of Hope.’ Congratulations to Ang-Ya Koo, Erika Nakamaru, Christiana Soo, Phoebe Paleogolos, Andelle Parker, Aysel Gupta, Ollisha Muthukuda, Isabella Nguyen and Elizabeth Tang.

Key Term 4 Dates

Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December – Year 10 Future You/Service Week

Wednesday 6 December – Year 7-11 Speech Day in Gym

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Tom Riley

Head of Upper School

From the Senior School

From the Head of Senior School

Christmas has arrived in the Senior School!

On Friday, we kicked off our celebrations by inviting our Year 5 sisters to help us decorate the Senior School Christmas tree and participate in a range of Christmas fun. Throughout this year the students of Year 11 and Year 5 have been involved in a mentoring program, where students have been sharing stories, honouring their journey through the Junior School and Senior School, and building friendships. This event was an opportunity to wish each other well for the holiday season with hopes of continuing this program in 2024, when they will be the leaders of their respective schools.

Our Senior students continue to amaze us with their personal achievements. Special mentions this week go to Joy Ye, National Winner in the category of NSW Young Historian and to Julie Sheng who has won a national nature poetry competition in the Upper Secondary division called Poem Forest, run by Red Room Poetry. Please enjoy Julie’s poem titled Spider Orchid. More information on this competition can be found by clicking here.

Spider Orchid

By Chengjia (Julie) Sheng

I speak in flowers –

In silken threads of nectar,

Stitched by the languid arachne. 

In crystalline petals quivering,

At the wooing of the wind.

In coquettish shoots prodding,

The sable velvet of the world.

A slender arch of rose-tinged white,

For a keen, crisp spring.

A curl of delicate green,

For a full-bodied summer.

A velveteen mink of pollen,

For a deep, dusky autumn,

But it has been a long winter for me,

A winter of harsh razed hinterlands.

It has been a bitter winter for me,

A winter of brittle seeds and wilted buds.

Look, here comes a hand, cruel and calloused,

That wrenches my soul from my belly,

And, with a tortured wail, plucks me by the roots.

From the Head of History Mrs Caragh Warth

Joy Ye of Year 11 recently submitted an essay From the Great Southern Land to the Land of the Rising Sun: Tourism and the Australian-Japan Relationship in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries to the National History Challenge. In exciting news, she was awarded originally Best in NSW in the Year 11 – 12 category. When she arrived at the Ceremony last Tuesday, 14 November, she found out the amazing news that she is off to Canberra to receive the National Winner in the category of NSW Young Historian. Congratulations Joy!

Responding to feedback

As the newsletter is published, the Year 12 students will be finishing their first round of assessment tasks and receiving feedback. While there may be some excitement, pride or disappointment upon receiving their results, it is really important that students look to the feedback for ways to improve.

Please remind your daughter to check in with her teacher if she does not understand her feedback or would like further support. If your daughter is disappointed, an initial emotional response can be understandable but doesn’t help in moving forward with clarity on how to improve.

Remind your daughter that the mark is not the essential point of focus, instead ask her about the feedback she has received. It is also useful to help your daughter reflect on the strategies she used in preparing for the task – eg were all aspects of the task covered, did she leave sufficient time for preparation and review? Remember too that feedback can look different in different subjects – there is generally some written feedback, some verbal feedback and some time for personal reflection. Engaging in this will help improve preparation for the next task. A good sense of perspective can also be very helpful.

From the Secondary School Parent Group

Pilar and Susan hope that parents and carers from Year 12 2024 can join us for this end-of-year event being held at the Yemma’s home on Friday 8 December. It promises be a fun evening and a great opportunity to reconnect before the summer break. For catering purposes, please RSVP asap to Susan (sma.liu@yahoo.com) 

Cost: $42 per person

When: Friday 8 December at 7.00pm

Where: The Yemma’s home at 103 Junction Road, Wahroonga 

RSVP by December 1st to Susan sma.liu@yahoo.com

Please advise of any dietary requirements.

Term 4 – Key Dates

23 November – Dan Haesler presentation – Winning’s a Lousy Teacher

6 December    Speech Day Year 7 to 11

6 December    Term 4 concludes

Nikki Wyse

Head of Senior School

From the Boarding School

Knox Trivia

The spirit of Christmas was welcomed on Friday with our Christmas trivia event with Knox. We had over 250 Boarders from both Knox and Pymble gather in our beautifully decorated dining room. We had many Pymble Boarders dressed in Christmas colours and festive onesies for the event. In mixed groups, a barbecue dinner was enjoyed before the trivia commenced. Lead by Skye and Aspen, our Boarding Head Prefects, the competitive energy was in the room as the groups worked together to answer Christmas-related trivia questions, including naming well known Christmas carols. After the event, we gathered on Gloucester Lawn for a paper airplane competition and games of soccer and footy. Congratulations to our Year 12s who took out the win in trivia!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a celebration of sharing and abundance for our friends in the United States and Canada. For us here in Boarding, it is another opportunity to be thankful and a time to remember and embrace those who enrich our lives. Our Boarders took the opportunity to write cards to family, friends and staff to whom they are grateful for the blessings they bring. Of course, a turkey dinner was mandatory and, in keeping with the theme of the evening, there was much gratitude to our Catering team.

Love it – Mrs White, Deputy Director of Boarding

It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas… (In Boarding!)

Christmas has arrived in Boarding with Christmas festivities beginning over the weekend. On Saturday morning, Goodlet ladies accompanied Vicki (Assistant Head of Year 12 Boarding) to Dural Christmas Tree Farm to pick out thre fabulous trees for our Boarding House. The girls choose beautifully and decorated the trees into the afternoon. The foyers of our Boarding Houses are now warm and welcoming as the smell of pine and Christmas décor ascends from the staircases.

On Saturday evening, the Christmas celebrations continued into the evening within house Christmas movie night, complete with popcorn and snacks. Marden and Goodlet gathered in the common rooms and enjoyed Christmas classics of Elf and Love Actually on the big screen. The girls enjoyed the evening immensely and are excited to continue the Christmas movies this weekend.

Manly Magic

On Sunday afternoon, Marden and Goodlet ladies headed out to Manly for a coastal walk and swim. The girls enjoyed exploring the famous Manly Wharf before embarking on the scenic walk between Manly and Shelly Beach. The Manly community markets were also bustling as the girls enjoyed wandering around the stalls. The weather was perfect for a dip in the Fairy Bower Sea Pool, before the girls enjoyed an ice cream along the promenade. It was lovely to have Year 10 Big Sisters join our younger Boarders for the beach adventure

What’s on this weekend:

Thursday: Year 10 Salsa Dancing with Newington and Late-Night Shopping Adventure

Friday: Year 7 Balmoral Adventure

Saturday: Christmas Crafts

Sunday: Movie Time! Marden – Trolls Movie & Goodlet – Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

View From My Window

My name is Lola Barwick, I’m in Year 10 and I started Boarding at Pymble at the beginning of last year. When I look out of my window at home I see a lot of crops, paddocks, and animals.

I live on a property in northwest NSW near a small town called Gravesend with my mum, dad and three sisters: Tilly who has just graduated this year from Pymble, Poppy in Year 8 starting here next year and Cybelle in Year 2 who won’t be coming to Pymble for a little while.

I love being home and hanging out with all my cousins who live on properties surrounding me, and other friends from home who I went to school with in Year 7 and 8. Usually at home I would spend time working on our farm, swimming in the river or staying at my cousin’s house. I love to spend time at home with my family and helping with things like mustering, shearing, branding and harvest time.

I love living on a property and being able to also come to Sydney through boarding.

Coming to Pymble was a big change for me from my old school of only 150 kids from Year 7 to 12, and only having six kids in my grade in primary school, to now having almost 300 in my year at Pymble. I love the change though and being able to meet so many new people.

I love to come back to Boarding to see all my friends, (Boarders and day girls) and to spend time with them on weekends and at school going to the beach and going shopping, but most of all being able to invite all my friends from school back home during the holidays.

Boarder of the Week

Congratulations to our fabulous Boarder of the Week Latiah, who join us in Year 7 from Dubbo. Latiah’s kind and friendly presence, along with her infectious sense of humour, never fails to delight peers and staff. Latiah remained on campus last week and lead the set up of Christmas festivities in Boarding. She volunteered to write Christmas trivia and set up the dining room for dinner with Knox on Friday.

Latiah also volunteers to collect and decorate the Christmas tree in Goodlet House, which was a lovely surprise for our Year 10 Boarders returning from camp. Latiah is always an active presence during our Boarding activities and a wonderful support to her younger Boarding sisters. We are so pleased to call Latiah one of our own!

Save the Dates

Tuesday 28 November – End of Year Chapel Service and Boarding Christmas Party (all Boarders required to be in attendance)

Wednesday 6 December – Year 7 to 10 Speech Day (all Boarders required to be in attendance)

Wednesday 6 December – Boarders’ travel afternoon (following Speech Day)

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Carolyn Burgess

Head of Boarding

From the Chaplains

I bet you didn’t know it, but there is a connection between Taylor Swift and the birth of Jesus.

Well there is now. I made this connection, in a desperate attempt to keep large groups of hot, tired teenagers engaged in chapel after lunch at the end of Term 4, in the sticky weather of late November.

I asked the students to imagine that they had just received the Most Amazing Invitation Ever – a VIP invitation to Taylor Swift’s last concert, with exclusive backstage access.

Experts who have written about the world-wide phenomenon that is Taylor Swift have noted that being part of the global fan community is a powerful human experience – the experience of feeling part of something that is bigger than yourself.

Being part of a larger story.

As we continue in the season of Advent, we are reminded that we are part of a big, big story. A cosmic story.

We journey closer to the ‘reason for the Season’. For some, this reason is precious time with family and friends. For some, it is simply rest from the routine. For some, it is a time to set aside in prayer and thanksgiving – the celebration of God’s miraculous gift to the world; God Emmanual; God with us.

Here at school, we have fast-tracked the liturgical traditions of Advent so that students can be part of this journey in chapel before school breaks up in the first week of December.

Last week we lit the rose-coloured Advent candle, which represents Joy, and read the story of the shepherds who were tending their sheep just outside the town of Bethlehem when suddenly they became the first people to hear the joyful news of Jesus’ birth and receive the Most Amazing Invitation ever – to go and see him for themselves.

You might expect God to deliver this momentously good news – Peace on Earth, Goodwill to humankind – and the Most Amazing Invitation Ever to the political leaders, to the Roman Emperor, the religious leaders, or at least to the owners of the sheep …

But the first ones to get the divine scoop were social nobodies. God chose to send a host of angels to the poorest, most voiceless and most marginalised – literally – people who were living on the edges of respectable society.

Similarly, the person who was chosen to bring Jesus into the world was a poor, young woman.

They’re out in the fields. On the hills. It’s dark. It’s cold. They have to take turns staying awake, because their whole job is to protect the sheep and goats (who probably didn’t belong to them, they probably belonged to someone more wealthy in the nearby town of Bethlehem), and make sure no wolves attacked them and that none wandered off.

For most of Israel’s history, before Jesus’ time, being a shepherd had been a respected job. The great King David himself had been a shepherd. God is referred to in the Hebrew Scriptures as the “Shepherd of Israel”.

But by the time that Jesus was born, times had changed and shepherds had a reputation for dishonesty. In a society that lived under crushing oppression from Roman occupiers, shepherds were among the poorest and most exploited people. And sometimes, because they were oppressed and felt voiceless, they sometimes caused trouble.

Their world was in a mess.

Just like ours.

So it’s no wonder, when these social nobodies, these shepherds, who hear this extreme heavenly announcement, hear the most beautiful singing they have ever heard in their life,  see a cloud of angels, and are told that “a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” has been born – it’s no wonder that they grab their staffs, follow the star and run into Bethlehem to see this child. Could this be the circuit-breaker they had been waiting for? Could this really be news of great joy? 

The place that the shepherds hurried to, the place where God entered our world, was not a marble palace, a gold throne or a royal hall – it was a small room where animals ate and slept, on a dirt floor, in a poor town.

That night, those shepherds became part of a story that was much, much bigger than themselves. Even bigger than Taylor Swift.

A story that reaches back into the very beginning of everything and forward into eternity.

God reveals Godself in the humblest of places. God reveals Godself to us when our hearts are meek and we realise we cannot rely on ourselves. God chooses the humble ones to do the work of loving, serving, seeking justice and making lasting change.

I pray that the Joy of the shepherds will be real for you and your families this season.

Glory to God in the Highest. Peace on Earth, Goodwill to humankind.

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Edwina O’Brien

Assistant Chaplain

From the Community Engagement Team

Calendar of Events 

All community and academic events can be found on the MyPymble app in the Calendar tab.  

Secondary School and Junior School Speech Days

Make sure that Wednesday 6 December is in your diary for the Secondary School Speech Day and Junior School Speech Days. Join us to celebrate the year that was in 2023 and farewell Mr James Hunter at his final Speech Day as Chair of the Pymble Ladies’ College Board.

Please register for the Junior School Speech Day here and the Secondary School Speech Day here.

Uniform Shop Closing Date

The Pymble Uniform Shop’s final trading day is 12.00pm Wednesday 6 December. It will re-open in 2024. Uniform items can be ordered online over the holiday period. 

College Christmas Celebration

Don’t forget to register for College’s Christmas Celebration on Sunday 3 December!  The College Jazz bands will be playing from 5.30pm on Gloucester Lawn followed by a special Christmas service with carols in the War Memorial Chapel at 6.30pm led by Reverend Punam Bent. This is a special evening celebrating Christmas with the Pymble community as well as a chance to farewell our wonderful Rev at her very last Pymble Christmas service. Click here to see more details.

Class of 1971 – 50 + 2 year reunion

The College hosted a wonderful 50 +2 1971 leavers reunion at the College last weekend Saturday 18 November 2023. There were 45 ‘old girls’ in attendance for lunch and drinks, reliving old memories and renewing special friendships.

Kelly Mancey

Director of Community Engagement and Advancement

From the Futures Team

Future Doctors Holiday: Program for 14 to 18 year olds

Please note: this program is delivered by an external provider and is not endorsed or organised by Pymble Ladies’ College.

Gaining medical work experience is essential for young people considering a career in medicine. It provides insight into the field, helps develop skills and attributes, and provides networking opportunities. However, obtaining medical work experience can be challenging due to various restrictions such as limited opportunities, safety concerns, and confidentiality issues.

That’s why NIE has developed the “Future Doctors Australia” program. It is an engaging and high-impact 4-day program that provides young people with a unique opportunity to gain medical work experience in a safe and structured environment. Participants will have the opportunity to spend time with current junior and senior medical students. They will also have the rare opportunity to spend time with more senior clinicians and various medical specialists. You will get to learn about clinical’s specialist’s relevant fields of work, ask them questions, and learn some hands-on skills from them.

View the Future Doctors Australia 2023 Program 

For further information, please click here.

From the Co-curricular Sports Team

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Co-curricular Administration

End of Term 4 Registration Period 

The End of Term 4 registration period is now open! This will allow families to make selections for their Term 1, Semester 1, and Yearly 2024 Co-curricular Programs (including Music). Registrations opened at 12.00pm on Wednesday 22 November and will close at 11.59pm on Wednesday 10 January. Please view all program information and access the online registration via the Co-curricular pages on MyPymble by clicking here. A parent/carer log in is required to be able to register.  

A confirmation of current selections email will be sent prior to school finishing for the year. Changes can still be made following this email until the system closes in January. A final confirmation will then be sent prior to school starting for 2024.  

Please note that Term 2 2024 Saturday Sports will no longer open during this registration period. Saturday Sport registrations are changing and will now open on the first Wednesday of each term for the following term. As such, Term 2 2024 Saturday Sport registrations will open at 12.00pm on Wednesday 31 January and close on Friday 16 February.  

Term 1 2024 Saturday Sport Registrations 

Term 1 2024 Saturday Sport registrations closed on Monday 20 November. If you have missed registering your daughter for a Term 1 Saturday Sport or need to make any changes, please contact Co-curricular Administration at ccsa@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or on +61 2 9497 7848.   

Monique Zahra

Head of Co-curricular Administration

Athletics and Cross Country

NSW Milers Meet

The NSW Milers Meet at Bankstown last week delivered impressive performances in favourable conditions. Sarah Baker (Year 11), Sophia Slater (Year 10) and Claudia Wyatt (Year 7) all had excellent runs and were rewarded with fast times. A special congratulations to Georgia Phillips (Year 11) for achieving an impressive 5 second personal best in the 800m.

NSW Relay Championships

On the weekend, Sydney Olympic Park was the venue for the NSW Relay Championships. The combination of current and alumni girls in teams added to the excitement in some relays. With several nail-biting finishes, the weekend saw many well-deserved victories and places. Congratulations to all the girls for a job well done.

Another busy week ahead, with the National Teams Challenge girls fine tuning their relay changes in the lead up to Nationals in three weeks’ time.

Deb Walsham

Head Coach – Athletics and Cross Country

Cricket

Pymble 2 had a BYE over the weekend. Pymble 1 took the pitch against WPHCCC. Notoriously a very tough opposition, our girls put on a strong performance despite being down on numbers. Well done to Miesha Gal (Year 7) and Indigo Meldrum (Year 7) who contributed with the bat to Pymble’s total. Dezi Magann-Jones (Year 10), Indigo Meldrum (Year 7) and Charlotte Henderson (Year 8) were on the attack in the field and with the ball in hand. Unfortunately, the opposition were too strong on the day and managed to surpass our total. With only 2 rounds left of the season I look forward to seeing the girls steam home strong!

Jack Garrad

Sports Co-ordinator – Cricket

Junior School Sport

Junior School Sport Team of the Week

We would like to celebrate our Diving team’s stellar performance at the recent Swimming Carnival on Wednesday 15 November. The display was a true masterpiece of skill, courage, and teamwork, and has gained them the award of Junior School Team of the Week. The divers wowed the audience with their precision and grace, showcasing their talent and fearlessness in the face of challenging dives. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of the entire team.

Years 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival

On Wednesday 15 November, the Years 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival was held at Pymble Aquatic Centre. Congratulations to all students who participated. We had an overwhelming number of girls competing for their House. A special thank you to Mrs Rachel Kingsell, Miss Charlotte Baker, our Aquatic Centre Manage – Duccio Petri and he’s team, and our Swimming coaches who helped make the day such an enjoyable experience for all involved.  Please see below results from the day.

Winning House – Bennett

Junior Champion – Emma Deere (Year 4)

Junior Runner up – Isabella Wang (Year 4)

Senior Champion – Charlotte Sadler (Year 6)

Senior Runner Up – Orianna Fenton (Year 6)

8 Years Champion – Rose Wang (Year 3)

9 Years Champion – Amelie Berg (Year 4)

10 Years Champion – Emma Deere (Year 4)

11 Years Champion – Orianna Fenton (Year 6)

12 Years Champion – Charlotte Sadler (Year 6)

Open 100m Freestyle    

1st – Charlotte Sadler (Year 6)                

2nd – Georgia Friedel (Year 6)

3rd – Penelope Hargraves (Year 6)

8 Years 50m Freestyle

1st – Rose Wang (Year 3)

2nd – Emma Ware (Year 3)

3rd – Aimee Qiu (Year 3)

9 Years 50m Freestyle

1st – Crystal Li (Year 3)

2nd – Amelie Berg (Year 4)

3rd – Kathy Lun (Year 3)

10 Years 50m Freestyle

1st – Emma Deere (Year 4)

2nd – Isabella Wang (Year 4)

3rd – Emma Feng (Year 4)

11 Years 50m Freestyle

1st – Oriana Fenton (Year 6)

2nd – Chloe Shires (Year 6)

3rd – Marley Titley (Year 6)

12 Years 50m Freestyle

1st – Charlotte Sadler (Year 6)

2nd – Penelope Hargraves (Year 6)

3rd – Georgia Friedel (Year 6)

8 to 10 Years 50m Backstroke

1st – Emma Deere (Year 4)

2nd – Isabella Wang (Year 4)

3rd – Emma Feng (Year 4)

11 Years 50m Backstroke

1st – Marley Titley (Year 6)

2nd – Chloe Shires (Year 6)

3rd – Oriana Fenton (Year 6)

12-13 Years 50m Backstroke

1st – Charlotte Sadler (Year 6)

2nd – Penelope Hargraves (Year 6)

3rd – Carla Eibach (Year 6)

8 to 10 Years 50m Breaststroke

1st – Emma Deere (Year 4)

2nd – Amelie Berg (Year 4)

3rd – Isabella Wang (Year 4)

11 Years 50m Breaststroke

1st – Oriana Fenton (Year 6)

2nd – Sissi Ko (Year 5)

3rd – Marley Titley (Year 6)

12 to 13 Years 50m Breaststroke

1st – Charlotte Sadler (Year 6)

2nd – Avika Kapoor (Year 6)

3rd – Chloe Xiong (Year 6)

8 to 10 Years 50m Butterfly 

1st – Emma Deere (Year 4)

2nd – Emma Feng (Year 4)

3rd – Isabella Wang (Year 4)

11 Years 50m Butterfly

1st – Oriana Fenton (Year 6)

2nd – Elsa Yu (Year 6)

3rd – Chloe Shires (Year 6)

12 to 13 Years 50m Butterfly 

1st – Charlotte Sadler (Year 6)

2nd – Penelope Hargraves (Year 6)

3rd – Georgia Friedel (Year 6)

Junior 200m Individual Medley

1st – Emma Deere (Year 4)

2nd – Isabella Wang (Year 4)

3rd – Emma Feng (Year 4)

Senior 200m Individual Medley

1st – Charlotte Sadler (Year 6)

2nd – Carla Eibach (Year 6)

3rd – Georgia Friedel (Year 6)

Girls 11 Year 50 Breaststroke

Oriana Fenton (Year 6) – New record – 40.95

Matt Tyson

Head of Sport – Kindergarten to Year 6

Rowing

Rowers get Gold in Melbourne and Sydney

On Saturday 18 November, the Pymble Rowing Team achieved success at both the Melbourne Head Regatta and the Independent Rowing Schools Championships in Penrith.

Melbourne Head Regatta

The Intermediate (Year 9) Squad flew to Melbourne on Friday morning, the girls had an opportunity to go for a practice row on the Yarra course before having a team dinner that evening. On Saturday 18 November, the rowers raced the 3.5km course three times, coming away with two wins, as the only NSW school entered in a race of 671 entries and 2289 competitors.

The Intermediate Eight won the Schoolgirl Open Eight D3. Well done to Mia Solomons (Year 9), Zoe Hart (Year 9), Millie Cullinane (Year 9), Scarlet Olesen (Year 9), Caitlyn Bilney (Year 9), Anais McDonald (Year 9), Sara Khan (Year 9), Ella Willets (Year 9) and Winter Shirvington(Year 9).

Mia Solomons, Zoe Hart, Millie Cullinane, Scarlet Olesen, Caitlyn Bilney, then raced again in the Open Year 9 Schoolgirl Coxed Quad D1, winning the race by a close 0.32 seconds, showing great fight all the way to the end of the line.

Arabella Murphy (Year 9), Joanna Karelas (Year 9), Anais McDonald (Year 9), Ella Willets (Year 9) and Mia Solomons (Year 9) raced in Schoolgirl Open Coxed Quad and raced well to beat 7 Melbourne crews.

Rowing NSW Independent Schools Championships

Our Junior (Year 8) and Learn-to-Row (Year 7) squads raced at Sydney International Regatta Centre on Saturday 18 November, coming home with some excellent results and promising performances all round.

Savannah Lorimer (Year 7), Blair Elliot (Year 7), Aurora Zhang (Year 7), Annabella Legge-Hughes (Year 7) and Emma Wang (Year 7), had a blasting heat, coming first and moving into the A-Final for the Year 8 Schoolgirl Coxed Quad, where they secured a 2nd place finish as a 2nd Quad, in a field of 1sts, well done. The 3rd Quad of Sanaya Lakhani (Year 8), Sophie Harris (Year 7), Clare Ferreria (Year 8), Sanaa Kapoor (Year 8) and Angelina Attinger (Year 8) rowed in a solid mid race rhythm to win the D final.

We also had success in small boat entries, with Claudia Wyatt (Year 7) and Anabella Legge-Hughes (Year 7) winning the Schoolgirl Year 8 Double Scull, and Madison Landgrebe (Year 7) came second in the Year 8 Single Scull. A great effort by both crews.

In our Junior Squad, Annie Pennington (Year 8) raced strongly to achieve a third place finish in the single scull. Then, we saw both our Junior First and Seconds crews progress to the A Final, with Georgina Curtis (Year 8), Allegra Taubenschlag (Year 8), Harriet Murphy (Year 8), Annie Pennington (Year 8) and Mie Naito (Year 8) coming second and Olivia Norton (Year 8), Mia Sherry (Year 8), Lucy Simpson (Year 8), Ellie Pointon (Year 8) and Emily Bartrop (Year 8) coming 7th. The Third Quad of Sanaya Lakhani (Year 8), Aurora Zhang (Year 7), Clare Ferreria (Year 8), Sanaa Kapoor (Year 8) and Cassandra Vielman (Year 8) rowed in a solid mid race rhythm to win the D final.

Lewis Gray

Sports Co-ordinator – Rowing

Swimming

Swimming Metro North East Distance Meet Sunday 19 November 2023

On Sunday 19 November the Swimming Metro North East distance meet was held at Pymble Ladies’ College. Thirteen of our Ladies’ represented Knox Pymble Swimming Club. The distance meet comprises of all the Freestyle and Individual medley distance events from 200m to 1500m.

Well done to all the girls for turning up with smiles, positive attitudes and having a go!

Congratulations to all the girls that competed on the weekend:

Lily Barlow (Year 10), Megan Chia (Year 7), Carla Eibach (Year 6), Oriana Fenton (Year 6),

Piper Gregory-Reid (Swim Captain Year 12), Anne Lui (Year 7), Gwen Pickthall (Year 7),

Ruby Pickthall (Year 9), Charlotte Sadler (Year 6), Zara Sandham (Year 6), Keira Smith (Year 10),

Sarah Tian (Year 9), Chexuan Yu (Year 6).

Michelle Thomas

Swimming Coach

Tennis

Round 6 igsa Tennis Results

Congratulations to all our Term 4 igsa and IPSHA tennis teams that have competed so well this term. This Saturday 25 November is the last round of matches, and there are no finals played for these competitions, there will be no igsa or IPSHA training in Week 8 Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December, due to the competition being finished.

All non-Saturday sport Tennis programs will run in Week 8 and finish on Friday 1 December.

Team	Opponent	Result	Score
Pymble 1	SCEGGS 01	Win	8 – 0
Pymble 2	Queenwood 01	Loss	0 – 8
Pymble 3	Kambala 03	Loss	1.5 – 6.5
Pymble 4	Ascham 05	Loss	1 – 7
Pymble 5	Loreto Normanhurst 03	Win	5 – 3
Pymble 6	Loreto Kirribilli 08	Loss	3 – 5
Pymble 7	Ravenswood 05	Loss	0 – 8
Pymble 8	Wenona 10	Loss	3 – 5
Pymble 9	St Catherine’s 05	Win	8 – 0
Pymble 10	Ravenswood 07	Win	7.5 – 0.5
Pymble 11	Monte 06	Loss	0 – 8
Pymble 12	SCEGGS 06	Win	4 – 4 (30 – 26)
Pymble 13	Wenona 14	Win	6.5 – 1.5
Pymble 14	Abbotsleigh 06	Loss	3.5 – 4.5
Pymble 15	Wenona 18	Loss	3.5 – 4.5
Pymble 16	Wenona 19	Win	6.5 – 1.5
Pymble 17	Loreto Kirribilli 17	Loss	0 – 8
Pymble 18	St Catherine’s 08	Win	8 – 0
Pymble 19	Santa Sabina 04	Loss	3.5 – 4.5
Pymble 20	St Scholastica 06	Loss	0.5 – 7.5
Pymble 21	Loreto Normanhurst 19	Win	6 – 2
Pymble 22	Loreto Normanhurst 21	Win	6.5 – 1.5
Pymble 23	Loreto Normanhurst 22	Win	5 – 3

Term 1 Saturday Sport – igsa Tennis

Term 1 igsa Tennis registrations have now closed, but if you missed signing up, you can still make a post registration request by completing the Co-Curricular Request Form. Please click here to access the form. Trials for Term 1 igsa tennis will be held at Mollie Dive Field on the following dates:

Senior Team Trials – current Year 9 to 12 students: Monday 4 December 2023, 3.30pm to 5.00pm

Junior Team Trials – current Year 7 and 8 students: Tuesday 5 December 2023, 3.30pm to 5.00pm

Year 7 and New Student trials – current Year 6 and new students in 2024: Saturday 3 February 2024 8.00am to 10.00am

Tennis Holiday Program

Pymble Ladies’ College students and their school aged siblings/friends are invited to attend a Tennis Training Camp from Monday 11 December to Friday 15 December – the first week of school holidays. The camp will run from 9.00am to 12.00pm each day and students may register for as many days of the program as they like. Registrations are now open! Please click here to access the registration form on Humanitix.

Jufri Foss

Sports Co-ordinator – Tennis

Touch Football

It’s truly uplifting to learn about the positive and vibrant atmosphere during the sixth week of igsa Touch Football. The teams, especially Pymble 9 and Pymble 11, have showcased an admirable spirit of sportsmanship and resilience. Their unwavering commitment to the Touch Football season not only contributed to their success but also serves as a positive example for others. It’s evident that the players and teams involved are not solely focused on winning but are equally committed to honing their skills and fostering a positive team culture.

Division	Pymble Team	Opposition	Result
S01	Pymble 1	Brigidine 1	2-9
S03	Pymble 2	Abbotsleigh 2	6-3
S06	Pymble 5	Brigidine 4	1-11
S07	Pymble 6	Loreto Normanhurst 5	5-1
S08	Pymble 7	MLC School 2	8-2
S08	Pymble 8	Abbotsleigh 6	2-7
S09	Pymble 9	Abbotsleigh 7	3-4
S11	Pymble 11	Monte Sant’ Angelo 5	4-2
S12	Pymble 12	Roseville 5	4-3
J02	Pymble 13	St Catherine’s 2	2-1
J03	Pymble 14	Santa Sabina 3	8-1
J05	Pymble 15	Wenona 12	4-2
J06	Pymble 16	Wenona 13	3-2
J07	Pymble 17	Abbotsleigh 14	4-0
J09	Pymble 18	Abbotsleigh 15	2-2
Y701	Pymble 19	Roseville 11	6-2
Y705	Pymble 20	Ravenswood 14	3-2

As the season approaches its final round, anticipation builds for an exciting finish to Term 4 Touch Football. The dedication and sportsmanship exhibited by all Pymble teams over the weekend augur well for their growth and success in the upcoming challenges. Wishing all our Pymble teams best of luck, and may the final week reflect the hard work and enthusiasm demonstrated throughout the entire season!

Samantha Dale

Sports Administrator Assistant

Volleyball

Round 6 of the 2023 Santa Sabina Invitational Volleyball Competition was held on Saturday where we had 4 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses from our 8 teams. Our two senior teams won their matches against Loreto Kirribilli and Brigidine. The Pymble 1 team remains undefeated for the season with one game left this season. Our Pymble 3 play a very strong game coming away with a 3-0 win against Brigidine and as they go into the last round having lost one and drawn one game for the season, they have continued to be a strong team. Pymble 6 played a tight match and pulled away with a 2-1 win against Barker using the skills that they have been working hard on all season. Overall Pymble had great results leading into the last week of the competition for the year.

Team	Opponent	Result	Score
Pymble 1	Loreto Kirribilli 1	Win	3-0
Pymble 2	Brigidine 2	Win	2-1
Pymble 3	Brigidine 5	Win	3-0
Pymble 4	SCC 9	Loss	0-3
Pymble 5	SCC 10	Draw	1-1
Pymble 6	Barker 3	Win	2-1
Pymble 7	Danebank 11	Draw	1-1
Pymble 8	SSC 16	Loss	0-3

Week 6 – Most Valuable Player

Pymble 1 – Caitlin Costello (Year 11)

Pymble 2 – Lavan Cardo (Year 10)

Pymble 3 – Olivia Ayton (Year 9)

Pymble 4 – Isabella Pak (Year 9)

Pymble 5 – Annabel Tamas (Year 8)

Pymble 6 – Livia Armstrong (Year 9)

Pymble 7 – Haylee Lam (Year 7)

Pymble 8 – Celine Cai (Year 7)

Week 6 – Most Improved Player

Pymble 1 – Lily Huang (Year 11)

Pymble 2 – Finley Saghaie (Year 11)

Pymble 3 – Camille Xiao (Year 8)

Pymble 4 – Grace McSweeney (Year 8)

Pymble 5 – Olivia Choi (Year 9)

Pymble 6 – Isabella Zhang (Year 8)

Pymble 7 – Kathy Huo (Year 7)

Pymble 8 – Alexa Wu (Year 7)

Senior First Report from our Volleyball Star Caitlin Costello (Year 11)

If you think Pymble 1 couldn’t do better than last weekend, think again! This past weekend Pymble 1 beat Loreto Kirribilli 25-5, 25-6, 25-5, an astonishing performance from the team. In this game the team tried to focus on our individual serves as they were an important aspect of last weekend’s match. Each player performed to their greatest ability, keeping points at a minimum as seen by the high ratio scoring above. The table of the competition is based on points scored and points scored against, so our team aims to essentially gain as many points as possible and keep the other team’s points to a minimum to secure our place in the finals. It’s important to have high morale as we enter the last few weeks leading up to nationals. Keeping the momentum, we have worked so hard for at Santa Sabina will greatly help our chances of success at nationals. The cheering, nicknames, and celebrations continue to be workshopped and are thoroughly used throughout all sets of the game.

As the Year 11’s enters our last few weeks of Santa Sabina competition, I think we all feel a little bittersweet experiencing some of our last moments of Volleyball with the school. Most of the team started in Year 7, and it’s been a wonderful experience to grow up and play with each of them for 5 years. We will all thoroughly enjoy playing in the finals next week and hope to bring our very best one last time at Santa Sabina. Go Pymble!

Chris Wood

Sports Co-ordinator – Volleyball

Water Polo

On Saturday 18 November saw our second last round of igsa Water Polo take place. We were lucky enough to have all home games, this allowed cheering and support to all teams.

With nearly all teams sitting in top 4 position leading into the last round, it’s great to see all teams and coaching staff come together in support of each other. We are proud to see the teams implementing all their hard work at training throughout the term into game play and strategy. Special mention to our Senior First team who will play off to Monte this weekend for 3 v 4 final.

Ellie Beck (Year 11), Zara Cooke (Year 9), Melijah Dwight (Year 11), Charlee Fleming (Year 9), Paige Gram (Year 12), Jameson Heyman (Year 11), Sophie Laing (Year 10), Alethea Levy (Year 10), Allyana Levy (Year 10), Lucinda Middleton (Year 10), Sarah Middleton (Year 12), Kiera Mironova (Year 10).

GO PYMBLE!

Brigette Moore

Head Coach – Water Polo

From the Co-curricular Performing Arts Team

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Language Arts

International Debating Championships (IDC)

We have now reached the semi-finals of IDC this Friday. Good luck students! Two teams won their Octo-finals last Friday and they went on to verse each other in the Quarter final which followed.

Social Debating Classes

Our Social debaters will be listening to Debating auditions this week. Classes finish on Wednesday 29 November.

Model United Nations (MUN)

Please note that students will be supervised at KMUN but will need to make their own transport arrangement to Knox. Please note that students are to be picked up from Knox at 5.00pm.

Pymble Model UN runs in DK05 and DK06 every Monday lunch time – All welcome!

Pymble MUN Tour

We are planning a January 2025 Language Arts tour to London, Bruges, Amsterdam and The Hague. We plan to attend THIMUN at The Hague. Details can still be obtained from Travel@Pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Thank you to all who have submitted their letters of application.

UN Voice of Youth Public Speaking – Semi finals

Pymble hosted a heat on Friday 20 October. Congratulations to Katherine Pan, Isis Lee, Nikita Serban and Catherine Shi, who were all selected to progress to the semi-finals, held on Friday evening last week at UTS. Thank you to parents who supported students with travel arrangements and who attended the event.

Secondary School Debating Auditions

Debating auditions are in full swing!

Sincere apologies for any confusion caused by revised audition dates.

Auditions will take place from 3.30pm to 5.15pm in the Colonnade classrooms. Please bring pens and paper/palm cards and your afternoon tea and meet in C10.

2024 Year 9: Wednesday 22 November

2024 Year 10: Thursday 23 November

2024 Year 11: Friday 24 November

Make up auditions and call backs will commence on the week commencing 27 November. Students needed for call backs will be emailed.

Junior School Debating Auditions

Please see Ms Itzcovitz in Junior School regarding any issues relating to Debating in Year 6, for 2024.

Mock Law Auditions

Thanks to Maya Garg, our Mock Law Captain who has been organising the Mock Trial and Mooting auditions, together with our Mock Law coaches. Mooting auditions will be held on 29 November, from 3.30pm in C10.

Bronwyn Hubbard

Head of Language Arts

Music

Secondary Ensemble Concert

Congratulations to all our musicians on a superb Ensemble Concert last night. It was wonderful to see the girls come together to produce some very fine music and perform like professionals. Special thanks to our music staff: Mrs Colbey, Mr Stafford, Mr Schweinberger, Mr Rossman, Ms Ashton, and Ms Zeltzer for rehearsing the girls all year, culminating in a showcase of talent. Thanks too to the staff who helped behind the scenes, keeping the girls together and supporting their musical endeavours.

Please note that rehearsals for String Orchestra, School Concert Band and Middle School Concert Band will have their final rehearsals next week – Week 8. These rehearsals will commence at 7.30am, not 6.50am.

Final Events for The Year:

Climate Change Event – Choir:

2 December: Please read the notice that was on the portal:

What your daughter needs to do:        

• Learn their part of the music (this will be done during rehearsals too) 
• Be available on Saturday 2 December 2023 for the live recording, starting at 3.30pm
• Saturday 2 December 2023: Arrive at the College at 12.00pm to be on a bus to Dawes Point, Wharf 2/3, Hickson Road. The event will conclude by 4.00pm and we aim to be back to Pymble by 4.45pm
• Dress code is smart casual in earthy tones. Wear closed shoes please
• Bring water and a snack
• Bring music

If you would like to collect your daughter from Dawes Point, please email musicadmin@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Please log in to MyPymble to access the event and provide your permission by Monday 20 November, as well as registering officially at Earthkind

3 December: College Christmas Celebration

All students involved in the Junior Jazz, Senior Jazz, Stage Band, Choir, Chorale, Capella, Pizzicato, Piccoline, and Symphony Orchestra are required to be at this event. Details will be communicated through the portal – soundchecks will begin at 2.00pm.

Red Performance jackets, black pants, black shoes and black socks are to be worn. Christmas “bling” is permitted for this event.

6 December: Speech Day

All students involved in Symphony Orchestra, Chorale and ALL OF YEAR 7 will be performing at this event. Rehearsals will be held throughout the day on TUESDAY 5 December, and ALL STUDENTS in Symphony Orchestra and Chorale MUST be at the gym by 6.50am on WEDNESDAY 6 DECEMBER. Year 7 are to arrive NO LATER than 7.30am

Please note the rehearsal times listed below:

Tuesday 5 December	Lunch / MBS 1.00pm to 3.20pm	Musicians: (Orchestra and Chorale)
Tuesday 5 December Period 5: 2.20pm to 3.20pm	Year 7 Music Rehearsal	All Year 7 students
Wednesday 6 December 6.50am to 8.00am	Final music rehearsal	All Year 7 students Musicians: (Orchestra and Chorale)

Sarah Turner

Head of Music

Secondary School Speech Day Dismissal Times

For Secondary School students, Term 4 will conclude after Speech Day on Wednesday 6 December. Students will be dismissed at 11.30am and we would ask that, if possible, you collect your daughter at that time. Many will have belongings from their lockers that they need to take home with them. Public transport can also be used for travel home if that is preferred.

For those students who travel via Pymble bus, these will leave campus at their regular departure time. In the event that your daughter needs to remain at school to catch a Pymble bus, supervision will be provided in the Conde Library. Please be aware that the library will close promptly at 4.00pm on 6 December. 

We hope to see you at Speech Day on 6 December.

Lamia Rockwell

Deputy Principal

You’re invited: College Christmas Celebration

Vision Valley Summer Holiday Camps – Bookings close next week!

Bookings for the December Holiday Camp close next Friday 1 December at 4.00pm.

Bookings for the January Holiday Camp will close Wednesday 13 December at 4.00pm.

The camps are open to Pymble students, their friends, and siblings (girls and boys) who are in Years 3 to 6 in 2023 and 2024.

Camp 1 – Monday 11 to Wednesday 13 December 2023

Camp 2 – Monday 15 to Friday 19 January 2024

December is the last opportunity for the current Year 6 students to spend time with their friends at our popular holiday camps while you get ready for the Christmas rush!

We have lots of great activities planned including our new archery tag, and outdoor cinema, our nocturnal nature walks and myo pizza in our new pizza oven.

Bookings are strictly limited and allocated on receipt of payment.

Click here to book – don’t miss out!

Job of the Week: Assistant Head of House

Pymble Ladies’ College is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia for girls Kindergarten to Year 12 with boarding from Year 7. At Pymble, we foster a world-class educational environment with the importance of global citizenship and a worldwide perspective central to our strategic intent.  

We believe our staff, both teaching and non-teaching, are our most valuable resource. We are proud to have passionate and dedicated staff who recognise the unique strengths and qualities of every Pymble girl. 

The role

Boarding at Pymble is a unique experience which provides girls from diverse backgrounds with a home away from home. Our aim is to create and sustain a warm and friendly, safe and secure environment for girls that supports active engagement in all aspects of College life. 

The Assistant Head of House has a clear passion for working with students in a residential setting. They are committed to the exemplary care and wellbeing of Boarders and are diligent in providing opportunities for them to maximise their Boarding experience. The Assistant Head of House works collaboratively to build a strong and connected Boarding community and maintain a reputation of excellence in Boarding. 

The Assistant Head of House is responsible to the Director of Boarding and reports on a day-to-day basis to the Head of House. Central to the role of Assistant Head of House is the ability to provide support for the operational aspects of the Boarding House to facilitate a strong wellbeing focus in a functional, consistent, safe and home-like environment. Alignment with the vision for the Boarding school and delivering this in a tangible manner is essential to the position. An unwavering focus on Boarder wellbeing is required. 

The Assistant Head of House will be rostered on average for 20-30 hours per week. Attendance is required during non-term time depending on the needs of the College. This includes, and is not limited to, the week preceding the start of the school year and the last two weekdays of each term break. This opportunity will require overnight shifts and some weekend work.

Click here for the position description. 

Our kind of team member

You will demonstrate the following attributes and capabilities:

• Previous experience in supporting and mentoring of Boarders or young people
• Demonstrated passion for working with students in a residential setting and dedication to supporting their physical, emotional, spiritual, academic and social needs
• Willingness to support the ethos and values of the College
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, standards and practices relevant to a boarding environment
• Commitment to maintain boarding specific qualifications including a full driver license, First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Duty of Care and Boarding Fundamentals
• Ability to develop positive and supportive relationships with Boarders, parents and staff and demonstrate interpersonal skills that will sustain quality relationships
• Understanding of the requirements implicit in Duty of Care and ability to support the expectations of the College in relation to the care of Boarders

Click here for more information.

Things That Go Bump in the Universe

Are you interested in the universe? Are you interested in physics? Are you interested in research?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then this is for you!

​The Pymble Science Faculty is very fortunate to host renowned physicist and educator C. Renee James to talk about her latest book, Things That Go Bump in the Universe.

When: Friday 24 November

Time: 3.30pm to 4.30pm

Where: Jobson Lecture Theatre, Kate Mason Building, Pymble Ladies’ College

If you are studying physics, this is a must-see event. If you are in Year 7 to 10 and interested in studying physics in the future, it is also something you should not miss! 

Anyone else who is interested in research (science extension) or the universe in general, please also come along – you are more than welcome to join us.

Some afternoon tea will be provided at the event, as well as a special lucky-door prize for one of our audience members!

Reminder – Term 4 Pymble bus service – register now

A reminder to parents to register your daughter for the Pymble private bus service for travel during Term 4 if you have not already done so and check that your daughter has her current student ID card to tap on and off each trip.

In Term 4, the bus service will operate from Tuesday 10 October to Wednesday 6 December 2023. 

Please check the bus stops and times for your preferred bus route. This will also be attached to your registration confirmation email as per normal.   

Registration for the Pymble bus service is offered on a term-by-term basis, in two formats:

1. Term registration enables the student to access the bus service every day in the morning and afternoon. The charge is currently set at $430.00 per term.

2. Flexible registration enables the student to register for specific day(s) with a choice of morning and/or afternoon runs. The charge is currently set at $7.50 per trip.

A reminder for parents and students:      

• Student ID cards must be used to tap on and tap off each trip. If your daughter has lost her card, please contact College Services for a replacement form. The cost for a replacement card is $15, charged to your College account.

• Pymble buses can be tracked through the TransportMe Passenger app in real-time using the free app, available on Android and Apple devices.    

Please contact College Services via collegeservices@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au if you have any further questions about transport to and from Pymble Ladies’ College.

Get your copy of The Pymble Pantry!

A few months ago, Community Engagement put the call out to the Pymble community to submit your favourite recipes to feature within a College cookbook, and after an enthusiastic response and outpouring of contributions, we’re thrilled to announce The Pymble Pantry is now available to download for just $9.95!

Inspired by Lucinda Woodfield (Year 11), the 2023 Food Technology Captain, The Pymble Pantry is a crème de la crème, digital collection of over 100 recipes, crafted with passion and brought to you by the talented students, staff and parents of Pymble Ladies’ College.

Within these deliciously curated chapters, you’ll embark on a journey through the kitchen of our talented, cooking-savvy contributors, with each recipe a testament to the rich tapestry of flavours, techniques and cultural influences that shape our vibrant community. From classic comfort foods to exotic masterpieces, you are sure to find something to make your taste buds tango.

But this cookbook is about more than just good food – it’s about making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. As a part of the College’s 2023 Pymble Gives Back initiative, every cent generated from the sale of The Pymble Pantry will be divided evenly and donated to two amazing charities: Dignity and The Smith Family.

So, whether you’re a seasoned chef, an aspiring home cook or simply someone who loves enjoying a good meal, through The Pymble Pantry, we invite you to open your own pantry and experience the tastes of Pymble for yourself – all while contributing to the betterment of the lives of those doing it tough.

Click here to purchase your copy of The Pymble Pantry today!