Keeping up with our Boarders, Term 1 2021

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Keeping up with our Boarders It is my great pleasure to write the forward for the first edition of Keeping Up With Our Boarders for 2021.

As you leaf through this edition, I am sure you will appreciate the many ways in which our Boarders embrace the theme of ‘Watch Us Change the World’. Our Head and Deputy Head Boarders, Ella and Brin, set a fine example in actively seeking to develop leadership capacity, while the ever-effervescent Rylee McKinstry lives the theme as a most deserving finalist in the Sydney Youth Business Awards. Chiara Calvani’s generous gift of her beautiful hair in ‘Hair with Hearts’ and the courage of new Boarders Siena Novak and Angeline Sum shines through in each of their articles.

And, of course, our new Deputy Director of Boarding, Mrs Katie White, sets an outstanding and inspirational example of leadership for our entire community.

As always, my thanks to Anne Graham for her tireless leadership of the Boarders’ Editorial Team and her commitment to this publication. Quite simply, this publication would not happen without her. I’m sure you will agree the team has done us proud. Enjoy!

Carolyn Burgess DIRECTOR OF BOARDING

Introducing Katie White, our new Deputy Director of Boarding How long have you been at Pymble?

It feels like I’ve been here half a lifetime; and truthfully, I almost have been! I started working here at Pymble as the Assistant Head Swimming Coach in 2004 while I was completing my teaching degree. As a former Abbotsleigh girl, I had to push my long-held sense of rivalry aside and to my surprise, I discovered that Pymble and I were a wonderful fit! When I finished university, I was incredibly fortunate to be offered a teaching role in the PDHPE department here at Pymble and I’ve been here ever since!

What did you do here previously?

Over the last couple of years, I have been working in the Middle School as Head of Year. I have had the pleasure of working with the current Year 9 girls. I started with them as they began their journey in Year 7 and have loved every minute of watching them grow into the amazing young women they have become. In addition to being Head of Year, I was also Swimming Manager as well as a PDHPE Teacher – something I continue to do as Deputy Director of Boarding.

What motivated you to apply for this new position?

I’ve always felt drawn to the unique sense of community that exists among the Boarders at Pymble and as such, it is something my family and I have been thinking about for a while now; we just needed to wait for the right opportunity!

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Business Youth Award RYLEE MCKINSTRY (YEAR 11), WAVERTON At the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, I was fortunate enough to get a job at a pizza shop near my house, taking orders and waitressing. It was a fun and enriching opportunity that provided me with a whole new insight into communication and working in teams, as well as earning a bit of pocket money.

Some of my closest friends at school were Boarders and I wanted to find a way to make a meaningful impact on the Boarding community as a symbolic gesture of that friendship and connection. When I was in Year 7, our family was assigned as the ‘city family’ for a girl from Gundagai. Her name is Kizza and I am delighted to say she is still one of my best friends today.

International Women’s Day was 8 March with the theme “Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” – what does this mean to you?

I think what COVID-19 has taught us is the importance of agility and flexibility. For women in leadership, I think COVID-19 has helped to pave the way for us to be able to balance home life and work life cohesively.

What female (or females) inspires you and why?

Michelle Obama has been a huge inspiration to me, and I think she sets a wonderful example for all women. The way that she acts with such grace and integrity is incredibly admirable and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also completely enamoured by her sartorial choices!

I think she’s got a fantastic ‘big picture’ perspective of the world and I particularly love how she reflects on failure: “I wish that all girls could fail as bad as men do and be OK”. She has failed in her own life and has learned from her failures to improve and move forward.

She tells young women “Stop being so afraid.” I remind my students daily – it is OK if you fail – in fact, I love it when you do. Some of our greatest lessons in life are learned through failure.

Is there anything you wish you could have done differently?

My mother always tells us that “everything happens for a reason” and while that has certainly induced an eye roll or two from my brother, sister and me over the years, I know deep down that she is absolutely right; because every experience (the good and the bad) has shaped the person I have become today. I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years; but every mistake and every failure has offered me an opportunity for growth. And I don’t think I’ll ever stop growing!

Where do you see Boarding at Pymble in ten years’ time?

Pymble Boarding will continue to be a leader in the Boarding community – welcoming girls from all over Australia and the world.

The girls themselves will continue to be the beating heart of the College.

As the year continued, I kept the job on weekends, while Boarding during the week, as my parents have recently moved to North Sydney. Towards the end of 2020, I was nominated for a Sydney Business Youth Award, an award congratulating and encouraging outstanding young employees.

Additionally, the pizza shop I worked at was nominated for the Sydney New Business of the Year.

In December, I made it to the finals and the pizza shop won! It was amazing to be announced and congratulated at the Sydney Business Awards. I am truly so grateful for the opportunity I was given and the exciting experiences I had during 2020.

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Valentine’s Day STELLA ROBERTSON (YEAR 9), GUNNEDAH

Boarding Leadership ELLA JONES (YEAR 12), HONG KONG AND BRIANNA KIERATH (YEAR 12), DUBBO In the holidays we attended an online student leadership conference held by the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia (AGSA), alongside another 400 like-minded young women. The Alliance is a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for and supports the distinctive work of girls’ schools in their provision of opportunity for young women.

The three main focuses over the week-long course consisted of mental toughness, knowing what you stand for, and leaving a legacy. This experience was so rewarding and enabled us to not only connect with new people but also plan what legacy we strive to leave behind for the future girls of Pymble.

We were organised into separate groups of ten and referred to as ‘tribes’, which allowed us to form meaningful relationships with a bunch of new people and bounce ideas and goals off one another.

The week comprised of discussions, guest speakers and activities centred around identifying who we are as individuals, and how we can use our strengths and passions to become influential leaders who will make a difference.

We both gained so much from this eye-opening experience and hope to use some of the skills we learnt in our leadership this coming year. The perspectives of girls from around the country gave us a new meaning of what it means to be a leader and showed us new ways to enact our leadership. Hearing about how other schools across the country implement inclusion, community and how other girls are planning to change their schools, gave us many ideas of our own.

Throughout the conference we finalised our theme, ‘Care’, for the year, to connect the girls in all houses. One of the biggest takeaways for us both is that leadership is a journey. Over the three days, we understood that we will face challenges and gain rewards along the way. We learnt that we must embrace our mistakes, big and small, and use these to grow into the strong leaders we hope to be.

The Boarding community is a very open and welcoming environment, which made Valentine’s Day so much fun. While having the surprise of sitting away from our comfort groups, we were provided with some fun and interesting ‘ice-breaker’ questions to start off the speed dating. I got to know girls I’d never had a conversation with before and found out more about their own stories through branching off into some crazy convos.

While enjoying that small talk, we got to enjoy a delicious dinner followed by dessert. The catering staff provided us with some cupcakes and lollies, and it was amazing! After a few more speed dates the night folded, and we went back to our houses knowing just a few more people than we did before.

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crippled the aviation industry as many pilots lost their jobs. QantasLink was no longer taking graduates, so I had to start looking elsewhere. After a few months of searching for work, I went back to flight school and studied to become a flight instructor.

Where are they now?

LUCINDA BROWN (2015) I grew up in the Hunter Valley on a small property and came to Pymble as a Boarder in Year 9. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Pymble and all the opportunities it provided. Many strong friendships were made and fond memories created.

After graduating in 2015 I started a Bachelor of International Studies with the hope of working for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). Although I enjoyed my first semester of university, I decided political science might not be my calling after all. Midway through my first year, I changed degrees and enrolled in a Bachelor of Aviation (Flying).

Ever since I was little, I’ve had a fascination with flying. The airport and the flight were the highlight of any family holiday. After my first flying lesson I was completely hooked.

Over the course of four years, I completed my degree and obtained a Commercial Pilot licence and multiple aircraft ratings. During my training I was lucky enough to fly throughout much of regional NSW, passing over many of the towns our Boarders are from: Wagga Wagga, Moree, Coolah, Tamworth and Parkes, just to name a few. One of the most memorable experiences was a solo

navigational flight to Melbourne using only a map, ruler, protractor and a clock (no GPS allowed!).

Over Christmas I took a couple of ex-Boarding school friends up for a joy flight at an Aero Club on the Central Coast. I have since become the ninth flight instructor at that Aero Club and their first-ever female instructor. My first student was actually a Pymble parent – funny how things work out like that! I absolutely love my job and one day hope to become a captain for Qantas International.

Throughout university, I also worked part time as a model in the fashion industry, which was another area of interest for me, one job taking me as far as Fiji.

In my final year of university, I was selected to participate in the Qantas Future Pilot Program. The program was designed to train students to operate the regional QantasLink turboprop aircraft. At the conclusion of the program the students would go on to work for QantasLink.

After graduation in December 2019, I spent a few months travelling and spending time with family and friends. Little did I know COVID-19 was soon to be making an appearance.

The onset of COVID-19 completely

Until then I will continue to work as an instructor and I’m currently looking to obtain an aerobatic licence… might need the sick bags for that one.

My time at Pymble fostered the drive and skills to pursue my passion and work in a job I genuinely love, which is too often a rarity. The environment at Pymble encourages the development of confident and resilient women.

This has allowed me to hold my own in an industry dominated by men.

Even though 2020 was pretty awful for everyone, it taught me how resourceful and resilient we can truly be. I’m excited to see what 2021 and the future will bring and look forward to continuing my journey in the aviation industry.

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To make this transition easier for the girls, they were each allocated a Boarding Buddy who was in their year, which meant every girl immediately had a friend when they arrived. Girls in Years 7 to 9 were also allocated a Big Sister from the Senior years who acted as a mentor and someone who can offer them some extra support.

The Year 10 Big Sisters hosted their Year 7 Little Sisters for a movie night in Goodlet House. They watched Bring It On and enjoyed lots of yummy movie snacks. The Prefect Body also hosts a Supper Club, in Lang, for each of the year groups from Marden. This has allowed for inter-house bonding and for the younger girls to receive some advice about Boarding.

Big Sister Program GRETA ROBERTS (YEAR 12), WAGGA WAGGA Over the course of Term 1, the Prefect Body and I have been focusing on

making sure our new Boarders have had the smoothest transition possible – as we all know from first-hand experience that starting at a new school comes with lots of ups and downs.

Something special that we as Prefects try to do, is tuck-in the Marden girls most nights. This allows us to build connections with the younger years and understand what’s going on in their lives. With COVID-19 restrictions thankfully reducing, we hope to continue to create more opportunities for vertical bonding across the houses over the course of 2021.

‘Having a Go’ at Rowing SIENA NOVAK (YEAR 8), AVALON BEACH When I came to Pymble Ladies’ College in Term 1 2021, I knew it would be filled with so many opportunities and I wanted to have a go at as many as I could! The idea of participating in rowing really stuck with me because I could use my height and it sounded like so much fun. I had my first-ever rowing session recently.

I began on the ‘erg’ (ergometer – a rowing machine) and then moved into a double with a coach, and she taught me how to row! I loved it and I learnt all the basics. I was super-excited for my next training!

Recently I was asked to fill in for a girl who could not make it, in a quad for my first regatta. Obviously, I said yes and then I began my new love for rowing!

The regatta was such a great experience. I learnt better techniques and how to row as a team, by communicating and collaborating with my team. I also got the chance to row in a single boat which was so much fun. I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something new. This is what I will continue to do for the rest of my life – to create great memories and learn many new skills.

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View from my window MADISON SIMSON (YEAR 12), TAMBAR SPRINGS I live on a family cropping farm near a small town called Tambar Springs, near Gunnedah. We grow heaps of different crops like wheat, barley, canola, sunflowers, sorghum and cotton. I have three younger siblings, a brother who is Boarding at Shore in Year 10, a sister who just started Year 7 here at Pymble and a younger sister who just turned seven.

We all live in a beautiful farmhouse with Mum, Dad and all our animals.

At the moment we have plenty of cats, four border collies and two horses. Some of the photos are of last year’s wheat, barley and canola harvest which was very successful. My brother loves to take videos and photos of his with Dad’s drone.

After I finish school, I plan to do a Bachelor of Agribusiness at University of New England, Armidale and then take over the family farm when Dad retires.

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Chinese New Year GENEVIEVE CHU (YEAR 11), HONG KONG Chinese New Year (CNY) is like the Chinese version of Christmas or Thanksgiving. It is a festival where family, often from all over the world, come together and celebrate the arrival of Spring and hope for a prosperous new year.

The Boarders celebrated CNY by decorating the houses, nearby lawns, and the dining hall with hanging decorations, covering our home away from home with an array of red and gold. We also celebrated CNY by having a banquet on 21 February in the Main Hall, complete with authentic Chinese food. Food is extremely significant in Chinese culture and is especially important at CNY with lots of family dinners and lunches.

During CNY, I would usually celebrate it with my family who are mostly based in Hong Kong. The festivities, which span 16 days, are all about wishing good luck and prosperity for the upcoming year and cherishing the precious moments we have with each other.

The Kindness Board JAYDA HOLLAND (YEAR 12), WAHROONGA I created the Kindness Board for the girls in the Boarding house as a daily reminder that they are strong and able to get through anything. The inspiration came from a house meeting we had where Anne, our House Supervisor, talked about spreading kindness and positivity around the house. The HSC is a tough time and I wanted everyone to know they have a supportive and encouraging environment around them.

The Kindness Board provides daily reminders for all of us in the house that we are amazing people and are doing great even if we don’t feel like we are at the time.

My favourite quote on the board is: “Strong women fight with grace in their heart, kindness in their voice and love in their souls”. It reminds me that, even if I am going through a tough time, I fight with the courage to stay strong and true to myself.

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Hair with Hearts CHIARA CALVANI (YEAR 9), FORBES In January, I donated my hair to ‘Hair with Hearts’, an organisation run by Variety, which gives grants to kids across Australia who have lost their hair due to serious medical conditions.

I’ve had long hair since kindergarten and have only ever had trims.

After we went on a water-skiing holiday in Mildura, I started thinking about shaving my head for the World’s Greatest Shave charity event because I was frustrated with having to brush my knotty hair after each water activity. After the holiday, I had forgotten all about my decision until my cousin Billy commented on the length of my hair.

I was no longer sure about shaving my head so after discussions with mum I opted for cutting my hair and donating it instead.

My mum is a hairdresser and, when we set up for the ‘big event’, everyone was cheering. I was excited but I also felt some anxiety about how short my hair would be and how strange it was going to feel.

But when it was done, I was pleased that I had gone through with it.

All that weight was off my shoulders, literally. When mum held the ponytail above my head, and I saw it dangling there, I felt proud.

Being an International student ANGELINE SUM (YEAR 10), HONG KONG Being in a new country, and going to a new school, a lot of people have been asking what the challenges of being an international student are. I never expected there would be a lot of challenges, but now that I am one, I know how hard it can be.

I am from Hong Kong, so English is my second language. When people use some complicated words, I don’t understand them.

Communication can be difficult at times.

As you see, I am a Boarder, so I have to leave my family and be in this new place by myself.

(At the time of writing) It’s now Week 6 and I am getting used to everything. I’ve had some fun times and other interesting experiences.

There are still a lot of challenges, fitting in, getting used to rules etc. All the staff and other Boarders are welcoming and help me to understand my new school and living in Australia. I look forward to continuing my education at Pymble.

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Show jumping at the Show MATILDA BARWICK (YEAR 10), GRAVESEND During March, I travelled back home to Moree for the Barraba Show. My sisters and I competed on our horses to earn money and practise for upcoming events. In 2020, I was picked for the Sydney Royal show jumping team to represent my area. I will be travelling the ten-hour drive to Sydney in the holidays to compete on my horse.

The jumps will range between 1m and 1.20m and there will be a range of courses and competitions against other areas and schools. The team is made up of four people and all our times and faults (knocked jumps) are added at the end of each round to decide the winner. Whichever team ends up with the least number of faults and the fastest time, wins.

My horse is called Lucy and I got her at the beginning of 2020. Because of COVID-19 and Boarding school, I have only competed her a few times. Hopefully, with the practise at the Barraba show, she will go well. I am very excited to compete at the Sydney show grounds and hopefully my team will be successful!

Boarders’ Instagram SOPHIE GRAHAM (YEAR 12), AVALON BEACH In the last few weeks, Mrs White and I, with the help of the Pymble media team, have worked on creating the official Boarders’ Instagram Page. And it’s now launched! The page has been in the process for many years, and it is so exciting to finally get it up and running.

This page will feature posts of our gorgeous Boarders doing Boarder things such as going to dinner, using the pool, Saturday sports and many more.

The aim is to have it feel relaxed and personal, so our Boarding families are able to keep up-to-date with what we are doing and feel a little more connected to our girls.

For security reasons, the page is only available to immediate Boarding families, but is a great way to really showcase everything we do in Boarding. Make sure to give it a follow! @pymblelcboarding

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The Seetos ADDISON SEETO (YEAR 7), PAPUA NEW GUINEA I am the last of the Seeto family to come to Pymble – until the next generation comes along. We all come from Papua New Guinea. I have been visiting Pymble since I was very little. The Boarding Seetos are Kaitlyn Seeto (2013), Sammy Seeto (2015), Jess Seeto (2017), Renee Seeto (2018), Jordyn Seeto (Year 11) and me, Addison Seeto (Year 7). Our cousins Kirsten Seeto, Lala Grogan and Theri Grogan and many of our aunties all went to Pymble as well.

My grandmother Angela has been a legend because she always brings feasts to Pymble for all her grandchildren. Now, on weekends, Grandma has many of her grandchildren home and always tells us to invite another Boarder friend to come with us.

Most weekends she has 14 sitting around her table. We all love her food. She always says, “if they’re hungry, they know where to come”.

Grandma’s handbag is also very important as she always carries special treats in it for us.

I have looked forward to being a Pymble girl for a very long time.

I used to dress up in my sisters’ or cousins’ uniforms, dreaming of the day when I started my schooling here.

Pymble has been everything I hoped it would be and more.

The best thing about Boarding in Pymble is having an extended family, who are there for you at all times.