Keeping Up With Our Boarders, Term 2 2020

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Term 2, June 2020

Keeping Up With Our Boarders Congratulations to our fabulous Boarder Editorial Team who, despite the many challenges of this term, have pulled together a bumper edition of Keeping Up With Our Boarders.

What a wonderful record of this most unique of times and, in true Boarder style, it is good to see the focus on all the positives and opportunities of isolation. I must confess, I feel a little concerned we might have trouble getting our farm girl Maddie and horse-mad Tilly back with us!

It is great to read about our Boarding Administration Co-ordinator, Sally Dickens, who joined us at the start of the year and who has brought so much sunshine and superb organisation to Joan Hammond House. And, what a fabulous representative of our Boarding Alumni is Edwina Beveridge? Apart from being a successful businesswoman, Edwina and her daughter Alice (Year 7, 2020) are possibly our most well-connected family with a history at Pymble spanning four generations and multiple relatives residing in each of our Houses. I know many of you reading this edition will have some relationship to Edwina and her clan. Another of our fabulous mums, Kelly Tishler, is sharing her many talents to raise money for the Lightning Ridge Community Health Centre. Please share the news of her wonderful initiative with your family and friends and support the Outback Opal Queens any way you can.

Pymble’s Director of Boarding, Carolyn Burgess Interviewed by Imogen Hawkins (Year 8), Sippy Downs, Queensland How long have you been at Pymble?

That will take a bit of figuring out as I have come back and forth to Pymble three times in the past 25 years! I was here for two years in the 1990s, 15 years between 2002 and 2016 and then two-and a-bit years since returning in 2018, so 19 years in total.

Why did you choose Pymble?

I sort of fell into my first job at Pymble when I was looking for a change. I knew it was a place where I could grow as a teacher and work with amazing colleagues and beautiful students. It didn’t disappoint and, despite trying a few other roles away from Pymble, I have chosen Pymble again and again. I am totally smitten with this beautiful school and feel so lucky and proud to work here.

How long have you been a part of Boarding?

I feel like I have always been involved with Boarding – in my previous role at Pymble I taught Food Technology and Hospitality and my classes always seemed to be full of Boarders (there may have been some correlation between subject matter and subject choice – our Boarders do love good food!). I loved their sense of fun and down to earth approach to life. I always seemed to be taking their aprons home to soak in Napisan. I have lived and breathed Boarding for the last two years and have learnt so much and come to love the Boarders even more than ever.

As always, it is such a pleasure to see our Boarding family sparking in print. I hope you enjoy reading this edition as much as I have.

Mrs Carolyn Burgess DIRECTOR OF BOARDING

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Were you ever a Boarder yourself?

I wasn’t lucky enough to be a Boarder, but my husband has told me lots of stories about his time at Boarding school. He remembers the older boys eating all the ice cream, leaving nothing for the younger ones. Ice cream is my favourite food, so I always insist that there is plenty for everyone.

How has Boarding changed since you came here?

When I first came to Pymble, I remember the Boarders going off to dinner in their long black skirts and white shirts – that was their dinner wear! Their leave was limited, and they often complained about not being able to get off campus. I also remember the girls sitting in freezing classrooms at night doing their homework.

Things are far more relaxed now; we have generous leave and we encourage our Day girls and all our families to be actively involved with our Boarders. Technology has also meant that the girls can talk with their families easily. The girls seem to enjoy all that is on offer in our Live It, Love It, Learn It program which supports them in maximising all that is on offer at Pymble, and beyond.

Compost Week Isolde Mamo (Year 12), Wagga Wagga At the beginning of this term, the Boarding community celebrated Compost Week!

Composting is an easy and fun way to use our organic waste, such as vegetable peels and coffee grounds, while at the same time helping to reduce negative impacts on our environment.

To celebrate Compost Week, we held a Teams photo competition for all Boarders and Boarding staff to enter. The photo had to show how you were helping to repurpose food waste and our lucky winner was Maddie Warden (Year 12), from Walgett (pictured above). Some fun tips if starting, or growing, your compost pile – remember to lightly water your compost pile at least once a week, and don’t forget to stir your pile! Composting is as easy as having an old ice cream bucket to put your scraps in daily and adding it to your outside pile.

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Why is it important for Boarding to feel like home? How are you doing this?

Our girls spend more time in Boarding than they do at their real home, so it is super important that they feel they can be themselves, relax and enjoy their time when they are here at Pymble. We are trying hard to make things as homely as possible.

Our beautiful Boarding houses have comfortable furnishings with opportunities for the girls to make the space their own. Our Boarders’ Representative Council gives us valuable feedback, and we work hard to bring these ideas to fruition. We want our girls to have the same opportunities that the Day girls have, so we try to go the extra mile for them every time. We are happy to be taxi drivers to make sure they can get to their various commitments and we make sure they know that we are their advocate and will support them no matter what.

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During this pandemic, how have you made sure all Boarders are staying connected?

The Teams platform has been a great avenue for communication.

We have run many competitions including the chance to win a huge jar of lollies, our baby photo guessing game and many online challenges. Our Boarding staff have also tried to catch up with each of our Boarders through weekly phone calls and emails and regular online House meetings. We even went back a few years and reacquainted ourselves with the postal service – sending quite a few bits and pieces through the mail.

Throughout your journey in life, how important was support from your teachers and family?

I had great teachers who obviously loved their jobs and I would never have become a Food Technology teacher if it wasn’t for my Home Economics teacher, who encouraged me in my passion for all things food. I have amazing parents who have encouraged and supported me in every possible way. My beautiful husband and girls are solid gold – they are always there for me and put up with me talking about our Boarders and how we can make things better for them.

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

I want Pymble to be known as the place to send your daughter for the best Boarding experience on offer, where the girls are cherished, challenged and connected. I want to continue to grow opportunities for our girls that will see them returning to their various communities to make a major contribution. I would like to think that we will have a strong Boarder Alumni who regularly come together to support each other and celebrate their Boarding heritage.

Is there anything you wish you had done differently in your life?

So many things! But I did get a few things right. I chose Pymble first and Boarders next – it doesn’t get much better than that!

Planting in 2020 Madison Simson (Year 11), Tambar Springs My name is Madi and I’m from a cropping farm near a small town called Gunnedah. I have three younger siblings: Callum, Sybella and Elena. Due to online learning, this is the longest time I have been home, in a single year, over the past four years, although I am so grateful to be a Boarder at Pymble. At the moment, we are planting lancer wheat, sun top wheat, canola and a little bit of barley. Usually I’m not home for this process, so Dad has taken the opportunity to show me everything that happens while planting. Throughout the holidays, we were fixing the air seeder and the disc planter ready for when we needed to plant.

I learnt a lot through this process as I got to see how the machine worked and how to fix it if a problem came up – and trust me, there are always problems. I’m looking forward to coming back to Pymble, but this time at home has given me a chance to learn more about life at home.

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ABC’s What It’s Like Brianna Kierath (Year 11), Dubbo; Ella Jones (Year 11) Hong Kong; Phillipa Austin (Year 10), Cowra Recently we had the opportunity to be a part of the ABC segment What It’s Like. The ABC was making an episode that focused on Boarding School and, what better people to interview, than us! We are Boarders in Years 10 and 11 and we were asked a bunch of questions about life at Boarding School, tips for anyone going to Boarding School and our Boarding experiences.

For all three of us, it was the first time being filmed in a studio and it was quite an unforgettable venture. We arrived at the ABC studio, were led into the break room, and waited until we were interviewed individually.

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Over the phone, they had told us there would be copious snacks. However, much to our disappointment, they were eaten by the previous group. Luckily McDonald’s was down the road!

Being in front of the camera was daunting, however it definitely built our confidence and was something that we will never forget. We were all a bit shocked when they told us it was time to get some dancing shots. We weren’t expecting to have to bust a move and all got a bit of stage fright. It was really funny watching one another and was an overall great experience. The best thing to come out of the day was that we are now officially ‘Boarding Celebrities’.

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Coming home Matilda Barwick (Year 9), Gravesend As I was driving home from Sydney, I had to ask several times where we were as I didn’t recognise the high, green grass. Yes, everyone had sent me photos, but it wasn’t the same as seeing it out the window. I was shocked and happy; I couldn’t believe the land around me! And, on my first day back, I rode both of my horses, including our new horse, who I only got to ride a few times before I left for Boarding.

I started ‘home-schooling’ a day after I got home. As I logged onto Teams, I was excited to see how online school was, but I also just wanted to go outside and have a look at everything.

Online school was a great experience. It wasn’t anywhere near the same as face-to-face and it was weird not seeing everyone’s faces, but the day went quickly, and it was fun.

When I wasn’t learning online, I had lots of fun exploring our surrounds. One of my favourite adventures was when, my cousin and I decided we’d go up the mountain on our new property to look for goats so, one Sunday afternoon, we climbed the mountain and saw more than 150 goats. The next weekend, we camped at the bottom, before it was dark, and climbed the mountain to see the view. On our way up, we found twin newborn girl goats, abandoned. We took them down and fed them. The next morning, we took them home and now they are fat and very happy. Almost every afternoon, I ride my horse around our new property. It is so good to be home again with my family and friends!

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It was fun!

Chiara Calvani (Year 8), Forbes There were so many fun things about learning from home. One of my favourite times was when I went mud surfing. It all started when I was driving the ATV, which is a big buggy.

We had an idea that, if someone drives while someone holds my brother Dom’s hand, and he was on the skateboard, then we could pull him along with us. Then we had a better idea. We found a rope and tied it to the back of the ATV so that Dom could hold onto that instead, got the bike and tied the rope onto the handlebars so Dom could steer. We also decided that the dogs should get some exercise and could come for a run with us. With Dom hanging onto the rope, we had people on the back telling him which way to steer so he didn’t run into the mud. But there was one big puddle and, if we had stopped, he would run into the back of the buggy. We couldn’t stop. So, Dom fell right into a great big deep puddle of mud!

Mum’s an Opal Queen Indi Tishler (Year 9), Lightening Ridge My mum, Kelly Tishler, is an ‘Opal Queen’. She and her other opal mining friends have joined together to help raise much-needed funds for our local Community Health Service in Lightning Ridge. My great-grandfather taught Mum how to hand polish an opal when she was a child, so she thought it would be a great activity for people who are in isolation. Plus, she was feeling very lucky to be living in a safe community.

More than 35 ‘Queens’ jumped on board. Opal miners donated opal and other ‘Opal Queens’ have been cutting and shaping the opal and preparing the sandpaper and polishing cloths for special kits that people can buy. The kits include a rubbed, shaped and drilled piece of opal with sandpaper and cloth to hand polish it. You can then turn it into a piece of jewellery. There will be no other piece like it in the world as you have finished it with your own hands.

The proceeds will be donated to the Lightning Ridge Multi-Purpose Health Centre. To purchase an opal kit go to: www.outbackopalqueens.com

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Where are they now?

Edwina Beveridge (Walker, 1993) I have a long Pymble pedigree; not only was I the third sister in my family at Pymble, but my mother Jean Walker (Low, 1962) and her four sisters all boarded at Pymble, as did my grandmother Katie Low (Hammond, 1935) and her sisters. My oldest daughter Alice started this year. Fortunately, I found arriving as a Boarder at Pymble in 1988 a breeze. I had finished primary school at a little village called Murringo with a total enrolment of 30 and moving to Pymble with an attendance of 2000 was so exciting. I was homesick for a total of 15 minutes over six years.

I was a middle-distance runner and the 400m was introduced as a new event in my time. I was a record holder... for one year only! I can still recall the thrill of our athletics team winning the All Schools in my final two years. Jacqui Soutar was our energetic coach.

Boarding was fabulous! Being a Goodlet girl, we spent most years sleeping on the verandah with plenty of time running the length of it to evade a House Matron. I may not have been a favourite with House Matrons (sorry Mossy). I had lovely Day girlfriends who often had me to stay, fed me up on weekends and drove me all over Sydney to athletics carnivals or hockey matches. I had some great teachers at Pymble who made sure we were so well prepared and subsequently I did beautifully in the HSC – Pymble deserves a lot of the credit for this.

I was in Year 12 when the terrible plane accident at Young happened. Alanda, Jane and Prue all came from farms near me. It was a tough thing to go through; however, Boarding was great therapy. I still think of them often and enjoy catching up with their families occasionally.

After school I did a Gap year at Fettes College in Edinburgh after which I backpacked around Europe.

I certainly made the most of this experience!

Eventually I grew up, completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Sydney University and went on to be a Chartered Accountant at Deloitte and its antecedent firm Greenwood Challoner in the insolvency field.

I started wondering about moving back to the country and getting involved in my parents’ mixed farming business. Returning to Young in 2000, I married a farmer from the next town over. We took over part of my parents’ business in 2007.

On our farm we grow crops, sheep and cattle, but the main business is pigs.

We have 2,000 sows, which means about 22,000 pigs on hand any day of the week. We predominantly use food waste to feed our pigs and have installed a methane digestor, which captures the methane gas from our pig manure and generates renewable electricity. This means the pork we produce has a carbon footprint similar to tofu! We have had some lovely accolades; in 2017 we were the Woolworths Sustainable Supplier of the Year and in 2018 were awarded an EPA Green Globe Award for Resource Efficiency. I am also involved in the pig industry and am on various committees and boards. Amazingly I did not study agriculture at school or University, but now I cannot think of a better career to have.

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Power to inspire

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An abridged version of the interview: Mikayla Zahirovic (Year 12), Townsville, Qld Interviewed by Vivienne Christie, Tennis Australia

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Powerful role models have long played a part in sparking Mikayla Zahirovic’s tennis dreams. The daughter of a Serbian mother, the Townsville-born teenager happily recalls early experiences watching family favourites Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic. And while nobody else in the family played tennis, there was plenty of encouragement when Mikayla had her first oncourt experience as a five-year-old at a local club in the Queensland city.

The impact of Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ash Barty would soon become even more significant in shaping her ambitions in the sport.

“Evonne was a huge idol, especially as we have similar backgrounds,” says Mikayla, who is also of proud Indigenous heritage. “And then obviously Ash Barty as she was slowly coming up. It was awesome to see her develop into the tennis player she is now. I definitely looked up to them.”

A winner of the 18/U girls’ championships at the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival for the past two years, Mikayla is also a two-time recipient of the Evonne Goolagong Medal of Excellence, awarded to the player who shows the most leadership both on and off the court.

There’s a particular appreciation of cultural connections as Mikayla reflects on National Reconciliation Week, with its 2020 theme of ‘We’re in this together’ resonating strongly with the Queenslander. “It’s good to celebrate what our people have achieved and really come together and celebrate what being Aboriginal is about,” she reflects. “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.

If you put hard work and give it a good crack, then that’s all you can do really.”

For Mikayla, that means working hard at Pymble, where she is completing Year 12 studies on a scholarship, the Evonne Goolagong-Cawley Performance Scholarship, in partnership with the AIEF. With a course load that includes English, Maths, Legal Studies, Ancient History as well as Personal Development, Health and Physical Education, it’s clearly an intense year. At the same time, Mikayla is keenly focused on clear goals in tennis, including a dream to thrive at the Australian Open. “I’ve already built so many relationships in the game,” says Mikayla. “The opportunities that I’ve had through tennis have been awesome. I’m just grateful and excited for more opportunities to come.”

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Photo by © Getty Images

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Our Sally Sally Dickens, Boarding Administration Co-ordinator I’ve spent the last 13 years testing the waters at other Independent girls’ schools on the North Shore. With no word of a lie, I feel like I’ve found my way home. Living in West Pymble, I’ve always had Pymble in the back of my mind. I played sport, representing Ravenswood at Pymble, worked at Pymble as a Brigidine Hockey and softball convener, and watched my daughter play at Pymble. The first nine years were in sports administration, followed by four exhausting but extremely rewarding years at Abbotsleigh with the adorable little ones.

Many of you have met my cute puppy Sonny Bill – I also have an adorable black spoodle, Richie McCaw – my husband is a Kiwi and he named the puppies. I guess now is the time to mention my adult children: Elisha (23) and Ben (22). They are also pretty adorable. All four are still learning how to clean up after themselves!

My claim to fame is introducing women’s football to Ku-ringgai. I was horrified to learn that no such competition existed and was told if I could round up five teams, they would open an over thirties comp. After months of recruiting, training, and with the help of my bestie, we did it.

I’m absolutely loving my role in Boarding but becoming impatient to know all our beautiful girls by name. Please know you can visit anytime for a chat in my office in Hammond. Our door is always open.

Fun facts: I’m obsessed with fairy lights and my favourite word is ‘hope’.

Jamming in iso Maddie Warden (Year 12), Walgett While I was at home during isolation, surprisingly, I was able to keep myself fairly busy. Something that was a major highlight during my time at home was just up the road from our property.

There’s a small village with a population of roughly 20 to 30 people. Family friends who live there have their own band and travel across NSW playing at local shows, races and other community events. But obviously, due to COVID-19, they haven’t been able to go to their normal gigs. Anyway, mum and dad told them that I was really passionate about my music and singing, so they invited me up for when they are practising in their little studio. Every Sunday afternoon I would drive up with my guitar and we would play and jam out for hours. I had the best time and it was a massive boost to my confidence.

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Jersey Day Isabel Wilson (Year 12), Narromine Jersey Day was established to commemorate the lives of three beautiful Boarders from the College – Alanda Clark, Jane Gay and Prudence Papworth. On the June long weekend in 1993, the plane the girls were travelling home in crashed just outside Young. The legacy of these three girls lives on in many ways – the beautiful stained-glass window in the Chapel and the three Tallowwood trees at the back of the Mollie Dive Field – are just some of the ways in which we remember them. Their legacy also lives on through a Boarding Scholarship created in their honour, The Alanda Clark, Jane Gay and Prudence Papworth Boarding Scholarship. Donations are collected on the day to contribute to this Scholarship. Jersey Day was an initiative of Boarding students many years ago to acknowledge loss, but also to feel gratitude for the sisterhood we have here in Boarding at Pymble.

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Tyra’s Tennis Tournament Alex Ferguson (Year 12), St Ives; Alex Johnson (Year 12), Grenfell Our Boarders were fortunate to have Pymble’s Elite Tennis Coach, Tyra Calderwood, for a much-anticipated Pymble Boarding Tennis Tournament. We hit off with fun games, including King of the Court, which revealed everyone’s inner competitiveness. Tyra’s expertise on aspects of the game, including serving tactics and technique with groundstrokes, was soaked up by the players in anticipation of heavy competition. This gave us the incentive to play some fast-paced doubles matches, which everyone enjoyed. A big thank you to the amazing and talented Tyra for giving us this opportunity and providing tips to improve our game and be our best. We congratulate the winners of the tournament: FIRST PLACE Alex Ferguson SECOND PLACE Alice Beveridge TYRA’S AWARD FOR BEST PLAYER Isolde Mamo

The Tournament earnt points towards the Houses in our annual Angus Cup, so congratulations to all the girls who participated.

The competition resulted in Hammond in fourth place with 18 points, Marden in third place on 30 points, Lang in second place on 34 points and Goodlet in first place on 48 points.

Iso fun on the farm Sophie Laing (Year 7), Tullamore After a brief introduction to Boarding life, I headed home to 18,000 acres of pure isolation with my family and four-legged friends. I didn’t know if my satellite internet would hold up. It did, and I made it through.

But it was also time for some iso fun!

I spent the days learning on Teams and my afternoons kayaking, playing with kittens, helping dad in the sheep yards and mustering on the motorbike or buggy.

In my lunch breaks, I would deliver dad his lunch because Mum was at work, teaching. It was also a great opportunity to get away from the screen.

During this time, my Dad and I made a fun ‘speed boat’.

We tied some old rope to the front of a kayak which was then connected to the back of the four-wheeler.

Dad towed my brother and I around the dam. It was all well and good until he decided to go super-fast around a bend and then BOOM! The kayak flipped over leaving me in the mud along the rocky edges of the dam. I was so lucky to be able to leave my house and continue to complete activities, thanks to living on a farm.

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From our Revs: time in iso Rev Lorenzo As a homebody, I found myself feeling comfortable with this period of isolation.

Having my family at home with me meant that I was never alone. It was an opportunity for me to catch up with books I have been wanting to read and have been too busy to do. I think our family is probably very normal; we enjoyed each other’s company and drove each other crazy. However, the ones who have benefited the most from iso, and who will struggle when it all returns to ‘normal’, will be our hounds. We have enjoyed their company, their constant cuddles in a time of no physical contact with the outside world – they have made up for a lot of this. However, like everyone, I am looking forward to the ‘normal’ returning where we can, once again, hug each other, when we are passing the peace.

Blessings.

Rev Bent Over the iso period, I travelled to Pymble and back. My circuit was around the College with two labbies, Avery and Roscoe, as my fellow travellers. It felt like a deserted town without the Boarders and yet somehow, walking every day, made me feel connected, not just to our community at Pymble, but my own self. This time was also valuable for stopping and spending time with family at home around a bonfire or playing board games. Of particular mention was the time where I walked up the driveway to light a candle on a very dark Anzac Day dawn to remember the faithful ones who lost their lives during war and other combat.

So, remembering these times in the future, will be of immeasurable value as we weave our story of distance and connection.

Blessings and love to all near and far.

Catering to our Boarders Tamara Muir, Catering Manager I grew up in a small town on the Central Coast, have worked in hospitality for more than 15 years, and I honestly love it. When I left school at 15, I didn’t know what I wanted to. I got a full-time job in a small health food and juice bar and worked there for seven years. In the time since, I have only had a couple of other jobs, including corporate cafes and have even tried my hand in a pharmacy. I decided that working in hospitality was more for me as I could be more hands-on and creative and get to work with customers in a more fun way! I have recently been appointed Catering Manager here at Pymble and I am so excited for the new challenges that lie ahead!

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Photo Competition During National Boarding Week in May, the Australian Boarding Schools Association held a photo competition to highlight some of the diverse places our Boarders come from and how strong our Boarding community is. Some of the photographs entered by our Boarders are featured below.

Saskia Fitzgerald (Year 8), Nundle All’ Ultimo Lavoro – St r i ve for t he h i gh e st

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Hannah Weber (Year 7), Walgett

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Isolde Mamo (Year 12), Cartwrights Hill

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Chiara Calvani (Year 8), Forbes

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