HSC Results - Celebrating our proudest achievements

Celebrating our proudest achievements.

To our Year 12 Class of 2017, we congratulate you on your outstanding results in the HSC with 50 per cent of you achieving an ATAR of 90 or higher.

As you spread your wings, remember that a Pymble girl is more than a number. Marks may open doors, but your Pymble ambition, creativity and resilience will see you fully prepared to follow your passions and succeed in the careers of tomorrow.

Today we celebrate our proudest achievements – our Pymble graduates, past and present.

Once a Pymble girl, always a Pymble girl.

Kindergarten to Year 12 | Boarding Years 7 to 12 pymblelc.nsw.edu.au | +61 2 9855 7799 Avon Road, Pymble | Sydney NSW Australia Pymble Ladies’ College is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia for girls from Kindergarten to Year 12, with boarding available from Year 7. CRICOS 03288K

Pymble Offers a World of Opportunities The best education in the world offers students at every age and stage myriad opportunities to grow, develop and learn; to graduate with the confidence and capabilities to be the next leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators; to be future ready, for whatever that future holds.

This doesn’t happen when students sit behind a desk and are told by teachers how things work.

That was the old way. Today, real and relevant learning happens when students live the lesson; when they ‘do’, ‘experience’ and ‘create’.

As the world continues to change, our capacity as a College to look to the future and to provide experiences that enable our girls to succeed requires a different mindset to “this is the way it has always been done”. Education needs to be agile, forward-thinking and based on strategy.

At Pymble, a key part of our strategy is our Personalised Education pedagogy. We know, guide and challenge our girls to follow their academic and co-curricular passions, giving them the right balance of independence and support to aim high and to succeed in whichever areas they choose.

We literally offer a world of local and international opportunities and experiences for students to develop the skills they require to succeed in tertiary study and in the work environment – skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving, not to mention a genuine love of scholarship.

We underpin this deep, rich learning environment with a wellbeing program that prioritises each student’s mental and physical health, and a Collegewide commitment to our core values of Care, Courage, Integrity, Respect and Responsibility.

Our graduates leave Pymble with a growth mindset and the knowledge, passion, confidence and skill set to make a difference in the world.

We congratulate our Class of 2017 for the completion of their personalised education at Pymble and for their outstanding HSC results. For students from a non-selective school to achieve four firsts in course, four perfect ATARs, 73 ATARs greater than 95 and 126 ATARs greater than 90 is quite simply, remarkable.

Girls, your future awaits and you’re future-ready – you’re a Pymble girl after all.

Four Top ATARS in Class of 2017 Achieving the highest possible Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 99.95 is no easy feat. The ATAR is a rank from 0 to 99.95 which is used to show a student’s achievement in relation to other students.

It is the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate-entry university programs in Australia.

In 2017, four Pymble students earned the top ATAR for their unwavering dedication and passion for scholarship throughout their HSC years. The students, are • Sally Cao (Dux of the School) • Christy Hou • Hebe Larkin • Shiyi (Cathy) Zhao.

Mrs Vicki Waters with Sally Cao, Christy Hou and Hebe Larkin

“ Four top ATARS in one year group is a remarkable achievement,” says Principal, Mrs Vicki Waters. “ Striving for and achieving the highest ranking opens every door of possibility in tertiary studies for these accomplished young women. Coupled with the life skills and values they have developed through their years at the College, our girls are ready to embrace the future.”

Mrs Vicki Waters PRINCIPAL Mrs Waters presents Sally Cao with Dux of School trophy

Sally Cao was also nominated for inclusion in ENCORE

Prestigious Cadetship for Laura

Great Work from our Talented Performance and Visual Artists Visual Arts students nominated for ARTEXPRESS: • Charlotte Colyer • Yutian Li • Shirley Ye

Yutian (Yolanda) Li with her major work “Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots”

Music students nominated for inclusion in ENCORE: • Sally Cao (Music 2 and Music Extension) • Eloise Koch (Music 2 and Music Extension) • Jacqueline Li (Music 2 and Music Extension) • Anna Huang (Music 2) • Hallie Shahinian (Music 1) Dance students nominated for inclusion in Callback: • Jessica Stuart (Core Performance and Major Study Performance) • Eliane Turnbull (Core Performance) The Drama student selected for inclusion in OnSTAGE: • Jessika Burrell (Major Work Portfolio of Theatre Criticism)

Jessika Burrell selected for OnSTAGE

The Textiles and Design student nominated for inclusion in Texstyle: • Dhilini Nagahawatta

Perfect Score and Three Firsts for Hebe an elective in Year 8 and in Year 9 she added Classical Greek. Hebe’s growing passion for Classics developed to such an extent she is now hoping to pursue an undergraduate degree in Classics.

In an outstanding hat-trick, Hebe Larkin has topped the state in three Classical Languages: • Classical Greek Continuers • Classical Greek Extension • Latin Continuers.

Hebe also came third in NSW in Latin Extension – and achieved a perfect ATAR of 99.95.

Hebe began her Classics journey at Pymble by choosing Latin as

“ Hebe is one of those scholars who thrives on being challenged; she is also a hard worker and an excellent linguist who has consistently placed first in Greek and Latin during her years in Secondary School,” says Principal, Mrs Vicki Waters. “ I actually took up Latin because my Mum made me do it! But once I started I was hooked, so I took up Classical Greek as well in the following year,” says Hebe.

“ There are many things I love about studying the classical languages. I find grammar interesting, and understanding Latin and Greek grammar has helped me when learning modern languages. Being able to translate for myself something that was written 2000 years ago is also very rewarding.

“I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to study Latin and Classical Greek to HSC level, and have benefitted so much from the support and encouragement of my teachers at Pymble,” Hebe says.

Laura Glase sat her final HSC exams safe in the knowledge that she had secured the opportunity of a lifetime in the business world. Laura competed against a number of candidates from around the state to win the prestigious cadetship at multinational professional services firm, Ernst & Young. “ The cadetship at Ernst & Young provides excellent opportunity for self-motivated students who want to combine their parttime studies with full-time work for a global company,” says Head of Senior School, Mrs Nikki Wyse.

As part of her cadet program, which commences in 2018, Laura will have invaluable opportunities to work with clients, while being mentored by senior Ernst & Young staff. “ Laura’s win came as no surprise, as she has been such a wonderful all-rounder in the Pymble community,” says Mrs Wyse. “She is self-directed and constantly seeks for ways to improve her learning. In addition, she is extremely reliable and responsible and highly aware of the needs of others. She will be a genuine asset to any community or organisation.”

SECOND IN TEXTILES AND DESIGN FOR AIME Aime Long is one of 25 industrious Pymble students to achieve an ATAR greater than 99. Aime placed second in NSW for the Textiles and Design course and was named on the All-round Achievers list of students who scored Band 6 (90 or better) in 2 unit courses or Band E4 result (45 or better) in Extension courses in 10 or more units.

Entrepreneurial Annie Launches Website The Pymble Entrepreneurs’ Society was launched in 2017 to support students’ entrepreneurial spirits and desire to embrace innovative thinking techniques.

Under the guidance of exstudent mentors, the Society motivates students to explore the world of possibilities and supports them in developing their own passion projects. Annie Xu was a driving force behind the group. Annie has also launched her own website www.woshi.live, to share stories of inspiration and innovation among young people. “ We want to celebrate the young entrepreneurs in the region – their creativity, ambition and drive, skills, and personal achievements – and inspire our teams to see entrepreneurship as a viable career path,” Annie says.

Annie was named on the 2017 All-round Achievers list.

Sportswoman of the Year – Kristie Edwards

Our Top Achievers

PYMBLE’S ALL-ROUNDERS

One outstanding Pymble scholar, Hebe Larkin, topped the state in three subjects: • Classical Greek Continuers • Classical Greek Extension • Latin Continuers.

A total of 14 Pymble students earned a place in the Top Achievers in Course List across a variety of courses: • Amy Cheng 3rd in Italian Beginners

• Nina Coombes 5th in Italian Beginners

• Anna Ding 4th in Italian Beginners

Each year, Pymble Ladies’ College recognises the achievements of our finest athletes at our annual Sportswomen’s Awards Night. The highest accolade of the evening is the Sportswoman of the Year Award, which went to Year 12 student Kristie Edwards – an outstanding sportswoman who made a significant contribution to all facets of College life.

“Kristie displays an innate ability combined with a committed attitude to training and a strong sense of competitiveness,” says Director of Sport and Activities, Mr Cameron Anderson. “Kristie is a student who has stood out as both a tremendously talented athlete and a truly inspiring leader.”

In 2017, Kristie performed the following leadership roles: Captain of Sports and Activities; Track Captain Athletics team; Netball Captain; and Captain NSW Athletics All Schools Team.

Some of her many achievements in 2017 include: • IGSSA Senior Champion 2017.

• Jane Hong 10th in Biology

• Gold and silver medallist at NSW All Schools.

• Christy Hou

• Gold, silver and bronze medallist at Australian All Schools Athletics (with World Junior qualifying times).

5th in Latin Continuers

• Silver medallist at Worlds Schools Athletics Championships.

• Member of gold medal winning team at World Schools Athletics Championships.

• Gold and silver medallist at NSW Athletics Championships.

• Bronze medallist at Australian Athletics Championships.

• Pymble Netball Senior Firsts 2017.

• IGSSA Netball Open Team member 2017 (Captain).

• NSWCIS Netball Open Team member 2017.

• Silver medallist in the 17 years beach sprint at Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships.

• Madeleine Jang 18th in Biology

• Hebe Larkin 3rd in Latin Extension

• Amie Long 2nd in Textiles and Design

• Cindy Lu 2nd in Japanese Extension

• Lauren Park 9th in History Extension and 16th in English Advanced

• Emily Shen (Year 11 accelerant) 16th in Mathematics

• Annie Xu 3rd in French Continuers

• Sun Yu 3rd in Japanese Extension

• Shiyi (Cathy) Zhao 2nd in French Continuers

EQUAL FIRST IN COURSE Congratulations to Shiyi (Cathy) Zhao who not only received a top ATAR of 99.95 but also placed equal first in the Chinese in Context course she undertook at the Saturday School of Community Languages. “I would like to thank the curriculum office and in particular Pymble’s Director of Tertiary Studies, Mr Dunk for their ongoing support,” says Cathy. “I wouldn’t have achieved equal first in the Chinese in Context course without the help from my home school.”

32 Pymble students were named in the All-round Achievers lists, which acknowledges the results of students who achieved Band 6 results (90 or better) in 2 unit courses or a Band E4 result (45 or better) in an Extension course in 10 or more units: • Alisha Brighton

• Madeleine Jang

• Sally Cao

• Charlotte Jiang

• Michelle Chai

• Dhruvi Lathigara

• Jasmine Chen

• Jacqueline Li

• Amy Cheng

• Amie Long

• Catherine Chung

• Michelle Ma

• Anna Ding

• Katherine Sills

• Catherine Ge • Claudia Gibson

• Saskia van Steensel

• Alicia Goh

• Anjali Wijeratne

• Fiona Guo

• Josephine Wilson

• Lauren Park

• Katherine Halliday

• Annie Xu

• Claudia Hammond

• Lydia Yin

• Jessica Hiller

• Vivian Yu

• Jane Hong

• Shiyi Zhao

• Cindy Yin

• Christy Hou

ATARS AT A GLANCE 100

170

80

Students

126

60 40

Students

66

Students

20 %

73

Students

25

Students

<80.00 >80.00 >90.00 >95.00 >99.00

International Youth Ambassador off to University of Pennsylvania

PYMBLE GRADUATES GO GLOBAL A Pymble education is a pathway to tertiary study at international universities all over the world, including England and the USA. Following the release of HSC results in December 2017, one Pymble student was accepted into the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Charlotte Jiang is one of only 45 students worldwide to be offered a place in the dual degree program, which commences in late 2018 (see story next page for more information about Charlotte).

Several Pymble students had attended interviews at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford and were awaiting confirmation of acceptance as this brochure was going to print.

10 YEARS OF INDIGENOUS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM SUCCESS

Charlotte’s Amazing Learning Journey Four years ago when she enrolled in Year 9 at Pymble, Charlotte Gardner’s self-esteem was low and she was struggling with a learning disorder and a mental health issue. With the support of her teachers and counsellors, Charlotte overcame these hurdles and built herself back up to enter Year 11 on a modified program of nine units, although determined to leave at the end of that year.

Encouraged by her support team at Pymble, Charlotte committed to the challenge of taking on 12 units to achieve the NSW Record of School Achievement (RoSA) for students who leave school before receiving their Higher School Certificate.

Charlotte took her learning journey one small step at a time, turning up on bad days and continuing to try her hardest, even when things weren’t going her way. Slowly, the gains became more frequent and spurred her on to complete her HSC in 2017, achieving second place in her Standard English class and an ATAR of 84.1. She also gained early entry into the International College of Management, Sydney, and Design Honours at UNSW. “ We are so proud of Charlotte for showing such determination and resilience to achieve this incredible transformation,” says Acting Head of Senior School, Mrs Andrea Pryor. “More importantly, we are thrilled that she has gained back her pride and self-respect, as a capable and confident learner and as a unique and valued individual with a bright future ahead.”

At just 17 years of age, Charlotte Jiang made history in her final year of school by being the first person under 18 to be appointed an International Youth Ambassador at both the United Nations and The European Parliament. Charlotte was appointed to represent the Ariel Foundation International, a non-profit organisation based in Geneva, following an internship with the foundation.

In her role as International Youth Ambassador, Charlotte will attend sessions, review papers and present her own policies, bringing the perspective, voice and representation for youth worldwide to the halls and tables of the international organisations frequently reserved for senior level officials.

“ As a young woman, I am committed to paving the way for a more progressive and educationally inclusive world where all people are valued as being equal,” Charlotte says.

Charlotte attributes the Pymble Ladies’ College mentorship program to helping her earn her international position. This program partners students with teachers who assist students to identify and take the steps required to achieve personal goals. Charlotte has also been accepted into the prestigious Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

2017 marked the tenth anniversary of Pymble’s Indigenous Scholarship Program (ISP), a life-changing initiative based on a vision for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to be educated side-byside and to stand together as future leaders of community and country.

Three ISP students graduated from Pymble in 2017 – one has been offered early entry into Bond University, another is hoping to study audiometry and the third intends to pursue her passion for visual arts.

Our Boarding Head Prefect, Bridget Titasey was an ISP scholar who played a key role in College and Boarding events throughout the year, including organising the annual Boarding Charity Event to raise money for Aussie Helpers.

The Service Learning on Thursday Island which Bridget undertook in Year 10 at Pymble has inspired her to make a difference to others in the future. “ I went to Thursday Island in the Torres Straits and we helped school children and really made a difference in the community,” says Bridget. “I think that giving back to others is the most important thing we can do.”

What an Honour!

2017 HSC Results: An Overview

2 UNIT RESULTS IN BANDS 5 AND 6 PYMBLE AVERAGE

IN 2017, PYMBLE STUDENTS EARNED 505 PLACES ON THE HONOUR ROLL. These places were achieved by 174 individual students. The Honour Roll acknowledges students who earn a Band 6 result (90 or better) in a 2 unit course or a Band E4 result (45 or better) in an Extension course in one or more subjects.

NSW AVERAGE

In 2017, 235 students from Pymble Ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; College sat for the NSW Higher School Certificate in 46 courses. A further 17 accelerated Year 11 students sat for the HSC examination in Mathematics. On average, 78% of Pymble candidates across all 2 Unit courses offered at the College achieved results in Bands 5 and 6, compared with 47% of students across the state in the same subjects. In the 1 Unit Extension courses, on average, 97% were placed in Bands E3 or E4, compared with 91% across the state.

When compared to the State average, results in Bands 5 and 6 (2 unit courses) and Bands E3 and E4 (Extension courses) have remained consistently high, with student achievement above State level in most courses offered at the College.

In 2017, the combined Bands 5 and 6 results were 30% or more above the State percentages in the following subjects: Agriculture, Ancient History, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Drama, English as a Second Language, Food Technology, Geography, Legal Studies, Mathematics General, Modern History, Music 1, PDHPE, Physics, Senior Science, Studies of Religion, Visual Arts, German Continuers, Italian Beginners and Hospitality.

In the period from 2016 to 2017, the following are examples of percentage improvement in Bands 5 and 6 results: Ancient History 16%, Business Studies 5%, Chemistry 5%, Economics 8%, English Standard 50%, Legal Studies 10%, Physics 12%, Italian Beginners 32% and Latin 29%.

Pymble Ladies’ College Phone + 61 2 9855 7799 Avon Road, PO Box 136 Fax + 61 2 9855 7766 North Ryde BC NSW Australia www.pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

All’ Ultimo Lavoro – Strive for the highest

A ll’ U lt i m o La vo ro – Stri ve fo r the hi ghest