LEADERSHIP
Leadership P R I N CIPAL’S S P E E CH D AY REPO RT My thanks to the hardworking Senior Executive team: Mr Andy Lang, Mr Justin Raymond, Ms Lamia Rockwell, Mr Allan Stewart, Mr Steve Dunk, Mr Anthony England and Dr Sarah Loch; our College Chaplains, Rev Punam Bent and Rev Lorenzo Rodriguez Torres; the Executive team; our Heads of Schools and today, in particular, Mrs Nikki Wyse and the Senior School team; Mrs Carolyn Burgess and the Boarding staff; along with our teaching, operations, facilities and administration staff and their families. I often remind the team of the importance of bringing to work each day “the best of you, rather than what’s left of you” and Team Pymble has certainly delivered on this in 2020. I couldn’t be more proud of you; thank you. In a recent article from Harvard Business School called ‘How to be a Good Board Chair’, one sentence really stood out to me: “Great Chairs create conditions that allow others to shine, they have the ability to pause and reflect and are fully committed.” We are so very blessed at Pymble to have such an incredibly supportive Chair and Council. Thank you James, there’s probably not much we haven’t faced together over the past 18 months. I’m so grateful for your wisdom and your kindness. Thank you also to Mrs Katrina Hunter and the Hunter family for all your support of Pymble. Finally, a huge thank you to our College Council members who so willingly volunteer their time and expertise. In his speech today, James will update you about changes to our Council, however, I would also like to acknowledge our wonderful Deputy Chair, Mrs Meredith Scott, who ends her time on Council this year. Meredith has been a wonderful mentor to me, always available at the end of the phone to talk things through and knowing the perfect time to send me a text message of encouragement. Speaking of support strategies, this was the year beautiful Archie came into our lives – and at just the right time, too. His arrival had been on Mrs Shaw’s wish list for many years and was made possible by my fabulous assistant, Mrs Shannon Sengupta, who researched, sourced and secured our beautiful Pymble puppy in Term 3. In his first few weeks with us, Archie left a signed post-it note on my desk promising he would not always take up so much of my trusty assistant’s time or leave unwanted ‘gifts’ on the rug in my office. True to his word, Archie has settled in beautifully and has allowed Shannon to continue to be the most hardworking, loyal and caring professional I could ever hope to have the pleasure of working alongside. Thank you, Shannon. If there was a ‘Dad Bear-hug of the Year Award’, many of our Boarders know that my amazingly supportive wonderhubby, Mr Matt Bell, would likely take out the prize. Matt isn’t here today as he’s enjoying a lovely road trip with our former Principal Gillian Moore’s husband, David. In his absence, I just want to say, Matt you’re perfect for me and perfect for Pymble; thank you for all you do for us.
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To our incredibly supportive Pymble parents and carers, I join our Chair in humbly thanking you. It’s been a tough year and we have been in this together from the start. Thank you for your support of our school and our staff; under trying circumstances you have role-modelled compassion and kindness. I’m reminded of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, which I will paraphrase a little: “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven; a time to weep, a time to heal, a time to love, a time to laugh.” At Monday night’s Valedictory Dinner, it will be our time to dance! Finally, to our Class of 2020. This week has seen another first for women with the potential election of the first female Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris – now that’s one impressive woman who is most certainly the master of her fate and the captain of her soul. Harris became the first woman of colour to be appointed Attorney General of California in 2004 and the second to be elected to the Senate in 2016. In an interview with The New York Times, Harris was asked if she struggled with her identity being an American woman of Indian and Jamaican heritage. Her response was this: “I am who I am. I’m good with it. You might need to figure it out, but I’m fine with it.” It’s been said that our longest journey is the journey inward. This requires a conscious connectedness with our truth, our self, and our kindness and compassion for others. There is something uniquely beautiful and powerful in Kamala Harris’ statement, “I am who I am. I’m good with it. You might need to figure it out, but I’m fine with it.” Girls, we know who you are. You are strong Pymble women; women of substance and masters of your fate who will go on to influence the world. Who knows, perhaps we have a future Prime Minister of Australia in our midst or a Secretary General to the UN?
Whatever you go on to do, whoever you go on to be, we are proud of who you are now. So, in the words of Kamala Harris: “Dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see yourselves in a way that others may not, simply because they've never seen it before, but know that we will applaud you every step of the way.” Dr Kate Hadwen, Principal
