Middle School

While 2020 turned out to be quite a different year to that which we expected, it was another fantastic one in the Middle School. Our girls were offered the opportunity to adapt and embrace new ways of learning, connecting and supporting one another and we are so proud of their achievements.

The year began with our Connections Week when we welcomed our new Year 7 students to the Middle School and offered a range of activities to support them in building new friendships, finding their way around the campus and preparing themselves for learning in the Secondary School. Throughout Semester 1, we continued to enjoy valuable connections with older students through the Year 10 Peer Support sessions and lunchtime Gloucester Gatherings, initiated by the Year 12 Middle School Liaison Prefects who organised activities such as skipping competitions, designing Valentine cards and making friendship bracelets. During the period of online learning, we encouraged the girls to continue to focus on the 5 Ways to Wellbeing framework: Connect, Take Notice, Keep Learning, Be Active and Give. We provided activities for the girls to engage with at home, such as writing letters to grandparents, committing to daily activity and developing new skills in order to maintain balance in their lives. Students were invited to engage with a wide range of initiatives including the Principal’s Project and the MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) in order to explore areas of interest, give back to their community and try something new. Participation in our Middle School Challenge Café and Sokratis programs culminated in many impressive projects that were showcased in an online format. Year 8 students also developed thoughtful and innovative projects to promote sustainability in their SEEDS Science program and had the opportunity to share these with Year 6 students through a series of online lessons and workshops. Our Wellbeing program was able to continue across online platforms, supporting the girls and maintaining connections within the Middle School. Regular year group and Middle School assemblies, fun online Connect sessions, House activities and one-to-one catch up conversations with Connect teachers continued throughout this period. Due to restrictions, we were unfortunately unable to run our planned Year 7 Alpine Experience and Year 8 Camp on the South Coast. This did, however, present us with the opportunity to deliver an exciting Outdoor Experience for each year group on campus. By exploring and utilising all parts of our beautiful College grounds, the girls were able to participate in a range of activities designed to build new skills, encourage students to step outside of their comfort zones and to foster connections with their Connect teacher and peers. We also facilitated a Wellbeing Day for both year groups, with appropriate and diverse activities. Year 7 spent their day at the Narrabeen Sport and Recreation Centre in Term 1 whilst Year 8 spent a day at the College engaging in a range of physical and mindfulness activities. Year 8 was also able to welcome Michele Chevalley Hedge who spoke to the girls about the importance of good nutrition and sleep for their wellbeing. I would like to thank our Deputy Head of Middle School, Ms McNelly, our Heads of Year, Mrs Budd and Mrs White, and our Head of Transition, Miss Lombard, alongside the Middle School Administration staff, Mrs Tysoe, Mrs Volonakis and Mrs Sibug, for their commitment to the girls and for ensuring that each day in the Middle School is filled with warmth, kindness and appreciation. Mrs Jennifer O’Donnell, Head of Middle School

The focus for 2020 was ‘Kindness’. The newly elected Kindness Captains helped to spread acts of kindness throughout the Middle School.

This was also demonstrated through many Year 7 and Year 8 students’ participation in Pymble Gives Back, our Community Service initiative. We also ran a number of photo competitions to engage and connect the girls whilst they enthusiastically shared many images of their crazy socks and cute pets on a Middle School Padlet. With the increased use of technology at this time, we increased our investment in educating the girls about cyber safety through presentations and workshops with Kirra Pendergast, the CEO of Safe on Social, and Lynda Hart, our Police Liaison Officer. Students also participated in online study skills workshops with Elevate and heard from the Olympian gymnast and diver, Alexandra Croke.

Lydia Barnouti, Sophie Laing, Lara Hassall, Ashley Macdonald and Elizabeth Tang, Year 7

Links Day was a highlight for our new Year 7 girls as they were able to create lifelong friendships and build bonds with a diverse range of girls. The girls had a true taste of ‘a day in the life of a Pymble girl’ as they had the opportunity to do experiments in Science and Zumba for PDHPE. As well as this, girls attended a service in the Pymble Chapel and had recess and a barbecue lunch on Gloucester Lawn provided by the school. On the first day of school for 2020 we Middle School Liaisons, with the help of the Prefects, stuck notes on all the Middle School girls’ lockers. This both welcomed them to Pymble and introduced the girls to the support they have from the Senior School. Additionally, Year 7 started their first year of high school with Orientation Week where they were able get to know their Connect teachers and peers in Years 7 and 8, as the Year 8 girls led their activities. Girls participated in wellbeing, sport and technology classes, making them feel more comfortable and confident in their learning at Pymble.

As Middle School Liaisons, we sent every girl in the Middle School a special message on their birthday. We thought this was a great way to make sure every single girl knows how special and valued she is as a part of the Middle School, especially after the many challenges the girls faced and overcame this year.

An initiative we continued from last year, Gloucester Gatherings, was a huge success as it exhibited the enthusiastic Middle School spirit on Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes. The aim was to bring the girls together to get to know one another better in a fun and safe environment. Some of the activities included making Valentine’s Day cards, friendship bracelets, handball competitions, colouring in, board games, skipping and making headbands for the Knox versus Pymble netball game to raise money for the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter. As Liaisons, we were inspired by both the girls’ determination to earn a spot in the ‘King Court’ in handball and also the kindness and fairness they showed towards one another in the games.

Alexandria Johnson, Faith Sherwood and Amelie Read, Year 12

Despite the lockdown, Middle School girls were still able to stay connected, learn and have fun through the online platform. Even though other activities were cancelled like the Movie Night and Crazy Sock Competition, students and staff alike were eager to pull on their craziest socks and snap a picture virtually to compete and win the prize for the most innovative and unique sock design! Gloucester Gatherings continued making a smooth transition to the online platform as girls engaged in activities such as Just Dance to get active with their peers and us from their homes.

Alexandria Johnson, Faith Sherwood and Amelie Read, Middle School Liaison Prefects

Anarghya Guru Prasad, Lucy Hu, Emma Du, Teresa Jiang and Jessica Qin, Year 7