Upper School programs

Breakfast on the Go is ideal for students involved in early morning co-curricular activities or for those girls who arrive early at the College from time to time. It is designed to support students to be punctual to class after co-curricular activities, to provide nourishment to avoid mid-morning energy slumps and to reduce congestion at the local shops in the morning.

Luncheon Packages – Years 3 to 12 students

A limited number of Luncheon Packages are available for day students in Junior School and Secondary School. Students on Luncheon Packages receive a daily meal served by the kitchen. Registration for this service opens in January and closes within 72 hours of the link going live on the Portal.

Upper School Café

The Upper School Café is open before school, offering varied breakfast, morning tea and lunch options. The café has a range of light meals, sandwiches, snacks and beverages for Upper School students only.

With close reference to current research in the provision of effective and engaging personal development experiences, students in the Upper School participate in learning activities focusing on the College values: developing and fostering meaningful relationships; recognition and affirmation; self as a leader; self as a learner; and developing positive self-awareness.

Programs are delivered through a combination of College staff and leaders in the field. External speakers are regularly included in our programs, connecting the girls to key issues influencing society locally and internationally.

Outside of the direct curriculum experiences, learning activities for the Upper School have been designed to promote communication, problem solving, creativity and collaboration.

The Year 9 2021 Experiential Learning program will look very different to past years, with an exciting two-week program blending an urban adventure across the suburbs, beaches and city of Sydney and a bushland retreat at the College’s beautiful new campus, Vision Valley. Students will undertake each of these experiences in a five-day blocks, with a weekend off in between to reconnect with family and participate in regular weekend sport and activities.

The ‘Urban Challenge’ provides the ultimate real-world experience. In teams, groups embark on an unfolding adventure through Sydney and surrounds to complete urbanflavoured activities, clue chases, meal preparation and much more along the way. Each team member has a functional role that contributes to the running of the team and everyone must work together to take responsibility for the team’s money, transport, timings and meals. Parts of the Challenge are run via an interactive website where teams are required to upload blogs and photos and check-in for their next day’s itinerary. Teams will stay in youth hostels and other city group accommodation.

Vision Valley is located in Arcadia, backing onto spectacular National Park and offering an exciting array of adventurous activities onsite. The focus of this experience is challenge, achievement and growth, with many team and personal challenges designed to push students outside their comfort zone to build self-belief and courage. Another significant focus of this program is connections with others and the environment, concepts explored through a range of team-building activities and nature immersion approaches. Students can expect some thrilling experiences on this program, and also time for reflection and real downtime in a tech-free environment.

Our Transition into Senior School program runs at the end of Term 4 and will provide an opportunity for Year 10 students to engage with aspects of the Senior School and Stage 6 studies. The program has been designed in alignment with the College’s Wellbeing Framework and takes place on the College campus. The purpose is to provide a window into the life, features and elements of the transition from Year 10 into Year 11 in order to have an effective start to Stage 6. The modules will be delivered by College staff, students and external speakers. Each day has a specific focus in preparing the girls for learning and their personal wellbeing for the final stage of their Secondary education. A significant feature of Upper School is our Cultural and Language Exchange programs. These programs provide opportunities for selected students to travel internationally to live and study abroad, providing them with cultural and/or language understanding and newfound global perspectives. These programs also involve reciprocal hosting whereby students and families host a visiting exchange student. Year 9 students will be eligible to apply for a range of Cultural Exchange opportunities and Year 10 will be able to apply for both Cultural and Language Exchange. Our current Cultural Exchange program involves partnerships with more than a dozen schools throughout New Zealand, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Our Language Exchange opportunities, which focus on language skills development and a cultural experience, include France, Germany, Japan and China.

Note: Due to COVID-19 it is unlikely that exchanges will take place in 2021. We will communicate any changes to you as required. Social Responsibility

Social Responsibility programs are an integral component of Upper School life. They provide a powerful mechanism for connecting our students with the world in a meaningful manner while fostering within each student the belief that they can make a difference to social justice and equity issues in an increasingly diverse global community. Year 9 students are afforded the opportunity to select and participate in one or more Community Service initiatives with organisations such as Exodus, Easy Care Gardening, Northaven Aged Care and St Edmund’s School.

Student involvement in these endeavours is encouraged as it provides opportunities to serve others, undertake individual reflection and develop a greater understanding of themes addressed in a variety of educational areas. The Premier’s Volunteer Recognition Program recognises the contribution volunteers make towards strengthening our communities. Eligible students are acknowledged under the program, with each nominee receiving a certificate recognising their individual efforts.

In Year 10, students select a Service Learning project to engage with throughout the year, working in groups and meeting fortnightly during Connect sessions. The girls work with their partnering organisation and a College mentor to plan, develop, budget, resource, advocate, promote and deliver a project that meets the needs of the community organisation. After the successful delivery of the project, the girls reunite for celebration and reflection. Some of the Service Learning projects that have been undertaken include support for girls’ education, Indigenous communities, women’s rights, environmental protection, animal welfare, refugee assimilation, ageing with dignity and socio-economic disadvantage.

Ultimately, our Community Service and Service Learning programs empower our students to: • cultivate an understanding of the variety of human conditions and environmental issues which exist within our community • appreciate that, as an individual, they can undertake actions which will positively impact the lives of others and the world around them • develop insightful and empathetic responses to address the needs of the people with whom they interact • foster their sense of social responsibility and connectedness with our wider community • advance their leadership capacity, interpersonal skills and organisational ability.

College examinations in Years 9 to 10 are conducted annually and are schoolbased examinations completed in Term 4. Completion of examinations is an important learning experience for all students. There is an expectation that all girls will sit for examinations at the scheduled times. There are occasions when examination dates clash with other school-sanctioned events including Sport and Music. If a student misses an examination for a valid reason, she may be given the opportunity to sit for that examination at a later date. More information on Upper School Examinations can be found in the Parent Handbook on page 73.

The Upper School Cultural and Language Exchange Program provide opportunities for selected students to travel internationally to live and study abroad, where they gain newfound cultural and language understanding as well as global perspectives. The program also involves reciprocal hosting whereby participating students and their families host a visiting exchange student.

Our current Cultural Exchange program involves partnerships with more than a dozen schools throughout Oceania, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Our Language Exchange opportunities, which focus on language skill development and cultural experience, include France, Germany, Japan and China.

Due to the current climate, it is unlikely that the Year 9 and 10 students in 2021 will be able to travel internationally for any Cultural or Language Exchange opportunities. We are seeking other opportunities for students for 2021. Further information regarding these opportunities will be published in the College Newsletter. For any enquiries regarding Student Exchange, please contact Mrs Olsen via studentexchange@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au