Term 2 2024 - Essential information for Day One

Are you ready to step up, push up, and lift up others?

Welcome to Term 2

Dear girls and families

We can’t wait to see the students’ bright eyes and big smiles back on campus for our first day of Term 2 on Tuesday 30 April.

Holidays might be a great opportunity for rest and recreation but my favourite time is when our girls return and we step back into the purposefulness of a new school term and reunite as our Pymble family. Before we do, please read this guide to a few important things you need to know before Tuesday.

So, what’s in store at Pymble as we move into our second term of Pymble Pulse?

Stepping up and pushing up for mental health

Term 1 was all about pulsing into the positive impact we can make when we show up to support others. In Term 2, we are encouraging our whole community to share the love by increasing our heart rates – and our collective muscle.

From day one, we will be encouraging students, staff and families (who are able) to start taking small steps to eventually take part in The Push Up Challenge later in the term.

This initiative is the brainchild of our fabulous TAS teacher

Ms Karina Olsen and Year 11 student Tully Black, who have both been involved in the Push Up Challenge in the past, and who brought this idea to us for consideration. Valuing the voice of our students and staff is important to us at Pymble; we are proud to be launching this initiative with Ms Olsen and Tully this term.

The Push Up Challenge is a free mental health and fitness event promoting better mental health for all Australians. Those who choose to sign up will aim to complete 3,249 push-ups in 24 days – this is not a random number; incredibly sadly, it represents the 3,249 lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2022.

That’s a heavy topic, we know. Junior School parents, please use your knowledge of your daughter and your discretion to frame the health aspect of this challenge appropriately. For all our parents, Junior School and Secondary, please know that our message to students is two-fold:

• Firstly, physical activity contributes to how you feel about yourself and is essential for good mental health.

• Secondly, when we step up and push up together, we generate an exponential power and a greater ability to positively impact on others.

Push up

COMMUNITY EVENTS IN TERM 2

Friday 3 May Careers Expo

We are proud to partner with The Push Up Challenge to support their important work in suicide prevention. The College is always looking to ensure our wellbeing structures and systems are best in class and that our young people feel supported. Critically, research shows us that talking about suicide helps young people feel confident to talk about and share their problems – something we all want, I’m sure you would agree.

Posters will be placed at designated ‘push up’ sites around campus. You can choose to do the easier ‘wall’ push up, the slightly harder ‘knee’ push up, or the standard (and more hard-core) ‘hands and toes on the floor’ version.

We look forward to pulsing away as a community in Term 2, by stepping up and pushing up for our young people, together.

DR KATE HADWEN PRINCIPAL

Friday 10 May Junior School Mother’s Day Lunch

Monday 13 May Secondary School Mother’s Day Breakfast

Wednesday 22 May JSPG Term 2 Meeting

Saturday 25 May JSPG Year 6 Parent Daughter Dance

Wednesday 29 May Secondary School Athletics Carnival

Saturday 1 June to Sunday 2 June PPA Year 4 Mother and Daughter Camp

Sunday 2 June Cultural Afternoon and Football Match

Thursday 6 June Junior School Athletics Carnival (Kindergarten to Year 2)

Friday 7 June Junior School Athletics Carnival (Years 3 to 6)

Sunday 16 June PPA Year 7 Mother/Daughter Day at Vision Valley

Saturday 22 June PPA Trivia Night

Friday 28 June JSPG Build-A-Bear (Kindergarten only)

Master Plan Update

Our Master Plan has made significant progress in Term 1 and we are pleased to update you about some on-campus changes in preparation for the students’ return next week.

We have outlined on the following pages the important, most up-to-date information you need to know as well as an updated map of the College which shows the new locations of key staff and departments at Pymble in Term 2.

Within the next few weeks, heavy construction will commence on Grey House Precinct including localised demolition and excavation.

Of course, student and staff safety and comfort remain our absolute priority. Disruption to students, parents and staff will be kept to a minimum with the noisiest works being undertaken outside school hours. We will continue to keep you updated on these works monthly via the College Compass newsletter.

Thank you for your continued support of this vital work.

OUR SAFETY CHECKLIST

5 Every entry and exit point to the site is staffed by traffic controllers.

5 Traffic controllers are stationed along the haul road at all times.

5 Staging areas have been established for trucks.

5 Every truck entering and exiting the site is led in by a safety controller.

5 Safe pathways are established for students accessing the Ag Plot for lessons only.

5 No deliveries will occur during drop-off and pick-up times.

5 Dust control measures will be undertaken at all times.

5 All contractors are inducted in Pymble’s process and the operations and safety measures of the College.

The safety of our students, staff and community is paramount as we execute our plans. If at any time you have any concerns, you can report them directly to the College via our College safety reporting tool.

Master Plan Progress Report

MAIN CAMPUS DESCRIPTION

Avonmoore

Middle School Office

Main Reception Building Classroom Conversion

Lower Colonnade Upper School Hub

Middle Colonnade for Senior Executive

The brand new Year 7 Boarding House is a beautiful modern home away from home, giving the girls time and space to adjust to their new Boarding journey at Pymble.

The Middle School office was successfully relocated to the former Uniform Shop, under the Chapel. Gloucester Gatherings for Year 7 and 8 continue as usual on Gloucester lawn.

Transformation of Main Reception Building into three new classrooms will provide extra teaching and learning spaces during this phase of our Master Plan.

The Lower Colonnade is being transformed into a new Upper School Hub with a kitchenette and common lounge for Year 9 and 10 girls to gather and connect with teachers and friends

Middle Colonnade will be transformed into a new reception for the College and home for our Senior Executive team.

Grey House Precinct Construction Certificate has been received and the works have commenced.

Secondary Innovation Precinct

Main Administration Building

Kookaburra and Wedgetail

An architect has been identified to undertake the design. The design process has commenced. Read more about our plans for the Secondary Innovation Precinct here

COMPLETE

COMPLETE

COMPLETE

COMMENCING

Koala and and Echidna Lodge are complete with Wallaby Lodge scheduled for completion in early May. COMPLETE

Major landscaping and naturalisation project for Main Administration Building and Valley floor has just been completed and design for the refurbishment is underway

Kookaburra is a three-winged roof structure designed by Residential Program students with our architects. Wedgetail is a concrete structure that appears to float in the tree canopy and provides a “cave-like” teaching space for our outdoor education programs.

COMPLETE

COMMENCING

Winter Uniform Reminder

All students are required to wear the winter uniform from the start of Term 2 on Tuesday 30 April. This includes the navy blazer which is a compulsory garment to be worn to and from school in Terms 2 and 3.

Please ensure that your daughter has all necessary items ready for the first day of term. The uniform shop will re-open on Monday 29 April from 9.00am to 4.30pm for any additional items required. You can pre-order online before this date and collect from the uniform shop during opening hours on Monday 29 April. Please refer to the uniform shop checklists for Junior School, Middle School, Upper School and Senior School for full uniform requirements.

• Girls in Kindergarten to Year 8 wear the winter tunic with a plain white pointed collar blouse and tie.

• Kindergarten to Year 6 have the choice of knee-high black socks or 70 denier black opaque tights.

• All Secondary School girls wear 70 denier black opaque tights.

• Years 9 and 10 wear the tartan skirt with the long sleeve blouse and tie.

• Years 11 and 12 wear the tartan skirt with the long sleeve blouse and tie.

Please note that the navy winter hat is now an optional uniform item.

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO OUR NORTHERN BEACHES BUS SERVICES

A reminder to parents and carers to register your daughter for the Pymble private bus service for travel during Term 2 and to check that your daughter has her current student ID card to tap on and off each trip.

In Term 2, the bus service will operate from Tuesday 30 April to Friday 28 June 2023. Please check the bus stops and times for your preferred bus route and make note of important changes to Northern Beaches bus routes 4 and 5. These include two new additional services along the Northern Beaches (Bus 4) and changes to stops on the Lower Northern Beaches route (Bus 5).

For full details of these changes, please refer to the full timetable here: pymblelc.nsw.edu.au/mypymble/student-transport

Please contact College Services via collegeservices@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

if you have any further questions

JUNIOR SCHOOL MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL SENIOR SCHOOL

New Staff Appointments

We are delighted to announce two new staff appointments to our Pymble family in Term 2; Danielle Hemsworth-Smith, our new College Chaplain and Victoria Harrison, our new Head of Upper School.

REVEREND DANIELLE HEMSWORTH-SMITH COLLEGE CHAPLAIN

Reverend Danielle Hemsworth-Smith is an ordained minister in the Uniting Church in Australia. She has had the enormous pleasure of working with many wonderful people across a variety of inter-generational, cross-cultural, progressive, and affirming communities, as well as more-traditional church settings. Most recently, Danielle was the senior minister at Paddington Uniting Church- a community known for its creative and inclusive community, a strong legacy of social justice advocacy, and the iconic Paddington Markets.

Danielle spent her early childhood making up stories, playing with clay in her mum’s pottery studio, reading all the books that she could and building cubby houses with her brother and the neighbourhood kids in north-western Sydney. She spent her teenage years and young adulthood in Newcastle, never far from the beach. She is a wife and a mum of three active teenagers, who she describes proudly as “amazing!”.

Danielle has a passion for leading and facilitating creative worship experiences that help people of all ages and backgrounds grow in spiritual understanding and connect to one another and God. She also appreciates the deep privilege of being a part of community through both the good times, and the more difficult times that are part of the patchwork of life. Danielle is incredibly excited to meet, and to be part of the Pymble family and to join with our community in as many different activities as possible.

MRS VICTORIA HARRISON HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL

Mrs Victoria Harrison is an accomplished educational leader who brings over twenty years of wellbeing and curriculum experience to the role of Head of Upper School. As a dedicated educator and a committed mum of three sons and a daughter, Mrs Harrison balances her professional responsibilities with family life, embodying the values she instills in her students.

She began her teaching career at Loreto Normanhurst as a PDHPE and Sport teacher where she established the foundations of her career focused on encouraging students to embrace a healthy active lifestyle. During her time at Pymble she has held various roles including Head of Learning Area PDHPE, Head of Year, and Deputy Head of Upper School.

She has an in-depth knowledge of Pymble, strong professional connections across the college and her leadership is characterised by a warm, inclusive style that not only fosters academic excellence but also nurtures the emotional and physical development of the students under her care. Mrs Harrison is eager to build on the well established culture of the Upper School which provides Year 9 and 10 students the opportunity to grow in a supportive environment and allows them to broaden their perspectives and be challenged positively.

Junior School Welcome

We are excited to welcome the girls back to Term 2 and we extend a warm welcome to our families who are joining our Junior School community this term.

This term as a Junior School community, we are focusing on Kindness to Others and a key aspect of that focus will be encouraging our girls to continue to build and foster their service mindset. During Week 1, each Junior School student will come home with a Service Journal with ideas for possible ways she can be of service around your home and local community. Please encourage and support your daughter to think of ways she can give her time to be helpful and of service to others this term. Thinking of others and being kind are important skills for our girls to grow to build their sense of compassion, social responsibility and independence.

As always, we encourage our girls’ voice and sense of leadership. We were impressed by the number of initiatives our Junior School girls led last term and we look forward to supporting their ideas and endeavours again this term. On the last day of this term, we will have our inaugural STEAM Festival on Friday 28th June 2024, involving all our Junior

School girls. One exciting aspect of that day will be our Entrepreneurs’ Market Place and girls are able to sign up as entrepreneurs for this festival and create items to sell on that day (we are aiming for a maximum sale price of $2 per item) with all proceeds being donated to our College charity for 2024. The STEAM Festival will also include our Charlie and the Chocolate Factory performance, STEM Alley with a range of interactive activities and the opportunity for a Windows into your daughter’s STEM learning throughout Term 1 and Term 2. We look forward to seeing many of our families on this day. To support our working parents who are unable to attend the STEAM Festival, there will be an evening performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on the evening of Thursday 27 June 2024.

We look forward to an exciting term!

MRS KATE BROWN HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Middle School Welcome

Welcome back to all of our Middle School families. I trust that everyone has had a restful break and that your daughters are feeling refreshed and excited about returning to school for Term 2.

We look forward to welcoming Years 7 and 8 back to campus in their full winter uniforms. This will be a new experience for Year 7 but one that I hope inspires pride in being a Pymble girl.

This term we will begin with our announcements regarding the new Year 7 Leadership positions. It was so lovely to be able to chat to a number of students during interviews and listen to them share their hopes and dreams for building a cohesive and inclusive community.

Some very exciting initiatives were proposed, and we look forward to the girls bringing their ideas to fruition in the near future. Another exciting opportunity ahead for Year 8 is our National Exchange program. The successful candidates will be congratulated early this term once we have confirmation from our partner schools as to numbers.

During Term 2, service opportunities will be a significant focus for Middle School and we encourage everyone to get involved. Our Gloucester Gatherings will continue across lunchtimes on Tuesdays and Thursdays providing a chance to get active or get crafty and to make new connections. These events are always well attended and open to everyone.

Thank you for working in partnership with the Middle School team to ensure Term 2 is a rewarding experience for your daughter.

MRS JENNY O’DONNELL HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

Upper School Welcome

We hope this message finds you well and excited for the start of another rewarding term ahead. We are looking forward to the return of our Year 9 and 10 students to campus, and we are especially thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our five new families joining the Pymble community.

As we start this new term, we encourage our students to set goals for themselves. Whether it’s trying something new, stepping out of their comfort zone, or challenging themselves academically or personally, we believe that every experience is an opportunity for growth.

One of the key themes we’d like to emphasise this term is the importance of considering how the girls can be of service to others. Whether it’s cooking meals for Dignity, being kind and inclusive to their peers, or engaging in other acts of kindness, we encourage our students to find ways to contribute positively to the community around them.

In addition, we cannot stress enough the significance of prioritising sleep and movement in our daily lives. Adequate rest and physical activity are essential for maintaining overall health and wellbeing, and we encourage all students to make these a priority in their daily routines.

We are excited to announce that the Vision Valley residential team is fully prepared and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the second group of Year 9 students for the year. This program promises to be a fulfilling experience for the girls, and we are confident that it will be filled with unforgettable memories and valuable learning opportunities. The program is set to commence on Sunday 5 May, and we can’t wait to see the girls immerse themselves in this rewarding experience.

As always, we are here to support and guide our students every step of the way, and we look forward to working together with the girls and their families, to make this term a successful and fulfilling one for everyone.

MRS VICTORIA HARRISON HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL

Senior School Welcome

Welcome back to Term 2! I trust your daughters found some time for rest and rejuvenation over the term break.

We have some exciting events next term for the students including the Athletics Carnival, Year 12 Trivia Night, the Futures Careers Expo and the Senior School Knit In.

As you know, we launched our service activity, Days for Girls, in Term 1 and have been impressed with the number of students willing to support this wonderful group. Our workshops will run again every Wednesday at lunch time and I would encourage all girls to find time to commit to this activity.

Year 11 students will also begin their mentoring sessions with Year 5 girls and our Year 12 girls will reconnect with their buddies in Year 6. Both these

activities provide a great opportunity for our Senior student to act as mentors and guides to their younger students.

Please remember, if you are requesting early leave for your daughter to attend an appointment off campus, this request must be made to the Senior School before 8.00am that day, at the very latest.

Best wishes for a wonderful term of growth and friendship.

MRS NIKKI WYSE HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Boarding Welcome

Our boarding prefect’s theme for the year ‘watch us soar’ will certainly be on display in Term 2. Adventure abounds for our entire boarding family with time for learning, fun and the opportunity to connect and make new friends.

We start the term with a Community Weekend and look forward to welcoming the Pymble and Gordon Uniting Church congregation for our bi-annual Sunday Chapel service and brunch. It is lovely to watch the friendships that continue to grow with our boarders and this special group of locals. The morning will be preceded by our much loved ‘dance off’ on Saturday night and followed by an afternoon of games on the Sunday as the Spirit Houses go all out to win points for the Angus Cup.

National Boarders’ Week is always a highlight of our calendar and I am sure this year will not disappoint. Our prefects have a jam packed program of activities designed to celebrate all things boarding including our annual tournament of day girls verses boarders sporting matches, presentations at the various assemblies and a celebration of all things pink.

There are plenty of ways for our families to be involved too. As always, everyone is welcome to ‘Eat Like a Boarder’ on Monday when the girls return. Our Term 2 Boarder Parent Group meeting is on Tuesday 7 May, online at 7.00pm. Along with, what promises to be a fabulous weekend away in the Hawkesbury region for our boarders’ parents on the weekend of 18 and 19 May.

Of course, there is a bumper edition of the Love It program with Boarders get Baking back in full swing and plenty of opportunities in the Live It and Learn it programs. We can’t wait to get the Term started and look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday afternoon.

MRS CAROLYN BURGESS DIRECTOR OF BOARDING

Contacts

More contact details can be found online at pymblelc.nsw.edu.au, in the 2024 Student Diary and in the 2024 Parent Handbook.

ABSENTEE PROTOCOL

Absentees can be submitted via MyPymble or by calling the relevant School Office, listed above.