Keeping Up With The Boarders - Spring 2022

Boarders

Our Boarders Lead the Way

As you will read, our Spring edition of Keeping Up With Our Boarders is a celebration of all things leadership. Whether it be those with formal positions, such as our Boarding prefects, or others without a badge, our Boarders consistently demonstrate the qualities of strong and compassionate leadership. Living away from home in a large community requires our Boarders to be organised, independent, kind and considerate, and they quickly learn the art of compromise and understand the art of letting go. In short, they are amazing individuals.

This edition is also jam-packed with just some of the activities enjoyed by our Boarding family. My thanks go to our incredible staff who make the trips to the beach, the socials and multiple other expeditions possible, and

to our girls who embrace these opportunities with open arms. I hope you enjoy reading of their adventures.

My thanks also go to our Boarding families who place so much trust in sharing their precious girls with us. It is a responsibility that we treasure and a privilege beyond measure. Signing off with much gratitude and every good wish for a happy, holy and safe holiday period.

Carolyn Burgess DIRECTOR OF BOARDING

Meet our 2022/23 Boarder Prefect Team

friendships that we have made and will cherish forever.

We are looking to make a big difference to the Boarding community in 2023 and we hope to do this by focusing on three main goals:

Impact

where they’re from.

• We want to continue building on our celebration of national and cultural holidays such as the MidAutumn Festival, Thanksgiving and many more to educate girls about different cultures and their values.

OUR HEAD BOARDERS

Abigail (Abby) Ballhausen, Narromine and Amarley Bron, Taree

My name is Abby Ballhausen, I live on a farm in Narromine in New South Wales, and I have been a Boarder since Year 7.

And I am Amarley Bron. I live in Taree on the NSW mid-north coast, and I started boarding in Year 9. We are both honoured to be representing Pymble Boarding in 2023 as Head Boarders and are extremely excited to make 2023 the best year of boarding yet.

As we are both from small country towns, we are eternally grateful for the experiences we have had during our time at Pymble and have taken advantage of every opportunity presented to us.

We love boarding because it teaches girls how to be independent and resilient, which are very important skills for young women to learn. It also forces girls to go outside their comfort zone and try new things. But the main reason we love boarding is for the lifelong memories and

• We want girls in the Boarding community to be aware of the issues that are prominent in the areas that they come from. We want to use events throughout the year – such as Garden Party and Boarders’ Week – to hold market days, bake sales and more to raise awareness and funds to support our communities. We will also provide opportunities for the wider Pymble community to show their support.

• Ensure that Boarders are seen and heard in the day school and people know how amazing, diverse and talented we are.

Connections

• We want to increase the girls’ connections throughout all year groups and make sure that Boarders are confident in leaving their comfort zones and making new friends. A great way to achieve this is by increasing younger years’ involvement in the Love It program as it allows them to try new things, explore the incredible city of Sydney and have fun with girls that they may not have otherwise connected with.

• We want everyone in Boarding to feel comfortable and safe in our community to ensure no one ever feels alone.

Inclusion

• We want to ensure that girls feel included and celebrated regardless of their culture, background or

BOARDING PREFECT CO-ORDINATOR Lucy Robertson, Gunnedah

My name is Lucy Robertson and I live in Gunnedah, New South Wales. I started boarding at Pymble in Year 7 and have been so grateful for the many opportunities that have been offered to me. When I’m at school, I try to get involved in many areas that I’m interested in to make the most of my time here. This year, I’ve been involved in igsa Touch Football and Gymnastics, and I am keen for the Rugby Sevens and AFL seasons to start next year. I also enjoy music and have been in the school Chorale since Year 7.

What I love about Boarding is that it makes balancing all these things

that I do much easier. Boarding has become my place of support, especially as I’ve moved into my senior years. School has become harder for me since starting Year 12, but I feel that I have truckloads of support from Boarding staff across all the houses, as well as help from the people I board with.

I’m extremely grateful for my year group that has remained tight-knit and been my rock for motivation and encouragement throughout my school life. From my personal experience, I feel boarding has enriched my time in the day school as I have a network of friends with different interests, from different places and across age groups. This has been a core part of shaping where I am today and how I interact with others.

At the end of Term 3 this year, I was elected as Boarding Prefect Coordinator which made me and my family extremely proud. Receiving this role has made me determined to take on my new responsibilities the best I possibly can.

This is a new role which includes overseeing organisation and development of Boarding events and initiatives, coordinating prefect meetings, overseeing the Pymble Boarding social media and working to build strong connections with the Ex-Student Union. An important part of this role is sharing the many successes of our Boarding family in our ‘Did you hear about it?’ component of our Chapel services. My hope for this role is to build a cohesive Prefect team where responsibilities are shared, and teamwork is encouraged.

The best part of being a leader in Boarding is the strong connections I have already established with the other Prefects. Some upcoming plans I am working on include working with the day school Prefect coordinators

to add important Boarding dates to the school calendar, as well as organising the 2023 Boarding calendar.

The aim is that with increased communication, important day school events won’t clash with Boarding travel days or community weekends. There has also been extensive behind-the-scenes planning that I’ve been very excited to be involved in, including getting involved in the recent Links Day for the incoming Year 7s, planning a Thanksgiving dinner for Boarders at the end of the month and organising our special end of term Chapel service where we will farewell Mrs Shaw and Mr Stewart who have dedicated so much to Boarding over the years.

Even though this is just the start of what I hope to accomplish as a Boarding Prefect, it has been a great introduction to see how we will work together and how I can best facilitate planning so things run smoothly.

As Prefect Coordinator, I know there are so many exciting initiatives that all the Prefects in their specific areas would like to bring to Boarding, so I hope to make sure that many of these wonderful things are brought to life in the best way possible. I am so keen for my last year here at Pymble, and I can’t wait to work with many different people from across the College to make sure Boarding life is the best it can be.

BOARDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PREFECT

Indi Tishler, Lightning Ridge

My name is Indi Tishler, and I am from Lightning Ridge, a small town nine and a half hours north-west of Sydney. It is the home of black opal, and my parents are opal miners. My family lives on a 400-acre property just out of town called Baroona.

I have two siblings, Jett and Xhana, two dogs, Manny and Saidie, as well as a one-year-old pig named Winnie, a two-month-old piglet named Bonnie and two birds named Buck and Mabon.

I love living in Lightning Ridge. The small community is amazing, and everyone supports one another. When I am home, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, going out to work with Mum and Dad and riding the motorbikes. I miss the white mountains of opal dirt, the red ridges and the brilliant colours of the sunrises and sunsets. I do miss home; however, I love Boarding here at Pymble. The Boarding community is amazing to be a part of and I have truly made some lifelong best friends and sisters.

My role as the 2023 Boarding Community Engagement Prefect involves working collaboratively

alongside the Boarding Leadership Team to encourage participation in Boarding life. Furthermore, I have a particular responsibility in providing leadership and support in matters relating to the diverse environment in which we live. Lastly, like all the Prefects, I am responsible for promoting and fostering school spirit and the College values – Care, Courage, Integrity, Respect and Responsibility.

Throughout my role as Community Engagement Prefect, I aspire to have a positive impact and continue to improve the Boarding environment for all girls to feel welcomed and have their voices heard. I will strive to do this by encouraging a range of activities with different year groups, organising socials with other schools and ensuring every girl feels welcomed and included.

I live in Birchgrove, near Balmain, and have recently been spending most of my time in the Gold Coast. My family consists of my dad John, my mum Tania, my older brother Jack and my dog Ed.

When I’m at home, I enjoy going to the beach every day and seeing my family and friends. Joining Boarding was one of the best decisions I’ve made as I have made so many new connections across the Pymble community. It’s also awesome to learn where all the other boarders come from and be educated about other aspects of life from all over Australia and the world.

As the Sports and Arts Prefect for 2023, I aim to recognise and acknowledge all the amazing talents and achievements across our Boarding community. I will implement thorough initiatives to encourage physical activity and a love of the Arts, such as Boarder sporting teams and ceramics classes.

I will also work with Mrs White, House Staff and the Spirit House Captains to plan and implement activities for the Angus Cup and other community days within our Boarding calendar, as well as coordinating relay and sporting teams for the Swimming and Athletics Carnival.

BOARDING HOUSE LIAISON PREFECT

Isabelle Francis, Forbes

Hi, my name is Isabelle Francis and I’m the Boarding House Liaison Prefect for 2023. I’m currently a Year 12 Boarder at Pymble but am originally from Forbes, NSW. I started at Pymble in Year 9 and have enjoyed my time here immensely. I play several sports including Rugby Sevens, AFL, Touch Football and I’ve even had the opportunity to play club rugby outside of school which has been a very positive experience for me.

BOARDING SPORT AND THE ARTS PREFECT

Lauren Purkis, Birchgrove and the Gold Coast

I’m Lauren and I’ve been boarding at Pymble since Term 4 in Year 9. I was a day girl from Terms 1 to 3 but quickly understood that travelling two hours to school and a further two hours home wasn’t the best idea.

Another event I really want to ramp up this year is Boarders’ Week by increasing participation from both day girls and Boarders to help show the spirit here at Pymble. I will also work to provide a range of opportunities for Boarders to showcase their talents, including organising a schedule of performances in fortnightly Chapel services where girls can share their talents amongst their Boarding sisters.

I am really looking forward to 2023 and working alongside the other Boarding Prefects to make it an amazing year for everyone.

One of the things I love about Pymble Boarding is how supportive and caring the community is. The Boarding staff are always here to support us and act as role models for us while we’re living away from home. I also love being able to spend every day with my fellow Boarding sisters who I consider some of my best friends.

As Boarding House Liaison Prefect, I provide a link between the three boarding houses with both the staff and Boarders. I act as a passage of communication working closely with Heads of Year to establish goals and organise events. Some events and initiatives I work closely with include those specifically related to Years 7 to 11, such as Links Day and Boarding Family Friends events.

I also play an important role in the Big Sister program which includes organising the Big Sister/Little Sister events each term. I’m very passionate about ensuring our new Year 7 Boarders have a mentor during their first year at Pymble to whom they can go to for support. This program allows the new girls to feel at home and provides them with a helping hand while they transition from Junior School to Middle School while being away from home for the first time.

Some goals I have for my leadership role include a reformulation of the Big Sister program to help foster better relationships between the older and younger students. As COVID-19 impacted many things throughout our Boarding community over the last two years, some of these connections have been lost.

I hope to be able to bring some enthusiasm and excitement back into the Big Sister program as restrictions ease and we can spend time with other Boarders in different years. The program is a very important part of the Pymble Boarding community and I hope to make it the best it can be for the new Year 7s coming in 2023.

BOARDING WELLBEING PREFECT

Macey Leahy, Cootamundra

My name is Macey Leahy and I’m a Year 12 Boarder here at the College.

I live on a farm with cropping and livestock about four hours southwest of Sydney near the town of Cootamundra.

Living in the country is an experience many don’t have the privilege of experiencing and I’m glad to be living in a small part of our big country where the land runs for many kilometres. My knowledge is expanded through the everyday life of living on land with my family doing things some never get the chance to do.

Since I joined Pymble in Year 9, Boarding has provided me with exceptional opportunities to strive in all aspects of my life. I have appreciated both the physical and educational aspects of the College including Rowing, Football, Rugby Sevens and many leadership opportunities.

I think Pymble is the perfect place to learn when coming from the country. Everyone always asks what it’s like living so far away and how things work in the farming industry, and it’s ironic that sometimes I’m the one teaching the teachers.

Two of the things I love most about

Boarding is the huge campus, therefore often having the chance to get outside and be active, and the wide range of opportunities given to the students, especially the activities planned out for us in the Love It program, the fun weekends – like where we get to visit Wet n Wildand all the social events with other schools.

I am the 2023 Boarding Wellbeing Prefect and am looking forward to developing opportunities to enhance the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of our Boarding family. I want to support the Boarders in developing a strong sense of self and support them in enhancing their participation in all the opportunities on offer to them.

I am keen to encourage them to engage in activities to improve their physical health and I have an important role in providing feedback on our Boarding menu. I am keen to take on projects, such as the kindness project, to support our Boarders in finding a deeper understanding of the value of acts of kindness in contributing to their wellbeing. Similarly, I am keen to promote the value of gratitude amongst our Boarders, and recently enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving with our Boarding family. I want to provide as many opportunities as I can to assist the Boarders in looking out for one another and making lifelong positive memories.

Hop on Board for Boarding

ISABELLE FRANCIS, FORBES

On Friday 28 October, twelve very excited Year 6s joined us for the Year 7 2023 Links Day, part of our Hop on Board for Boarding program. This day can be nerveracking but is also a very exciting day for the newest members of our Boarding family.

The day started with an 8.00am drop-off at Marden House where the girls said goodbye to their parents and hello to their new Big Sisters and Marden Boarding Staff. At 8:15am, the girls headed to the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts for a fun-filled day at school with all the Year 7 2023 day girls. This is an opportunity for the Year 6s to get to know the day girls in their year as well as experience what the Pymble school day will look like.

At 3:20pm, the girls came back to Marden House and had a taste of our routine with afternoon tea in the Marden kitchen followed by Boarders Get Baking with their Big Sisters. Mrs Wiedemann had planned a special activity of making rocky road with their

own personalised label, and all the girls enjoyed the obligatory milkshakes!

But the fun didn’t end there – the Spirit House Captains organised a scavenger hunt designed to help the new Boarders find the extra special spots around their new backyard, followed by dinner and a swim. After a huge day and an anticipated early morning ahead, everyone was ready to unwind with a movie and an early night.

The girls were awoken the next morning to the hustle and bustle and delicious aromas of Mrs Burgess and Mardi cooking pancakes for the newest residents. Once they were well fed, the girls set off to complete placement tests before heading home with their parents later in the day.

The girls all seemed to enjoy the time getting to know each other and their new Big Sisters. We are super excited to properly welcome them to the Boarding family next year in January!

Arnhem Land Immersion

ASPEN MOORE, DUBBO

In September, I had an amazing opportunity to spend a week, alongside 30 other students, in Arnhem Land which is located at the very top of the Northern Territory. This immersion was very special for me, especially because I am a proud Malynyappa and Kunja woman.

Throughout the entire trip, we were able to learn about and experience the Yolngu Nation’s culture through knowledgeable elders such as Heather. We learnt about kinship, lore, fishing, language, painting, weaving and the beauty of patience in a slow-paced environment. The Yolngu people didn’t use time, instead they used the positioning of the sun in the sky. This shows their deep connection with country as they are not only physically connected to the land, but also spiritually.

The Yolngu people welcomed us with open arms through a ceremonial welcome which included placing ochre on our foreheads and hair. Elder Heather was extremely rich in knowledge, and I loved learning from her about the Yolngu foundation and kinship. I learnt that everything in the Yolngu world was divided into two moieties: Dhuwa and Yirritja. These two groups existed in balance with each other. She also taught us about

how they speak multiple languages, one including sign language. These teachings occurred in an open environment on the beach which was very calming and relaxing.

Our dinners were also very delicious. My favourite dish was definitely the fresh crab that was caught earlier that day by the men. Two of our First Nations girls were lucky enough to be chosen to watch the crab be prepared and talk to the people from the community about their experiences, which they said was an amazing experience. We would eat our dinners around a bonfire every night whilst learning from Heather about astrology. On our last night we had the privilege to join in on a ceremony and watch traditional dances whilst performing our own dances and singing to the elders.

Even though we were on Yolngu country, I still felt a huge connection to the people there, especially Heather who was so rich in knowledge and was willing to educate us about country, their beliefs and how their mob lives through kinship and their cultural lores. Speaking to my First Nations sisters who came along on the trip, we were all amazed by how rich in culture and knowledgeable the

Yolngu people are, which is amazing but also a little emotional as it made us realise how much we had lost.

However, after that emotional awakening, we all agreed that we felt a fire in our belly to learn and know more about what our own mob have left and try to educate ourselves, our people and the wider community, as that’s the only way we can connect to our identity and keep our culture alive. The whole experience was amazing and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience.

Our Boarders’ Representative Council Our new Spirit House Captains

ABIGAIL BALLHAUSEN, NARROMINE AMARLEY BRON, TAREE

Boarder voice is super important in helping us maintain a happy, healthy home where wellbeing is a priority. There are a variety of forums in which our Boarders can provide feedback and, most significantly, our Boarders’ Representative Council (BRC) is key in amplifying students’ voices and enhancing the boarding experience for all.

As Head Boarders and Chairs of the BRC, Amarley and I really enjoyed working with this group of girls as it is a great way to make a difference within the Boarding community and to hear the diverse views of our people. The BRC also provide a wonderful opportunity for Boarders to develop their leadership skills and give back to our Boarding family.

There are two BRC representatives from each year group and these girls have the responsibility of representing the views of their cohort and feeding back outcomes from matters raised. Some examples include suggestions for the Love It and Learn It programs, feedback on the menu and providing suggestions that have been gathered in the weekly House meetings. Our incredible BRC leaders for the 2023 year are:

Year 7: Phoebe Pockley and Sienna Melton

Year 8: Phoebe Roberts and Rose Kirkby

Year 9: Alethea Levy and Evie Leahy

Year 10: Aspen Moore and Hannah Thornton

Our Boarding community is a tight-knit family who enjoy the company of girls from around the world, but primarily country New South Wales. While the day school has membership to eight Houses, our Boarders are members of one of four of these Houses, known as Spirit Houses – Goodlet, Marden, Hammond and Lang.

There are two Spirit House Captains for each Spirit House, and these girls are charged with engaging the entire Boarding community in the various events and activities that take place throughout the year, in addition to promoting and fostering school spirit and the College values – care, courage, integrity, respect and responsibility.

Spirit House Captains are Year 11 Boarders who are elected by their peers and have a tenure of one year. These Boarders have many responsibilities, including working closely with the Chaplains to plan for and lead fortnightly Chapel services, planning and assisting in running community days and Angus Cup activities and leading our Tuesday Spirit House Circles. We are all grateful to the following girls who have been elected as Spirit House Captains for 2023:

Goodlet: Skye Pockley and Holly Craig

Hammond: Andie Hodder and Rori Lemon

Lang: Victoria Burton and Charlotte Leung Marden: Erica Williams and Giaan Jackson

Big Sisters are the Best

CAROLYN BURGESS

We treasure all our Boarders, but our Year 7 cohort are extra special, bringing the vitality and sparkle of new girls about to embark on their first experience of Secondary School.

For Year 7, it is a year of firsts – the first time away from home, the first time in Secondary School and perhaps their first mobile phone. Our Big Sisters have an important role in supporting and encouraging these girls as they negotiate their new life as a Boarder. They demonstrate empathy and act as friends and mentors, helping to make the transition to Boarding as smooth as possible.

I am delighted to announce our Big Sisters for 2023:

Lola Barwick

Alice Beveridge

Phoebe Bucknell

Hannah Carmichael

Mia Chambers

Holly Craig

Ella Graham

Imogen Hawkins

Sophie Laing

Gina Lau

Evie Leahy

Dezi Magann-Jones

Siena Novak

Grace Peters

Nandika Singh

Hannah Weber

Flood Fundraiser

ABIGAIL BALLHAUSEN, NARROMINE

As you will read further on in this edition of Keeping Up With Our Boarders, most of our Boarders have been affected in one way or another by the ongoing flooding in country New South Wales. Whether that’s because of a flooded property and the loss of crops and livestock being stranded in flood waters or stuck on high ground unable to be moved, to isolation from facilities and resources, it has been an extremely difficult time for our families.

With the intent of raising much-needed funds, our Year 12 Prefects led a cupcake and pink lemonade stall. The event was a great success, and we are excited to share that we raised over $850.00 which was donated to GIVIT, an organisation that purchases essential items and services such as clothing, washing machines, school shoes and much more for flood victims across New South Wales.

In addition to this initiative, we are planning a textbook sale to raise more funds. We are grateful to our Year 12 2022 Boarders who donated their books to be put up for sale, and we hope to raise more funds for this worthy cause.

Our Fabulous Footballers

We couldn’t be prouder of Allyana (Ally) and Alethea (Lethy) Levy who were selected to represent NSW Country at the National Youth Football Championships in September. Lethy had the additional honour of captaining NSW Country, leading her team to victory against Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, with their only loss coming against Western Australia.

Both girls played some amazing football and represented NSW Country with exceptional determination and pride. As testament to their dedication and skill, both the girls have also been named in the Girls 15s NSW Country Futsal team for Nationals in January!

As an additional honour, Lethy has been selected to play in the Girls’ Youth team representing the International Football Group Australia at the 2022 Fiji Soccer Cup. Australia is represented with players from New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia and Lethy is in the mix as a fabulous player. She will travel to Fiji on Tuesday 29 November and return on Tuesday 6 December. We can’t wait to hear about her success!

CAROLYN BURGESS KRISTINA PILKINGTON

Meet our Pymble Cadet Captain

My name is Kristina Pilkington, and I am currently a Year 12 Boarder and Cadet Captain. I’m responsible for the Pymble Ladies’ College Cadet Unit and am also a figurehead prefect for the Unit. I run cadet-related activities and ceremonies including ANZAC Day parades, Remembrance Day ceremonies, passing out parades and participate in many other activities such as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

I plan and conduct camps with my leadership team and interconnect our school’s Cadet Unit with other schools‘ units. I have been with the Australian Army Cadets since the end of Year 7, so this is currently my fifth year of being part of this school-run activity. Being the leader of a student-run activity, I enjoy spending Monday afternoons teaching the younger cadets the traditions and roles of representing the Australian Army.

Meet our Head of Year, Mrs Holly Burke

LUCY ROBERTSON, GUNNEDAH

Holly joined Pymble Boarding as Head of Year 11 in Term 2 this Year and has settled into Goodlet House so much so that it feels like she’s been here for much longer. She lives in Goodlet with her husband Mitch and their gorgeous puppy Scout, and makes all Boarders feel welcomed and at home with her bubbly personality, caring heart and constant smile.

Not only has Holly given so much to Boarding in so little time, but she is also a tremendous role model and an endless rock of support if stress levels are high or if we are missing home. I sat down with Holly to find out a bit more about her life and interests, which of course just turned into a nice long chat because it’s Holly - it’s impossible not to enjoy talking to her.

Holly’s interests are crocheting random things (mostly toys and blankets) and hiking, which she and Mitch enjoy either up the coast or down by the beaches.

“We’re pretty much homebody people though, honestly. I would say my puppy, Scout, is my primary interest now,” Holly said.

Holly’s favourite books range from fantasy novels like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time series. She is also studying theology and reads lots of biblical books. When she was in school, she enjoyed playing tennis and her top subjects were maths, art and physics.

“I had a good school experience and a good group of friends,” Holly said. “It was a very chill, very undramatic experience.”

After high school, Holly completed her master’s degree in architecture and worked as an architect.

“Even though I did all my studies and graduated with a master’s degree in architecture, I’d always do camps on the side. I think I did three weeks straight of high school camps in the holidays one year, came back architecture and just asked myself, ‘What am I doing with my life?’” Holly said.

After stepping away from architecture, Holly discovered what her true passions were, saying she found working with teenagers “so much more fulfilling” than designing toilets and stairwells. She then got into youth work and worked at a high school for a few years.

“I needed a sea change, so I ended up working with a youth outreach organisation and in a local high school. A few years later, I then worked in a medium-sized church and primary school. It was a wonderful period, but I realised I just really missed teenagers – so started looking around again and found myself looking at Pymble,” Holly said.

When I asked what her highlights of settling into Pymble were, Holly talked about how nice of a place it is here.

“It’s a beautiful place – beautiful grounds, which is great for letting Scout roam free, kind of. At least on the hockey field,” Holly said.

Other highlights include her working environment with the other Goodlet staff, especially Kate who is Head of Year 10. Holly says she’s just happy to be here and is in for the ride when it comes to Pymble Boarding.

“I don’t have any strict career goals; I’m just hoping we, as Boarding staff, can see each of the students as individuals and care for each of them. Everyone’s so unique, and so to me I think the best job we can do is to see everyone as who they are individually,” Holly said.

We are so glad that Holly has joined us here at Pymble. We love having her around and are so excited to see her working with more year groups as they move into Goodlet House in the years to come.

Pymble Boarders Celebrate Diwali

NANDIKA SINGH

Diwali, which fell on 24 October, is the celebration of the triumph of good and the defeat of evil and was celebrated by all the Boarders. Everyone got involved in a variety of activities and got to eat many sweet treats, too.

We made traditional Indian decorations and patterns with ground rice, also known as rangolis, as we learned about many Indian traditions around this. We got to hear about the story of Diwali and its cultural significance for me and some of the staff members, but I’m sure the favourite part of the whole day for all the Boarders was eating delicious Gulab jamuns, a beloved Indian dessert

consisting of fried balls of dough, and jalebis, a spiralshaped crisp, for dessert.

At the end of the day, our Boarding Liaison Officer Neha and I placed Diyas (candles) all around the front of Marden House to symbolise light over dark and continue popular Diwali traditions.

I really enjoyed Diwali celebrations this year, and it meant a lot to me that my culture was celebrated in such an amazing way. I am so grateful for what everyone did to make it so special.

Our Pink Ladies

Clare Ferreira – Year 7

Clare Ferreira and her family are wonderful Pink Ladies for our youngest Boarders. With offers of sleepovers, lifts to sport and regular offerings of treats, this special Year 7 goes out of her way to make things easy for her fellow Year 7 Boarders. We were able to repay some of Clare’s hospitality when she joined us for a sleepover in Marden House and we hope this will be the first of many visits.

Sarah Baker – Year 10

CAROLYN BURGESS ABIGAIL

BALLHAUSEN, NARROMINE

Sarah is a very kind, generous and supportive friend who would do anything to brighten someone’s day. A couple of weeks ago for the Boarders’ flood fundraiser, Sarah bought all the Oreos and cookie decorations that were put on top of our cupcakes and baked a huge batch of cupcakes for the event which sold out in 15 minutes! Thank you so much, Sarah. We are so grateful for everything you do for us Boarders.

Mr Jack Pennington

PHILIPPA AUSTIN, COWRA

Jack Pennington is the chief in charge of the Health and Fitness Centre and has always been extremely passionate and supportive of everyone that walks through the glass doors. The Year 12 Boarders particularly would like to recognise Jack for the support that he has offered throughout the school year, helping us destress when trials became too overwhelming and get our health on track when we dropped the ball during assessments. Jack never fails to make us laugh and is always pushing us to hit that last rep. His foghorn attracts the attention of the whole gym and, no matter the day or the circumstance, Jack is always up at the crack of dawn and willing to stay behind after the gym has closed for a quick round of boxing so that our sports stars can make the most out of their time in the gym.

Jack always has his door open and is ready to write a new program or even just have a chat. Thank you, Jack, for always going above and beyond to keep our spirits high and challenging us constantly to be the best version of ourselves

Pink Ladies are special people who enhance the lives of our Boarders in a multitude of ways. These are our choices for the last two terms.

The Margaret Brooke ‘Brooksie’ Award

The ‘Brooksie’ is awarded in the final Chapel service at the end of each term to a Boarder who exemplifies the spirit of a tenacious, courageous, compassionate and giving woman. In this edition, we are celebrating our Term 3 and Term 4 Brooksie recipients: Year 12 2022 Boarder

Amelia (Milly) Browning and Year 12 2023 Boarder Georgina (‘G’) Pechan.

Georgina (‘G’) Pechan Milly Browning

Milly joined us when she was in Year 8, and it has been a privilege to see her go from strength to strength over the last five years. Despite her many talents, Milly has always been happy to shine the spotlight on someone else, brushing off well-deserved praise with a soft laugh and an ‘aw, shucks’ approach. This humility, along with her absolute gentleness, are true strengths.

She is unfailingly kind, always seeing the best in people, and her quiet sense of humour has gifted many a smile. Milly also has beautiful manners and sharing good fortune, such as the delivery of delicious cinnamon scrolls without a second thought, is one of her trademarks.

Milly is also a talented sportswoman, and I have no doubt that we will see her excelling in AFL if this is the path she chooses to take. In the meantime, I wish Milly every success as she heads off to the United Kingdom in 2023 to take up a role as a gap staff member. I know she will shine in this role and her charges will love her as much as we do.

‘G’ joined us from her tropical island home of Vanuatu in 2021 and has quickly become an integral part of our Boarding family, bringing joy and sunshine with her wherever she goes. She is kind, generous and compassionate - consistently willing to lend a helping hand around the house or to her peers in various tasks - and always makes people feel loved by offering to make them a cup of tea.

G is diligent and hardworking, has an extraordinary gift of creativity, checks in with the people around her and has a remarkable ability to make her Boarding sisters feel heard and cared for. Her warm personality never fails to make you smile, and her joy is infectious and always brightens the room. G could not be more deserving of being presented with the Brooksie Award - we are so glad to have her as part of our Boarding family!

Saying Farewell to Goodlet

IMOGEN HAWKINS, BUDERIM

As a farewell to our lovely Year 12 Big Sisters, all the Boarders enjoyed a traditional Goodlet dinner on the verandah. We sat along one long table as a sisterhood, presenting hilarious awards, adorable gifts and enjoying our last meal together as a house.

We will miss the Year 12 girls dearly. They have been role models for so many of us and shared advice within Boarding that we will all take with us throughout the years to come. As our older sisters move into Lang House, we know they will not be forgotten, their achievements will be told and they will accomplish big things both next year and into the future.

A Friend to Boarding

CAROLYN BURGESS

Mr Allan Stewart has been a fabulous friend to our Boarding family in so many ways. He led the refurbishment of our Boarding Houses which commenced four years ago, including luxuries such as adjustable lighting, loads of storage and, of course, designer style. It was his determination and commitment to quality that ensured that our Boarding homes are comfortable, functional and highly appealing, and we are thankful for his efforts every day.

Not only has Mr Stewart made us happy at home, but he also works hard to ensure the food we have in Boarding is delicious and nutritious. Midway through last year, he led the process of selecting our new catering suppliers.

Throughout this extensive process, Mr Stewart placed our Boarders at the forefront of his decision making, constantly emphasising the importance of an excellent offering for the girls who live on site. Even now the selection process has been completed, he still has an active role in monitoring and providing feedback on food and responding to our Boarder food chat on a regular basis.

We are also grateful to Mr Stewart for so much more, including his oversight of traffic, security and the beautiful grounds that make life at Pymble so wonderful.

Where are they now: Fiona Dalton

FIONA DALTON

I grew up in Newcastle in the 1970s and near Merewether Beach in the early 80s, and it was a very happy childhood. When I was 15, my parents asked me if I would like to spend my final two years of school at Pymble as a boarder, given my Mum was a Pymble girl in the 50s. Always being up for an adventure, I said yes.

And so, in 1983, we packed the car and drove to Sydney for the start of a two-year journey that fundamentally changed the course of my life.

I remember being quite homesick for a few weeks; however, the Year 11 Boarders in Lang House were incredibly welcoming. I was grateful for their friendship with so many new rules to learn. Some of those girls are still my closest friends nearly 40 years later, and together we’ve laughed, cried, loved, supported and lived. In those days, the Year 8 to 10s still slept out on the balcony – thankfully, I was spared that. Our beds were to be changed weekly and we were given one fresh sheet to perform the task. The rule was top to the bottom and the bottom one out.

Life at Pymble as a boarder suited me, and I thrived. The academic standard was much higher than I was used to,

and I probably didn’t work as hard as I should have, but there was always so much to do. I loved playing sport at Pymble and was quite involved in Netball. At the end of Year 11, the school announced the office bearers for Year 12. I didn’t think being a prefect would be an option for me, as I thought only girls that had been at the school for longer than a year could be chosen.

However, I was chosen, and no one was more surprised than me. Being a prefect has had a profound impact on me. It was the first time in my life that I realised I was capable of much more than I thought, and I was so proud to be entrusted with such an honour. I ended my schooling years with the inaugural Senior School Entrance Award, many happy memories, a good grade and a swag of pals I’ve been so grateful to call my lifelong friends.

Looking back, the environment at Pymble helped me to become resilient and independent. As a result, my career has never been defined by my gender, nor has my gender defined my career. The world didn’t owe me a living; I knew I had to carve out my own. I know I am tenacious, and I know I owe that to Pymble

Upon leaving school, I deferred my place at university to study geology and serendipitously got a job in stockbroking. More to allow me the option to remain living in Sydney than because I was passionate about finance, but it opened many doors that, over the next few years, led to becoming a trader with Rothschild.

I was the only female bullion trader in the southern hemisphere in the late 80s at the tender age of 21. I worked the graveyard shift, as it was called, from 4.00am till about 1.00pm each

day. From Sydney, I went to work for Rothschild in London, still in bullion, working through a challenging and volatile time that included the Gulf War.

I had a fantastic career in investment banking; however, it wasn’t my passion. Travel had stolen my heart, so I started again at age 26 in travel and tourism, and over the last 29 years, I have worked my way into some relatively senior roles. I’ve been the GM of Sales for Qantas Holidays, the Managing Director for Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, the CEO of The Travel Corporation and currently, in my favourite role of all, the General Manager for Australia and New Zealand for Virtuoso, the world’s largest luxury travel community.

I’m also a Non-Executive Director of Destination Sydney Surrounds and North, the tourism region that spans from Port Stephens in the north to the Upper Hunter, Lower Hunter and Central Coast in the south. I’m excited to play my part in giving back to the visitor economy in my spiritual and childhood heartland over the next few years.

From the record-breaking heights of 2019, the pandemic has hit our industry probably the hardest of all sectors. It’s been an incredibly tough time for travel and tourism operators. The world came to a standstill, our borders were shut and many tourism businesses forcibly could not trade. Over 60 per cent of employees across the industry were stood down and had to find work in other sectors, and a lot subsequently have not returned. Many travel and tourism businesses did not survive, and the uncertainty meant many previously successful small business owners lost their livelihoods. It’s been both heartbreaking and devastating to watch.

We knew that travel would bounce back, we just didn’t know when. The pent-up demand was extraordinary,

and wow, since the border has reopened the industry recovery is in full swing. Despite the current economic and inflationary fears, forward bookings for outbound travel are solid and Australians are back out exploring the world again. The silver lining from the pandemic for me is that newfound love we all have for Australia and a chance to rethink, putting conscious and purposeful travel first.

Often the tourism industry gets a bad rap. We’re frequently seen as counterproductive to sustainability goals and a large contributor to climate change. There’s always a view that over-tourism results in overcrowding and damage at the world’s most sacred sites.

But I know that travel can be a force for good. With a tread lightly approach to how we travel, we can easily see the difference travel can make – on the planet, on animal conservation and our people. By travelling, you’re investing in local economies, helping preserve ancient cultures and artisans’ crafts and aiding wildlife protection. Making a difference is as easy as choosing a knowledgeable advisor who can help guide you on eco and sustainable tourism options and support you to offset your travel arrangements purposefully.

Travel also helps us be better humans. Travellers are, overall, more understanding, more tolerant, and more embracing of cultural diversity, and travel plays an important role in teaching us acceptance.

As for me, coinciding with the pandemic, I took nine months away from full-time work in 2020 to finally attend university. I studied full-time and completed a master’s in Business Administration with a major in Managing and Leading People at SCU. I graduated in June 2022.

Despite being involved in leadership

over the last decade, my MBA has given me the confidence and completeness in the workplace I knew I was missing. At times I admit I felt the all too familiar imposter syndrome, believing I wasn’t worthy of success without qualifications. I think I’ve always regretted not going to university straight after school, but now that I have my post-grad degree, I am finally at peace. I know now that I am more than worthy and, in fact, always was.

More recently, I’ve been actively mentoring the next generation of leaders across the travel industry and spent three years volunteering on the board of a mentoring not-for-profit called TIME (Travel Industry Mentor Experience). I get great personal satisfaction from mentoring the bright, capable, ambitious cohort coming through the industry today, and I know the industry will be in good hands.

And finally, my most important role of all: I am the proudest mum to Alistair (23) and Lucy (20). I’ve been a single Mum since they were 5 and 2 and supporting them to grow up and find their place in the world has been my greatest privilege. That I could also offer Lucy the gift of a Pymble education was an important moment for me as a parent. As the generations continue, I know Pymble will always hold a very special place in our family.

Mamma Mia!

ELLA GRAHAM, PORT MACQUARIE

My name is Ella Graham, and I am a 16-year-old girl who recently started here at Pymble. I was privileged enough to be welcomed into the Pymble family at the start of Term 3.

I have since experienced many exciting events such as socials with brother schools, beach picnics and trips to Luna Park with my peers. But one of my favourite highlights I’ve experienced so far was the Mamma Mia night at the Warrawee Club.

The Mamma Mia night was very entertaining and enjoyable for everyone involved. Four very talented people dressed up to look and sound just like the original ABBA band. The group was amazing, the dance floor was packed and they got all the girls really involved.

It was a great opportunity for Boarding families to get to know one another, and it also allowed Boarders to have a fun, stress-free night with their family and friends. I know I certainly had a ball as my friends and I were right at the front where the music was loud, the lights were

bright and the vibe was electric (though our eardrums may not have been so grateful)!

At the beginning of the night, Mrs B announced she was going to hand out a few awards for various things, one of which was the award for the best dad dancer. When I heard this, I knew straight away that my dad had a very good chance of winning this.

I grabbed him, we hit the dance floor and we stayed there the whole night hoping to catch Mrs B’s attention. I was so embarrassed because my dad is such a bad dancer, and he wasn’t afraid to make it known to everyone how bad he was. I’m hoping he doesn’t read this!

We danced the night away to all the great ABBA tunes! Dad also got to share the night with one of his good mates, Denzel (Grace’s dad). Dad and Denzel danced, sang and laughed and we all had the best time. Thank you so much to the Boarding staff for organising this amazing night.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋快乐!

CATRINA KONG

On Tuesday 6 September 2022, the Boarders celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Festival), one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture with a history dating back over 3,000 years. It is usually held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month in the Chinese calendar.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was derived from the custom of worshiping the moon in autumn to thank it for the harvest. In modern times, people mainly celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival as a time for family reunions. It is said the moon is the brightest and roundest on this day, which has come to mean family reunion. It is celebrated in many traditional ways, including enjoying a dinner with the whole family, eating mooncakes, playing with lanterns and mainly enjoying the company of your family.

There are many myths surrounding the Mid-Autumn Festival, the famous ones being Chang’e (also known as Moon Goddess) and the Jade Rabbit. Chang’e’s story began when Hou Yi, the husband of Chang’e, was rewarded with an elixir of immortality by the Queen when he shot down nine of the ten suns and saved people from their smouldering heat.

He then asked Chang’e to keep the elixir safe for him so they could drink it together later. Unexpectedly, one mid-autumn day while Hou Yi was out hunting, an evil person tried to force Chang’e to hand over the elixir.

Chang’e swallowed the elixir but flew higher and higher into the air.

She then chose the moon as her immortal abode with the Jade Rabbit as her lifelong companion, and to be close to her beloved husband and look down on him on Earth. Hou Yi was very sad and made sacrifices to Chang’e with incense, mooncakes and fruits. Along with the legend, the custom of worshipping the moon on Mid-Autumn Day has been passed down from generation to generation.

Even though we were a few days earlier than the official date (10 September 2022), Boarders enjoyed the lantern riddle activity and a wonderful feast finishing with traditional mooncakes.

Hosted by Year 12 2023 girls Catrina Kong and Celine Hu, all the Boarders gathered around Marden Lawn and attempted to guess the riddles that were hung under beautiful traditional Chinese paper lanterns. After the activity, we all proudly paraded our lanterns as we headed to the Dining Hall for a wonderful feast and mooncakes.

We learnt about the famous myths of Chang’e and the Jade Rabbit and the rich history behind the Moon Festival. The girls also had a personal lesson by our resident Boarding staff member Holly about how to hold chopsticks.

Keeping up with Hannah: Floods

HANNAH WEBER, WALGETT

The above stanza from the poem My Country really sums up what a lot of rural Australia has experienced over the last few years, including my hometown and district.

Walgett is currently experiencing major flooding. It’s a slow-moving flood that has drowned 95 per cent of my parents’ winter crops. Rivers are an amazing source of life, however when they spill, the flooding takes over the land with devastating consequences.

I admire how farmers change, adapt and regroup after natural disasters. Their passion and commitment

to producing food and fibre for Australia is very understated. Just imagine the positive changes and flow on effects that would happen if Australians preferred and purchased local food and fibre instead of cheap imports.

Walgett is situated on the junction of two rivers, the Namoi and the Barwon. The Namoi River is fed from Tamworth, Gunnedah, Narrabri and Pilliga rainfall, whilst the Barwon River is fed from Moree and surrounds, flows towards Collarenebri and then onto Walgett.

Once the two rivers meet, the Namoi then becomes the Barwon, and the newly replenished Barwon then cruises downstream towards Brewarrina, Bourke, Louth and Tilpa, and forms the Murray-Darling basin. Along the way, the Castlereagh, Macquarie and Bogan rivers join in, and by the time the Barwon reaches Bourke, it has turned into the Darling River.

It’s been a very busy second half of the year, indeed. Mum and Dad did a practice trip to Menindee in their

“I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains.”

From My Country written by Dorothea Mackellar

caravan, my sister Lizzy graduated from Armidale University and my brother George is now a fully qualified WesTrac diesel mechanic. Our crops grew magnificently, although there was probably a bit too much rainfall. We grew canola, wheat, barley, chickpeas and faba beans. As I write this, the only crop that is not totally under water is the canola.

During the Term 3 holidays, I checked how the crops were holding up to the wet season – using a kayak. Dad also got the clay target thrower out and we had a family competition. Morton, my Jack Russell, loves the water, however because he has very short legs, we bought him a life vest to help him stay afloat.

The horses are completely over the flood and insects, and its hard work keeping the home-made insect repellent applied to their legs and faces. My recipe for ‘jungle juice’ is to use equal parts of Dettol, baby oil and methylated spirits, pour it into a trigger spray bottle and shake it really well before spraying it onto yourself, the horses, dogs and chooks.

Mum’s vegetable garden is going great, and her latest new-found skill is making beetroot relish - it’s so good! There are new batches of chickens in the chook yard, and it will be interesting to see how the cute little black and red Anconas grow up. Dad is checking crops and water levels and delivering supplies to neighbours by chartering a helicopter.

I am looking forward to Bivouac Cadet Camp at Holsworthy Barracks on 4 December, but then it’s time to work. My Christmas holidays will most likely be spent trying to salvage what crops the floods have left for us.

Obviously, the quality of the grain will not be the best and trying to cart it back to our grain storage is going to be interesting. During Christmas, it’s a good opportunity to think about others who have had a tough time throughout the year. There are many people who lost their homes to flood waters, and even their lives. Losing our crops is terrible, but at least we have a moisture soil profile for next year’s crops.

Loving Love It

KATIE WHITE

The Love It program has been super busy in the back half of the year. We kicked off this term with a twilight music festival in Wahroonga Park and it was so great to meet up with our Boarder friends from Knox and enjoy the delights of the food vans and the music from Jellybean Jam.

One of the most popular activities this term has been the Friday fish and chip dinners at the beach. Every Friday, one year group is offered the opportunity to venture off site and take a dip in the cool ocean then share a meal together, with Balmoral being the destination of choice as the girls love the vibe.

This term, we once again looked at creating lots of social opportunities for the Boarders with pizza evenings, trivia nights and sports afternoons - it has been quite the social term. The Year 10s enjoyed their dance with Shore School in addition to a spook-fest Halloween event at Newington.

The Year 12s and the Year 9s both enjoyed their own trivia nights with Riverview. A big thanks to our Spirit House Captains who did the hard work behind the scenes to write the questions and organise the finer details to ensure these events ran smoothly.

Our Year 9s were also lucky enough to be invited out to Abbotsleigh for a social with Knox and St Joseph’s College, while our Year 7 and 8s have also had several outings with the Knox boarders, enjoying afternoon games and a special trick for treat event to celebrate Halloween.

Other popular events this term have included trips to the Glebe Markets with Kate, the Kirribilli Markets with Beth and a thrifting afternoon in Newtown with Fiona. Sporting events also continue to be popular with a special mid-week trip to see the Matildas play at the new Allianz Stadium and out to Homebush to watch the Sydney Kings play basketball. The girls are still talking about the hair-raising game that was won by the Kings in the final seconds.

In recent weeks, the Boarders have been decorating the houses for the festive season and participating in Christmas craft as we prepare for the holiday season. Thanksgiving has also been a special event on the Boarders’ calendar this term. We can’t wait to see what next year holds for our popular activities program!

Spooktacular Fun with Knox

KRISTINA PILKINGTON

On the night before Halloween, Pymble Boarders from Years 7 to 9 were lucky enough to have a trick-for-treat social with the Year 7, 8 and 9 Knox boarders. The houses were full of excitement as we all came up with creative outfits and had competitions to see who could be the spookiest.

When the Knox boarders arrived, we welcomed them and were put into year group teams. We competed in activities such as Just Dance, volleyball and lots of other fun, exciting games. It was so much fun to complete the challenges (tricks) to get the treats. While it wasn’t our usual Halloween, we still had so much fun.

To finish off the night, we had a delicious barbecue dinner on Marden Lawn. The whole night was full of laughter and hilarious moments, including an intense volleyball game. Our favourite challenge was trying to get the Oreos in our mouths from our foreheads without using our hands. Overall, I believe the trick-fortreat was an enjoyable experience to see old friends and make new ones.

The Sun Shines on Pymble at Garden Party

CAROLYN BURGESS

After three years without a Garden Party, we were delighted to awaken to a sunny Saturday on 17 September ready to enjoy one our most beloved calendar events. It was wonderful to see our Boarding family out in full force and ready to celebrate. A laden produce stall, the fabulous Hillbilly Cider Bar and gourmet pork rolls all helped to ensure the Boarder Produce Stall was a must-visit on the day.

None of this would have been possible without help from the amazing Kylie Levy who coordinated the Boarders’ stall. Kylie worked tirelessly with her fellow committee members Edwina Beveridge, Tessa McLaughlin, Julie Carmichael, Jane Francis, Jane Hillsdon and Kerry Roberts to ensure the day was a huge hit.

Thank you to everyone who contributed in so many special ways. It was a fabulous effort and even better to know that over $20,000 in profits will go to the Boarder Parent Scholarship Fund.

A View From My Window: Ho Chi Minh City

HOLLY CRAIG

My name is Holly Craig, and I am 16 years old. I used to live in Roseville and go to Roseville Public School but when I was in Year 4, my family made the decision to move to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Vietnam is about eight and a half hours from Sydney and has a time difference of three hours.

I live in an apartment with my mum (Tracey), my dad (Richard), my brother (Harrison) who used to live with us before he left for university in Newcastle in 2020 and, of course, my Vietnamese street cat (Wally) who we found and adopted at the beginning of the pandemic.

We moved to Vietnam in July 2016 for my dad’s business and although it was a huge change, it was honestly the best five years of my life. I went to the Australian International School and had an amazing friend group that consisted of 11 different nationalities. I fell in love with competitive swimming and soccer and got multiple opportunities to travel overseas for different sporting events.

When I look out my window from our apartment block, I see the view of the park which is constantly packed with little kids and their nannies. I can also see the pool that I spent a lot of time in, as the average temperature was usually around 30 degrees or hotter.

I can hear the local street dogs barking and the traffic. The constant honking of horns and the sellers riding their motorbikes, blasting their offerings over the loudspeaker, is my soundtrack.

Vietnam was strongly affected by COVID-19, and I ended up doing online school for almost two years. Vietnam had two waves of COVID. The first wave was handled well with closure of borders, markets and schools, nightly curfews, mandatory mask wearing and social distancing.

Vietnam was praised around the world for its initial handling of the virus with low infection and death

rates. The second phase was different, as the Delta variant arrived in the country. All the restrictions from the first wave remained but, with Delta, we were not allowed to cross districts (suburbs) and checkpoints were heavily guarded by the military and police to prevent people from moving freely.

We were locked in our apartment and unable to leave for four months. To access food, one family member from each household was provided with a coloured ticket by the local authorities which allowed access to the local supermarket at an allocated time and day.

As Ho Chi Minh was entirely shut down, there was no movement or noise whatsoever except for the constant noise of ambulances between the hospitals and field hospitals.

Although it can be tough living away from my family, knowing that I have had the opportunity to grow up in two different countries has truly been

a life-changing experience filled with many memories that I will treasure forever. I have been lucky enough to have met people from all over the world, travel to places that I would never have thought of, experience and learn about different cultures, accept differences and how to adapt to change.

“Although it can be tough living away from my family, knowing that I have had the opportunity to grow up in two different countries has truly been a life-changing experience.”

A View From My Window: Forbes

ANDIE HODDER

My name is Andie Hodder, and I am 16 years old. I started boarding at Pymble earlier this year and have loved almost every moment of it. I come from the small town of Forbes in the central west region of New South Wales.

Forbes is known for its many leafy parks which surround the beautiful lake that flows right through the middle of the town. At night, the town centre and the perimeter of the lake light up with thousands of pretty lights. When I’m not in my new Goodlet home, I live on a property just on the outside of town called Riverblock, which got its name from how it sits on the banks of the

Lachlan River.

My family consists of Mum (Juliet), Dad (Dave), my two sisters (Jemma and Claudia) and my brother (Snow), as well as two horses, three dogs, a cat, twelve racing pigeons, over 20,000 bees and too many sheep.

When I look outside my window, I see two unacceptably fat horses resting under a river gum tree in the yard. They are full of green feed, waiting with their innocent faces to see what they can produce on the first ride back after a long winter spell.

I can also see my dad working on the new outdoor area, building a nice

big fireplace for the family to gather around, eat and drink and share hilarious memories that have been made on the farm.

I can see Dad’s timely sown crops that strive to send their heads higher as spring commences. It is always a lottery to see if they will make it to harvest, particularly when our farm has been exposed to flooding over previous seasons.

I see my mum working tirelessly to keep her beautiful garden weeded. She is also often outside attempting to keep the pool clean from the dirt and leaves that blow through the garden day in, day out.

I see my younger brother kicking his football, practicing for his next season of rugby. He’s waiting patiently for the day my sisters and I come out to play with him.

I see Dad talking to his favourite kids – his pigeons – naming every one of them and asking them thousands of different questions. Mum calls him the pigeon master. I see him open the door to the coup to let them fly around the house. He watches them

fly for the next half an hour until he calls them back in.

But one of my favourite views would have to be my Nanna Nina who always surprises me by just showing up. She has a gift of catching you doing something you thought no one would ever see.

She usually arrives around mealtimes and, despite never being hungry, manages to eat a full-sized plate and then often takes leftovers with her when she leaves. There’s no doubt she’s crafty, but I always love seeing her face and spending time with her.

My favourite thing about being home

is getting to relax with my friends and family. I love the close nature of Forbes and being able to walk down the street and greet everyone I pass. I love driving our buggy through the forests and paddocks. I love the peaceful nature, stillness and security of my hometown.

The drive from Forbes to Pymble takes around five hours and although it’s hard to leave the wide, open spaces and peace and quiet, I will always love returning to Pymble. At school and Boarding, I get to experience some of the loudest, busiest and most chaotic of times, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love the peaceful nature, stillness and security of my hometown.”

Our Vision Valley Pioneers

HANNAH CARMICHAEL, FORSTER

Hi, I’m Hannah and I went on the first ever Vison Valley long stay. This was a great experience to step out my comfort zone, meet new people and get to know myself and the outdoors more than ever before. Vison Valley consisted of two expeditions and the Great Return.

The two expeditions were a three-day hike and a three-day canoeing trip. The Great Return was on the last five days where each group would get dropped off at different locations and find their own way back to Pymble

A normal day at Vison Valley would consist of getting up at 6.00am and doing the ‘VV3’, a three-kilometre run through the valley. In the mornings, the sunrises were amazing but very chilly. After the run, we would have breakfast in the dining hall and each kin group would do their duties.

The duties were things like cleaning up the lodge, picking up sticks for the campfires and tidying the dining hall after everyone had breakfast. After the duties, everyone would pack their day packs with what they needed for the day ahead.

A couple of the days at Vision Valley were spent doing activities around the land, such as rock climbing, abseiling, crate stacking, obstacle climbing and jumping off a massive pole.

When it was my turn to do abseiling, I was terrified and extremely nervous. After lots of convincing from friends, I finally gave in and completed the smaller course. The staff and friends you meet at this camp help you step out of your comfort zone and do things you would always tell yourself that you would never do, or even get close to.

A few of the nights, all the girls and the boys from Riverview would come back together and have a campfire. This is one of my favourite memories of the camp because it’s one of the only times that everyone was together as we watched the stars above.

The Great Return was also a distinct memory that will stay with me forever. This is when each of the kin groups, consisting of five girls and four boys, would hike from different locations and navigate our way back to Pymble. This was a great way to test the skills that we had learnt from the previous expeditions and find our way without the help of an adult.

Overall, I highly recommend the younger years that will one day be in Year 9 to go on this camp. It an amazing way to have a break from Boarding and get to know a lot of the day girls very well. As I said before, it’s an amazing way to step out of your comfort zone, meet new people and do something that is a once-in-alifetime opportunity that you will never get again.

Pymble Boarding visits Scone

CAROLYN BURGESS

It is always great to be out on the road and meet our families on their home turf, and our visit to Scone was an extra special one. It was wonderful to have the Chair of our College Board, Mr James Hunter and our Principal, Dr Hadwen with us as we celebrated all things Boarding with past, present and future families from the Upper Hunter Region.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation by Year 8 Boarder Mia Lorimer who spoke of her time in Boarding. Mia joined us from Alice Springs when she was in Year 7, and it was great to hear her journey from a home-schooled student through to a Pymble Boarder.

As an added bonus, we were also able to visit the Hunter Beef Bonanza and see our incredible Cattle Club team in action. Our girls did a great job to win a few ribbons, but the real treat was watching our team confidentially negotiate rain, mud and very large animals, all with good cheer and trademark Pymble resilience.

Farewell to our Year 12 2022 Boarders

CATHERINE CHUNG

What better way to celebrate the end of Year 12 2022 Boarders’ journey than at the highly-anticipated Boarders’ Valedictory. Our wonderful photographer continued our annual tradition of capturing Year 12 all dressed up in front of Lang House, despite a windy start.

Luckily, the rain cleared just in time for a special surprise; a ride around town in a bright pink Hummer! The ride was an hour of laughter, loud music and perfectly timed BeReal pictures – one of the highlights of the evening, despite having to ‘chuck a uey’ slowly and carefully on Avon Road.

The party continued in the Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts where our Boarders were met by their lovely families who had travelled from around the world to be there. It was most delightful watching their reunions, and there was a palpable sense of pride we all felt for our Year 12s in finishing their school journeys.

While feasting on a range of delectable canapes, staff and students shared memories of their time at Boarding.

It was bittersweet to see Pip and Rylee gave their final speeches as Head and Deputy Head of Boarding, and there were several poignant moments as Mrs Burgess spoke about each Year 12 Boarder, gifting them something unique to cherish for years to come.

Once our happy tears had been dabbed away, it was time to dance! Students, parents and even staff all jumped onto the dance floor and showed off our best moves. Our fabulous DJ played the best of the 70s to now.

During a much-enjoyed medley of Taylor Swift songs it was most beautiful to see all of Year 12 in a circle, passing the mic around so every student in the year got a chance to sing a line, truly exemplifying the spirit of Year 12 2022.

No matter what challenges they faced, our Boarders always came together as a family while celebrating their individual strengths and giving each other space to shine. Boarders’ Valedictory was the perfect way to celebrate an incredible time in Boarding.

PHOTOS BY NICHOLAS FIENNES FROM FINE PHOTOGRAPHY

Saying Goodbye to Marden

PHOEBE BUCKNELL, QUAMBONE

Marden House is a loud, bright environment filled with energetic and chaotic residents. It has been my home away from home for four years now, and throughout those years it has been jam-packed with various out-ofschool excursions, socials and late-night chats in the office.

Being here for a while means I have seen and done many things; beach trips, ice skating out at Macquarie and socials with various schools.

Moving on to Goodlet, I know with certainty some of the things I will and won’t miss from Marden. The running around the halls or yelling in the night definitely won’t be things I’m saddened about – sorry Year 7s. But, despite this, I, and I’m sure multiple others, will miss the Marden environment, people, and of course the staff. Especially you Mards.

I am looking forward to living in another house and I’m excited to have new experiences with staff and other students. I’m also excited about living in a larger area that will fit a huge number of girls.

Thank you to everyone – the staff and students – who have helped me along the way during my journey at Pymble. There have been plenty of ups and downs, but there has always been support when I’ve needed it.

A piece of advice before I go to those who need it: use your time at Pymble wisely. Be brave, and don’t be scared to meet new people. It took me a while to learn that, but the moment when you first speak to someone is when they form an opinion of you. Not beforehand.

Oh, and label your stuff – that’s important, too.