Keeping up with ourcomeCompassBoardersTeacherscalling
PHOEBE POCKLEY, YEAR 7 – BYRON BAY
Boarding Spirit Shines On!
In Term 2 Week 7, we invited the Day School Compass teachers and Heads of Year from the Middle School to learn more about our life in Marden House. We started off with some delicious scones and sausage rolls for afternoon tea and gave them a brief overview of our lives as Boarders. After some other general introductions, we took great delight in taking the teachers on a tour around the house and showing them our living spaces, bedrooms,
ISSUE 14 | WINTER 2022
To say it has been a wet and wild winter term would be an understatement. Despite the bleak weather, the Boarder spirit has shone through, and our residents continue to bring much sunshine into our daily lives. This joy and enthusiasm are very much a product of living in residence. The sense of connection our Boarders develop within this tight-knit community is second to none and gives them the confidence and support to be themselves and take on new challenges. Our Boarders are known for their positive attitudes and their willingness to ‘have a go’, and as you leaf through the following pages, you will read about the many varied activities they embrace and the fun and camaraderie they enjoy along the way. This, along with the commitment of our fabulous staff and the wonderful legacy of our ex-students, makes for a happy home. This publication will aim to capture the diverse skills, talents, interests, backgrounds and adventures of our Boarders, and the magic of the special place we call home. My thanks go to our Boarders’ Editorial Team who share their talents so generously, our tireless and very patient photographer, Anne Graham, and our multi-talented Community Engagement team who work hard to ensure this publication is a beautiful celebration of our Boarding family and an accurate record of our Boarding lives. Happy reading!
Carolyn Burgess DIRECTOR OF BOARDING
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Our Pink Lady –Mrs Sabina Turner
WRITTEN BY MRS CAROLYN BURGESS
Our deep thanks and admiration go to our wonderful Director of Co-Curricular Performing Arts and very own ex-Boarder, Mrs Sabina Turner. Sabina was a Boarder in Marden House between 1970 and 1973, before her family moved to Adelaide. It wasn’t long before Mrs Turner was back at Pymble; her heart never truly leaving our Boarding family.
Sabina has been devoted to bringing music to our boarding lives, regularly organising musicians to play in our chapel services and even accompanying our Boarding songbirds herself. Mrs Turner has also been a wealth of knowledge on boarding in times gone by and has been inspirational in reinvigorating our Angus Cup competition. We thank Mrs Turner for her enthusiasm and commitment to boarding and hope that in time to come, she might return to our Boarding family once again to share her passion for all things music. I was happy that the teachers came to visit because it gave them a better understanding about how we live and all the fun the Boarders have together. This was a great activity for the Boarders, and it has made us feel more comfortable sharing issues with our Compass teachers and Heads of Year. Thank you to all the teachers who took the time to visit us. We loved sharing our home away from home with you!
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Pink Ladies are special people who enhance the lives of our Boarders in a multitude of ways, and our Term 2 choice was a very easy one!
The successful candidate must exhibit the willingness and ability to enter fully into the life of the College and to participate in sporting and co-curricular activities to the best of her ability. This scholarship is just one of the special ways the legacies of Alanda, Jane and Prue live on.
Putting on my jersey reminds me of the sisterhood we cherish here. It also makes me feel super proud to be a Boarder at Pymble and to be a part of such a diverse and loving community.
ELOISE WILSON, YEAR 12 – NARROMINE Jersey Day is a cherished occasion for our Boarding family as we commemorate the beautiful lives of three of our own – Prue Papworth, Jane Gay and Alanda Clark – who tragically passed away 29 years ago when they were travelling home for the June long weekend. Like all Boarders, they lived ‘among sisters’ here at Pymble, and like many of us here today, they were from wonderful rural families who loved them above all else. We remember these special girls and their loving families and friends, and they remain forever in the hearts of our Boarding family and embedded in the rich history of Boarding at Pymble
Jersey Day is a very special day for all of us. As a Boarder, I have always enjoyed the night before when we gather and tie our jerseys like bunting across the balconies of the three houses. The morning of Jersey Day is also exciting, as everyone loves wearing their jerseys for the entirety of the school day.
In memory of Prue, Jane and Alanda, we celebrate with our annual Jersey Day. This is a day where the College becomes a sea of colour, with students and staff wearing their favourite jerseys and donating a gold coin towards our Boarding Scholarship in memory of the girls.
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The Alanda Clarke, Jane Gay and Prudence Papworth Boarding Scholarship offers full or part remission from academic tuition fees to a Boarding student entering Year 7 and is determined by results in the scholarship examination and a successful interview.
Remembering three special girls: Jersey Day 2022
WRITTEN BY MRS CAROLYN BURGESS
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The Brooksie – Victoria ‘Torie’ Burton
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The Margaret Brooke Award – also known as The Brooksie – is awarded to a Boarder who exemplifies the spirit of a tenacious, courageous, compassionate and giving woman, and our Term 2 recipient is the delightful and most deserving Victoria ‘Torie’ Burton (Year 10). Torie joined us in Year 7 all the way from Coonamble in the central west of New South Wales. Even at this very young age, Torie displayed great levels of tenacity, courage and compassion; all the characteristics which exemplify this award. There have been challenges along the way, not least knee surgery, but
PHILIPPA AUSTIN, YEAR 12 HEAD BOARDER – COWRA
Meet our Boarders’ Representative Council
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Our Boarders’ Representative Council (BRC) is derived from members of our community who are interested and dedicated to improving boarding. There are two members from each year group, and each student is responsible for representing their house and age group at these meetings by bringing forward any valuable ideas or concerns that our team can alter. Recently, we welcomed our Year 7 representatives: adaptation of the Wi-Fi so that various platforms are more accessible to the girls during downtime and, of course, suggestions for new additions to the Love It program. When these brilliant suggestions are brought forward, we often have a brief discussion about whether they would be applicable and how we can achieve them. Sometimes, it is a long process as the suggestion will need to go through several people before being approved and implemented,
Winter is here, so out come the Oodies
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Our hockey high achiever
I have been playing hockey since I was four years old. My dad and my brother introduced me to it and, once I started playing, I was immediately hooked, mainly because of the family environment within the hockey community. This year, I am proud to be Pymble’s Hockey captain. I was selected for Pymble Ladies’ College Elite Athlete Program in 2017 when I was in Year 7 based on my selection in the Northern Territory Under 13s State Representative Team. Since then, I’ve been selected in numerous teams including the Under 15s NSW State Hockey Team (2019), Under 18s Northern Territory State Hockey Team (2021 and 2022) and Australian Futures Squad for Hockey (2021).
ANGELINE SUM, YEAR 11 – HONG KONG
Over the last school holidays, I played in the Under 21s mixed South Australian and Northern Territory National Team in Perth. I play as a striker meaning my main priority is scoring as many goals as possible. I intend to play hockey when I finish school, hopefully in Melbourne, which will be the fourth state I’ve represented. Hockey is my passion, and I am grateful for the many opportunities I’ve been given over the years.
Eating warm, comforting porridge to start our day and hot soup at lunch are also popular ways of beating the winter chill, as well as hot chocolate with marshmallows that we get to enjoy at recesses and on firepit evenings.
Winter has well and truly arrived, meaning all the heaters in the houses have been cranked up to keep the girls warm and cosy. With the lowest temperature of 6°C and highest of 18°C in June, the girls have brought their fluffy Oodies out in full force. All kinds of Oodie patterns have been spotted (avocados and sloths, to name a few) to keep everyone warm and comfy. Uggs boots are also the order of the day.
SYDNEY AULD, YEAR 12 – DARWIN
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A welcome change of scenery in the Boarding rooms
After a lot of sweat and energy, we were finally settled in by the end of the night. It was great to see how the younger years settle in with their new roommates and the older years thrilled about the views they have from their windows. It was especially nice to return at the start of Term 3 having already settled into our new rooms.
While the anticipation of a new room is high, the reality of packing up almost six months’ worth of life is a bit daunting. It is also a challenge for our wonderful Heads of Year who engage in weeks of Tetris trying to meet the various requests.
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While our Year 12 Lang Boarders stay in their rooms for the entire year, Boarders from Year 7 to 11 move at a minimum each semester. This gives Boarders the opportunity to share rooms with other girls and to build new friendships across our Boarding family. It is also an opportunity for girls to try their luck at securing a much coveted balcony room.
ANGELINE SUM, YEAR 11 – HONG KONG They say a change is as good as a holiday, and at the end of Term 2, us Boarders hit the jackpot with a change of room and a holiday!
After our room changes are confirmed, it’s time to move. Girls are given a night without homework to move everything into their new rooms and settle in. As you can imagine, it was slightly chaotic with almost 100 girls moving rooms at the same time. Everyone was running around the house moving tubs and helping each other out.
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Boarders’ Week: five days of celebration and competition
Thursday was a chance for the Boarders to tie up the score. Volleyball was the game and once again the gym was packed. Our superstar Boarding team were once again victorious for the second year in a row, with our girls showing that they can transfer their skills across many sports with standout performances from Amarley and Giselle. The score was now tied at two-all for the week, and we would have to wait until the Athletics Carnival to decide the champion.
MRS WHITE AND THE SPIRIT HOUSE CAPTAINS
Tuesday morning was an early start for our teachers as they joined us for our traditional bacon and eggs thank you breakfast. Many of the girls had spent time over the weekend writing notes to their teachers, thanking them for all the love and care they show to our Boarding family. The teachers were presented with these notes and decorated biscuits that the girls made on the previous weekend with Mrs Budd. It was great to see so many teachers at the breakfast enjoying this special time with our Boarders.
Wednesday saw our girls take the games outside and, for once, we were blessed with some wonderful Sydney sunshine! The spectators packed the grandstand on James Kelso Field and watched as our footballers took the field. While with pitch was a little soggy, it didn’t stop the students from showing off their skills. It was a tight game; however, this match went the way of the day girls with a final score of 2-1.
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Boarders’ Week is the celebration of all things pink and evidence that our Boarders truly know how to celebrate. It is a great opportunity to showcase our wonderful and diverse community, thank our day school family who support us so generously and generally revel in the rich heritage of Pymble Boarding. Under the banner of Boarding Sisters Unite, a program of fun activities was planned. In the first of a series of sporting events, what felt like the entire school filed into the Aquatic Centre to watch the day girls versus Boarders water polo match.
Tuesday lunch was our time to shine – day girls versus the Boarders in basketball. What a game it was! Once again, the gym was packed with excited spectators who couldn’t wait to see the competition on the court. While the day girls had a good game, they couldn’t hold off the strength of the Boarders. The score was now one all for the week.
This was a relatively new sport to our Boarders’ repertoire and a steep learning curve for many, but what we lacked in the pool in skill was made up for in passion and our ability to interpret (or perhaps reinterpret) the rules of the game. The day girls were dominant in their attack, and even with two goalies and too many players on the field, we still couldn’t stop them! This was the perfect way to start the week.
ISSUE 14 | WINTER 2022 Friday was our chance to give back and acknowledge those less fortunate than ourselves by hosting a charity sausage sizzle at lunchtime. Led by our Year 11s, the College was treated to the delights of a boarder barbecue. The weather was not in our favour, but it didn’t stop everyone from lining up to support the Boarders charity, The Young Women’s Shelter. It turned out to be a hugely successful day that raised more than $500. What a way to end the week! And just in case you were wondering… as luck would have it, we won both the relay and the tug of war at the Athletics Carnival! Go Boarders! 9
Auf Wiedersehen!
One of my highlights here has been taking up rowing with four other Boarders: Rori, Andi, Chiara and Holly. We were all put in the same boat and improved so much throughout the season. Waking up together at 4am, rowing to the Harbour Bridge and watching the sunrise made the experience unforgettable. We shared so many laughs and they made waking up early a whole lot easier. The competitions took us through many ups and downs, but in the end, we succeeded, and I am so proud of my crew. The best part of Boarding is how you are always surrounded by people you love and appreciate. I loved going into my friends’ rooms, sneaking around, having a nice chat and spending time with them on weekends. Socials were especially fun because we got the opportunity to dress up, dance and sing with boarders from other schools. Of course, I also had my hard times, but I am so grateful for how understanding everyone was.
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MAREE SCHUH, YEAR 10 – HAMBURG, GERMANY Guten tag! My name is Marie, and I am from Hamburg which is located on the Elbe River in northern Germany. I have been fortunate enough to spend the past semester as a Boarder in Goodlet House here at Pymble Ladies’ College.
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I am so happy and forever grateful to have had the opportunity to stay here for exchange. It is bittersweet to leave, but I will never forget my Boarding sisters and the tightness of the community.
There were times when I found it very hard being constantly surrounded by others and being far away from home, however, the support everyone showed me during those tough times was amazing and always ended up making me smile.
Over the course of my stay, I have made so many precious memories and friends that I will never forget. I was extremely nervous from the moment I entered Boarding and didn’t know what to expect, but the Boarding family, including the staff members, welcomed me with open arms. They helped me adjust to this new environment and introduced me to Australian culture (namely Vegemite, fairy bread and Woolies).
I am so proud of everyone that competed –
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The whole team worked very hard in the lead up to the day, and it all paid off with Pymble winning the whole competition with a point score that blew the other schools out of the water. Everyone ran so well, and a special shoutout must go to Phoebe Pockley who won gold in the team category for the 13 years.
Year 12 study camp
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Cross Country superstars
JORDYN SEETO, YEAR 12 HOUSE LIAISON PREFECT – PAPUA NEW GUINEA Year 12 Boarders were delighted by the prospect of an extended stay in Lang House so we could attend the Pymble Study camp. It was a great opportunity for us to do individual work in a controlled environment while accessing help from our teachers. We were able to book into various sessions to discuss past papers and any topics we were having trouble with.
ABIGAIL BALLHAUSEN, YEAR 11 – NARROMINE
I was also very happy with my result of first place in the 16 years four-kilometre race after lots of hard work, training and support from my amazing coach Deb (Walsham).
After long days of work, we were always very excited to relax and spend time with each other as a Boarding family. Every night after a delicious dinner, we would all gather in the Lang Lounge room and play games such as Bananagrams. This was a particular highlight for me as during term time we are all so busy with different activities which makes it hard to find time for such pastimes. The week was a lovely balance of study and time with friends and I am grateful to the Boarding staff for giving up their break time so we could attend. BREAKING NEWS
The long-awaited igsa Cross Country was held on Friday 27 May after being previously postponed due to wet weather. The racecourse at Frensham School was beautiful and we were very grateful that the weather was warm and sunny, creating an exciting and joyful atmosphere for all the competitors and supporters. It was such an amazing day and, as always, the Pymble team was strong and competitive. There were so many Boarders competing this year, including Sophie Beverage (Year 7), Phoebe Pockley (Year 7), Erica Williams (Year 10), Sarah Thornton (Year 11) and me, Abigail Ballhausen (Year 11).
Abby went on to compete in the NSW State Cross Country in Nowra. She ran an amazing race, placing second and gaining automatic selection for the Australian Cross Country Championships at Oakbank in South Australia, where she finished 11th in the Under 17 four-kilometre event What a fabulous achievement!
Community Weekend: dance moves, benchball and baptisms
The Boarders warmed up with some Just Dance clips and then battled it out for the best year group, with the Year 11s strutting off the dancefloor victorious. Plenty of laughs were had by all and it was so lovely to see every single Boarder involved and enjoying themselves.
ISSUE 14 | WINTER 2022 MRS WHITE AND THE SPIRIT HOUSE CAPTAINS
The Term 2 Community Weekend is always a favourite, and this year did not disappoint. The weekend started on Friday evening with the much anticipated Year 7 to 9 Social. With the theme of When I grow up, we welcomed boarders from Knox, Abbotsleigh, Shore, Ravenswood and Kings to our special Everyonenight.was catered for with trademark pink decorations and an energetic DJ in the dance area, and for those preferring a sportier evening, the NRL was playing in the Boarders’ Dining Room! Our caterers did a great job feeding the hungry crowd, and it was fantastic to see Boarders being reunited with
the prize for best dressed went to Year 12 with the theme of musicians. Lila Bourke’s portrayal of Britany Spears was unforgettable!
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dressedtoYearagroupoff.Boarders’withSaturdayTheacrossfriendshipsbuddieshometownandnewformingtheschools.funcontinuedeveningourannualdance-Eachyearweregiventhemebythe12sandhadarriveatdinnerallup.Ofcourse,
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Sunday morning was an opportunity to join the Pymble and Gordon Uniting Church congregation for a beautiful service in the War Memorial Chapel. We were extra proud of our Boarders who featured in the service that discussed the theme of sacrifice. Our Boarders were also thrilled to be present for the baptism of the youngest members of the Anguscongregation.Cupactivities filled the middle of the day with the annual benchball competition. It was a close contest, but Marden House triumphed, narrowly defeating Hammond in the final. This was followed by a game of dodgeball and this time it was Hammond’s turn to claim bragging rights, coming out victors against Goodlet. Sunday afternoon saw a flurry of activity in each of the houses as the girls prepared for Boarders’ Week. The annual house decorating competition had begun, and our competitive Boarders set about ‘pinkifying’ their individual houses all in pursuit of a pizza party for the best decorated house. Our congratulations go to our Marden girls who scooped the pool.
I’ve even brought day girls home to meet my family in Dubbo during the school holidays where we’d spend whole days swimming in the backyard and visiting the zoo. I also love catching up with my primary school friends, and I even worked at my local Maccas for two years where I met my one of my best friends, Destinee. Even though she moved to Coffs Harbour at the start of the year, we still call and text all the time.
PHOEBE POCKLEY, YEAR 7 – BYRON BAY As part of our Love It program, the Boarders in Marden House had the opportunity to invite a day girl friend to come and spend the afternoon as a Boarder. We had lots of fun riding bikes and walking around the campus, playing around on Mollie Dive Field and showing them around the Boarding House. The day girls were fascinated by the behind-the-scenes tour and were keen to know more about life as a Boarder. This was a great experience for both the Boarders and the day girls as many of them didn’t understand what our lives were like, so they asked a lot of questions. It was also a great opportunity to show them some true Boarder hospitality. I think this was important to let them see what Boarding is really like, how we all live together away from home to become a family and that the food is actually quite amazing.
View from my Window
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A visit from our Day School friends
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I’m from ‘Dubvegas’, otherwise known as Dubbo; a large regional town that’s around five hours north west of Sydney. I live in the city centre with my mum and dad who own a family business, and my little brother Harry who’s going to be in Year 7 next year. My favourite views in Dubbo are the sunsets and sunrises from my yard. There have been so many times where I’ve heard Harry yell out telling me to come and look at the sky when it shines beautiful shades of purple, pink and orange. My camera roll is filled with the best sunsets from over the years and I plan to capture many more.
I’ve gotten used to life in Boarding over the years and have met some of the best people and made so many genuine friends. My friends and the Boarding staff are like my family; however, nothing beats being home with my parents and little brother in Dubbo.
Before COVID, my family and I didn’t get to spend much time together as Mum and Dad were working and I was always at school in Sydney. We’d save up for end-of-year holidays where I had the privilege to travel overseas to places I had always dreamed of. My favourite place I’ve visited so far is Japan, and I hope to one day return. My favourite thing about being home in Dubbo is being able to spend time with my family, especially when I get to play games, watch movies and cook with my family. Harry always makes me laugh until I cry and constantly impresses me with his passionate stories about each go-kart tournament he competes in.
LILA BOURKE, YEAR 12 – DUBBO My name is Lila Bourke, I’m a Year 12 Boarder and I have been boarding at Pymble since Year 7.
MATILDA BARWICK, YEAR 11 – GRAVESEND
Coonabarabran Equestrian Superstars
On the second day, we competed in the polocrosse; our team consisting of Lola, Eloise Clare and me. We were very successful and finished the event undefeated, meaning we made it to the second round the following day. In our first game on day two, we competed against the Kings team who had much more polocrosse experience than we did, yet we still managed to walk away with a satisfying 2-1 victory which sent us into the semi-finals. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it past the semis, but we were still very happy with fourth place.
On the second of June, my sister Lola and I spent the week competing for Pymble Ladies’ College at the North West Equestrian Expo in Coonabarabran. It was a rough start as we woke up on the first day to drizzle and a frosty two-degree morning. We began by competing in the show jumping ASTRO class which was 1.15 metres in height. This involved three rounds of show jumping where we competed against students from other schools. Our horses jumped well, and Lola went clear in the second round which was a great achievement.
The following day, Eloise Clare, Lola and I competed in the team barrel with over 150 other teams. We had three very fast runs and ended up winning the event! Lola achieved the fastest barrel, and I finished third fastest out of all the teams. This was an amazing achievement and came with a trophy which is now engraved with Pymble Ladies’ College. Overall, it was a great week, and the Pymble team was
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I was in Goodlet House and in those days we sometimes slept on the veranda. I remember the veranda was left open except for when it rained. Mind you, it was not desirable to have a bed near the edge as rain invariably found its way through the gaps of the canvas blinds. But this was considered normal at the time, and no one complained. We ate in the same dining room the girls eat in today, but I remember there was a table up the front on a stage from where Headmistress, Miss Buckham, Head of Boarding, Miss Ollerenshaw and other mistresses would eat and look down on all of us. The food was awful in my time compared to the delicious meals the girls receive today, and I have to say the gorgeous house mistresses that care for the girls now are exceptional compared to my day when pastoral care did not exist.
I played hockey, tennis, cricket and did athletics, and if I was playing sport, I was content.
The old oak desk she was given as a prize stands in my hallway today and Pymble’s administration centre is named after her. She went on to be a trailblazer for women in her day, including obtaining a BA with Honours in 1933, being one of the first three women on the Pymble Ladies’ College council (from 1933 to 1977) and captaining the Australian hockey team. Auntie never had children, so I was like a granddaughter to her. She died in 2008 and was honoured by the school who allowed her funeral to be held in the War Memorial Chapel at her beloved Pymble Ladies’ College.
Mum spent 11 years in boarding and graduated in 1964. She married Leigh Scott in 1969 and together they farmed and raised a family in Cootamundra where they still reside today.
I started my boarding journey at Pymble in 1984, and at the time I was completely oblivious to what my parents had given up sending my three brothers and I to boarding school. It is something we don’t realise until the time comes to send our own children.
My mum, also named Isabel McKinney, started boarding in 1954 at the tender age of six. Now as a mother myself, I can’t imagine sending my child away at such a young age. Coming from the outback in southern Queensland, Mum could barely read. She was always a bit of a wild child, so she threw herself into sports instead.
My grandmother also attended Pymble in 1928, although she lasted only a year. Being a country girl at heart, she was extremely unhappy and left to go to New England Girls’ School in Armidale. Despite this, she subsequently still sent her only daughter, my mother, away to attend Pymble.
REBECCA REARDON (NEE SCOTT, PYMBLE 1984-1989)
After school, I went off to study at Sydney University where I completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics Honours while living on one of the college’s campuses. I loved my university days and everything they had to offer.
I met my husband shortly after university, and it’s a rather corny story. I was a bridesmaid for my old school friend, Megan McAlpine, and my husband-to-be was a groomsman for Megan’s new husband.
ISSUE 14 | WINTER 2022 16 Where are they now?
I always knew I was going to Pymble. Maybe this is the reason why I don’t remember being homesick or having a good cry until about Term 3. Sport was always my escape.
My great aunt Isabel McKinney, known as Auntie, was the first of our family to go to Pymble in 1924. She was one of those high achievers, attaining her Leaving Certificate in 1928 while holding the role of head prefect and winning the Marden Prize, Gold Medallion and dux of her year.
From as early as I can remember, I knew I was going to Pymble Ladies’ College as a boarder. It was just the way it was.
Fortunately, it was quite a miracle that his little brother happened to be a perfect match.
I ended up working in the grain industry for 20 years in trading and management roles. This was a heavily maledominated industry but to this day some of my best friends are those I made during my time living in Sydney.
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During this time in 2003, I moved to Moree with my husband-to-be so he could return to his family farm. We had also started buying up our own land a few years earlier. We went on to have two gorgeous boys and a treasured girl in a four-year window. Having grown up with the freedom of being in the country, I would not have wanted to bring up my children anywhere else. Life was good. But it was not all sunshine and roses. In 2011, my eldest son, aged five, fell ill with a disease known as aplastic anaemia and required chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.
We did not marry for another ten years as I was too busy chasing my career. In that time, I also spent a year travelling overseas through Africa and Europe. I am a believer that if you are meant to be together, things will work out, and you shouldn’t live to regret not doing something.
It was a difficult period having to take things one day at a time while missing our other two children who had to live away from us whilst we spent several months in Sydney. People often say how unlucky we were – his condition affects approximately one in 500,000 people. But we did not have time to wallow, nor have we ever felt unlucky. In fact, despite our challenges, we have always felt lucky. Our child survived and today he is a thriving teenager in perfect health who carves up the rugby field. These difficult times taught us a few key lessons that will stay with us forever.
Firstly, that life is not always fair. Secondly, that there is always someone worse off than you, and lastly, adults have a lot to learn from children and the way they approach adversity. Today, my husband and I are still farming in Moree whilst I do boardroom work which I love the challenge of. My three children are at boarding school at Shore and Pymble My daughter Alex (aka Cabbage) only started boarding this year in Year 7. It was pretty much a forgone conclusion that she, like her mother and great aunty, would go to Pymble I can picture the look of horror on both of their faces had I not sent her there. Like me, Alex always knew she was going to boarding school and has taken it in her stride. I look at all the opportunities Pymble offers today and quite often think to myself how lucky she is.
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The days started early with the bus leaving the campground at 6.40am and arriving at Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club at around 7.00am. We would have breakfast, which was usually cereal and toast, while chatting to our new-found friends about the long day ahead of us. After breakfast we would split off into our allocated groups to do some cleaning up and get ready for the rest of the day.
Once all the IRBs were back in the shed, we would have around 15 minutes of free time before a session of theory before dinner. We had pizza for dinner every night, and then like breakfast we would have half an hour to clean up.
Once that was all done, our whole cohort would head downstairs and do our pre-operation checks on our inflatable rescue boats (IRB). This involved ensuring the motor ran well and that the fuel cell was full and correctly attached.
By the end of the week, the scenarios got more and more intense. We were pranked by the camp leaders and told we were going to McDonald’s, however when we got around the corner, we discovered they had set up an entire car accident scene; from distressed bystanders to three resuscitations needed at once. This scenario took 16 of us to properly Althoughmanage.attimes
SKYE POCKLEY, YEAR 10, BYRON BAY
The day normally finished around 5.30pm and we would pack up the IRBs, which meant deflating the soft hull boats, taking the floor out, inflating it, washing it, deflating it, putting the floor back in and then inflating it fully again.
I found this stressful and tiring, I am extremely grateful for this wonderful opportunity through which I received my Advanced Resuscitation Techniques Certificate and IRB Crewing Certificate, and I am now employed by the Australian Lifeguard Service.
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Our very own lifesaver
Throughout the final week of the Term 2 holidays, I completed the Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) Development Camp held in Narrabeen. SLSNSW selects participants from every club branch in New South Wales between the ages of 16 and 21, and I was lucky enough to be one of the 32 selected.
To prepare us for the real world, there would be realistic scenarios throughout the day where a group would be on duty to provide help to the patients/actors. At the beginning of the week, there were many simple scenarios like stings, cuts, a sprained ankle or a distressed mother with a missing child. But as the week went on, we had to deal with more complex patients such as life-threatening bleeds, spinals and fourperson resuscitations, and also bystanders who would get agitated and try to take our attention away from the patient.
After we had finished the checks, half of the group would go down to the beach and spend half the day doing IRB practical tasks while the other half spent their time upstairs doing theory or first aid practical activities. All of us would then come together for lunch before switching over.
We would then usually have one more session of theory followed by 45 minutes of games and/or trivia. Around 10.00pm, we would all gather onto the bus and head back to the campground. I usually had a quick shower and went straight to bed, but others liked to stay awake and talk until early hours of the morning.
I knocked on the door and remember seeing them reciting TikTok dances in the dark! They were mortified and tried to pretend they were all asleep.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Are there any fun facts about you?
What’s something no one knows about you?
My first shift in boarding was pretty memorable. I remember standing in the foyer of Marden House and getting so many hellos. It was so welcoming, and the girls were so lovely! Later during the shift, I remember putting the Year 7s to bed, and not too long after hearing a lot of giggling coming from their dorm.
I am a secret ABBA fan and can’t help but dance when I hear Dancing Queen. I love choc-mint ice cream (a little controversial) and love spending time on my partner Jack’s farm in Gulgong. I’m also not an overly competitive person but when I’m on a netball court... watch out.
I love creative writing! During the Covid lockdowns I would write short stories to keep myself entertained. I might share some stories at a later time.
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Hello, I’m Kate! I’ve been working in Pymble Boarding since September 2020. I grew up in Sydney (although I like to claim I have country ties to Manildra and Canowindra) and became a Pymble girl in Year 5. Since graduating from Pymble, I went on to study human resources, marketing and international business at Macquarie University. Whilst at university, I worked as an educator and supervisor at Pymble Out of School Hours Care alongside a role in hotel events. Working at a five-star hotel was an amazing experience, meeting colleagues from around the world! I later became a department trainer, teaching and guiding staff on serving elite clients, brides, politicians and famous faces. After completing my degree, I started working full time in Pymble’s Sales and Marketing Department followed by People and Culture. I’d always had an interest in working within the education sector, particular with adolescents. When I saw an opportunity to join the Pymble Boarding family, I had to apply. I have loved every minute of working in Boarding and was very thankful to join as a Head of Year at the start of 2022. Why did you choose Pymble, and why boarding? I had friends at school and later colleagues who were Boarders at Pymble who spoke highly of their boarding experience and the amazing sense of community within Pymble Boarding. When I read about the unique opportunity to work in boarding, I felt it was a position that I could make a difference in. I was passionate about creating a home away from home and creating new connections with the Boarders. I later learnt my great aunts were Pymble Boarders (they are on the honour boards in Joan Hammond House), and my great grandmother worked in Pymble Boarding in the 1940s. What do you hope to bring to our Boarding family? I hope to ensure Goodlet House is a space where we celebrate every Year 10 and 11 Boarder for who they are. Whether it be celebrating diversity, embracing different personalities, sharing achievements in sport or thanking the Boarding sisters for all their support. Every Boarder contributes to the house in their own way, and I want to ensure Goodlet continues to be a homely place where the girls feel supported and heard.
ISSUE 14 | WINTER 2022 Meet our Head of Year 10 Boarding
What are you most looking forward to doing?
On my days off, I always make time for a new adventure, whether it be an activity with friends, my partner Jack or a solo date. I love going on walks (with a coffee), venturing out to beaches in the warmer months, swimming and improving my cooking skills (slowly).
What’s your most unforgettable experience in boarding?
I have really enjoyed getting to know all our Goodlet Girls – they are all so amazing! The girls share the most incredible stories that never fail to make me smile and laugh, and no day is ever the same. The young ladies of Goodlet certainly keep me on my toes. Outside of the daily routines, I’ve enjoyed taking the girls out on adventures around Sydney and watching the girls play sport, dance and sing, which is only a small list of their talents.
HANNAH THORNTON, YEAR 10 – DUBBO Hi Kate, can you start by telling us a bit about yourself?
Boarders take on Balmoral
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This year, the Pymble Boarders took the opportunity to enter teams into the Balmoral Swim for Cancer Schools Relay Challenge and raise money for this worthwhile cause. After an initial postponement due to inclement weather, we set off on an almost perfect day in early Term 2. The Boarders worked together to gather sponsors and collectively raised more than $1,300 for the Children’s Cancer Institute. The teams included Lydia Martin, Skye Pockley, Andie Hodder and Holly Craig from Year 10, as well as Isabelle Francis, Indi Tishler, Alice Hillsdon and I representing Year 11. Our Year 11 team, The Pink Ladies, were able to raise $630 through donations from our families and through fundraising from selling Zooper Doopers at lunchtime. Arriving at the fresh time of 7.00am at Balmoral Beach and swimming in a 200-metre relay in ice cold water – coupled with a 100-metre sprint down the beach – was definitely a challenge, but the feeling of knowing what we did was for a good cause was extremely rewarding. Competing against the likes of Queenwood, Shore, Ascham and Riverview, our teams did us proud, even managing a fourth place in the intermediates. The morning was filled with lots of laughs and cheering on teammates, as well as working together with Ascham to help each other across the finish line. A big thank you to our supporters for getting behind this awesome cause.
LAUREN PURKIS, YEAR 10 – BIRCHGROVE
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Over the last few months, our Goodlet House Boarders welcomed the Year 10 and 11 Boarders from Newington College to our Pymble home.
ISABELLE FRANCIS, YEAR 11 – FORBES
The Boarders’ dining room was set up especially for this event, providing an array of utensils that we were soon to be taught how to use. After introductions and a mint mocktail, we were seated in alternate seating allowing us to get to know the Newington boarders.
Overall, it was a fun learning experience that allowed us to get to know the Newington boarders and enjoy an exquisite formal dinner with them.
We were provided with a three-course meal including an entrée, main course and dessert all designed to teach us the protocols of fine dining. Throughout the meal, we were taught how to eat our bread properly, how to scoop soup correctly and which fork to use with each course.
Together, we sat down and enjoyed a formal dinner with a focus on formal dining etiquette.
Etiquette 101: learning the art of elegance
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ISSUE 14 | WINTER 2022
It was fascinating to learn these new skills, and even though it was more elegant than any of us were used to, it was fun to change things up.
Keeping up with Hannah
The holidays always seem to end way too soon, which is why it’s a good idea to pack in as many activities into three weeks as humanly possible. The first week was cold, so I spent the days checking our young crops and lighting fires. The baby canola and chickpeas were growing well and loving the cold, sunny weather. The wheat and barley were also powering along nicely and were definitely not looking for moisture any time soon. I also burnt some piles of fallen branches, sticks and tumbleweed. There’s nothing quite like the smell of a winter fire. There are also lots of kangaroos and emus cruising around the paddocks at this time of year.
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Towards the end of the first week, I attended Pymble Cadet AFX Camp in Singleton. The days were spent participating in field activities and learning navigation, survival skills and most importantly how to work as a team. We had to survive on ration packs of food, which really aren’t as bad as they sound.
The second week of my holidays involved resowing wheat, checking more crops and riding motorbikes and horses. I also helped pack up my grandmother’s unit as she has recently moved into a nursing home in Dubbo.
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The camp concluded with a visit to the Military Museum at the Singleton Army Base which has an awesome collection of Australian war memorabilia. We had only just finished camp before the massive east coast rain event began which saw Singleton and Broke experience severe flooding.
The Walgett Show Society held their annual junior judging competition day on 9 July where I competed in the merino wool, merino sheep, beef cattle and meat sheep judging categories in the 15 to 24 years age group.
HANNAH WEBER, YEAR 9 – WALGETT
I had to judge each animal or fleece according to a particular set of criteria, order the animals or fleeces from top to bottom in quality and then justify my decision to a senior judge in an individual speech. I won the judging of the merino wool and merino sheep category, came second in the meat sheep and third in the beef cattle, meaning I qualified to compete at the next level of Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) junior judging in Moree. In my third week of holidays, I tried metal inert gas welding for the first time. My dad set me up and guided me through some basics, and then left me to weld the inside of some steel fence stays. It was something I’d never done before, but I loved it and can’t wait to learn more about welding in the future. The very last day of the holidays was the craziest of the bunch as I was a tow chain tractor driver at the Walgett Mud Trials. The Mud Trials is where competitors race their standard or modified mud bombs around a course which happens to feature two very deep, muddy holes. There are two tow tractors located at each mud hole, and when the vehicles inevitably get bogged, a tractor with a quick release chain is needed to drag them out so they can keep racing. Each vehicle has a driver and chainman (the poor individual who must climb from the vehicle and attach the chain in the slippery mud), and by the end of the race, the chainmen are covered head to toe with mud.
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Our national thrower GRACE PETERS, YEAR 9 – DUBBO
My name is Grace Peters and I’m from Dubbo. I’ve done Little Athletics with Dubbo Athletics Club since I was six years old, and I started training seriously with my coach Sarah three years ago. I specialise in field events like discus, shot put and javelin, and I recently learnt a fourth event: hammer throw. I have competed in the Little Athletics State Championships, Athletics NSW Junior Championships and NSW All School Championships for a few years and have been fortunate enough to win some medals. My biggest achievement was representing New South Wales at the Australian National Track and Field Championships in 2021 where I placed second in Australia in the Under 15s women’s one-kilogram discus throw with a personal best of 39.03 metres, which I was very happy about.
BREAKING NEWS Grace was awarded Best New Talent at the Pymble Annual Athletics and Cross Country Dinner. We are so proud of you, Grace!
During my time at Pymble, I have been honoured to train with coaches Lawrie Barclay and Sharyn Dixon on James Kelso Field twice a week which I really enjoy, and they have helped me improve drastically. I also do strength and conditioning training two times per week in the gym with Jack. Most recently, I competed at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Mackay, Queensland, in June this year with the Pymble/Knox team where we won a silver medal and had a lot of fun.
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