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Caring for our community and sharing moments of joy in the Christmas/New Year holidays
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CONTENTS Be a secret Santa................................................. 5 Give a Christmas gift basket.............................. 6 Feed families seeking shelter ........................... 7 L-plate hours for a good cause......................... 8 Knit one, wrap one.............................................. 9 Hearts for hope ................................................. 10 Share your pet pals ............................................11 Band together in friendship............................. 12 Be mindful of kids in hospital ......................... 13 Buddy-up with books....................................... 14 Want to get out and help an organisation?.....15
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Pymble Gives Back returns to brighten up the holidays! We are so proud of the way our girls, staff and families cared for our community and shared moments of joy through our Pymble Gives Back program launched in March 2020. Soon we will be heading into the long break over Christmas and New Year, a time when some members of our community may be feeling vulnerable and in need of some extra love and care. We are also conscious that our girls will not have the daily support of the College during this time and wish to provide a program of meaningful activities to keep them feeling engaged and connected. As a result, we are relaunching our Pymble Gives Back program as a summer edition, with new activities and ways for our girls and families to support those in need. Warmest thanks must go to our wonderful Pymble parents, who have kindly agreed to partner with us in this program to manage the logistics of some of the activities. Pymble Gives Back will run from Wednesday 2 December 2020 (the first day of the break) until the first week of Term 1 2021. We warmly invite you to join us once again in giving the gift of time, love and care to those who need it most. Happy giving back!
Dr Kate Hadwen PRINCIPAL
e v o l f o t h g i l e h t e v i t g s o s m ’ t e t i L d e e n o h w e ot thos
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BE A SECRET SANTA
What Donate new toys and books to The Smith Family’s Toy and Book Appeal to contribute to Christmas gift packs for 32,550 Australian children living in disadvantage.
Why Sadly, thousands of Australian children will go without receiving a gift this Christmas simply because their families can’t afford it. Our support will help families on the Learning for Life program to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to build a better future and create a sense of belonging this Christmas.
How The charity has specifically mentioned a shortage of toys for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 12 years and encourages donations of large quality toys that can become a shared gift for a family, such as board games, sports equipment (soccer ball, cricket set), or backpack with lunch box and drink bottle. All donated books and toys must be new and unwrapped. If a toy requires batteries, please supply these too. Deliver your gifts to: Main reception at Pymble. Last day for deliveries is Tuesday 8 December (as final delivery to The Smith Family is 9 December). Special thanks to our lovely parent volunteers, Susan Fu and Michelle Yu, who will deliver our donations to The Smith Family. For more information: www.thesmithfamily.com.au/donate/give/toy-and-book-appeal/faqs
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GIVE A CHRISTMAS GIFT BASKET
What Donate gift baskets for the Uniting Northaven Turramurra aged care facility to give as prizes in their Christmas raffle for residents.
Why It’s been a long and lonely year for residents in aged care, with fewer visitors and opportunities for entertainment than usual, thanks to the pandemic. The more baskets we have to donate, the more Northaven has to give to the elderly in their care.
How Create or buy a gift basket of small non-perishable treats, including little jars of jams and spreads, chocolates, treats, biscuits and small boxes of tea bags. Deliver gift baskets to: Northaven Reception (during business hours), at 1322 Pacific Highway Turramurra. Please deliver baskets prior to December 15.
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FEED FAMILIES SEEKING SHELTER
What Help put food on the table at Women’s Community Shelters in NSW in the form of home-cooked meals and cakes, and fresh fruit and vegetables. The shelters are also seeking chocolate bars and blocks for their Chocolate Bingo fundraiser.
Why The Christmas and New Year period sees higher than usual demand for shelter from women and children seeking refuge from domestic abuse. Donations of food enable the network of shelters to channel more financial support into helping these women get back on their feet with safe housing, work and court case support.
How Please ensure home-cooked meals are labelled, can be frozen and are in non-returnable containers. Whole cakes (no cupcakes please) are best delivered firmly wrapped in plastic and placed in a large zip-lock bag. Alternatively, purchase the ingredients to your favourite recipe (no perishable items please) and attach a recipe card for a DIY home-cooked meal. Feel free to add a small message of support to your culinary care package. Please email one of our lovely parent volunteers for a time and date to deliver your goodies. Christmas and New Year: Amanda Englund via mandy.englund@optusnet.com.au All other times, except Christmas and New Year: Ingrid van Loon via ingridvanloon1@gmail.com
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L-PLATE HOURS FOR A GOOD CAUSE
What Need to clock up some L-plate hours? Fancy a great Aussie road trip? We are seeking volunteers to pick up food donations from Hornsby and deliver to a drop-off point for Great Lakes Women’s Shelter on the NSW North Coast.
Why The Great Lakes Women’s Shelter is part of the Women’s Community Shelters network. There has been an increase in homelessness in this region but, being a holiday destination, the area does not have the same infrastructure for donations as the city shelters. Your road trip will help deliver supplies where they are needed.
How Register your interest in making a delivery drop to Forster/Tuncurry by emailing Sallianne McClelland, Development Director at Women’s Community Shelters via development@womenscommunityshelters.org.au. Sallianne will contact interested drivers when deliveries are ready to be made. For more information: Visit glws.org.au.
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KNIT ONE, WRAP ONE
What Enjoy the meditative effects of knitting to create 25cm x 25cm woollen squares, which are then sewn together to become blankets distributed by the Wrap with Love charity.
Why Our Senior School girls and families have been supporting Wrap with Love for many years. This much-loved program delivers cheerfullycoloured homemade blankets to people in Australia and around the world who need some warmth and love in their lives.
How To knit each 25cm x 25cm square, you will need a pair of Size 8 (4mm) knitting needles and 50gms of 8 ply yarn. All squares are knitted in easy garter stitch. For more instructions visit Wrap with Love at www.wrapwithlove.org/knitting-patterns Deliver knitted squares to: The Senior School Office in Term 1 2021. As per usual, the College will organise the delivery of all squares to Wrap with Love.
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HEARTS FOR HOPE
What Master the ancient art of origami to create beautiful paper hearts to send to our health care heroes working in Sydney hospitals.
Why The Hearts for Hope AU initiative stems from one of our Year 10 2020 girls, Meera, who aims to deliver 10,000 hearts to hospitals in Sydney and rural NSW to say “thank you, we love you� to staff working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How Just watch this YouTube clip to learn how to fold a simple origami heart. The only equipment you need is squares of paper, any size. Deliver hearts to: The Senior School Centre in Term 1 2021.
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SHARE YOUR PET PALS
What Share photos of your furry friends and tales of their amusing antics with the residents of Uniting Northaven Turramurra aged care facility.
Why Christmas and New Year can be a lonely time for residents in aged care facilities, especially as external entertainment and visitors are still significantly reduced. Our contact at Northaven says pet photos and stories remind residents of their own pets of yesteryear and never fail to bring smiles and laughter.
How Simply email a photo of your pet (the funnier, the better) to Georgina Coates at Northaven via gcoates@uniting.org. Include your name, your pet’s name and breed, and a short description of a funny or lovely moment you or your family have shared with your pet.
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BAND TOGETHER IN FRIENDSHIP
What Make and send a friendship bracelets to young patients at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Why Being in hospital is not fun at the best of times, let alone during the holidays when you know everyone else is having a good time at home. This small gesture of friendship lets sick kids know they are not alone.
How Loom bands are easy to make and kits can be bought from any $2 shop or Reject Shop. Instructions on how to make a rainbow friendship band can be found here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpF2PQk9rrc Deliver bracelets to: Please email our lovely parent volunteer, Malini Srivastava on Malinib.Srivastava@gmail.com, for a time and date to deliver your bracelets.
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BE MINDFUL OF KIDS IN HOSPITAL
What Create ‘mindfulness’ care packages for teenagers in hospital with mental health issues.
Why North Shore Mums Smiles2U organises care packages for young people who find themselves unexpectedly hospitalised. Hornsby Hospital has advised the program manager that they are seeing many patients with mental health problems and have requested support in the form of mindfulness care packages for teens.
How Care packs can include: mindfulness colouring books, colouring-in pencils, sharpeners, books to read, lip gloss, craft packs, origami papers, activity books, comic books, card games and mini board games. Please email one of our lovely parent volunteers to arrange a time and date to deliver your care packages: Christel Vigne via vignechristel@gmail.com Monika Surana via monsisurana@yahoo.co.in For more information: Visit www.northshoremumssmiles2u.com/care-packages
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BUDDY-UP WITH BOOKS
What Our Reading Buddy program connects girls in Kindergarten to Year 6 with a reading buddy in Years 7 to 10. The older girls can read to the younger girls or younger girls can read to their older buddy.
Why This is a great way for our younger girls to form a bond with an older girl based on the joy of reading to each other.
How Depending on their age, girls or their parents can email our reading buddy co-ordinator requesting to be part of the program. Once we have an older/younger pair, our co-ordinator will email both students and parents to establish the buddy connection. Students and parents can then establish a time/s each week for the buddies to meet via Microsoft Teams. To apply to be a buddy: click on this link. Special thanks to our lovely parent volunteer, Eva Dhanu, who will liaise with applicants to match up buddies. Notes for parents: Upon request for your daughter to be a buddy, you automatically give consent for your email details to be shared between buddy families. Please ensure your daughter follows College protocols when meeting with her buddy and is situated in an appropriate location in your home.
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Want to get out and help an organisation? Here are some contacts to get you started. Easy Care Gardening helps maintain the gardens of older people who need assistance within the Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Ku-ring-gai and Ryde areas. To register your interest in volunteering, email volunteering@easycaregardening.org.au. Clean Up Australia inspires and empowers communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment. Click here to join a clean up. Days for Girls increases access to menstrual care and education for girls and women in developing countries. To join or start a team to help sew and assemble washable sanitary pads and kits for their DfG packs, visit: www.daysforgirls.org/volunteer. Pocket City Farms is a not-for-profit association established and run by a crew of skilled individuals, who are working to bring urban farms to Australia’s unused city spaces. Contact Pymble’s Sara Eisner on seisner@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au for more information. Street Buffet is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to meet homeless people’s basic human right for food and connection. To volunteer to serve meals at Woolloomooloo on a Sunday afternoon/evening visit www.streetbuffet.org.au or contact Co-ordinator, Tony Hole on 0450 954 513. Monika’s Doggie Rescue offers dog walking with rescue dogs. For more information about how to volunteer, visit: www.doggierescue.com/workavail.htm Sydney Dogs and Cats Home is Sydney’s only not-forprofit pound. Visit https://sydneydogsandcatshome.org/ get-involved/volunteer for volunteer opportunities.
2020-EXE-1v5
PYMBLE
Avon Road, Pymble NSW 2073 PO Box 136, North Ryde BC NSW 1670 Australia
Phone +61 2 9855 7799 www.pymblelc.nsw.edu.au
