Pymbulletin_2024

Pymbulletin

SPORT, STRENGTH AND SPIRIT IN 2024

Thank you for bringing the roar to ‘24

Welcome to the wrap-up of 2024 at Pymble – and what a year it was!

It got off to a racing start on day one with the launch of Pymble Pulse, a student-led initiative focused on amplifying school spirit and celebrating the co-curricular passions of our students across the College, from Artistic Gymnastics to Water Polo and everything in between.

And it roared into action following the unveiling of our Year 12 Prefects’ theme for the year, 2024 Hear Us Roar. Inspired by The Lion King movie, Katy Perry’s song and the iconic lion on our College crest, Pymble girls certainly brought their roar to ’24 to achieve outstanding success in academics, sport, robotics, dance,

drama, music, language arts and, more broadly, through the character and actions of our Pymble family.

Our community worked together to raise an incredible $74,900 for charity this year, of which $41,650 was gifted to our major charity The Barbara May Foundation. The College has just co-hosted our eighth SONY Camp for children with special needs, where our student and adult volunteers care for these beautiful souls around the clock and, in doing so, gift their parents and carers a few days of much-needed respite before Christmas. Well done, team Pymble, I am so proud of you all.

It is a privilege to be leading this remarkable school and to bear

witness to the development of each student – academically, emotionally, socially, and technologically. Congratulations, girls, on a fabulous year of having a go, pushing the boundaries, and leaning into our values to support each other and be of service to the broader community.

To our parents and family members, a heartfelt thank you for the many ways you have contributed to College life this year. Your daughter’s educational experience is deeper and more meaningful when we are partners in her learning and connected as a community, and we thank you for this gift that you give so freely.

To our amazing, dedicated staff, thank you for another year of roaring

“Congratulations, girls, on a fabulous year of having a go, pushing the boundaries, and leaning into our values to support each other and be of service to the broader community.”

success in 2024. You have inspired and navigated our girls along their individual pathways of growth and learning, unlocking potential, empowering them with essential skills, fostering resilience and adaptability, and ultimately, helping to prepare them for a successful life beyond the College. It is with the deepest gratitude I thank our Deputy Principals and Senior Executive, Executive, Heads of Schools, Heads of Learning Areas, Head of Boarding and boarding staff, Vision Valley staff, teaching, cocurricular, and professional services staff for the integral role they fulfil in the education of our girls.

Finally, to our College Board and Foundation Board members, words cannot convey my appreciation and

respect for the important work you do, all on a volunteer basis, to support our leadership team as we take every opportunity to provide outstanding educational opportunities and facilities for our students. This work, of course, is in addition to your considerable day jobs, which makes you even more remarkable humans.

The lyrics of one of the most loved songs from The Lion King movie, the Circle of Life, remind us that “There's more to see than can ever be seen, More to do than can ever be done”. I’m deeply grateful for our Board Chair Chris Fydler, OAM, who manages to see all perspectives, and do more than is humanly possible for most of us to get done. Thank you for a wonderful year of supporting all

of us as we find our way through the circle of life at Pymble, Chris. We are grateful for your wisdom, availability, commitment and good humour.

Thank you to all the remarkable humans in our community for bringing your unique gifts, talents and passions to make Pymble and our Vision Valley site the world-leading places of teaching and learning that we know and love.

Thank you for bringing the roar – and so much more – to 2024.

Dr Kate Hadwen Principal

Living our values in the Junior School

This year has been full of special moments and learning adventures and the year can be best described by the fact that our Junior School girls continued to live our College values every day.

Our girls continue to care about others and they are determined to grow the focus of how small acts of kindness can change the world. Throughout Term 2, each student undertook random acts of kindness at school, in their homes and local communities to build their understanding of how prosocial behaviours impact both the recipient and the giver. This year we had more children engage in service partnerships with groups of girls connecting with elders at three local aged care facilities on a weekly basis to share conversation, simple games and music. We also had a group of girls

passionate about Robotics connect with children at St Lucy’s School to help teach them basic coding skills. Most recently we had girls volunteer to be learning buddies for students from Milingimbi who visited Sydney and Canberra for a week.

Being courageous, the girls embraced new opportunities to learn and build skills with the launch of our inaugural STEAM Festival. In a Wonka-inspired celebration of creativity and STEM thinking, our girls worked in house groups across Term 2 to design and make props for the drama performance of Wonka, to invent

and build invent interactive machines and to create small products to sell at their entrepreneursmarket. The day was a spectacle of creativity, colour and collaboration with all girls participating in different STEM challenges and enjoying the delights of our entrepreneurs marketplace where funds raised went to support children through the HARK Refugee program at Westmead Hospital with STEM and educational resources.

Integrity is shown through our girls’ determination to advocate for others because they feel this is the right thing to do. This year we had more

girls wanting to lead initiatives to promote change in our community including a Year 4 student who launched Cook2Care, a project encouraging families to bring in nonperishable foods and to cook meals to support The Dish, a local charity helping families in need. We also had two Year 2 girls who worked with their families to make old-fashioned lemonade which they sold to raise funds to support young people who experience homelessness in the Sydney area.

Passionate about their world, our girls continue to champion for us to be

more sustainable and responsible for the impact we have on our planet. Throughout the year we had a focus on noticing the wonder in our world and this inspired many girls to take small steps to make a difference in any way they could, including one Year 3 girl who picked up rubbish each day on her walk into school for a whole term. This year we hosted the Children’s Kindness Convention for the third time and had over 100 students from across Sydney attend to brainstorm practical solutions to many of the problems they see in the local community. Excitingly, the Children’s Kindness Convention has

now extended into SouthAustralia, with the impact of our girls' voices growing as more and more students are given the opportunity to lead the change they want to see.

Respect for others and respect for oneself are key focuses within the Junior School. This year we launched our Intercultural Committee and this group of girls have worked with mentor teachers to lead an increased focus on celebrating many different festivals and traditions that are meaningful to our community, including creating a calendar to honour these festivals.

A spotlight on TAS

At the intersection of creativity, technology and science, the study of Technology and Applied Sciences (TAS) at Pymble allows students to push the boundaries of their interests and talents.

From the world of textiles to the dynamic field of architecture and exploring vibrant flavours from around the world, the following pages celebrate the diverse passions and pursuits of Pymble’s talented TAS students.Explore how creativity, ambition and curiosity are driving our students to shape their futures in exciting and unexpected ways.

How Teya is designing her future career in architecture

In the world of design, inspiration can come from anywhere, and often in the most unlikely of places. For Teya Cranley (Year 10), her passion for Design and Technology (DT) was ignited when she built a miniature horse barn with her dad at the age of eight, and since that day her enthusiasm for hands-on projects has only grown stronger.

“I have always loved creating and designing projects with my dad,” Cranley recalled. With plans to pursue a design-related career in the future, Teya believes studying DT at Pymble will be the perfect stepping stone to help her achieve her goals. “I’ve wanted to be an architect since I was 12, and DT has always been something I was interested in. It’s been my favourite subject since I started high school,” she said.

One of Teya’s proudest achievements during her time studying DT is her illumination project – a stunning lamp inspired by an Indian light fixture in her home that projects colourful patterns across the walls. The road to completion wasn’t without its challenges, however, it was these challenges that highlighted Teya’s determination to succeed and desire to produce an excellent final result. “It took a while for me to create my light as I kept changing my mind, but after some help from Mr Kutukoff and figuring out the laser cutter, I was really happy with the finished product,” Cranley said.

For Teya, DT is more than just a subject; it’s a gateway to understanding important concepts that influence her life and the world around her, where she learns practical skills to carry with her beyond the classroom and into the future.

“DT is such a hands-on, creative subject which is very practical and helpful in everyday life. It’s so handy to know and understand how things are put together and how to use different tools,” said Cranley.

Teya’s creative process often begins with a simple concept, drawing inspiration from Pinterest and other sources before sketching multiple versions of her designs. Studying DT has fostered creativity, resilience and a sense of purpose within her, and we can’t wait to see how she continues to build on this in the years to come.

Cooking up a taste of Hong Kong at Pymble

Rain To (Year 9) traces her interest in Food Technology back to the COVID-19 lockdowns. While many spent their time at home baking banana bread, Rain spent hers going far beyond the usual, and what started as a playful experiment with recipes has grown into a serious passion for food. “I’ve always loved cooking and baking, and during COVID I would find recipes to try out or just mess around and invent my own,” said To.

It was these moments of kitchen creativity that laid the foundation for Rain’s enthusiasm, which truly came to light when she started her compulsory Food Technology class in Year 8. Her time studying this subject hasn’t been without its challenges, however, but she thrives on overcoming them.

One project, in particular, stands out for Rain: creating a burger suited to a gluten-free diet. Initially sceptical about her idea of making a rice-based burger, her determination, combined with feedback from her teacher, Mrs Melanie Moar, led to a surprising outcome. “When making the burger for a gluten-free person, I had to research what they could and couldn’t eat,” she said. “I ended up making a rice burger, which I thought wasn’t going to turn out well, but Mrs Moar gave me some suggestions on my original recipe, and it ended up looking nice and tasted amazing.”

This experience wasn’t just about learning a new culinary technique; it was a lesson in adaptability and problem-solving. And when Rain was encouraged by her teacher to think critically and creatively, she embraced it fully, resulting in a delectable final product.

Having been born in Hong Kong, Rain’s cultural roots help shape her culinary journey. Her favourite dish to make back home is a simple yet comforting instant noodle breakfast, often served with ham, sausages and a sunny-side-up egg on top.

Behind all of Rain’s delicious dishes is a lesser-known challenge that her and other students face in Food Technology: time. “We barely have any time for cooking during practical lessons,” said To. Managing the clock while preparing food is an essential skill taught in the class, as students learn how to complete their dishes on time without compromising on quality or taste. This has taught Rain how to be efficient and organised, skills that will no doubt serve her well if she pursues her dream of becoming a professional chef.

Rain enthusiastically wants to extend her food tech journey after she finishes school, saying that she “wants to go to culinary school.” Her ultimate dream? Opening her own restaurant or café. And with her determination, creativity and deep love for food, Rain’s dream is very much within reach of becoming a reality.

From classroom to creation: Verity’s textile journey

When we were invited along to Mrs Heather Hansby’s Textiles class to get a behind-the-scenes look at Pymble’s design world, Verity Haslam (Year 10) was the first to greet us as we entered the classroom, with a smile spanning from ear to ear.

The first thing that was evident, however, was that the lesson didn’t feel like it was taking place in a typical classroom. Students were scattered across the room working individually or in pairs, either at their desks or on the workbenches surrounding the walls. There was music playing in the background to help fan the flames of creativity, the girls were collaborating with one another on their work and the soft hum of sewing machines filled the air. The vibes of the space felt more akin to a design workshop in New York City than a classroom in the leafy suburb of Pymble.

Verity’s passion for fashion started in Year 8 during her first-ever Textiles class, where she crafted a pair of shorts with little crabs on them. “That project ignited a spark in me, leading me to somehow convince my grandma to gift me a sewing machine for my birthday later that year,” Haslam said. “With my new tool in hand, I quickly realised that I had developed the skills to create more than just simple pieces; I could design and make clothing and dresses.”

When it comes to inspiration, Verity says her main source is that of costume design because it allows her to channel her creativity through the lens of a character. “This process lets me explore and manipulate the character’s traits and personality, crafting a costume that truly represents them,” she said. She’s most recently been captivated by the 1995 British television drama Pride and Prejudice, with the show’s vibrant and periodinspired fashion sparking her interest in creating costumes that blend colourful, contemporary elements with the elegant style of that era.

As is the case in any creative industry, the process one goes through to get from an initial idea to a finished product is crucial, and it differs from person to person. For Verity, it starts with gathering inspiration to help her envision the overall direction of the design, followed by the creation of a mood board. Once her creativity is flowing, she then moves on to sketching her design, something which she describes as ‘meticulous and evolving’ as the sketches often change throughout the process.

“While the final product may differ slightly from the initial sketches, these drawings provide a crucial blueprint and guide me in bringing the garment to life,” Haslam said. There’s no question about Verity’s passion for textiles, and whether she chooses to pursue a career in this field, it will always be a big part of her life.

Vision Valley Ventures

2024 saw the busiest year of operations for Vision Valley since our purchase of the site, with four Residential Programs for our 254 Year 9 girls and more than 70 client bookings. These exciting programs took place in the background of major changes to the entire infrastructure of the Valley, and a systematic approach of rewilding across our beautiful bush site.

LEADING LEARNING

Following overwhelmingly positive research and feedback data from previous cohorts, 2024 saw Pymble’s flagship Residential Program move into a compulsory model for all Year 9 students. As a core component of each Pymble student's education, the Residential Program holds a rare liminal space for emerging young adults. Adventurers stand at this threshold and face their future self, taking on experiences that challenge their resilience, independence, and maturity. These challenges catalyse deeper connections with peers, mentors and most importantly with themselves as they approach this rite of passage.

At the beginning of 2024, we identified two key areas of focus for the year ahead: embedding authentic First Nations connections and enriching educational

excellence in our unique learning environment. With this intention, Tim and Arwen from Girri Girra have mentored students and staff to nurture their First Nations cultural awareness at the Valley. This includes opening and closing students’ rite of passage through smoking ceremony and marking with ochre to outwardly reflect the internal shift. Students also learn Dharug place names, dance and songlines reflective of Dharug seasonal and cultural significance.

While building on the essence of place-based learning, in Term 4 we engaged with Quantal Bioscience for C4MD@VV (‘Communities For Methylotrophs Discovery’). Dr Belinda Chapman and Dr Michelle Bull from Quantal Bioscience worked with our adventurers to study microorganisms called methylotrophs, which

were remarkably found on leaves of native trees at the Valley. Year 9 students used cutting-edge technology to undertake real-time DNA sequencing of methylotrophs. Our Term 4 adventurers have pioneered world-first community research into methylotrophs, including discovering new species, identifying methylotrophs native to Australia, and sparking research questions that will be taken on by future adventurers (and real-life scientists).

INTERSTATE PARTNERSHIPS

With the intentions of the Residential Program to provide a co-educational learning experience for single-sex schools, we were excited to launch our inaugural partnership program with Churchie (Anglican Churchie Grammar School) in Term 2 2024. This partnership spanned across our northern border, uniting our geographically distant

communities through common goals and outcomes for Year 9 students. Students from Pymble and Churchie arrived at Vision Valley on Day 1 in their respective College uniforms, before ceremoniously casting these aside to proudly button up the shared Vision Valley teals. Whilst conversation was slow to start, it was fabulous to see the shared connection between these young adults upon completion of their four weeks together. They formed authentic friendships, challenged each other’s thinking and developed a better understanding of both themselves and the opposite sex.

We look forward to seeing this partnership continue to flourish in 2025, as we double our intake of Churchie adventurers across two co-educational Residential Programs.

Pymble comes to you in 2025

Narrabri

Friday 26 and Saturday 26 July 2025

Dubbo

Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May 2025

Friday 21 March 2025 Euston

Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 March 2025

Gri th

Thursday 19 June 2025

WHERE WHAT

Wagga Wagga

Friday 20 and Saturday 21 June 2025

DATE AND TIME

VENUE

Euston ICPA NSW Conference Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 March Euston Club Riverfront Resort

Scone Pymble in Scone Friday 21 March The Cottage

Dubbo Boarding Schools Expo Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May DRTCC

Dubbo Pymble in Dubbo Friday 16 May Press

Griffith Boarding Schools Expo Thursday 19 June Southside Services Club

Wagga Wagga Boarding Schools Expo Friday 20 and Saturday 21 June Bolton Park

Narrabri Boarding Schools Expo Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July Crossing Theatre

Please contact Jackie Garment, Relationship Manager, at jgarment@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or 9497 7853 for more information or to RSVP.

Scone

Driving thinking forward

The Pymble Institute’s work in 2024 reflects its mission of driving thinking forward with an ongoing commitment to research topics which benefit girls and women. Our efforts this year are now attracting attention both locally and internationally, which is in turn raising the profile of Pymble staff and students and the programs we are designing and delivering on a daily basis.

After much work behind the scenes, the new Pymble Institute website was launched in October during the annual Sokratis research showcase. This digital revamp simplifies research navigation within the Institute's wealth of materials, including quarterly newsletters, research reports and the Illuminate: Research and Innovation journal, which can be searched by author or topic. Be sure to take a look at pymblelc.nsw.edu.au/pymbleinstitute

The Sokratis program sits at the heart of the research skill-building initiatives offered by the Pymble Institute. Budding researchers from Years 4 to 11 embarked on their research journeys in Term 1, selecting topics inspired by passion and curiosity, and worked hard with staff and senoir student mentors to conclude their investigations. The secondary

showcase held in Term 4 included poster displays and the Three Minute Sokratis competition judged by teachers Dr Kim Bunny and Dr Joshua McDermott, and ex-student, Ms Charlotte Armstrong. Sokratis Junior explored themes of environmental sustainability through posters and presentations. Congratulations to Emelia Caulfield (Best Research Methodology and Three Minute Sokratis competition winner), Tara Sproules-Nath and Thiloksha Perera (Most Thought-Provoking Research) and Syrena Lim (Best Poster Design) for their winning research. An exciting new resource is currently in development to support Sokratis students. The Pymble Institute and Conde Library teams are creating a specialist research curriculum which will be available for students to gain microcredential skills in 2025.

The fourth edition of the student research journal, Perspective, was launched in Term 1 with articles from Junior and Secondary students. The third annual student research conference was held in Term 2, coconvened by Yuki Wang and Julie Sheng (Year 12). Our keynote speakers, Associate Professor Nina Burridge and Dr Sureka Goringe, shared their career stories and supported the student presenters. We held a Perspective and Pymble Ethics Committee stall at the annual "Have a Go! Expo" in Term 4 where the gym resembled a bustling marketplace of ideas. These activities help to demystify the research process, making it accessible to all students through practical examples and inspirational stories.

In the international arena, staff making an impact in research included Mrs Kate Giles from the Junior School

who concluded her research with the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools Global Action Research Collaborative (GARC), focusing on parent-school relationships which benefit student wellbeing in young girls. Kate delivered her presentation at the ICGS Conference in Baltimore to an international audience. Mrs Vanessa Petersen from the Vision Valley team presented on the Year 9 Residential Program at an international outdoor education conference in Tokyo, Japan.

In a first, ten Year 10 students and four teachers travelled to Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Buderim, Queensland, and to the University of Queensland, Brisbane, to participate in I-WiSH (Inspiring Women in Science and Health). This three-day event introduced students to PhD students and professors and grouped students from Pymble, Flinders and

St Catherine’s Melbourne to work in teams to create youth-focused strategies around each project.

Marking a significant milestone, the tenth edition of Illuminate: Research and Innovation was published and a celebration was held to reflect on the Institute's work in bringing over 90 stories of educational research to the public eye. We also celebrated recognition from Together for Humanity with a National Award for Intercultural Excellence, following a research and curriculum project into anti-racism and allyship initiated by students in Year 12 2022.

As the year ends, the Pymble Institute is excited to be developing a research plan to investigate impacts of the Wise Phone project, which is deservedly generating much interest in the broader community. A key feature

of this research will be a studentrun strand where older students will learn about and deploy a ‘social labs’ methodology to bring student voice to both the research itself, as well as the findings.

We thank the many students, staff, parents, alumnae and academics who have been part of the Pymble Institute’s work this year and we look forward to making an even greater contribution in 2025.

Dr Sarah Loch

Director - Pymble Institute

Academic Olympiads

EUROPEAN GIRLS' OLMPIAD IN INFORMATICS

A naturally curious person, Alexa (Year 8) has always been interested in puzzles and problem solving. She recently put those skills to use as the youngest member of the Australian team at the European Girls Olympiad in Informatics.

This competition is part mathematical problem solving and part computer programming. Selected for the team by the Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT), we're proud of Alexa for not only being part of this international competition, but also for her contribution which helped her team achieve the bronze medal for Australia!

INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD

It’s official, Amber (Year 10) was the first ever Pymble student (and the youngest!) selected to represent Australia as part of the 65th International Mathematics Olympiad.

Amber journeyed to Canberra for the official team announcement where she made a speech in front of a packed audience. The Olympiad was held at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom from Thursday 11 to Monday 22 July 2024.

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the world championship mathematics competition for high school students and is held annually in a different country.

The first IMO was held in 1959 in Romania, with seven countries participating. It has gradually expanded to over 100 countries from five continents.

Amber achieved an honourable mention, was placed 425th out of 610 individual competitors and the Australian team placed 38th out of 108 countries. We congratulate Amber on her amazing achievement!

Community Spirit at Pymble

Our 2024 community calendar featured our treasured traditional celebrations and also some exciting new ones in a year full to the brim with Pymble Community spirit.C

Day 1 of Term 1 began the year with a shout. Pymble Pulse – a contagious and rousing student initiative that has kept up the beat throughout 2024.

Icebreaker marked the end of summer but the beginning of a new year for our parent community. Uniting old parents and new, everyone bloomed under the theme ‘a touch of floral’ and we celebrated our highest attendee numbers yet.

The College came alive for some wonderful ‘firsts’ this year. The opening of our Avonmore Boarding House and our Upper School Common Room and the Soil Turning Ceremony for Grey House Precinct (with beautiful smoking ceremonies marking these new beginnings and attendance by students, parents and community). And talking of firsts, we celebrated in style at the announcement of Pymble becoming the first Olympic Pathway School with appearances by our past and present students and staff who were preparing for their own journey to the Olympics this year. Our hearts and

hopes went with them and the college was bedecked in green and gold during the games as we urged them on to success from across the world.

Our Alumni Networking Event was the most successful to date with a truly outstanding lineup of speakers including Vanessa Hudson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Qantas Group (1987), Eve Clark – Executive Director, Asset and Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs (1987), Suzy Nicoletti – Managing Director and Vice President APAC, Klaviyo, Kristen Wydell – General Manager, Professional Standards, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, Rowena Ditzell, Lecturer and Researcher, University of Technology Sydney, 2024 Pymble Ladies' College Ex-Students Union President, (1986), Dr Fiona Roughley SC – Barrister, Banco Chambers, (2001), Li-Enn Koo – Founding Partner and Head of People and Culture, Barrenjoey Capital Partners (1991), Anna Raine – Leadership and Communication Coach and Claire Braund – Co-Founder and Executive Director, Women on Boards.

We were delighted to work with our parent community as they continued to support charities and students across a range of activities and fundraisers in 2024. Our younger students eagerly participated in the Pedal your Own Smoothie, Build a Bear and Jeans for Jeans events and even though rain affected the Family Movie Night not just once but twice this year, our thanks go to all the moviegoers who braved the elements to come along in October and enjoy Migration screened very cosily in the John Reid Hall. The fun was not limited to the youngsters when it comes to fundraising as evidenced at the PPA Trivia Night where our parents dressed as their alter ego rock or pop star whilst showcasing their superior showbiz knowledge. And there were lines of extremely happy teaching staff at the PPA World Teachers’ Day barbecue in October.

The weather gods were kind to us this year for Garden Party and record numbers of funseekers were able to enjoy a wide variety of great food, rides and activities in much more reasonable temperatures than in 2023. Some new appearances this year from the archive treasure hunt (created and run by the students), the art show in the Chapel and our Pymble breakdance troupe gloriously complementing the Knox Pipe and Drum Band. With a new app replacing our paper maps, we took another step towards making our events as green as the grass on the oval.

It was a late entry into the events calendar but a very emotional one as we watched the 2025 Year 5, 6, 7 and 8 students be introduced to the Pymble Wise Phone. Five hundred students and 800 parents joined us to collect their Pymble Wise Phones, learn some key strategies to strengthen the commitment that students and parents will make to each other regarding the use of technology and personalise their devices whilst dancing to music provided by the Pymble phone booth. It was an evening of energy and fun and filled with positivity and hope for our students as they learn to safely navigate the wider world outside the College.

And lastly, the 2024 College year drew to a close with our traditional College Christmas Celebration, which featured rousing cheer and festive spirit, carols and heartwarming performances by our choralists and musicians and of course, Santa made his favourite stop of the season.

Thank you to our entire community of students, staff, parents and community members for the generous donation of your time and boundless energy at all of these events (and the many more that we haven’t mentioned).

We’re looking forward to enjoying it all again with you in 2025. It’s shaping up to be a big one with new events and surprises on the way.

Sport, strength and spirit in 2024

If this year could be summed up in one word, it would be sport. It was everywhere in 2024 with the world’s biggest sporting spectacles, the 24th Olympic and Paralympic Games, taking place in Paris.

At Pymble Ladies' College, students embraced the spirit of sport, starting with a student-led initiative that set the beat for 2024....

“Win, lose or draw, Pymble girls have each other’s backs at every different event across our school.

The hard work that everyone puts into cocurricular at Pymble deserves to be appreciated and noted.”

CHARLOTTE AND HOLLY, YEAR 12 PREFECTS

The year of Pymble Pulse

Each year our Year 12 cohort selects a theme to set the tone for students and staff. In 2024, the theme was Pymble Pulse, which became the catchphrase for a range of initiatives led by staff and/or students to enhance our learning and wellbeing.

Pymble Pulse was based on the notion that every action you take stimulates a reaction in the people around you, much like the way every beat of your heart stimulates blood to pulse through your body. When you do the things that bring you energy and joy, others in your orbit feel that energy and joy too, and vice versa. Actively supporting your friends and peers in doing what they love to do makes everyone feel connected and helps us carry each other through.

The first Pymble Pulse initiative for 2024 was led by two Year 12 Prefects, Charlotte and Holly, who spoke to students at our first assembly about their aim to increase encouragement and acknowledgement of Pymble girls competing in co-curricular sports and activities throughout the year. This support ranged from enlisting groups of friends to form cheer squads at sporting events, to celebrating students participating in Performing Arts festivals, exhibitions and performances.

“Win, lose or draw, Pymble girls have each other’s backs at every different event across our school. The hard work that everyone puts into co-curricular at Pymble deserves to be appreciated and noted,” Charlotte and Holly said.

Pymble Pulse kept beating strong throughout the year, as students continued to shape their own futures with determination, creativity and an unwavering commitment to making a difference. From academic excellence and athletic prowess, to leadership initiatives and artistic endeavours, 2024 was a year where our students not only dreamed big – they acted on those dreams with passion and purpose.

The power of this year’s focus is seen in the seamless way students have contributed to school culture, supported their peers and taken initiative in areas that reflect their diverse talents and aspirations.

Olympic Pathways at Pymble

Olympic fever began early at Pymble with the official announcement in May of the College’s formal designation as an Olympic Pathway School by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC). Pymble is proud to be the first independent school in Australia to be given Olympic designation.

To be recognised as an Australian Olympic Pathway School, a school must meet strict criteria set by the AOC and have a well-established elite athlete development sport program that includes Olympic sports. The College has a long history of producing elite female athletes across a wide range of sports and we are proud to count many Olympians and Australian representatives as alumni and staff members. Currently, our athletes can choose from 20 Olympic sports and are taught by our world-class coaches including fourtime Olympian Lauren Jackson AO, 2024 Olympian and Head of Diving Kurtis Mathews, Paralympic Coach and Head of Sport, Katie Edwards and three-time Olympian Melinda Gainsford-Taylor AM who has coached athletics at Pymble for the past eight years.

The Pymble Elite Sportswoman’s Program (PESP) was established in 2007 to cater for the training, competing and academic learning needs of our student athletes who compete at an elite level. Notable Pymble alumni who participated in the PESP include dual international athlete Ellyse Perry, and Olympians Dr Mackenzie Little (javelin), Chloe Dalton OAM (rugby sevens), Kristie Edwards (athletics), Brittany O’Brien (diving), Genevieve Horton (rowing), Tess Gerrand (rowing), and Danielle Scott (aerial skiing).

We were delighted to welcome Lauren, Melinda and several of our Olympian alumni, including Chloe Dalton OAM (2011), Dr Mackenzie Little (2014), Brittany O’Brien (2016), and Danielle Scott (2007), who all spoke highly of the decades of hard work by our coaches, staff and athletes to establish Pymble as a school of

sporting and academic excellence. Each spoke about their passion for sport and the way in which sport has opened many opportunities for them beyond the specific sport they have chosen.

Best of all was seeing the excitement among our girls, many of whom are working hard to follow their dreams of competing in front of a home crowd at Brisbane 2032. As we always say to the girls, “If you can dream it, you can do it at Pymble.”

A huge shout-out to our Director of Sport, Mr Adam Raw, for managing all the behind-the-scenes work to secure this AOC recognition, our Co-ordinator of PESP, Ms Skye Halliday, who has been running our highly successful elite sportswomen’s program for many years, and all our coaches, managers, teachers and staff who work so hard to deliver excellence in all they do.

Our students are truly blessed to have all the support in the world from our world-class team of champions here at Pymble. We are excited to introduce this new opportunity to provide current and future students with all the support they need to excel in both their athletic and academic careers.

“Pymble students are pioneers – they are future-focused girls and young women who develop the hearts, minds and skillsets to positively impact the world in whichever field they choose. By providing world-class coaches, facilities and holistic support, the College offers an Olympic pathway for our young athletes and sportswomen who dream big and work hard to achieve success on a global stage.”

DR KATE HADWEN, PRINCIPAL

From Pymble to Paris, meet our Olympians

With Brisbane 2032 less than eight years aways, many of our current students are striving for the the opportunity to represent Australia at an Olympic Games in our own backyard. Excitingly, the number of Pymble Olympians in 2024 was our largest ever, with our talented staff and alumni representing Austraila in Paris.

DR MACKENZIE LITTLE Class of 2014 JAVELIN

KATIE EDWARDS Head of Sport (7-12) COACHING PARALYMPIC BRONZE MEDALLIST MALI LOVELL

KRISTIE EDWARDS Class of 2017 4 X 100M RELAY TEAM

KURTIS MATHEWS Head of Diving DIVING (3M SPRINGBOARD)

EDWINA TOPS-ALEXANDER Class of 1991 SHOW JUMPING

LAUREN JACKSON Pymble Basketball Academy Partner BASKETBALL

“I am so grateful to have gone to school at Pymble. I made beautiful friends and have many fond memories from the College. I loved all the opportunities there were to try new things and pursue what you loved. Pymble always encouraged me to dream big and then dream bigger. Thanks to the amazing teachers and staff at Pymble, I left the College feeling capable and confident and that I could do anything I put my mind to.”

KRISTIE EDWARDS (2017), 4 X 100M RELAY TEAM AT THE PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

Yeah the girls!

For 16 days, Australia's athletes dazzled, wowed and mystified the world, amassing the nation's greatest Olympic gold medal haul and proving, unequivocally, no country punches above its weight more on the international sporting stage. Over 460 Australian athletes competed for medals in 329 events at the Paris 2024 Olympics from July 26 to August 11.

By the end of competition in Paris, Australia had tallied 18 gold medals, 19 silver, silver and 16 bronze, securing a remarkable fourth-place finish on the overall medal tally. The Australian team set a new record for most medals won in a single day while also climbing to new heights with 53 medals in total, including 18 golds, 13 of which were secured by our female athletes!

Highest percentage of women in Australian Olympic team history 18 16 19 9 5 3 9 13 256

SILVER MEDALS BY GENDER

BRONZE MEDALS BY GENDER

GOLD MEDALS BY GENDER

Celebrating Green and Gold Day

Excitement was peaking in July and we were thrilled to cheer on the Australian athletes as the Games officially began in Paris. In the spirit of the Games and in partnership with the AOC, the College held a Green and Gold Olympics Day for students and staff.

Across the College's gymnasium, aquatic centre and multi-purpose sporting fields, there were a total of 22 Olympic sports set up for students to try their hand at, giving them the opportunity to emulate what they were seeing our Olympians do in Paris, and perhaps even find a new interest or discover a new talent.

From artistic gymnastics to weightlifting, surfing to table tennis, hockey to duving and rugby sevens to basketball (and many more!) our girls had a ball getting into the Olympic spirit.

Strategic Pillars Update

Our bold Strategic Direction inspires the future of the College and equips our girls with the knowledge and confidence to thrive in their lives and beyond our gates. Here are the key developments from 2024.

ACADEMIC INTELLIGENCE

TEACHING AND LEARNING FRAMEWORK

Our primary focus in 2024 has been to renew and refresh Pymble’s teaching and learning framework. Our goal has been to capture the features of existing excellent classroom practice and incorporate new and emerging research in education. The framework clearly identifies our practice and provides guidance for academic decisions in the future.

With its foundations in Pymble’s

mission, vision and values, the framework includes a philosophy statement and model. The key elements of the model developed by the Center for Curriculum Redesign (CCR) in Boston focus on the knowledge, skills, character attributes and metacognitive abilities that students need to thrive in the age of AI.

CCR’s Framework Venn diagram of Knowledge, Skills, and Character overlapping, with Meta-Learning

surrounding all three and the learner in the centre. An arrow with purpose, agency and identity moving through motivation points to the right.

The model accommodates our existing high-impact teaching strategies, while at the same time equipping us for the future.

CAMBRIDGE

Cambridge IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary

Education) courses are developed in the UK and studied around the world. These courses offer NSW students engaging and rigorous Electives in Years 9 and/or 10. They may also supplement NESA mandatory curriculum and offer excellent preparation for the HSC, earning students a globally recognised credential. In 2024 Pymble registered as a Cambridge School and will offer Cambridge Mathematics in 2025 to selected students. We plan to expand the number of Cambridge courses we offer in coming years.

ELECTIVE PATHWAYS

Elective subjects in Years 8, 9 and 10 give students the opportunity to pursue areas of interest and passion. As part of our collaboration with The Center for Curriculum Redesign we committed to developing an elective in biotechnology which will be available to students in Years 9 and 10 from 2026. Australia is a world leader in Biotechnology, one of the world's fastest-growing industries and a likely future area of employment for our students. This elective will provide hands-on experience in the ways that

biotechnology can solve problems in agriculture, healthcare and the environment.

STEM PATHWAYS

Always keen to create pathways for students in areas where women are under-represented, we have included engineering as one of the subjects offered in Stage 6 from 2025. Engineering will be taught onsite by Dr Glen McCarthy who has developed an engaging and challenging program.

Engineering supplements the subjects on offer that create a STEM pathway. Beginning in Year 7 with Technology Mandatory, students can elect Digital Technologies in Year 8 which includes a focus on drones, Data Science in Stage 5 and Software Engineering in Stage 6.

This year we have also explored ways to support and encourage our students in aviation. We’ve discussed a pathway with Sydney Flight School for students to achieve a recreational pilot’s licence, combining both theory and practical flying experience before they graduate from Pymble

160 STUDENTS

103 STUDENTS

22 STUDENTS

GIRLS ON THE DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVERS LIST

PYMBLE RANKED

21st IN THE SMH

This year, Pymble embraced the challenge of using technology wisely, blending innovation with purpose in the realms of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and phones. We grappled with how to use AI wisely to support learning and invented a whole new phone journey for our younger students.

ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

AI Champions

This year we had over 100 Academic and Professional Services staff dive into AI through our AI Champions program. Pods of eight to ten staff from across different areas of the College would meet to learn about, use and think through different ways AI can transform learning, teaching and work at Pymble. This course helped our staff grow in confidence about how to view and use AI within the role at Pymble

AI In the Classroom

Year 5 students used AI to prototype paper prosthetic arms. At the same time, Year 6 collaborated with Maisy Meadow Mouse, an AI chatbot with the personality of a wise farm mouse, to explore agriculture, code microcontrollers and even fly drones. In Year 9, students used AI to break down assessment tasks, create timelines and refine ideas, making learning more efficient and engaging.

MyPymble

AI has been embedded into MyPymble through chatbots and to create tools to improve quality

DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE

STAFF CONFIDENCE IN USING AI

and efficiency. It has been the inclass learning buddy for students, summarised meetings, assisted in proofing academic reports, supported students explore future opportunities and saved teachers time in pastoral note taking. Next year, we will be bringing further AI tools into MyPymble like a translator for notices and a teacher-steered, context-aware AI assistant that adapts to the student and subject.

WISE PHONES

Perhaps the most exciting initiative was the launch of the Pymble Wise Phone, a groundbreaking step that encourages students in Years 4 to 8 to develop healthier digital habits by replacing traditional smartphones with devices designed for mindful use. This initiative aims to replace smartphones with Wise Phones, to mitigate the adverse effects commonly associated with smartphone usage among young people.

Developed with the intent to safeguard our students' wellbeing while enabling them to confidently navigate the digital landscape, the

Wise Phone is designed not to restrict their potential but to guide them through the complexities of modern technology. This effort underscores our dedication to providing tools that ensure safety, connectivity, and the development of healthy digital habits, all while protecting students' mental and emotional health.

Our vision extends towards cultivating a community commitment to postpone the introduction of smartphones and social media until students are at least 16 years of age, thereby offering them a rare opportunity for real-world engagement and personal growth in an inclusive and age-appropriate learning environment and epitomises the power of collective action within the Pymble community to effect transformative change.

We know this is a bumpy journey we are on together and that we need to work closely with all students and families to help forge a new phone culture. We are therefore so appreciative and overwhelmed by our community’s support of this

initiative. Next year, we will seek further feedback on how to improve the phones as we build on this momentum with over 700 students using Wise Phones.

Together, we’re not just using technology, we’re shaping it to support a community that values ethical, innovative and mindful engagement with the digital world.

SCAN TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR WISE PHONE INITIATIVE

In 2024 the Emotional Intelligence pillar focused on fostering a healthier community through better sleep and movement. Sleep and movement are commonly recognised as the foundations for good health and an appropriate starting point for a healthier community. Some guiding principles were established to shape the tone and nature of the implementation across the College.

1. Understand your current state

There is significant diversity in the quality and quantity of sleep and movement for our community. It is important for our students and staff to understand their current state with sleep and movement so that they can set appropriate goals based on where they are at.

2. One is greater than zero, something is better than nothing Incremental change is ok, it is about progress not perfection. Sleep and movement can be areas of life where we are unfairly judged, it is important to help everyone in our community achieve success and make progress.

3. Habit formation is key to lasting change

There is a growing body of work on the power of habit formation to create changes in our lives that stick. This approach will underpin the implementation of the strategy regarding this pillar.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

SLEEP

With a focus on these guiding principles, it was important to first establish a Pymble Sleep Tracker so that our staff and students better understood their sleep data. In Term 1 and Term 2, our staff and students tracked their sleep using an ageappropriate version of the Sleep Australia Sleep Diary. This first step introduced the language of sleep. Initially focusing on quantity, it later grew to ask questions that unlocked insight into quality and timing.

A sleep masterclass was developed for staff, students and parents. Based on the latest research from Dr Matthew Walker, beyond his best-selling 2017 book Why We Sleep, this masterclass focused on the four macros of sleep:

1. Quantity – how long

2. Quality – how well

3. Regularity – how consistent against other nights

4. Timing – aligning with your chronotype.

These four macros provided a more nuanced understanding of sleep and better, more targeted interventions to help our community improve their sleep.

MOVEMENT

As with the sleep initiative, Term 1 saw an opportunity for students and staff to track their movement using a Pymble movement tracker. Beyond this, students and staff were saturated with a variety of opportunities to move more when on campus:

• Classroom posters were created with a variety of exercises that teachers could use to provide students with a movement break during heavy bouts of learning.

• Campus walking paths were established across the Pymble campus. Five different routes were marked with coloured arrows that let our community explore the beautiful campus on a choose your own adventure, where they could follow the coloured arrows around different areas of the College.

• Movement breaks were regularly introduced to staff meetings and assemblies.

• A lunchtime movement schedule was published, providing consistent opportunities for students to participate in new activities each week during lunchtime. Staff volunteered their many talents to set up opportunities including dancing, tennis, yoga, boxing, skipping and more.

• Bikes and scooters were introduced for our Junior School students to zoom around during lunch and recess breaks..

• House activities were diversified to include more opportunities for movement. A highlight was the house ‘Just Dance’ competition where the entire Secondary School battled it out in a House dance-off!

across the College.

• The Step Up, Push Up Challenge ran in Term 2 with all students participating in the 30 days of May, where in Compass time they would complete the number of push ups that aligned to the day of the month. Later, in June over 150 staff and students completed the gruelling Push Up Challenge.

• Term 3 saw the introduction of the skipping challenge, where skipping stations were introduced

• The Olympics provided the perfect opportunity for a half day where students were able to come to school in Green and Gold attire and participate in over 30 different Olympic sports. The participation and energy from staff and students was through the roof as they truly embraced the Olympic spirit.

• To end the year, outdoor ‘Just Dance’ stations were set up for students to jump in and competed with their friends during lunchtimes.

The Social Intelligence pillar focused on two distinct directions in 2024 with a commitment to developing a service framework for the College and to exploring ways the College values could be made more visible for students, staff and parents. This followed the achievements of the first iteration of the pillar which has left a strong legacy in relation to intercultural fluency and cultural diversity across the College.

The task for the team leading the Social Intelligence – Service initiative was to develop a service framework for the College. Conducting a literature review was the first step which allowed the team to understand key terms and source examples of charity, community work, service and service learning from many contexts around the world. We also met with community experts, including Dr Sureka Goringe, from Uniting World who explained key principles of the Uniting Church approach which included partnering and shifting power.

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

Work began on testing key ideas for what a Pymble approach to service could look like with input from students, staff, parents and alumni. Dr Bosco Rowland from Monash University delivered a popular professional learning session in July on the benefits of volunteering in children and young people. Early on, students expressed their commitment to service being about a blend of education and action.

We also wanted to reduce the wide range of organisations for whom we were raising money and conducting activities, and instead focusing on making more impact in a specific area. Through the consultation stages, the decision was made to focus on service that supported girls and women in the areas of education, health, local, national and international. The new approach started to take shape in the staff program, Pymble Gives Back, which saw a shift from us working with charities, to building relationships with service partners. Priority was given

to organisations supporting girls and women and staff who regularly give service within their communities were encouraged to share their stories and inspire others,

The vision of our new approach to service is to ‘shape the world together through care, solidarity, respect, and justice’ and our mission includes ‘working together for practical, respectful and lasting change’, ‘taking active, sensitive and respectful steps to make a positive difference through our service’ and ‘building respectful and collaborative partnerships so we can contribute positively towards the goals of those we serve’. As 2024 comes to a close, Juliette Moulton and Jessica Worrell, the Service Prefects, are meeting with students from across the College to share the new approach. They are using student input to help launch the Service Framework in a way that inspires, challenges and engages students in service that makes a difference and improves the lives of girls and women in our local and global communities.

A focus on our College values

The College values of care, courage, integrity, respect and responsibility are long established. In 2024, we questioned how these values were being lived and demonstrated in the daily actions of our community.

In 2025, we are seeking to embed these values into the fabric of our College life. The goal is not only to articulate these values clearly but to foster an environment where they are actively practised by students, staff and parents alike.

Our first step was to establish what these values mean to us and how we expect to see them in action every day at the College. After extensive consultation with College leaders, staff, students, parents and alumni, we have developed the following set of values statements to guide our interactions with one another.

CARE COURAGE

I am kind to myself and others.

I am open to new experiences to learn and grow.

INTEGRITY

I do the right thing even when no one is watching.

RESPECT

I value diversity, my worth and the worth of others.

RESPONSIBILITY

I take ownership of my actions.

The plan for the next five years is to focus on a College value as the theme for the school year. We will reference the relevant statement of behaviour for each value in all school events, interactions amongst staff, parents and students with increased visibility of the values statements across the College campus.

The theme for 2025 is Respect: I value diversity, my worth and the worth of others. We look forward to sharing more throughout the year.

From Pymble to Milingimbi

Milingimbi School is located on Milingimbi Island (Yurruwi) some 2,932km from Sydney as the crow flies or 4,325km, should you wish to travel overland and catch a barge the last few kilometres to get there. Milingimbi is in Northeast Arnhem Land, and one of the most remote communities in Australia. The Yolgnu people populate Milingimbi, a bilingual community of 2,000 people who speak a range of dialects collectively known as Yolgnu Matha.

For the past 18 months, Pymble has enjoyed a partnership with Milingimbi School facilitated by the Yadha Muru Foundation City-Country Partnership Program. The program seeks to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to learn, grow and thrive, by linking remote and city schools across Australia. Pymble is one of 22 metro schools partnered with a remote school, who are working together to improve educational outcomes and opportunities for remote children and their communities.

The second half of 2023 was spent building relationships with the Milingimbi community and the school staff. Relationships are key to enhancing educational outcomes in all student/teacher relationships, yet imperative when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students where relationships and connections to culture and country are essential.

As we sat together, listening and talking we identified areas where the two schools shared passion and potential for synergy - Learning on Country/Outdoor Education, a love of storytelling, sport, school pride and enriching our students’ lives. As we yarned it became clear our partnership needed a name, we decided Yapa’manydjirespectful sisters, best described us.

Over the past 12 months we have implemented initiatives that leveraged our shared passions many of which have been implemented in Semester 2. Four of the most successful initiatives are outlined on the following pages.

Pymble / Milingimbi Library Project

BY TESSA ZWAR, HEAD OF LIBRARY AND RESEARCH SERVICES K-12

The library in Milingimbi is a special space shared between the school and community. It serves a dual function of being a school library, catering for the literacy and literary needs of students and staff, and a place for the community to gather and access information, media and life skills. The library has not been operational for some time due to a lack of staff. Pymble Library team members Tessa Zwar (Head of Library and Research Services) and Amanda Wallen (Library Technician) formed part of the Pymble team who travelled to Milingimbi in September. Their focus was to assist in the development of a new memorandum of understanding between Milingimbi School and East Arnhem Regional Council over the use of the library and to assess the state of thelLibrary, with the objective to get it up and running again.

We were pleased to find a well-resourced library with a great range of texts in both English and Yolngu Matha (the local language). It is a great space with exciting potential to enrich the literacy experience of students in language and in English. Due to the recent unuse of the library, we set about tidying up the space and worked especially on the picture book section, as we deemed this the section that would get the most use by students and staff, and therefore be most impactful. After liaising with members of community, we also set about deselecting titles to ensure that the collection was relevant and current to the school. It was tough work (especially in the heat of Arnhem Land) but very gratifying to help create a more usable library for community.

We also met with library representatives from East Arnhem Land Council to refresh the memorandum of understanding. This helped us gain a better understanding of the needs of the community when using the library.

One of the highlights of the library project was working with students from Milingimbi School on literacy and reading skills. We played word games and did one-on-one reading with students. It was such a pleasure working with these students and the learning was definitely reciprocal. They taught us words and phrases in Yolngu Matha and generously shared their beautiful culture with us. We formed long-lasting bonds and were thrilled to meet up with these students again when they visited Pymble in October. We held a literacy lesson in the Junior School Library that focused on their visit to Sydney and Canberra.

Term 4, Year 9 Residential Program

BY JULIE SHAW, HEAD OF SOCIAL IMPACT

Four students and one Aboriginal teacher from Milingimbi took a courageous step and chose to go to Vision Valley for a month. As we expect all Pymble’s Year 9 girls to bravely embark on four weeks away from home, tech’ free, living in community and embracing new outdoor challenges, imagine the leap of faith for the girls from Milingimbi.

Both schools are acutely aware of the benefits to students from Learning on Country. On Milingimbi Island, the students enjoy unique excursions to even more remote islands where they immerse themselves in culture and work with senior ecologists and botanists from Wildlife Unlimited who are committed to supporting our natural environments and communities to flourish. At Pymble our spiralling, sequential outdoor education program embraces outdoor opportunities for students to immerse themselves in nature, explore the culture of traditional owners, give service, and immerse themselves in environmental research as they step out of their comfort zones with age-appropriate outdoor challenges.

As friendships emerged and cultural differences faded the girls witnessed each other’s skills and strengths in all aspects of the program. Side by side the girls grew as independent young women, leaders, navigators, chefs, scientists, organisers and thrill seekers while learning the power of teamwork and empathy.

In 2025, we plan to take a small group of Year 10 students to Milingimbi Island for a reciprocal visit, where the Pymble girls will learn on country alongside their new Yolgnu friends.

A key area of our Yapa’manydji partnership is future focus; with a lens on the future, the two schools have worked together to enable Milingimbi students approaching their final years of formal education to consider their lives beyond school. Margaret Hamley is currently working with Pymble to leverage the sporting talents of young Yolgnu people and expose them to opportunities, role-models and mentors, not regularly available on Milingimbi Island.

Sharing our sporting passions

STAFF REFLECTION BY MARGARET HAMLEY

On my last visit to Milingimbi, after watching Justina win five gold medals at the Northern Territory Athletics Championships, I asked her what she wanted to do with sport and whether she was interested in exploring what was possible. Justina was clear that AFL was her real love and although nervous about stepping out of Milingimbi and away from family, she was also very excited for me to investigate options.

It was an inspired suggestion from Jarred Hodges, the First Nations strategic and player development manager at the Sydney Swans, to invite Justina to come along to the Swans 'Kick the Habit' Footy Festival in Maningrida. It was a gentle way to, for Justina and Jarred to meet and an opportunity for her to train and play with AFLW players Maddy Collier, Tanya Kennedy, Eliza Vale, and Sarah Steele-Park and other talented AFLW players from Maningrida and surrounding West Arnhem communities.

Although there is a men’s AFL team in Milingimbi, there isn’t a women’s team. There are limited opportunities in Milingimbi for Justina to explore and develop her talent. It was interesting over the 'Kick the Habit' weekend to talk to Cassidy Fitzclarence, the Participation, Programs & Remote Projects Manager at AFLNT, Cassidy remembered Justina and her sister, Christina, from a few years ago as being extraordinarily gifted and an intuitive athlete. And yet, it seems the challenges of living in a remote community have until now been a barrier to her growth as a player.

Watching Justina play with and against the AFLW players was a joy. As soon as the whistle blew, Justina's nerves vanished, and she sparkled. Her raw talent was without doubt remarkable, and it wasn’t just 'proud me' that thought so. The AFLW players were impressed from the very first drill and their awe kept growing as play began. It was the players who encouraged Jarred to come and watch this young woman from Milingimbi and he too was impressed. Justina won player of the tournament and as a first step she has been invited to come and train with the AFLW Swans for a week.

As I spoke to Justina about this opportunity there was the same mix of nerves and excitement that I noticed in Milingimbi. Taking the next step will be another huge leap outside of her comfort zone. But, I hope, with appropriate support, she will feel confident to explore what pathways may open for her. The Milingimbi community is enormously proud of Justina, and I have no doubt that the stories, the medals, the photos and the trophy that Justina took back to community will inspire many young girls and boys to dream what may be possible for them on and off the island.

First Nations art and cultural immersion in Cairns

BY JENNY O’DONNELL, HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

The Art and Cultural Immersion was another experience to further foster two-way learning opportunities and cultural understanding. Together we developed an immersive initiative inviting students from Milingimbi School and Central Coast Grammar to meet with us on neutral country in Cairns (Gimuy) the home of the Yidinji people, comprising the following groups, Gimuy, Walubara, Yidinji as the traditional custodians of Gimuy.

The girls – 18 in total accompanied by six staff – were drawn from Years 7 to 11 providing scope for authentic big sister/ little sister relationships. We leaned into cross cultural relationships and invited one of Pymble’s students from Afghanistan and her older sister to join the group. Their presence and openness to engage and share their own cultural knowledge, enhanced the experience for everyone. Multiple perspectives underscored both our diversity, as well foregrounded our shared humanity.

When we first came together, the younger of the crew quickly broke the ice and through a shared sense of curiosity across the group helped to establish connections. All the girls had a common passion for art and an appetite for learning more about the history and diversity of the country we all call home. Those who travelled from their remote homeland in the Crocodile Islands off the coast of Arnhem Land in the Arafura Sea, brought with them rich knowledge of First Nations traditions and an air of great excitement and anticipation as they had never travelled to Queensland before. Those who travelled together from NSW had some limited understanding of what life was like in Millingimbi and relished the opportunity to spend time together with their sisters from the top end. Over the week we were very fortunate to discover new art practices and explore iconic places of great natural beauty.

Time spent at NorthSite Gallery working under the guidance of resident experts Sheryl Burchill, (Kuku Yalanji, Mossman printmaker) and Ruth Saveka (Torres Strait printmaker) provided inspiration and insight into the process of mono-printing, giving the girls time to hone their skills and produce impressive individual artworks. We took the opportunity to visit many galleries and art installations whilst away, broadening our perspectives on what makes art and opening our eyes to the complexities of people’s stories. A memorable visit to Janbal Gallery in Mossman exposed the girls to the traditional process of dot painting which culminated in the production of a collective work showcasing individual representations. Evenings were spent relaxing, swimming and weaving – a traditional craft that was shared with us and one that proved most popular amongst the girls.

A highlight of the week was snorkelling three hours off the mainland where we saw abundant marine life. Hours spent in the water was a testament to how much the girls enjoyed being free and one with nature. The girls from Millingimbi and Afghanistan did not hesitate to gear up and immerse themselves in the pristine waters, even though their swimming experience was minimal. Our guided walk-through Mossman Gorge led by traditional owners reinforced the importance of ancient connections to the land and the importance of caring for the earth and sky and waters. Sharing of Dreamtime stories foregrounded the longevity and complexity of First Nations history and culture.

The atmosphere across the week, was one of mutual support and ongoing encouragement to ensure everyone felt included. Pride in our capacity to open our hearts and minds to the ways of others and embrace our creativity was empowering for all, and the outcomes of the initiative exceeded expectations.

As we plan for 2025, we will continue to leverage our shared passions – Learning on Country/ Outdoor Education, a love of stories and storytelling, sport, school pride and enriching our students’ lives. We will welcome Milingimbi students and staff, our Yapa’manydji, to Pymble to enjoy the same experiences our city educated girls are afforded and enrich the lives of our school family as we learn from the Yolgnu people, about their unique culture, strengths, and the importance of community.

It takes a village...

Boarding is often called the heart of the College and I am more than delighted to accept that mantle! As a home to 135 teenagers and a large number of Boarding staff and their families, it is certainly a team effort to keep things running smoothly. Boarding most definitely is an area of the College that calls on the expertise of almost every individual in the mighty Pymble team and we are beyond grateful for all that they do.

From the very first introductions, our Enrolments team are there to share with new Boarding families the joy life on the Pymble campus. Taking tours around the College, visiting regional areas and organising events, the indefatigable Jackie and unflappable Clair help establish strong and positive relationships with future families. I cannot think of a more caring and committed duo for our very first

ambassadors for the College and Boarding.

Yes, we do have some amazing programs on offer at Pymble Boarding and our Live It, Love It, Learn It program offers a host of wonderful opportunities for our Boarders. We also have our Hop on Board for Boarding programs and multiple publications including the much loved, Keeping Up With Our Boarders, all admired for their beautiful design and carefully edited words. The highly appealing and professional finished product, just some of which you are enjoying now, very much comes down to our incredible Community Engagement team.

Do you know how much havoc a flock of hungry cockatoos can cause? Our Boarders certainly don’t because we have a fabulous team of gardeners

– Sarah, Alex and Travis – who work tirelessly to ensure the Pymble gardens look perfect every day. The sound of their blowers at a Boarderfriendly time of 8.00am clears away the mess from our feathered friends and their expertise in pruning, shaping and tending means the grounds always look stunning. The beautiful gardens, including signature roses and camelias, have even the most accomplished of horticulturalists singing their praises.

Keeping our Boarders safe is our number one priority and our dedicated Security team are certainly focused on this endeavour. Josh and his trusty team are onsite around the clock and are a discreet and caring presence to keep our campus secure and safe. Not only do they patrol the premises but they brighten our days by remembering special occasions

and spoiling us with treats for events like Halloween.

I am sure you can appreciate the wear and tear on facilities in a home for 135 Boarders! Never fear, our Campus Manager, Cameron and his Facilities team is more than a match for the seemingly endless repair and enhancement requests that come under his remit. Painting to be hung? Brent is here; leaky tap? Dave is on it; need 20 mattresses moved? Nick is your man. And, of course, there is that most essential of all Boarding roles – delivering what feels like a never ending stream of online delivery parcels. Our thanks go to Aboud for his care and consistency in keeping our shoppers happy!

Providing our Boarders with delicious and nutritious food is the primary focus of our catering team. Ongoing feedback is key to this endeavour and there are a variety of ways in which this is provided. Fortnightly meetings with Boarding staff and the Boarders’ Representative Council are important ways to collect the thoughts of Boarders. Led by our Catering Manager, Craig and Head Chef, Mike, every opportunity is taken to achieve the right blend for the Boarders. And while every care is taken to maintain a quality offer, it is the wonderful team including Garry, Lily, Wei, Alessandro and John who help to make every meal taste like home.

Then there are the times when our Boarders are unwell, and it is a great comfort to know that they are so well cared for by our Health Care Centre staff. Nurse Manager, Lauren Green leads a magnificent team of registered nurses who care for the Boarders when they are at their most vulnerable. We are also grateful for the generosity and expertise that Dr Tho Pham brings to our Boarding

family in her weekly clinic. Given our Boarders are the mainstay of many of our sporting teams, particularly Rugby, we rely heavily on the likes of Jack Pennington, Head Coach, Strength and Conditioning to co-ordinate the various physiotherapists to ensure our Boarders are in top form.

It goes without saying that there is a very long list of special people in the day school who do an incredible job of meeting the needs of our residential community. From our expert teachers to our beautiful Revs, the First Nations staff and all the Professional Services staff who work tirelessly to ensure the very best for our Boarders. We are very grateful.

Dr Hadwen and Mr Bell are the icing on the Boarders’ cake! Not only does Dr Hadwen work tirelessly to support all things Boarding, ensuring we are well resourced and always considered, she also takes the time to get to know the Boarders and their families on a personal level. This year, along with Mr Bell, she travelled more than 2500 kilometres in one week in order to catch up with families who are joining

us in 2025. A now, well established tradition, every year group enjoys the special treat of dinner at the home of this dedicated duo, feasting on a carefully chosen, home-made menu, having fun with the creatively curated gifts and games and even taking a tour of Dr Hs shoe closet!

Last, but far from least is our dedicated Boarding staff. With permanent staff of 16 and a team of regular casual staff, the Boarders are surrounded by women who have a passion for working with young people and expertise in residential communities. They consistently go over and above to create a happy, home-like environment where our Boarders can thrive. These people care deeply for our Boarders and do all that they can to see them grow and flourish.

As they say, it takes a village to raise a child and without doubt it takes the entire Pymble family to ensure our Boarders are loved, safe, healthy, happy and ready to make the most of the wonderful gift of a Pymble education.

Master plan update

Our exciting master plan continued to make significant progress in 2024, supporting our vision to nurture future-focused, flexible and agile learners.

YEAR 7 AVONMOORE BOARDING HOUSE

We were delighted to welcome our youngest boarders to Avonmoore.

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

A NEW UPPER SCHOOL HUB

The transformation of the Lower Colonnade into a new Upper School Hub and Upper School Staff Office was an exciting development in 2024. With a kitchenette and common lounge, this is a space for Year 9 and 10 girls to gather and connect with teachers and friends.

GREY HOUSE PRECINCT

On Thursday 8 February the College hosted a soil-turning ceremony for Grey House Precinct,, marking the commencement of construction of this exception educational and cocurricular facility.

Progress in 2024 has been significant, with Wylie the Crane (named after Mina Wylie, who was a swimming teacher at the College for 42 years) installed in June and the first of many concrete pours was completed in October.

Due for completion at the end of 2025, Grey House Precinct will provide a new home for Year 5 and 6 students, STEM/Robotics Centre for our Junior School, dance studios for students from Kindergarten to Year 12, an Out of School Hours Centre (OSHC), a Health and Wellness Centre and our new Early Years School for children from birth to five years of age.

SECONDARY INNOVATION PRECINCT

The Secondary Innovation Precinct (SIP, pictured above) will be a worldclass learning environment that prepares our students to be global leaders. The new home for our senior students will offer new food outlets

and provide outstanding learning areas for Mathematics and Business Studies courses, along with dedicated space for our extensive Robotics program. 3XN Architects have been appointed as the architects for our Secondary Innovation Precinct, which is due to be completed in 2029.

A spotlight on master planning at Vision Valley

Our outdoor education campus, Vision Valley, continues to transform into a unique experiential, adventurebased learning environment. Here, students learn while immersed in nature, developing personal courage, resilience and improving their wellbeing.

In 2024, the Koala and Wallaby lodges were refurbished, providing a comfortable, safe and welcoming space for all our students, particularly those in Year 9 completing the Residential Program. Both lodges now have custom-built bunk beds and additional built-in storage in the bedrooms, a beautiful and comfortable common room and updated bathrooms for our campers.

2024 saw the construction of two exceptional outdoor classrooms, Wedgetail and Kookaburra. Wedgetail is a concrete, cantilevered, open classroom permitting students to sit on the top of the building in the eucalypt tree tops, or beneath in the cooling shade of this cave-like structure. The structure mirrors an eagle opening its wings to the Dharug Gully, with feathered striations imprinted into the structure. Kookaburra was designed with the assistance of our 2023 Year 9 Residential Program adventurers and features a three-panelled roof structure to mimic a Kookaburra’s tail. These two structures, together with a refurbished ‘Brumby’ classroom, ensure teaching occurs outdoors and in nature at the Valley, and offers respite to students camping in challenging weather.

Major landscaping also occurred across our 100-acre site this year, with three new camping sites established in the main valley, a bridge and dry riverbed structure around our pool and slide area and the development of a 100-seat firepit and associated entertaining lawn at Lakeside. Lakeside itself got a renovation too, including a new outdoor kitchen for ‘lunches at Lakeside’, renovated bathrooms and new furniture to permit more flexible use of this beautiful space on the water.

Teachers in Focus

Passionate and exceptionally talented, Pymble’s teaching staff are always looking for new ways to inspire our girls to unlock their greatest potential. Their love of teaching and dedication to what is not simply ‘a job’ to them is unsurpassed. And so, as we celebrate our education leaders, we ask them where they find their inspiration...

Miss Clara Choi K-6 Classroom Teacher

I love teaching because... it engages every part of who I am, shaping how I connect with students, collaborate with parents and colleagues, and navigate challenges with patience, empathy and understanding. It’s an incredibly powerful and fulfilling experience to know I’ve helped unlock a student’s potential, boosted their confidence, and inspired them to pursue their personal goals and aspirations. By the end of the year, there’s nothing more rewarding than reflecting on how far they’ve grown, both as learners and as individuals.

I’m inspired by... meaningful connections. I deeply value all the relationships I have with my family and friends as they shape our identity, values and the way we see the world. During my trip to the Philippines in 2017, I was struck by the poverty and difficult living conditions of the students, yet their communities were warm, vibrant and filled with happiness. The stronger our bonds with others, the more we feel understood and connected.

Mrs Vanessa Petersen Deputy Head of Campus - Vision Valley

I love teaching because... I can have a genuine impact on our students’ lives. Connecting with the girls, whether we are in the science classroom or in the bushland around Vision Valley, makes our teaching feel important. I want to inspire lifelong learners who are passionate about stepping outside the comfortable into the unknown and the undiscovered.

I’m inspired by... the curiosity of my own young children. Seeing the wonder in their eyes or listening to their endless questions (that I usually cannot answer) reignites my natural love of learning and therefore teaching. As a true innovator of learning, Albert Einstein said “the important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing”. I’m inspired each day to stay curious and to spark this sense of curiosity for my students.

Ms Lily Hoang Mathematics Teacher

I love teaching because... each day is dynamic, bringing new challenges, meaningful conversations and bold ideas. It gives me an immense sense pride and responsibility to have the opportunity to foster not only mathematicians, but students who are able to think critically, empathise and care deeply about their role in the world. Being part of this transformative journey is truly exciting.

I’m inspired by... those who persevere and work purposefully to master their craft and become the best version of themselves. The courage and determination my students and colleagues display in pursuing their goals or overcoming adversity remind me to be grateful for what I have and motivate me to become a better person.

Mx Spencer Toohey

Secondary School Inquiry Learning Leader

I love teaching because... I love connecting with young people. They have a great diversity of viewpoints and interests and they’re in a constant state of change and learning. I enjoy watching them develop opinions about the subjects they’re learning about, about the issues they’re hearing about, and about the people they interact with. It’s such a joy to watch students’ opinions and thoughts become expressed with more nuance as they grow older, and they start to use more and more self-care, critical thinking and resilience strategies with intention. It’s so satisfying to watch a student actively choose to try a strategy you shared with them.

I’m inspired by... my students and my colleagues. Everyone around me has such different goals and interests but are united by a sense of respect for each other and the work we do. Seeing students excited and talking about a subject or topic they’ve been learning about reminds me of the joy of learning and inspires me to go more deeply into improving my craft as an educator. Seeing colleagues take on opportunities to do research or present at conferences reminds me that each day can be different and we can always work to help others in a huge variety of ways.

Mrs Alex Campbell

Senior English Teacher

I love teaching because... in this profession we have the privilege of walking beside young people as they explore and become who they want to be, ready to make their mark on the world and fulfil their potential. Along the way, it’s very special to see the spark in students’ eyes when they have a ‘click’ moment and develop clarity with their understanding, or when they push themselves out of their comfort zone and tackle a challenge with resilience and determination. As an English teacher, I also value being part of our students’ reading journey, to see them start to understand that books have the power to help them travel without moving their feet, to help them open their minds to different perspectives and ideas, and to be deeply moved.

I’m inspired by... I am inspired by people who show integrity and take a stand to protect the rights of others and speak out against injustice, such as Zarifa Ghafari, Malala Yousafzai and Tamika Mallory. Their courage and unwavering commitment to justice reminds us of the power of individual action in creating meaningful change.

Mr Billy Chan

Mathematics Teacher

I love teaching because... it allows me to highlight real world applications of the concepts we learn in class. I enjoy showing students how mathematics connects to everyday life and their future, whether through technology or finance and everything in between. I also value education as a way to equip students with problem solving skills they can apply in their future careers.

I’m inspired by... people's stories of perseverance, which remind me of the challenges that come with growth and learning. These stories inspire me to encourage my students to keep pushing forward, especially when faced with obstacles, to achieve their goals through determination and commitment to learning.

Mrs Christine Kenny Deputy Principal – Academics (K-12)

I love teaching because... I love the moments of discovery – the aha moments – and the way each each student’s face lights up with understanding. There is so much joy in learning and teachers have a unique window into these moments! But I also teach because the journey to discovery can be challenging – it can take time to come to understanding and walking alongside students during this process is so rewarding. As teachers, we never know the scope of our influence. I still remember my Biology teacher from school – her grace, intelligence and passion for learning have stayed with me all this time. Teachers shape the next generation.

I’m inspired by... all the little successes that can lead to students reaching goals beyond their initial expectations. Over the years I’ve learned that we are all capable of so much more than we can imagine. One of my favourite days of the year involves chatting with Year 12 students after the release of HSC results in December. Mostly, they have reached or exceeded their expectations and their excitement is palpable. Witnessing my first cohort of Pymble students going out into the world, confident in their ability to make a difference, will be such a privilege.

Mr Ryan Stewart

History, Ancient History and Aboriginal Studies Teacher

I love teaching because... I love engaging with our wonderful students and sharing my passion for History and Indigenous cultures around the world. Through these areas of study I'm able to share with our girls the wonders of humanity and valuable lessons from the past.

At Pymble we're able to forge meaningful rapport with our students in order to help them on their life journey. The reward we teachers receive can, of course, be incredible academic results but it can also be seeing excitement in a student's mind when history comes to life in the classroom, or when an anecdote conjures a laugh or when a Dreaming story instills a deep and important lesson.

I’m inspired by... The teachers around us that feel the same passion and intent towards educating our wonderful students. I'm inspired by the hard work and dedication from our amazing teaching staff, and I'm also inspired by the students themselves. They show up, they work hard, they navigate a difficult world, and by the time of their graduation in Year 12, we celebrate with joy and a sense of personal and academic fulfillment.

Ms Cassie Henderson Vision Valley Teacher

I love teaching because... it’s so incredibly rewarding seeing students grow and develop. In particular, I love teaching outdoor education because it allows me to work alongside nature while fostering a sense of adventure and leadership in my students. The great outdoors serves as a dynamic classroom, where lessons come to life through hands-on experiences. Witnessing students' confidence grow as they tackle new challenges, develop teamwork skills, and gain a deeper appreciation of their own strengths.

I’m inspired by... nature. Nature teaches so much through its cycles of growth and renewal, reminding me that change is a vital part of life. Each beautiful encounter I have with the natural world inspires me to appreciate the simple joys in life. Plus, watching my students complete challenging expeditions within nature is inspiring. I’m always so proud of how much students learn to push past their perceived limits.

The 2024 sport report

Pymble girls exhibited a consistently high level of skill, exceptional leadership qualities – both on and off the field – and an infectious team spirit in their chosen sports throughout 2024.

We sincerely thank all Kindergarten to Year 12 students that participated in sport this year. Every student demonstrated unbelievable commitment to our 32 sport programs. To all parents, thank you for supporting our girls every step of the way.

It was such a pleasure to see our students compete on the local, national and international stage in 2024. The dedication, resilience and sportsmanship demonstrated by our athletes was truly inspiring.

Representing Australia is often a childhood dream for many aspiring

athletes, and in 2024 we were proud to have eight students honoured to be selected to wear the green and gold. This is a significant achievement that highlights their talent, hard work and passion for their sports.

Displaying our unique diversity, remarkably, Pymble was represented across four different sporting disciplines:

SARAH BAKER (ATHLETICS)

Sarah was selected for the Australian U18 team at the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships in Fiji, where she finished first in the 1500m and second in the 800m.

SYBELLA WARTON (ATHLETICS)

Sybella was selected in the Australia Open Para team for the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships in Fiji, where she placed second in both the 100m and 200m.

RENEE LEUNG (FENCING)

Renee was selected for the Australia Women’s Team Foil at both the 2024 Commonwealth Junior Championships and the 2024 Commonwealth Cadets Championships, where Renee placed eighth in both competitions.

RIANNE LEUNG (FENCING)

Rianne was selected for both the individual and team foil events at the 2024 Commonwealth Junior Championships and the 2024 Commonwealth Cadet Championships. At the Junior Championships, she achieved first place in the team foil and third place in the individual foil. In the Cadet Championships, she secured first place in the team foil and second place in the individual foil.

ANN KYLE (FIGURE SKATING)

Ann was selected for the Advance Novice Section at the Volvo Open Figure Skating Championships in Latvia, and she competed in the Swan Trophy International.

KATHERINE HART (FIGURE SKATING)

Katherine was selected in the Junior Australian Synchronised Figure Skating team at the World Junior Synchronised Figure Skating Championships in Switzerland.

KIERA MIRONOVA (WATER POLO)

Kiera was selected for the Australian U16 Water Polo team at the World Aquatics Women’s U16 Water Polo Championships in Turkey, where their team placed third overall.

ZARA COOKE (WATER POLO)

Zara was selected for the Australian U16 Water Polo team at the World Aquatics Women’s U16 Water Polo Championships in Turkey, where their team placed third overall.

2024 HIGHLIGHTS

There were many significant highlights across the year for Pymble sport.

Our Artistic Gymnastics, Athletics and Cross Country teams claimed victory in the annual igsa Championships, while our Diving and Swimming teams all placed a close second place overall.

Term 1

• Lauren Jackson AO partnered exclusively with the College to launch the Lauren Jackson Basketball Academy where 101 students registered.

• Two students were named ‘Young Sportsperson of the Year’ in Australia Day honours.

• The First VIII Rowing crew placed a remarkable second at the Australian Rowing Championships and became National Champions in the Schoolgirl Eight Sprint event.

• A notable achievement at the igsa swimming championships: every Pymble swimmer competed in at least one final.

• The Knox Pymble Swim Club placed second overall at the 2024 Australian Age Championships.

• In Years 7 to 12 there was significant growth seen in sport registrations across Badminton (25 per cent) and Tennis (17 per cent).

• Overall, in Years 3 to 6 there was an 11 per cent growth in Saturday Sport registrations.

Term 2

• The Australian Olympic Committee recognised Pymble as an Australian Olympic Pathway School.

• Pymble hosted the Australian Water Polo Stingers VS China.

• Pymble placed first in the S01 IGSA Basketball and Football competitions.

• Eleven students competed in the Northwest Equestrian Expo in Coonabarabran.

• Our CIS Cup Football team won their Grand Final.

• Saturday Sport in Years 7 to 12 experienced an increase in participation compared to 2023, highlighted by a 25 per cent rise in Football participation.

Term 3

• Sixty students competed in the Northern NSW Regional Snowsports Championships.

• Pymble won its 8th consecutive igsa Athletics Championships by over 100 points. In addition, 15 students qualified to compete at the Australian All Schools Championships.

• Six students competed at the Australian Cross Country Championships, claiming three medals.

• Two students competed at the School Sport Australia Diving Championships, claiming five medals.

• Twenty-eight students competed at the National Interschools Snowsports Championships. Pymble won the overall Primary Champion School.

Term 4

• Twenty-seven girls competed over five days at the NSW All Schools Athletics Championships

• Pymble competed at five different National School Championships: Athletics, Basketball, Futsal, Tennis, Volleyball.

Shining a light on Performing Arts

DANCE

2024 was the platform for new experiences, improving skillsets and making strong connections with the dance industry both nationally and internationally.

The year included three days of RAD Ballet Examinations for 70 students, various local Eisteddfods and a USA Dance Tour travelling from NYC to LA with 25 students participating in workshops, sightseeing and attending Broadway shows.

We introduced exciting new initiatives such as igsa Dance Festival, International Dance Week featuring the whole College doing the Nutbush, stunning dancer identity photoshoots, and enriching International, with the famous Briar Nolet and National with local icon Lauren Elton, Guest Workshops.

Dance at Pymble is an experience, a collective journey

built on teamwork and passion. In 2024 the Dance Showcase was titled A Date to Remember – a journey through memories, milestones and moments.

The Showcase unfolded over a week of seven performances, with 1,400 student registrations across 100 dance classes from Kindergartent to Year 12 and additional guest performances.

Our exceptional dance staff crafted routines thoughtfully aligned with the showcase theme, creating a multi-layered experience for all. This year, we collaborated with Pymble musicians creating a bespoke item exploring the invention of the Cochlear Implant, developed medleys, incorporated a wide array of student voices in narration, and engaged renowned national and international choreographers to work with the students. We reinstated traditions such as the Foyer Décor and Foyer Parade and we aimed to captivate audiences and dancers alike with routines that

evoke cherished memories, inspire reflection, or reveal significant moments in history. The annual Year 12 tribute item included a video from each parent recognising their daughter and a surprise performance from our Pymble Disney star, Faith Hedley (Year 7). This year the parents really set the bar high with sentimental and comical video messages that was a pinnacle of the event. The Dance Showcase was the talk of the Pymble community and certainly exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Pymble Dance is proud to be providing memorable experiences for our community.

MUSIC

2024 opened with the prestigious Concerto Competition, adjudicated by Allison Osborne (Sydney Symphony Orchestra) and Kimbali Harding (Australian Youth Orchestra CEO). Aine Oo (Year 11) was announced as the winner and she went on to perform Carl Weber’s Clarinet Concerto no 1 with our very own Symphony Orchestra.

Each year the Junior School musicians come together for a weekend of workshops with band and string professionals. The enthusiasm was palpable as the girls absorbed so much music, engaged in a massive amount of learning – then had loads of fun in the swimming pool.

At the conclusion of Term 1, the Music Department and all the musicians took to Gloucester Lawn for our annual outdoor concert. The picturesque setting accompanied the dazzling music as parents relaxed with a picnic dinner.

The Music department is fortunate to be supported by our Music Support Group: a group of parents who meet regularly to find ways to help build and develop music across the College. In May, the lovely parents provided a delicious breakfast to all of our Secondary School musicians to ensure they were well sustained for their early morning rehearsals.

In mid-May the Year 8 Elective Music classes took to the stage to present Nemo, a Disney Jnr Musical. Each member of the classes dressed up as creatures of the sea, sang songs, danced and acted, resulting in a delightful performance.

Term 2 concluded with the Eisteddfod Season and our Ensemble Concert, A Night at the Oscars. The Junior School Hindson Strings, Grainger Band, Jazz Band, Senior Chamber Strings, and Pymble Chorale, all competed in the City of Sydney Eisteddfod and Ryde Eisteddfods. The Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts was decorated with red carpet and balloons to welcome guests to a night filled with movie inspired music. We bid our Year 12 girls farewell and thanked them for their time in the College music program. Lux Fritz was the longest standing member and possibly the most involved student.

After the June/July holidays we began rehearsals for the 2024 Music tour to Spain and Portugal. Our strings, band and choral programs shifted gear to accommodate rehearsals and we pooled our resources so that everyone could continue to come together to make music. Friday afternoons became a two-hour combined rehearsal, ensuring everyone left with a good dose of dopamine for the weekend! Term 3 is always a busy time of year with the focus being on the curriculum side. The trials came and went, closely followed by the HSC, with many of our younger members joining in to support our Year 12 cohort. Our brilliant Scholars performed for us in August showing a level of skill and dedication in a musical setting, but also displaying a lovely sense of camaraderie to each other.

The Elective Music night is always a fun-filled evening where each class of elective music chooses a piece to perform in a relaxed, yet somewhat serious, setting.

The Year 6 Musical, Seussical the Musical, stunned viewers with a full house. Ms Lee, Miss Buckley and Mr Schweinberger all added a magical touch to the show supporting the message of Dr Seuss “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”.

The saddest part of Term 3 is to say farewell to Year 12 once and for all. They have their Speech Day and the Symphony Orchestra performed beautifully, along with a gorgeous arrangement of songs by Lux Fritz that Year 12 performed.

Garden Party is the signal that the term is coming to a close and this year was a spectacular showcase of gardens, food and music. Our girls (from the Pizzicato Strings and Piccoline Choir, all the way to the Senior Stage Band) performed magnificently.

Term 4 is always the fastest and most hectic time of the year as the Music department winds up, rather than down. In the space of 7 weeks we have had to prepare music for

Open Evenings, Chapel services, Junior School Ensemble Concert, Big Band Blow, Sports Award dinner, Foundation Dinner, Jacaranda Day, Speech Days for K-2, Year 3 to 6 and Year 7 to 11, Carols Service and finally, Music Tour 2024. In fact, it was so busy this term we had to make the very sad decision to change the Secondary School Ensemble Concert to be held during school hours as a “musical buffet”. The girls were so involved in co-curricular and outdoor education that we could not possibly hold the concert to the standard we are accustomed to.

Each year is a busy year in the land of Music and the above report does not even begin to cover the extent to which a musician is involved. The rehearsals, the practise, the tears, and the joy all culminate in 1 performance opportunity that might only last for 5 minutes on stage. Nevertheless, we continue doing what we do because we love it.

Our heartfelt thanks must go to the staff: Mr Schweinberger, Ms Lee, Ms Buckley, Mrs Hare, Ms Farlow, Mr Stafford, Ms D’Elia, Mr Rossman, Ms Ashton, Ms Zeltzer and Ms Aquaro, all of whom have provided support to each student, provided a professional standard of music and produced musical quality that is unsurpassed.

DRAMA

The year began with a burst of enthusiasm as Year 10 Drama students presented FANGIRLS by Yve Blake, a spirited exploration of young women's identities, passions, and the power of fandom. This part-play, part-musical comedy had audiences laughing and nodding in recognition as the students, supported by an ensemble from Year 9, brought raw energy to the stage. We were delighted by the full-house audiences and deeply appreciative of the family support that made this production possible. FANGIRLS showcased the comedic and dramatic talents of our students and celebrated the vibrancy and resilience of youth.

Over the Easter break we hosted our inaugural Drama holiday camp which gathered students for intensive workshops led by industry professionals from Belvoir, Bell Shakespeare, Sport for Jove, and Action Academy. Students honed their skills in character development, Shakespearean language, musical theatre and stage combat. Highlights included the intricate “Building Character” workshop, a high-energy Shakespearean rap battle and safe stage-fighting techniques. This

enriching experience deepened students' understanding of performance craft and left them inspired for future theatrical pursuits.

In June, Year 10 to 12 students dazzled audiences with Matthew Whittet's Girl Asleep, a unique rites-of-passage play filled with disco dancing and imaginative storytelling. Rehearsals began with an intensive bootcamp, allowing students to dive into their characters and the retro Australian suburbia setting. Performances were vibrant and energetic, with standouts like Mahika Swamy as Greta Driscoll and a talented ensemble bringing surreal nightmare characters to life. The production was a dynamic, visually stunning portrayal of adolescence that captivated the audience with both humour and heart.

Our co-curricular drama achievements this year have been a testament to the talent, dedication, and vibrant spirit of our staff and students. Competing across various eisteddfods, our performers brought an array of compelling stories to life, from the engaging physicality and creative costume changes by Uehara and Jane Le in Warrior at Parramatta Eisteddfod to the emotive, beautifully shot short film by Ayla Gortan, Cyma Shah, Sierra Borean, and Lulu Li that secured first place at the Shakespeare Carnival. Students from Years 5 to 11 showcased their range with pieces including Emma Geng and Catherine Shi's performance of The Glass Menagerie, a dramatic exploration of family dynamics that earned first place at the Inner West Eisteddfod, and Darcey Hawkins and Madeleine Watson's engaging portrayal of Tom Stoppard's Travesties, a farcical comedy that brought home a well-deserved first place at Sydney Eisteddfod. These accomplishments reflect the creativity, hard work, and exceptional talent of all involved. Theatresports semi-finals also saw our improvisation teams shine, displaying sharp comedic timing and agility under pressure. From seasoned performers to those new to the stage, each participant exemplified teamwork, creativity and resilience. These achievements reflect not only their individual talent but also the rich and supportive environment of our drama community, one where young artists are empowered to explore and excel.

The Drama Curriculum Showcase celebrated the work of students in Years 9 through 11. Year 9’s Performing Australia unit featured personal narratives exploring multicultural identity, while Year 10 students tackled complex social issues in political theatre. Year 11’s Herstory unit honoured influential women across history, with moving monologues from Claire McPherson, Darcey Hawkins, and Genevieve Hartin showcasing their evolving

skill and confidence. This showcase celebrated the diversity of themes and styles across our curriculum and highlighted the growth and courage of our young performers.

The year concluded with Year 7 to 9 students’ production of Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector, a lively satire on bureaucracy and greed. After weeks of rehearsals, the students mastered the comedic timing and absurdity of Gogol’s classic farce, bringing its sharp wit to life with standout performances from Katerina Economou, Grace McSweeney and Orla Cottrell, together with an exceptionally talented ensemble cast. The production was a hilarious exploration of mistaken identity and human folly that left audiences laughing and entertained, affirming the timeless relevance of Gogol’s critique of human nature.

And finally, our Year 12 Drama students delivered an unforgettable HSC Showcase filled with powerful, emotionally charged performances that reflected both their artistic dedication and the year-long development of their projects. Tackling challenging themes, the students demonstrated maturity and depth, inviting audiences to reflect and connect on a personal level. Their remarkable work earned them twelve prestigious OnSTAGE nominations - including all three Group pieces and nine Individual projects, underscoring the exceptional talent and immense hard work of this HSC cohort.

The 2024 journey through Drama has been transformative for our students, offering them much more than just performance skills. Through every rehearsal, workshop, and showcase, they’ve developed confidence, resilience, and a sense of connection that will last well beyond their school years. Drama empowers our young girls to express themselves, take risks and explore different perspectives – all essential tools as they navigate a complex world. We are proud of the way each student has embraced these opportunities, and we look forward to seeing how they carry these lessons forward, both on and off the stage.

The Addams

Family Musical

A standing ovation must go to our incredibly talented cast, crew and musicians of The Addams Family Musical for their brilliant performances in March 2024. It’s hard to believe that this production featured only school-aged children but, then again, they are led by incredible staff, who are seasoned theatre, music and industry professionals. Such an outstanding effort all round!

Black Watch Ties

FROM THE ESU PRESIDENT

2024 has been an incredibly busy but also rewarding year for the Ex-Students’ Union (ESU).

The ESU Committee is passionate about the power of networking to support career development and transition. The 2024 Alumni Networking Event in held in May was testament to the fabulous success and diversity of Pymble Alumni. The Ex-Students’ Union was active in the preparation and lead up to the Alumni Networking event and, as President, I had the honour of facilitating one of the panels. A highlight of the evening for the ESU Committee was witnessing the buzz as attendees moved through the various activities, potentially building their own networks.

A feature on the ESU calendar was the Commemoration Day Service held in the College Chapel. The Ex-Students’ Choir performed beautifully and Dr Rowena Mobbs delivered an inspiring talk during the service.

During Term 3, the committee presented gifts welcoming our current Year 12 cohort to the Ex-Students’ Union. Amy Graham (2017) spoke to the students and shared insights from her journey beyond school. We look forward to having our newest Alumni as part of our ever-expanding cohort and benefiting from the network that we offer.

On Saturday 21 September, on a glorious spring day, the iconic Ex-Students’ Union Chicken Sandwich and Champagne Stall continued to delight Garden Party attendees.

During 2024, the ESU has continued to support several

initiatives including the Ex-Students’ Union Scholarship, the Artist-in-Residence Grant, the Alumni Dance Group as well as contributing financially to alumni tutoring services for our Boarders.

Over the last twelve months the ESU Committee in partnership with the College has undertaken a rigorous review of our legal and governance structure, our Constitution and the evolving regulatory, political and legislative landscape. During the review period we have identified increasing complexities to our structure, a difficulty in remaining current with best governance practices and ongoing legal and accounting implications for our volunteer committee members.

Since July, the Committee has run three consultation sessions with members regarding these potential changes to our structure and constitution. The meetings have been well attended and have included interesting debate. We have also sought independent legal advice to determine our course of action. Over the last few months we have been reviewing draft documents that will underpin our new structure including an updated Constitution and Relationship Charter with the College. We are planning further member consultation for Quarter 1 2025 so look out for communications on this if you are interested in participating. We look forward to delivering a reinvigorated ex-student offering in partnership with the College in 2025.

Dr Rowena Ditzell President, Ex-students' Union

FROM THE ALUMNI RELATIONS MANAGER

It’s almost impossible to fathom that we are finishing another fantastic year at Pymble. As always, it has been a full year of growth and learning at the College but most importantly, a beautiful year of Pymble spirit and camaraderie, within our alumni community.

Our Alumni Networking Event continues to go from strength to strength and we were excited to welcome over 200 alumni, both mentors and mentees to KMPG Sydney in May. It was an evening to promote professional connection, mentoring and support amongst our community. Thanks to all our alumni who gave so generously of their time on the evening with special mention to Vanessa Hudson (1987), Eve Clark (1997), LiEnn Koo (1991), Dr Fiona Roughley SC (2001), Dr Rowena Ditzell (1986), ESU Committee members and our alumni mentors. Your contributions were instrumental in making the evening such a success and we are grateful for the Pymble spirit you all so generously shared to support our younger Pymble graduates. We look forward to seeing more of you in May 2025 at an exciting new venue!

In Term 2, Pymble’s Futures Department hosted their annual Careers Expo and I was delighted to welcome some of our alumni to speak, meet and present to current students.

In 2024, we have also hosted two beautiful alumni weddings at our chapel and a very special Pymble reunion in London organised by Natasha Gourlay-Harris (1989).

Term 3 at Pymble always means Garden Party and this year we were gifted with a perfect spring day to celebrate all things Pymble. The sun was shining, there was a lovely cool breeze and the College was festooned with scarlet, navy and white as far as the eye could see. Record numbers of students, parents, alumni and friends delighted in the delicious food, indulgent treats, the hair raising rides and the wonderful Pymble spirit. Huge thanks to all of our wonderful alumni who worked on the stalls, donated goods and gift and came to enjoy the day. It was wonderful to reconnect with so many of you and catch up on your news and also to raise much needed funds for our charities, the Sony and Barbara May Foundations, the College’s Boarding Scholarship program and our very own Ex-students' Union (EUS).

I would also like to extend a heart-felt thanks to our 2024 ESU Committee office bearers: Rowena Ditzell, ESU President, Samantha Seaton, ESU Secretary, Amy Graham, Vice President and Victoria Muller, Vice President and the general committee. The College values the close bond it shares with the ex-student committee and we are grateful for the generosity of your time gifted to the College.

I’m looking forward to sharing another productive and fulfilling year in 2025, with even more opportunities to connect.

Katrina Corcoran Alumni Relations Manager

Notices

BIRTHS

Sarah Maloof (1999) and her partner

Peter Olanda are so thrilled to welcome their first baby, Audrey Rose. “She is so perfect, adorable and cute. Everyone is doing well and very much in love.”

VALE

Penny Roberts (Andrews, 1992)

Penny Roberts (nee Andrews) died peacefully surrounded by her family on Tuesday 26 March 2024. Penny was born in Gosford, NSW and attended Pymble from Year 6 to 12 as a Boarder in Lang House. Working in Sydney and London as a political media and policy advisor through to a corporate affairs executive, Penny enjoyed a successful career, strategically advising on numerous major infrastructure and public projects. Penny courageously fought bowel cancer for close to three years, continuing to work, build a home and support her large network of family and friends. She is survived by her husband Mark and her children Andy and Vivienne. Penny will be desperately missed by her friends including those from Pymble who remember her rocking a pair of jeans like no one else and how terrifying

she was on the hockey pitch – and sometimes off the hockey pitch too! A brilliant, intelligent and dangerous woman to the end. Vale Penny. Gone too soon. We love her and miss her very much.

Sheena McDonald (1959)

Sheena attended Pymble from Junior School to graduation in 1959 and proudly attended the 50th reunion.

She married Brian Sims in 1965 and lived in Hobart, Tasmania after graduating as a physiotherapist, specialising in geriatrics. Sheena is mother to Catriona and David, grandmother to William, Kate and Charlotte. She was accomplished and skilled in award winning creative embroidery and involved over decades as a judge and teacher of multiple embroidery disciplines as well as competitive croquet.

Phillipa (or Pippa/Pip as she was known) lived for many years in Wotton, United Kingdom, and was a well-known and popular member of its community. Pippa started life in Australia and, as a young woman spent time travelling and working in

Israel, Italy and England. It was after returning to Australia to settle down that a match-making friend suggested she start a pen-pal correspondence with someone he had met at the Natural History Museum in London. This person was Jeremy Holloway, who worked for the museum as a researcher into moths. After eventually meeting in person, Pippa and Jeremy decided to get married. They set up home in England, living at first in Dorking then moving to Wotton.

Pippa took an active part in local life. She enjoyed playing tennis and walking with friends. She was a member of NADFAS (now known as The Arts Society), for which she was a regional secretary and, thanks to her great love of music, she sang regularly with the Dorking Choral Society. Pippa was a fluent Italian speaker and for a while led Dorking U3A’s Italian language group. Both she and Jeremy loved gardening and, as a result, Pippa became knowledgeable about many different types of plants. Pippa’s charm, sense of humour and generosity of spirit are much missed.

Janet Harrison (Henderson, 1945)

Janet Litchfield Harrison (Henderson) attended Pymble for seven years completing her education in 1945. She then attended the University of Sydney studying science and in particular geology. Jane, as she was more commonly known, met her husband John while studying the same course. They married in 1953 and travelled to Canada to begin a new life and career. In the next six years they had their children Ross and Fiona Young (Harrison, 1974). Upon

Phillipa Holloway (Goninan, 1960)

returning to Australia, Jane’s family lived in Adelaide then Sydney. Jane travelled extensively living in various countries of Southeast Asia, New Zealand and finally the Philippines on account of John’s occupation as a geologist. In the 1980s John and Jane retired to live on one hundred acres just south of Casino, NSW. After John passed away in 1989, Jane became thoroughly involved in a variety of organisations helping to raise funds for local charities and the needs of others. Sadly, Jane lost her house and all her worldly goods in the fires of October 2019 in the northern rivers NSW area. Subsequently, Jane lived the final years of her life in Casino. She still had fond memories of her time at Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Pymble and the friendships she maintained all her life.

Gabriella Robbins (Moses, 1996)

It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend and fellow alumni, Gabriella Moses, who lost her courageous battle with cancer at the age of 45. Gab leaves behind her three beloved children – Rex (15), Leni (13), and Harvey (11) – who were the core of her life and her motivation to keep fighting.

Gab attended Pymble Ladies’ College from Kindergarten through to Year 12, and her presence left an indelible mark on our school community. She was not only an exceptional athlete, excelling in swimming, hockey, and athletics, but also a wonderful friend, who embodied humility, kindness, and generosity. Her dedication to sport saw her represent the school in numerous events, and later, she proudly represented Australia in Surf Life Saving, demonstrating her incredible talent and determination.

Beyond her sporting achievements, Gab was an artist of remarkable talent, and she possessed a deep love for the ocean, nature, and the beauty of the world around her. More than anything, Gab was a friend to everyone. There wasn’t a single girl in her year who didn’t love her.

Margaret Mary McKenzie (McKee, 1947)

A Bega girl who was born on 20 September 1929, Margaret Mary McKenzie passed away peacefully on 16 August 2024, at the age of 94 with family by her side.

Margaret was a talented swimmer during her time as a boarder at Pymble, where she earned her Bronze Cross and other awards. After completing her education, she began her nursing career at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. It was at this time that she met Alexander McKenzie, who had just returned from the war and was attending Sydney University. They married on 1 August 1953 and settled in Wollongong before building their family home in Cronulla.

Together, they raised five children— Meg, Robin, Bruce, Cathy, and Ross—and enjoyed the company of six grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren. Margaret was a skilled homemaker who took great joy in gardening and sewing, creating a warm haven for her loved ones. Her beautiful garden became a gathering place for family and friends.

Mrs Jacqueline J.Q. Worledge Judell (Pymble Ladies’ College Librarian 1967 – 1987)

Mrs Jacqueline Judell was the head librarian at Pymble Ladies’ College for 21 years (1967 to 1987). She was involved with girls from all years while at Pymble and had a huge impact on many of their schooling lives. Many of the girls who knew her may be surprised to learn that prior to being their teacher, she worked as a scientist both in Australia and internationally Mrs Judell had some really interesting experiences and made a lot of connections through her wonderful ability to engage with people, her thirst for knowledge and undying curiosity.

REUNIONS

Friends have travelled from near and far in 2024 to celebrate their school reunions. These events have been heartwarming, filled with wonderful reconnections, the delight of sharing stories and reminiscing about old times.

1964 – 60-Year Reunion

1979 – 55-Year Reunion

1993 – 31-Year Reunion

1954 – 70-Year Reunion

1974 – 50-Year Reunion

1984 – 40-Year Reunion

1994 – 30-Year Reunion

1999 –25-Year Reunion

2004 – 20-Year Reunion

2014 – 10-Year Reunion

Canberra Reunion

2003 – 21-Year Reunion

2009 – 15-Year Reunion

London Reunion

Melbourne Reunion

Where are they now?

REBECCA HAYNES (1995)

My connection to Pymble is layered and longstanding.

I was at Pymble from kindergarten in 1982 until year 12 in 1995. My mum, Jennifer Haynes (nee Leggett), my sister Sarah Jordan (nee Haynes) and my aunts Catherine Taylor (nee Haynes) and Elspeth Ellis-Jones (nee Leggett) are also former students. My great aunt Elva MacCallum (nee Haynes) was Dux in 1939 and went on to study medicine and become a doctor at a time when fewer women studied at university and even less entered professions such as law or medicine.

As a student at Pymble, I had the opportunity to study many different things and discovered a love of Italian, classical studies, public speaking and English. I had a go at mock trial, reading competitions and speech and drama. I remember my family and teachers encouraging me to always try and achieve more and more. I think it was here that I developed a great deal of tenacity and determination, qualities that have put me in good stead, even today.

After school I studied a Bachelor of Arts at university and took more courses in English and Italian. With the encouragement of one of my professors I did an Honours degree

in English and did very well. This gave me the courage and confidence to go on to study law at Sydney Universitysomething I had wanted to do since leaving school.

I completed my law degree and again with the encouragement of my teachers, I went on to study a Masters of Jurisprudence. At the moment I am working towards a PhD in children’s human rights and tort law.

I have been practising lawyer for close to 20 years and my areas are children’s law, human rights, education law and sensitive personal injury claims.

Law can sometimes be a difficult profession to work in but it has afforded me incredible opportunities and has given me many wonderful experiences. I have worked in remote rural areas of New South Wales such as Bourke and Walgett, I’ve worked at Youth Law Australia, St Vincent de Paul Society and the Disability Royal Commission. At the Disability Royal Commission I worked in a specialist legal team preparing public hearings, examining the experiences of children and young people with disability in education.

In my work, I have also had the privilege to work with and learn from great mentors including leading

silks, partners of big law forms and legal academics. I have also learnt a lot from my clients, especially those from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

In the last few years, in addition to my legal work I have been teaching as an adjunct lecturer at the College of Law and Sydney University. I teach law students and trainee solicitors. As a person with a hidden learning difference this is incredibly rewarding and meaningful work.

Outside of work I live with my husband Tim Mills and my daughter Rose Mills in Sydney's inner west. I study Italian every Saturday and have

had the same teacher for 30 years! Earlier this year I travelled by myself to Italy to speak Italian and study the history of Ancient Rome.

My niece Lily Jordan has just finished her first year at Pymble and her sister Lottie Jordan will soon follow. As they go through school my hope is that they try new things and develop the confidence and self assurance to embrace new challenges and keep persevering to go for what they truly want.

Alumni Networking Event

Our flagship alumni event for the year, the annual Networking Evening at KPMG on 16 May, was another outstanding success thanks to the good will and engagement of our wider community. A sincere thank you to the 80 amazing individuals who attended the event as mentors willing to share their experience and advice with the 120 alumni who came along as mentees, keen to progress their career journey.

Networking and mentoring are two critical enablers to a successful life after school, particularly when it comes to our careers. Our students choose different pathways and work plays a different role for everyone, but regardless of our choices, the networks we can build and access are a vital part of building

connections, gathering information, finding opportunities and progressing through our chosen path.

We were delighted to welcome Vanessa Hudson (1987), Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Qantas Group, as our guest speaker and learn about her inspiring career journey. Being brave, taking initiative and trusting your team were some of the insights Vanessa shared in conversation with Eve Clark (1997), Pymble Board member.

The evening also included an engaging discussion panel with members of the Pymble Ladies’ College Board, facilitated by Dr Rowena Ditzell (1986), ESU President. Afterwards, our mentees could select to attend one-on-one mentoring

sessions with their pre-chosen mentors or choose between three different careers workshops.

Claire Braund from Women on Boards hosted sessions on transitioning from executive life to working on company boards, Anna Raine from The Growth Faculty presented on increasing skill sets and exploring growth opportunities and Li-Enn Koo (1991), Pymble Board member, and Lisa Hills, Senior HR Business Partner advised on interview techniques and making a strong start in your career.

Thank you to all our presenters, facilitators, mentors and mentees for making the 2024 Alumni Networking Event another productive and successful evening. We look forward to welcoming you all again in 2025!