Return to Campus Booklet - Term 2 2023

Term 2

Welcome to Term 2

Dear girls and families

Hopefully you have had a wonderful holiday break, with just the right balance of rest, play, possibly a bit of work depending on your school year, and happy memories made. When you receive this e-booklet, I will be in Israel on the last leg of the March of the Living journey, learning about the history of the Holocaust and deeply thinking about how we can offer this experience to Pymble students to promote social justice for future generations.

The photo opposite was taken at the Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony on the night of 17 April, where six candles were lit to honour and remember those who lost their lives during the Holocaust, as well as the heroes, past and present, who continue the battle against prejudice and discrimination. It was my great honour and a privilege to be asked to light the candle dedicated to educators – then and now – and to be of service to the Jewish community by undertaking this program.

Before you return for your first day of Term 2 on Wednesday 26 April, the school leadership team and I wanted to remind you about a few things to help you be your best self each day, starting on day one.

Wearing correct uniform. Girls, you know we have exciting plans underway to redesign our uniform but, before we go there, we need to see you all wearing the current uniform correctly and representing your school with pride.

Arriving to and departing from school safely. Included in this booklet is advice for vehicles and foot traffic in and around the campus to ensure we all look after ourselves as well as other drivers and pedestrians in the area.

Being responsible when you’re unwell. We are well and truly living with Covid now, so please use your RAT kits when necessary and stay at home if you test positive, are unwell or have symptoms of illness.

We are excited to share an overview of our amazing efforts for Pymble Gives Back in Term 1 – oh my goodness, all those donations! – and details of new ways we can continue to give back to those in need in Term 2.

Parents, thank you for taking the time to go through these reminders and information with your daughters, and for your ongoing support of the College.

Keep smiling and I can’t wait to see you in a few days!

Big hugs from

DR KATE HADWEN PRINCIPAL

Student expectations: Turning up as your best self

WEARING CORRECT UNIFORM

At the last Combined Assembly for the term, Secondary students were reminded that winter uniform is required from the start of Term 2. Please ensure that your daughter has all necessary items. The uniform shop will re-open on Monday 24 April for any additional items required, or you can order via the online store at any time.

Our expectations about the conduct and appearance of your daughter are a reflection of her Pymble pride and our College values. Your daughter’s correct uniform includes:

• hair neatly tied back

• hair dyed in a natural hair colour but not multiple colours. (Natural hair colour does not include bright red, purple, blue or green)

• length of skirt/tunic on the knee

• no jewellery (apart from one stud in each earlobe)

• no make-up

• no false eyelashes or painted nails

• when travelling to and from school on public transport, students need to wear their hat and are not permitted to wear a jumper unless it is worn under their blazer.

Please refer to your school diary for further details on the correct uniform:

Secondary Student Diary – pages 28 and 29

Junior Student Diary – pages 32 and 33.

Whilst acknowledging that the majority of our students do make good choices, there are times when standards slip.

The Secondary students have been made aware of the following consequences:

• Students will be immediately issued with a Tuesday detention for incorrect uniform.

• Jewellery will be confiscated by teachers and kept in the relevant School office until the end of term. A second infringement will result in the student being issued with a Tuesday detention.

• For security and Work Health and Safety purposes, school bags must be stored in allocated lockers during the day. Should a student take her bag to class, a detention will also be issued, unless the bag is necessary for a practical PDHPE lesson.

A student who has received three detentions will then be issued an end-of-term Friday detention and a parent meeting will take place prior to the end of term to discuss what might be causing the reccurrence of this behaviour and what support is required moving forward.

STUDENT CODE OF BEHAVIOUR

As your daughter returns for Term 2, please review with her the Code of Behaviour set out in her school diary, in particular the sections on use of mobile phones:

Secondary Student Diary – pages 18 and 19

Junior Student Diary – pages 20 and 21.

ARRIVING TO AND DEPARTING FROM SCHOOL SAFELY

Respectful behaviour is required both inside and outside the classroom. This extends to travel to and from school when using public transport. To improve foot traffic flow, all students are asked to keep to the left of the footpath and/or the stairs on Pymble train station so that other members of the public are not impeded.

During year assemblies, students have been reminded that, when arriving or leaving the College through Gate 1, they are to cross the road at the pedestrian crossing at the front of the school gate, which is supervised by a crossing guard. The tunnel crossing is unsupervised and on a blind corner. From Term 2, any Secondary students who cross at the tunnel crossing will be issued with a Tuesday detention.

Students who drive to school are reminded that they must not park their vehicles on College grounds. Parking is available on the College side of Avon Road, and drivers must obey all street parking restrictions as noted by the signage and road rules. Students should register the details of the vehicle that they drive with the Senior School.

Please be reminded that learner drivers are not permitted in and/or on College roadways at any time.

COVID-19 management

All students will be issued with five RAT kits at the start of Term 2. Please make a note of the expiry date on the pack your daughter is given and dispose of any unused tests once this date passes.

We remind all parents to keep children at home if unwell, administer a RAT if necessary and follow the usual absentee procedures.

We appreciate your support and partnership in maintaining our high standards at the College and hope that the upcoming term is a good one for all.

Our College Parking and Traffic Management flyer is available to view online for your reference. Thank you in advance for familiarising yourself with the details required to ensure our community travels and parks safely on and around our campus.

Thank you, Pymble, for giving back

Back throughout Term 1.

Our collection bins were full of donations of adult clothing, children’s clothing, manchester, accessories and canned food. Dignity, Wayside Chapel and Anglicare at Hornsby were most appreciative of the items we delivered to support their work in the community.

LET’S FILL THOSE BINS AGAIN IN TERM 2!

The collection bins are now empty and ready for our Term 2 drive to support the Wayside Chapel Op Shops. Wayside is currently seeking the following items:

• clean clothes and shoes (especially pre-loved warm clothing like hoodies and trackies, which are needed for the coming winter)

• accessories

• books in good condition (no self-help or textbooks)

• towels – new or used but clean

• men’s and women’s socks of all sizes – new or used but clean.

We thank you in advance for washing all pre-used donations and ensuring they are clean before placing them in the Pymble Gives Back bins.

It has been wonderful to see our students, staff and families engage in Pymble Gives

More ideas for your family

SHARE A RECIPE

We warmly invite you to share a recipe that is significant to your family for publication in a Pymble community cookbook being created by our 2023 Food Technology Captains. All proceeds from sales of the cookbook will be donated to Dignity.

Click here to submit your treasured recipe and photo.

features many options for giving back, as well as a handy postcode search tool to help identify local opportunities.

Visit the website

If you have any questions about Pymble Gives Back, please contact:

JUNIOR SCHOOL Mrs Nerissa Davey, ndavey@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

SECONDARY SCHOOL Mrs Michelle Hunt, mhunt@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Pymble Gives Back in the Junior School

GREAT WORK IN TERM 1

Our kind-hearted Junior School students joined students from around the world on an adventure of learning, empathy, kindness and art. Channeling their creativity and House spirit, the girls created welcome postcards that will be sent to young refugees around the world who have been displaced by war and other crises. The Bezos Family Foundation is donating $5.00 to refugee-aid organisations for every postcard created, and our girls girls raised an amazing $4000 through their efforts.

The Kindness Club collected stationery donations for the HARK Refugee Clinic at Westmead Hospital. The girls made up 40 packs of basic items needed for primary-school aged children, each one containing a thoughtful handmade card.

COMING UP IN TERM 2

In Term 2, each student will receive a Be of Service journal encouraging them to undertake simple acts of service in and around their homes and community throughout the term. House Points will be given to girls who complete levels of service throughout the term. Students will also work together in Year groups on various service initiatives to celebrate Kindness Day on Wednesday 15 June.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students will make bird feeders for the school community and a display showing how “We put the KIND in KINDergarten”. Girls will then create hearts with a message conveying how they put kindness in action each day at school.

Year 1

Year 1 students will be decorating terracotta pots and planting sunflowers to take to the Aged Care facility Year 6 are visiting. To accompany the sunflower pots, girls will also create paper sunflowers showing how they can “Grow with kindness”.

Year 2

Year 2 girls will create artwork and cards to be sold at the Garden Party (with funds raised for The Smith Family) and little hearts and kind notes to place randomly into library books.

Year 3

Year 3 will be taking part in the upSchool Project and creating an affirmation jar. Each girl will write an encouraging message on a paddlepop stick so everyone can start their day by choosing a positive daily mantra. Students can also collaborate to create an overall class mantra if they wish.

Year 4

Year 4 will participate in a Knita-thon to make blankets for the Wrap with Love charity. Family members will be invited to assist with knitting the squares and sewing them together to make blankets, and girls will show their appreciation by baking scones and making rocky road to share with their adult helpers.

Year 6

Year 6 will be visiting elderly residents once a fortnight at Bowden Brae Uniting Care and creating hearts for the 1000 Hearts foundation to distribute to aged care facilities. In addition, Year 6 will be working on their Feast Program for OzHavest.

Year 5

Year 5 will be completing their quilling creations, Artwork for Others, and sending them to local hospitals to create warm, inviting spaces. In addition, they will have opportunities to create affirmation cards to be posted randomly to student lockers in the last week of term.

Robotics service

A group of Year 5 students will partner with 10 students from St Lucy’s School to teach them basic robotics. Supported by our Junior School Robotics Coordinator, the girls will attend St Lucy’s weekly for six weeks to share their skills and passion.

Pymble Gives Back in the Secondary School

GREAT WORK IN TERM 1

We are proud of our Secondary students and how they have embraced so many ways to ‘give back’ in Term 1, including:

• The Smith Family Student2Student reading program

• Dom’s Place

• Our Big Kitchen

• various fun runs and ocean swims (who can forget watching our Boarders on The Today Show participating in the Balmoral Swim!)

• Middle School donated proceeds of cookie decorating to the Hornsby Women’s Shelter

• Upper School (Year 9) launched a Big Sister lunch time activity with K-2 students

• students were involved in monitoring and sorting the Pymble Gives Back donation bins

• at Vision Valley, Year 9 residential students participated in environmental service activities embedded in the program

• many students ‘gave back’ to the College through the gift of time by volunteering at our Careers Expo and baking cupcakes for our House Day fundraiser.

COMING UP IN TERM 2

Middle School

Students in Years 7 and 8 will participate in Compass Clean Ups, which involves two Compass groups per week dedicating a portion of Monday to cleaning up the College. Students will also create Happy Boxes for First Nations girls in remote communities.

COMING UP IN TERM 3

Upper School

Year 9 and 10 students will be supporting Days for Girls, undertaking Vision Valley Environmental Service (for students on the Residential Program), and contributing to an Undies Drive for Days for Girls and Wayside Chapel.

Senior School

Senior students will knit squares for the Wrap with Love charity. Year 11 will also be involved in fundraising for the Tanzania Service tour (see below) and Sony Camp, peer mentoring, and volunteering to help the Salvos Red Shield Appeal.

During Term 1, the Tanzania Service tour was launched to Year 11 students. This will involve 16 students and three staff members undertaking service projects at East Meru Community School, School of St Jude and Maternity Africa (supported by the Barbara May Foundation) in the upcoming September holidays.

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR UPDATED COLLEGE PARKING AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FLYER

Traffic Management

To improve the flow of traffic at peak times, parking around Main Oval and the Lower Road leading down to Junior School has been removed. This will provide longer queued traffic for drop-off and pick-up, improving traffic flow and emergency services access.

Campus Parking Map

do so with the permission of their parents. We request student drivers register their vehicle details with the Senior School office in case they need to be contacted during the day. Students should not drive other students to school without obtaining parental permission for both driver and passengers.

• Students must not park their vehicles on College grounds and should park on the College side of Avon Road near Gate 3, obeying all street parking restrictions.

CAMPUS ROAD RULES

• The College is protected under the Inclosed Lands Protection Act 1901 (NSW) and may legally refuse entry to any individual/s and/or their vehicle/s at any time.

• The maximum speed limit on all College roads is 10 km/h.

• Drivers must obey College road safety signage at all times.

• Do not overtake at speed on College roads.

• Do not park on or near pedestrian crossings.

• College parking is not to be used as commuter parking under any circumstances.

• The College may tow away any vehicle that is parked contrary to the campus parking plan.

Parking

Entry is via Gate 3 and the car park contains 232 spaces as follows:

CENTENARY CAR PARK

• 38 spaces inside a boom gate area for members of the Learn to Swim Program

• 13 spaces allocated to specific staff/roles

• 4 spaces disabled

• 177 spaces for staff and parents.

BACK CAR PARK

DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP ZONES

Girls may only be dropped off and picked up in the following zones ONLY:

• Kindergarten and Before/After School Care – Lower Road.

• Junior and Middle Schools – Main Oval side of Flagpole Lawn.

• Upper and Senior Schools – Centenary Car Park.

All drivers must abide by the following rules within these zones:

• For the safety of students, staff and parents, drivers and adult passengers must remain within their vehicle while in any drop-off or pick-up zone.

• Students must enter and exit the vehicle on the passenger side (left-hand side) of the vehicle and are not permitted to walk between motor vehicles at any time.

• Students must have their bags and belongings with them in the passenger seats and not go to the car boot.

• Please avoid dropping off or picking up girls at Gate 3. Please drive through Gate 3 and collect your daughter in the Centenary Car Park. This helps ensure the wellbeing and safety of everyone involved, as crossing Avon Road can be extremely dangerous due to heavy traffic.

• If you have to walk your daughter from your car, please park in the surrounding streets and walk in to the College.

• Do not park or drop your child at the staff car park inside Gate 3

Located outside the Centenary Car Park, the back car park provides approximately 35 spaces. These are unallocated and available for staff and parents.

STAFF ONLY PARKING AREAS

These car park areas are for staff only:

• Junior School (Gate 1).

• Kelso (Gate 2).

Centenary Carpark Map

• Other staff parking areas on campus include the righthand side of Flagpole Lawn.

• Conde Library (Gate 3).

Please do not park in car spaces marked with staff titles. For events, we will make the aforementioned spaces available, when appropriate, for the community.

BEHIND FLAGPOLE LAWN

The College side of Flagpole Lawn continues to be a mixture of spaces for allocated staff, College Board and visitors. Overall, allocated spaces have been reduced and there is an increase in visitor parking for up to two hours and up to 15 minutes.

Please do not park in car spaces marked with staff titles.

UNDER THE PINES

• Learner drivers are not permitted in and/or on College roadways.

STUDENT DRIVERS

• Senior School students wishing to drive to school may

This area is located on the main driveway and is available for general use in dry weather. Please note that this area is not available in wet weather for safety reasons.

Contacts

More contact details can be found online at pymblelc.nsw.edu.au, in your 2023 Student Diary and in the 2023 Parent Handbook.

ABSENTEE PROTOCOL

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