Online Learning

ONLINE LEARNING

After Premier Berejiklian made the tough choice to switch schools to online learning, teachers, students and staff welcomed the wintry third term in a state of hibernation. With the rise of new restrictions came new complications, hindering the joys of the classroom, the reunion of friends and an array of Co-curricular activities. Despite the many troubles, Pymble remained resilient, perpetuating school spirit and enthusiasm through lessons, ensemble practices and club meetings on Microsoft Teams. During the long months in lockdown, the College staff remained alert to the mental health and wellbeing of students. Thanks to fitness sessions with Jack and Jules, one-on-one conversations in Compass time and Dr Hadwen’s Wellbeing podcast, girls stayed healthy and strong through the tough times of COVID-19.

“My experience with online learning was enjoyable. It allowed me to take care of my wellbeing. The only challenge with online learning was that sometimes I had network connectivity issues.” – Maya Hu, Year 10

“Thanks to the efforts of our Pymble staff, transitioning to an online platform was extremely successful. They combined regular classes with free periods to create a comfortable school-life balance for students. With the encouragement of teachers, we engaged in sporting and social activities and maintained a healthy lifestyle during online learning.”

– Jessie Xie, Year 10

“PymbleOnline taught me the importance of being together. The teachers were so supportive and really made the online learning experience as fun as possible. The amazing IT team and the Upper School Administration staff made the experience so smooth and their constant reaching out to us made me feel connected to

the school” – Christy Xue, Year 10

With the need to continue schooling, teachers of all subjects successfully moved both practical and theory lessons into every student’s home. During PE lessons, teachers set up sporting and exercise tutorials to keep the girls moving, including activities such as aerobics, yoga, Just Dance and cardio. In Art, they creatively adapted to accommodate for mediums available at home. For example, in Year 10, the unit for Ai Weiwei pottery had transformed a practice intended for ceramic vases into paper mache. The College staff also brought an interactive element to online assemblies through interviews with former Olympians, storytelling and live cooking. From creating enjoyable performances and interviews in assemblies to hilarious interactive activities, such as the Year 9 Daily GIF Challenge, staff made online learning fun and enjoyable for the students. In light of the recent Tokyo games, Pymble girls hosted their own version of the games, Pymlympics 2021!

Piper Markson, Year 10

Pymlympics provided a wide variety of activities for Kindergarten to Year 12 students to engage with their community, become more active in lockdown, reach out to friends, and have fun while earning points for their Houses. There were activities ranging from cooking challenges, outside walks, pet challenges, letter writing and even a socially distanced dance off competition. The online transition of many Cocurricular activities kept students busy during the dreary weeks of lockdown. Although some activities which required school facilities could not be transferred, many activities were very successful in keeping us up to date with various skills. Students who did Robotics had weekly sessions hosted for both mechanical and coding, allowing teams to prepare for the upcoming season. Music Online saw wonderful guest speakers including Francine Bell and Anita Collins, who inspired the school’s musicians.

The student leaders of the school were also actively engaged in running initiatives, hoping to entertain the girls during lockdown. Upper School Leaders kickstarted the Read by Upper School with Love project. This fantastic initiative allowed students in Years 9 and 10 to read storybooks to the Preparatory students. House pet competitions, Covid Cook, and Sending Love were only a few of the wide range of activities that took place. Sasha Wong, Year 10, and Chelsea Shi, Year 9