4 minute read
Special Events
FOUNDATION DAY
Students and staff fell silent as the footsteps of a beaming woman tapped their way to the lectern. She spoke, encouraging the younger girls to ask one another to play, to include one another, and motivating the older students to cultivate the seed that they are planting now, “for that is where the marrow of life lives”.
Pymble pride is prevalent through the entire College, especially on Foundation Day, and this year was no exception! On Wednesday 10 February, students from Years 5 to 12 gathered to celebrate the 105th birthday of our school. The College was blessed to welcome a motivational guest speaker, ex-student Dr Catherine Yang (1994), back onto its grounds. Dr Yang spread the message of how there are always inevitable failures, and how true strength relies on how we react to this. She emphasised the importance of kindness and talked about how her teachers and classmates provided friendship, support, and a sense of belonging when she was struggling in Year 11. After arriving from Taiwan with limited English-speaking abilities, Dr Yang was forced into a fast integration into her senior years in Australia, and certainly strove for her highest! Now a dentist with a thriving career and a bestselling book, she imparted valuable life lessons during her presentation at Foundation Day. These included, but were not limited to, the importance of friendliness and compassion, building a strong support network throughout the schooling years, as well as developing resilience when overcoming setbacks. One of the main takeaways of Dr Yang’s speech was to “step on fear” and to never let it prevent us from achieving our ambitions.
During her interactive speech that captivated the crowd, Dr Yang also enlightened us about the importance of gratitude. She spoke of a plethora of qualities that Pymble girls should take pride in but also be grateful for; their intelligence, their capabilities, the friendships they nurture, and a Pymble education that gives them the “superpowers to create an impact on the world”.
Dr Yang concluded her delightful speech by asking all the staff and students what the number one thing she wanted us to take away from her speech. Of course, that was gratitude, a fantastic and key feature at the core of our fabulous school. Just look at what we have learned in Directions!
Emma Parsons and Phoebe Yi, Year 9
Special Events
JACARANDA DAY
“Catching the falling purple blooms of the Jacaranda is a sign of good luck.” These words were spoken by our 2022 Head Prefect Chloe Hoang on 16 November, the day that marked our school’s most valued tradition - Jacaranda Day.
We would traditionally see the parade of white summer hats on Gloucester Lawn underneath the branches of the much-loved Jacaranda tree. Sitting in tangled lines with the blaze of the sun accentuating the beauty of the azure sky above them, students would watch and listen to those presenting in front of them.
This year, it was completely different. Sitting in separate classrooms, separated by the walls of the Colonnade, the whole Pymble family was still brought together through a live stream that broadcasted the service. Despite the digital obstacles presented by COVID-19, we were still able to resonate with the words of our first speaker, Chloe, who presented a letter to the Jacaranda tree titled ‘Dear Jacaranda tree’.
We were fortunate to be able to listen to the guest speakers of the event, Ms Catherine Knox (1977) and Ms Libby Gauld (1997) the Chair and Director of Development of the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter. Pymble girls performed their version of the song Hallelujah with the melody echoing from the Chapel through the screens to all Pymble staff and students.
Even though we could not live up to the tradition of Jacaranda Day where students from all corners of the school gather face-to-face to celebrate, the Pymble spirit still shone even through the thickest barriers of technological issues. The culture and story behind our Jacaranda tree made this annual service meaningful in every way possible. With the school contributions to the Exodus Foundation and Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter, we further added to the special meaning of the day. Of course, this new experience allowed both staff and students to explore the power of technology as we found ourselves relying on it once again. But maybe next year, we won’t have to deal with Wi-Fi issues!
Rosa Kim, Year 7
Special Events
YEAR 12 FAREWELL
On Friday 17 September we farewelled our class of 2021 at their online graduating assembly. While graduating in a pandemic may be worlds away from what our girls imagined, we are Pymble Proud of the resilience and strength they showed over the year.
Dr H missed you terribly as she said goodbye from our empty gym, although she had a few familiar faces, or should we say cut-outs, to keep her company!
June Kim, Year 12 Dr Kate Hadwen (Principal)
Commemoration Day
Since 1919 the last Sunday of July has been a significant day for the Pymble community, as we come together to honour the Dedication of the College. In 2021, the event was held online on Sunday 8 August.
