News from Middle School

A focus on the Middle School (Years 7 and 8) 

It doesn’t take long for our Year 7 and 8 students to settle into their routines and step up to the challenges of Secondary School, as they become more organised and class work demands further consolidation. Teachers reported within three weeks that the girls were actively engaged across the curriculum and happily invested in their learning. 

 A lot happens within one term at Pymble and I thought sharing some highlights might be beneficial to you as you anticipate your daughter’s start at the College in the coming years. 

We are lucky to have a leadership program at Pymble that provides liaison opportunities for our older students to assist with bringing joy and community spirit to the younger girls.  

Our Year 12 Middle School Liaison Leaders have been running Gloucester Gathering activities for our Year 7 and 8 students at lunch times on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students are encouraged to drop in with friends or to join in to build new connections and friendships. Activities include beaded bracelet craft, friendship bracelet weaving, a friendly game of volleyball or dance-off competitions.  

In early March the College, and in particular the Middle School, celebrated International Women’s Day. The theme for this year was Inspiring Inclusion/ Inspiring Creativity.  In preparation, the Middle School used some of their Mind Body Spirit (MBS) time after lunch to reflect on what inclusion looks and feels like. Everyone was asked to select a special themed postcard and make a commitment to how they could live the College values and foster inclusivity within their own lives. These pledges were displayed as reminders of the importance of fostering inclusive behaviour.   

Our Year 8 Middle School Leaders were invited along with Upper School to attend the Fearless Future Summit: A Summit for Female Changemakers. The Summit is a one-day student leadership, giving girls an opportunity to develop their leadership skills, practice wellbeing, and engage with experienced mentors in a supportive and interactive environment. 

Some selected Middle School girls were invited to attend our contracted architect BVN’s head office in the city to see and hear about their designs for Pymble’s new Grey House Precinct build which is now under construction. One student reported it as “an out of world experience and incredible to see all the hard work that gets put in behind the scenes and the amount of careful planning and designing it takes, gaining me a new level of respect for all the interior designers and architects.” 

To finish off the term our Year 7s all participated in a week-long camp at Vision Valley (our outdoor education campus). Girls rotated through a number of activities: high ropes, leap of faith, team-building games, hiking and canoeing along with camping at Crosslands Reserve. For many it was a highlight, whilst others embraced the challenge of the expedition feeling great pride on completion.  

Finally, applications and formal interviews were conducted amongst our Year 8 students seeking to participate in our National Exchange program where students spend a week interstate attending an affiliate school and hosted by their families. The National Exchange program is an opportunity to build independence and confidence and make new connections. This is a reciprocal in-home hosting exchange between the two schools and the two families.