From the Principal
Hello from all of us here at Pymble.
Those of you who are familiar with the College will be aware of the five values that guide our Pymble community: Care, Courage, Integrity, Respect and Responsibility.
Over the past year or more, we have dived deeply into what these values mean to our students, staff and families, and how we expect to see them through our day-to-day behaviour and interactions, within the College, amongst the wider community and at home with our families. This has been a widely consultative exercise resulting in the following behaviour statements that define how we expect each other to show up each day:
Care – I am kind to myself and others
Courage – 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.
2025 has been designated the Year of Respect at Pymble, and it has been heartening to see our students, staff and families sharing their stories, listening with open hearts and minds, and learning from one another about the strength of diversity and how we are brought together by our differences.
Respect for our Class of 2024
December seems a long time ago, I know, however I am delighted to share with you our 2024 graduates’ outstanding HSC results. They include six First in Course places (more than any other school other than Sydney Grammar, who tipped us by one!), 22 students achieving an ATAR over 99 and almost 60 per cent of the cohort receiving an ATAR over 90.
Most importantly, these results have earned the cohort a broad range of university scholarships, cadetships, and early offers and places at local, national and international universities and colleges.
You can read more about how our Futures Department works with our students to navigate their individual pathways to fulfilling future careers all over the world here.
Respect for our courageous Wise Phone pioneers
We are equally excited about the results of our Wise Phone Initiative survey. This year at Pymble marked a significant world-first, with two-thirds of students in Years 4 and 5, all students in Years 6 and 7, and some Year 8s choosing to use a College-provided phone with age-appropriate apps and features, but without access to social media apps or an internet browser.
In summary, the results revealed parents feel well-supported by the College to help them manage the thorny issue of phone use and access to social media for their daughters. Similarly, many students reported that their College-managed phone was helping them to self-regulate time spent on their devices and rediscover the joys of non-screen time.
Specific findings included:
- More sleep: Students in Years 4 to 7 with a Wise Phone are more likely (41%) to meet the recommended 9 to 11 sleep hours per night, compared to students with a smartphone (23%).
- Less time spent ‘looking down’: 78% of Wise Phone users spend less than one hour per school day on their Wise Phone, compared to 55% of students with a smartphone.
- Better time management: 92% of students in Years 4 to 7 with a Wise Phone report they can generally get work done and manage time effectively, compared to 85% of students with a smartphone.
- More exercise: 21% of Wise Phone users report exercising for at least 60 minutes, 7 times a week, compared to 21% of smartphone users who report exercising for at least 60 minutes, 3 times a week.
- Positive behaviour changes are taking place: The table below shows students are spending more time on leisure activities and with family and friends, and less time on screens and devices.
This feedback, along with continuing consultation with students and their families, will help us to further improve the experience for all involved while remaining true to our goal of reclaiming childhood for our young people and encouraging more school communities to join us on this journey.
Signing off with kindest regards and all my respect.
