Belonging and Connection

Friday 6 November, 2020

The College is making changes to our Student Wellbeing program, based on the comprehensive we data collected from parent, staff and student surveys and focus groups conducted in late 2019 and earlier this year. The broad aim of these changes is to embed evidence-based Wellbeing practices into every aspect of learning at Pymble.

One strategic intent of our enhanced program is to increase our girls’ sense of belonging and connection – the two key elements of a flourishing student – through our Spirit House system. We believe that aligning our Houses across our 13 year groups will help to achieve this goal.

Consequently, at the end of this year, all girls from Kindergarten to Year 6 will join their Secondary School peers by being allocated one of eight Houses named after people who have shaped the history of Pymble: Bennett (Sky Blue), Goodlet (Royal Blue), Hammond (Orange), Ingleholme (Green), Lang (White), Marden (Red), Thomas (Purple) or Wylie (Yellow). The current Preparatory and Junior School Houses, Gibbs, Mackellar and Turner (named after Australian female authors), will retire, with our fond memories and gratitude for the role they played in building House spirit among our younger girls.

We are confident our younger girls will be very excited to join their ‘big sisters’ in a Kindergarten to Year 12 House group and with this opportunity, to build closer connections and deeper relationships with a wider range of students and staff across the College.