A paradigm shift in education
In September 2009, the College celebrated the turning of the first sod for this exceptional centre. Today, the building is open and the implementation of a new learning culture has begun.
The Governor of NSW, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, officially opened the Senior School Centre - Kate Mason Building on Saturday 29 January 2011. It was an historic occasion excitedly celebrated by all sections of the College community.
The new Centre allows visionary concepts for educating future generations. Educating for the future is about preparing young people for a world requiring flexibility, problem solving skills, technology skills, analytical skills and team work. It is no longer about the delivery of content.
The unique design of the building, combined with technologies so leading-edge that some of them are not currently commercially available, provides the framework for fostering a learning community and paves the way for teachers and senior students to develop a learning culture based on partnership, innovation, the generation of ideas and creativity and diversity in searching for solutions.
Creating a learning culture involves a radical rethink of the fundamentals of education that we have become familiar and comfortable with. We are entering an age of ideas, innovation and creativity, where individual and collaborative talent will become our most important assets.
This magnificent building provides a specialist learning environment dedicated to the unique developmental and educational requirements of students in Years 11 and 12, preparing them for life beyond Pymble.
The College has partnered with Cisco, a world leader in networking technologies, to equip the new learning environment as a centre for innovation in education, giving Pymble students access to the very latest technologies.
The Cisco Conference in the Round, a room uniquely shaped with its state-of-the-art audio visual and video conferencing facilities sets a benchmark for multimedia learning space in Kindergarten to Year 12 education. It allows for maximum technology enablement of education with sophisticated Cisco technologies offering connectivity, speed and collaboration to provide a connected learning environment for our students and, in particular, our Years 11 and 12 students, our next generation workforce.
The design of the building affirms the College’s commitment to environmental sustainability achieving 82% savings against baseline energy efficiency requirements of the Building Code of Australia.
The building has been named in honour of Mrs Kate Mason, former Chairman of the College Council (2001 – 2010), College Council member (1998 – 2010) and parent of three former students at the College.
Staff rooms are based on each level allowing teachers to be readily accessible to students. The flexible open space design with common room and coffee shop provides spaces for students and staff to mix freely and to work together in a comfortable environment.
The College is at the forefront of preparing young women for the future. Pymble's reputation as a world leader in the education of girls and young women will be enhanced by this specialist learning environment.
The Senior School Centre - Kate Mason Building provides an environment that fosters both independent and collaborative learning for young women as they grow in confidence, maturity and responsibility.
The addition of the Senior School Centre provides five separate schools on the one campus, each with its own distinct precinct. Five schools on the one campus provides even more student leadership opportunities and additional age-specific academic and personal care for each student.
To view the program from the official opening of the Senior School Centre, click here.