Term 4 Clubs will run from Tuesday 15 October (first day of Week 1) and conclude on Friday 29th November (Week 7). 

Reminders: 

• Enrolments are secured on a ‘first in, first served’ basis 
• You have 15 minutes to add clubs to your cart before checking out
• To secure your son’s placement, payment is required at the time of selection
• Students who are not successful in gaining a place will automatically be placed on the waiting list. If a place becomes available you will be notified by email to make payment to secure the position.
• Due to the strong demand for places in co-curricular clubs, students can be enrolled in only one Knox Provided Club each term. However, you can enrol in any number of Externally Provided Clubs. 
• Change to any club registrations will incur a $50 administration fee unless a change occurs 7 days before clubs commence whereby no credit or refund can be provided for externally provided clubs as staffing and materials are set. 
• Please think carefully before you make your decision and cross check the co-curricular compulsory sport and music timetable to ensure there are no clashes. 
• Register your son with OSH Club 

This is another jam packed edition of the Magpie, celebrating the achievements of our boys, and the experiences they have participated in over this past week. We are a busy place, filled with deep and engaging learning.  

Be sure to click into the Music section to read all about the incredible performances at ASBOF this past weekend. My congratulations to all of our musicians, the staff and their parents for their collective commitment. It is truly exceptional! 

There are some wonderful sporting achievements as well, in Golf, Cricket and Snowsports. Click into this section to have a good read about our sportsmen in action! 

HOUSE IMMERSIONS 
This time next week, all House Immersions will be in full swing! With all tour groups leaving at the end of this week, I wish them all the best for an engaging, exciting time of connection to the communities we are all supporting. The paragraphs below will explain how you can follow along on our adventures. I mentioned last week, that you will have early access to Knoxi. Instructions for accessing this are below. Each afternoon, we will upload short videos, interviews and images of our daily adventures for you to see, with a notification sent to you at approximately 7:30am each day. Whilst you will receive a notification for your son's specific House, you can also follow along with the other House groups and their adventures too. See instructions below. To recap, these are the communities we are travelling to, and supporting: 

By default, parents will receive a daily email digest which is sent out at a time set by the School. 

Clicking on the news item in the email will launch you into Knoxi. 

Parents who don’t wish to wait for the daily email can log into Knoxi by following this link https://knoxi.au/ and entering their Knox account details. Follow the link on your dashboard to the Prep School Homepage.  

and then to the relevant House page 

As a Prep parent, you have earlier access to the new portal than the rest of the School. You will find that some areas of the portal are still under construction or that some pages appear to be empty. These are expected to be completed by Term 4. A new version of the Knox app will also be available from the beginning of Term 4 (this will contain Knoxi features). 

Further instructions on how to use the portal can be found on the parent dashboard by clicking on the Knoxi User Guide tile under Quick Links.  

Any early feedback on the portal is most welcome! 

As we approach the end of another busy and rewarding term, I want to take a moment to thank all the boys for their incredible efforts. It has been wonderful to witness their dedication to learning, their enthusiasm for co-curricular activities, and their participation in the various events throughout the term. Their hard work and growing maturity have been evident, and I am so proud of the progress they have made both academically and personally. Term 3 is always particularly busy and the boys have been magnificent throughout the term. I am sure they are very much looking forward to a holiday! 

Watching them grow into more responsible and independent young men has been one of the true joys of this term. Whether in the classroom, on the sports field, or during special events, they have consistently shown perseverance and a willingness to try their best. This commitment to their learning and development is something that should be celebrated, and I hope they are as proud of their achievements as we are.

Next week, I will be away for the final week of term as part of our House Immersion program. During this time, if you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your son’s class teacher for support. 

Also, a reminder that our End of Term Chapel will take place this Friday at 9:15 am in the Inquiry Hub. We look forward to seeing you there to celebrate the term together!

Today marks the beginning of another giant week for Kindergarten. We are so lucky to be performing for the outgoing Year 12 students when they visit the Prep campus on Wednesday for the Back to Prep event. Kindergarten have been rehearsing to sing for the 'big' boys and although we have a few butterflies, we are excited to share in this special moment with them. Please ensure your son is wearing his full winter uniform including his varsity cap.  

Friday marks the end of term chapel service for Years K-3. A gentle reminder that students are to come to school wearing their coloured House shirts and PE uniform on this day.  

Week 9 of Term 3 already! How is the year flying by so fast? Trust me when I say we will be clinging to every remaining precious minute of 2024 in our attempt to slow things down. However, we know your sons are already eagerly looking forward to becoming the leaders of K-2.   

In the meantime... 

We invite all families to join us for the K-3 End of Term Chapel service in the Inquiry Hub on Friday, 20 September at 9:15am. This special event is a wonderful opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to come together in reflection and thanksgiving for the term. We will hear from students across all three year groups as they share reflections and celebrate their learning journeys. We hope you can join us for this meaningful occasion. 

Last week, Year 1 boys participated in the aquatics program, which was once again a great success. The program focused on building water confidence, improving swimming skills, and developing water safety awareness. Year 1 boys, in particular, showed tremendous enthusiasm and growth throughout the sessions. Many have progressed from being hesitant in the water to swimming confidently with their peers. We encourage families to continue building on these skills during the holidays, perhaps with a trip to the pool or beach to keep the momentum going! 

In Year 1, the boys have been deeply engaged in their 4th inquiry unit for the year, the Interconnected Systems unit, exploring the Big Idea that Food and Fibre are produced and processed. As we approach the end of the Going Further phase of the inquiry cycle, the boys have been actively sharing their knowledge, collaborating on investigations, and developing a deeper understanding of the processes involved in how food and fibre products are made, used, and repurposed.  Their natural curiosity about these cycles, and their ability to analyse and manipulate information, is a testament to their remarkable young minds. They’ve been asking insightful questions, making connections, and demonstrating an impressive grasp of the concepts. To encourage your son to share his learning at home, try asking him some questions about what he has discovered. Listen closely as he explains the processes and ideas he has been exploring in class. You’ll be amazed by his understanding and insights—the boys truly are sublime! 

Now is the perfect time to talk with your sons about being kind and using helpful language when interacting with others. Encouraging positive communication and empathy will help him build stronger relationships with his peers. We will partner with you in this by regularly reminding the boys of these important values at school. Together, we can reinforce these lessons—because we truly are better together! 

As always, we thank you for your continued support throughout this busy and fun end of term and look forward to finishing the term on a high note with our upcoming chapel service. 

God Bless! 

It’s hard to believe we’re just two weeks away from the end of Term 3! Time has flown by, and it has been an exciting and productive term for our Year 2 students. No doubt you will have heard from your son that he is working with his team to bring their arcade game design to life. The construction phase of our Tinkering Towards Tomorrow project is well underway with our Year Two boys working hard to ensure they build their arcade game to be inclusive of all children. Last week, the boys participated in an empathy mapping process to assist them in approaching the design thinking phase from a different perspective, with the aim of understanding and sharing the feelings of others. 

Students also had the opportunity last week to work with the Knox Prep ICT integrators to finalise and modify their code to facilitate flashing lights, robotic movement, scoreboards, and sound effects in their arcade games. What a wonderful learning experience this has been for students to see code, forces, and energy in motion within real world products. The boys are taking on this challenge with bright smiles, enthusiasm, and positivity!  

The Year 2 students and teachers would like to invite all our parents to come and view our Arcade Games this Thursday, 19 September, 8.30 – 9.00am in the Year 2 classrooms. We look forward to seeing you for a fun filled morning of Arcade Games! 

Knoxigations 
We are wrapping up our learning in our Sustainable Solutions Knoxigations inquiry and we have been so impressed with the effort and innovation demonstrated by the boys to create a design that will improve the long-term sustainability of Wahroonga. We encourage you to take some time this week to chat to your son about what he has chosen to design and why.  

Our next Knoxigations inquiry is Tinkering Towards Tomorrow and we will explore the bid idea “Engineering mother nature solves and creates problems”.  The boys learn about causes and impacts of drought as investigate different ways mother nature has been engineered over time. In the linked curriculum overview, you can find a detailed outline of what the boys are learning in each subject area. 

Incursion – Poetry In Action  
Last week’s poetry incursion had the boys (and teachers!) in hysterics and thoroughly engaged from start to finish. It was brilliant to see poetry come to life for the boys in such an entertaining and meaningful way. The different features and elements of poetry were clearly taught throughout the show, which has provided a fantastic launching pad for us in the classroom as we begin our study of poetry.   

Excursion – Warragamba Dam
Over the course of two days, Year 4 had a wonderful two days exploring Warragamba Dam. Please enjoy some student reflections and photos below: 

• 4F – Jayden – I found the underground tunnels interesting because they were so long! The dam was much bigger than I expected. 

• 4F – Caeden – I learnt that there was an auxiliary spillway completed in 2002 to protect the dam from extreme floods. The viewing platforms were my favourite part of the day because we could see how big the pipes were.  

• 4K – Joshua – I found the different types of insects interesting to learn about and that they only stay around the dam if the water is clean and not polluted. 

• 4K – Aadhi – I liked that the engineers have included run off walls in case of extreme flooding in the future. 

• 4M – Charles– I really liked it when we could build the model dam and put in all the fences and animals around the catchment. 

• 4M – Jeffrey – I enjoyed being able to go in to the gallery tunnels to see how long they were – I found them really interesting! 

• 4O – Tom – I really enjoyed the whole excursion but learning about the Warragamba Dam and how it operates was amazing. The length of the pipes is unbelievable! 

• 4O – Mannan – I really enjoyed doing the field sketches and using the binoculars. The size of Warragamba Dam took me by surprise.  

• 4P – George – I found learning about the eels really fascinating. It was interesting to know how the eels have had to change how they migrate because of a man-made structure like the dam.  

• 4P – Rohan – I learnt that the Warragamba Dam is over 4 times bigger than Sydney Harbour and it provides water to over 5 million people living in Sydney! 

Mr Oates 
Mr Oates is a long term staff member at Knox Prep and has accrued a number of weeks of Long Service Leave, which he has elected to take during Term 4 this year. 

Ms Mikaela Beed will teach 4O during Term 4. Mikaela has been doing some casual teaching in Year 4 during the course of this term and has been involved in collaboratively planning for Term 4, to ensure a smooth transition. Mikaela will be ably supported by Ms Molloy, whose classroom is directly opposite 4O. Please address any queries to Ms Molloy, in the first instance, or to Mrs Paterson, Mr Voysey or Mr Quach. 

We wish Mr Oates all the best for his Leave and look forward to his return at the beginning of 2025. 

Winter School Uniform
A reminder that students will need their winter school uniform for our Presentation Day at the end of the year. Please keep this in mind before packing away your son’s winter uniform.

We have officially reached the single-digit countdown until the end of Term 3. Last week, I touched on the concept of self-awareness, which refers to having a sense of one's personality and character, as well as understanding one's emotions. When we are self-aware, we are able to recognise  our emotions and identify our triggers. Building this skill will look different for children as they are still developing and learning how to put words to the difficult emotions they may feel at times. The first step is to establish the importance of acknowledging our emotions, even if it is after they have already occurred. Engaging in a discussion can support the boys in identifying the feelings and the behaviour they showed while feeling a particular emotion. It will also help your child enrich their vocabulary so they can accurately describe the intensity of their emotion. Please be open to having conversations with your son to support the ongoing development of his self-awareness.  

Knoxigations 
The boys have commenced a task in Knoxigations that requires them to create a central message connected to the big idea of our unit, in preparation for delivering a TED Talk. To support this, the students have explored key historical figures and their role in making informed decisions about the future. Please engage in a discussion with your son about the central message they have created and the role their historical figure has played in championing the central message. We are excited to view the boys' TED Talks in Week 10.  

Tokens 
A reminder that when your son receives a House token, it must be placed in the relevant container so the points can be counted. If your son has a collection of house tokens at home, please ask him to bring them to school and place them in the relevant container for his House.  

Reminders 

• Sport training has recommenced! Please ensure your son knows which days he is required to wear his sports uniform.  

• With the weather heating up, it is imperative your son has hit hat on during all outside activities. Please double check the whereabouts and condition of your son's hat.  

Public Speaking Competition 
Congratulations to Aaron Yang (6G) and Derek Pang (5F) who represented Knox Prep with distinction at the Ravenswood Inter-School Public Speaking Competition on Friday morning. 

 Aaron's speech was titled 'Building Bridges' and Derek composed an excellent presentation on 'The Power of Music'.  

Aaron's powerful delivery and thoughtful insights earned him an impressive second place, a testament to his hard work and talent. Derek also performed exceptionally well, showcasing his strong speaking skills and confidence.  

It was a highly competitive field of entrants, and it was a privilege to see the boys showcasing their considerable speaking skills.

Mrs Simpson 

Winter School Uniform 
A reminder that students will need their winter school uniform for our Presentation Day at the end of the year. Please keep this in mind before packing away your son’s winter uniform. 

NSWPSSA Golf 
We wish Andy Zhou (Year 5) the best of luck as he competes for CIS at the NSWPSSA Golf Championships in the Hunter Valley this week. 

CIS Cricket 
Congratulations to Tom Rigg (Year 6) who has been selected to represent CIS as part of their cricket team. Tom will be competing in Armidale in the first week of next term. Well done, Tom! 

National Interschools Snowsports Championships 
Congratulations to all boys who participated in the National Interschools Snowport Championships last week. Our team competed so well in tough conditions and against quality competitors. Overall, the team came 4th place! Special congratulations for the following results: 

• Austin Huang and Leo Gong – Gold medal 

• Francis Chen and Ian Li – Silver medal 

• Jeremy Zhou, Jasper Sun and Eason Lin – Bronze Medal 

Term 3 Sport 
"Friendly reminder that summer sport resumes this week. Students will continue summer sports in the same teams as Term 1. Please note that we are unable to accommodate requests to change sports. 

Students playing basketball, cricket, tennis (year 5&6) and water polo are required to attend sessions this Saturday, 21 September. 

Prep Basketball 
Reminder that all students playing basketball for their summer sport must wear their blue PDHPE shirt to school on training days. They are welcome to either wear their reversible singlet underneath their shirt, or change into the singlet after school. 

Important Prep Dates: 

• Monday 16 September – Summer sports training resumes 

• Saturday 21 September – Summer sports trials for selected sports 

• Friday 27 September – No after school sports training 

• Tuesday 15 October – Sports training resumes 

• Monday 11-Friday 15 November – Years 3-6 Aquatics Program 

• Monday 18 November-Thursday 21 November – K-2 Aquatics Program 

• Friday 22 November – Final sports training for 2024 

• Saturday 23 November – Final Saturday sport for 2024 

• Thursday 28 November – Years 3&4 Novelty Swim Carnival 

• Friday 29 November – Years 5&6 Novelty Swim Carnival 

Susan Watt, Prep School Sports Coordinator

Overdue Library Books 
Last week notes went out to families for library resources that are now more than 60 days overdue.  If you received one of these notes, please ensure these resources are sent back to school as soon as possible, as charges will be applied to your accounts in the next billing cycle.  If you have any questions about your son’s loans, please contact the library staff. 

Library Bags 
Please remind your son to bring their library bag on their library day.  Library bags are the best way to ensure our school resources are well looked after, protected from water bottles, and help your son keep track of their library books.  Please help your son remember which days are their library days and encourage them to bring their books on that day.  

Book Covering Volunteers 
Thank you to Jo Fernandes, our Book Covering Convener, and her army of parent helpers, who have kindly given up their Friday afternoons to assist with book covering this term. We appreciate your assistance.