Summer uniform
The summer uniform is worn in Terms 4 and 1.

The Knox uniform tends to stand out. Deeds done by Knox men determine individual character and collective reputation. We must therefore wear the summer uniform with a due understanding of the obligations it brings. We must honour those who have worn the uniform in the past by wearing it properly in the present. We must remember that when we wear the uniform we are privileged to be at a school that trusts us, very publicly, with its reputation.

Simple things like shirts tucked in, socks pulled up, and leather black shoes are the minimum requirement.

I thank you in advance for ensuring your sons are aware of their uniform responsibilities when they leave for school.

If your son’s uniform requires any attention, please make a visit to the Uniform Shop this week.

Welcome back!

Our course will run on either a Tuesday or Wednesday or both mornings, starting at 7.30am, once minimum numbers are confirmed.

The Introductory seven week course includes a tub of theraputty, that is designed to improve hand muscle strength and fine motor skills. A minimum of seven students, and a maximum of ten, ensures individual attention. The course costs $300 for seven sessions of 45 minutes.

We will also run a five week refresher course for students who have participated in a seven week course previously. This course will cost $200.

Availability of places is dependent upon a first come first served basis. All students who miss out on a place in Term 4 will be placed on the waiting list for Term 1, 2021.

Should you be interested in pursuing this option for your son, please contact Rebecca Papageorgiou in the Learning Enhancement Department ASAP.

The Return of the Woodwinds!
We are delighted for the opportunity to have our woodwind performers return to in person rehearsal activities this term. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Concert Band rehearsals commenced the term with full membership in their rehearsal spaces before school on Monday 12 October - a delight to hear. The Saxophone Quartet, as pictured, is the first of our chamber ensembles to enjoy a return to their lunch rehearsal together. All woodwinds had continued their rehearsal and performance outcomes online throughout Term 3.



Saxophone Quartet members:
• Soprano Saxophone Ben Tippett Year 9
• Alto Saxophone Ethan Florio-Yen Year 9
• Tenor Saxophone Nathan Uen Year 9
• Baritone Saxophone Ryan Walsh Year 9

You might be interested to read Scholastic Australia’s Kids & Family Reading Report - a study of Australian children’s and parents’ attitudes and behaviours toward reading for pleasure. The study examines the significance of reading independently for fun at school, what impacts frequent reading, the importance of reading aloud to children of all ages, and the books children want most to read. Click here to access the report.



Please remember that the portals for the Knox Senior Libraries offer reading lists of specially selected fiction titles for Years 7-10 students as well as links to online guides to help boys choose appropriate books. Access to collections of ebooks and audiobooks is also included on the front page of the portals, available via your son’s login to KnoxNet. For more information, or assistance, please email Beth Wilson or phone 9487 0140.

Seeking shoes for children in Manila
For a number of years, the Knox community have donated school shoes and sport trainers to the British School Manila that supports many poor children who live on the edge of the city. Without shoes, they cannot attend school. The donated shoes can be school shoes, sport trainers, sandals and/or Crocs, for boys and girls. Donated shoes must be polished and clean with the shoelaces tied together, where applicable. Please drop these off to the SAOs or to Mrs Clarke (Room 15).

Has your son outgrown his Football or Rugby boots?
We are supporting a community in the outback who have no access to any sporting equipment. They are particularly keen to receive Football or Rugby boots as most cannot play as they have no boots. Donations may be dropped to the SAOs or to Mrs Clarke’s Office. Any clean Football socks would also be appreciated.

The Knox Social Justice Club, 1pm each Friday in the KCC Auditorium
Our new Social Justice Prefects; Charlie Herdman (Head Prefect) and Prefects Thomas Johnston, Rhett Masters, Ben Rothery, Nick Tanna and Nicholas Weickart will be leading Social Justice initiatives across the School for 2020-21.

There was excitement at Prep this week, in the leadup to the Year 6 camp ... which is now able to go ahead! After being cancelled in Term 1 due to flooding, then again due to COVID-19, we are so thrilled that the Year 6 boys will get to experience one of their signal events in their last term here at Prep. They are heading up to Camp Somerset for three activity filled days on the banks of the Colo River ... it sounds glorious!

With several events previously scheduled for earlier in the year now taking place in Term 4, it is jam packed and full of events, albeit most to be done differently than they would have been pre-COVID-19. We will continue to communicate any changes in processes that arise as a result of the ever-evolving landscape that we find ourselves in. Nevertheless, hold on tight - it’s going to be a fast and furious ride towards December!

To practise active listening:

• Put your device down
• give your full attention to your son
• make eye contact and stop other things you are doing
• get down on your son’s level
• reflect or repeat back what he is saying and what he may be feeling to make sure you understand

It can be tempting to brush off little people’s problems, especially if you have had a bad day or if you are busy. But your son needs to know that you are going to listen to him and that he is important. This will make it more likely that he will talk with you about his hopes and problems when he is older.

Sometimes he may not be able to name the emotion he is feeling. When you reflect your son’s words, you are giving attention to him and supporting his use of language.

We are coming into our final weeks of investigating forces. We have been doing experiments and building our scientific thinking skills making predictions, testing, analysing and drawing conclusions. Forces has been a fantastic hands-on unit that the boys have thoroughly enjoyed.

The boys are filled with anticipation and enthusiasm for next week’s Book Week. We are eagerly preparing our classroom door decoration for Book Week and looking forward to dressing up on Tuesday for our Book Character Parade. It is always a fun event.

We hope you have enjoyed taking care of the boys' micro-greens over the holiday period and are ready to use these in a recipe. Over the next week we are hoping that you could assist your son in using some of their micro-greens in a recipe or meal at home. Some examples might include:

• Salad or salad dressing
• Stir-fry
• Omelettes
• Frittata
• Meal garnish

When using the micro-greens at home we ask that you take some photos of the process and final product for the boys to share at school in Week 2. We understand that some of our micro-greens may not have been successful and are unable to be used in a recipe. If this has happened, we ask that the boys still help you prepare another meal at home and take photos of this process and final product to bring and share with the group. All Year 1 boys will be discussing their meal and investigating where the food originates from and how it gets from the farm to our homes.

Term 4 Maths and English
During Week 6 of last term, the Year 1 boys completed their MAP testing for Reading and Mathematics. This data allows us to plan our teaching and learning programs for Term 4 based upon the required next steps of the boys in our care. This may mean your son has move into a different group for Term 4.

It is hard to believe we are beginning the last term of Year 1. When looking ahead, it is shaping up to be another busy term. The Year 1 teachers are here to continue to support you and your son so if you have any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact your son’s teacher. We look forward to working together with you in our final term of the year.

As a part of the Design Process boys will:

• ASK - Ask questions!
• IMAGINE - Imagine, what will your toy/game look like?
• PLAN - Plan your game/toy with detailed annotated labels
• CREATE - Create and test your design. Does it work? Does it engage a variety of forces? Is it accessible to all members of society?
• IMPROVE - How can we improve our design?

Once teams have worked together to create a design idea and have drawn an accompanying labelled diagram, their teacher will guide them through the Empathy Mapping Cycle. This is a crucial element in the Design Thinking Process to ensure that their design is accessible to all members of the society.

The excitement is palpable with all groups taking on the challenge with bright smiles and brilliant positivity! The Year 2 teachers can’t wait to play these incredible games when the boys present them to their peers next week.

A reminder that next week is Book Week! The much anticipated Book Character Parade takes place on Tuesday, with boys encouraged to dress as one of their favourite book characters. Year 2 are also lucky enough to have not one, but two author visits next week! Boys will have the opportunity to speak with and learn from authors Gus Gordon and Aura Parker over Zoom. Oh, what fun!

We are happy to welcome Mrs Monique Hodder as she joins the Year 3 teaching team for this term. She brings such a wealth of teaching experience and is known by many of the boys from when they were in K-2.

The final term of the year is always busy, and this will be no exception. The students are currently experiencing the four-day aquatics program and next week brings the exciting activities that go with Book Week.

Being the final term of Year 3, we remind the students that it is important to finish the year well. Thus far, they have been outstanding, and are encouraged to continue working hard and remain focused in the last seven and half weeks of the school year. They are also encouraged to remember our goal to ‘Be Kind’ and to put it into practise each day.

We look forward to working together to make this a successful final term for all of our Year 3 students.

Jerusalema Dance Challenge
At the end of Term 3, Year 4 spent some time learning the ‘Jerusalema Dance’. This dance craze is prevalent in Africa at the moment and it was a fantastic way to end our term. It also complemented our exploration into Africa as part of our novel study. We look forward to sharing this with you soon. We hope that it sparks some joy.

Speeches
In class this week the boys are presenting speeches to persuade the audience as to why it is important to irrigate Central Australia and areas of drought. Through this task, they are demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of irrigation methods and the effects of drought through our Knoxigations inquiry. We hope you enjoy watching your son’s speech through his SeeSaw account.

Student Leadership
Michael Quach addressed the boys early this week and explained the Leadership process to them. Following that, we allowed time in classrooms for questions. As the boys are moving into Year 6, they naturally become the leaders of the School, where they will set the tone for the younger boys to follow. This term, we will provide opportunities for all our Year 5 boys to discuss various aspects of leadership, and what characteristics are needed as an effective student leader at the Prep School. Please discuss the elected positions of School Captain, Social Justice Captain or House Captain with your son using the information in the letter we provided. We welcome all boys to have a go. The Year 5 team are also happy to answer any questions throughout the process. All Year 6 boys are also involved in a portfolio where they will have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills in those specific areas. The boys will be given the opportunity at the end of this week to elect three preferences for portfolio groups.

As part of the leadership process, all Year 5 boys will complete an Aspiring Leadership Course where we will hear from a number of internal and external visitors (via Zoom). These guests will discuss various aspects of leadership and their experiences and will allow for our boys to ask questions. The boys will also complete initiative and teamwork activities within their classes to allow them the chance to show and develop their skills in listening, working together and in leading their peers. This process over a few weeks will allow the boys the opportunity to make an informed choice and vote when the time comes to vote for elected positions.

Novel Study
Our novel study encompasses our current Knoxigations Inquiry where we explore the Big Idea, ‘Events in history, inform our future’. Mr Kelliher’s Literacy group created visual representations of their interpretation of our novel, 'The Burnt Stick'. Please see below for designs by Lucas Dunn, Alaric Wang and Aidan Donovan.

Just a quick reminder that Book Week is coming up in Week 2. Please make sure you are up to date with the relevant information and remember that the Book Character Parade is on Tuesday in Week 2.

Book Character Parade
Boys are asked to dress up as their favourite book character on Tuesday 20 October. The boys will stay in their costume for the entire school day.

Online Bookshop
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we have moved our annual Literary Day event to an online bookshop. A huge range of quality picture books, fiction and non-fiction titles will be available to purchase online for all boys and the Knox community in celebration of Book Week. Books from our visiting Zoom authors will also be available for purchase. Books will be priced from $9.99.

To access the site, visit click here. 

The Knox Giving Tree
As part of our Knox Service Learning Program, we will be donating this year to St Lucy’s School. Parents can elect to donate a monetary amount via the online bookshop which will be used to purchase resources for St Lucy’s School Library.



A leaf will be added to our Giving Tree for every donation to help the boys visualise Knox Service in action.

Click on the Knox Prep Literary Day tab here to make a donation.

AMEB Examinations
Over the next few weeks, we have over 100 boys sitting their AMEB Music Examinations. If your son is enrolled to do an exam, please be organised and liaise with your Music tutor in regards to the exam day and rehearsals. If you have any questions, you can also email Mrs Morris.

String News
Firstly, a huge welcome back to Ms Irik who has been away on maternity leave. The boys will be very excited to have her back! Also, a huge thank you to Mrs Sarah Jameson and Mr Nemanja Petkovic for all of their hard work covering rehearsals this year. They have been amazing! Both tutors will still be tutoring as per normal this term and Mr Petkovic will still direct the Year 6 String Ensemble every Wednesday. This term will be a big term for all ensembles preparing for the end of year celebrations and events so keep up the great work! Remember to email the director/conductor if your son will be away or miss a rehearsal.

Private Instrumental Lessons
There are still a few vacancies for all instruments/voice with our talented tutors in the Prep School. If your son is interested in learning an instrument please email Mrs Morris.

Note: if your son is already learning an instrument at school and he cannot attend his lesson for whatever reason, 24 hours notice must be given to the tutor directly or you will be charged for the lesson. Please do not assume that because something is in the calendar (which means your son cannot attend his lesson) that your tutor will know about it. It is the responsibility of the parent to always inform the tutor of any absences.

I can confirm at Knox:

• Two spectator parents/guardians per player at our outdoor venues
• One spectator parent/guardian per player at our indoor venues
• QR code registration will be in place across all facilities at entry points, with standard health checks and questions
• Players in all teams should turn up ready to play – no change rooms will be available
• Canteens will be closed. Players should bring their own labelled water bottles and snacks, if required
• Players should leave immediately after completion of their fixture
• Standard 1.5m social distancing on sidelines for all spectators

Any variation to this will be communicated immediately. It is really important to check the weekly draw and know the venue and school your son is playing, then understanding the school/venue’s own protocols.

If anything changes, we will be in touch and also communicate everything via the Knox app.

Prep Sport News
Prep House Cross Country
On Thursday 24 September, Knox Prep ventured down to Gillespie Fields to compete in the House Cross Country Carnival to crown the age and house champions for this year.

The day was perfect for running with each boy doing his best for his house. Great enthusiasm and sportsmanship were shown by all participants. The House Champion for 2020 was Ewan, followed closely by Haslett, then Burns, Fuller and Lang.

Age Champions:

• 8/9yrs – 1st William Scodellaro (Haslett), 2nd George Rowell (Lang) and 3rd Jack Murphy (Ewan)
• 10yrs –1st Jack Robinson (Fuller), 2nd Jake Stalley (Fuller) and 3rd Armaan Roy (Lang)
• 11yrs – 1st Owen Dixon (Burns), 2nd Thomas Scodellaro (Haslett) and 3rd Finn Morton (Burns)
• 12/13yrs – 1st Nick Williams (Haslett), 2nd Arno Scamps (Burns) and 3rd Joseph Kim (Burns)



Congratulations, boys, on a great day of competition!

Holidays
There was plenty of action throughout the break as many boys enjoyed the option to participate in the few camps we held, as well as some teams playing tournaments and final trial games. Well done to everyone and best of luck for an enjoyable and safe start to the summer season this week.