Headmaster's Column
Mr Scott James
Teacher Quality
If schools are to remain relevant and centres of academic excellence that prepare young people to meet the challenges of a complex, dynamic world then pedagogical practice needs to adapt to become more innovative (The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), 2012). At Knox Grammar School, we are committed to advancing the pedagogical practice of all our staff in a supportive and collaborative learning environment enabling them to flourish as professionals for the benefit of our students.
To achieve this aim, we have invested in an innovative approach to professional learning across our three campuses that has fostered a transparent, collaborative and supportive culture where teacher observations, action research projects and celebrating mastery are integral to what we do as educators.
Senior School News
Cadet Unit
Friday 18 October marked the first Friday training for the 2019-2020 Cadet year. Members of rank took their newly appointed positions, while the Year 8 recruits walked onto parade for the first time to find their new platoons and experience their first taste of the drill, dress and bearing.
Visual Arts
On Tuesday evening 16 boys from Year 8 took part in a light painting workshop with photographer Peter Solness.
School News
Knox Musical - 'Oliver!'
Last chance to get tickets! Students from Knox Grammar School will reprise the School's very first musical, 'Oliver', with a production of the much loved musical in the Knox Junior Academy and Performing Arts Centre from 7-9 November.
The production will be the first major show to take place in the new 750 seat Wenkart Theatre.
Performances
Thursday 7 November 2019, 7.30pm
Friday 8 November 2019, 7.30pm
Saturday 9 November 2019, 7.30pm
Knox Parents' Association
Mrs Amanda MacLean, President
Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Tuesday 12 November
When: Tuesday 12 November, 6.30pm-7.30pm
Where: Weeks Senior Academy Lecture Theatre, Senior School Campus
Knox Prayer Group
Prayer Meetings
This term we will be holding two informal prayer meetings.
Volunteer Thank You Celebration
When: Tuesday 12 November, 7.30pm-9pm
Where: Seniors’ Terrace, Weeks Senior Academy, Senior School Campus
We are extremely thankful and proud of the enormous amount of hours that are generously contributed every year at various school activities and events by our volunteers.
Prep School News
From the Head of the Preparatory School
Mrs Sue Floro
The past week has brought two final Celebrations of Learning, for Year 3 last Friday and Year 2 on Tuesday. The boys’ connection to their learning is positively palpable, and their commitment to sharing everything they have discovered and created during the inquiry is so encouraging to witness. Congratulations to all of our students and teachers for such powerful learning!
Congratulations to our debaters for their clean sweep of the IPSHA Gala Day competition held on Monday. Not only did they prepare and perform admirably, they also competed as a team in every sense of the word, ideating, planning, writing, sharing and cooperating during the course of the day. Congratulations on a truly remarkable achievement to all of our debaters.
K-2 Happenings
Mrs Chris Gray, K-2 Coordinator
You are Braver than you Believe, Smarter than you Seem and Stronger than you Think.
Winnie the Pooh
Courage is one of the Knox core values and one of the most important things for us all to know is that courage doesn’t always feel like courage. From the outside, courage often looks impressive and powerful and self-assured. Courage often looks different from the outside to the way you would expect it to feel on the inside.
Kindergarten News
Mrs Mary-Mae Burton, Kindergarten Team Leader
As Kindergarten is drawing a close on their current Knoxigations unit, 'Forces impact the world around us', it is wonderful to reflect upon the level of the boys' engagement. They have loved this Science-based domain, exploring the world around them through conducting experiments to build their knowledge and understanding of the concepts of forces, gravity, motion and friction.
Year 1 News
Mrs Emma Donaldson, Year 1 Team Leader
Wow! Year 1 - congratulations on your determination to promote and complete the Day Without Speech. All the teachers were amazed with how you finished the day and were so empathetic towards people in Cambodia who have speech difficulties.
Year 2 News
Mrs Alicia Baldry, Year 2 Team Leader
This week the Year 2 boys held their final Celebration of Learning for the year. We have been creating a working arcade as part of our 'Tinkering Towards Tomorrow' unit. Through developing a product the boys have understood how energy and forces are used to make different products. As creative producers they have built Rube Goldberg Machines, worked with Turing Tumbles and used microbits to code their arcade games. Congratulations to the Year 2 boys on your success!
Year 3 News
Mr Glenn Stephenson, Year 3 Team Leader
The Year 3 teachers would like to thank those parents/guardians who were able to join the boys for our ‘Interconnected Systems Expo’, which was held in the Year Three classrooms last Friday. This particular ‘Celebration of Learning’ officially concluded the boys’ inquiry of the big idea, ‘Rivers Sustain Life’. Students keenly presented their work on a fictional river system they created based on set criteria, as well as a 3D replica of their environment using the CoSpaces app. The Year 3 team trusts that all parents/guardians enjoyed viewing the diverse range of presentations across the classes. All boys have now begun their final inquiry unit of the year in which they are exploring various significant places around the world and how they can be conserved and protected for future generations.
Year 4 News
Mr Jared Rastall, Year 4 Team Leader
Character strengths in Year 4
The discussion of character strengths plays an important role within the Year 4 curriculum. It has been a regular part of our homework program and they are often referred to in our novel studies and Knoxigations units. The Year 4 teachers regularly refer to actions which demonstrate particular character strengths in our morning meetings.
Year 5 News
Mrs Tammy Paterson, Year 5 Team Leader
KnoxFest 2019
The lights were dimmed and the stage was set. The music played and the excitement grew! It was finally time ... KnoxFest 2019!
It was fantastic to see the Wenkart Theatre in the JAPAC filled with our Year 5 boys and their families. Thank you so much for coming and showing your support. The boys have worked tirelessly for the last few months, getting the story ideas together, filming, and then the arduous editing process began. We were so pleased with how it all came together. Their faces lit up as you laughed.
Well done, boys! We had so much fun during the Knoxfest process and you learnt so many new skills.
Year 6 News
Mr Liam Flanagan, Year 6 Team Leader
The boys have continued to settle in well to their final term of Year S6 and have shown great passion and enthusiasm towards their learning. This week the boys are focusing on finalising their 'Sustainable Solutions' end of unit inquiry task. The boys are working in pairs and focusing on finding, modifying or designing a solution to a sustainability issue of their own choosing. The boys are then using their designs to create a working prototype or model to present to their class. Using items such as 3D printers, laser cutters and Micro:bits, the boys have made some incredibly innovative designs and we can’t wait to see what they finish up with at the end of the week!
K-2 Literacy Centre and 3-6 Library
Mrs Emma-Kate Smith and Mrs Jo Wheatley
Presentation of Donated Books to St Lucy’s
On Friday 26 October, Oliver Smith, Saxon Mcdonell and Chester Swaffer, presented St Lucy’s school with over 100 books that were donated from our K-6 Literary Day during Book Week in Term 3. St Lucy’s school is undergoing an expansion of their school site with a new library opening in the new year.
Musical Notes
Ms Rebeccah Morris, Miss Ali Irwin and Mr Ashley George
Christmas Markets
It is with great pleasure and excitement that I announce that the Little Lads, 3-4 Vocal Ensemble, 5-6 Vocal Ensemble and Year 6 String Quartet have been invited to perform at the annual Knox Christmas Markets in the Senior School Great Hall on Friday evening, 15 November. The time allocations for each ensemble are below.
Prep KPA
Mrs Fiona Small, Prep Convenor
Volunteering Opportunities 2020
We have a number of positions available for next year so if you are interested, please contact Fiona Small or the current convenor directly. There are processes in place so there no need to reinvent the wheel for these roles.
Sports News
From the Head of Knox Sports and Aquatic Academy
Mr Martin Haywood
What a phenomenal week of Knox sport to kick off the CAS Summer season for 2019/20. The hard work and pre-season commitment shown by so many through Term 3 and early stages of Term 4 paid huge dividends with some amazing results. Well done to all students and coaches for their performances over the weekend.
The weekend started with the Cricket Supporters season launch at Curagul on Friday evening where we were joined by Australian Cricket champion, Nathan Lyon. He was interviewed and gave a great insight into what it takes to reach the top and his journey along the way as well as some stories from the recent Ashes campaign. I was particularly fascinated by Nathan’s comments around accepting failure, almost embracing it to help him continue to be better each and every week – learning from failures. Nathan also reminded the boys of the importance of staying positive during tough times. Cricketers and so many sportsman go through many tough times and Nathan gave some great tips on how to stay positive and enjoy each and every moment and spending time with your friends and team mates.
Text for the Week
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another
John 13: 34-35