Knox is in the midst of a ‘big shift’ in terms of innovative learning frameworks and the innovative use of technology. Our current focus is on developing more authentic approaches to learning in terms of how technological solutions are applied to deepen student understanding and create more personalised learning experiences in the classroom.

The School is already demonstrating a commitment to developing its Digital and Design technologies framework by investing financial and human resources in a larger technology integration team and renewed, flexible learning spaces. This is to ensure that the increasingly innovative solutions coming in from various industry sectors can be thoroughly tested, strategically applied and supported equitably across the School. The long-term vision is set on deep learning, leveraging student agency and creativity to ensure our students are ready for the workforce of 2030.

Our proposal for the future of technology is built upon expanding current initiatives across the campuses and elevating them to a level where Knox Grammar School can be considered a ‘best practice’ institution in the field.

Knox At Home
It was wonderful to see so many new and existing parents of students from Prep to Year 12 at the annual ‘Knox At Home', as we celebrated the commencement of the 2020 school year. This function is a highlight of the school year and is a wonderful opportunity to create new connections and develop existing relationships within our community.

On ANZAC Day, the band uses St Stephen’s as a base between the marches through the city. Reverend Day has often asked us the band to perform for the parishioners in one of the church services.

It was a beautiful sunny morning so the band marched through Martin Place, down Macquarie Street to the church, impressing many onlookers along the way. The band performed before the church service, during and afterwards. The parishioners enjoyed the performances. Nick Farr-Jones was the guest speaker for the day so it was an inspiring church service for the boys.

Year 10 Social Justice - 'Making a Difference Out West' program - Enngonia Mini Camp
A tour is being planned from 22 March - 27 March as part of Knox's ongoing commitment to the outback. The tour is for six students (who together with six PLC students) will see and learn from this cultural and educational experience.

Students will immerse themselves in the outback, support students from small remote schools and explore Aboriginal history and culture. The cost of the tour will be approximately $450 per student and students are invited to apply an expression of interest. More details below.

Enngonia Mini Camp Expression of Interest Form

Year 7 Cape York Cultural Experience
This opportunity is offered to Year 7 students in July this year. Mr Daniel Carson from Red Earth will present at the Year 7 Parents Meeting on Monday 24 February.

The group will be accompanied by two Red Earth guides and two Knox teachers. Students are invited to apply an expression of interest. More details below.

Cape York Expression of Interest Form
Cape York Immersion Information

Bushfire and Drought Relief
The Facebook page ‘Mobilising for Mogo’ initiative is registered with authorities and data was collected on Mogo families and other community members to establish a specific list of essential donations which are below. Please drop off your donations to Room 15 (Mrs Clarke’s office) or as per the link.

• Back to school needs – exercise books etc. 
• Tools of trade – many people lost tools which limits how much they can clean up, repair or even work! No electrical tools please.
• Gift cards that can be used for petrol (e.g. Caltex) food (e.g. IGA)
• No clothing please.
• Register here.

World's Greatest Shave - Tuesday 15 March
Social Justice Prefects and guest speakers will present at assemblies over the coming weeks. Boys must remember that cuts will be in line with the School's regulation cuts. Register online here.

Breaking a World Record and helping community projects.
The Rotary Club of Wahroonga is attempting to set a World Record of connected socks on 25 October this year at St Ives Showground. Start collecting your odd socks - remember, socks need to be accompanied by the donations otherwise they can’t be included!

School shoes for the Philippines
Please send donations to Room 15.

The Knox Social Justice Club - all invited to participate
There are opportunities for service at community events both within the School and in the wider community and immersions to overseas and regional areas. Everyone across Years 7-12 is invited to participate and bring a friend. 

Parents for Justice (Just Parents)
If you would like to join up and offer support, please contact Mrs Clarke.

KPA Name Badges
The KPA organises name badges for parents at the start of each school year for use at the various school functions you will attend throughout your son's time at Knox. They come with the Knox crest and your name, with a simple magnet on the back for attaching. They are a much better alternative to the sticky labels that always peel off! The cost of $16 includes postage.

Details on how to order and pay for a name badge can be found on the flyer. Be sure to put down your name as you would like it to appear on the badge. Orders close Friday 21 February 2020. This is the only opportunity to order name badges for 2020, so please put your order in now to avoid disappointment.

Parent Name Badge flyer

This week we are holding our Parent Teacher Information evenings, which is a great opportunity for parents to come along to hear about all of the experiences we have planned for your boys this year. It also gives you a chance to forge positive connections with other parents in your son’s year group. We have a number of new initiatives this year, which will be explained in greater detail each night.

We have also started our annual parent morning teas, beginning with Kindergarten at the end of last week. This is yet another opportunity to meet key staff and to connect with other parents. If you have not yet RSVPd, please do so - it’s never too late!

Our Year 5 boys are eagerly looking forward to their camp next week, beginning with the father son adventure on Sunday. Camp is important for so many reasons, not the least of which is the sense of achievement that boys experience when they master activities, and challenges that they have not attempted before. For many of our Year 5 boys, this will be their first adventure in tents ... and what an adventure it will be!

Gratitude and being kind to yourself are the major pieces of the puzzle. Instead of criticising yourself or faking gratitude, she encourages us to experiment with another practice backed by science: accepting those feelings with kindness. Kristin Neff calls this a self-compassion break and will help rewire your brain for flourishing.

We have encouraged the boys to start by thanking you for their meal every night. 'Please and thank you.' It’s one of the first lessons we learn as children. Our ability to sincerely say, 'Thank you' has a dramatic impact on how we relate to others.

These special words have the ability to motivate, create good will, make peace, and solidify love and commitment.

The benefits of sharing a 'Thank You' is enormous and we have so many opportunities every day.

Dates for the diary
• Thursday 20 February - Year 1 Parents Morning Tea
• Friday 21 February - Year 1 Chinese New Year Performance, Assembly 2B
• Wednesday 26 February - Kindergarten Reading information for parents
• Thursday 27 February - Year 2 Parent Morning Tea, Assembly 2C
• Thursday 5 March - Assembly 2F
• Thursday 12 March - Assembly 1D
• Wednesday 18 March - Year 1 Celebration of Learning
• Thursday19 March - Assembly 1E
• Friday 20 March - Year 6 Bake Sale
• Thursday 26 March - Assembly 1S
• Wednesday 1 April - Year 1 Excursion -Global Change Makers
• Thursday 2 April - Assembly: Kindergarten combined
• Friday 3 April - Year 2 Narrabeen excursion
• Week 11 - Years 1/Yr 2 Swimming

As many of you are new to Knox, there are many routines and processes to learn – it can all be a little overwhelming to remember everything. I am sure the video guides on Seesaw will be a useful reference. Please always feel free to contact your son’s teacher and ask, should you have any questions.

Your sons were so excited to receive your special wish card this morning. It was lovely to see the delight on their faces as your card was read to them; it was truly a cherished moment. These are the important moments in life and the Kindergarten teachers feel grateful that we are able to share them with your son.

The boys have settled into the school year well and have been challenging themselves every day. The look of surprise on their faces when they achieve something new is such an elating feeling as a teacher and one that our parents have been a part of due to their interaction with Seesaw and the constant dialogue between the teachers, parents and students in the playground.

This year, all students will be focusing on the personal character strength of kindness. They will also explore the idea of gratitude. This term to boys will be encouraged to ‘dob’ on their friends for their acts of kindness. Thank you to all of the boys who have already spoken to a teacher about one of these moments. They truly make our day brighter!

Thank you for trusting us with your boys. We are so excited to go on the journey of 2020 with you all.

Mathematics, Reading and Spelling Groups recently commenced in order to further cater for the individual needs of all boys in these curriculum areas. Students have been purposefully placed in an appropriate group for these set lessons using relevant forms of specific data. These groups will occur on various days throughout the week and will remain fluid over the course of the year, allowing for student movement as necessary.

In Year 3, all students will require the use of headphones when completing particular tasks and activities in class. As such, boys are encouraged to bring their own pair of appropriate headphones to school in order to use as necessary. It is crucial that the headphones are compatible with the student iPads and they must also be ‘in-ear’ style, with a built-in microphone and a 3.5mm headphone plug. They do not have to be a particular brand (i.e. Beats, Bose, Sony etc.) but they cannot be wireless. Headphones must be clearly labelled when brought to school as they will be stored on the headphone stands within each classroom. Please do not hesitate to contact your son’s classroom teacher if you are unsure of which headphones may or may not be suitable for use at school.

Next week, the Year 3 students and staff will be travelling to Point Wolstoncroft Sport & Recreation Centre for our overnight camp. Parents are reminded that the boys are required to arrive at school by 7am in the Undercover Area. We will return to the Prep the following day by 3.05pm in high spirits after being involved in a challenging, yet rewarding experience.

Dates for the diary
• Wednesday 19 February - Year  Parent Information Evening, 6pm - 7pm
• Monday 24 February - Tuesday 25 February - Year 3 Camp to Point Wolstoncroft
• Thursday 19 March - Years 3-6 House Cross Country Carnival

Reading Aloud
The Year 4 Team encourages our boys to continue to read aloud at home. We also encourage parents to read to their sons. Reading aloud builds many important skills; it introduces and develops vocabulary, builds connections between spoken and written word, provides a model of fluent, expressive reading and it also helps children recognise what reading for pleasure is all about. Our boys are certainly not too old to be read to.

Year 4 Parent Information Evening
This evening is the Year 4 Parent Information Evening commencing in the Year 4 classrooms at 6pm. We will then proceed to the Auditorium at 6.30pm. At this event, you will be provided with important information regarding your son’s learning at school. We look forward to seeing you there.

On Monday, all boys who are not attending the father/son component of the camp, will be required to be at school by 7.30am where they will catch the bus and join their peers at the Colo River campsite. It is important that they are on time as the bus needs to leave promptly. Please see the equipment packing list on the Knox portal.

Parent Information Evening
We look forward to meeting you on Thursday evening for the Year 5 Parent Teacher Evening. We ask you to be seated in the Prep Auditorium at 5.50pm as we will be starting at 6pm. We will start with an information session and then move into the Year 5 classrooms at 6.30pm where you can meet your son’s teacher.

100m / 200m time trials
This Friday we will attempt to complete our 100m and 200m running event time trials. We use this information so that at our Athletics Carnival, boys are competing against others of a similar running ability.

Throughout this term, we have been working hard with the boys to focus on their behaviour as well as how they wear their uniforms each day. We are currently exploring the traditions of the School including reminding boys to tip their boaters as way of thanking members of the public when they cross the road or move about the streets. As a part of this, the Year 6 teachers have been encouraging the boys to ensure that they are wearing the appropriate uniform both to and from school including wearing the right shoes and having their blazers and boaters. As leaders of the School we look forward to seeing the boys setting the standard.

On Wednesday afternoon, the boys will have their Year 6 Leadership Induction Assembly. We are looking forward to celebrating the boys' leadership roles for this year. This will begin at 2pm in the Auditorium.

I would like to again draw your attention to the upcoming Parent Information Evening for Year 6 which will be on 20 February. This is a good opportunity to learn about some of the exciting events that will be happening in Year 6 this year. It also gives you the chance to get to know your son’s teacher and to learn about their expectations of the class for the year. The teachers are very much looking forward to seeing you there.

Also on Friday night our Swim and Dive team competed at SOPAC against fellow CAS schools in a 'warm up' event and time trial for CAS selection. All boys put up some terrific times and are looking well prepared for the Knox Championships and the CAS event coming in March. Could parents please keep an eye out for an email next week and ensure you give permission for your son if he wishes to attend another incredible event.

One of the best performances over the weekend was from our Open Firsts Water Polo squad that played the undefeated Newington team (away) and the joint CAS/GPS title was on the line. Knox has never won the Water Polo title and at full time the scores were locked 9-9. Knox remains unbeaten and have just three games remaining. A great effort and all boys must be congratulated on this magnificent effort.

Another incredible result on Saturday was from our Open Firsts Tennis team. Four extremely brave and talented young men took on an unbeaten Trinity team and won 6 sets to 2. This result has put our boys in top spot also with just three CAS games remaining. The seconds also had a huge 8-0 win and remain undefeated this season. The depth in the Tennis program is simply outstanding.

Our 1st XI Cricketers unfortunately came up just short of trying to chase 260 runs whilst our Volleyball team also went down bravely to Trinity.

There were many more great results on Saturday at the Squash courts and their Grand Finals are quickly approaching as well as the Mountain Biking squad, Sailers and KnoxFit group. Table Tennis had another huge day and are well placed to defend the CAS/GPS title whilst unfortunately the Surf Lifesaving was cancelled due to poor surf conditions.

Winter sport choices
Thanks to those that have responded to the email sent to all students on February 10 regarding sport choices for this winter season. We are still waiting on quite a few responses and the cut off is this Friday. After Friday some sport choices will be closed so please ensure your son gets on and selects the sport he would like to commit to for this coming winter.

Holiday camps
Please keep an eye out for some Term 1 holiday camp information coming out soon. Knox will be hosting some Athletics, Rugby, Football and AFL camps and would love to see as many boys as possible to keep their fitness and skills up in the break.

Week ahead
On Thursday our new Year 7 students will enjoy another House experience. All parents would have received details in what promises to be a great afternoon of Athletics on Knox 1.

On Saturday Knox will host Waverley College for majority of summer sports. Please allow plenty of travel time for those going to Waverley as parking in the area is difficult on Saturday morning.

The Tartan Army will be at it again on Saturday in the Great Hall from 10am as Knox looks to consolidate top spot on the CAS Basketball ladder. Please encourage your son to come along if there is not a clash with his own sporting commitment and enjoy the great atmosphere and some incredibly talented Basketball players.

Prep School news
Last weekend saw many of our Prep boys play their first game of the season and some their first of many for Knox. The boys displayed great sportsmanship and courage in their games. Keen to do well they listened intently to the coach’s instructions and attempted to implement the game plan resulting in baskets, runs, goals and tries being scored. With the wins and draws also came some losses! The highlight was seeing each Knox boy smiling at the end of the game knowing they had done the best they could on the day!

Congratulations to Nicholas Williams on his selection in the IPSHA Basketball team to play in the NSWCIS Championships on Friday 21 February.

Good luck everyone and have a great week. Go the Black & Blue!