Mr Scott James

National Volunteer Week
This week we celebrate National Volunteer Week and the 2020 theme ‘Changing Communities. Changing Lives’. While the last few months have been a quiet time across our campuses, I couldn’t let this moment pass without expressing my sincere gratitude for the wonderful volunteers who contribute in so many ways to our vibrant community.

Life at Knox wouldn’t be the same without the Knox Parents’ Association, year convenors, supporter groups, tuckshop helpers, book coverers, learning enhancement assistants, the Old Knox Grammarians’ Association committee and many, many parents who give up their time to assist at major community events such as Knox Gala Day.

Weeks 5-9 update
Once again, I’d like to thank each of you for your continued support of the School.

I know I speak for all staff when I express our great joy in welcoming students back to our campuses over the last week. It’s been wonderful to hear the sound of laughter, the rumble of the students’ shoes down the corridors and witness our classrooms buzzing with learning once again.

As I have said before, the wellbeing of our students, staff and school community continues to drive all of our decision-making.

Throughout this challenging period, we have taken a considered, cautious approach.

With the support of School Council, we are eager to move towards full-time face-to-face learning as soon as safely possible.

However, as a large school, it is prudent for us to progress with our return to full-time on-campus learning in a measured way.

For the remainder of this week and up until next Tuesday 26 May, we will continue with our timetable for on-campus learning for students from Pre-K to Year 10. This timetable was sent to you on 30 April.

Mrs Helen Clarke, Head of Diversity, Justice and Stewardship

Reconciliation Week: 27 May- 3 June
Each year at Knox our Reconciliation Week Assembly is a special event in our calendar. This year’s theme is ‘In this together’. The ceremony will be held on Wednesday 27 May at 10:30am.

Our guest speaker this year is Uncle John Francis Kinsela OAM. John is a decorated soldier, ex-Olympian and Aboriginal elder.  John is the uncle of Bill Humes (Year 8 boarder). A few of John’s amazing life experiences can be found here.

Year 7 Week 3 Term 2 2020

Year 8 Week 3 Term 2 2020

Year 9 Week 3 Term 2 2020

Year 10 Week 3 Term 2 2020

Year 11 Week 3 Term 2 2020

Year 12 Week 3 Term 2 2020

Parents are warmly invited to join the Knox Psychology Team for a live webinar.

When: Thursday 21 May 2020 from 7.30pm
Topic: 'What research tells us about raising successful children'

We have established a ‘Remote Learning Hub’ to provide students and parents with access to Frequently Asked Questions, videos, documents and resources during our period of online and remote learning.

https://sites.google.com/knox.nsw.edu.au/remotelearninghub

If you have any feedback, please email here.

We warmly invite you to watch a video of the Knox Anzac Memorial Service 2020.

This video features an address by Dr Brendan Nelson AO, readings by members of the Cadet Unit, musical items and a performance of ‘Amazing Grace’ which has been compiled using recordings of pipers from the Knox Grammar School Pipes and Drums playing at their homes.

Mrs Sue Floro

As we near the end of our remote learning period, I have begun the reflective debrief, thinking about what we did, why we did it and the decisions we made, how we did it on a day to day basis, and, importantly, how we evolved our practice throughout this period.

As humans, our thinking often goes to what didn’t work so well, before what did go well, and try as I do to not follow this well worn path, that’s where my thoughts first went. Some boys struggled – with the platform, with the remote instruction, with zooming (the world’s newest verb!), with all manner of other little challenges that built to larger issues. Boys missed their friends, their daily interactions, and try though we did, to find ways to link them together, it was challenging. We worried about some boys’ total fitness – whether they were getting enough exercise; their emotional state and their wellbeing. We worried about many things to do with your sons and their remote learning, and we sought to resolve these issues, often successfully, but not always.

Mrs Chris Gray, K-2 Coordinator

Every next level of your life will demand a different you.
Carl Jung

Our Knox Value this week is Wisdom. Wisdom is a lifelong journey and a virtue that can only be acquired through experience. Anyone who is interested in trying new things and reflecting on the process has the ability to gain wisdom. By learning as much as you can, analysing your experiences and putting your knowledge to the test, you can become a wiser person. We encourage our boys to gain wisdom using these strategies:

Mrs Mary-Mae Burton, Kindergarten Team Leader

What a fabulous start to the week!  Having the Kindergarten boys on campus for Monday and Tuesday has been wonderful as we reconnect with one another. It has been so important for both our physical and mental well-being, providing us with a sense of, not only happiness but security, support and a purpose. It brings the first-hand experience to the value of community, allowing the boys to reflect and make connections to their learning with our current Knoxigations unit of how people work together in communities.

Last week we took a closer look at how people work together in communities. We discussed how we need volunteers in our community, how they play a vital role to help make a community function and how a community is an interconnected system. It was impressive how the boys could think of examples of many volunteers in our community and identify the roles of workers in different community systems. For example, we discussed a supermarket has many community workers who work together like a farmer, a delivery driver, shelf packers, cashiers and store managers.

Miss Nadine Smith, Year 1 Team Leader

It has been wonderful welcoming the boys back to school for their day of learning last week. It is clear to see from the expressions on the children’s faces just how much they appreciate being back together in their classrooms. It has also been so wonderful to see the children meeting up with their friends and connecting with each other after such a long time. As the boys have returned to school the Year 1 teachers have been overwhelmed by their positive attitude towards their learning.

After speaking with the boys, the best part of our day together was working as a team to create a message on Yeldham Field. It took us a little while to do and needed lots of team work and collaboration. In the end, it all came together and Year 1 were very proud of themselves.

Miss Sarah Beaumont-Jones, Year 2 Team Leader

It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces back on site last Thursday, it was heart-warming to hear the boys’ laughter and voices floating through the K-2 Centre. The Year 2 Teachers would like to thank parents for their support in maintaining social distancing measures while collecting their sons from school. This week, students will return to school on Wednesday and Thursday and teachers couldn’t be happier.

Mr Glenn Stephenson, Year 3 Team Leader

The Year 3 Team have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the boys gradually return to school over the course of the last week! It has been truly lovely to see the boys reconnect with their peers and teachers, sharing stories and laughter in equal measure. Please be assured that all possible measures are being implemented in order to try and ensure a safe and hygienic return to school for everyone involved.

The level of collaboration and co-operation between students, parents and staff continues to remain a highlight of the current online learning situation we all find ourselves in. The connection between home and school has never been more paramount than it is right now, and I would especially like to thank the Year 3 parents and guardians for their unwavering support of the boys' learning.

Mr Jared Rastall, Year 4 Team Leader

Colonising Mars
This week Year 4 will begin applying their knowledge and understanding of British colonisation to formulate a proposal to colonise Mars. The boys are busy considering the impacts the Mars environment would have on humans, the changes that might need to be made to the environment to ensure our survival and the scientific and economic opportunities we could gain.

Last week they all went home with Robits which many had to build and will use to code ‘Mars Rovers’ that will detect temperature and light.

Mrs Tammy Paterson, Year 5 Team Leader

I have never seen the boys so excited to come to school! The Year 5 team were just as pleased to see the boys face to face rather than on their screens last Friday. It was fantastic to hear the noise around the playground again. It has been far too quiet around the Prep. The boys are getting immersed in their 'MERGE CUBE' design where they are applying the knowledge gained during our recent inquiry where we studied the unique features of the Rainforest and other biomes around the world. They have discovered how these biomes have changed and how animals have adapted as a result of human impact. The boys are developing a real sense of agency and finding solutions to this current issue. The use of co-spaces, where we create our ‘MERGE CUBE', also enables the boys to learn and develop skills in coding. Jason Milner has created several instructional videos that have been placed on the Year 5 online learning platform to help guide the boys through the task.
 

Mr Liam Flanagan, Year 6 Team Leader

Ewan House was alive with the sound of laughter and excited footsteps on Monday; it was wonderful to have the boys back on site. The Year Six Teachers continue to be proud of the boys’ flexibility and positivity in this ever-evolving learning environment. We are very much looking forward to the boys returning on Friday for another day of laughter and learning.

This week, students are continuing to delve into their Interconnected Systems unit, exploring government systems around the world and making comparisons between these and Australia’s constitutional monarchy system. Boys have been working hard in their class parliament parties to elect leaders and design logos and party slogans in addition to lobbying the independent members for their support when the highly anticipated bill voting session takes place. As parties create bills to improve Knox for their constituents, the passion and application of their knowledge of the electorate processes is fabulous to see. Let the voting begin!

Mr Martin Haywood

It has been great to see more boys back on campus this week. This place sure feels alive again and many boys have already had their first taste of some fitness and activities in Period 7.

Following the Headmaster’s recent correspondence regarding week 5 – please note the recently revised week 4 and 5 training schedule still applies and the Sports Department will release week 6 plans as soon as possible. The training schedule can be found on the school app.    

All of our sessions are being run in accordance with level A restrictions and we will continue to be guided by announcements from the government and the Association of Independent Schools.

More interesting articles from Sport can also be found on the  Knox Remote Learning Hub here

As always, if you have any questions please continue to email sports@knox.nsw.edu.au

Have a great week and Go the Black & Blue.

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed
Psalm 34:18-19