Fifteen years ago, before the advent of social media, the “pause” allowed students to rethink their actions and tear up a hate-filled note they wrote to a peer the night before. The “pause” often prevented the negative consequences that accompany intense emotions. Now, without the “pause”, students type a hate-filled text and press send. A text cannot be torn up, and the ramifications are often immediate. The “pause” has been hijacked by social media and texting.

I believe that knowing when to engage is just as important as knowing when to disengage. Every now and then it pays to pause and reflect. Unfortunately, many young people have not been taught how to do this.

One of the first steps to making a good decision is to “pause” and think calmly about our options. Unfortunately, when we are upset, worried, frustrated or angry, our brains are responding emotionally, not rationally … this means our young people will respond emotionally … not rationally.

Of course the first way to teach children self-control is to model it. Children of any age are watching and learning from adults all the time, so thinking calmly, self-awareness and regulating our own emotions and behaviours is important. We can only encourage and develop effective self-control skills in our children if we are demonstrating the same skills. Teaching our children to express their feelings, listening to them, being non-judgmental and respecting their feelings also increases their skills in self-control. The word ‘PAUSE’ can also be a verbal reminder that they need to calm their body so that they can make a better choice.

Regardless of how old we are, learning effective ways to manage anger and other low moods is beneficial to everyone. We must always remember that it’s important to model the behaviour we want from our children.

Scott James

At the end of the hour onsite, please do not be offended when we ask you to leave the campus. The parent teacher meetings that were held last week were a valuable opportunity to share information about your son, so there should be no need to linger for additional questions at the end of the evening. Of course, the leadership team will all be available for discussion between the buildings and the gates, should this be necessary. We are very much looking forward to meeting you face to face next week.

One significant initiative this year is the introduction of the Renaissance Years program for Stage 3, beginning with Year 5 in 2021 and continuing into Year 6 in 2022. Years 5 and 6 are pivotal years as our boys develop greater independence and look towards their secondary years, while still embracing all that Prep has to offer. The DaVinci Program has served the Prep well over many years, and the Renaissance Years Program seeks to significantly expand our offering, acknowledging the wide and varied skill levels our boys demonstrate in a range of subject areas.

Our aim is to meet each boy at his current level of skill, and enable him to tackle content and skills that are at his next level, specifically suited to his identified areas for growth. We will now offer DaVinci programs in English, Mathematics, Science, Music, Japanese and Physical Education. This will enable us to more effectively meet each boy’s needs, without the rigidity of just 2 class groups. With a focus on next steps in learning, our aim is to monitor and celebrate growth, aiming for excellence in a range of areas, rather than just English, which has been the main selection criteria for DaVinci classes in previous years.

Sue Floro

Another vitally important part of the K-2 journey is developing independence in our boys. Simple things like having your son carry his own school bag, or dressing himself in the morning, can encourage him to begin to develop these independence skills. In the older K-2 years it may be things such as packing his own bag and beginning to be responsible for his own homework. We will be encouraging the boys as they go home each day to ensure that they take these small steps towards independence. Please take some time to discuss these things with your son at home and to begin to work on developing these skills.

Liam Flanagan, Director of Early Learning K-2

Routines
Congratulations to all the boys for displaying independence each day! The boys are so determined to pack their own bags and take responsibility for their belongings. We are learning to put on the blazers independently independently too! Most of the boys are carrying their bags to the car. This has been fantastic to watch as the boys say “Good Afternoon” to their parents each day.

In Kindergarten, children begin to grow as independent readers and become more comfortable with reading, which is now part of their daily lives. Students read books, the day's schedule, class letters, songs, and poems throughout the day. The boys are also learning to communicate using words through singing, listening and asking questions, rhyming and taking turns.

Seesaw
The Seesaw app is a student-driven digital portfolio. It allows for a collaborative approach to education between teachers, students and parents. The app enhances communication between all stakeholders and allows for instant feedback. Through the use of Seesaw, every Kindergarten student creates, reflects, shares and collaborates every day. These are essential life skills.

The Kindergarten teachers would like to thank the parents for providing feedback and being so involved in the process of Seesaw. The app has assisted us in developing stronger relationships between our School and the parent community while providing student agency.

 What have Kindergarten loved about school so far?

“Making new friends.” Max

“Learning new things and making my brain rainbow.” Oliver

“Meeting my teachers and learning how to do new things.” Antonio

“Having fun.” James

“Learning how to read and write.” Matthew

“Playing outside.” Cruz

Emma Donaldson, Kindergarten Team Leader

Mrs Alicia Baldry  baldrya@knox.nsw.edu.au

Mrs Mary-Mae Burton  burtonm@knox.nsw.edu.au

Mr Hayden Gregory gregoryh@knox.nsw.edu.au

Miss Nadine Smith Year 1 Team Leader smithna@knox.nsw.edu.au

In class the boys have begun to unpack the Big Idea, ‘Celebrations connect communities’, as part of our Stories of the World and its People Knoxigations inquiry. Students will investigate family and cultural celebrations and traditions and how they shape our identity. Please click here for an overview of this unit.

Home learning and Home Readers have begun this week. Attached is a note to assist you with supporting your son with his Home Learning and Readers. In Year 1 we are also encouraging the boys to use their School Diary to help them increase their independence and organisational skills. We encourage all our parents to use the diary as a communication tool between home and school and to sign your son’s diary each week. If you haven’t yet sent in a blue art smock or blue bucket hat, please can these be sent into school as soon as possible.

Nadine Smith, Year 1 Team Leader

This week, the boys are going to embark on a journey through the incredible history of Knox by participating in a tour conducted by the one, the only, Mr Dougal Cole. Throughout this private tour, students will dive deep into the history of Knox Prep and will learn to make connections between our past and how it can influence our present. Our Stories of the World and Its People Knoxigations Inquiry Overview can be found here and demonstrates how the key areas of the curriculum have been woven into our Knoxigations unit to provide deep, authentic learning opportunities for each boy.

Sarah Beaumont-Jones, Year 2 Team Leader

On Wednesday, the boys personified the Knox Prep spirit of ‘Having a Go’ at the Year 3 Swimming Trials, by swimming valiantly, striving to excel and supporting their peers with great enthusiasm in all events. It was encouraging to see a real sense of comradery and connection developing amongst the students.

The boys have commenced their first Knoxigations unit for the year, Stories of the World and Its People. Students travel through time to uncover the stories of people, past and present- personal histories; journeys undertaken and their impact; connecting the past to the present. For an overview of the unit please click here.

Home Learning has commenced and we are impressed with the boys' independence and organisation with respect to their homework. From Weeks 3-10, Home Learning will be presented in a grid format where boys shall complete one task per section each fortnight. Click here to view a letter outlining the purpose and structure of Home Learning and the details to complete the jigsaw exercise.  This is also available on the Knox Portal- Year 3 Home Learning Page.

It was lovely to meet with so many parents last Friday via Zoom. The conversations enabled all Year 3 teachers to garner a better understanding of your sons’ backgrounds, interests, challenges and any areas of concern you may have for your son. We are thoroughly looking forward to working with you and most importantly with your son this year. 

Well done again to all Year 3 boys on a fantastic start to the year!

Hamish Oates, Year 3 Team Leader

Thank you for supporting us in preparing the boys for the first week back at school. We have been preparing books and equipment for Term 1 and we have also enjoyed getting to know them better through a range of activities. The boys will certainly be kept busy this year and I will therefore endeavour to keep you informed about events throughout the year. Please refer to the Knox Magpie and the Knox Portal as a first point of call.

The boys have commenced their first Knoxigation Unit for the year, Stories of the World and Its People. As part of this unit the boys will travel through time to uncover the stories of people, past and present and seek to develop deep knowledge of how exploration changes our understanding of the world. Click here for more information regarding this unit.

Over the coming weeks The Year 4 team will continue to support the boys in establishing organisational skills and routines that will help them perform to the best of their ability. We thank you for your ongoing support in this area and by ensuring that the boys come to school dressed in the complete uniform, including school blazer and varsity cap.

It was great to see the boys supporting each other at the Year 4 Swimming Trials on Tuesday. The upcoming Year 4 camp to Rathane Youthworks will be a wonderful opportunity to continue the relationship building amongst the boys.

The Year 4 team thank you for your participation in the Parent-Teacher session on Friday. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to learn more about your son and how we can work collaboratively to support his education. If you require a follow up with your son’s teacher, please contact them via email to organise this. 

Dylan Nexhip, Year 4 Team Leader

Level 1: A question that requires a short answer and can easily found with a Google search.
Level 2: A question that is still easily found with a Google search, but requiring a bit more of a response.
Level 3: A question that requires the use of multiple sources and the need to draw conclusions from information.

All question levels have their time and place, but from our experience, those level 3 questions lead to deeper thinking and understanding. These are the questions we will be encouraging during our Knoxigations units.

Parent Interviews
The Year 5 team really enjoyed the opportunity to meet with you last week. We finished those meetings with a greater understanding of how best to support your son and to ensure that he will make the most of the many wonderful opportunities provided at Knox.

Classwork
We are looking forward to involving you in your son’s learning journey and will begin sharing information and photos from class through his Seesaw account. We encourage you to like and comment.

Camp
A reminder that Camp for Year 5 begins this Wednesday. Please refer to the information provided to you from the office and note the important meeting time of 8:00am on Ireland Field. In order to be CovidSafe, we remind you that unfortunately parents are unable to congregate on campus. Should you wish to wave your son goodbye from Billyard Avenue, please ensure you’re following the 1.5m distance from others rule.

Jared Rastall, Year 5 Team Leader

The overview for this term’s learning in all Key Learning Areas can be found on the Knox Portal. We have begun tuning in for our first Knoxigations Unit for this year, which is Tinkering Toward Tomorrow. Please click here for an overview. Throughout the next eight weeks, the boys will immerse themselves in learning about natural disasters and the technological advances related to these. They have thoroughly enjoyed their first sessions with Scope IT and exploring their Micro Bit kits. We look forward to seeing the learning the boys engage in this term and we encourage you to have discussions with your sons about their learning in this area.

Nicola Sharp, Year 6 Team Leader

Prep School Saturday Sport Protocols
The latest announcements made by the NSW Government regarding sport and COVID can be found here.

Sporting Focus
Summer Golf
The Summer Golf Program has been running now for 10 years. In its conception, few numbers were observed but as the program has evolved, Knox Prep Golf has turned to a flourishing sporting choice. At its peak, we saw 52 students taking to the course and developing their short and long game supported by the Golf Professionals at Pymble Golf Club. Currently, we have 22 Year 5 and 6 students attend the program on Mondays and Fridays with the Head Professional, Christian McGill, guiding the boys.

Many boys have made their way through the Prep Golf Program at this Grade One course and have made their way into Junior Membership programs and are now a part of the Senior School Golf program which flows through from the Prep Years 5 - 12.

We look forward to seeing our boys grow their talent in golf through this excellent program and we are hoping to see the next Greg Norman or Adam Scott come from Knox as a result.

If you have any questions, please email Mark Hitchiner.

Thank you and best wishes to all our students this weekend.

Mark Hitchiner

Cello Ensemble – Expression of Interest
This year, we are looking at starting a Cello Ensemble for boys in Years 5-6. This rehearsal would be every week on a Wednesday Recess in Ensemble Room 2. Cellos playing together in harmony give a unique musical colour and cello ensembles are a wonderful way of giving the cello part more than just a bassline. It will be open to boys in Years 5 and 6 who have been playing the cello for 2 years or more. Mrs Jameson will introduce the ensemble to a range of styles and musical genres and the opportunity to play different parts will be shared around so that everyone gets a chance to shine. If your son has been learning the cello for 2 years and would like to join this ensemble, please email Mrs Morris. Numbers will be limited so please make sure you email your expression of interest by no later than the end of Week 3.

Singing and Prep Choir News
As you all know, COVID affected what we can and can't do with singing at the Prep. We can sing in music lessons for educational purposes and outside. We have worked hard to develop our program, and we would like to keep it going in some form. Below are what we are offering at the Prep with regards to group singing for Term 1. We will revisit this at the end of the term, and hopefully, we can resume regular choir groups then.

Term one Singing outline
No Little Lads (K-2) K-2 will be singing during group choir time via zoom.
No Knoxapella (3-4) this term.
Senior Vocal Ensemble: We are creating 'Take 5' groups starting in Week 4. We encourage boys from years 5-6 to join one of these groups. Sign-up sheets will be on the music notice board next Monday. It will be on a first-in basis, and we are limited to 5 per group.
Times for the Yr 5-6 groups are Thursday 7.20 am, 7.50 am & 10.30 am
Gallery Choir: This is continuing but with reduced numbers. If you are interested in being involved email Mr Warren Fisher.

Rebeccah Morris, Ali Irwin, Ashley George, Lindsay Irik and Kate Paull, Prep Music Staff

Scholastic Book Club
Scholastic Book Club Issue #1 will close this Friday 12 February. No cash or order forms are to be returned to school. Please order online using the LOOP payment system.

Book Covering Volunteers Needed
We would love assistance to cover the Prep school library books. If a parent/carer from Year 3 to Year 6 can spare some time to help the School cover library books at home, we would love to hear from you! Books can be sent home with your son on a Wednesday if being picked up by car. Please click here to sign up to volunteer. Please contact Jo Fernandes if you have any questions.

Emma-Kate Smith, Jo Wheatley and Emma Wood, Prep Library Teachers

In order the commit to this competition, parents need to please be available to transport their son to and from Knox or another Independent School for away debates (should the debates go face-to-face in Term 2).

IPSHA Debating Competition – Terms 2 & 3
IPSHA Debating is an interschool competition run on Friday afternoons and is a less competitive competition, suitable for beginners through to experienced debaters. All boys will have an opportunity to participate in these debates. Students are also required to research and write their speech at home in the week prior to this competition. Parent assistance with transport may also be required.

House Debating Competition – Term 3 & 4
The House Debating Competition will be carried out here at Knox Prep in house teams and will be a round-robin competition run throughout part of Term 3 & 4 on Thursday mornings. Boys will have an opportunity to participate in and watch their peers debate. It is open to all students in Year 5 & 6 Debating. Preparation and research for debates will be required at home in the week prior when it is your son’s turn for his debate.

Please complete the registration form linked here to register your son’s interest in participating in debating in 2021. Here you may also indicate whether your son will be trialling for the ISDA team in Term 1. Please note, this is not a requirement for joining debating & your son may choose not to trial for the ISDA team. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Brenda Christie-David and Angharad Cook, Prep School Debating Co-ordinators, at the above emails.

#MySportsReward
Leo Carlisle – 4R
An app that encourages kids to play sport during isolation by assigning challenges and rewarding activity. The project also features a set of cricket stumps with an inbuilt camera to review training sessions and send footage to coaches for advice. 
Click here for video

SecurityBot – WINNER (YS)
Declan McManus – 4H
A robotic security camera that allows people to patrol an area without the need to employ a security guard. The camera feed relays back to any mobile device for the owner to view.
Click here for video

WaveWall – WINNER (YICTE)
Brendan Li, Zachary Tang and Isaac Nguyen – Year 4
A sea wall that will automatically deploy when an earthquake or tsunami are detected. The project uses a micro:bit to detect the sudden movement caused by an earthquake or tsunami to deploy a wall using servo motors. The wall is designed to minimise damage caused by tsunamis to coastal communities.
Click here for video

NDESS (Natural Disaster Emergency Supplies Service)
Harry Olbourne, Wesley Jenner and Cameron Wlossak – Year 6
The NDESS is a robot that is designed to deliver essential supplies (e.g. water, food, medication, etc.) to bushfire stricken communities. The robot is remotely controlled so that firefighters don’t need to risk their lives by travelling through dangerous conditions. The NDESS has a robotic claw on the front to remove obstacles in the way and a camera that relays back to a mobile device to help firefighters control it.
Click here for video

Hydro Defender
Avaneesh Siva and Matthew Tirta – Year 6
The Hydro Defender is a device designed to reduce damage or loss of property from bushfires. It is a sprinkler system that can be quickly set up around a property. It uses a heat and smoke sensor to detect fire and automatically pump water to the sprinkler system, helping to keep the fire at bay.
Click here for video

BINAROO
Rishi Manani, Harry Luu and Rian de Sayrah-Blood – Year 3
The BINAROO is a robot that can assist the elderly or people with a disability to move their rubbish bins to the street for collection. It uses a Robit with custom 3D printed claws that open and close to secure the bin in place. The Robit is controlled by another micro:bit that allows the operator to drive the bins to the desired location.
Click here for video

The Automatic Moving Trolley – WINNER (YS)
Austen An and Jordan Ahmed – Year 3
This project is remotely controlled robotic shopping trolley for the elderly or people with disabilities who may have difficulty pushing a heavy trolley through a supermarket. It uses a Robit with a basket attached to the top for the user to put their groceries in. The controller uses a micro:bit housed in a custom 3D printed case.
Click here for video

Koala Saver Bot – WINNER (YS & YICTE)
Oscar Fairhurst, Bowen Gozdzialski and Christian Strumendo – Year 3
The Koala Saver Bot is designed to help rescue wildlife that have been impacted by bushfires. It uses an off-road buggy with omni-directional wheels and custom micro:bit controller to allow the animal rescue workers to drive the animals to safety. The trailer attached to the robot will contain things to draw native animals, such as eucalyptus leaves and other food.
Click here for video

The Automatic Farm Feeder – WINNER (YICTE)
Kingston Rahme – 5R
The Automatic Farm Feeder is designed to make farmer’s lives easier during the difficult times of drought. The feeder can be placed anywhere on a farm and will automatically provide food and water to animals when they approach. It is smart enough to prevent animals from eating all the food at once by limiting the amount of time the gates stay open for and delaying the reopening.
Click here for video

NSW Young Scientist Awards:
I’d also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the teams that received a prize in the NSW Young Scientist Awards. Knox Prep claimed all three awards in the Year 3 & 4 Working Technologically category and one AARNet Communication Award.

Year 3 & 4 Working Technologically Awards:
In no particular order...

• Oscar Fairhurst, Bowen Gozdzialski & Christian Strumendo, Year 3 - “Koala Saver Bot
• Jordan Ahmed & Austen An, Year 3 - “Automatic Moving Trolley”
• Declan McManus, Year 4 - “Security Bot”

AARNet Communication Award:
• Leo Carlisle, Year 4 - “#MySportsReward”

This is a phenomenal result and these boys should be so proud of their achievement. Equally, the teams who unfortunately didn’t receive an award this time should also be so proud of all the hard work they put into their project and the excellent feedback they received from the judges. We are encouraging all students at the Prep to attend the Makerspace on Thursday and Friday lunchtimes should they be interested in working on projects in 2021

The Knox Prep Innovation and Technology Team