Leadership
It used to be that leadership equated with years of accomplishment, education, experience, and age. Thankfully, true leadership knows no age. Leaders are people of any age who just ‘stand up’. They grab your attention, take the initiative, are compelling, and set an example.

Unfortunately, today the world is showing signs of hunger for authentic leadership. There is a cynicism with many in authority and a growing anger at the lack of moral fortitude to be found among some leaders. Fortunately, I am filled with optimism as I witness, almost daily, the empathy and resilience of our young men and boys at Knox. Their courage gives me confidence that young people can manifest the best in humanity, and that is a light that will shine for generations to come.

The term, innovation wrapped in tradition, is one of the ways we describe a Knox education, and this was on display yesterday at the Annual ANZAC Service and Parade. The innovation came as a result of the COVID social distancing protocols for events, in that the event was held entirely on Knox 1, for the first time. However, the event itself embodies the richest traditions of our School and its history. Honouring those members of the School community who lost their lives on the battlefields is just one of those traditions, as is the formal address given by the Presiding Officer, in this case, Rear Admiral Lee Goddard, a proud Knox dad and serviceman. His address included stories, lessons learned, and a reinforcement of the importance of service; a message we regularly reinforce with our boys at Prep.

It is also tradition for our Prep Captain to play a role in the ANZAC Day Service. Benas read the acknowledgement of Country and laid a wreath in commemoration of the fallen. Benas was, of course, an outstanding ambassador for the Prep School and I’m sure it is an experience he will remember for many years to come.

Last week, I mentioned the MAP information evening, via Zoom, which is being held next week, on Tuesday 11 May. Please register your intention to attend using this link.

We are excited to be welcoming our K-2 mums to Prep on Friday for their special Mother's Day breakfast. The Mother's Day stall is also in operation this week and I just love watching our littlest of boys choosing their gifts for their mums. Thank you to Angela Pica for her incredible organisation of this event, and to all of the parents who have volunteered their time to assist at the stall this week. I wish all of our mums a very Happy Mother's Day next Sunday. We are encouraging your gorgeous sons to look after you and spoil you!

Sue Floro

We are most looking forward to welcoming you back into the Prep on Friday as a part of our Mother’s Day Celebrations! Just a reminder that the day will start with a breakfast from 7:40am sharp on Yeldham Field and will be followed by a special class activity with your son. Once you have collected your breakfast you may head straight across to your son's classroom. The morning will conclude with a performance from the boys in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 who will showcase some of the work they have been doing in choir with Mrs Irwin throughout the last term.

Just a reminder that parents are most welcome back on school grounds. We do ask in the afternoons if you are coming to pick up your son that you wait away from the entrance of K-2 to allow us to walk the boys out to carlines. You can pick your son up as soon as his class teacher brings him outside.

Thank you to all parents who attended our class assembly last week. We do have an assembly each week with even weeks being our class based assemblies in the Void and odd weeks being our outdoor assemblies. Please note that these commence at 2:10pm on Thursday afternoons. We will give our awards during our outdoor assembly as well announcing our winning colour House for the fortnight. 

This week Kindergarten reflected on how they can positively influence the community. Every day they come to school and display the five Knox core values. These are Faith, Wisdom, Courage, Integrity and Compassion. Sometimes this can be very difficult and we need to problem solve to assist us with our collaboration and communication. This week we began the PALS Social Skills Program.

PALS Program
The PALS program teaches children skills through the use of stories acted out by puppets, video scenarios, questioning, role play and song. The program helps to reduce challenging behaviour and increase social skill development.

Last week we learnt about greeting others and this week we will explore the importance of taking turns. Please click on the links to see the parent information sheets to assist you in developing these skills with your son.

Congratulations to 1G and Mr Gregory on their class assembly last Thursday. This was our first K-2 assembly back in the Void all together and it was lovely to see some of our parents joining us on the day. 1G boys shared with us what they had been learning about in class and taught us all about Earth’s Treasures and how we need to care for them.

Last week, Year 1 enjoyed participating in some scientific experiments with water. Our first experiment was investigating if we could turn salt water into fresh water. We also participated in an investigation into the Water Cycle. We discussed the various stages in the Water Cycle then each student made their own ‘Water Cycle in a Bag’. We are observing the Water Cycle in action each day and recording our observations in our Science journal.

This week, Year 2 will continue exploring the interconnectedness of all living and non-living things in ecosystems by learning about food webs. Plant adaptations will also be investigated, with boys encouraged to make connections between the observable physical features of plants and how these help them to survive in their environment. It has been wonderful to see students developing a deep understanding of the many different layers and features of ecosystems. This newfound knowledge is continually popping up in conversations between the boys and it is fantastic to note the passion and enthusiasm displayed as these discussions take place.

This Friday our boys are very much looking forward to welcoming you to school for their Mother’s Day breakfast. They have been eagerly preparing for your arrival and are looking forward to spending this special day with you. We can’t wait to see you there!

Sarah Beaumont-Jones, Year 2 Team Leader

Please Read: NAPLAN Assessment Program 2021

Student Organisation
The boys continue to embrace and immerse themselves in their learning, but the Year 3 teachers have noticed an increasing number of students with missing stationery and other personal items. With the arrival of Week 3, a timely reminder that a stocktake is needed to ensure that our boys are organised and come to school with the necessary equipment. A schedule on the fridge or convenient place outlining what is needed (tie, cap, blazer school diary, pencil case etc) each day will greatly assist the boys to be prepared. This will complement their learning and remove any undue angst, enabling the boys to focus on producing their best work.

Premier’s Reading Challenge
The excitement surrounding the Premier’s Reading Challenge is palpable with many boys discussing the number of books they have read. Although it is wonderful to hear their enthusiasm for reading, it is important we reiterate the value of reading as an essential learning tool and an enjoyable leisure activity.

Knoxigations
In Week 4, the boys will begin working on their proposal to colonise Mars. In preparation for the proposal, we encourage you to keep an ear and eye out for discussion about Mars on the news. There are many fascinating events occurring in this space currently, which can spark enormous amounts of curiosity. We are excited to see what our boys will create.

Visual Literacy
Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. All of Year 4 are looking at The Rabbits by Shaun Tan in reading as a way to develop our understanding of how images are deliberately created to tell a story or message. Shaun Tan has fantastic images on his website, I encourage you to take the time to have a look.

Dylan Nexhip, Year 4 Team Leader

Please Read: NAPLAN Assessment Program 2021

Enriching Vocabulary
Without a confident understanding of words, we cannot easily comprehend or express our own ideas. Vocabulary and the teaching of vocabulary is an important part of your son’s learning at school and also at home. We explore vocabulary through context: the books we read and study, the texts we write and the concepts we explore through our Knoxigations units. Our vocabulary learning is interconnected and ever evolving, and it is easy for you to help at home by:

• Cultivating a curiosity of words by using big words interchangeably with simpler words to encourage an understanding of more specific and descriptive language.
• Having conversations about anything and everything and prompting more detailed responses (this can become more difficult as they get older!)
• Talking about books, using a variety of words to describe characters or events from the story.
• Telling stories about your own experiences or life as a child.
• Reading aloud with your son. You can even explore picture books together and draw conclusions and make inferences about the illustrations using rich vocabulary. (We are exploring this at the moment)
• Playing word games together such as scrabble and charades.

Jared Rastall, Year 5 Team Leader

PARENT ACTION REQUIRED: Year 6 Canberra Excursion 2021

Term 2 is well and truly underway! Winter sport is underway and it was pleasing to hear of the sportsmanship that was evident across a number of sports over the weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed watching some of the Year 6 footballers and tennis players on Saturday and look forward to seeing other teams throughout the season. In Music, the ensemble program is in full swing ahead of the upcoming Band Camp, which I know many of our boys are looking forward to. Excitingly, some of our Year 6 boys took to the playground for their first sessions of Peer Mediation last week, which was wonderful to observe. We look forward to many boys across the grade ‘stepping it up’ and electing to support their peers in this way.

Self-regulation
As we all encourage our Year 6 boys to grow and develop into respectful young men, it is important that we set and maintain high expectations, as well as work together to support them on their journey. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be encouraging you to consider the importance of self-regulation and give thought to how we can work together to support the boys as they develop this vital skill.

Self-regulation ensures that we have the ability to control our behaviours in order to make good decisions for the long-term, rather than just doing what we want in the moment. It also allows us to manage our emotions when we’re feeling worried, upset, disappointed or angry. While challenging for adults, it is significantly more challenging for children and young adults, as their brains are still growing and developing.

There are significant benefits to helping children improve their skills to self-regulate. Overall, it supports them build both their sense of independence and sense of responsibility. More specifically, it enables them to complete set tasks at home and school, supports them to maintain lasting and meaningful friendships, assists them to make safe choices or stop themselves from breaking a rule, helps them to work through challenges when they feel like giving up, and so much more.

Captains of Winter Sport
Last week the Prep Winter Sport Captains were announced.

Congratulations to:
Thomas Schubert – AFL Captain
Thomas Scodellaro – Athletics Captain
Sean Twining - Football Captain
Lachlan Dawson – Rugby Captain

NSW CIS Football Championships
Last week, Finn Darke and Dominic Hayes had some great success at the NSW CIS Football Championships. Having won their first 3 matches, the team made it to the finals. The two teams in the finals could not be separated after extra time and the game ended 0-0. Both teams were announced the winners, followed by some exciting news for Dominic, who was been selected to be a part of the 15 boy squad at the next football representative event.

Parent Action Required: Band Camp Parent Information Letter

Musical Quote of the week
Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for Music
Sergei Rachmaninoff

Prep Band Camp
4 weeks to go! If your son is in Band, please read the below information carefully and click on the Parent Action Link at the start of the Music Section. This year our Band Camp will be held at school on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May. Students who have attended camp in previous years boast that it is “The Best Weekend Ever!” Over the two days boys will have rehearsals and small tutorials with expert tutors who come in for the weekend. I have also planned to have a special guest on the Saturday afternoon to entertain the boys and on the Sunday I have organised the John Morrison Big Band to come and entertain and totally inspire the boys for an hour!

Below are a few important details with regards to camp.

What to bring:

                   1. MUSIC FOLDER
                   2. MUSIC STAND clearly labelled. (If you don’t have a music stand please purchase one. The cheap fold up stands are perfect!)
                   3. INSTRUMENT
                   4. Spare reeds if your son is a woodwind player. (Over the next few weeks please purchase extra reeds if your son plays the clarinet or sax).
                   5. If your son plays the bass guitar he will need to bring his own amp.

Scholastic Book Club
Scholastic Book Club Issue #3 will close Friday 7 May. No cash or order forms are to be returned to school. Please order online using the LOOP payment system.

Emma-Kate Smith and Jo Wheatley, Prep Library Teachers

NAPLAN Assessment Program 2021 Years 3 and 5

Year 6 Canberra Excursion 2021

Band Camp Parent Information Letter

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

We are excited to be able to hold the Mother’s Day Stall on campus once again this year. To simplify the process, we will be holding a cashless stall with tickets now available for purchase online. Boys will then use their tickets to choose their gifts at the Mother’s Day Stall on Thursday 6 May.

Please see attached flyer here with details on how to purchase your tickets.

As we work to improve and enhance our communications, we would like to invite you to complete a short Knox Parent Communication Survey here: www.knox.nsw.edu.au/communication-survey. By completing the survey, you will go into the draw to win a $150 Butcher's Block voucher. The survey will close on Sunday 9 May. If you have any questions, please email communications@knox.nsw.edu.au.

We are so excited to be able to welcome parent volunteers back on campus to assist in the Tuckshop from the start of Term 2, 2021. The return of volunteers is subject to continued stabilisation of local and state health requirements regarding COVID-19.

We greatly appreciate our volunteers and their contributions to our School community.

Helping out in the tuckshop is very rewarding experience and a great way to meet and socialise with new friends. If you are able to volunteer in the Prep School Tuckshop, please click on the following link here.

We would love assistance to cover the Prep school library books. If you can spare some time to help the school cover library books, we would love to hear from you!

Please click here to sign up to volunteer.

Please contact Jo Fernandes if you have any questions.

School App for K-12
The Knox Grammar School app allows you to stay informed about the School. It is important for you to subscribe to the notifications which are relevant to you. For more information, please see the instruction document below, which includes information on how to subscribe for notifications. If you have any questions, please email communications@knox.nsw.edu.au.

KGS School app download instructions