Prep Magpie - Week 7 Term 1 2021

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Term 1 is always one of the busiest terms of the year, with so many activities and opportunities on offer.

Over the last few weeks we have seen our boys take part in Years 4, 5, 7 and 8 Camps at Port Hacking, Lake Macquarie, Arcadia and the NSW South Coast.

There has been a flurry of excursions and incursions including a Chinese New Year celebration for Year 1, a Religion and Ethics visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum and even a Geography trip to a chocolate factory to learn about sustainable and ethical cacao production.

This weekend is the final round of the Senior School summer sports season, with one more week left for our Knox Prep students.

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Head of the Preparatory School

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I both dread and love surprises, which I’m sure seems like a strange paradox. Let me explain. I dread surprises that present themselves as unexpected challenges; those things that derail even the most carefully planned scenario, such as the threat of the freak storm that literally appeared on the radar mere minutes before 2020 Presentation Day event was due to begin, and threw our scheduling into chaos. I dread these surprises, understandably. The surprises I love are those that come as an added bonus, still unexpected, but bringing joy and adding value to an already valuable event. Such was the wonderful element of surprise we were greeted with last Friday at the Ride With Richter event.

Who is Alex Richter? Alex is a young man who completed his HSC last year, a proud Knox student who began his Knox education in the Prep School and is remembered so fondly by Prep staff. A champion mountain biker, he was training for Nationals about 18 months ago when he had a fall. He landed on his head and is now paralysed from the chest down. His accident was one of the surprise events I mentioned above, of the ‘to be dreaded’ kind. However, his accident does not define Alex. He is now studying at Macquarie University, is committed to living life to the fullest, and we are committed to helping him do so.

You know we don’t do things by half at Prep, and thankfully, we have an incredible staff who rise to the occasion to make even the most challenging event memorable. Imagine the planning that went into the suggestion that our boys might bring their bikes or scooters onsite, and race around an obstacle course. The incredible Mr Quach led the charge and what unfolded was a true celebration. Some of the delightful surprises included:

-          The sincere demonstration of our values throughout the event by all who were involved

-          Our boys interacting with Alex and chatting to him as they finished their races

-          Our Prep Rock Band in full voice and entertaining us so passionately

-          Almost two thirds of our boys bringing their bikes or scooters in – amazing!

-          Pure joy as K-2 boys raced their scooters along a track

-          Boys who had never ridden before riding a scooter or a bike and having a go

-          Boys cheering each other on as they showed their skills


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K-2 Happenings

What a fantastic day on Friday as many of the boys in K-2 took part in the Ride for Richter Day at the Prep. It was wonderful to see the boys zooming down the track in their scooters and supporting what is a fantastic cause. Thank you to all the parents for providing a donation on the day and for the boys who purchased the Ride with Richter Caps. Beneath are some photos of the boys on the day.

    

As we move to the middle of the school term, it is a time where many boys in K-2 start to feel the pinch of what is a long term. We are reminding the boys of the importance of ensuring they use kind words on the playground and to ensure they are using gentle hands when playing soccer, tip or any other games they might partake in during their recess and lunch period. If you could continue to have these conversations with your son at home it would be greatly appreciated. The boys are doing a wonderful job ensuring their uniform is being worn correctly when they enter the school gates and carrying their own bags and equipment as they head home at the end of the day.

On a personal note, many of you are aware that I will be taking some time off to have a kidney transplant in the coming weeks. I will be finishing up for the term at the end of this week as I need to have a small isolation period prior to the surgery taking place. I want to thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and I am looking forward to being back in K-2 as soon as possible.

Please Note: If you come on to the Prep campus for any reason ie a planned meeting with a member of staff, or if you need to deliver anything to your son, you should always go to the K-2 Reception to sign in. Please do not go straight to your child’s classroom.

Year 1/2 Football Skills – A reminder that the Football Skills Program finished on Friday 3 March. There will be no football on Friday in Weeks 7-10.

Liam Flanagan, Director of Early Learning K-2

Kindergarten News

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The boys have settled into Kindergarten and begun to show their true personalities. They are curious about the world, determined to learn and apply new skills and are beginning to demonstrate resilience within the classroom environment.

Last week we focused on keeping our hands to ourselves. The boys have discussed the importance of kindness and how we can be kind Knox boys every day. The boys have been ‘dobbing’ on their friends for their random acts of kindness. Thank you to all of the boys who have spoken to a teacher about one of these moment. They truly make our day brighter!

 

  • My friend held the door open for me when my hands were full.
  • When we sit in lines, some people push in. One boy is always at the front and people push in front of him. He never complains and just smiles and follows the expectations.
  • I saw my friend pick up another person’s rubbish and put it in the bin.
  • My friends saw that I didn’t have anyone to play with so they came and got me and helped me to join into their game.
  • I didn’t know how to do something in class so my friend showed me.
  • My friend gave my teacher flowers from his garden. They smelt very nice and everyone in the classroom loved them!
  • My friend wrote a nice letter to me. I put it next to my bed because it makes me smile.
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Year 1 News

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Year 1 have been learning all about celebrations and how these connect us with others. We have been examining a variety of traditions associated with celebrations and how these traditions connect families, cultures and communities. The boys have enjoyed discussing special family traditions and sharing these with each other. This week the boys have selected a celebration they are curious about and are exploring all the elements and traditions associated with it. They are organising this information in a presentation and we are looking forward to sharing these with you.

Congratulations to 1S who hosted the K-2 Assembly last Thursday. The boys did a fantastic job sharing their learning about ‘Celebrations’. It was lovely to see all the boys displaying courage and contributing to the assembly in some way. Well Done!

It was lovely to see so many Year 1 boys participating in the ‘Ride With Richter’ fundraiser last Friday. Whether it was riding a scooter, wearing a cap or cheering on others, Year 1 certainly got into the spirit of the day.  All the boys had fun whilst supporting this great cause.

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Year 2 News

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It was fabulous to see so many Year 2 boys participating in the ‘Ride With Richter’ fundraiser last Friday. Whether it was racing a scooter, wearing a cap or cheering on others, all Year Two boys got into the spirit of the day and the smiles and laughter were contagious. What a wonderful way to have fun whilst supporting this great cause. A huge thank you to all parents for their support and donations throughout the event.

On Thursday 25 March (Week 9), Year 2 will be travelling to the Narrabeen Coastal Centre to explore wet and dry habitats and delve into the big idea, that ‘Ecosystems are everywhere!’.  Please click here to view the parent excursion letter containing all pertinent information. We ask that boys please wear sunscreen and pack a ‘plastic free’ lunchbox to assist in protecting the environments we will be exploring. We thank you in advance for your assistance in these areas.

Over the past week, Year 2 have been making a continued effort to show respect by tipping their caps when greeting teachers and adults. This Knox tradition has been passed down from generation to generation and is an important part of showing respect. We often have community members comment on this gesture. I would encourage you to discuss this with your son and to ensure that as he walks into school each morning he greets the teacher at the gate by tipping his cap.

Sarah Beaumont-Jones, Year 2 Team Leader

Year 3 News

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Year 3 Camp - What to Pack

Going Home Arrangements

The Dish
Congratulations to the 3R boys who cooked up the delicious main courses and desserts last week. We look forward to seeing this week’s selection of meals. Please remember to take photos of your boys whilst cooking and email them to Mrs Ruddock. Please click here to view the roster for 3R.

Ride with Richter Fundraiser
Last Friday, a large number of Year 3 boys demonstrated their cycling prowess and competitive spirit, as they participated in the Ride with Richter Fundraiser. The speed and skills on display were eye-opening and appeared to improve as the cheers and unwavering support from friends became louder. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to bring their bikes and scooters to school and ride around our obstacle course.  Well done to all boys for having a go and for your generous support of a wonderful cause.

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Year 4 News

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Camp Reflection
As we all continue to recover from an amazing camp, take a moment to hear what our students had to say about camp:

Thomas 4B – I really liked the waterslide because it was fun, and it was the first time I have been on a big waterslide.

Terence 4B – My favourite activity was the sandbar because when we went on the ship it was really fast.

Franco 4B – Billycarts was awesome because they were fun to build and it went pretty fast.

Noah 4P – The best part of camp was the waterslide because you got water in your face. I also liked rock-climbing and archery.

Aaron 4P – It was awesome getting to stay in cabins with my friends and the sandbar was really fun.

Rishi 4P – The food at camp was really tasty! My favourite meal was pancakes!

Evan 4K – Camp was awesome because I was able to experience a new environment.

Owen 4K – The food was so good! The pancakes were the best!

Luka 4K – I enjoyed the free time because we were able to mix with people we may not know very well.

Hamish 4N – Rock climbing was great because I enjoyed being so high in the air.

Xavier 4N – The cabins were a nice layout – they had great space and the bunkbeds were cool.

Austen 4N – The rope climbing was fun because it was something I have never done before.

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Year 5 News

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Promoting Reading Amongst Boys
A quick Google search reveals countless articles presenting strategies to support boys’ interests in reading. It’s no surprise that this remains a common question from our parents who, like us, know and appreciate the importance of reading.

To support your son at home, it’s important and worthwhile to choose books that match his interests and hobbies. These don’t stay static over time, so you must talk regularly about reading. We also encourage you to read together and read aloud. Year 5 boys are certainly not too old for this.

We know that many of our boys enjoy reading comic books, graphic novels and non-fiction texts and at school we are eager to expose them to, and increase their interest in, a variety of quality literature. We believe that the use of programs such as Accelerated Reader will help make appropriately levelled books more accessible for our boys and we happily discuss books within the classroom and can make suggestions. All boys in Year 5 will complete the Premier's Reading Challenge, where they will read 20 books over the next 6 months. The books that the boys read for AR can also be recorded for the PRC. More information will be provided. This is an additional strategy to motivate our boys.

Homework
Our homework is designed to be a shared experience and an opportunity for you to connect with your son’s learning at school. We have included tasks that are designed to consolidate or build upon his skills and understanding.

We promote homework as an opportunity for your son to effectively manage his time and to also develop good independent work habits and a sense of responsibility. Taking pride in the presentation of his work remains an important part of the process.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your son’s homework, please don’t hesitate to contact his classroom teacher.

We thank you for your ongoing support with our homework program.

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Year 6 News

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JAPAC Recording for Year 6 Musical

Reading
In Year 6, your son will be reading independently at home and school for lots of different reasons. It’s important that at this age, your son is encouraged to develop a love of reading as this will help to build a strong foundation for learning.

By now, the boys have begun to develop preferences for authors, genres and series, and they can be reluctant to read adventurously. This makes Year 6 an excellent time to push the boundaries and encourage them to read new genres and forms. However, selecting books that are at an appropriate reading level for your son is important for developing his reading fluency, comprehension and overall enjoyment of reading. The implementation of the Accelerated Reader Program assists with this and has a number of benefits:

-          encourages your child to read from a variety of genres

-          assists in monitoring your son’s reading comprehension

-          ensures that appropriately levelled texts are selected

Your son may now be a fluent reader, but there are still lots of advantages to reading aloud to him. Reading aloud to your son your child gives them the chance to listen to books that they might not be able to read independently. This includes books that are too long for their current level of reading stamina, books with tricky vocabulary, or books that introduce concepts that benefit from discussion with an adult. It also gives you opportunities to talk about books and reading with your child, as well as safeguarding some shared time together.

Please find detailed information about the Accelerated Reading Program and the goals for Year 6 reading this term on the information sheet here.

In addition to this, all Year 6 boys will participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) where they will read 20 books at their level, over the next 6 months. All AR books can be placed on the boys’ PRC list. Further information with regards to PRC will be provided in coming weeks.

Knoxigations
The independent inquiry task is now underway for our big idea, that 'Technology protects communities'. Following the launch last week, the boys have begun the process of researching a specific natural disaster event. They will compile their information in the format of a National Geographic Magazine as well as design and create a detection device using their Micro:bit kits. Following on from our Social Justice Leaders’ speech recently in assembly, which encouraged the boys to demonstrate zest in all aspects of their lives, we have been thrilled to see this in their learning and motivation for this particular inquiry. We are looking forward to watching their learning and ideas develop over the coming two weeks.

Nicola Sharp, Year 6 Team Leader

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K-2 Literacy Centre and 3-6 Library

Scholastic Book Club
Issue Two of the Scholastic Book Club catalogue is now available through:
https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-home/
Remember to use the Loop Payment System when ordering.

Emma-Kate Smith and Jo Wheatley, Prep Library Teachers

Sports News

Winter Sport Trials and Training times
Week 7 will be our final week of Summer Sport training with our final Saturday fixture being the coming weekend, Saturday 13 March.

From Monday Week 8 (15 March) we will commence Winter Sport trails and training.

Please click here to see the 'Training Schedule’. This will also be posted on the ‘Prep Fixtures and Trainings’ subscription on the Knox app.

On Saturday 20 March, there will be a trial organised for most sports. Please click here to see the ‘Trials Schedule’. This will also be posted on the ‘Prep Fixtures and Trainings’ subscription on the Knox app.

The winter sport fixtures list will be placed on the Knox App shortly to give you an idea of the venue and time for the upcoming games. Please be aware, these fixtures are subject to change and these changes will be indicated in red. Please also check the weekly fixtures breakdown, shared on the Knox App each week during the winter season in the ‘Prep Fixtures and Trainings’ subscription.

House Cross Country Carnival
On Thursday this week (11 March) the Prep Boys will take part in the House Cross Country Carnival at Gillespie Field.
Please click here to view the parent letter.

Athletic Field Event Qualifying Rounds
Commencing Monday this week are our morning House Athletics Carnival field event try-outs. Any student is eligible to try-out.
Please see the timetable of activities posted on the Knox App under the subscription ‘Prep House Carnivals’ for further details.

 

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Musical News

Musical Quote of the Week
Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot live without.
Confucius

Ensemble Leaders 2021
Due to the size of our ensembles, as well as having Music Captain, Band Captain, String Captain and a Choir Captain, we have decided to choose a number of ensemble leaders as well. A HUGE congratulations to the below boys for being selected to be Ensemble Leaders. These roles are given to boys who have displayed leadership, commitment and always try their best in rehearsals. In order to give boys as many opportunities to be a leader in our ensembles, these roles will be for Semester 1 and new boys will be selected in Semester 2. Luke Swemmer, Mohammad Abdulghani, Tony Wang, Daniel Dean, Dalton Welsh, Christopher Montana, Lachlan Yeh, Jesse Marinas, Davin Yap, Jai Ananda, Joshua Huh, Brandon Bell, Eddy Fu, Marcus Lin, Will Borlase, Alex Saba, Dhruv Aggarwal, Hugo Laniewski, Timothy Zhu and Archer le Roy. Well done, boys!

Prep Band Camp Dates
If your son is in one of our Bands at school, please note that we are hoping to hold an in house (at school) Band Camp next term on a weekend. Band Camp is a lot of fun and the boys absolutely love it! Please lock these dates in your diary and more information will be delivered at the start of next term. Band Camp involving Junior Band, Intermediate Band, Senior Band and Performance Ensemble on Saturday 29th May from 1-5pm and Sunday the 30 May from 9-3pm, finishing with a concert on the oval from 3-3.30pm. 

 

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Psychology Team

ParentWorks
A number of Knox parents are currently accessing this program so we thought we would share this resource with the broader Knox parenting community.

ParentWorks is a free online evidence-based parenting program for parents and caregivers of children aged 2-16.

Content covered includes:

  • Managing challenging child behaviours (e.g. tantrums, aggression, noncompliance, inattentive or hyperactive behaviour, sibling conflict, getting ready for school/bed etc)
  • Increasing parenting confidence
  • Working as a team with partner

More information about the program and registration details can be found here.

 

Rebecca Lazarus and Hayley Wilton

Prep Social Justice

Shoes for the Philippines
The Prep School will again be assisting with the collection of shoes to send to children in need in the Philippines. Please consider providing any school/sports or casual shoes that are in good condition that your son may have grown out of over the holidays. The smaller shoes in particular make a big difference. These can be donated to the Prep School during the remainder of Term 1, 2021.

 

 


Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Romans 5:1

2021 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection


Each year, all Australian schools are required to report specific school-based data to the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills & Employment (DESE).

The Address Collection data is used to:
• calculate Australian Government recurrent funding to non-government schools, specifically the capacity to contribute score (CTC score)
• inform school education policy, particularly non-government school funding

The Address Collection data (collected under sections 52 (1), 52(3)(c), 52(4) and 58B of the Australian Education Regulation 2013), will source the following data from Knox Grammar, relevant to each campus:
• Student residential address (excluding student names)
• Whether the student is a primary or secondary student (education level)
• Whether the student is boarding or a day student (boarding status)
• Names and residential addresses of students’ parent(s) and/or guardian(s)

The school reporting requirement specifically requires reporting of a physical residential address, not a PO Box or the mailing equivalent.

If your family has recently changed its residential address, and you have not yet provided these details to the School, we seek your cooperation to update your family details via the Knox Parent Lounge, Parent Details Update function – by Friday 5 March.

The DESE has provided a 'Collection Notice for Parents' for your reading and reference. Please click here to view.

Damian Ferguson, Chief Financial Officer

Beauty and the Beast


A Knox Drama and Theatre Production
Disney's Beauty and the Beast

18-20 March 2021
7pm in the Wenkart Theatre

Box Office now open! All tickets $30 (+ booking fee). Click here to book your seats.

Masks mandatory for all audience members. There is a limit of four seats per booking with seating gaps automatically assigned between groups to adhere to distancing requirements.

Please note that the Box Office reserves the right to relocate your tickets, if required, and will advise accordingly. 

For ticket enquiries, please email here.

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.

Code Camp


Get creative with technology these school holidays
On top of five coding classes to suit all skill levels, Code Camp have launched a range of new camps, where students can learn to DJ, produce YouTube style videos and create stop-motion animation short films.

Take advantage of their early bird sale by using the code EARLYBIRD25 before midnight Sunday 7 March. For more information, click here.

Knox Prayer Meetings


Our informal prayer meeting for Term 1 will be held at 10am on Friday 19 March, at the home of Prue Feather. Morning Tea will be included.

There will also be an evening meeting at 8pm on Wednesday 10 March, at the home of Fiona van Horen.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend so that we comply with the gathering limits prescribed by the government’s Public Health Orders in place at the time.

A warm welcome is extended to anyone from our Knox community who would like to attend.

Any enquires to Prue Feather.

Knox Uniform Shop


Trading Hours
Monday to Friday: 12.30pm-5.30pm
Saturday (Terms 1 and 4 only): 9am-12noon

Phone (02) 9487 0191 or visit the Knox website here for more information.

Julie Blackburn, Knox Uniform Shop Manager