Many, many years ago, as a small child, time seemed to pass by so slowly. Days seemed longer, weeks too; and school terms took forever to pass by. As we get older, time seems to literally fly by; weeks disappear in the blink of an eye; and school terms all just roll into one another. Each year, it feels like the space in time between late January and early December becomes narrower. There is no question that school life is significantly busier now than ever before. Our days are filled to the brim with learning inside and outside the classroom, both academic and social, with plenty of physical for good measure, and a healthy dose of spiritual in an attempt to keep us all balanced and healthy.

The challenge for us all is to avoid overcrowding our children’s days, to allow time for reflection, for contemplation, and for relaxation. As we are getting closer to the holiday period, many parents will be thinking about how to fill their sons’ days and weeks with play dates, activities, perhaps busy travel plans, and for some additional out of school lessons at any number of coaching colleges that unfortunately exist in abundance now.

I say that it is a challenge for us all because whilst we work hard at school to provide your sons with a balanced but busy week during term time, we seek your help in doing likewise during the holiday period. Your sons work incredibly hard here each day, working and playing (yes play is work for children!) and learning the life skills that they will need to thrive in a world that is ever evolving. Over the next couple of weeks, we will offer you some suggestions for things that you might consider doing with your sons over the break. For those tempted to enrol in additional hours of out of school academic coaching, my advice is to please not do so. Your sons need down time. They need time to play. Time to do nothing – yes, nothing! Boredom, through unstructured time, is the vehicle through which innovative ideas come to the surface. We frequently hear from boys whose lives are so heavily structured and they know what they’re missing out on. Increased anxiety and stress impacts even the smallest members of our community, who deeply feel the pressure being placed on them to perform in one aspect of life, over others. As parents, it takes courage to trust the school. However, the rewards for your son in your doing just that will be long lasting. Additional hours spent at coaching colleges does little more than create performers who can recite formulas and complete algorithms, yet with minimal understanding of why they’re doing what they’re doing, and an inability to apply these rote learned skills to problem solving tasks. There is no race to the finish of primary school!

Sue Floro

Term 2 Co-curricular Clubs
Please click here for information regarding co-curricular clubs for Term 2. For additional information regarding Co-Curricular Clubs and the enrolment procedure please click here to view the Knox Club Page.

Michael Quach

This year, Year 3 and 5 students will complete NAPLAN testing online. As part of the process of testing the system, and familiarising the boys with it, all boys will complete an online practice assessment on Thursday 25 March at 8:30am.

The practice test will allow us to ensure that all systems are in place prior to the actual NAPLAN testing program, which is scheduled during May. Year 3 and 5 will complete a 45-minute omnibus test which will consist of a combination of reading, spelling, punctuation, grammar and numeracy questions. Year 5 students will also complete a writing practice test.

Completing the practice test will give students the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the format and presentation of questions in the online test environment.

Students do not need to complete any academic preparation for this practice test. As this practice test is not an assessment of student ability, there will be no reporting of student results.

Students will complete the test on their School issued iPad, and are asked to bring the following equipment to School for the practice test:

·         A set of headphones

·         Pencils

Please ensure that headphones are at School by no later than Monday 22 March. Headphones can be the in-ear or over-ear type as long as they use the standard 3.5mm headphone plug. We do not recommend wireless headphones as they may not be compatible with our devices.

Should you have any questions about the NAPLAN practice test, please contact me.

Tammy Paterson

So much has been happening in K-2 this week with excursions and other activities engaging our boys in their learning. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the boys on their behaviour and their effort in promoting the Knox School Values each and every day. Last week in assembly our Year 6 Burns House leaders spoke to the boys about curiosity. This lifelong skill is one that K-2 boys can learn and develop as they progress through their years at Knox. It is vitally important that we foster and encourage curiosity both at home and in the classroom. Encourage your son to ask questions of the world around him and to be courageous and inquisitive. A boy’s passions can shape his future and it is important that we continue to lead by example in how to be curious and interested in what is going on around us. 

Last week in assembly we had our first House Points winner for the term. Congratulations to Fuller House! In K-2 we are using Colour House points as well as Knox Values Stickers to reward the boys for their outstanding behaviour on the playground and in the classroom. The House based system is cultivating a sense of community across K-2 with our boys connecting across the grade groups to work towards a common goal. Each fortnight we will have a winning House and then at the end of Term 2 the overall winning house will have a special afternoon of fun. We are looking forward to seeing the boys develop the sense of camaraderie across their house as this competition continues over the next term!

Please Read: Ditto's Keep Safe Adventure Education Program

Knoxigations
The boys have loved exploring the big idea ‘Families are the same and different’ over the past 7 weeks. Last week they starter to inquire into the similarities between their family and their favourite animal. Many of the boys made connections between the roles of the mother and father and their own. As a group we researched to explore animals we weren’t as familiar with. The boys are beginning to use pictures and books to research their ideas. We are encouraging them all to ask questions about the world instead of making statements.

Premier's Reading Challenge
All the information on the PRC is in the K-2 Literacy Centre and 3-6 Library section of the Prep Magpie. We are looking forward to celebrating your sons’ reading.

Please Read: Ditto's Keep Safe Adventure Education Program

We have been so busy in Year 1 this last week and the boys have been having lots of fun preparing their ‘Celebrations’ presentations. We are so proud of the effort each boy has put into this task. They have demonstrated that even as young learners they can work independently, make decisions for themselves, find out information and change their thinking.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is fast approaching, and we are so excited to be a part of this in Year 1. All Year 1 boys will be participating in and completing the PRC this year. This is an amazing opportunity for students to widen their reading experience whilst working towards achieving a reading goal. Please make sure you read the Library section of this week’s Magpie for information regarding the PRC.

We are looking forward to our swimming lessons again in Week 10. If you have not already done so we would appreciate you to purchasing the school poncho from the Knox Uniform Shop for your son to wear. This will enable each boy to dry himself and change with privacy. We also ask that over the next couple of weeks the boys practise getting dressed and changing by themselves. This includes putting on his underwear, pulling up his shorts and putting his shirt on over his head. We also ask you to spend some time practising putting on shoes and socks and tying shoelaces. These are all skills which help establish independence in our boys. It is also an opportune time to make sure all items of clothing (including towels, goggles and swimmers) are clearly labelled with your son’s name.

Nadine Smith, Year 1 Team Leader

Parent Action Required:

Year 2 Narrabeen Coastal Excursion Letter

Please Read: 

Ditto's Keep Safe Adventure Education Program

Year 2 boys are excitedly designing their own ‘Classroom of the Future’ in the culminating task of our Stories of the World and Its People inquiry. The connections made by students in understanding how the past has shaped our present is on full display as they think critically and use their imagination to predict how our present will shape the future. The objects and technology that has been transformed using CoSpaces with the purpose of assisting future generations of Knox boys is phenomenal and the Year Two teachers have been blown away by the boys’ ideas.

A reminder that Year 2 will be travelling to Narrabeen Coastal Centre next Thursday to explore wet and dry habitats and delve into the big idea that ‘Ecosystems are everywhere!’ If you haven’t already done so, could you please accept the terms and conditions of the permission form for your son to leave the Prep campus via the Parent Portal. 

Parent Action Required:

Year 3 Camp - What to Pack

Going Home Arrangements

Medication form for Overnight Excursions

Please Read: 

NAPLAN Practice Tests

Ditto's Keep Safe Adventure Education Program

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.

House Cross Country Carnival
Another first for our Year 3 boys was ticked off the list last Thursday, as they participated in the House Cross Country Carnival. Despite the red cheeks and breathless expressions, an exceptional effort and display of pure determination were demonstrated by all boys. It was wonderful to see examples of empathy and encouragement from fellow runners to assist their friends who needed a helping hand to reach the finish line. The camaraderie and endless cheering from boys in each house as well as support from parents were also greatly appreciated. Congratulations, to Charlie Lakeman who was Runner-up in the U9/10 Cross Country race and Haslett House who were the victorious house for Years 3 and 4 at the end of the day.

Knoxigations
As we progress into the Going Further phase of the inquiry cycle, the boys have begun researching their explorer, ready to create a virtual expedition showcasing the explorer’s journey. Last week, Mr Fairhurst introduced the task to all the Year 4 students, who responded with passion and excitement. The boys have been encouraged to think about their writer’s voice when composing the written component of the inquiry, with a focus on displaying their personality to truly engage the reader. A number of scaffolds have been put into place such as planning tools, templates and graphic organisers to support the inquiry. There may be times where the boys have to conduct extra research at home, so we appreciate your support and flexibility with this. Who your son is inquiring about may provide a great stimulus for dinner conversation. We are excited to see what the boys can produce.

Khan Mappers
In Year 4 Khan Mappers is being set as part of the homework rotation. The activities on Khan Mappers are tailored to the next steps of learning for your son. He should be spending his time focusing on his areas of greatest need. Often these tasks will be revising concepts already taught in the classroom, but at other times they may be introducing new concepts to him. In these instances, we encourage the boys to have a go. The tasks are generally accompanied by instructional videos. These exercises allow the boys to build some background understanding so that when we begin these units in the classroom, they have some understanding. The Year 4 team encourages boys who have ongoing difficulties with activities to speak with their Mathematics teacher. 

Please Read: 

NAPLAN Practice Tests

Writing Persuasively
The continued rise of social media and the targeted sharing of misinformation (‘fake news’) has an enormous impact on public attitudes and responses to events. People’s perceptions and worldviews can quickly change after reading a single article online. It’s therefore so important that we equip our boys with the skills to be both critical and discerning about information they read or hear about. They are influenced through advertising, the media and their peers on a daily basis.

Through persuasive writing lessons, our boys have been learning about various techniques used both directly and indirectly to persuade. They have been encouraged to appeal to a reader’s sense of logic (logos), ethics (ethos) and emotion (pathos) through undeniable statistics and facts, an appeal to what is right and through the use of emotive scenes and language.

We will continue our in-depth study of persuasive texts, culminating in a short speech on why the boys’ city design in Knoxigations makes it the most liveable city. The boys will begin preparing for this as a part of their homework.

The Importance of Sleep
There’s no denying the amount of research available about the importance and benefits of sleep. We know that sleep is important for one’s health as well as mental alertness, and young people need adequate sleep in order to be able to learn well. Good-quality sleep helps:

-          learning, concentration and memory

-          emotional wellbeing

-          positive behaviour and decision making

-          increase energy levels

-          promote healthy growth and the immune system

At the Parent Information Evening in February, we discussed the importance of this for our boys. For children aged 11-12yrs, the recommended amount of uninterrupted sleep each night is 9-11 hours. With the busy schedules that many of our boys keep, time management is crucial to ensuring they meet their commitments AND get enough sleep each night. Over the past few weeks, the Year 6 Team have noticed an increase in the number of students online and doing homework late in the evening – between 9:30-11pm. As such, we ask that you check in with your son and support them to manage their time.

To work well in partnership for the wellbeing of the boys and the learning that takes place at school, we ask for your support with our expectations:

-          boys should not be on devices or completing academic work after 8:30pm

-          all technology should be removed from the boys’ rooms overnight

-          boys should be doing 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day

This section of the newsletter contains recent correspondence to parents requiring action:

Parent Permission to Leave School Campus 2021

COVID-19 Student Attendance Guidelines for Parents

Year 2 Narrabeen Coastal Excursion Letter

Year 3 Camp - What to Pack

Year 3 Going Home Arrangements

Medication form for Overnight Excursions (Year 3)

2021 Premier’s Reading Challenge
Knox Grammar Preparatory School will take part in the 2021 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC). The PRC enables students to experience a range of quality literature while encouraging a love of reading for leisure and pleasure.

The challenge has officially opened and concludes on 20 August 2021. All students from Kindergarten to Year 6 have been issued with a username and password by the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge administration. A sticker will be placed in your son’s school diary during their Literacy Centre or Library lessons.

Students must read a set number of books to complete the challenge. Reading records must be entered online.

Please click here for the online instructions.

Click here for the Challenge Rules.

Click here for a useful help video demonstrating how the site works.

Students who have completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge in previous years at another school will have their reading records merged, to ensure their PRC history remains intact. Please email this information to Mrs Wheatley.

Congratulations to Jared Nipatcharoen and Oscar Thomas, both in Year 10, who received a medal from the Premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian. To be eligible for a medal, both boys completed the PRC challenge in Year 3 to Year 9 (inclusive). What a wonderful achievement!

House Cross Country Carnival
The cheers and screams of the boys kept the inclement weather at bay during this year’s House Cross Country Carnival. The overcast day and moderate temperatures made for excellent conditions for running. The new 2km and 3km track was negotiated with precision by the boys.

Throughout the day, not only did we see some remarkable running and results, but we also saw some wonderful acts of courage, kindness and support. In every race, boys were observed helping and encouraging one another whether they were running or walking and beyond the finish line it was wonderful to see the boys congratulating one another on their efforts regardless of their place.

In the end, there was to be one winning house, and this year it was by the closest margin on record. Burns house managed to hold off Haslett by 0.2 of a point to take out this year’s House Cross Country Carnival. Well done, Burns. A superb achievement

The following boys were crowned Year Champions of this year’s Cross Country Carnival:

8/9 Years
1st – Caelan Drysdale
2nd – Charlie Lakeman
3rd – William Wang

10 Years
1st – William Scodellaro
2nd – Jack Murphy
3rd – Rishi Manani

11 Years
1st – Jack Bayliss
2nd – Cade Petrie
3rd – Davin Yap

12/13 Years
1st – Owen Dixon
2nd – Thomas Scodellaro
3rd – Hamish Duggan

Musical Quote of the Week
Where words fail, Music speaks,
Hans Christian Andersen

Band News
Wow our Bands are buzzing and beginning to sound amazing! Boys have been diligent in remembering to practise and come to rehearsals (especially the lunch time rehearsals) so well done to everyone on your attendance so far this term! Last week both of our Prep Rock Bands performed at the Ride with Richter event. Even though both rock bands have only had three weeks of rehearsals, they both wowed the audience with their renditions of ‘Seven Nation Army’, ‘TNT’ and ‘Are you Gonna Go My Way’ by Lenny Kravitz. Their enthusiasm and polished performances definitely set the vibe for the events and the students loved cheering and singing along!
If your son cannot make a rehearsal for any reason, please remember to email the director to inform them of their absence.

Letters of Gratitude
Frontline and quarantine workers have done so much for us. During the Coronavirus pandemic, they have been brave and have put themselves at risk for the good of everybody. Write to the Heroes is an initiative to show our appreciation and lift the spirits of frontline and quarantine workers through thank you letters. Boys from K-6 will be writing these letters of gratitude in the coming weeks.

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
Psalm 28:7

Tickets for all shows are now sold out. However, if you would like to join the waitlist, please click here. Select 'Join Waitlist' (button next to General Admission) and a pop-up window will open to enter your details and to confirm the show dates that you're interested in.

For ticket enquiries, please email here.

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.

For more information, click here.

We have had a great response for book covering volunteers from the Knox parents and carers and as a result, all spots are now full. Please watch this space for Term 2 volunteers or contact Jo Fernandes if you have any questions.

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.

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



Term 1 Holiday Trading Hours
Thursday 1 April - Uniform Shop closes at 5.30pm
Friday 2 April through to Monday 5 April - Closed for Public Holiday
Tuesday 6 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Wednesday 7 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Thursday 15 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Friday 16 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Saturday 17 April - 9am-12noon
Monday 19 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Tuesday 20 April (First day of Term 2) - 8am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm) 

For all enquiries, please contact via us by phone 9487 0191 or email.

You may also visit the Knox website here for more information.

Julie Blackburn, Knox Uniform Shop Manager