Welcome back to Term 4! Whilst the break certainly went too quickly and is already a distant memory, I was grateful for the time to relax. I hope you all had a wonderful, restful holiday too. It is with excitement and perhaps a little bit of trepidation that Year 10 enters their final term as members of the Middle Academy. With only 35 days of school to go this year, I spoke to the boys this week about the focus and opportunity that this term presents them with.

This week I challenged the boys to approach this term with a clear focus and perhaps provided them with a different perspective on the term ahead. This term is, in fact, an essential and awesome opportunity to prepare for the rigour of Stage 6 studies. It’s an opportunity to put in place good study techniques for their Yearly Examinations, determining which methods work for them and which ones should be discarded prior to commencing next year. That being said, the Year 10 Academic Portfolio Leadership Team have initiated some excellent resources and activities to help the boys prepare for the Yearly Examination and foster a collaborative approach to study which is so important in the senior years. This will be presented to the boys in mentor groups on Monday and I am looking forward to the focus and motivation that should inevitably come from that presentation.

As well as that, I spoke to the boys about the opportunity they have in these final few weeks to show leadership in action. Many of the cohort feel ready and excited to begin their journey as senior students and I reminded them that this journey was already beginning. As leaders of the Middle Academy their actions will be noted by younger year groups and staff alike. The boys have such a great opportunity to step up and be role models, displaying the School’s values in their actions. As such, we spoke about the focus of the term - 'Respect for Yourselves, Respect for Others and Respect for our Community. This was broken down into actions such as presenting yourself well in uniform and hair, being kind in our words to others, helping out a mate, picking up their own rubbish and ensuring that our collective actions portray our characters. I am confident that these simple actions will guide us this term and looking forward to watching the boys step up in maturity as we prepare to transition to the Senior Academy.

As always, please feel free to contact your son’s mentor or the Team Leaders if you have any concerns. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Vicky Cowell

Lovely to share so many holiday stories including lots of intrastate travels. How good is NSW? I'm sure many communities within our state would have appreciated your support and it is great to see small beach side towns bustling again.

This is our last term in the Middle Academy - so make Term 4 a good one. 

Students from Years 10 to 12 and their parents were invited to attend the online Knox careers event held on 16 September. Students heard from two Old Boys, Mark Truskett (OKG08) and Rhys Gill (OKG08). Mark is currently the APAC People and Performance Manger at a global recruitment firm, Salt, and spoke about his experience in the digital recruitment industry where he has worked his entire career. Rhys is currently an Account Executive with Salesforce, a cloud software business that helps companies grow by automating processes and improving customer experience. Both Mark and Rhys spoke about the ‘dos and don'ts’ of social media, as well as strategies used to stand out to recruitment professionals and employers. The session covered practical tips on using LinkedIn to showcase skills and experience. They gave insights into current recruitment practices and the importance of creating a positive social footprint.

A hugely successful night where students and parents heard some great insights, inspiration, and advice. Thank you to our Old Boys who generously gave their time to share their knowledge and personal insights into their industry. The video can be found here as part of the new Careers Showcase on Vimeo.

Information Technology OKGA Careers Event

Students and parents are invited to attend the next online careers event, to be held on Monday 26 October, commencing at 6pm. Details are below:

TOPIC: Careers in Information Technology

DATE: Monday 26 October 2020, 6pm-7pm

VENUE: Online via Zoom (Meeting link will be emailed after registration closes on 26 October at 12pm)

REGISTRATION: Essential and via this link

Students and parents will hear from three Old Boys. Paul Gladigau (OKG85) is currently CIO / General Manager of Institutional Banking and Markets Technology at Commonwealth Bank and is responsible for delivering major technology change programs. Ed Colyer (OGK13) is Head of Product at Clipboard and will speak about his current role working across the whole product and software development process, including design, planning, building and testing. Akhil Bonu (OKG16) is final year student at UNSW studying Business Information Systems and will be speaking about his journey from high school to university graduate and how students can take charge of their self-development. In particular, he will give his insights into a career in technology and the countless possibilities it holds.

Students interested in a career in IT are encouraged to register to attend this upcoming careers event. More information may be downloaded here.

Linda Gomez

Saturday 17 October

Summer sports trials vs Cranbrook

Tuesday 20 October

Positive relationships presentation by 'yourchoicez'

Thursday 23 October

Co-curricular Art Clubs commence 

Monday 26 October

Online Careers event - 'Careers Information Technology'

Monday 9 - Sunday 15 November

National Recycling Week

Wednesday 11 November

OKGA Remembrance Service

Thursday 3 December

Term 4 concludes

A few important announcements were made over the break by the NSW Government and then followed up by the Associated Schools of NSW (CAS) regarding Term 4 and sport. I can confirm the following for sport this Saturday.

Each school will have a different policy with regards to the number of spectators, so it will be important to carefully read the information below.

Process for Sports fixtures – Saturday 17 October
1. Check the team list to see your son’s team - see the Knox app (download instructions)
2. Check the sports draw to see where and when your son’s team is playing - check the Knox app
3. Is he playing at a Knox Grammar School venue? If yes:

• Two spectator parents/guardians per player at our outdoor venues.
• One spectator parent/guardian per player at our indoor venues.
• QR code registration will be in place across all facilities at entry points, with standard health checks and questions.
• Players in all teams should turn up ready to play - no change rooms will be available.
• Canteens will be closed. Players should bring their own labelled water bottles and snacks if required.
• Players should leave immediately after completion of their fixture.
• Teams due to play in Great Hall and Lawson or on MacNeil courts will need to wait on Boulevard until they may enter the facility. This will depend on finish time of previous fixture.
• Water Polo players will also need to wait in JAPAC rec area for clearance to enter the pool area.
• Standard 1.5m social distancing for all spectators.

4. Is your son playing away? Which School is he playing against?

Cranbrook School
• Two spectator parents/guardians per player for all outdoor sports.
• One spectator parent/guardian per player for all indoor sports.
• Cranbrook COVID-19 Sports Protocols

Please ensure you follow social distancing guidelines at all times and leave immediately after your son’s game. As always, any sports cancellations due to wet weather will be announced via the Knox app (make sure you have subscribed to alerts for your son’s summer sport).

If you have any questions, please email Sport here.

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

Martin Haywood, Head of Knox Sports and Aquatic Academy

For many years the School has offered a ‘fees in advance’ program to enable increased flexibility of such payments. The program is attractive for many reasons, enabling parents to make lump sum payments for years ahead which attract discounts to the scheduled fees. To qualify, upfront full year payments must be made for a minimum of one year and the payments must be made by 13 November in the year before your payment program begins. Payments will only be accepted by direct funds transfer or cheque (credit card or BPAY payments are not permitted for this program).

Details of the Fees in Advance Program can be found here on the Knox website. Alternatively, you might like to discuss this in confidence with Betty Fowler from the School’s Accounts Department on 9487 0442.

Welcome back to a new term. New releases and additions to the library include the following:

'The World’s Worst Parents' by David Walliams

'Where I End and You Begin' by Preston Norton

'Neighborhood Girls' by Jessie Ann Foley

'To Sleep in a Sea of Stars' by Christopher Paolini

'Midnight Sun' by Stephanie Meyer

Book Club

A kindly reminder, Book Club is held in the Senior study area of the library every Thursday at Lunchtime.  All are welcome.

Curious Creatures, Wild Minds photo competition

Task: Create a digital photograph using the theme 'Curious Creatures, Wild Minds!' Your work may be a format that can be shared via photo; 3D sculpture, model, diorama, watercolour, pencil, oils, pastels, paint, JPEG or Powerpoint slide. You will need to scan/photograph and email your graphic as a JPEG. 

By entering this competition, entrants accept the Terms & Conditions stated here:

1. All entries must be your own work and clearly show your name, age and year group (if relevant) on the back of your work. 

2. Entries must be emailed or direct messaged by 4pm on Friday 23 October 2020. 

3. Please do not post or hand in your submission to the library. 

4. You may scan or photograph your entry to submit it. 

5. Winners will be announced on Friday 30 October 2020. Winners will be contacted about their book voucher prize.

6. Please note that all entries will be displayed at McKenzie Library and on our website for a period of three weeks from the submission date. 

7. Entering this competition gives permission to McKenzie Library to display your entry in the library during Book Week 2020.

Some ideas: There are many amazing creatures and animals on Earth. These include: striated frogfish, chameleon, dugong, lemur, vampire bat ... the list goes on.

Book Week 2020 'Wild!' McKenzie Library Writing Competition

Task: Write a 1000 word piece using the theme 'Wild!' Your work may be a short story, a poem, an essay or a graphic novel or comic. You will need to scan/photograph and email your story.

By entering this competition, entrants accept the Terms & Conditions stated below:

1. All entries must be your own work and clearly show your name, age and year group (if relevant) on the back of your work. 

2. Entries must be emailed or direct messaged by 4pm Friday 23 October 2020. 

3. Please do not hand in your submission to the library.

4. You may scan or photograph your entry to submit it. 

5. Winners will be announced on Friday 30 of October 2020. Winners will be contacted about their book voucher prize.

6. Please note that all entries may be displayed at McKenzie Library and on our website for a period of three weeks from the submission date. 

7. Entering this competition gives permission to McKenzie Library to display your entry in the library during Book Week 2020.

Sally Thomson 

This Masked Lapwing found comfort laying her eggs on Knox 1 with all the business in the day at Knox going on around her - Pipes and Drums, Cadets, lunch time play, sport etc. She seems not too fussed at all!