In a world that increasingly asks us to move faster, the idea that what you actually need to do every now and then is stop seems counterproductive.

Constantly on our smartphones, checking emails, replying to messages, checking social media, we find ourselves good at being preoccupied. We live in a society that is so fast-paced and in a culture where our “work” follows us constantly as we can access emails and messages 24/7 on our hand-held devices. As a result we find ourselves in a state of “continuous partial attention” – rarely stopping, never fully present. For many of us, it is so easy to lose the art of being aware of what is around us as we are constantly lost in what is ahead of us.

This fast-paced world and its ever-changing technology also raises the concern that our youth are growing up with too many conveniences and instant gratification.

Our students today are navigating life and relationships in a world primarily composed of red and green - stop and go - with no time for yellow, the “pause”. In a fast-paced society that expects immediate feedback and gratification, the challenge for our young people to “pause” and think before acting becomes understandably difficult.

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

Mr Milligan and I recently spent time reviewing the Disposition Data (as recorded on school reports in 2020) of our Middle Academy students. It was pleasing to see the vast majority of our students are upholding the Knox values and learner dispositions in such a positive fashion. On Thursday we were able to recognise some students from each year group for their fantastic efforts last year. We look forward to recognising more students for their positive contributions to the Knox Community and culture during the course of the year.  

Being punctual is an important habit for our students to develop. Within the school context, late arrival to lessons leads to students missing vital introductory information and disrupts the learning of their peers. It is also aligned with the development of good time management. From next week we will be keeping a record of students who are late to school or class without a reasonable excuse and consequences will be put in place when a pattern of behaviour is emerging. The first occasion will be recorded by Mrs Hodgson. On the second occasion, students will be required to assist Mr Mulray during lunch. On the third and fourth occasions students will need to attend an afterschool reflection.

Staff from some key areas of the school have produced information documents for parents. Please take some time to review documents that relate to areas of interest to your son. Information from Sport and Knox Academy of Performing Arts (KAPA) may be found here. Videos explaining how to navigate the digital landscape at Knox together with information from our Director of Studies and Director of Co-Curricular Operations can be accessed via this link. Password: MiddleAcademy

Elizabeth Ruff

As Week 2 draws to a close, it has been fantastic to see the Class of 2023 settling back into the rhythm of daily life at Knox. The holidays seem a distant memory now as the boys have settled into their classes, training and co-curricular activities.

I feel very honoured to have been appointed to the role of Assistant Team Leader for Year 10. This is an amazing group of young men and I have thoroughly enjoyed the vibrancy, positive attitude and maturity that they are demonstrating so far this term. Firstly I would like to introduce myself. As you may know, my name is Caroline Haselden and I have been at Knox for just over three and a half years, working as a Learning Enhancement teacher. During this time I have had the privilege of working as a Mentor for this year group, along with involvement in Cadets and as a Boarding Tutor. I look forward to working together with Mr Openshaw, you and your son as he progresses through his time at Knox.

This week, the boys have started looking at integrity and what it means to be a man of integrity. Integrity is one of our core values at Knox. It is vital for the boys to understand why having integrity is so important, and how developing this character trait will help them as they move through Knox and out into society.

Mrs Gomez spoke to the Year 10 cohort about the Careers Assessment that will take place next Wednesday. The information generated from this testing can be used to help students identify their strengths and potential career avenues, and will be helpful for Year 11 subject selection, which will occur later this year. In Year Meeting, Year 10 Chairman Will Goddard also addressed the year group, emphasising the importance of setting goals for the year ahead and working collaboratively. The beginning of a new year is a great time for your son to look ahead and create goals for this year. I encourage you to talk to your son about this.

Finally it is important to note that boys on public transport to and from school or sport training need to wear a mask. If your son does not generally take public transport please make sure your son keeps a mask in his locker should he need to use it.

As always please don’t hesitate to contact either Mr Openshaw, Mrs Hodgson or myself if you have any questions or concerns.

Caroline Haselden

This week, I attended the first Year Meeting on Wednesday where Mr Milligan delivered his farewell speech to the cohort, Mr Openshaw welcomed Ms Haselden to our year group and I had the pleasure of listening to Will Goddard's address to his peers. Will's words were very inspiring and I hope that every member of our cohort paid particular attention to what he said and that they embrace every opportunity that the School has to offer and that they set themselves SMART goals for the year.

Updating Contact Details and Medical Records
Please take the time this weekend to review your contact details (address, email address, contact phone numbers) on Parent Lounge and if they have changed then please follow the instructions below to update it:

To update your address details choose 'Update Address Details' from the Parent Details drop-down. Choose 'Update Address' from the top right of the screen. Update your details and then select 'Submit Changes'.

In addition if there has been a change in your son's medical details, please update the details by choosing 'Medical Details' from the 'Student Details' drop-down menu and you will be able to either 'Update' or add 'New' depending on which section you are update.

It is important for the school to have accurate contacts for parents and/or guardians in case of emergencies.

Should you encounter any difficulties making these changes please contact the IT Helpdesk Team.

Mobile Phone Policy
Just a reminder that students are expected to have their mobile devices in their locker throughout the course of the day. Students are allowed to access their phones at their locker during recess and lunch. Should you have an urgent message to pass on to your son you can contact me on 9119 0881 or via email.

School Photos 
For those students who were absent on Tuesday this week, please note that a catch up photo session is scheduled for Monday 15 February. Students are to wear their full summer school uniform with their blazer on to have their photos taken.

Finally, if your son would like to participate in the Ceramics – Hand Building and Photography and Digital Media club, please click here for further information on how to register.

Crystel Hodgson

Co-Curricular Opportunities at Knox
Knox Grammar School’s commitment to providing its students with a holistic education is seen through its Co-Curricular program, providing ample opportunities, in a variety of areas that cater to students' interests, whilst developing their resilience, character, creativity, sportsmanship and understanding.

For an overview of the Co-Curricular opportunities offered at Knox, click here.
For a copy of the Weekly Training Schedule 2021, click here.

Chuck Ardron

Year 10 is an important year for students to understand the connection between subject choices, further education and careers. The first step in the process will see Year 10 taking part in completing their Career Assessment Profile. Administered by Career Avenues, this assessment is based on the principles of Positive Psychology and Mindfulness, which are used to match students' strengths, personality and aptitude to careers. This career assessment will occur on Wednesday 10 February in the Great Hall and commences promptly at 8.25am, so all students will need to be at the Great Hall by 8.15am. Students have been reminded to ensure they bring a fully charged laptop with them as they will be completing the assessment through an online site.

Later in Term 1, students will participate in individual feedback interviews to discuss their career profiles compatible with their personality style and aptitude strengths. These interviews will be held online via Zoom. More information about the individual interviews will be available over the coming weeks.

Knox Careers Hub
The Careers Page in the Knox Portal has been updated and is now available to all students and parents within the Knox community. In order to have full access to the Knox Careers Hub, students and parents will need to click on this link and use the school code of KNOX20.

Once the account is created, students and parents will have access to a wealth of information on study options and career pathways, including weekly careers newsletters and reference guides. Important messages and upcoming career events will be posted on the Careers Hub under 'messages' so I encourage students and parents to keep checking the website for announcements on upcoming workshops, seminars and events.

Upcoming Career Events - save the date
• Knox online careers seminar (in conjunction with the OKGA)
Careers in Medicine - Monday 22 February, commencing at 6pm via Zoom
• Knox Careers Night – Tuesday 25 May 2021, Great Hall, from 5.30pm to 8pm

Linda Gomez

I hope everyone has had a great week and enjoying being back into the routines of afternoon training and Saturday sport. Weather played its part on Saturday, unfortunately, which resulted in a number of disappointed Year 7 boys wanting to get a taste of their first experience in the Black and Blue.

Some highlights from the last seven days include:
• A record number of students attended the Years 8-12 Swim trials. Boys who have progressed to our Knox Finals will be advised.
• Nicholas Bigeni, Adam Van Horen and Leo Phijidvijan selected to represent CAS at the CIS Tennis trials.
• Luke Hedley selected to represent CAS U16 Cricket team and trial for CIS selection.
• Dom Goddard and Charlie Anderson selected for CAS Open Cricket team and trial for CIS selection.

The School is extremely proud of student Euan Liney (Y12). Euan is fundraising again this year as part of the Starlight Foundation’s Super Swim Challenge. Euan has set a goal of swimming 100km and raising $500. Already, Euan has swum 672 laps of the School Pool and is one determined young man. Some more details may be found here.

Regarding sport this weekend and how it will look with COVID-19 restrictions, please note the details below. Any late variations will be sent via the Knox app.

Process for Sports fixtures – Saturday 6 February
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:

• 2 spectator parents/guardians per player at our outdoor venues
• 1 spectator parent guardian per player at our indoor venues
• Service NSW 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, MacNeil and Lawson court 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 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?

Barker College
• Indoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

Cranbrook School
• Indoor venues - 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

Trinity Grammar School
• Indoor venues - 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

Shore School
• Indoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

Scots College
• Indoor venues - 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

St Ignatius College (Riverview)
• Indoor venues – 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

St Joseph's College
• Indoor venues - 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

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.

Thank you and best wishes to all our students this weekend. Go the Black and Blue!

Martin Haywood

Maggie Dent - From Boys to Men webinar series
Maggie Dent is a well-known Australian parenting author and educator who has a particular interest in the early years, adolescence and resilience. She has also been called the ‘boy champion’, with her most recent book 'From Boys to Men: Guiding our teen boys to grow into happy, healthy men' being published last year.

In the coming weeks Maggie is presenting three webinars based on this latest book which would be helpful for anyone with boys aged 12-25 years old:
• 25 February – Teen boy communication that really works
• 23 March – 'Unsticking' an unmotivated teen boy
• 22 April – Helping teen boys manage anger and failure

(NB. If you can’t watch at the specified time, replays are available at any time after). For more information and to book, click here.

When: Wednesday 24 February 2021, 7.45am-8.15am
Where: Online seminar, register at www.knox.nsw.edu.au/GC-seminar
Who: All Senior School parents

With the launch of a new Knox Certificate of Global Competency for Senior School students in 2021, Knox parents are warmly invited to an online seminar. Speakers will include Margie Raymond (Coordinator of the Knox Certificate of Global Competency), Karen Yager (Deputy Headmaster of Student and Teacher Excellence K-12), Elizabeth Ruff (Head of Middle Academy), David Caspari (Deputy Chairman of School Council), students and parents. The seminar will cover topics including why global competency is important and how the Knox Certificate of Global Competency will be delivered for students.

Please register your interest by Monday 22 February. All enquiries to Margie Raymond.

Knox Certificate of Global Competency seminar flyer

Wednesday 10 February

Career Avenues Assessment - Periods 1 to 5 - Great Hall

Monday 15 February

Minimum Standards Testing - Periods 3 to 5 - Great Hall

School Catch Up photo day - Lunch time - Great Hall

Friday 19 February

Scholarship Application closes for 2022 school year

Monday 22 February

Careers in Medicine (via Zoom)

Wednesday 24 February

Knox Certificate of Global Competency Online Seminar - 7.45am to 8.15am

Thursday 25 February

Maggie Dent Webinar - Teen boy communication that really works

Friday 26 February

Elevate Incursion (Study skills)

Thursday 18 March to Saturday 20 March

Musical Performance - 'Beauty and the Beast'

Tuesday 23 March

Maggie Dent Webinar - 'Unsticking' an unmotivated teen boy

Thursday 25 March to Thursday 1 April

Cadets AFX Camp

Saturday 27 March to Wednesday 31 March

Year 10 Challenge Camp

Thursday 1 April

Term 1 concludes

Thursday 22 April

Maggie Dent Webinar - Helping teen boys manage anger and failure

Tuesday 25 May

Knox Careers Night

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Philippians 4: 4-5

Concert Band Rehearsal Day and SWE Rehearsal Workshop Day 
On behalf of KAPA, we offer our collective congratulations following our brilliant Rehearsal Day on Sunday to our 2021 Concert Band and SWE ensembles.

Our Concert Band and SWE members demonstrated commitment, tremendous enthusiasm, musicianship, leadership and outstanding behaviour throughout the entire day.

With 66 musicians in attendance for our Concert Band and 64 musicians for our SWE Rehearsal, everyone was outstanding and we could not have asked for a better start to the year. Just listen to how great they all sounded by clicking on the following links: Concert Band and SWE.

We’re well on our way to a fantastic Nationals Performance. Hearty congratulations, boys!

James Brice, Head of KAPA

The Knox portal and our other online portals, such as Parent Lounge, can be accessed at knoxnet.knox.nsw.edu.au.

School App for K-12
The Knox Grammar School app allows you to stay informed about the School. Keep up to date on everything from Sport and Co-Curricular, to the newsletters and school calendar with instant notifications. You may install the Knox Grammar School app which is available for download from your app store. Please use the following instructions to download, install and set up the app:

KGS School app download instructions

Parent Directory
The Parent Directory is designed for parents and guardians to optionally share contact details with other parents/guardians.

Parents/Guardians may 'opt-in' the Parent Directory accessed via the Knox Parent Lounge. It is an ‘opt-in’ system and requires that you select which contact details (if any) you wish to share with other parents/guardians.

Please be advised that the Parent Directory is to be used for personal, private use only and is not to be shared with third parties. By agreeing to share contact details through the Parent Directory, parents are enabling other parents and guardians at Knox Grammar School to view their details and possibly make contact.

Parent Lounge User Guide (see page 6 of this user guide on how to update the Parent Directory)

If you have any issues logging into Parent Lounge please contact the Knox Helpdesk.

KPA Name Badges
The KPA organises name badges for parents at the start of each school year for use at the various school functions you will attend throughout your son's time at Knox. They come with the Knox crest and your name, with a simple magnet on the back for attaching. They are a much better alternative to the sticky labels that always peel off! The cost of $16 includes postage.

Orders close Friday 19 February 2021. This is the only opportunity to order name badges for 2021, so please put your order in now to avoid disappointment.

Please click here to order and pay for a name badge. Be sure to put down your name as you would like it to appear on the badge (first and last name only).

Winter Uniform
We would like to remind all parents that Term 2 changes over into winter uniform. For further information on what the uniform item changes are, please refer to the Uniform Policy and Regulations. We strongly recommend purchasing the winter uniform earlier than later and not wait until the last week of the school holidays as we cannot guarantee all sizes will be available.

Special orders
For any students who have special requirements regarding winter uniform items, it is strongly recommended that these are discussed with the Uniform Shop Staff as soon as possible. Occasionally, we have students who have allergies/sensitivity to wool and in these instances, time permitting, we can get winter trousers lined and jumpers made in a cotton/nylon blend. These special orders require some notice: four weeks for the trousers and up to eight weeks for knitwear.

Other instances include if your son is not of a standard size. For example, very tall but slim and may require extra length or he may be of a more solid frame like a Rugby player and the standard sizes may be disproportional.

Please visit the Uniform Shop during trading hours (see below) or contact via us by phone 9487 0191 or email.

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

Term 1 Updates
The term has started on a positive wave of enthusiasm for all aspects of the library. There is a wonderful hum of excitement as boys have engaged in an introduction to all aspects of the library. They have been given a Frequent Borrower card and encouraged to borrow from the physical and digital collection.

All students are reminded about the digital library by accessing the e book platform through the library portal. Just click on the icon below.



Book Club is open to all students in Years 7 to 10 and is the place to be on Thursday at lunchtime. All are invited to come and share their stories and have lunch with like-minded students.

The Library Committee takes place every Friday and welcomes students who wish to offer their suggestions and become involved in practical aspects of library life.

Remember, the library also has a wide collection of classic books which you are welcome to borrow. From the library portal you can also look at the recommended reading lists for inspiration.

Enjoy your reading!

Sally Thomson

Welcome back to Term 1! On behalf of the Oratory Team, I hope you all had a restful holiday and are excited for the term ahead. The Debating staff would like to extend a warm welcome to the Year 7 students joining us this year. In particular, those of you who we met at the recent Co-Curricular Expo.

Debating
The Debating program at Knox caters to all skill levels. We run three activities throughout the year.

Weekly training sessions will be held from 3.30pm-5.30pm in the Knox Cultural Centre (KCC) after school.

● Year 7: Monday and Thursday (students may select their preferred day), KCC102
● Year 8: Tuesday, KCC102
● Year 9: Wednesday, KCC 102
● Year 10: Thursday, KCC 102
● Opens (Senior Training): Wednesday, KCC103

In order to participate in training, students must register at the following link here.

Knox Debating Cup (KDC)
The KDC is an internal competition where students can create their own teams (or volunteer to be placed in a team) and debate with each other every Wednesday. Throughout the tournament, students’ progress is evaluated by our outstanding adjudicators and individual feedback is given every week. This term, the Knox Debating Cup is running on-site in the KCC Auditorium. The KDC will be held on Wednesdays from 6pm-8pm starting in Week 2.

ISDA and FED Friday Night Debating
Squads will be selected from each year group to represent Knox in ISDA and FED Friday Night Debating Competitions. Participation in training is mandatory for selection. Students will be trialled during training sessions in order to select the squad. We aim to maximise participation for Year 7 students, we will be entering the largest squads possible. To receive the trial policy and for more information about ISDA and FED Debating, fill out this Expression of Interest in Representative Debating here.

Knox Debating Board
The Knox Debating Board is the home of all information regarding Debating. It includes session times, all registration links, a calendar of dates, and weekly squad selections. Please visit and bookmark the Knox Debating Board for easy access throughout the year. 

Further information regarding Oratory programs including Public Speaking and Mock Trial will be announced over the coming weeks. If you have any inquiries, please feel free to email me.

Leah Mercier, Oratory Coordinator

Social Justice and Service form an important part of our Knox community ethos and we invite all parents and boys to participate and support our local, regional and international partnerships and initiatives. Parents in particular are invited to join our ‘Parents for Justice’ group. Please email me at any time  if you can help in any way.

Christmas Hampers
We were overwhelmed with the support of our Christmas Hamper Drive last year with up to 240 families assisted as a result of our community’s generosity. This year we will continue to support this initiative through food donations to help the many families in Sydney who are struggling. Your help makes an enormous difference to their lives. The staff at Parramatta Mission wrote to share their thanks with the following: “Thank you to the Knox community for your generous support in what has been one of our most challenging years to date.” 

STARRTS
The staff at STARTTS were very grateful for the generous donations of Christmas gifts received for refugee children. Thank you to our community. 2021 will be our 13th year of supporting their work.

Shoes for the Philippines
After our collection last year, the shoes arrived and were delivered to Young Focus, a non-governmental organisation that works with young children and their families to provide education and nutrition programs. They are now seeking donations of children’s shoes (up to ten years old) and good quality clothes for these young children. At present, they have a sufficient number of shoes for the older students. Please send in your donations to Mrs Clarke’s office in Room 15.

Grace’s Place
In support of Grace’s Place (a centre named after Anita Cobby’s mother for those who have been impacted by violent crime), we are assisting their call out for good quality clothes. Donations may be left with the New Leaf Shop in Macquarie Street, Parramatta.

World’s Greatest Shave
Knox is once again supporting this event with boys invited to join the Knox Students Team here to commence fundraising. Last year we raised $30k and are aiming to beat this amount in 2021. Diarise the date of Thursday 18 March at lunchtime.

The Knox Social Justice Club
The Knox Social Justice Club meets as a group each Friday at 1pm lunchtime, in the Knox Cultural Centre Auditorium. Encourage your son to come along with many opportunities for volunteering and leadership. If your son would like to join us, please ask him to email Mrs Clarke.

Helen Clarke, Head of Diversity Justice and Stewardship

Congratulations to all the award recipients at this week's Academy Assembly.

The recipients of the consistent improvement in application to upholding Knox Learner Protocols in 2020 are: Kia Amiri, Sam Chamen, Brandon Cheung, Riley Everitt, Kazuyuki Fuse, Alec Germanos, Hugo Hoskin, James Li, Bobby Liang, Matthew Lo, Oliver Moore and Ody Zhou(absent).

The recipients of the outstanding effort in upholding Knox Learner Protocols in 2020 are: Luke Berlee, Chris Goh, Aarav Masrani, Nathaniel Ooi, Kyle Reyes, Tony Song, Connor Watkins and Angus Wines.

The recipients of the excellent effort in upholding Knox Learner Protocols in 2020 are: Matthew Clayton, Ben Craighill, Harry Cumming-Simm, Ethan Huang, Matthew Neal, Justin Sanaei, William Wallbank, Sean Williams and Ben Williams.

The recipients of the commendable effort in upholding Knox Learner Protocols in 2020 are: Lachlan Chiang, Addison Dai, Will Goddard, Jay Harris, Joel Jacobson, Jayme Kay, Tom Kidston, Ethan Luong, Henry McArdle(absent), Conor Milliken, Brendan Milobara, Beau Morrison, Charlie Ritchie(absent), Daniel Sherlock(absent) and Louis Tsui.

Ms Haslam took her class out for a team building exercise to teach them about chain reactions and calculating speed.