Paul Dillon, the Director and founder of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA) will be presenting to our Year 9, 10 and 12 students on Monday 25 November. Paul has been working in the area of drug education for more than 25 years. During this period, he has worked with many school communities across Australia to ensure they have access to good quality information and best practice in drug education.

The Year 10 session, 'Alcohol and cannabis: What if something goes wrong?' addresses practical strategies around looking after your friends, provides information on cannabis and will highlight ‘positive norms’, i.e., the majority of young people do not use the drug and use has declined over the years. Potential cannabis-related harms will be discussed, with an emphasis on the drug’s impact on mental health. Students will be provided with some warning signs that could indicate a person may be experiencing problems with their cannabis use. The impact of alcohol on the adolescent brain will also be discussed, highlighting the potential risks of drinking during the teen years.

Parents of our Year 9, 10 and 12 students have the opportunity to hear Paul talk on the evening of Monday 25 November. The session, will be held in the Great Hall, commencing at 6pm and will run for one hour with the opportunity to ask questions afterwards. Paul will address the topic 'Teenagers, alcohol and other drugs 2019: What’s happening, what’s out there and how much influence do parents really have?' Using the most recent data available, Paul will examine the use of alcohol and other drugs by school-based young people. It will have a particular focus on the changes in patterns of alcohol use that have occurred in recent years, as well as any particular concerning trends around illicit drug use. There will be a close examination of the positive influence that parents can have on their child’s drinking behaviour, as well as the barriers that they may face during adolescence. It aims to empower parents with a positive message and assist them in having open and honest family discussions in this complex area.

Should you wish to attend the parent session, please register using the link. 

Elizabeth Ruff

Here we are at the end of Week Two, and we are already a quarter of the way through the term. It is my pleasure to contribute to the newsletter for the first time after being so warmly welcomed into this role by the boys, and their amazing team of Mentors and Stage 5 staff. My observations of the cohort have been glowing, and I was especially impressed with the engagement and reverence shown during our first Chapel together.

This week, the focus in mentor sessions has been surrounding the completion of 'All My Own Work', a NESA program designed to help HSC students follow the principles and practices of good scholarship.This includes understanding, valuing and using ethical practices when locating and using information as part of their HSC studies. The program will also inform the boys about penalties for cheating, and how to avoid malpractice when preparing their work for assessment. It is a prerequisite for all students entering Stage 6, and has been well received by the cohort. 

The boys were also issued an important document outlining the values and protocols that are so central and inextricably linked to the Knox School culture. Boys were walked through the document, with mentors elaborating on each, before asking students to sign the document as a sign of understanding and support for the values and protocols. 

Early next week we have a group of outstanding young men who will represent our cohort as part of the Global Leadership Summit in the city, and we wish them all the best. We look forward to hearing about the experience.

It has been a great start to the term, and I am really looking forward to following this group until this time in 2021. Once again, feel free to contact your son’s teachers, mentors or Team Leaders if you have any questions or concerns about your son’s progress.

Adam Shaw

This week we have had many events, excursions and meetings - as always, the week seems to fly by. Please click here for the Yearly Examination schedule. This is also available on the Year 10 page on the portal.

The Y10 Formal photos are now available on Google Drive. Please note this link can only be accessed by Knox email accounts.

I would like to acknowledge the teaching staff today on 'World Teachers Day'. Thank you for all you do.

I look forward to hearing all about the Agriculture excursion that has taken place this week on the students return next week.

Today Ben Rothery assisted James Gray (Social Justice committee) by selling Bandannas for Canteen. Great job, gentlemen.

Debra Barnard Tel: 9119 0883

Contemporary research and trend analysis highlight the importance of young people developing enterprise and entrepreneurial skills in order to rise to the challenges of our rapidly changing world. As such, Knox is committed to preparing our boys to thrive as global citizens and aims to extend our boys' capacity to engage in a world that is being shaped by automation and emerging technologies.

Our Year 10 signature program, Agent of Change, serves to meet the needs of our boys through a project-based experience that both leverages from authentic partnerships and exposes students to design thinking.

We are looking to engage parents, carers, members of our broader school community and beyond as potential ‘clients’ or industry mentors in this exciting educational experience.

Program Logistics:

 ·         The Agent of Change program will occur at Knox on 26-27 November.

 ·         Each Year 10 student will work collaboratively to build a prototype, design a product, and/or make a pitch to an external client.

 ·         External ‘clients’ will provide an authentic problem from their life or job that a student could provide/pitch a solution to.

We are specifically interested in projects that would engage students in art, graphic or web design, data analytics, programming, urban spaces, research, and marketing/advertising. We also invite you to join us for our Meet a Change Agent speaker series at lunch time next term.

Please contact me if you would like to be a part of this signature program or if you have specific questions about what types of projects might be suitable.

Jake Plaskett

As an initiative introduced for the first time this year, I am overwhelmed by the great response to the upcoming Careers Insight Evening on Monday 28 October. The keynote address by James Hunter has shown to be the most popular and while some students have been unable to register, students are able to access a similar presentation given by Mr Hunter earlier this year to senior students.  

REGISTRATION:

Please click on the registration link here to register for the career sessions. Please note there are some minor changes to the program:

*Sport and Hospitality has been merged with Sports Coaching and is now referred to as 'Sports Management and Coaching'.

*Police – due to unforeseen circumstances, there will be only 1 session for this career category, at 6.30pm to 7.10pm.

*Business, Accounting and Finance – more spots are now available across all 3 session times.

A full program of events, including individual presenter biographies, is now available. Please click here to access the booklet. Hard copies will be made available on the night.

The Boater Café in the WSA will be open for light snacks and drinks until 7pm. Please do not enter through the Seniors’ Hall as students will be studying.

Signage will be displayed to show the way. I look forward to seeing many students and parents at this major careers event. 

Linda Gomez

Can you run? Can you swim? Why not give Triathlon a go?  

For anyone who has ever wanted to get involved in Triathlon, but didn’t know where to start, Triathlon NSW are running a three day live-in camp with some of the state's best Triathlon coaches, in order to teach the skills required for the sport. It is also timed perfectly for athletes looking for a competitive advantage at the annual NSW All Schools event, held in February 2020 or one of the other many junior events being conducted around NSW.

The camp includes:

• Three day, live-in camp including food and accommodation.
• Mentoring and coaching from some of Australia’s best triathlon coaches.
• Held at Sydney Academy of Sport Narrabeen, utilising their high quality sporting facilities.
• Develop your triathlon skills and enhance your performance at the NSW All Schools Triathlon event.
• Culminating in a fully sanctioned race (included in your registration!) by commercial Race Directors, Mildren Events.

  Please click here for further information or contact Mr Hart if you have any questions about the camp.

Monday 28 October

• Careers Insight Evening. Commences 5.30pm in the WSA Lecture Theatre

Tuesday 29 October

• OKGA Special Event: Tomorrow Man - A Night with the Blokes

Saturday 2 November

• Year 10 Parents' Supper

 Friday 8 November

• Vaccinations. Meningococcal ACWY catch-ups

Thursday 14 to Friday 22 November

• Yearly Examinations 

Friday 15 November

• Knox Christmas Markets. Great Hall. 4pm - 8pm

Thursday 5 December

• Knox Presentation Day. Term 4 Concludes

Students from Knox Grammar School will reprise the School's very first musical, 'Oliver', with a production of the much loved musical in the Knox Junior Academy and Performing Arts Centre from 7-9 November.

The production will be the first major show to take place in the new 750 seat Wenkart Theatre.

Performances
Thursday 7 November 2019, 7.30pm
Friday 8 November 2019, 7.30pm
Saturday 9 November 2019, 7.30pm

Venue
Wenkart Theatre, Junior Academy and Performing Arts Centre, Knox Grammar School, Wahroonga

Tickets
All tickets $35 at www.knox.nsw.edu.au/oliver

The production will feature a cast of 170 students from Years 7 to 12 from Knox Grammar School, Ravenswood School for Girls and Pymble Ladies' College, with a live orchestra and sound and lighting by a student tech crew.

Raising boys in a digital world
An evening with Dr Kristy Goodwin

When: Wednesday 20 November 2019, 6pm-8pm
Where: Wenkart Theatre, Junior Academy and Performing Arts Centre, Senior School
Who: Knox Prep, Wahroonga Prep and Knox Senior School parents of students in Years 5-9

Dr Goodwin will provide practical and effective strategies to ensure your son’s online safety and healthy technology habits.

Please RSVP by 15 November here. For more information, email Amanda Pooley.

Parent seminar - Raising Boys in a Digital World flyer

All welcome to join us for these upcoming events:

• OKGA Special Event: Tomorrow Man - A Night with the Blokes - Tuesday 29 October
• OKGA 2019 Golf Day - Wednesday 30 October

OKGA 2019 Golf Day 
When: Wednesday 30 October 2019, Lunch from 12.30pm; Tee Off 1.30pm 
Where: Avondale Golf Club, Pymble 

All members of the Knox community are warmly invited to participate in the 2019 Annual OKGA Golf Day.

Competitions to be held on the day include Individual Stableford + 2 Ball Team Event, Leavers’ Trophy ‐ Aggregate Four Ball, Father and Son, Mother and Son, Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin.

2019 Golf Day Invite

Please register online here by Friday 18 October. Contact the OKGA Office on 9487 0419 if you have any questions.

OKGA Special Event: Tomorrow Man - A Night with the Blokes
When: Tuesday 29 October 2019, Free BBQ from 6.30pm; Workshop from 7pm 
Where: Senior School Gymnasium, Lawson Centre 

The Old Knox Grammarians Association (OKGA) is delighted to be hosting a special Tomorrow Man event in conjunction with Gus Worland (OKG86), and Gotcha4Life.

Come and join with fellow men of the Knox community for ‘A Night with the Blokes’ - a space for a casual and honest conversation about the current man code and what tomorrow’s man might look like.

Throughout the night, we will explore how we can look after ourselves, our mates and families better while carving out our own version of the Aussie man.

Participants will leave this workshop with a deeper level of understanding and connectedness to their fellow men.

This event is open to all male members of the Knox community together with grandfathers, fathers, sons and brothers (under 16 must be accompanied by an adult male).

2019 OKGA A Night With The Blokes Invite

Register online here by Friday 25 October. 

Contact the OKGA Office on 9487 0419 or email okga@knox.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions.

Cadet Tech takes place every Thursday afternoon from 3.15pm to 5.15pm in R33 and is a student run program.

The focus is making electronic devices for cadets, for fun and for competitions. Everyone who joins is taken through a training program and gets to learn how to put together a variety of electronics projects. We also support cadets in making and maintaining electronics for use in activities, including the CMAPS GPS system.

All boys are welcome to attend.

For further information, please contact Melinda Valent or Emma Douglas.

Kokoda to me was all about the adventure. I wanted to seek out a new challenge that I could try and conquer and help others also conquer it. The hardest part of Kokoda would have had to have been either the memorial on top of Brigade Hill or it would have had to have been Maguli Hill which was a hill that just didn’t stop. Another amazing part of the Kokoda experience was when we were at Deniki village and we were able to sit down and look out and see the Kokoda plains and know we only had to travel a little bit more. Overall, it was an awesome experience being able to spend time with my mates and to be able to make new mates -

Will Schmude

The Kokoda trip, from the city of Port Moresby, to the rough and rugged terrain of the track, the new friendships made and awe-inspiring views, this trip was a life-changing and eye-opening experience for myself and everyone on the trek. It all started off, as all do, with everyone ready to go and curious about the hike ahead, we went down muddy terrain, through rivers fast and slow, and back up and up to the peaks of ridges where we stood among the history of the Australian soldiers and looked ahead into the cloudy Kokoda terrain. The days passed, and we all as a group grew closer to each other and our personal porters, we were tired and sore but kept moving forward, pulling each other along. Towards the end we were fully immersed in the history and the landscape of Papua New Guinea, and our guide Burney had physically shown us the Australian and Japanese assaults and retold stories about events that occurred, with memorials held at important locations on the track. Although as all good things come to an end, we flew back over the mountain ranges looking at what we had just trekked through, to the hotel where we all relaxed and it dawned upon us that we had finished the Kokoda trek -

Jack Hildebrand

We are extremely pleased to announce the Year 10 team, comprising of Dhruv Hariharan, Tony Du, Kevin Park and Oscar Chen (Year 9), were crowned the Senior National Champions of the Global Issues Problem Solving Competition – the highest honour awarded at the annual championships. The team is now invited to represent Australia at the International Championships in 2020 in the USA.

This week at Year Meeting the boys were addressed by Y12 2020 Senior Academic Prefects Oscar Wu and Billy Candrick. They also heard from  James Constable and Luke Schofield (School Vice-Captains) along with Will Bondy, Jack Delaney and Calum Pincott (Leaders of The Tartan Army).

The Tartan Army is an initiative that we believe will bring forward a strong cultural change to Knox. It is all about being involved, supporting your mates and finding a place of belonging at school. Through exciting war cries and strong attendance, I echo the words of Will Bondy, one of our three War Cry Captains, "this initiative will form a brotherhood. I look forward to a large number of year 10's that are excited to sign up and be rewarded for their past involvements in attending Knox Sport".

The boys have been emailed the application form where they can nominate themselves for either War Cry Captain for the cohort or to be part of the War Cry team.

Nick Reynolds - School Captain

On Monday night Oscar Cheal (School Vice-Captain 2019) spent time with the Year 10 boarders to discuss different studying techniques and ways to prepare as they move towards Stage 6 and the Senior Academy. Oscar discussed being efficient with their time, especially in regards to academics, finding out how their brain works (whether its conceptual/creative or logical/systematic) and trying to find the right mix of subjects to suit how their brain operates, how to set goals early to help find motivation for study. He also advised Year 11 is a practice Year 12  and encouraged the boys to try new study techniques for each subject for each term to see what works for them so when they reach Year 12 they have the most efficient study strategy for each subject ready to go.  The boys were very appreciative and have really taken on the shared knowledge from Oscar and are already showing signs of commitment and maturity.