With Yearly Examinations behind them, the Class of 2021 have just two weeks remaining in the Middle Academy. The behaviour and attitude of the boys during their examinations was exceptional. I hope they will now take some time to reflect upon their achievements this year and consider how they can build upon these during their final two years of school. 

There is much planned for Year 10 in the next two weeks. Paul Dillon will be addressing the boys on Monday. If you would like to attend Paul’s parent presentation on Monday night at 6pm in the Great Hall, please remember to register your attendance. Please click the link.

On Tuesday and Wednesday next week, Year 10 will be participating in the Be the Change Agent Challenge with students from Ravenswood. Earlier this week, they were emailed information about their groups and the link to a website with information about the challenge, resources and the program for the two days. Please encourage your son to review the information on the website over the weekend in preparation for these two days.   

During the final week of school Year 10 will attend a talk by Glen Gerreyn on Monday 2 December and attend 'taster sessions' on Tuesday and Wednesday. The taster sessions provide an introduction to the courses the boys have chosen to study in Year 11 2020. They will be issued with a personalised timetable for these two days on Monday 2 December. They should expect to receive some holiday preparation work to complete over the summer. Should your son be absent from school on these days, he will be able to access the work via the Knox Portal. On the final day of term, we will have our Presentation Day assembly. All students will be expected to attend this assembly unless they have had leave from School approved.

Elizabeth Ruff

It has been another enormous week for Year 10, with the academic calendar culminating in their final exam period for 2019. The cohort must be congratulated for the way in which they conducted themselves as a collective, and this was consistent from their first elective exam until their final exam for Wisdom, Life and Faith yesterday. They demonstrated an ability to enter an exam room calmly and silently, to complete a paper with diligence and grit, to sit quietly upon completion and show respect for those peers who continued to work, and to leave in the manner of which they arrived. This will only become more crucial as they enter the Knox Senior School Academy, and it was pleasing to see that we are tracking well in this regard.

This week also saw some significant contributions from our boys in presenting to their peers. Jack MacLean and Austin Swaffer spoke at our Year Meeting about the recent production of 'Oliver!', and the Knox in Concert musical showcase, both of which involved a number of talented Year 10 performers. In Boarding, Jack Craig and Stanley Yeung presented at the Whole of Boarding Meeting on Wednesday night, wrapping up the last term’s events in Stage 5 Boarding and spruiking the amazing work of the Cultural Immersion and Diversity Committee. 

With two weeks remaining, there is still a great deal to accomplish, and the boys are reminded to be diligent in checking their emails for communication and information about changes to their timetable. 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

Exams are over! - but its not quite time to relax just yet.

It was great to be able to attend the Knox Christmas Markets last week and I went home with another addition to my Christmas decorations. Thank you to the Knox Parents' Association for the wonderful evening and the opportunity to get ahead on the Christmas gift shopping.

2020 Campion Text Book Orders: Campion Books has advised to hold off ordering text books until students in Years 8 to 11 receive their 2020 English and Mathematics Class Placements after Monday 2 December. If you have already placed your order this can be easily changed by contacting Campion on 02 8905 8691 after Monday 2 December when the 2020 Class Placements will finalised. Campion will not apply any late ordering fees to Knox Students.

Rene Sun and Gus Vardy will be attending the All Schools State Tennis Championships over the weekend and into next week. Good luck, gentlemen.

I would like to acknowledge the great work done by the eight Social Justice members from Y10 with their fundraising efforts for the  World Vision 40 Hour Famine Backpack Challenge. The following students raised the largest amount of the teams, an incredible $2,161.79. The boys were Tom Johnston, Hamish Chan, Samuel Druce,  Cameron Gee, Ben Firth, Rudy Harricks, Seb Henriksen and Alex Zhu.  

Year 10 students Joshua Pritchard and Matthew Taylor competed in the drumming sections of the NSW State Solo Championships held at Scots College on Sunday 17 November. Both performed to a high standard. Matthew Taylor placed first in C Grade 2/4 MSR in snare drumming and Joshua Pritchard placed third in the D Grade 2/4 March. Congratulations, gentlemen.

As we continue to settle into the new Year 7-10 Locker Facility, please click here to see an updated map of the Knox Senior School campus.

Debra Barnard Tel: 9119 0883

 The 1sts and 2nds Basketball will be playing their last home game versus Barker for this season this Saturday in the Great Hall from 10am.

This will be a massive game for both teams, as they look to close out the term on a win. All Tartan Army members are required to attend if they do not have a clash with their own Saturday sport commitments, and we are looking to get the stands out to accommodate for a crowd.

Whether you are in the Tartan Army or not, we would love to see you down there and supporting the boys on the floor. This will be the Tartan Army's debut versus Barker so let's make a good impression! Can't wait to see you all there.

Nick Reynolds  School Captain

Monday 25 November

• Paul Dillon Student Presentation Periods 4 and 5

• Paul Dillon Parent Presentation Great Hall 6pm

Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 November

• Be the Change Agent. Great Hall

Friday 29 November

• Ride for Richter 3.30pm-6.30pm

• Boarders' Christmas Carol Service and Banquet

Saturday 30 November

• Knox in Concert

Thursday 5 December

• Presentation Day

• Term 4 2019 concludes

Monday 23 December

• Knox Christmas Carol Service. Knox Chapel. 8pm. All welcome

Tuesday 28 January 2020

• Year 7 2020, Y11 peer support students, all new students Year 8-11 commence

Wednesday 29 January 2020

• Term 1 2020 commences for all students

On Friday 29 November Year 12 have organised a fundraiser to support one of their peers. The fundraiser is 'Ride for Richter' and this event will run from 3.30pm–6.30pm. Alex Richter (Y12) was injured in a mountain biking accident in the holidays. This fundraiser is to raise money for the Richter family for medical costs and day-to-day requirements.

Everything will be $2.00 – there will be rides, sausage sandwiches, cake stalls and snow cones!

Below is a link where boys can sign up to ride a stationary bike for 20mins. In signing up, they are committing to gaining sponsorship where all money will go to support the Richter family.

Please bring cash on the day and hand it to Mrs Cherry (Y12 SAO) or Ms Smith (Y9 SAO) or donate the funds through the Knox Portal > Quick Links > Online Payments > Other School Activities > Support the Richters.

Please support this event and sign up here!

In Term 4 the Honour Awards are presented to students Years 7 – 10.

The award entitles the student to have embroidery added to the bottom right pocket of the School blazer. Please note: this can only be organised through the Knox Uniform Shop. To facilitate this please note the following;

1. The list of Honour Awards and Colours will be on display on the Breezeway notice board under the McKenzie Building from Monday 25 November. It is the responsibility of the student to find out if they have received an award. Academic Awards will be on display towards the end of the last week of Term.

2. If students have any queries regarding the Awards, please direct all enquiries to Head of Activity involved immediately, all queries must be raised before Thursday 28 November as queries after this date will not be considered.

3. A member of staff from the Uniform Shop will be in the Lawson Centre at recess and lunchtime from Monday 2 December until Wednesday 4 December for students to confirm and sign off the awards presented.

4. A blazer submission form MUST be completed and signed by the parent and handed in with the blazer after Presentation Day or last day of attendance. Without the completed form the embroidery will not be done.

5. After Presentation Day, members of staff from the Uniform Shop will be in the Lawson Centre to receive the blazers. Your son must put the submission form in the top pocket of the blazer and put on a hanger on the rail.

6. The last day for handing in the blazers is Friday 6 December at 1pm. Any blazers received after this time will not be accepted with the next opportunity to have embroidery done will be at the end of Term 4, 2020.

7. Please note the Uniform Shop will close at 2.30pm on the last day of term.

8. The embroidery will be done over the holidays and blazers will be available for collection from Friday 24 January from the Uniform Shop. If they are ready earlier, a notification will be sent via the Knox app.

.    All embroidery will be charged to the student school account unless otherwise stipulated on the submission form. It is not compulsory to have the embroidery done but must be organised through the Uniform Shop and not through an independent embroiderer.

Its not too late- the Mo's are looking very lush - with staff right across Knox participating in Movember and with the end of the month fast approaching it’s time to take a stand for men’s mental health, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Click here to sponsor the various staff who are growing Mo’s for this very worthy cause!!

Both the food donations and gifts are coming in and it is very much appreciated! With less than two weeks to go for the boys please note we will be accepting donations right up until the end of term. Following are some Christmas suggestions. Donations can be brought in to your SAO or Mrs Clarke’s office (Room 15). Donations will be taken into Wesley Mission in the city for distribution in early December. Thank you for your support and generosity.

Suggested items:

Tinned ham and/or turkey

Tea/Coffee/Milo/hot chocolate/Nesquik

Christmas pudding/fruit cake and/or mince pies

Long-life custard/cream

Canned fruit

Lollies (jellies are great as chocolate melts) 

Savoury snacks (pretzels/chips- no nuts please)

Table trimmings such as Christmas bonbons

Dear Parents

Please find information regarding tour opportunities for Year 11 students in 2020.

Kokoda trip

Information was advertised and applications have been taken for this trip.

Cambodia and Vietnam Cultural Experience

The Cambodia and Vietnam Cultural Experience will be conducted with Ravenswood in July. This is a service and cultural program. The cost will be approximately $5,200. An information evening will be held at Ravenswood on Tuesday 26 November at 6pm. Mr Duncan Stedman is the Knox contact for this trip as well as the Borneo trip. 

New Zealand Geography

The New Zealand Geography trip will be held in the October school holidays to Geography students. The approximate cost of this trip is $4,500.  Mr Richard Crighton is the contact for information. An information evening will be held on Monday 2 December at 6pm in the KCC Auditorium.

Borneo Trip

The Borneo trip will again be held in December. The approximate cost of this trip is $5,500. An information evening for this trip will be held in Term 1 2020 at which time students and staff from this year’s trip will be present to discuss their experiences.

There are other trips available to the boys, some of which are by invitation, such as the French Languages trip in April to New Caledonia, NASA trip (senior students) in December, History tour to Europe, Cricket tour to the UK in July and the Tennis tour to the USA in October. Information regarding these trips will come through individual departments.

Finally, there will be sports camps and local/interstate tours as well and students should check with the Directors of their chosen sports for details.

Chuck Ardron 

The Annual Sony Foundation ABBOX of Fun CAMP for Children with Special Needs – Food / Baking Donations needed.

This year marks the 12th annual ABBOX Camp - the Sony Foundation Holiday Camp for Children with special needs from Friday 6 December to Tuesday 10 December. The camp offers a much needed break for families and a fun time for the children. The ‘campers’ are cared for by Knox and Abbotsleigh Year 12 student volunteers and staff.

Parents are needed to help with the many morning and afternoon teas supplied during the camp. No nuts please, and gluten free options are also requested. Fruit, cupcakes, biscuits, slices, dips etc. (please list ingredients) are also requested for those children attending the camp who may have any dietary requirements. Please click here to register to help.

Last week our Year 10 Boarders moved into the Gillespie Heritage House in preparation for Stage 6 and their final stages of boarding at Knox. With that said we bid farewell with much thanks and gratitude to James Maloney, Head of Stage 5 Boarding. For the last two years Mr Maloney has been a wonderful support to the boys (and staff), a shoulder to lean on, always ready with a smile and helping hand in any capacity. Last weekend as the last time together the Year 10 boarders enjoyed dinner out at Jai Ho restaurant. I am sure the boys will miss Mr Maloney and thank him for everything over the last two years.

On Wednesday this week the following six students; Tony Du, Tom Goddard, Dhruv Hariharan, James Jiang, James Sun and David Wang (Y9) accompanied by

Mrs Karen Yager (Deputy Headmaster of Students & Teacher Excellence K-12), in attending the ASEAN Youth Forum in the city.

There were schools representing every state in Australia and schools participating virtually from New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.