It was a week of reflection in Year 11 this week, and the overall mood of the year group shifted to one of optimism and support. Our Year Meeting this week saw Mr Stubbs-Mills reiterate the nature and stages of grief. He spoke of the different stages of the emotion, and the varying ways of dealing and working through it. He stressed once again that our boys are unique, and so the coping strategies and means of processing grief are also individualised. Some helpful strategies were shared as well as a reiteration of the support avenues available to our boys.

The information was timely, as yesterday was the memorial for Robbie Ferguson. It was a beautiful farewell, and our thoughts are once again with his family, friends and the School community. 

In academic news, the Year 12 cohort started their trials this week, and we had a number of Year 11 boys stepping up for their first dress rehearsal leading into the HSC. These boys were entitled to a day of ‘stuvac’ in the lead-up, and chose to either stay at home and hit the books, or nestle into the WSA for the day. Good luck to those boys sitting the Mathematics Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1, and Studies of Religion 1 papers during the next two weeks. 

This weekend sees the majority of Year 11 without a formal sport option, as the winter sport has come to an end and summer sport choices are still being finalised. Boys are encouraged to enjoy the weekend of respite, but to ensure they find some time for a little exercise and to elevate the heart rate in an effort to improve wellbeing. 

Mr Stubbs-Mills and myself are wishing everyone a great weekend. Please be sure 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 has been a very emotional week for the Class of 2021 and staff alike as we said farewell to Robbie. 'Thank you' is simply not enough to express the appreciation of how everyone feels in support of each other - but 'Thank you'.

Next week is the last week before the Yearly Exams commence on Tuesday 1 September. Please diarise that Monday 31 August is a designated study day for the cohort and no Year 11 students will attend school. Exams run from Tuesday 1 to Monday 14 September inclusive. Please ensure you have access to the Leave Form and Illness Misadventure Form should your son be absent from an exam either the day prior, or the day of, the exam. I would greatly appreciate your assistance in advising absences of your son no later than 9am.

Students have the option to only attend school for their exam, however should they like to come to school to study the McKenzie Library will be closed to all other students for Weeks 7 and 8 to allow Year 11 to have a dedicated space for study during the school day (with the exception of recess, lunch and after school).

If your son attends school just to study only, he may wear smart casual clothes; thongs or tank tops are not deemed acceptable. Should your son have an exam that day as well as to study, he must wear full school uniform.

On arrival to campus all students must come through the Senior Academy to have their temperature taken and swipe their ID card or phone to register attendance on campus, and will be directed from there. Please contact me if you require any further clarification.

Debra Barnard

With the Yearly Examinations now in sight, we are encouraging the boys to use their ‘Skills of Accomplishment’ workbooks completed in mentor time and associated skills to prepare in advance of their final assessments. Success will come via good management and should never come down to good luck. The support on offer is extensive at Knox so boys should look towards their teachers and mentors along with Old Boy coaches not only leading up to Week 7 but during the examination period. The boys will also have access to the McKenzie Library during the day and Seniors’ Hall in the afternoon and evenings.

Next Tuesday at Year Meeting we will speak to the boys about the procedures for the next two weeks. The boys will be introduced to Mrs Nicole Hayman and Mrs Michelle Bittle, who are the Presiding Officers during the exam period. The Examination Code of Conduct is here and posted on the portal. It is hoped the boys will look over this prior to Year Meeting. We also spoke to the boys about the procedures, especially in light of changes made due to COVID-19 restrictions. A summary of the routine on each exam day will be outlined in next week’s newsletter.

These exams will provide the boys a benchmark as to where they are currently positioned as they move into their HSC year and will enable every student to work out what needs to be done to continue to improve in each of their subjects in preparation for the start of Year 12.

Andrew Weeding and Greg Nunan

For information regarding all offered co-curriculars for week 6 please click here or contact the staff member in charge. Also please note that changes may occur at short notice due to Government and Health Department requirements.

Chuck Ardron

Students from Years 10 to 12 and their parents were invited to attend the first online Knox Careers event held on Friday 10 August. Focusing on the business industry, our guest presenters were three Knox Old Boys who spoke about their career journeys. In a one hour Zoom session, Rob Kellaway (OKG87), Lex Pedersen (OKG94) and Mat Hildebrand (OKG18) shared stories and practical tips with students who are contemplating a degree or career in business.

Rob, a Chartered Accountant and Principal of a boutique professional services firm, Kellaway Cridland, opened the session with a 15-minute overview of his experience; first at KPMG, then running a retail business in Westfield before setting up his own firm as a trusted accountant and advisor to the leaders and owners of a wide range of businesses.

Lex, an entrepreneur currently managing four of his own businesses including PeriscoPe Digital and Chrome Temple, is the well-known founder of SurfStitch. Combining 'passion' with career was the common theme of his presentation.

To close out the session, Mat, a second-year student studying the Accounting Co-op Course at Macquarie University, gave a brief outline of the course he is studying and shared some practical tips on what students can do now to lay solid foundations for their future careers, including making the most of the extra-curricular activities available at Knox.  

All three presenters agreed on the importance of building and maintaining relationships, by taking a genuine interest in other people and keeping in contact with and nurturing networks.  

A hugely successful night, one 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. Please click here to access the recording.

Knox Careers Hub

Information about courses, careers and university pathways will be via the Careers Hub so it is important for every student to register. Parents are most welcome to register to the Knox Careers Hub as well.

Click here for the direct link to create a membership. The Careers Hub is also accessible via the Knox Portal, under Senior School.  To register:

• Fill in the details (your name and email address)
• Enter the school code -  KNOX20
• Create a password
• Complete the remainder of the form to create a profile / account

Once students have registered, they will have full access to the Knox Careers Hub with all newsletters, guides, and career information available. Important messages for specific year groups is available through the message board, including the links to the Zoom career presentations and Virtual Careers Expo.

It is important for Year 11 to keep themselves up to date with information and to be informed about the various options available to them. I encourage students to contact me via email for career guidance, advice, and support.

Linda Gomez

Monday 31 August

• Year 11 Study Day - students do not attend School

Tuesday 1 September to Monday 14 September 

• Yearly Exams. Exam timetable can also be accessed on the Portal. Students attend school for exams only

Friday 25 September 

• Term 3 Concludes

The Knox Table Tennis Internal Championship took place last Saturday and it was held successfully. The boys did ladder challenge games to define their starting position in the 8-player knockout games. In my opinion, every stage of the knockout was like playing on a 'knife’s edge' - any match lost meant the end to have a chance to be the winner and it was this that made the championship so exciting. All eight boys in Group 1 are truly the top players at Knox. Each game played amongst them was highly intensive. It was the most competitive internal competition that we ever had at Knox.

After more than one hour of hard battle, the champion of the winter season in Table Tennis is James Tighe. James successfully defended his championship title holding it for the second consecutive year. James has spent endless hours training throughout the season at school and at home and has set an excellent example of what it takes to be your best. Well done!

Besides the championships in Group 1, there were six other eight-player knockout games. All boys played their games rather seriously, enjoying a big competition day with the following results:

• First place: James Tighe
• Second place: Adrian Lam
• Third place: Tom Johnston
• Fourth place: Lawrence Huang
• Fifth place: Will Tighe (c)

Amy Chen - Head Coach Table Tennis

Congratulations to the Knox 1sts XI Football Team - claiming the title of undefeated CAS Premiers with a 2-1 win against Barker College this morning. Well done to the boys and their coaches!

Congratulations to the following students on their finals of the Debating competition this week.

The team consisted of Sam Druce and Dhruv Hariharan from Year 11, Oliver Weeding, Will Choi (c), Will Fernandez and Allen Chen from Year 12.