The Class of 2021 have made the symbolic transition to become the new leaders of Knox Grammar School. This seamless changeover was marked with a number of important events during Week 1. This week of ‘firsts’ for this outstanding cohort was a pleasure to witness and they are to be commended for their mature and measured approach from their opening Chapel Service through to the Year 12 Retreat culminating on Friday afternoon.

Wednesday was a particularly special day for the boys with the official presentation of their Senior Ties. The Prefect Presentation was also stunning, with many inspiring words from members of the School Executive and the Reverends before the newly appointed Prefect Body of 2021 was officially inducted through the completion of the Leadership Oath. The Class of 2021 was then addressed by Mr James as he expanded on the new responsibilities bestowed upon the year group and the standards that must be set as they lead Knox into its next chapter. We are all very excited to be working with this fantastic collection of young men over the next 12 months.

The Year 12 Retreat was an overwhelming success affording all students the opportunity to immerse themselves in three sessions across Thursday and Friday. The focus on setting the foundation for their HSC journey with academic self care and preparation for the year ahead, a wellbeing seminar and workshop hosted by Man Anchor and a final session on The Importance of Purpose, Trust and Wellbeing in Establishing Sound Leadership/Culture. The combination of presentations, workshops and activities allowed the boys to engage with peers, student leaders, mentors, external providers and multiple members of the Stage 6 Team. A number of the key themes relating to Academic Self-Care will be central to the Mentor Program for Term 4 and will provide the boys with very practical and relevant strategies that can be utilised well beyond the end of Year 12.

This first term of Year 12 will be new and exciting, at times stressful and not without its challenges; and that is just for the parents! In order to best prepare for the year ahead, please access the link for the Year 12 Parent Information Presentation.

We are all in this together, so please reach out to your son’s mentor or a member of the Stage 6 Team if you have any questions or queries.

James Stubbs-Mills

Welcome back to school and welcome to Year 12! It's been fantastic to see all the boys and catch up on their news from the holiday break.

Echoing the words from Mr Stubbs-Mills, what an exciting week it has been! The cohort have hit the ground running and Year 12 thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of coming to school wearing their 'civvies' for the day.

I note the boys proudly wearing their newly embroidered blazers - congratulations to the Academic Award winners announced on the last day of last term. On the back of this can I please request all new items are clearly labelled, especially our new senior and prefect ties, so we can return them to their rightful owner should they become separated.

Please check for an email this afternoon from Fiona Billington with details and the link to book your son's KAI meeting.

Finally, I thought I would share with you the following interesting article by Murre Gonday: 

They brought balloons to a school. One was given to every student, who had to inflate it, write their name on it and throw it in the hallway. The professors then mixed all the balloons. The students were given five minutes to find their own balloon. Despite a hectic search, no one found their balloon. At that point the professors told the students to take the first balloon that they found and hand it to the person whose name was written on it.

Within five minutes everyone had their own balloon. The professors said to the students, "These balloons are like happiness. We will never find it if everyone is looking for their own. But if we care about other people's happiness ... we'll find ours too."

Have a great weekend.

Debra Barnard  

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

Monday 19 October 

• CRU and Faith & Spirituality Portfolio lunch. Room 24. Sausages, drinks and games will be supplied. All welcome

• Parent HSC (2021) Information session. Click here to access the video

Tuesday 20 October to Wednesday 11 November inclusive

• HSC Exams for Y12 2020

Monday 9 to Sunday 15 November 

• National Recycling Week

Wednesday 11 November 

• OKGA Remembrance Service

Thursday 3 December 

• Term 4 Concludes. Presentation Day

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

CRU and the newly elected Faith & Spirituality Portfolio team are providing a 'Welcome to Term 4' sausage sizzle lunch. Guest speaker Ben Feather (OKGA16) will also be coming along.

When: Monday 19 October

Where: Room 24 (Main building)

Sausage sizzle, drinks and games will be provided. Please come along and bring your friends. See you there!

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.

On Wednesday the Year 12 2021 Prefect Induction Ceremony was conducted by Rev Peter Robinson and Rev Tim Robinson. In attendance were Headmaster Scott James, Deputy Headmasters Phil O'Regan and Karen Yager, and the Stage 6 Academy team of Andrew Weeding, Greg Nunan, and Sam White. The young men recited the Leadership Oath for their positions and were presented with their black prefect tie and boater bands to wear proudly.

Congratulations to these 60 outstanding young men.