Most of the boys have had their first lot of assessments and once again they need to be credited for their collaboration and cohesion. It has been fantastic to speak with those boys who are starting their major works – this requires such dedication and I know they will be ably supported by their teachers and the relevant tech support staff. I can’t wait to see the final products! 

Mr Weeding spoke with the boys this week about the need to finish the year well but also to appreciate everything that Year 12 offers. It is easy to become absorbed by the pace of Year 12 but it is equally important for the boys to reflect on their progress and to check in with their friends and family. I know many of the boys are beginning to explore their options for the end of next year and in Term 1 2020, Schoolies Unearthed will be presenting to the boys about alternatives to the typical post-school celebrations. Information can be found here for those interested here and on the Schoolies Unearthed site .

We received positive news this week as Alex Richter is now out of ICU and is beginning his rehabilitation process. Alex is gaining strength and mobility in his shoulders, arms and wrists and is enjoying using an electric wheelchair for short visits outside. Most importantly, his attitude has remained positive; cherishing the milestones in a resilient way. The 'Ride for Richter' fundraiser next Friday will highlight the strength of the Knox community to support one of our young men and his family. The boys are encouraged to sign up to ride on the spin bikes in support of Alex – thank you to Josh Gray for organising the times and setting up this link.

Congratulations to Josh Chen and Micah Zhou who have been chosen as interns for the Sydney University Model United Nations Conference in early December.

Have a great weekend!

Duncan Stedman

Robin Cherry 9119 0884

The 1sts and 2nds Basketball will be playing their last home game versus Barker for this season this Saturday in the Great Hall at 10am (2nds) and 11.15 am (1sts). 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.

Warm Regards,

Nick Reynolds

Procrastination and perfectionism

The mentor program focus for this fortnight has been on managing procrastination, perfectionism and effective problem - solving. This week will focus on managing procrastination and perfectionism. Effective problem-solving will be addressed in next week’s newsletter.

Procrastination was defined and discussed as a form of work avoidance that comes with negative consequences: increased stress levels and less time to get the task done well, potentially sabotaging positive outcomes. Following on from the modules on managing stress – related thoughts, the boys were encouraged to think about the thoughts that they experience when they find themselves procrastinating. Common thinking ‘errors’ related to procrastination were outlined, such as “I have plenty of time”; “It won’t take that long”; “I am not in the right mood”; “I work better under pressure”.

Perfectionism was also defined as the tendency to be displeased with anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards. Common thinking ‘errors’ related to perfectionism were outlined, including “If it’s not perfect, I won’t be happy with myself’; “I always have to do my best”;

“Failure is unacceptable” (where failure = marks less than 90%). Students were reminded that unhelpful thoughts such as these have a direct impact on their emotions and their behaviour.

Students were encouraged to challenge examples of unhelpful perfectionist and procrastination – related thoughts using the Thought Challenging tool from the last module. This allowed the boys to generate more helpful thoughts, such as “Will I ever feel in the right mood?”; and “What’s the worst that would happen if I started on the work now?”.

While managing thoughts is critical in managing procrastination and perfectionism, managing behaviour is equally important. Using our model of perfectionism and procrastination as forms of work avoidance, it helps to keep in mind that avoidance is not helpful in managing difficult (or scary!) tasks. We must face our fears or challenges – even if it is in small steps. With that in mind, the following ideas were suggested and discussed:

• Study grazing – graze on the study, a bit like a cow. The idea is that you start by studying for 10 minutes at a time. Then have a short break, then study for 10 mins, then have another break. This will help you to get started with studying.
• Use other people – it can be helpful to study with a peer - make use of the Seniors’ Centre.  Otherwise, enlist a parent or sibling to help keep you on track – ask them to come and check on you regularly to make sure you are studying.
• Writing drafts – it can be helpful to start working on a draft. A draft is a draft and not meant to be perfect.
• Allocate realistic time frames – allocate the right proportion of time to the task at hand. Although it might be easier to work on a task worth 5%, it is better to spend most of your time on a task that weighs 25%. If you are perfectionist, this might mean accepting lower standards on some smaller, less important tasks.
• Make a list and break down tasks – make a list of tasks that need to be done. Then break through the tasks slowly, one by one. Mark them off as you complete them. This helps you to feel less overwhelmed.
• Use rewards – you can use rewards to entice you to work. E.g., study for an hour then watch a favorite tv show.
• Commit to studying at a set time – use your timetable to commit to a time to study and then DO IT! Set a time to go to the library if that helps.

Students were encouraged to share their own ideas about helpful behaviors. Other ideas include minimising distractions – e.g. locking phones away for set times; using self-control Apps on the computer to limit access to YouTube or other potential distractions.

A great resource for managing procrastination can be found here:

Please continue to talk with your son about the Mentor program content, and if you would like further detail, or have questions or comments please email.

Melinda Price - Senior School Clinical Psychologist – Year 12

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 stall 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!

Industrial Evolution is open Saturday 9am-2pm. This will be the last weekend that you can catch the incredible works of Jasper Knight curated by the Knox Young Curators. The show will remain open Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm until Friday the 29 November.

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