It has been four days without the boys and, to be honest, it feels like four months. The quiet locker room, the empty Seniors' Hall, the lack of activity around the place is all very strange. Although we wish things were different, I’m determined to follow our Headmaster’s lead and find the positives! Many teachers have found that the boys are working really well and it is pleasing to see some submitting more work than normal. Of course, there are some boys who are feeling a bit lost and we will be communicating with teachers, mentors and you as parents as best we can, to make contact with these boys and encourage them to persevere. With a new assessment schedule coming out soon and parent/teacher conferences over the next couple of weeks, hopefully the boys feel that it is business as usual as far as the academics are concerned.

It is important as parents and teachers that we send the right message to the boys. Although this is causing immense frustration and disruption to our daily lives, it will end and that we will get through this. The boys will be fine, they will get back to school and enjoy graduation when this is all over. Sometimes our own worries about the future, our job security, the HSC, the boys' school experience is far worse than what the boys are feeling and they need us to try to manage our own anxieties for them to thrive. Try to view the positives. As a year group, they have already enjoyed many special events together and there are many more special moments later in the year.  Some events can be postponed, even 18th birthday parties can be celebrated at a later date. The HSC is going ahead as planned and the priority at the moment is to continue to work towards preparing the boys for this.

As a family, there is a lot more time to spend together and this can be viewed as a really special time, as before long, these young men will branch out on their own. It is time to come together as a family, a school and a community and find opportunities to appreciate the little things.

As a Year 12 Team, we will continue to keep the boys updated with any developments. We will send video messages and encourage the boys to maintain their connections with each other whilst remaining socially distant. This doesn’t mean they need to be emotionally isolated! They need to keep checking in with their teachers and their friends. They can send us updates, continue to engage in social learning with the tools they have and we can all look forward to the day we come together again.

Best wishes for the weekend.

Beth Goddard

This week we received confirmation from NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) that the Higher School Certificate (HSC) is going ahead in 2020. This announcement means our boys can continue the incredible work they are doing in the online environment with some clarity as to what lies ahead.

Furthermore, NESA are committed to providing clear and regular advice to the community about the HSC as the COVID-19 outbreak continues. We will keep all Year 12 families updated whenever announcements are made by NESA.

The University Admissions Centre (UAC) released a statement this week committing to ensuring their core services remain open. Furthermore, the 2020/21 UAC Guide is now available.

Today we released information to students about assessments. In summary:
• All assessments that were postponed this term have been rescheduled. An updated assessment chart is now on the Year 12 portal.

• Assessments originally scheduled for Term 2 will proceed on the dates as per the assessment schedule. Modifications to tasks may be required, for example in an online environment an in class task may have to become a hand-in submission. If changes are required the students will receive enough notification to ensure equity for everyone.

Again, we commend the boys on the tenacity they are showing with their work. If anyone has questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Andrew Weeding and Greg Nunan

Last week, all of Year 12 were emailed instructions on how to register for the Knox Careers Hub. This Careers Hub is a new platform and has replaced the Careers Page since the beginning of 2020. The site requires students and parents to create a membership / registration in order to access the full resources available on this site, including messages and announcements that I post. Moving to remote learning means that communication from me about courses, career newsletters, early entry schemes and university pathways will be mostly via this source hence the importance for every student and parent to register.

Here is 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.

Changes to university applications, early entry schemes and scholarships will soon be announced and these announcements will be posted on the Careers Hub. I encourage you all to keep checking the site for important messages and updates. There are a number of important messages already posted that are relevant for Year 12.

Career Seminars and Lunchtime Presentations 

There are changes to the career seminars and events posted in previous newsletters. I am working closely with external organisations to reorganise these career events and deliver them using Zoom. Once organised, they will be added to the school calendar and students will then be sent a meeting invite from me to join the Zoom meeting for that career event. Students are most welcome to join any meeting invite for a career seminar they wish to listen to.

Career Meetings and Appointments

I am available to provide students with career guidance, advice, and support via email as well as through video conferencing. To organise a Zoom meeting / appointment with me, students can simply email me their preferred day and time and I will then send them a Zoom meeting invite.

I look forward to working with you in this new learning environment.

Linda Gomez

Our students have made an excellent transition to the online learning environment. This opportunity to adapt and embrace these new challenges is a great exercise in building resilience for our young men, and it is likely that most of the them will manage this time well. The Wellbeing team is committed to providing a series of information videos and written material for both  boys and parents, to provide extra support during this time. The following are the videos that have been sent to students this week:

Getting remote counselling

Link to Mindset video

If there are boys that would like extra support, we are able to offer scheduled counselling sessions via Google Hangout. These can be arranged by phoning 9119 0828 or emailing the team here.

Melinda Price, Senior School Clinical Psychologist - Year 12

Friday 3 April

Term 1 concludes

Friday 10 April

Good Friday

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