A caring and supportive environment

Last year we introduced the Student Values and Learner Protocols agreement to students. Our intent was to give words to the values, behaviours and characteristics which contribute so effectively to establishing and fostering our positive school environment. A team of students and teachers from across the Senior School reviewed contemporary research and practice in education, that positively influences our learning and social environment. The team feels the selected traits will set a positive standard for meaningful and respectful communication, relationships and engagement between members of the Knox community.

In the coming weeks your son will bring a copy of the agreement home, which includes the Classroom Learner Protocols and School Values to discuss with you and sign. We believe through a shared understanding and commitment to these values, behaviours and traits, our students will benefit individually and contribute positively to the climate and culture of both the classroom and playground.

Each of your son’s teachers will observe and evaluate his demonstration of the protocols, with progress in each standard for each subject, which will be shared with you on a termly basis. Further details will be provided towards the end of Term 1.

Mentors will oversee progression in the standards, and through reflective conversations with your son,  consider areas of strength and opportunities for further development. 

Phil O'Regan

Each week the Head of Stage 4 Boarding, James Norman, sends out a Weekly Boarders' report. With his permission I am sharing part of his message to the boarding community. I think the sentiments expressed apply not just to our boarders but to all Year 7 boys.

‘Grace, space and pace’ is a quote used by the famous car manufacturer Jaguar. It’s a quote that I would like the boys to focus on during Term 1. Our expectations are clear that we expect the boys to show grace and be gracious to each other in our community. To allow each other space and recognise that living and moving about in a large community requires many skills, not the least being to respect others need for space. And very importantly, we expect the boys to demonstrate pace with staff and parents mentoring the boys on this concept. The journey is only just beginning and the boys need to recognise that not every opportunity or challenge is going to show up in the first year.  There will be many opportunities and challenges throughout the year and the boys should focus on enjoying the journey rather than just racing to the end. It is through challenges that boys find out their true potential, develop their skills and deepen their character; Knox staff are here to assist, nurture and guide the Year 7 boys through their educational and developmental journey.

Wayne Inwood

It has been wonderful to see students settle into their normal class routines this week. There is much excitement in the air as the boys explore their new learning areas and get to know one another. 

It is important that the boys begin to get into the habit of using their school diary to record homework and assessment task information. This will become pivotal as classwork begins to increase and assessment dates get closer. It has been pleasing to see boys taking pride in their school uniform and appearance and we look forward to this high standard being continued. 

This week in mentor, the focus was on establishing positive relationships. Students participated in a variety of team building and ‘get to know me’ activities which saw plenty of new conversations arise. Peer Support Leaders from Year 10 were a great asset during these sessions as they passed on their knowledge and experience from Year 7. It is great to see the boys asking lots of questions and engaging positively within the program. 

Over the coming weeks in Year Meetings, the boys will be introduced to key staff responsible for a variety of co-curricular activities. We encourage the boys to make the most of what is on offer at Knox and to try something new that is perhaps slightly out of their comfort zone. As Alex Honnold (American Rock Climber) said, “My comfort zone is like a bubble around me and I have pushed it in many directions, making it bigger and bigger until objectives that seemed totally unachievable, eventually fall within the realm of the possible." Knox provides many opportunities for our students to explore and create and we would like to see our Year 7 students embrace these opportunities to expand their comfort zone bubbles as the year unfolds. 

Lenore Kennedy

After a busy Introduction program, the boys seem to be settling well to the routine at the Senior School and they are gaining more confidence each day in navigating their way around the campus.  As we all begin to settle into the school routine, I would like to take this opportunity to inform you about a couple of housekeeping items that can sometimes be forgotten:

• Students must report to the SAO office in the first instance if they arrive to school late, or need to leave school for any reason.

• Students are reminded about the importance of their School Diaries and to ensure that they bring them to all classes every day.

• If your son is sick and going to be absent, late or have an early departure from school, parents are to advise the SAO office via the Parent Portal.

• A medical certificate is required for absences of three consecutive school days or more. Please email a copy of the medical certificate to me and the original is to be brought to the SAO's office on your son's return to school.

• For all non-medical absences of three days or more, a completed Leave Application is to be submitted no less than a minimum of two weeks prior to the leave taking place.

• Students selected for a school team must play for the team unless they are ill. If a student is unable to play for any reason, he must inform his coach that he is unable to play.

Are your son’s school shoes from last year too small?

The Senior School is continuing to run the program 'School Shoes for the Philippines' this term. 

We will continue to collect school shoes for the children in the poorest communities. Please drop the shoes off to Helen Clarke’s office in Room 15 as we will be sending shoes to Manila mid Term 1. 

Uniform Shop Opening Times Monday through to Friday 12.30pm-5.30pm and Saturday 9am-noon (Terms 1 & 4 only).

Please amend the previously advertised dates of all Year 7 vaccinations for 2020 to reflect the following: 3 March, 6 May and 10 November. 

Doing da Vinci day is coming up fast. All boys in Year 7 are able to be a part of this day. Please register your interest before 13 February. 

A number of boys and parents have been asking about details of the co-curricular activities run at the School. For detailed information please view the Knox Portal - Year 7.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Rebecca Mitchelson, Tel: 9119 0885

I have been honoured to work alongside many of our School's inspiring leaders and thought leaders as we consider how best to communicate your son’s achievement in our termly reports. A literature review was conducted and the team has been inspired by the Chicago Consortium’s Learner Protocols, which outlined some of the most meaningful contributors to students achieving their academic personal best. You may be familiar with the Learner Protocols as we have started using them in our pastoral care programs and as contracts with students at the commencement of 2020 – we are looking to enhance our academic reports and APA to pivot from these contemporary research findings.

If you are interested in participating in one of two focus groups regarding the Learner Protocols, the Knox APA and our Academic Reports, please email me at at your earliest convenience.

Possible dates and times will be sent to interested parents/carers with the aim of meeting sometime next week (Week 3, Monday 10 February – Friday 14 February).

On behalf of the team, I am very excited to consult our parent community to help co-construct reports that are increasingly useful and are underpinned by our Total Fitness and Education for the Future models. 

Jake Plaskett   Director of Studies - Knox Middle Academy 

Welcome! My name is Janelle Charlton and I am the Director of Studies for Years 7 & 8. My role is to support the academic wellbeing of your son. Over the course of the year I will be sharing with you a large amount of information through these newsletters. Please do not hesitate to contact me any time if you have any queries about your son's overall academic progress. Should you have any subject specific queries , I encourage you to contact the subject teacher directly as s/he is usually the best placed person to guide you.

Starting Secondary School

To assist with your son’s transition to secondary school, a number of topics  were explored in classes last week. I encourage parents to revisit these with your son and ask him to explain his understanding of these topics:

1 – Homework is very different to how it was in primary school 

2 – You need to work smart to manage your time well 

3 – Being organised makes life easier

4 – Ask for help often and early 

5 -  Develop the skills you need for success

6-   Look after yourself, your mind and your body

Year 7 Assessment Booklet 

The Year 7 Assessment Booklet is now available. This booklet contains assessment policies, detailed outlines of assessment tasks for every subject as well as an overview of the assessment tasks for the entire year. Please take the time to discuss this document with your son so that he is aware of assessment expectations and requirements. 

Home Learning

Your son is expected to complete as a minimum one hour of home learning each night. During peak times, more time will most likely need to allocated. Home learning = set homework + assessment task preparation + independent learning. This means that if your son has no set homework or assessment tasks to prepare, he should spend the hour reviewing classwork, making study notes or doing wider reading for his subjects.

Academic Assistance

Please encourage your son to attend Study Hub in the JAPAC Lounge. In Term 1 this will run on Tuesdays after school from 3.30pm-4.30pm under the guidance of Mrs Elschen Coetzee. Boys are able to gain assistance with study skills, unpack assessment tasks and complete their homework.

After school Mathematics help is available on Tuesdays in room MO306 and Wednesdays in the Middle Academy Learning Space. The sessions function on a drop-in basis for any length of time between 3.30pm-5.30pm where students from all stages can ask for help with mathematics exercises and problems that they have typically been set in class. Please note these sessions do not run during the last week of each term.

Janelle Charlton

2020 All Schools individual triathlon will be held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith on Wednesday 26 February. Boys will get the bus out to the Regatta Centre from Knox and we will also look after the transport of your bicycle.

Race distances are as follows:

Juniors 12, 13, 14 years         400 m SWIM  10 Km CYCLE  3 Km RUN

Intermediates 15, 16 years    600 m SWIM  15 Km CYCLE  4 Km RUN

Seniors 17, 18, 19 years         750 m SWIM  20 Km CYCLE  5 Km RUN

The cost of $30 per person will be added to school fees. 

If you have any questions, would like to enter or would like to participate in the Triathlon training sessions we run here at school, please contact Mr Hart.

Friday 14 February

Knox at Home

Thursday 27 February

Doing da Vinci day open to all Year 7 students

Monday 2 March

Battle of the Bands - Heats

Tuesday 3 March 

Year 7 Vaccinations

Monday 23 - Friday 27 March

Year 7 Camp

Thursday 9 April

Term 1 concludes

Tuesday 28 April

Term 2 commences

To plan ahead for the year, please refer to the 2020 Term Dates on the Knox website here.

Term 1 concludes 3.15pm on Thursday 9 April 2020.

Following is an introduction to the Oratory Programs offered as an extra-curricular activity for students at Knox across Years 7-12.

Debating

Debating is the largest oratory program run at Knox, with over 150+ students enrolled each year across Years 7-12. It is a fantastic opportunity to learn both public speaking skills, as well as skills in persuasion and rhetoric.

What is a classic week in debating?

1)      Training. Training is the cornerstone of our debating program, and it is run once a week for each year group. Knox Oratory recommends training to all boys who wish to be involved in debating, as it is where they will develop their foundation skills, and learn how to improve week-by-week. Our coaching staff at Knox  is world-class, with all of our coaches having competed at the Australian Intervarsity Debating Championships, and many having come away as Australian and/or World Champions. Indeed Knox Oratory are lucky to have the 2019 World Champion and a 2020 World Grand-Finalist working at Knox as senior coaches. The times for training are listed on the Knox Debating Board (see below).

2)      Knox Debating Cup (KDC). The KDC is the School’s internal friendly debating tournament, and it is run from 6pm-8pm on Wednesday evenings. Boys are able to join teams with their friends, experience competitive debating in a low-stakes, friendly environment, and receive feedback from their coaches after debates. Boys of all skill levels are welcome. Boys who are just starting out in debating get the opportunity to develop their competitive debating skills, and experienced debaters get to compete for the various prizes to be won at the end of each term. Knox Oratory recommends the KDC to all students who wish to practice competitive debating.

3)      Friday Evening Debating. On Fridays in Terms 1, 2 and 3, Knox participates in a variety of interschools debating competitions, including ISDA, FED and CAS. Boys who are experienced in competitive debating will have the opportunity to trial for these teams, and those selected will represent Knox at these tournaments.

Sounds great, where can I find more information? 

1)      The Knox Debating Board. This is the place where Knox Oratory indicates whether each of these programs are on week-to-week, as well as the draw, team lists and results for the Friday Evening Debating competitions. Bookmark this! 

2)      Knox App. Knox Oratory recommends both parents and students download the Knox App and turn on notifications for ‘Debating’. There is also a page with information on our various Oratory programs if you want to learn more about any of our offerings. 

3)      Emails. If you sign up for any of our debating programs, you will be added to a mailing list to receive emails. If you have not been receiving emails after signing up for any of our programs (you should get an email at least once per week), please let us know and we will add you to the list. 

How do I sign-up? 

Each term, boys must register for each our of programs, even if they have done so in previous terms. Here are the links for Term 1, 2020. Parents, please discuss these forms with your sons before completing them.

1)      Training 

2)      Knox Debating Cup

3)      Friday Evening Debating: Boys should speak to their coaches during training sessions.

What else do I need to know?

1)      Attendance. If boys register for one of our programs, they will be added to a roll and expected to attend week-by-week. If for any reason a student is unable to attend a session, we ask that parents please complete an absentee form so we know not to worry.

Mooting and Mock Trial

Mock Trial is a form of organised argument that aims to emulate the drama and tension of a courtroom trial. Participants are either the Prosecution or the Defence, and fill a variety of roles including Barrister, Solicitor and Witness. All trials are based on extremely detailed summaries of cases provided by the Law Council of NSW. Speakers are rewarded for quick thinking, deep knowledge of the law, and aptitude as a public speaker.

Mooting is a simulation of the appeal process. The facts of the case have already been determined, but one party is appealing to have the original decision overturned in their favour. There are only three team members: Senior Counsel, Junior Counsel and Solicitor. The team prepares intensely for the trial, which is held in Term 2 at Bond University on the Gold Coast.

New in 2020: Mooting is open to all students across Years 7-12. Registration will open later in the year, so stay tuned.

Further detail on these programs can be found in the Oratory Handbook, available on the Knox Debating Board by clicking 'View Handbook'.

Looking forward to a fantastic year in debating and public speaking!

Dan Schofield

Coordinator of Oratory Programs

We all are acutely aware of the impact of the drought and the bushfires over the holiday period.

We would like your support for one of the communities, MOGO. Local organisations have mobilised early in the year and have a Facebook page ‘Mobilising for Mogo.’ Importantly the initiative is registered with authorities and data was collected on Mogo families and other community members and a specific list of essential donations was established.  Too many communities received donations which were not needed nor suitable at this stage of the relief effort and hence a list of specific needs was established.

Please see below and bring items to Room 15 (Helen Clarke’s office) or as per the link.

·        Back to school needs – exercise books etc.

·        Tools of trade – many people lost tools which limits how much they can clean up, repair or even work!  NO ELECTRICAL tools please!

·        Gift cards that can be used for petrol (Caltex) food, (IGA)

·        No clothing please!

·        Register here and see the list of specific needs- choose the one you most wish to donate 📌Link:https://signup.com/go/meLEsaM

There will be another list out in a couple of weeks as the next specific shipment is organised.

The Senior School Tuckshops have a number of vacant spots which we are desperate to fill. If you are a new parent or an existing parent, helping out in the tuckshop is very rewarding experience and a great way to meet and socialise with new friends.  

To volunteer, please click on the following links:

Term 1:                https://signup.com/go/TDxCBuJ  

Term 2:                https://signup.com/go/nsosvqa  

Term 3:                https://signup.com/go/NNEATps

Term 4:                https://signup.com/go/OYyUGPj

If you have any questions about volunteering in the tuckshops, please contact Caron Suleyman, Tuckshop Convenor at tuckshop@knox.nsw.edu.au

Each term, Knox holds a Handwriting Course designed to help improve the speed, accuracy and neatness of students’ handwriting, reducing tension and fatigue when writing for long periods of time. In 2020 the classes will be held by Ms Lisa Norton, an occupational therapist, who specialises in the development of skills necessary for handwriting and the remediation of handwriting difficulties.

We are now filling places for our Term 1, 2020 course.

Our course will run on either a Tuesday or Wednesday (or both mornings), starting at 7.30am, once minimum numbers are confirmed.

A minimum of seven students, and a maximum of ten, ensures individual attention. The course costs $300 for seven sessions of 45 minutes. The Introductory 7 week course includes a tub of theraputty, that is designed to improve hand muscle strength and fine motor skills. Availability of places is dependent upon a first come first served basis. All students who miss out on a place in Term 1 will be placed on the waiting list for Term 2, 2020.

Should you be interested in pursuing this option for your son, please contact Rebecca Papageorgiou in the Learning Enhancement Department.

After school mathematics assistance will start from Week 3 and run on the following days. 

Tuesday with Mr Glen Charlier in room MO306     

Wednesday with Ms Clare Keegan-Ward in the Middle Academy Learning Spaces (towards the back of the facility).

The sessions function on a drop-in basis for any length of time between 3.30pm-5.30pm where students from all stages can ask for help with mathematics exercises and problems that they have typically been set in class.

**Please note there will be no assistance group run in the last week of term.

Drama Club commences on Monday 10 February.

Come and join the fun from 3.30pm-5pm in the JAPAC Drama Theatre. 

All welcome!

Any queries to Ms Anderson.