In a world that increasingly asks us to move faster, the idea that what you actually need to do every now and then is stop seems counterproductive.

Constantly on our smartphones, checking emails, replying to messages, checking social media, we find ourselves good at being preoccupied. We live in a society that is so fast-paced and in a culture where our “work” follows us constantly as we can access emails and messages 24/7 on our hand-held devices. As a result we find ourselves in a state of “continuous partial attention” – rarely stopping, never fully present. For many of us, it is so easy to lose the art of being aware of what is around us as we are constantly lost in what is ahead of us.

This fast-paced world and its ever-changing technology also raises the concern that our youth are growing up with too many conveniences and instant gratification.

Our students today are navigating life and relationships in a world primarily composed of red and green - stop and go - with no time for yellow, the “pause”. In a fast-paced society that expects immediate feedback and gratification, the challenge for our young people to “pause” and think before acting becomes understandably difficult.

Fifteen years ago, before the advent of social media, the “pause” allowed students to rethink their actions and tear up a hate-filled note they wrote to a peer the night before. The “pause” often prevented the negative consequences that accompany intense emotions. Now, without the “pause”, students type a hate-filled text and press send. A text cannot be torn up, and the ramifications are often immediate. The “pause” has been hijacked by social media and texting.

I believe that knowing when to engage is just as important as knowing when to disengage. Every now and then it pays to pause and reflect. Unfortunately, many young people have not been taught how to do this.

One of the first steps to making a good decision is to “pause” and think calmly about our options. Unfortunately, when we are upset, worried, frustrated or angry, our brains are responding emotionally, not rationally … this means our young people will respond emotionally … not rationally.

Of course the first way to teach children self-control is to model it. Children of any age are watching and learning from adults all the time, so thinking calmly, self-awareness and regulating our own emotions and behaviours is important. We can only encourage and develop effective self-control skills in our children if we are demonstrating the same skills. Teaching our children to express their feelings, listening to them, being non-judgmental and respecting their feelings also increases their skills in self-control. The word ‘PAUSE’ can also be a verbal reminder that they need to calm their body so that they can make a better choice.

Regardless of how old we are, learning effective ways to manage anger and other low moods is beneficial to everyone. We must always remember that it’s important to model the behaviour we want from our children.

Scott James

This week in Academy Assembly I shared with the boys a number of key points about the culture a Knox student builds through their everyday actions. Each of these points may appear operational at first glance but when undertaken consistently and in aggregation builds and reinforces the Knox culture. As education is a relational process involving students, teachers and parents the values and messages promoted at home should align and support the school values and traditions.

Below is a link for parents on presentations about how to navigate as a parent the Knox Digital Landscape and about the School’s Co-Curricular Program on offer as well as information about the Performing Arts Programs. I encourage all parents, at your own time through the upcoming week, to review each of these short visual presentations.

Click here for the Year 7 video. Password: Year7

Wayne Inwood

The boys have made it through their first full week of school - and they are thriving! It has been incredibly pleasing to see the Year Group settle quickly into the routines and adjust to the busy nature of life at Knox. Particularly impressive was their excitement about becoming more acquainted with the variety of new subjects, meeting their teachers and understanding the different requirements of each day. As they continue to find their feet, please encourage your sons to embrace new things with positivity and to remember that no question is a silly question!

Today, the boys participated in House Activity Day, where they enthusiastically took part in Tug-of-War, Relays, Tunnel-ball, as well as a variety of other activities. Ms Raymond and I were so impressed by the eagerness of the boys to participate, make new friends, working together to earn points for their Houses and giving their best efforts in all the events. Regardless of the results on the day, the spirit with which the boys approached the activities was superb, and reflective of the values we hope to instill in them as they grow as young men during the next six years.

In Year Meeting and Mentor lessons this week, we have discussed with the boys the importance of embracing the vast opportunities that Knox provides, challenging them to be courageous in these early days of high school. Being one of the core values of Knox, courage is something inherent to the fabric of ‘Black and Blue’. Courage comes in many forms: trying a new sport, asking for help when it is needed, introducing yourself to the boy sitting on his own at lunch and inviting him to have a chat, to name just a few. Please feel free to watch this video about Knox’s official value of ‘Courage’.

We also shared our first Junior Academy Assembly with Year 8 this week, the Headmaster, Mr James, congratulated the boys on their fine start to the School year and wished them well for their first round of CAS sport this weekend. As well as Mr James, our School Captain, Dom Goddard, emphasised the importance of respecting our shared spaces and demonstrating gratitude through positive behavioural choices.

Ms Raymond and I look forward to seeing your sons continue to flourish in the coming weeks and months as they overcome challenges through courageous behaviour.

All the best for a successful first week of school sport. Go the Black and Blue!

Tim Felton

What a great day it has been today watching the boys participate in the House Connections Event. It was a sea of colour on Knox 1. I have included a few photos below.

On Thursday, all Year 7 received and email from Mrs Bieman with the details for Year 7 Doing da Vinci Day 2021 that is happening on Wednesday 4 March in the Great Hall. Please ask your son to check his email and let me know if you have any queries.

As the boys commence their summer sports, I am including a list of pick up points for the boys catching buses. Please click here to view the list. A reminder that the boys may access their lockers from 7.45am until 6pm on a school day.

With the Year 7 Camp just around the corner, can I please ask you to log onto the Southbound Adventures site and complete the Medical forms for your son. This link will take you to the site. Thank you in advance if you have already completed the form. If you have ordered a Backpack for your son and he has not collected it yet, he will be able to pick it up from Ms Wiffen in the JAPAC lounge from Monday Week 4 (15 February).

Knox has upgraded the subscription to the Study Skills Handbook and as a result, the login details have changed. Below are the new details.

Just a little reminder to all the boys, they need to bring their Diary with their timetable in it and their ID cards to school every day. As always please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or queries.

Have a lovely weekend.

Robin Cherry

Year 7 Assessment Booklet
The Year 7 Assessment Booklet is now available to access via the portal. 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 JAPAC Lounge any afternoon from 3.30pm-5.15pm. Boys can work in this space collaboratively or individually and are able to gain assistance from Knox teachers with completion of homework, unpacking of assessment tasks and general study skills.

Janelle Charlton

Co-Curricular Opportunities at Knox
Knox Grammar School’s commitment to providing its students with a holistic education is seen through its Co-Curricular program, providing ample opportunities, in a variety of areas that cater to students' interests, whilst developing their resilience, character, creativity, sportsmanship and understanding.

For an overview of the Co-Curricular opportunities offered at Knox, click here.
For a copy of the Weekly Training Schedule 2021, click here.

Chuck Ardron

I hope everyone has had a great week and enjoying being back into the routines of afternoon training and Saturday sport. Weather played its part on Saturday, unfortunately, which resulted in a number of disappointed Year 7 boys wanting to get a taste of their first experience in the Black and Blue.

Some highlights from the last seven days include:
• A record number of students attended the Years 8-12 Swim trials. Boys who have progressed to our Knox Finals will be advised.
• Nicholas Bigeni, Adam Van Horen and Leo Phijidvijan selected to represent CAS at the CIS Tennis trials.
• Luke Hedley selected to represent CAS U16 Cricket team and trial for CIS selection.
• Dom Goddard and Charlie Anderson selected for CAS Open Cricket team and trial for CIS selection.

The School is extremely proud of student Euan Liney (Y12). Euan is fundraising again this year as part of the Starlight Foundation’s Super Swim Challenge. Euan has set a goal of swimming 100km and raising $500. Already, Euan has swum 672 laps of the School Pool and is one determined young man. Some more details may be found here.

Regarding sport this weekend and how it will look with COVID-19 restrictions, please note the details below. Any late variations will be sent via the Knox app.

Process for Sports fixtures – Saturday 6 February
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:

• 2 spectator parents/guardians per player at our outdoor venues
• 1 spectator parent guardian per player at our indoor venues
• Service NSW 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, MacNeil and Lawson court 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 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?

Barker College
• Indoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

Cranbrook School
• Indoor venues - 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

Trinity Grammar School
• Indoor venues - 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

Shore School
• Indoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

Scots College
• Indoor venues - 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

St Ignatius College (Riverview)
• Indoor venues – 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

St Joseph's College
• Indoor venues - 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

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.

Thank you and best wishes to all our students this weekend. Go the Black and Blue!

Martin Haywood

When: Wednesday 24 February 2021, 7.45am-8.15am
Where: Online seminar, register at www.knox.nsw.edu.au/GC-seminar
Who: All Senior School parents

With the launch of a new Knox Certificate of Global Competency for Senior School students in 2021, Knox parents are warmly invited to an online seminar. Speakers will include Margie Raymond (Coordinator of the Knox Certificate of Global Competency), Karen Yager (Deputy Headmaster of Student and Teacher Excellence K-12), Elizabeth Ruff (Head of Middle Academy), David Caspari (Deputy Chairman of School Council), students and parents. The seminar will cover topics including why global competency is important and how the Knox Certificate of Global Competency will be delivered for students.

Please register your interest by Monday 22 February. All enquiries to Margie Raymond.

Knox Certificate of Global Competency seminar flyer

Monday 15 February 
Individual Photos (Catch-up)- Yrs 7-12

Monday 22 to Friday 26 February
Year 7 Camp

Wednesday 4 March - Great Hall

Year 7 Doing da Vinci Day 2021

Thursday 1 April

Term 1 concludes

Friday 2 April

Good Friday

Monday 5 April

Easter Monday

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Philippians 4: 4-5

Please click here for more information about the Term 1 Art Clubs
 

Concert Band Rehearsal Day and SWE Rehearsal Workshop Day
On behalf of KAPA, we offer our collective congratulations following our brilliant Rehearsal Day on Sunday to our 2021 Concert Band and SWE ensembles.

Our Concert Band and SWE members demonstrated commitment, tremendous enthusiasm, musicianship, leadership and outstanding behaviour throughout the entire day.

With 66 musicians in attendance for our Concert Band and 64 musicians for our SWE Rehearsal, everyone was outstanding and we could not have asked for a better start to the year. Just listen to how great they all sounded by clicking on the following links: Concert Band and SWE.

We’re well on our way to a fantastic Nationals Performance. Hearty congratulations, boys!

James Brice, Head of KAPA

The Knox portal and our other online portals, such as Parent Lounge, can be accessed at knoxnet.knox.nsw.edu.au.

School App for K-12
The Knox Grammar School app allows you to stay informed about the School. Keep up to date on everything from Sport and Co-Curricular, to the newsletters and school calendar with instant notifications. You may install the Knox Grammar School app which is available for download from your app store. Please use the following instructions to download, install and set up the app:

KGS School app download instructions

Parent Directory
The Parent Directory is designed for parents and guardians to optionally share contact details with other parents/guardians.

Parents/Guardians may 'opt-in' the Parent Directory accessed via the Knox Parent Lounge. It is an ‘opt-in’ system and requires that you select which contact details (if any) you wish to share with other parents/guardians.

Please be advised that the Parent Directory is to be used for personal, private use only and is not to be shared with third parties. By agreeing to share contact details through the Parent Directory, parents are enabling other parents and guardians at Knox Grammar School to view their details and possibly make contact.

Parent Lounge User Guide (see page 6 of this user guide on how to update the Parent Directory)

If you have any issues logging into Parent Lounge please contact the Knox Helpdesk.

KPA Name Badges
The KPA organises name badges for parents at the start of each school year for use at the various school functions you will attend throughout your son's time at Knox. They come with the Knox crest and your name, with a simple magnet on the back for attaching. They are a much better alternative to the sticky labels that always peel off! The cost of $16 includes postage.

Orders close Friday 19 February 2021. This is the only opportunity to order name badges for 2021, so please put your order in now to avoid disappointment.

Please click here to order and pay for a name badge. Be sure to put down your name as you would like it to appear on the badge (first and last name only).

Winter Uniform
We would like to remind all parents that Term 2 changes over into winter uniform. For further information on what the uniform item changes are, please refer to the Uniform Policy and Regulations. We strongly recommend purchasing the winter uniform earlier than later and not wait until the last week of the school holidays as we cannot guarantee all sizes will be available.

Special orders
For any students who have special requirements regarding winter uniform items, it is strongly recommended that these are discussed with the Uniform Shop Staff as soon as possible. Occasionally, we have students who have allergies/sensitivity to wool and in these instances, time permitting, we can get winter trousers lined and jumpers made in a cotton/nylon blend. These special orders require some notice: four weeks for the trousers and up to eight weeks for knitwear.

Other instances include if your son is not of a standard size. For example, very tall but slim and may require extra length or he may be of a more solid frame like a Rugby player and the standard sizes may be disproportional.

Please visit the Uniform Shop during trading hours (see below) or contact via us by phone 9487 0191 or email.

Trading Hours
Monday to Friday: 12.30pm-5.30pm
Saturday (Terms 1 and 4 only): 9am-12noon

Phone (02) 9487 0191 or visit the Knox website here for more information.

Julie Blackburn, Knox Uniform Shop Manager

The term has started on a positive wave of enthusiasm for all aspects of the library. There is a wonderful hum of excitement as boys have engaged in an introduction to all aspects of the library. They have been given a Frequent Borrower card and encouraged to borrow from the physical and digital collection.

All students are reminded about the digital library by accessing the e book platform through the library portal. Just click on the icon below.



Book Club is open to all students in Years 7 to 10 and is the place to be on Thursday at lunchtime. All are invited to come and share their stories and have lunch with like-minded students.

The Library Committee takes place every Friday and welcomes students who wish to offer their suggestions and become involved in practical aspects of library life.

Remember, the library also has a wide collection of classic books which you are welcome to borrow. From the library portal you can also look at the recommended reading lists for inspiration.

Enjoy your reading!

Sally Thomson

Welcome back to Term 1! On behalf of the Oratory Team, I hope you all had a restful holiday and are excited for the term ahead. The Debating staff would like to extend a warm welcome to the Year 7 students joining us this year. In particular, those of you who we met at the recent Co-Curricular Expo.

Debating
The Debating program at Knox caters to all skill levels. We run three activities throughout the year.

Weekly training sessions will be held from 3.30pm-5.30pm in the Knox Cultural Centre (KCC) after school.

● Year 7: Monday and Thursday (students may select their preferred day), KCC102
● Year 8: Tuesday, KCC102
● Year 9: Wednesday, KCC 102
● Year 10: Thursday, KCC 102
● Opens (Senior Training): Wednesday, KCC103

In order to participate in training, students must register at the following link here.

Knox Debating Cup (KDC)
The KDC is an internal competition where students can create their own teams (or volunteer to be placed in a team) and debate with each other every Wednesday. Throughout the tournament, students’ progress is evaluated by our outstanding adjudicators and individual feedback is given every week. This term, the Knox Debating Cup is running on-site in the KCC Auditorium. The KDC will be held on Wednesdays from 6pm-8pm starting in Week 2.

ISDA and FED Friday Night Debating
Squads will be selected from each year group to represent Knox in ISDA and FED Friday Night Debating Competitions. Participation in training is mandatory for selection. Students will be trialled during training sessions in order to select the squad. We aim to maximise participation for Year 7 students, we will be entering the largest squads possible. To receive the trial policy and for more information about ISDA and FED Debating, fill out this Expression of Interest in Representative Debating here.

Knox Debating Board
The Knox Debating Board is the home of all information regarding Debating. It includes session times, all registration links, a calendar of dates, and weekly squad selections. Please visit and bookmark the Knox Debating Board for easy access throughout the year. 

Further information regarding Oratory programs including Public Speaking and Mock Trial will be announced over the coming weeks. If you have any inquiries, please feel free to email me.

Leah Mercier, Oratory Coordinator

Social Justice and Service form an important part of our Knox community ethos and we invite all parents and boys to participate and support our local, regional and international partnerships and initiatives. Parents in particular are invited to join our ‘Parents for Justice’ group. Please email me at any time  if you can help in any way.

Christmas Hampers
We were overwhelmed with the support of our Christmas Hamper Drive last year with up to 240 families assisted as a result of our community’s generosity. This year we will continue to support this initiative through food donations to help the many families in Sydney who are struggling. Your help makes an enormous difference to their lives. The staff at Parramatta Mission wrote to share their thanks with the following: “Thank you to the Knox community for your generous support in what has been one of our most challenging years to date.” 

STARRTS
The staff at STARTTS were very grateful for the generous donations of Christmas gifts received for refugee children. Thank you to our community. 2021 will be our 13th year of supporting their work.

Shoes for the Philippines
After our collection last year, the shoes arrived and were delivered to Young Focus, a non-governmental organisation that works with young children and their families to provide education and nutrition programs. They are now seeking donations of children’s shoes (up to ten years old) and good quality clothes for these young children. At present, they have a sufficient number of shoes for the older students. Please send in your donations to Mrs Clarke’s office in Room 15.

Grace’s Place
In support of Grace’s Place (a centre named after Anita Cobby’s mother for those who have been impacted by violent crime), we are assisting their call out for good quality clothes. Donations may be left with the New Leaf Shop in Macquarie Street, Parramatta.

World’s Greatest Shave
Knox is once again supporting this event with boys invited to join the Knox Students Team here to commence fundraising. Last year we raised $30k and are aiming to beat this amount in 2021. Diarise the date of Thursday 18 March at lunchtime.

The Knox Social Justice Club
The Knox Social Justice Club meets as a group each Friday at 1pm lunchtime, in the Knox Cultural Centre Auditorium. Encourage your son to come along with many opportunities for volunteering and leadership. If your son would like to join us, please ask him to email Mrs Clarke.

Helen Clarke, Head of Diversity Justice and Stewardship