Headmaster's Column
Leadership
It used to be that leadership equated with years of accomplishment, education, experience, and age. Thankfully, true leadership knows no age. Leaders are people of any age who just ‘stand up’. They grab your attention, take the initiative, are compelling, and set an example.
Unfortunately, today the world is showing signs of hunger for authentic leadership. There is a cynicism with many in authority and a growing anger at the lack of moral fortitude to be found among some leaders. Fortunately, I am filled with optimism as I witness, almost daily, the empathy and resilience of our young men and boys at Knox. Their courage gives me confidence that young people can manifest the best in humanity, and that is a light that will shine for generations to come.
Deputy Headmaster of Student and Teacher Excellence K-12
da Vinci Decathlon 2021
The da Vinci Decathlon is an academic competition designed to challenge students from Years 5-11 across 10 disciplines: engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography and legacy.
Next week the NSW State competition will be held virtually and the boys below have been chosen to represent Knox in their year level. An average of 1,800 students will be competing each day.
We wish them all the best on the competition day. These students will continue on to represent Knox in the National da Vinci Decathlon to held in June 2021 during the school holidays.
Head of Academy
Sleep and Technology
In terms of brain function and productivity sleep is really important. A lack of quality sleep lowers a student’s focus, impedes decision making and increases mood swings. Eric Edmeades, founder of Wildfit, teaches about the eight basic needs of humans. The first three (in order of importance for the body and brain) are good quality air, natural water for hydration and sleep. Sleep at the number three position might have surprised you as most people predict food to be third on the list – it’s actually number six! Your brain and body perform amazing feats while you sleep. These include:
• physical repair
• burning off fat from the day’s activities
• fighting inflammation, infection and trauma
• digestion
• sorting of the day’s memories
• creation of long-term memories
• memory enhancement
• memory integration
• problem solving
• ridding toxic waste
• cell repair
• energy is recharged (almost like a battery)
Team Leaders
It has been wonderful to see the boys settle back into routine this week. In both the Year Meeting and our Academy Assembly, messages have been delivered by both our Year 12 student leadership team and ourselves that promote a sense of belonging and mateship within the year group and the School more broadly.
One message delivered by our School Captain, Dom Goddard, that resonated with me was the idea that part of being a mate may require, on occasion, to make some tough decisions and have difficult conversations. He challenged the boys, as I do, to have the courage and the fortitude to act in line with their morals and values as young men. Furthermore, he reflected on the notion of what true ‘mateship’ requires - namely, calling each other to account for our poor choices. As Team Leaders, we know that our boys will make mistakes; however, what is essential is that they learn from these and move forward making more prudent choices.
Student Administration Officer
Save the date - Thursday 17 June
Our Year 7 Morning tea will be in the Great Hall Foyer from 8.30am - 10am. More details to follow in the next few weeks. This is a lovely opportunity to meet other parents and staff here at school.
I would like to congratulate Joseph Kim, William Li and Dylan Zhou as they were chosen to compete in the NSW CIS Swimming Championships this week. The team of 27 boys won 31 Gold Medals, 8 Silver and 5 Bronze medals and set 10 new CIS records. Joseph Kim – 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly NR, 50m breaststroke, 200m butterfly, 50m backstroke and Dylan Zhou – 50m freestyle NR, 50m butterfly NR, 200m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m freestyle NR. Both boys have been chosen to compete at the CIS NSW All Schools later in May.
Director of Studies Junior Academy
NAPLAN tests - Tuesday 11 May to Friday 14 May
NAPLAN tests are scheduled to take place in Week 4. Your son will need to bring to school each day his fully charged laptop, corded earphones and a pen.
In particular, could you check that your son has earphones and if not, arrange purchase prior to 11 May? We expect that all students will bring their own earphones to the NAPLAN tests and should we be required to provide a spare set to your son, we may need to bill your school account for this cost.
If your son is ill or unable to attend on any day during the NAPLAN test period, please email me and Mrs Robin Cherry (Y7 SAO) as early as possible. I will endeavour to schedule catch-up tests as soon as practicable. It is the student’s responsibility to reschedule any music lessons or appointments that clash with NAPLAN testing.
Sports News
Head of Knox Sports and Aquatic Academy
I hope everyone enjoy a great start to the winter 2021 season playing for Knox. It was a wonderful weekend with so many highlights. The joy on the boys' faces, the spirit, mateship, helping one another in tough times and supporting each other were just a few of the many experiences our boys enjoyed last Saturday.
Last week, one of Australia’s most successful Wallaby captains, John Eales, spoke to our winter sports captains, PEAK students and Firsts teams about the importance of leading with integrity. He shared six pieces of advice for any emerging leader and I would like to share these with everyone.
1. Leadership is all about taking the complex and making it simple and then taking the simple and making it compelling!
• Your job as a leader is to take people on a journey with you – through what you say and what you do.
• You need to take what you are trying to achieve and make it simple for those around you to understand and follow.
• You need to make it compelling enough for those around you to want to get involved.
Upcoming Assessments
Week 3
Friday 7 May - Technology - Submission 3
Week 4
Monday 10 May to Wednesday 12 May - History
Thursday 13 May - Science
Friday 14 May - Visual Arts
Week 6
Monday 24 - Religion and Ethics
Monday 24 - Tuesday 25 May - Geography
Wednesday 26 May - Mathematics
Thursday 27 May - Technology
Year 7 2021 Assessment booklet
2021 Illness Misadventure Form (IMA)
Year 7 Term 2 Assessment Grid
Upcoming Events
Week 3
Tuesday 4 May
da Vinci for Years 7 and 8 - Great Hall - 8.30am - 3.15pm
Friday 7 May
Photos - Formal Photo Day
• 7am - Boarding Years 7 and 8 (Great Hall steps or Foyer if wet weather)
• 7.45am - Whole of Boarding
• 8.20am - Sons/Grandsons/Great Grandsons of Old Boys
• 8.45am - Pipe Band
• 9.45am - Music Ensembles
Week 4
Tuesday 11 - Friday 14 May
NAPLAN - Great Hall
Friday 14 May
Friday Night Football
• Knox vs Cranbrook - Knox 1
Text for the Week
See how much our father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!
1 John 3:1a
Community Notices
Handwriting Course
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 2021 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 have a few places remaining for our Term 2, 2021 course which will begin in Week 3. Our course will run on either a Tuesday or Wednesday or both mornings, starting at 7.30am, once minimum numbers are confirmed.
Head of Information Services
Teachers act as role models for students in many ways and this is particularly so with regard to reading. We recently asked teachers to share details of the books they had read during the holidays so that we could let students, and parents, see that teachers value reading as a pleasurable, relaxing activity. Reading offers so many benefits which align with our Knox model of Total Fitness.
Knox app - subscribing for notifications
School app for K-12
The Knox Grammar School app allows you to stay informed about the School. It is important for you to subscribe to the notifications which are relevant to you. For more information, please see the instruction document below, which includes information on how to subscribe for notifications. If you have any questions, please email communications@knox.nsw.edu.au.
KGS School app download instructions
McKenzie Library
All students in Years 7 to 10 are welcome to join the following groups:
Book Club meets every Thursday at lunchtime in the Senior study located in the McKenzie Library.
The Library Committee meets every Friday at lunchtime in the Senior study located in the McKenzie Library.
Sons, Grandsons, Great Grandsons of Knox Old Boys
On Friday 7 May, the School is doing its annual Grammarian photos for Sons, Grandsons, Great Grandsons of Knox Old Boys. This photo will be taken at 8.15am and any student who qualifies to be in the photo is asked to be on Knox 1 by 8am in full winter school uniform less the boater. If it is raining on the day the photo will be moved into the Great Hall.
Volunteers needed for our senior students
As we head towards the end of the year the Learning Enhancement Department is in need of parent volunteers to read and/or write for some of our senior students in the HSC Trials, the HSC and end of year exams.
As a writer, it would be your task to act as an extension of the student by writing as they dictate their response to an examined question. As a reader, it would be your task to read the examined question aloud for clarity. As a reader/writer you would be asked to perform both tasks for the one student.
Year 7 Geography Landscapes and Landforms Photo Competition
Year 7 Parents' Supper
Photo Galleries
Academy Awards
Bruce Ru, Oliver Tan, Harry Tong, James Smart, Joshua Kiu, Reyaan Prasad, Toby Grellman and Benjamin L Baker receiving their award.
Jeremy Liu, Nick Barfield, Freddie Allen and Siwoo Park receiving their award.
Year Meeting