We are so pleased in the response from the community so far in preparing for our Ride with Richter Cap Day on 24 November. Students from across the year groups are getting behind the initiative and many others have asked to extend the opportunity to purchase a cap. So, the online form remains open for parents to purchase a cap for their son until Wednesday next week. Boys will also receive a sausage sandwich on the day.

Boys can come to school on 24 November in casual clothes and will be asked for a gold coin donation either on entry to school or during their mentor lesson. Through the day we will have activities for boys to be involved with.

For more details, please refer to the Ride with Richter Cap Day flyer here.

Senior School Campus – Tuesday 17 November
Please be aware that the Senior School Campus will be closed at 5pm on Tuesday 17 November, unless students are catching the 5.30pm bus.

The Boater Café will be closed and no students will be on campus in preparation for the Year 12 Farewell Event.

Phil O'Regan

I strongly encourage all parents to complete the Year 7 online Parent Survey. Details on how this survey will be conducted are set out in this link. It is through the valued responses of parents and that of students in surveys such as this, that we are able to fine-tune our programs to deliver best practice. 

Wayne Inwood

The boys began the first half of their examination block this week and although there were some nerves, they were focused during their Mathematics and Technology examinations and should be proud of their efforts. With a few more to go next week, this is when they begin to refine their examination technique, study habits and preparation for later years. I’m sure many boys will be putting in some work during the weekend in preparation for their English, History and Science examinations next week but a focus on diet, sleep and physical activity will be equally as important.

As we approach the end of the School year, I wanted to take the time to thank you for your input and cooperation with us throughout your son’s first year of Senior School. We appreciate your support while we work with the boys to develop and mould them into young men we can be proud of. Although Ms Kennedy and I are specialists in our different subject areas, we often say to each other that we are in the business of making good, responsible and kind members of society. You, as parents, play the biggest part in this development, so thank you for supporting us when required. As we approach the end of the School year, Ms Kennedy and I have taken the time to reflect on their progress and are very proud of how far they have come. We have spent some time in Mentor this week writing some letters to the incoming Year 7's for 2021 and this activity cemented the leaps and bounds they have made this year. Several of the letters had advice like, “I know this place seems really big but you will get to know it in no time!” Or, “I was really nervous that I wouldn't make any friends this year but you will meet so many nice people.” I’m sure that some of you shared these worries with your sons but we must have faith in the work we have done with them to allow them to blossom. 

Typically in a group of 12 and 13 year olds, the development of each of them varies greatly and with that, comes challenges in helping them to manage their interpersonal relationships. I’m sure that with the summer holiday approaching, they are looking forward to spending time with you and your family as well as the friends they have made over the course of the year. The time over the break will be vital in solidifying friendships and I’m sure they will appreciate your help in organising these activities.

Clare Yuan

A reminder that with assessments and examinations in full swing, if your child is unwell and absent from school to please inform me of this absence and the reason why, through the Parent Lounge or email. If it is an assessment day, you will also be required to complete an Illness Misadventure Form (IMA) to cover your son's absence. The IMA should be completed and returned via email along with a Medical Certificate (if possible).

I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to those who have made donations of gifts and food thus far, to assist with our continued support of the Uniting Church Family projects and STARTTS. There is still plenty of time, so if you are able to assist with a small gift or food for a Christmas Hamper, please send it in to my office.

On Sunday 8 November, the Knox Pipes and Drums boys participated in the Pipe Band NSW Solos at Blackmore Oval in Leichhardt. It was good to see a high level of participation from Knox and my congratulations to all involved! Cameron Bogle, Xavier Luzar and Greg Onikul participated in the Piping Competition. Nicholas Bull and Henry Pearce participated in the Snare Drumming Competition and Tom Hanstrum participated in the Tenor Drumming Competition. 

 Enjoy the weekend!

Bec Mitchelson Ph: 9119 0885

Janelle Charlton

Parenting in the holidays
With only a few weeks of the school year left, many of us are thinking about and planning for the holidays. For our boys, the school holidays present wonderful opportunities for relaxation and rejuvenation, quality time with the family and important social time with friends.

Holidays also bring large amounts of unstructured time, opportunities for greater independence, and a range of social activities, including parties - and for some, this may include an increased exposure to risky situations. Neuroscience tells us that the wise decision-making parts of the brain aren’t fully developed until young people are in their 20s. With that in mind, now is a great time to think about parenting your teenager over the holidays. Plan in advance for potentially difficult situations.

Remember that children of all ages require limits and boundaries - and that these should be adjusted as your child grows older. ReachOut has some great points about balancing trust and freedom with your teenager which may be accessed here.

As always, try to work on maintaining a strong, healthy relationship with your son - as the basis for all parenting. Find a way to keep the lines of communication open, and coach them to make healthy and helpful decisions. Discuss the expectations, and know that it is important and reasonable for you to know where they are when they go out.

For those parents wanting more support with managing parties and teenagers, Maggie Dent and Paul Dillon are presenting an online masterclass, 'Alcohol, Drugs, Parties & Teens' on Tuesday 8 December at 8pm. More details here.

Maggie Dent’s ‘Common Sense Parenting’ website also has other helpful resources on a range of parenting topics.

Tuesday 24 November

Ride with Richter Cap Day

Cultural Immersion Day

Thursday 3 December 

Presentation Day 

Term 4 concludes

Knox Senior School Presentation Day

Senior School 7-11 Presentation Day will be held on Thursday 3 December in the Great Hall, Senior School. Senior School Presentation Day will be structured into three separate events:

• Year 11 - 11am-12pm
• Years 9-10 - 12.30pm-1.30pm
• Years 7-8 - 2pm-3pm

Students will be dismissed at the conclusion of their Academy Presentation Day ceremony. Knox buses will run at 1.45pm for Years 9-11 students and at 3.30pm for Years 7-8 students.

All Senior School students are expected to attend on Thursday 3 December. Due to COVID-19 protocols and indoor venue capacity limits, we will only be able to welcome parents of prize recipients on-site. However, the service will be live streamed. The parents of prize recipients will be sent an invite to attend their relevant Presentation Day ceremony no later than Friday 27 November (prize recipients can only be finalised once exam marks have been collated). Parents of prize recipients will be required to pre-register to attend and register by QR on arrival.

If you have any questions about Senior School Presentation Day, please email Zsa-Zsa Monardo (Senior School).

For many years the School has offered a ‘fees in advance’ program to enable increased flexibility of such payments. The program is attractive for many reasons, enabling parents to make lump sum payments for years ahead which attract discounts to the scheduled fees. To qualify, upfront full year payments must be made for a minimum of one year and the payments must be made by 13 November in the year before your payment program begins. Payments will only be accepted by direct funds transfer or cheque (credit card or BPAY payments are not permitted for this program).

Details of the Fees in Advance Program can be found here on the Knox website. Alternatively, you might like to discuss this in confidence with Betty Fowler from the School’s Accounts Department on 9487 0442.

New Reads

Some latest additions to the collection include;

'Butterfly Song' by Terri Janke

'When the Ground is Hard' by Malla Nunn

'Ghost Bird' by Lisa Fuller

'The Light Between Us' by Andrew Fukuda

'Poison Study' by Maria V. Snyder

'Wild Born Book 1 of Spirit Animals' by Brandon Mull

Reminders

Magazine Giveaway in Week 8. Come to the library for the free giveaway of this year’s magazines. 

Holiday Borrowing: you are welcome to borrow for the school holidays. Books will be dated to return the first week of Term 1 2021.

Returning Books: have you received an overdue reminder? Do you need more time to read your selected book? Just come along and speak to the staff in the library or email us to extend your loan.

Enjoy your reading.

Sally Thomson

2021 Applications
We would like to invite students who have competed at the state/national level to apply to join the PEAK program for the next intake. We understand that COVID-19 may have impacted some state/national championships, so PEAK eligibility criteria has been extended to include the last 12 months, or the last state/national championship event that was run.

What is PEAK?
PEAK will be going into its third year of operation and is designed to support high-performing student-athletes who aspire to have a career in elite sport. We aim to develop healthy, resilient and capable students by supporting the holistic wellbeing of each individual, whilst assisting them to achieve their academic and sporting potential.

The PEAK program includes:

• One on one mentoring with Knox high performance coaches, including the development of an Individual Performance Plan (IPP)
• Keynote speakers focusing on the Knox Total Fitness pillars, including:

  • Academic Fitness – covering themes such as time management, goal setting and habits for academic success
  • Physical Fitness – covering effective nutritional practices for athletes, sleep for recovery and effective rehab/prehab
  • Spiritual Fitness (Personal Development) – covering communication, mental preparation and leadership
  • Social/Emotional Fitness – covering resilience, performing under pressure and respect and responsibility

• Small group workshops to further enhance each student-athlete’s skills and learning capabilities.

Please see the PEAK website for more information about the program, including a copy of the prospectus.

To apply, please complete application form here. Applications will close on Thursday 3 December (last day of Term 4), with successful applicants to be notified before school resumes in 2021.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email here.

Kieran Donohue, Director of PEAK

Each school has a different policy with regards to the number of spectators, so it will be important to carefully read the information below.

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
• 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 – 1 spectator parent/guardians per player
• Outdoor venues - 2 spectator parent/guardians per player

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

Newington College
• Indoor venues – 1 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 the Sports and Aquatic Academy here.

Thank you and best wishes to all our students this weekend.

Martin Haywood, Head of Knox Sports and Aquatic Academy

A small amount of the donations already received for the Uniting Chruch Family projects and STARTTS. Keep them coming in!

After placing second in the heats earlier in the year, the Junior Theatresports Team competed in the Impro Australia Theatresports Competition Finals this week and placed third!

From a training team of 22 students across Years 7 and 8, the five-strong competition team comprised of students Saxon McDonell (Y7), Brodie Shearer (Y7), Hendrix George (Y8), Kailoh Ramcharan (Y8) and Oscar Rocks (Y8) pictured below. Congratulations!