Zoom, Chat, Google Meet, Streaming, Whole Year Landing Page - what the heck! In his lifetime William Shakespeare is credited with creating over 1,700 new words for the English language. I think even William, if he were alive today, would be impressed with the many new words and phrases that students, teachers and parents have had to learn within the last week due to home isolation and online learning. Bearing this in mind, I want to express my deep pride and admiration for the way, as a community, we have all worked together to face the current adversity. Through the hard work of our talented and dedicated teachers, the agility of our young boys and the encouragement and support at home by parents there has been a very successful transition to remote learning. I am sure for most it feels very uncomfortable, and it is an environment that is certainly a far cry from the desired human need for physical social contact; however, present circumstances dictate the necessity.

Well done teachers, parents and boys on embracing this new mode of learning and do continue to stay connected in the weeks ahead. Together we will weather this storm and days will become brighter once again. 

Wayne Inwood

There is no doubt that the last few weeks of this term have been challenging for all in our community. However, the positivity and adaptability that the boys have shown as we moved to an online learning space this week has been truly impressive. The feedback from their classroom teachers has been pleasing to hear, with most boys using this as an opportunity to improve their technology skills and increase their sense of self-discipline, extending their self knowledge.

We have been delivering a revised program during Mentor Group this week, using a new platform to engage with the boys in Year 7. Mentors have been checking in regularly with each of their boys, ensuring they are staying on track with their classwork and encouraging them to reflect on their total fitness as we head into uncharted territory. 

On a Year Group level, we have been communicating with the boys through a Year 7 Student Google Classroom. We will be sending out fun challenges for breaks in the day, tips for successful online learning and pushing out Year Group messages here. Although we are now living in an age of social distancing, it is imperative that our boys still understand their place in our community, and maintain their strong connection to the School. We have engaged in constructive conversations with our young men and highlighted the importance of a balanced lifestyle, particularly as their days become increasingly linked to their laptop screens. During recess and lunch breaks, I encourage the boys to put their screens and devices away so they can recharge. In some of our conversations, some boys are expressing that they are keen to get outside for some fresh air instead of continuing to sit at technology and game. Who would have thought that this would be one of the benefits of moving into this online learning space!

Clare Yuan

The grounds of the School have been very quiet this week with the majority of boys now working remotely online. I have missed seeing and chatting to all of them, especially the regular boys who pop by my office on a daily basis.

There has been a lot of work going on at school this week to ensure the online learning platforms for the boys are up and running correctly. I have appreciated hearing feedback from a number of families about how about how their sons are going at home. From all reports it seems the students are taking to online learning like ducks to water. A huge congratulations to the boys for this seamless transition and to all the staff for their hard work in making this possible.

Whilst the boys continue their educational journey online, I will continue to mark attendance. Please continue to send me a notification through the parent lounge marking your boys absent from school if they are unwell or will be absent from online learning for some other reason. I will still be sending out an SMS alert out if your son has been marked absent from online classes for two consecutive periods and I have not been notified of their absence. 

Can I ask that the students notify me via email of any online lessons (pipes & drums, singing, speech and drama etc) as they would when at school so that I can have the roll updated. If any student has technical issues with getting online please contact me and inform the teacher. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they are completing their online attendance form as this allows the teacher to see they are online.

If there is anything else I can do to help you during this time, please let me know.

Bec Mitchelson  Ph:91190885

Online Learning and Homework

Our amazing Stage 4 teachers have embraced online delivery of lessons and our boys are engaging in their learning with enthusiasm. It has been a true wonder to witness the agility of teachers and boys as they adapt to navigate this new educational landscape. If you believe your son is struggling to manage the online learning environment, please do contact me to discuss.

Considering that the boys are working online from 8.25am - 3.15pm, we have requested our Stage 4 teachers to set only essential homework (such as preparation for an assessment task) for the remainder of Term 1.  The reason for this is that in ‘normal’ school days, the boys would receive a more blended lesson with lots of screen down time. We are seeking to encourage the boys to get offline and spend some of their after school hours doing non-screen activities.

Online access to the Stage 4 Study Skills Evening

Given the uncertainty around group gatherings for the foreseeable future, we have set up an alternative for you for the Stage 4 Study Skills Evening scheduled for later this year. We have arranged for you to be able to access a filmed version of the study skills evening online in the comfort of your own home until 13 April 2020. We do not want you and your son to miss out on this valuable learning experience. Now that the students have a frame of reference for senior school learning, it is time to fine-tune, assess and adjust as needed their approach to their studies with tips and techniques from the study skills expert, Dr Prue Salter. There is also a section included with tips for managing remote home learning.

If we can still go ahead with the evening later this year we will - parents often say that once is not enough! But just in case, and so you can get started now, please explore this online version with your son.  

Ideally it is best that you watch these videos together with your son, just like you would if you attended the evening in person. The study skills seminar has been broken down into bite sized chunks so if you do not have time to do it all in one go, you can work through the session at your own pace. You can also go back and watch again any of the videos during the two week period. The video page will prompt you to download the workbooks for the session and will show you at the end where you can then access all the slides from the session that are shown in the video.

Please take advantage of this valuable opportunity before access ends on 13 April. To access the evening, please click here. 

Username: knox

Password: 7success

Janelle Charlton

On Thursday during our Mentor Group the boys were introduced to the first ‘Brain Break’. The concept behind these initiatives is to get your son up and away from his computer for short breaks between classes or break periods. But, more importantly, to reconnect with each other within our community in fun activities. If the boys want to record their attempt at the brain break and upload it via the challenge assignment on the ‘Whole Year Group Google Classroom’ we are having House point competitions for winners. Extra points if the whole family gets involved!

The winning post will be available for everyone to see and celebrate this achievement. This week is an easy break but they will get harder and have different options such as photo, music, fitness and acting challenges to come. So please take a moment to talk to your son and see what the current challenge or Brain Break is for their Year Group.

We have had many staff get involved with filming these challenges and I have to say they may have enjoyed doing this a little too much! I would like to thank them for putting themselves out of their comfort zones with being involved. If your son has not done so lately, encourage him to Facetime friends as a catch up - we are social beings and it’s nice to check up on our friends. I look forward to communicating with you all soon with some of the entries from these challenges.

Andrea Wiffen

 Friday 3 April

Term 1 concludes

Tuesday 28 April

Term 2 commences

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop is now closed until further notice. If parents wish to order items online, this can be done here. There will be an option to collect the orders. The dates for this will be advised on the Knox app in the next few days depending on the volume of orders.

Please note that I am contactable to assist students who continue to attend on-site classes as well as field any online queries from boys who are learning off-site at home.

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

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. 

Justin Zhu