It is wonderful to be back from an invigorating period of Long Service Leave. I take this opportunity to thank Mr Craig Milligan for so successfully guiding the Junior Academy throughout Semester 2 during 2019. I also extend a word of thanks to all the staff involved in support of Mr Milligan and the boys of Years 7 and 8 in 2019. It is as a team that together everyone achieves more and we certainly have a cohesive Junior Academy team.

As the Head of Academy I extend a warm welcome back to all parents of Year 8 and a very special welcome to the new to Year 8 students and parents. Year 8 have all started brilliantly this term with a sure knowledge of required school protocols and routines. In Mentor Group and through classroom focus boys have and been already commenced setting themselves goals for the term and for the year. This process is critical to their success and the boys are being instructed that goals, without specifically and carefully thought out strategies, are rarely achieved. Another focus during Mentor Group meetings this week was to remind Year 8 boys about ways they can assist Year 7 boys’ transition into Knox Senior School. It has been pleasing to already witness many Year 8s providing acts of kindness towards Year 7 students, spmething as simple as walking them to a classroom. These acts of kindness are actually acts of leadership in practise and are always encouraged and applauded.

The start of the year is the perfect time for your son to reflect and reassess on his aspirations, passions and goals. It is a great time to look back and decide what worked, what didn’t and what new approaches to try. 

Wayne Inwood

 'Good Seasons start with Good Beginnings'

I am thrilled and honoured to welcome you back for the 2020 school year! The Team have been busily preparing for the arrival of our students. Our hallways and playgrounds have been so quiet without their laughter and whispers on campus. Personally, I miss the energy and excitement that the students always bring to school each day and I have really enjoyed catching up with them over the past three days and hearing about their amazing summer adventures!

At this time I would also like to extend a warm welcome to the new families that have joined our community this year. As you have probably already discovered, Knox is an energetic and vibrant school where all are welcomed. It has been great to see this in action already with many boys taking the new boys under their wings and showing them around school over the first few days.

At this week’s School Assembly, Mr James spoke to all the boys about the importance of making strong connections with your mates, your family and your school. This message struck a chord with many boys, especially as the world  around us seems to change almost daily. From unity and working together, the boys can gain strength to take up these new challenges and become leaders in our community. Knowing that we all share in this journey together gives us to opportunity to communicate, support each other and share common goals which will benefit all. Over Term 1, this will be one of our main focus points during our Year Meetings which will help our Year Group select a charity which they will support over the course of the year.

I would like to encourage you to stay involved and informed. We encourage parents to be active participants at Knox, whether you are a canteen volunteer, a member of the KPA, or special event participation. Our weekly school newsletter 'The Knoxonian' is published each week and information will be posted on our Knox App daily. I encourage all parents to update their subscription to the Knox App to ensure that you have ticked the box for Year 8 in 2020 in order to stay up-to-date with the latest happenings.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to give your son’s Mentor or Carly or I a call. I look forward to having a long and rewarding relationship with you and your family. 

Julien Manuel

A very warm welcome back to all Year 8 parents and boys for what is sure to be an exciting year ahead! It was great to see the ‘Year 8s’ arriving back to school on Wednesday and watching them re-connect with friends after the holidays. A special welcome to 15 new boys and their families to the Year Group and we all look forward to getting to know them. From the interesting conversations I have had with numerous boys, it appears that they have all had a wonderful holiday break with many memorable memories.

As we begin the year I would like to take this opportunity to remind you about a couple of housekeeping items that can sometimes be forgotten about:

• 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.
• 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.
• If you haven't already done so, please take the time to label all of your son's belongings with his full name, so as to ensure that lost items are returned to the rightful owner.
• 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. 

Sports Training 2020

Please note the following to assist with a smooth transition into 2020 when returning to Week 1.

• Saturday 1 February - Years 8 - 12 Swim trials
• Week 2 - Full training resumes

Dr Laura Dassos is the school psychologist for Year 8 and is available on Mondays and Tuesdays. If you have any concerns that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact the Knox Wellbeing Centre via psychologistsreception@knox.nsw.edu.au.

There will be some new and exciting experiences for the boys to look forward to this year, including their introduction to Cadets in Term 4 and the Outdoor Education Camp at Murramarang National Park on the beautiful south coast region of NSW. It is going to be a very busy year and there is a lot to look forward to.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Renee Willson, Tel: 9119 0886

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.

Saturday 1 February 

Year 8 - 12 Swim Trials

Tuesday 4 February

Individual photos

Friday 14 February

Knox at Home

Thursday 27 February

Doing da Vinci day

Monday 2 March

Battle of the Bands - Heats

Thursday 9 April

Term 1 concludes

Tuesday 28 April

Term 2 commences

Wesley Mission

Many thanks for the many generous contributions to the Knox Christmas Hamper Appeal.  Our maintenance department delivered a capacity packed van of Christmas goodies to Wesley Mission in the city.  Felica Hall, from Wesley Mission reported that over 400 hampers were packed! Many individuals and families were blessed last Christmas as a result of the Knox Community’s generosity’

STARRTS

Social workers and counsellors were delighted with the generous gifts from the Knox Community that were distributed to the many families they support.  Nicole Loehr from STARTTS relayed personal stories of how the gifts brought so much joy.

Walgett PCYC

Thank you to James Brice, staff and families of KAPA who so generously supported the Knox Drought Appeal. $1720 was sent the Walgett PCYC so that Amanda Cheal and Luke Farr and others in the community could run activities, especially swimming, for the youth of Walgett over the school holidays. Walgett has not been lucky enough to receive any rain in the recent falls

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

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

Term 1 concludes on Thursday 9 April 2020.

The McKenzie Pop-up Library will be appearing in the JAPAC this term!  Every second Friday (week B) lunchtime, the pop-up library will appear in the JAPAC lounge, so that any boys who haven’t had the chance to visit the McKenzie Library during the week will still have the opportunity to borrow and return books.

We will have a great selection of popular books, graphic novels and magazines from the McKenzie Library for boys to choose from.  Library staff will be there to help them find the perfect book.

Boys, don’t forget to bring your frequent borrower’s card – for every 20 books borrowed, you will get a library certificate, and go in the draw to win a $20 book voucher!

Pop by and eat your lunch with a good book to read.  See you there!

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.