A caring and supportive environment

Last year we introduced the Student Values and Learner Protocols agreement to students. Our intent was to give words to the values, behaviours and characteristics which contribute so effectively to establishing and fostering our positive school environment. A team of students and teachers from across the Senior School reviewed contemporary research and practice in education, that positively influences our learning and social environment. The team feels the selected traits will set a positive standard for meaningful and respectful communication, relationships and engagement between members of the Knox community.

In the coming weeks your son will bring a copy of the agreement home, which includes the Classroom Learner Protocols and School Values to discuss with you and sign. We believe through a shared understanding and commitment to these values, behaviours and traits, our students will benefit individually and contribute positively to the climate and culture of both the classroom and playground.

Each of your son’s teachers will observe and evaluate his demonstration of the protocols, with progress in each standard for each subject, which will be shared with you on a termly basis. Further details will be provided towards the end of Term 1.

Mentors will oversee progression in the standards, and through reflective conversations with your son,  consider areas of strength and opportunities for further development. 

Phil O'Regan

Parents and boys of the Class of 2024, it is my pleasure to welcome you all back to Knox. I cannot believe a whole year has passed by. Time flies when you are having fun, (and I mean that with sincerity).

Mr Manuel and I had such a great year getting to know your boys and learning their stories, as did our Year 8 Mentors. As a team, we have been most impressed by the way the Year 8 boys, during Week 1 and Week 2 have led by example for our new Year 7 student. We champion the boys to continue  to set the tone and create a culture of mateship at Knox. We all rely on each other and look out for one another. Oprah Winfrey said, 'Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.' If you align yourself with positive people, it becomes contagious! Make goals and work for them. Even when something doesn’t go your way, use a growth mind set to view the challenge as a learning experience.

During Mentor next week, students will be focusing on goal setting. We highly encourage a conversation with your son over the weekend that explores their goals for 2020, in academics, co-curricular and self development.

Year 8 promises to be as exciting and action packed as Year 7, so let’s enjoy the journey together.

As always, please get in touch with your son’s Mentor, or Team Leaders, if we can be of any assistance in any matter related to Year 8. 

Carly Robinson

Another week has flown by and the boys are settling back into the school routine quickly. I am very impressed by the new boys who joined our year group this year who have all learnt the layout of the School so quickly and are finding their way to class without any hitches.

Knox Grammar School is able to offer a wide variety of co-curricular activities for the boys to try - everything from the traditional sports to refereeing, social justice, chess, debating, music, drama and dance. Boys, don’t hold back from volunteering when a new opportunity presents itself, even if it is something you have never done before! A new activity provides a different learning opportunity, increases and enriches your skills and experience, and sometimes even creates new friendships! Go for it and discover a new talent! Details of the variety of co-curricular activities can be found in the Community Notices section of this newsletter.

From Week 3 the after school Mathematics help will run on Tuesdays with Mr Glen Charlier in MO306, and on Wednesdays with Ms Clare Keagan-Ward in the Academy of Global Competency (AoGC). The sessions function on a drop-in basis for any length of time between 3.30pm to 5.30pm where students from all stages can ask for help with mathematics exercises and problems that they have typically been set in class. Please note no sessions will run during the last week of term.

Drama Club for Years 7 and 8 commences Monday Week 3 in the JAPAC Drama Theatre from 3.30pm - 5pm. If you have any queries, please contact Ms Anderson.

Boys have obligations in relation to the way they wear their school uniform. Shirts should fit and be tucked into their pants/shorts and top buttons to be done up at all times. Boys must wear ties and ensure that it covers the top button. Socks must be pulled up. Blazers and boaters are to be worn to and from school each day.  

If you haven't already done so, I would encourage parents to register to receive the School newsletter, 'The Knoxonian'. To register, go to the School website under Knox Community and then Email Subscription.

Please remember to label all your sons' clothing and other items so that they can be returned more quickly.

Uniform Shop Opening Times

Monday to Friday 12.30 - 5.30pm

Saturday 9am - 12noon (Terms 1 and 4 only)

Finally, on Friday 14 February we welcome you to Knox at Home in the Great Hall for drinks and canapes to see in the new year with staff and parents, new and old. This is a great opportunity to socialise and meet other members of the Knox community.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Renee Willson, Tel: 9119 0886

I have been honoured to work alongside many of our School's inspiring leaders and thought leaders as we consider how best to communicate your son’s achievement in our termly reports. A literature review was conducted and the team has been inspired by the Chicago Consortium’s Learner Protocols, which outlined some of the most meaningful contributors to students achieving their academic personal best. You may be familiar with the Learner Protocols as we have started using them in our pastoral care programs and as contracts with students at the commencement of 2020 – we are looking to enhance our academic reports and APA to pivot from these contemporary research findings.

If you are interested in participating in one of two focus groups regarding the Learner Protocols, the Knox APA and our Academic Reports, please email me at at your earliest convenience.

Possible dates and times will be sent to interested parents/carers with the aim of meeting sometime next week (Week 3, Monday 10 February – Friday 14 February).

On behalf of the team, I am very excited to consult our parent community to help co-construct reports that are increasingly useful and are underpinned by our Total Fitness and Education for the Future models. 

Jake Plaskett   Director of Studies - Knox Middle Academy 

Welcome to a new school year! I am looking forward to continuing to support the academic wellbeing of your son in Year 8. Over the course of the year I will be sharing with you a large amount of information through these newsletters. Please do not hesitate to contact me any time if you have any queries about your son's overall academic progress. Should you have any subject specific queries , I encourage you to contact the subject teacher directly as s/he is usually the best placed person to guide you.

Year 8 Assessment Booklet

The Year 8 Assessment Booklet is now available. 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 Study Hub in the JAPAC Lounge. In Term 1 this will run on Tuesdays after school from 3.30pm - 4.30pm under the guidance of Mrs Elschen Coetzee. Boys are able to gain assistance with study skills, unpack assessment tasks and complete their homework.

After school Mathematics help is available on Tuesdays in room MO306 and Wednesdays in the Middle Academy Learning Space. The sessions function on a drop-in basis for any length of time between 3.30pm and 5:30pm where students from all stages can ask for help with mathematics exercises and problems that they have typically been set in class. Please note these sessions do not run during the last week of each term.

Janelle Charlton

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.

Friday 14 February

Knox at Home

Thursday 27 February

Doing da Vinci day - open to all boys in Core and da Vinci

Monday 2 March

Battle of the Bands - Heats

Thursday 9 April

Term 1 concludes

Tuesday 28 April

Term 2 commences

Knox Grammar School provides a large range of Co-Curricular activities.

• Co-Curricular opportunities as Knox
• Co-Curricular Art Classes
• Co-Curricular Weekly Training Schedule

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

WHAT IS DA VINCI DECATHLON?

The da Vinci Decathlon is an academic competition designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of school students. Students compete in teams of eight across 10 disciplines: engineering, mathematics and chess, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography and legacy.

The da Vinci Decathlon began in 2002 as an exciting offshoot of the very successful da Vinci Program for gifted and talented students at Knox. The Decathlon is designed to celebrate the academic gifts of Australian youth by providing a stimulating and challenging competition run in the spirit of an Olympic Decathlon.

Welcome to the Doing da Vinci Decathlon 2020 

THEME: ICONs

Thursday 27 February 2020 Years 7 - 10

Venue:  The Great Hall, Knox Grammar School, Wahroonga, NSW

Time: Arrival time 8.25am. Competition will conclude by 12.50pm and students are to bring their own morning tea and lunch and attend normal period 5 and period 6 lessons. 

Registration: Prior to registration online individually please plan your team of 8 students as follows:  

1. Identify 8 students to be in your team within your year group. 
2. Choose one student as the Team Captain of your team (used for team identification only)
3. Each team member needs to complete the registration form. To clearly identify your team please use your Team Captain's full First and Last name. If there appears to be more than 8 in a team when we review the information. The date stamp of registration will be used to identify the first 8 for that team, and others will be allocated to a team without 8. 
4. Each student is to complete the registration form.
5. DO NOT HAVE A TEAM OF 8 no problems.
6. If you don't have a team please identify your team captain name as 'Individual'. You will be placed in a team. Please ensure you speak to your peers to see if they would like to this before registering as an individual. 
7. No changes will be made after the closing date. 

 
Enquiries: to Mrs Bieman  (02) 9487 0481. If you have any questions please see Ms Bieman in Room 27 in the Main Administration Building. 

Register here. Registration closes on 13 February 2020 at 4pm. 

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

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.