On Monday we commemorate Remembrance Day by holding our annual Knox Grammar School Remembrance Day Commemoration and OKGA Honouring Service between 10.30am - 11.10am. The service takes place on Knox 1 and students will be seated in the Knox 1 stand.

Please remind your sons that:

• Cadets involved in service are to wear their bush hat (wide brim).
• All other students wear a Knox hat or cap.
• All students should apply sunscreen prior to coming to school and bring sunscreen to school to re-apply at recess.
• Drink plenty of water at recess to remain hydrated.

Your assistance in encouraging your son to be ‘sun smart’ is greatly appreciated.

Phil O’Regan

In Year Meeting and Mentor this week, we focused on the topic: Exploring our Traditions. There are many traditions that we ask the boys to respect at this school. Wearing the uniform, singing the school song and doffing the boater at the school gates are all a part of the boys’ daily life, but perhaps up until now, they have not taken the time to reflect on how these traditions evolved and to consider their significance.

Mrs Julie Mason, the school archivist, was a guest at our Year Meeting. She was able to show the boys the evolution of the school crest, uniform and school song. Mrs Mason played a recording of the original school song, which was sung in Latin. She also explained the history behind the doffing of the boater. This is a tradition that started in 1933 in memory of Brian F H Fitzhardinge, a Knox student from 1925 – 1931 who passed away. During the 1980s, the Headmaster at the time encouraged all students to acknowledge motorists at pedestrian crossings and to show respect when greeting others. This is a very visible sign of a Knox boy to this day.

While our traditions may seem arbitrary to some outside of our community, it is an important part of our culture at Knox. Our traditions shape our identity, helping to contribute to a sense of belonging. They reflect our values as a school and give the boys a chance to honour past generations and the principles the School’s founders deemed important. I know that the boys have found this week’s focus topic insightful and I hope to see them continuing to respect the traditions of Knox for many years to come.

Lastly, we have begun the move to the new locker space. The boys are looking forward to accessing this new facility at the beginning of next week. Each boy has been emailed his new locker number, which has also been shared with their Mentor. I have appreciated the boys' cooperation in the interim and hope that they show gratitude to the School by using this new space with respect.

Clare Yuan 

It is hard to believe that in four weeks the boys’ time in the Junior Academy will come to an end. With this in mind, if you are planning to finish the school year earlier, please submit a completed Leave Application form for absences of three days or more. Please ensure you complete the same form if you will be returning back to school later than the scheduled first school day in 2020. In addition to your Leave form, if your son is missing a Cadets session during this period, then a Cadets Leave form needs to be completed and instructions on how to do so may be found here.

A gentle reminder to please remind your son/s to return any overdue books to the Library. If the book might have been lost then please ask your son to speak to the staff in the McKenzie Library and they will gladly assist him.

I hope that all students have adhered to their study plans so far for the examinations and wishing the Maths da Vinci students good luck for their first examination towards the end of next week. I encourage our 2023 cohort to use their study time wisely and stick to their revision schedule ahead of their examinations in Week 6. Please ensure that if your son is absent on the day of an examination, a completed Illness and Misadventure form is emailed to myself and/or the Junior Academy mailbox.

Duke of Edinburgh Program

Following the information evening on Monday, we thought we would provide a copy of the presentation for parents who couldn’t attend. If your son wishes to take part, please take a look at  the presentation and the Duke of Edinburgh award site. Please do not use any of the forms on this site to register.

If your son wishes to register, please direct them to the Knox Duke of Edinburgh google classroom:

1)      The classroom code is 8tleqx

2)      Your son should follow the instructions on the classroom.

3)      They need to download the Knox application booklet and complete it.

4)      The information, including scanned copies of forms are uploaded through a google form.

If your son wishes to use the cadet camp as the practice expedition they should ensure that they have fully registered by the first half of next term.

Year 8 Parent Dr Andrew Campbell 

On Monday 28 October Dr Andrew Campbell presented about ways of supporting your son through physiological growth change and social-emotional changes, by giving strategies needed to guide young men through the teen years. Please find the presentation by Dr Andrew Campbell here should you wish to read through it.

Christmas Food Drive

We are still accepting donations of non-perishable items  for the Christmas Food Drive. Please send in items that you would usually have on Christmas table to Room 15. A few suggestions of items that you can donate if you are stuck for ideas are: pasta and pasta sauce, breakfast cereals (no nuts), long-life milk, tinned ham and/or turkey, long-life custard and/or canned cream, Christmas pudding/fruit cake and/or mince pies, tinned tuna/salmon, tea/coffee/Milo/hot chocolate/Nesquik, canned fruit, cordial, savoury snacks (no nuts) and table trimmings (such as lollies, chocolate or Christmas bonbons). Thank you in advance for making the time to find something exceptional to donate to a family in need to make their Christmas special. In early December we will arrange to take all of the donations into Wesley Mission in the city for distribution to these struggling families.

Saturday Sports Absence Notification

If your son cannot attend Saturday sport please email both the director of the sport your son is undertaking and the Sports office.

Congratulations to Chase Burch who participated in the NSW Wheelchair tennis open last weekend and won the mixed doubles and got to the semi-final for singles. Wishing Chase good luck for the upcoming Nationals Championship next week in Melbourne.

I congratulate Jasper Derwent on receiving the House Manager's Award at the Boarders' Chapel Service on Wednesday and to Archie Dean who was announced for the Year 8 2019/2020 Boarder Leadership Team.

Finally, at 4pm today I will be bidding farewell to Room 19 as the SAO team moves to the new locker facility. It has been a pleasure seeing the boys here in the last couple of years and I still remember how nervous I was the first day the boys walked through the doors and will take all the fond memories with me. If you are coming to the School to drop an item for your son as of next week, please make your way to the new building across from the Great Hall where I will be located. If you have trouble finding the building, please give me a call and I will happily guide you to the new building. I am very much looking forward to welcoming the boys into the our new area and creating new memories.

Have a fabulous weekend and I hope to see some of you at 'Oliver!' tonight!

Crystel Hodgson, Tel: 9119 0881

Yearly Examinations

Yearly Examinations are almost upon us and will take place in the Great Hall in Week 6 (Monday November 18 to Friday November 22). Mentors have gone through examination block preparation strategies with the boys this term, including using a weekly planner to schedule study. We strongly encourage the boys to take advantage of the academic help available to them after school on Mondays-Thursdays in the JAPAC Lounge.

PAT (Progressive Achievement Tests)

In Week 7 the boys will be sitting three online PAT tests which we administer at the end of each year to provide objective, norm-referenced information about our students’ skills and understandings in a range of key areas and to measure student growth. The PAT tests will be administered in a subject lesson in the normal classroom and will be scheduled by the subject teacher, who will inform the boys of the day and time of the test. The boys will need to ensure they bring to school a fully charged laptop and a set of corded earphones.

 Janelle Charlton

My name is Andrea Wiffen and I am the newly appointed Director of Student Development for Stage 4. Last term I had the rewarding experience of finishing off my team-leading experience with the graduating cohort of 2019 before starting this role. This new role is focused towards engaging students and aid their development throughout the breath of experiences offered in the Knox Junior Academy. This includes Camps, Expeditions, Tours, Co-Curricular, Leadership, Cultural and Social Justice programs. My key focus is helping to ensure students find their place to thrive in the Senior School in their area of interest and strengths. Through engagement in the variety of options provided at Knox, students will develop their own sense of identity and understanding on how they fit into and contribute to our Knox community. So far I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of boys around the playground and I’m looking forward to this continuing for the remainder of this term and into next year. I will be in touch shortly with activities and exciting options for your sons to be a part of. If you would like to contact me in regards to your son and his school participation or engagement, please do not hesitate to call me on 9487 0492 or send me an email. 

Andrea Wiffen

Monday 11 November

Knox Grammar School Remembrance Day Commemoration. Knox 1, 10.30am-11.10am

Tuesday 12 November

Volunteer Thank you Celebration. Seniors' Terrace, WSA,  7.30pm -9pm.

Tuesday 12 - Friday 29 November

Industrial Evolution Works by Jasper Knight.

Thursday 14 November

Industrial Evolution Works by Jasper Knight opening night. JAPAC, 6.30pm.

Monday 18 to Friday 22 November 

Yearly Examinations

Friday 15 November

Knox Christmas Markets. Great Hall. 4pm - 8pm 

Wednesday 20 November 

Parent Seminar: Raising Boys in a digital world, Wenkart Theatre, 6pm-8pm

Saturday 30 November

Knox in Concert. Great Hall, 6.30pm

Thursday 5 December

Knox Presentation Day

Term 4 Concludes

Join Alec Germanos, Harry Gordon, Adam Scott, Will Solomons, Brandon Tan for the opening night of an exhibition of works by acclaimed Australian artist Jasper Knight, co-presented with the Knox Young Curators and 3:33 Art Projects. The evening will include a Q&A with Jasper Knight and art curator Max Germanos. The exhibition is open to everyone and entry is free.

An evening with Dr Kristy Goodwin

When: Wednesday 20 November 2019, 6pm-8pm
Where: Wenkart Theatre, Junior Academy and Performing Arts Centre, Senior School
Who: Knox Prep, Wahroonga Prep and Knox Senior School parents of students in Years 5-9

Dr Goodwin will provide practical and effective strategies to ensure your son’s online safety and healthy technology habits.

Please RSVP by 15 November here. For more information, email Amanda Pooley.

For many years the Knox community have generously supported the STARTTS program. STARTTS is the acronym for the ‘NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors’.

The organisation provides a range of professional services to facilitate the healing process for refugees who have been exposed to torture and trauma, as well as access to health services for newly arrived refugees. The aim of the program at Knox is to provide your son with the opportunity to learn a little about the organisation and what it does, as well as to think about children of his own age who have had to cope with very real difficulties in their lives. It encourages the boys to think about demonstrating compassion in his life and how displaying that compassion is integral to our Christian compassion at Knox.

The boys are asked to make a Christmas card for a child who is currently being assisted by the service. It would be wonderful if your son could provide a small Christmas gift ($10 in value) to which his card can eventually be attached.

The gifts should be handed to the Student Administration Office by Tuesday 3 December. We intend to present the gifts to a guest speaker from STARTTS organisation that is coming to the School in the last week of term.

In previous years, the gift from our boys was often the only gift these children received. If possible, please wrap and label the gift indicating whether it is appropriate for a boy of girl.

We appreciate your support as always and hope that the boys will learn a great deal from their participation in this program.

For more information, please contact Mrs Helen Clarke.

On Thursday the Year 8 cohort all came together to clean their lockers in readiness to the move to the new locker facility on Monday 11 November.

On all accounts the opening night of 'Oliver!' was a huge success last night. Congratulations to the following Year 8 students who are part of the cast: Joel Belton, Horatio Ctercteko, Lucas Dale, Ryan Dillon, Tom Eyres, Jack Farrall, Cameron Hayes, Cameron Ho-Shon, Xavier Minney, Hamish Murphy, Thomas Newberry, Jeremy Pan-Cassin, Sebastian Quintana, Alastair Ramsay, Charlie Ritchie, Joe Roberts, Blake Roder, Noah Samuel, Lachlan Sherlock, Nathanael Sherlock, Sam Stone, Adam Uttley, Niall Yeowell and Victor Zhao.

Good luck for the remaining shows, boys, and I look forward to seeing you on stage tonight!

This week some Year 8 students took part in a game of cricket on Knox 1. It was great to see the boys in action.

We also had some boys who enjoyed spending time in the new iHub space where they enjoyed engaging with the new technology.