Dear Parents

It has been reported that we have one case of a student with Whooping Cough in Year 9. The student is recovering at home. Should your son experience persistent bouts of coughing please keep him home from school and seek medical advice before he returns. 

The text below includes information about pertussis and a link to the NSW Health pertussis factsheet.

WHOOPING COUGH

What are the symptoms?

In vaccinated cases pertussis may present as a very mild illness with very few symptoms, for example a mild cough at night.

Some cases may have a more typical presentation including a persistent cough that comes in bouts. Bouts may be followed by vomiting and a whooping sound as the child gasps for air. Pertussis can cause a severe illness in young children particularly those aged under 6 months.

How is it spread?

Pertussis is usually spread by direct contact with the droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person produced whilst coughing. People at greatest risk of getting the illness are those who have had a considerable amount of face-to-face contact with a person with the disease. Pertussis can occur in people previously vaccinated.

What should parents do?

Anyone developing symptoms should consult their local doctor and mention that there has been a case of pertussis at the school. Children who are diagnosed with pertussis cough need to stay away from school until they have taken 5 days of a special antibiotic.

For further information please refer to the NSW Health pertussis factsheet (available from http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/Pertussis.aspx  or contact the Northern Sydney Public Health Unit on 9477 9187. 

 Phil O'Regan

In the Knoxonian this week the Headmaster described how setbacks in life are inevitable, but we can choose to see them as positive lessons instead of demoralising failures. A similar message is on a poster in the Junior Academy Lounge; ‘Your last mistake is your best teacher’. As we guide and support our boys to become independent young men it is worth remembering they will learn valuable life lessons by making a mistake. I encourage parents to consider the merit of allowing their son to learn from the consequences of forgetting equipment, clothing or even recess and lunch. Rather than rushing to their aid and bringing the forgotten item to school for them, think on whether they can actually survive the day without it. You will find that on virtually all occasions boys will be able to successfully navigate their way through the school day while perhaps learning the merits of better organisation in the future. For those students who do forget recess or lunch boys there is always the option of accessing the Junior Academy canteen using their ID card or making themselves known to the SAO who will arrange for the cost of recess and lunch to be debited to a parents account. When it is critical for you to drop an item to school please bring it to the desk of the Student Administration Officer. For Year 7 and Year 8 these offices are located in front of the Years 7 - 10 Locker Facility, opposite the steps leading up to the Great Hall.

Wayne Inwood

Throughout the first five weeks of 2020, the staff of Knox have been reinforcing the message to boys that they do not have to be the best but should always strive to do their best. In speaking to many of the boys and their teachers around the campus, I have been delighted to hear that it is a mantra evident in the boys’ approach to tasks in the classroom, at sport and swim trials. As we move into the second half of the term, I would like to acknowledge the boys' application, positive approach and achievements. This term there has been much to celebrate, Year Meetings and assemblies have been filled with words of praise, endless handshakes and certificates awarded. As Team Leaders of the Class of 2024, we will always celebrate excellence and acknowledge outstanding performances, including winning on the scoreboard, however, the most important lesson we want our boys to learn is that individual and collective success takes many forms and that finishing first, scoring the most runs or getting full marks on an assessment task are only a few of the measures of success. The self-satisfaction of knowing you have given your all is the real prize!

To complement this 'mantra' amongst the boys, you may have heard from your son that this week the boys completed the Flourish Survey during our Year Meeting. This snapshot into the boys' level of self-perception and wellbeing will provide our Mentor Team and parents with valuable insights to help guide the boys in development. I encourage all families to sit down with their sons and review the data which has been generated.

Finally, I would like to remind all Year 8 families that the annual CAS Swimming and Diving Championships will be held on the evening of Thursday 12 March at SOPAC in Homebush. This amazing community event is compulsory for all Year 8 boys as we look to chase to our 3rd Championship in a row. More information about this event, including permission slips and return times will be forwarded to parents shortly. Please note that all Year 8 boys must wear winter uniform to the CAS event on Thursday 12 March. We encourage the boys who may have grown out of their winter uniform to head over to the Knox Uniform Shop next week to try and avoid a last minute rush on long pants.

Julien Manuel

Doing da Vinci Day was an academic competition that enabled students to demonstrate creative thinking and stretch their minds through eight academic challenges. The event included Art and Poetry, Science, English, Code Breaking, Legacy, Mathematics, Cartography and Engineering. After speaking to some of the students who participated, they shared what a lovely and challenging time they had at this event! Well done to all the boys that participated. 

Early on Wednesday and Thursday morning I was fortunate enough to catch up with a number of our triathletes heading off to Penrith for the individual and team NSW All Schools triathlon respectively. The boys looked excited and were ready for the challenges ahead. Congratulations to Oscar Downes, Dominik Elsik, Lochlan Stevenson, Henry Anderson, Alex Dunn, Harry Forsyth, Nathan Gladman, Lachlan Graham, Luke Mitchell, Tom Quigley, Max Roach and Heath Turner who competed.

Road Safety on Pacific Highway:  Please remind your son that in the interest of their personal safety they are not to cross a busy six lane highway in an effort to arrive to school on time, particularly in the morning.

Uniform Shop Update

Renee Willson, Tel: 9119 0886

Calling all rugby enthusiasts!

We are recruiting for new members to be involved with the Knox Rugby Referee’s Association for 2020. We will provide you with training and support for whatever level of rugby with which you are comfortable. Whether you are a parent, old boy, sibling or interested party, we would love to have you as part of our team.

Please email Mr Craig Milligan (Rugby Referees Coordinator) or 02 94870166 for more information.

Monday 2 March

Battle of the Bands - Heats

Tuesday 3 March 

Knox Annual International Women's Day Breakfast

Sunday 15 March

Kuringgai Chase Fun Run - click here for further details

Thursday 9 April

Term 1 concludes

Tuesday 28 April

Term 2 commences

Please note that the Photography and Digital Media classes have been moved to Thursday afternoons due to a scheduling conflict. The details for the two Art Classes are as follows:

Photography and Digital Media
Date and Time: Thursdays 3.30pm-5.00pm
Location: Art Building (VG02)
Cost: $50 (see link below to sign up)

Ceramics – Hand Building
Date and Time: Thursdays 3.30pm-5.00pm
Location: MK12
Cost: $50 (see link below to sign up)

To sign up for either of these, please follow the process explained here.

The Science Department is organising participation in the Big Science Competition this year. An email was sent to all parents and students at the start of the week with relevant information attached. 

The Big Science Competition is mandatory for all Year 7 - 10 da Vinci Science students. Any students who are in a Years 7 - 10 Core class and wishes to participate in this competition is required to self-nominate.

All parents must accept their son’s participation in this competition through Parent Lounge via the Knox portal by Friday 31 March.

Clean Up Australia Day Sunday 1 March

There is an opportunity for families to clean up our environment – register with a Clean-up event on the link below. The boarders will be cleaning up at Wahroonga Park. There are many other opportunities near you. Click here for further information.

Sallianne McClelland, a local champion of the Hornsby Women’s Shelter and other community groups will be our guest at the Knox International Women’s Day Breakfast. Prep, WPS and Senior School students and parents are invited.

·       Venue The Great Hall Foyer 7am-8am

·       $20pp and a light breakfast is included

Please pay on the Knox Payment Portal. Go to the Knox Payment Portal and click on ‘other activities’ and scroll down to the International Women’s Day Breakfast.

Please see attached important information regarding the 2020 Student Residential Address and Other Information notice. 

Bushfire and Drought Relief
We are supporting those impacted by fire and our drought impacted regional neighbours via the Facebook page ‘Mobilising for Mogo’ initiative. See the list of specific items to donate here and please drop these donations to Room 15. 

World's Greatest Shave - Tuesday 10 March
Social Justice Prefects and guest speakers will present at assemblies over the coming weeks. Boys must remember that cuts will be in line with the School's regulation cuts. Register online here.

Breaking a World Record and helping community projects
The Rotary Club of Wahroonga is attempting to set a World Record of connected socks on 25 October this year at St Ives Showground. Start collecting your odd socks - remember, socks need to be accompanied by the donations otherwise they can’t be included!

School shoes for the Philippines
Please send donations to Room 15 - shoes will be sent soon!

The Knox Social Justice Club - all invited to participate
There are opportunities for service at community events both within the School and in the wider community and immersions to overseas and regional areas. Everyone across Years 7-12 is invited to participate and bring a friend. 

Parents for Justice (Just Parents)
If you would like to join up and offer support, please contact Mrs Clarke.

Knox Theatre Ensemble presents ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’

When: Thursday 19 – Saturday 21 March 2020, 7.30pm
Where: Drama Theatre, Junior Academy and Performing Arts Centre, Senior School
Cost: $20 per ticket (limited tickets)

Please click here for tickets.