Year 8 Week 8 Term 1 2021

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We often say that education is a partnership between students, school and parents – it takes a village to raise a child. We are incredibly grateful for your support as we work together to raise young men of character.

Being a parent is often a stressful and challenging job. It is never easy and sometimes we need to have difficult and challenging conversations with our sons as we seek to make them better people.

As a school for boys, we have an essential role in developing well rounded young men with a strong moral compass. Indeed, surveys of our new parents consistently indicate that providing a balanced education with a focus on values is one of the main reasons parents choose to send their son to Knox.

Our school motto, 'Virile Agitur', is derived from St Paul's letter to the Corinthians. "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love."

At its core, this motto is about doing the right thing; acting with conviction and purpose as we seek to live out our school’s values – Faith, Wisdom, Integrity, Compassion and Courage.

As we have seen in recent weeks, there is no doubt that our society needs men of character and courage as we work together to address misogyny and gender disparity in Australia.

We are committed to shaping the values of our students through structured, age-appropriate educational programs from Prep through to the Senior School.

In the Prep School, the boys are challenged to live out our School values through the lens of Knox Total Fitness, involving class-based programs, and reinforced with supporting messages in assemblies and chapel services. These programs are complemented by parent seminars on topics such as digital citizenship, cyber safety and building resilience in our young men.

In the Senior School, our boys take part in a values-based educational program based on Knox Total Fitness, our integrated Positive Education program which aims to support and improve the social-emotional, physical, spiritual and academic fitness of every boy. This program takes place during mentor lessons, year group time, whole of school assembly and chapel, and includes special guest speakers.

These programs are specifically designed for our context as a boys’ school, with a focus on issues which relate to young men and our values. This includes education on positive relationships and consent, which is also covered in detail in the PDHPE curriculum.

These in-school programs are complemented by a series of parent seminars and events to provide a bridge between what is being taught at school and what is been taught in the home.

Throughout this year, we will be running a series of ‘Positive Parenting’ events for Senior School parents on topics including positive relationships and consent, alcohol and partying and mental health.

These programs have been carefully planned by our academy and psychology teams to be targeted at each year level based on the social and developmental age of the boys. They will mirror the concepts we are talking about with the boys in school.

For example, in Terms 2 and 3 we will be running seminars for parents of students in Years 5 to 8 on topics including positive relationships and consent, study skills in the home and managing technology use. We are opening these seminars up to Knox Prep parents who may have an interest in these topics.

In Years 9 and 10, our seminars will cover respectful relationships, Knox Total Fitness and subject selection/careers.

In Years 11 and 12, our seminars will further explore positive relationships, masculinity and emotional literacy.

Look out for further information about these events in our newsletters. If there are topics that are of particular interest for future seminars, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your academy team to share your ideas.

Thank you again for your support of the School and our mission. Together, we are a great team in parenting and shaping young men.

Scott James

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I am often asked by parents what do I consider the most important things they should focus on in supporting their son through the teen years. I believe the answer is often as simple as clear boundaries and a good night’s sleep.

While the objective at secondary school is to nuture and encourage boys towards their own independence as the best possible version of themselves, early teens is a time for only a gradual reduction in rules and regulations. I am sure that your son has expressed on many occasions the many rules and regulations he is asked to conform to when in school uniform. In reality, while boys may not stop to think through the purpose behind school rules, they do serve to provide him with a safe and engaging environment filled with many opportunities and experiences.

At home there should also be clear boundaries around the access and use of technology, the importance of regular sleep and exercise, the need for him to pitch in with house duties, and an expectation that he will pay honour to the many blessings life is providing him with.

Parenting, and indeed teaching, is never meant to be a popularity contest but as referees for the boys we call the ‘off sides', reward the ‘goals’ and ultimately the boys will come home champions.

Wayne Inwood

The theme in Mentor over the past few weeks has been ‘Positive Relationships’. As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, students have used some time to reflect on their identity and how others perceive them, in addition to how our cohort can create a positive Junior Academy culture alongside Year 7. In Year Meeting, a challenge was given to the cohort to consider what 2021 looks like for our year group along with what impact we want to have on our community throughout our time at Knox. Our Mentor Representatives led this discussion and it was great to hear suggestions from a range of students.

The number of lost property items in my office is growing. Please ensure all items (books, clothing, diaries) are labelled so that I can easily have them returned. If your child is missing any items, please have them come and see me. There is also a small lost property box in the JAPAC lounge. If they frequent the lounge during the day or after school and have lost some items please see Mrs Tyler to access the lost property there.

Please be mindful that three or more days absence from school due to illness, injury etc. requires a medical certificate. A medical certificate is required, even if only absent for one day, when a student misses an assessment due to illness. The medical certificate is to be attached to the Illness Misadventure Application. All other leave of three or more days must be applied for using the Student Leave form, and submitted a minimum of two weeks prior to leaving to allow for the approval process.

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Assessment protocols
Boys have been sent the following reminder about expectations:

• Assessment tasks must take priority over private music lessons. Assessment task notifications are published at least two weeks in advance of task dates. You need to reschedule your music lesson if it clashes with an in-class assessment task. This is your responsibility.
• Mobile phones are not permitted outside of your locker during school hours. If you discover that you have accidentally taken your phone into the classroom, particularly for an assessment task, you must immediately inform the teacher, who will place it on their desk.
• If illness or misadventure prevents you from submitting or sitting an assessment task, you need to submit an illness/misadventure appeal (IMA) form. Forms are available on the Knox portal.

Janelle Charlton

Head of Knox Sports and Aquatic Academy

Sports Doctor on site each week
I am pleased to confirm Knox is taking the lead in terms of injury support and best practice towards head knocks and any potential concussion again this winter season. Knox will have a specialist Sports Doctor on the senior campus for the entire winter season, based on Knox 1 (First Aid room) every Saturday. Regardless of where your game may be played, what year group, any sport, age or division your son is playing, a Doctor will be on-site in First Aid room from 11am til 1pm every Saturday to assist with any serious injuries including any potential concussion.

Knox will also have plenty of physio support and First Aid at each Knox venue as well including the Knox Prep campus, Gillespie Field, Knox 1, Acron Oval and Curagul Field.

Please also be aware, each and every Monday starting in Term 2 and up to Week 3 of Term 3, we will have a Doctor available in the School Clinic for follow up of any serious injuries including head knocks from 7am til 9am. I would encourage all families to take up this offer of support for your son, if needed.

Table Tennis
Whilst the majority of summer sport has concluded and we move into the winter season, we still have two sports yet to finish due to their success. Our Table Tennis squad just won the Independent Schools Cup with a huge win over Scots College. Well done team and congratulations to all coaches on such an enjoyable season.

Baseball
Our Baseball team are Grand Final bound this weekend after defeating Five Dock in the semi final last weekend. Knox relished the home ground advantage hitting 7 runs to the opposition's 3. The Grand Final will be one to watch as Knox tied against Concord St Pat's in their previous recent encounter. The competition’s two standout teams have their eyes on the prize to ultimately be crowned the Champions of the Ryde Hawks Baseball League. Good luck to the Knox Baseball team!

Congratulations
Euan Liney (Y12) represented Knox as part of the Knox Pymble SC at the 2021 Australian Open Water championships. Euan competed in both 7.5km, and 5km 16-18 year old men’s events. In challenging conditions, Euan claimed two medals, a Silver (7.5km), and Bronze (5km) medal in these events. Congratulations to Euan for winning his first and second national medals!

Branden Tse (Y9) was selected into the NSW state team to represent in the Youth National Archery Championship 2021 that were to be held in Tasmania in April, but sadly, the competition has been postponed. On 7 March Branden also participated in a qualifying ranking event in Canberra and he shot a State Record for round WA60/720 with a score of 645. The previous state record was 638. Well done, Branden!

Track and Field
The weekend saw a number of Knox athletes contest the prestigious NSW Junior Championships at Sydney Olympic Park. With numerous personal bests achieved throughout the meet, it was a most positive start to our 2021 campaign and a real testament to the commitment that boys are showing to their training. There were so many pleasing results over the last few days, the following are some stand outs:

• James Harden (Y9), after running a PB in the sprint hurdles, ran a new personal best in the 400m prelims only to better this again in the finals by over a second. A big congratulations to him for placing 2nd in pole vault.
• Sophie Harden competed well in the Under 15 Pole Vault and Under 15 2000m Steeplechase. In the Steeplechase Sophie came 4th in her age group.
• Tom Plasto (Y11) improved his personal best by over 1.5 seconds to run a very fast 52.51sec 400 metres.
• Dylan Hall (Y9) ran an absolutely blistering 11.26 seconds in the 100m as a 14 year old to come second by 0.02 seconds. Dylan also claimed the NSW State title for the 200m and Long jump winning both of these events over the weekend. Absolutely fantastic result for Dylan.
• Sean Williams (Y10) took out 2nd place in the 3000m with a blistering 9:31.25min shaving 27 seconds off his previous personal best. Sean also backed up to run the 1500m where he finished a very respectable 6th and earned a new personal best of 14 seconds.
• Maks Saravanja (Y7) took out 2nd place and the silver medal in high jump with a clearance of 1.55 metres.
• Chester Swaffer (Y8) not only achieved a new PB in the 400m, but finished 6th in the 800 metres - both very tough events to contest over the course of the weekend and a great result.
• Hamish Hart (Y11) achieved 3rd place in the 1500 metres - a great effort with a 7 second personal best.

Sydney Swans – AFL
You might recall the recent announcements of Braeden and Luke Parks being picked up in the draft. Braeden Campbell (OKG19) has now been selected to make his debut for the Sydney Swans this weekend. Good luck, Braeden.

Snow Sports
Snow Sport Regional Interschools nominations are now open. The competition registration form is accessible via the Knox app. Ensure that you are subscribed to Snow Sports. Regional Interschools run from 28 June to 2 July with students able represent Knox through the Interschools Competition Pathway. Unfortunately, the Recreation and Competition Camps that have been run in previous years is not able to proceed in 2021 but all Snow Sport competitors are encouraged to participate in the Regional Interschools.

Holiday action
Please be sure to check and get involved in any holiday camps offered here at Knox through the Term 1 break to stay fit and keep skills up. If you have any queries, please email Sport or your Director of Sport/Coach who will have more information.

Wet weather
Whilst we do absolutely everything we possibly can to get our boys a game or training run each week, this coming weekend looks particularly bad with weather and, whilst we want our boys to continue the trial process, we also need to look after our fields in preparation for Term 2 and beyond. Alerts will be sent via the Knox app of any cancellations.

I hope your son has enjoyed the transition into the winter program and is looking forward to an exciting Term 2 of sport wearing the Black and Blue!

Martin Haywood

Sleeping well for wellbeing
Getting enough sleep each day is vital for health and wellbeing. Sleeping well can benefit energy, concentration, and memory. It can also improve mood and ability to regulate emotions. Biological sleep patterns shift during adolescence, which means your son will likely need more sleep (typically 8-10 hours per night) and may have difficulty getting to sleep earlier in the evening.

Upcoming assessments in Week 9 are for da Vinci Maths, History, Languages and PD/Health/PE.

Assessments in Week 10 are hand-in tasks for Music and Religion & Ethics.

Year 8 Assessment Grid Term 1

2021 Illness Misadventure Form

Year 8 Assessment Booklet

Term 1 concludes

Thursday 1 April

Good Friday

Friday 2 April

Easter Monday

Monday 5 April

Term 2 commences

Tuesday 20 April

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
Psalm 28:7

ANZAC Service and Parade

We are pleased to announce that the Knox ANZAC Service and Parade will go ahead on Sunday 2 May 2021 at 8.30am with some modifications and restrictions. All students in the Cadet Unit are expected to attend this event.

Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, we will be limiting spectators to two tickets per Year 11 and 12 Cadets only. We apologise for any disappointment this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

The service and parade will be live streamed to the internet.

Invites for Year 11 and 12 Cadets will be sent via email during the last week of Term 1.

If you have any questions, please email events@knox.nsw.edu.au.

CRU Group

Please join us on Monday at lunchtime in MK34 to gather with other students for games, learning and prayer – to learn more about Jesus and support and encourage one another. All are welcome!

For more information, contact Mrs Keir.

da Vinci Decathlon 2021

The winning teams from da Vinci Decathalon for 2021 have been announced.

Well done to all participants, and congratulations to the below teams for placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd from Year 8.

Knox Academy of Performing Arts

Battle of the Bands 2021 – The Heats
Paying homage to the music of the 1980s was part of the score for this year’s Knox Battle of the Bands (BOBs) Heats. Despite the absence of spandex, eye shadow, blonde perms and shoulder pads, I think our boys did a mighty fine job!

This year we saw the biggest BOBs Heats to date, with 15 bands performing over four days. Each band took to the steps of the Great Hall to perform in front of an enthusiastic crowd of students and teachers that all gathered around to enjoy their lunch and offer plenty of vocal support.

The standard of performances was strong across all year groups, with some notable performances from our Year 8 bands, who were gracing the BOBs stage for the first time. We had a couple of surprise Year 12 performances which proved to be crowd pleasers and a big representation from our Year 10s, with six bands from this year group participating!

The 1980s was a distinctive and iconic era in popular music. Unsurprisingly there was a sense of nostalgia for those listening to our boys perform, with the unmistakeable melodies travelling across the school grounds. Some of the material covered in this year’s heats included: 'Take On Me' by a-ha, 'Don’t Change' by INXS, 'You Give Love a Bad Name' by Bon Jovi, 'Money For Nothing' by Dire Straits and 'Message In A Bottle' by The Police - just to name a few.

I am so pleased to see the standard of performances getting stronger each year. This was the strongest BOBs Heats to date and it was certainly a tough call for our panel of guest judges to pick five groups to progress through to the Finals (to be held in Term 2). It is hard to avoid some disappointment for participating students in this scenario, but all bands should be very proud of themselves for having the courage to step up to the stage and put on such entertaining performances for us all.

The five bands chosen to progress through to the 2021 Knox BOBs Finals are:

Dreamville (Y12): Sam Luo - Vox, Leo Cui - Guit, Gavin Lee - Keys, Tom McCann - Guit, Tom Goddard - Drums, Will Baily - Bass, Dom Rodriguez Russel - Sax/Vox.

Scapegoat (Y12): Aria Nayer - Vox, Asha Nayer - Guitar, Nick Grattan - Guitar 2, Oli Gordon - Bass, Bill Parker - Keys, Finn Carolan - Drums.

Broken Fork (Y11): Matt Ifield - Vox, Flynn MacGregor - Guit, Josh Darley - Bass, James Phipson - Keys, Alex Benson - Drums.

The Curls (Y10): Horatio Ctercteko - Vox, Achille Fong - Vox/Guit, Kyle Halfpenny - Guit, Angus Cook - Drums, Alec Germanos - Bass/Vox, Ethan Huang - Keys.

The Unknown (Y9): Kailoh Ramcharan - Vox, Lucas Joergensen - Guit, Ethan Bawtree - Bass, Harry Liubinskas - Drums.

Thank you to our guest judges: Mr Chris Costaganna, Ms Bree Anderson, Ms Kenia Ramirez, Mr Alec Openshaw and Mr Andrew McLachlan. Thank you to James Brice and the KAPA Department, and the Music Department for their ongoing support and mentorship with these boys. Thanks to Bob Wheatley for the sound production, Warren Fisher and the Tech Crew boys, to Chuck Ardron for his assistance in coordinating the event and to Scott James, Phil O’Regan and all of the staff who continue to support the boys and this event.

Finally, a big thank you and congratulations to all participating bands and best of luck to the five bands that are progressing through to the Finals!

Rob Ewan, Coordinator of Contemporary Music Studies

Atlantica
Essence
Overcast
Paragon
Pure Blue
Reckless Paradise
Space Ibis
The Boarders and Tom
The Red Line
The Red Thorns

Young Curators Program

A small team of Year 8 and Year 10 Visual Art students are taking part in 3:33 Art Projects’ Young Curators program throughout 2021. The students will be working together to curate an exhibition of work by Reg Mombassa to be hosted here at Knox. Their first experience was a visit to the Germanos Collection, where they were able to view artworks by Mombassa as well as a broad array of other leading Australian artists.

Tim Owers

McKenzie Library

Holiday borrowing is now open
From the start of Week 9, any books or resources borrowed will be due for return the first week of Term 2. This is your opportunity to borrow some great reading materials for the holidays!

Our recommended holiday reads include:

'The Hobbit' by J.R.R.Tolkien
'Wolf Brother' by Michelle Paver
'Hatchet' by Gary Paulsen
'The Cherub series' by Robert Muchamore
'Alex Rider series' by Anthony Horowitz
'Illuminae' by Amie Kaufman
'Percy Jackson' by Rick Riordan
Senior students may be interested in 'Act of a Scythe Series' by Neal Shusterman

Holiday Movies
Holiday movies can be accessed through ClickView via the library portal found through KnoxNet here.

Enjoy your reading and viewing.

Sally Thomson

Old Knox Grammarians' Association

Knox Community: 'Penguin Bloom' Private Screening
An Old Knox Grammarians’ Association (OKGA) Event

Sunday 18 April
3pm for 3.30pm at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace

To support Old Boys and their families who are doing it tough, the Old Knox Grammarians’ Association, in collaboration with Cam Bloom (OKG89), presents a private screening of the film, 'Penguin Bloom'.

To reserve your seats, please click on the session time of 3.30pm on the Orpheum website.

For any event enquiries, please email the OKGA.

Knox Uniform Shop

Trading Hours
Monday to Friday: 12.30pm-5.30pm
Saturday (Terms 1 and 4 only): 9am-12noon

Term 1 Holiday Trading Hours
Thursday 1 April - Uniform Shop closes at 5.30pm
Friday 2 April through to Monday 5 April - Closed for Public Holiday
Tuesday 6 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Wednesday 7 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Thursday 15 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Friday 16 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Saturday 17 April - 9am-12noon
Monday 19 April - 9.30am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)
Tuesday 20 April (First day of Term 2) - 8am-5pm (closed 12.30pm-1pm)

For all enquiries, please contact via us by phone 9487 0191 or email.

You may also visit the Knox website here for more information.

Julie Blackburn, Knox Uniform Shop Manager

Social Justice

World's Greatest Shave
What an amazing effort from our staff and students. We have collectively raised over $46k and this amount is still growing! Thank you to our Knox community for rallying around this cause. Your enthusiastic response to help us spread awareness and raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation is so appreciated. Thank you to Greg and Karim, our local Wahroonga Shop Barbers, for their support. It's not too late to show your support - please click here to sponsor the Knox Grammar WGS Team.

Alongside the Prefect Executive, we thank the following staff for their involvement: Mr James, Mr Leggo, Mr Truong, Mr Osburg, Mr Kemp, Ms Nield, Mrs Yager, Mrs Mason, Ms Haselden, Ms Wiffen, Ms O'Brien and Mrs Clarke.

Senior School Tuckshops - Volunteers Required

We are so excited to be able to welcome parent volunteers back on campus to assist in the Tuckshops from the start of Term 2, 2021. The return of volunteers is subject to continued stabilisation of local and state health requirements regarding COVID-19.

We greatly appreciate our volunteers and their contributions to our School community.

Helping out in the tuckshop is very rewarding experience and a great way to meet and socialise with new friends. If you are able to volunteer in one of the Senior School Tuckshops, please click on the following link here.

Around The Grounds

Academy Assembly - Stage 4
On Thursday, Years 7 and 8 joined together for an Academy Assembly in the Great Hall. Mr Haywood spoke to them about winter sports while Mrs Yager distributed da Vinci Day awards to the top 3 teams for each year group.

World's Greatest Shave
What a great turnout for the World's Greatest Shave on Thursday 18 March. Congratulations to everyone involved in the event and for your marvellous fundraising efforts. Well done boys (and staff!).

Boarders' Dinner and Chapel Service
The Boarders' Dinner and Chapel service for Term 1 2021 was held on 17 March - a wonderful experience for our Years 7 and 8 students.