YEAR 8 WEEK 8 TERM 3 2019

Year 8 Week 8 Term 3 2019

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As we approach the end of a busy third term, it important for our young men to take a step back and to keep the big picture in mind. Experience has shown me that when boys are tired, their ability to make good, thoughtful choices is somewhat diminished. So, in continuing my analogy of the high school journey being compared to a running race, I was reminded of this verse from the Bible in Hebrews 12:1, which says Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that slows us down... And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

 There are 3 keys elements to this verse which I feel will be important for our young men to take on board as they face the end of the term and tiredness begins to set in:

 1)      We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses

This would imply that being part of a wider community of people is helpful motivation to keep running. We all know the benefit of doing things in team, and acknowledging that there will be seasons where we rely on the shoulders of our mate to carry us, but equally that there will be times when we will put our shoulder under the arm and help out someone else.

 2)      Let us throw off everything that slows us down

It is a useful exercise for your son to take stock of the things in his life which are slowing him down or preventing him from operating at his full capacity. I remember a personal experience when I was 13 years old, where I was called up to run the 1500m at the last minute in freezing cold weather at my school’s athletics carnival. I was unprepared and the only gear I had on me was my school tracksuit and hiking boots. I can tell you, running 1500m in that gear was torturous. Being aware of the things which distract is the first challenge, but throwing them off is the more important one.

 3)      Run with perseverance the race marked out for us

If you’ve attempted distance running at any point in your life, you will know that when you get tired, setting yourself small, achievable goals helps you to keep going…“I’m just going to keep running until I see the next kilometre signpost.” The same message applies to our boys – they have set themselves some goals and marked out their race, so to speak, alongside their Mentor, and in order to keep moving forward, it is important for him to keep his eyes on the targets and goals he has set for himself.

We know that this race will require perseverance, effort and resilience but knowing that pushing through the moments when he feels tired and which feel tough, is key to developing his strength and character. I look forward to seeing our Junior Academy boys finish this last stage of the term with a flourish.

Craig Milligan

 

This week at Year Meeting I encouraged the boys to think about how far they have come as a Year Group. I asked the boys to think about who they were at the beginning of Year 7 and then asked them reflect on the type of students and individuals they are now. I asked the boys to think on this because I have been doing some reflecting of my own after recent interviews for boys wishing to participate in cultural exchange and applications for Portfolio Leadership Team(PLT) positions. In each interview that I was involved in, I was proud of the effort, the determination and courage that each student displayed. The PLT applications were similarly impressive, with students detailing their ambitions, skills and eagerness to grow as individuals. I have encouraged each student to think about how they can continue to hold themselves to a high standard, developing each decision and choice they make now is informing what sort of adult they will become.

Sometimes, young people lack insight into the bigger picture. Students need an example to look up to; they need to be able to see what their future holds. In light of this, we asked a few high-ranking Year 10 students in the Cadet Program to address the Year Group. The Year 10's explained the importance of the Cadet Program, the character traits that they will develop through this experience and how involvement could assist with future leadership applications at the School. The final message that the Year 10's left for our Year 8's was to approach the Cadet Program with a positive mindset. Although some may find aspects of this experience challenging, it is important that they persevere because as the saying goes, “you only get out what you put in”. Discussions about the Cadet Program will continue to unfold in the next few weeks to help the boys prepare.

Our Mentor Representatives for 2019 will wrap up their time in office at the end of this term. The boys who have represented their Mentor Groups have done a fantastic job and should be proud of their efforts. I look forward to seeing their leadership skills continue to develop over the next few years. We will be speaking to the Year Group next week about applications for the new round of Mentor Representatives; another great leadership opportunity in 2020.

Clare Yuan

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This week we welcomed the new Year 7 starters in 2020 on the Senior School. I find it hard to believe that it was only two years ago that our Year Group were in the shoes of these students coming through the school gates for their Welcome Day. Our boys have come so far and they will soon be starting their Cadets journey.

On Thursday 19 September, CAS Track & Field school photos will take place as well as catch up photos. Students should wear their representative track suit or attire for all representative teams. If they are required for the photo session they will receive an email from the sports directors. All photos will take place on Knox 1 at 9.30am. Students are required to bring their ID cards with them.

Just a reminder that all absence notifications are now done through Parent Lounge. Further information on how to submit the notification, may be found in the Parent Lounge user guide. If you are having difficulties doing it online you can also email me.

Finally, I wish to thank all of you for taking the time to complete the survey about the new look newsletter this week. It is great to see that most parents prefer the online version rather than the pdf version of the newsletter.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Crystel Hodgson, Tel: 9119 0881

Saturday 14 September Year 8 Parents' Supper - Avondale Golf Club - 7pm - 11.30pm

Thursday 19 September  CAS Track & Field Championship at SOPAC (optional for Year 8)

Thursday 19 September  CAS Track & Field Team and Catch up Photos

Friday 20 September  Boarders' Chapel Service and Annual Family Dinner

Friday 20 September Knox - Code Barrel App 'Big Idea' Competition - Entries close

Friday 27 September  Term 3 Concludes

Tuesday 15 October Term 4 Commences

Important Uniform Message from the Head of Academy

On a number of occasions this term we have addressed students during Year Meeting about the importance of wearing the correct uniform and wearing it well. Doing so shows respect for our School, its traditions and values. Members of our community often judge students and the School by the general standard of each student’s uniform and appearance so it is important that our students maintain the required standards while travelling to and from school, not just during the school day.

The boys have responded positively to these discussions and to the monitoring systems put in place at the school gates. We have been pleased to witness a significant improvement in the number of students wearing with pride their boaters and blazers to and from school. To support a continuation of this positive trend, we will be introducing consequences for those students who are not able to comply with the School’s uniform code on a regular basis. Initially students will receive a warning when they do not have the correct uniform. Should a student arrive at school without the correct uniform on a third occasion, parents will be notified and the student will need to participate in an after school reflection. Additional reflection sessions will be scheduled should there be a fourth or fifth occasion.

In conjunction with our focus on uniform, it is timely to remind students that only school approved bags should be brought on campus.

Craig Milligan

 

Fees In Advance Program

For many years the School has offered a ‘fees in advance’ program to enable increased flexibility of such payments. The program is attractive for many reasons, enabling parents to make lump sum payments for years ahead which attract discounts to the scheduled fees.

To qualify, upfront full year payments must be made for a minimum of one year and the payments must be made by 31 October in the year before your payment program begins. Payments will only be accepted by direct funds transfer or cheque (credit card or Bpay payments are not permitted for this program).

Details of the Fees in Advance Program can be found on the Knox website here. Alternatively, you might like to discuss this in confidence with Betty Fowler from the School’s Accounts Department on 9487 0442.

 

 

National Snow Sports

Last weekend Josh Castles, Mikey Salerno and Will Stanley from our 2023 cohort represented Knox at Mt Buller, Victoria in the Snow Sports Nationals. Well done boys!

Year Meeting

This week at Year Meeting the students were entertained by the Guitar Ensemble Performance team and four students from Year 10 came to speak to the boys about their experience as a Cadet.

Around the Grounds

It is great to see our Year 8 students making use of the JAPAC lounge area at lunch time.

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Anxiety - What Can I Do as a Parent?

When we talk about anxiety, it’s important to keep in mind that all teens experience some anxiety at times. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress, and sometimes it helps teens deal with tense or overwhelming situations. When kids have anxious thoughts or feelings, a common response from the adults in their lives is to step in and solve the problem. This feels like the right thing to do – it’s efficient, your son seems immediately better-off, and everyone’s happy.

If your son is terrified of dogs, it’s a good idea to keep him away from the pitbull next door. If your son becomes anxious in social situations letting him stay home from the party he’s been invited to is helpful, even though he would probably really enjoy himself. If he’s afraid of public speaking, you support him in not applying for leadership roles at school… I’m sure you can see where this is going.

Avoidance & Exposure

By helping your boy avoid scary situations, unfortunately you’re reinforcing and fuelling his anxiety. They’re also missing out on opportunities to develop coping skills and prove to themselves they can deal with the feelings and thoughts that arise when they are in uncomfortable and anxiety provoking situations next time they come up. The best thing you can do for your child is to help them learn how to cope with anxiety. So, on a practical level, how does one do that exactly?

Challenging Anxious Thoughts

People with anxiety often get stuck on the worst-case scenario or 'what ifs' in any situation. Shifting this thinking is vital to combatting anxiety. You can do this by reminding them of times they've had a similar problem in the past and how things worked out okay. Help them to challenge the anxiety-provoking thoughts with detailed facts and evidence that demonstrate these thoughts aren’t credible. Better yet, ask them questions that make them come up with the reasons why their fears aren’t realistic. For example, how do we know that crocodiles can't survive under the bed? What do they need in their environment to live and what do they need to eat? Does all that live under the bed too!? Imagine your teenager fears rejection and large-group social situations; What evidence is there that you’re really wanted at this party? I was invited. What evidence is there you’ll enjoy yourself? My friends will be there so that’s a little group I’m happy in within the larger group of the party… Explore as many reasons as you can elicit. If there’s still some residual anxiety after this, make a plan for how they'll respond if things don't go as they'd like. A back-up plan is always reassuring and usually not needed. When it comes to the backup plan, try not to impose your solutions but get your child to come up with his own plan that he believes in and is comfortable with.

Perfectionism & Giving It A Go

Anxious kids and teens often worry about making mistakes or not having things perfect. This can lead to them avoiding situations or activities – they’d rather sit out than get it wrong. Emphasise giving new things a try and experiencing new things over whether something’s a success or failure. And redefine success – in some situations, giving it a go is the marker of success regardless of what happens after that.

Risk Perception

Lots of kids and indeed adults have worries about death, war, terrorism or things they see on the news. This is all really normal. Talk through their fears and answer any questions truthfully. Don’t sugar-coat the facts – try and explain what’s happening in a way that puts their fears in perspective. Discuss why humans have skewed risk perception and why we think things that are relatively safe (like planes) are terribly dangerous. People have a tendency to fear big, unlikely catastrophes instead of the things that actually are dangerous threats, like heart disease.

Modelling

Kids pick up all sorts of signals from the adults in their lives, so have a think about the messages you’re sending. Over-protective family members can inadvertently reinforce children’s fears that the world is a dangerous place where everything can hurt you and there are threats everywhere. Similarly, parents who ‘over-help’ are subconsciously telling their kids that they can’t do anything without adult support.

Give Him Some Time To Figure It Out For Himself

If you’re prone to paying very close attention to your child’s experiences or problems, try taking a step back and waiting next time before you jump in. It can be hard seeing your child distressed but figuring things out for themselves is an important step in building resilience. Remember distress isn’t dangerous – learning to sit with a bit of distress and discomfort is a necessary skill in life. 

Amanda J. Pooley, Director of Wellbeing K-12