Young people have the capacity to lead. They are not constrained by ego, time, place, or limitation. Unfortunately, it can be adults who place limits on them. We must remind ourselves that the foundations of leadership are being nurtured during the formative years through a young person’s relationships and life experiences.

Schools are in a fortunate position to nurture leadership in young people. At Knox, student leadership and emotional growth are a strong focus. Young men and boys have many opportunities to attain leadership roles during their time at Knox, perfecting their leadership skills in specific areas of personal interest or challenge. I am constantly amazed at the care and support young students receive from older boys through peer-support groups and activities such as sport, co-curricular pursuits, outdoor education and performing arts.

If we want our young men and boys to become future leaders, we must teach them how to be quality people and allow them to live their own lives. Let young people learn from their mistakes and grow more resilient from the challenges faced and overcome.

Tomorrow’s leadership depends upon young people having a team, including family and school, both sharing common values and striving to instil those values through positive relationships. As part of the ‘team’, Knox supports students to find their own influence, eventually developing a confident voice and a capacity to act in the world and a willingness to lead others.

Knox Anzac Service and Parade
This Sunday 2 May our Cadet Unit will come together for the annual Knox Anzac Service and Parade. This important event for our School community reflects on the sacrifices of our servicemen and women, in particular our Old Boys.

Anzac Day has always been an important part of life at Knox; the day was Knox Grammar School’s first public outing in 1924. The first Knox Anzac Service was held in 1931.

This year's Knox Anzac Service and Parade on Sunday 2 May is limited to invited guests only (due to COVID-19 capacity limits). We sincerely apologise for any disappointment.

The service will be live streamed from 8.30am at www.knox.nsw.edu.au/anzac. If you are unable to attend in person this year, please join us online on Sunday for our Anzac commemoration. Lest We Forget.

Scott James

CASE Ocean School
CASE Ocean School is a new Australian study program providing students with an all-encompassing STEAM experience focusing on marine biology, ocean ecology, cutting-edge research, and technologies. Delivered using real-life content, CASE Ocean School focuses on building student’s personal leadership and development skills by improving higher order and critical thinking skills. This program provides the opportunity for students to work with experts in their field, explore the wealth of the ocean and learn beyond the classroom in beautiful environment.

There will be two programs run in 2022 - the junior program in July 2022 and the senior program in September 2022.

If your son has further interest in this program, click here to find out more information and submit your expression of interest.

Karen Yager

At our Year Meeting this week, our very own Sam Elliot presented on receiving feedback, preparing for the term and goal setting. It is very true what Sam said, 'you must be prepared, organised and give it your best shot in order to succeed!' Throughout this year, each Mentor Group will have the opportunity to lead a section of our Year Meeting, presenting on topics that reflect the Year 9 Mentor Program.

Also, at our Year Meeting students had the opportunity to hear from Actura, who are the company that run our NASA Space Tours. They have a new Australian Tour called, ‘Ocean School.’ There are trips planned for July and September of 2022. Some of the activities the boys will be involved in are trips to the Great Barrier Reef, taking action for global change and immersing themselves in Australian beach culture. Both you and your son have received an email from Mr Michael Beilharz about the upcoming information evening on 20 May in the Knox Cultural Centre Auditorium. If you are interested, then please email Mr Beilharz or pop up and see him in the iHub.

As always, please contact your son’s Mentor or the Team Leaders if we can assist with the pastoral care of your son.

Carly Robinson

ANZAC Day Service and Parade - Sunday 2 May
The boys have been busy rehearsing for the ANZAC Day Service and Parade. Just a reminder that all Cadet students are expected to arrive to the Great Hall only via the Woodville Gates for 9am. The event will be live streamed via this link.

Sport News
Well done to Henry Anderson, Nathan Gladman, Jerry Guo Daniel Seo and Evan Yueh who all competed in the NSWCIS Secondary Championships 2021.  

Today, Tomas Harsany, Benjamin Howard, Harry Browne and Connor Hackwood are all competing at the NSW Secondary Teams Racing Championships. We wish them all the best and look forward to hearing of their results.

Absence Notification
Just a reminder when lodging your son's absence in Parent Lounge please remember to include the nature of his medical condition in the comment section if you have selected Illness/Medical. Should your son be suffering from any cold and flu symptoms which is part of the COVID-19 symptoms, please keep your son at home and get him tested. A negative COVID-19 results is to be provided to the School prior to his return.

Parents' Morning Tea
Please save the date in your calendar for our Year 9 Parents' Morning Tea that will be taking place on Monday 31 May. Further information will be provided closer to the date.

Have a great weekend.

Karen Thong

If your son is ill or unable to attend on any day during the NAPLAN test period for a specific reason, please email me and Mrs Thong (Y9 SAO) as early as possible.

Please be aware that NAPLAN is a diagnostic test and the results have no impact on your son’s ability to complete the HSC. In Year 10, students will undertake a Minimum Standards test, where students need to achieve Levels 3 or 4 in short online reading, writing and numeracy tests of skills for everyday life. Please click this link for more information on NAPLAN or Minimum Standards.

Please feel free to contact me on 9487 0166 if you have any questions or queries.

Craig Milligan

2. Developing a strong culture is by design and not by default – you need to work on it and create it. In order to do this, you need to encourage the behaviours, symbols and systems you need to meet the outcomes.
• Behaviours – what you do. “I can’t hear what you say, who you are is too loud!” If your actions don’t match your words and who you stand for, it doesn’t mean anything.
• Symbolism – involves visuals that show that you belong to something, you are part of a tribe e.g. the importance placed on the Wallabies jersey. You have the responsibility to leave the jersey in a better position than how you found it.

3. Leaders must have composure – this is all about faith.
• Have faith in yourself – be confident that you have worked as hard as you can to be as good as you can be.
• Have faith in your teammates around you – know your teammates and know their strengths and weaknesses. Where they are strong, push them to lead. Where they are weak, put your arm around them and support them.
• Have faith in the system and plan.

4. Leaders must be resilient. Resilient people are those who know that what they are going through is not permanent, is not pervasive into every part of their life and it is not personal.

5. Leaders don’t have to be perfect. You are going to make mistakes. Making mistakes and learning from them shows vulnerability and, in fact, increases your credibility as a leader. If you’re not making mistakes, you aren’t trying hard enough as you are staying in your comfort zone! Focus on what is in front of you, learn from what is behind you.

6. Have conversations with people when it doesn’t matter (at training, at school, in the corridors), gives you the right to have conversations with people when it does matter, when everything is on the line.

Snow Sports: Nominations Closing
Snow Sport Regional Interschools nominations are now open. The competition registration form and all other Snow Sports Information 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.

Saturday helpers
As always, the help behind the scenes from parents makes all the difference to a great experience for our players and guests each Saturday. It takes a lot of the stress away from our staff who can spend more time and focus on the players. It does not go unnoticed and is greatly appreciated. This is a call out from Football and Rugby for any parents that could help on one or two weekends on a BBQ or in the canteen. We are desperately short of helpers and need some volunteers, please.

If you can help, please contact the following sports and mention your son's year group:
Football 
Rugby 

Doctor on site
Reminder to all parents that we will have a doctor available on Knox 1 from 11am this Saturday. Our Doctor is available to help any Knox student across all age groups including Prep boys, and across any sport with any serious injury. I hope this offer saves many hours waiting at the local hospital. Our Doctor then returns to the Senior School each Monday morning from 7am (until 9am) for follow up.

CIS Swimming and Diving event
Congratulations to our Swimming and Diving team who continued their pathway to All Schools representation. Our Swimmers won a total of 31 Gold, 8 Silver and 5 Bronze medals and set 10 New CIS Records. Incredible! For all the results, please refer to the Knox app.

Our three Knox Divers representing CAS were just as impressive resulting in Luke Baker (Y11) selected to progress to NSW All Schools with his third place. Well done, Luke.

Week ahead
Whilst the majority of First teams will play Trinity Grammar, most Rugby teams will play Shore. Our 1st XV would like to invite everyone along to Knox 1 and enjoy the atmosphere and momentum created at Bankwest Stadium last Saturday night.

As always, if you have any questions regarding sport, please do not hesitate to email Sport.

Go the Black & Blue!

Martin Haywood

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 seven-week course includes a tub of theraputty, that is designed to improve hand muscle strength and fine motor skills.

We will also be taking an ‘Expression of Interest’ for a five-week refresher course to run the second half of Term 2 for anyone who has completed the seven-week course previously.

Availability of places is dependent upon a first come first served basis. All students who miss out on a place in Term 2 will be placed on the waiting list for Term 3, 2021.

Should you be interested in pursuing this option for your son, please contact Rebecca Papageorgiou in the Learning Enhancement Department ASAP.

With their permission, we thought it might be fun to try to match the teachers with their choice of book. If you’d like to have a try, click on this link then click on an image and a book title to try to pair them. Correct pairs are shown in the same colour.

As parents, you are also role models for your children’s reading, and I encourage you to share your reflections about your reading with them, and then to also ask them for feedback about the books they have enjoyed. If they aren’t reading a book at present, please encourage them to visit the McKenzie Library, where the library staff will be happy to help them select something that will engage them and, hopefully, keep them reading!

I am always happy to hear from members of our community and maybe you feel inspired now to share your own reading experiences with me for promotion with our boys. Feel free to email me.

Beth Wilson

New additions to the library include the following:

Fiction
'Doomsday Book' by Connie Willis
'Gone to the Woods' by Gary Paulsen
'When Michael Met Mina' by Randa Abdel-Fattah
'The Boy Who Dared' by Susan Campbell Bartoletti



Non-Fiction
'The Complete Book of Chess Strategy' by IM Jeremy Silman
'As We Wave You Goodbye. Australian Women and War' edited by Jan Bassett

Enjoy your reading.

Sally Thomson

Wesley Mission Food Drive
Wesley Mission are asking for food staples to support the many families in Sydney that are struggling to pay bills and providing food for their family. They are seeking donations of long life milk, cereals (no nuts please), tea, coffee, cans of meat, tuna etc., savoury biscuits and healthy snacks suitable for school lunches. Please send in your donations to the SAOs or leave them in my office in Room 15.

Youth Off The Streets
The Social Justice Club is supporting one of the initiatives of Youth Off The Streets. There are many young people in Sydney who cannot afford the basic supplies to attend school. We are seeking the following donations to support this initiative and these may be left with the SAOs or in my office.

Art Supplies
Canvases, Paint, Paint Brushes, Art Paper, Sketching Pads, Sketching Pencils.

TAS
Large Paint Brushes, Water Based Paints (to paint outdoor furniture for TAS Projects).

General Stationery
Slim Wallet Folders (display folders), Double Sided Tape (to hang pictures), Blu Tac, Blue Pens, Black Pens, Black Pencil Cases (large with letter inserts to spell student names), Copy Paper, 12 x A4 Display Folders (for resumes), Plastic Zip Up Folders (A3 and A4), Clear Plastic (thick) Document Protector Sleevs (A4), Sticky Page Tags.

Toiletries
Hand Wash, Hand Cream, Hand Lotion, Shampoo, Conditioner, Toothbrush, Toothpaste. Please note that all items can be small. No need for large bottles. An example of size may be the shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels).

Shoes for the Philippines - last chance
We are collecting school shoes in good condition (small sizes for children up to age 14) and clothing in small sizes. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the communities around Manilla and the need is greater than ever. Please deliver any shoes or clothing to the SAOs.

Knox Environmental and Sustainability Team (KEST)
KEST is a group of Knox boys who are all passionate about the environment and achievable sustainability. They meet once a fortnight with the aim to improve sustainability around the School through recycling and other initiatives. To learn more about KEST, please click here.

Helen Clarke, Head of Diversity Justice and Stewardship

You may like to volunteer your time to cover the whole exam period, part of the exam period or you may prefer to be an emergency scribe for those inevitable sporting injuries the day before an exam. Either way, we would love to hear from you. Availability during the working week is obviously paramount and parents can only volunteer for students whom are not in their child’s year.

If you would like to consider assisting the School in this very meaningful way, please email Rebecca Papageorgiou in the Learning Enhancement Department or phone 9487 0470 for further information.