It was fantastic to have so many members of the Class of 2023 back in classrooms for a couple of days this week. The boys did an excellent job of following the signage placed around the grounds to remind them of the new procedures introduced this week. Next Wednesday, students in Years 7-12 will once again all be on-site for their lessons. During period 3 on Monday, Year 9 students will be given an update about arrangements for their on-site lessons for the rest of the week. This information will also be communicated to students via email.

Students will need to check their timetable in Student Café each morning they are attending face-to-face lessons next week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). While there will be no changes to the subjects they have in each period, the classroom their lessons are held in may change.

Next week students will need to bring their recess, lunch and a water bottle with them. They are able to refill their water bottles at the taps in the Academy of Global Competency building. Bubblers, however, are currently not in use.

I am looking forward to seeing our Year 9 students at school every day from Tuesday next week. Please note that there is no supervision provided for students before 7.45am unless they are attending a rehearsal or training session. Unless they are attending an organised school activity, students should not be arriving at school prior to 7.45am.

Elizabeth Ruff

It was so good to see boys back on campus this week. A school without students is a strange place indeed and to hear boys’ laughter filling the playground, and to see their smiles as they reconnected with their friends and peers really brought a sense of joy and warmth back to the campus. There were lots of perfectly formed circles of boys sitting 1.5m apart, chatting and enjoying each other’s company! On the whole, Mr Milligan and I were so pleased with how well our boys coped on Tuesday and Wednesday this week with the new routines and how agile they proved to be in adapting to their new learning spaces and timetables. I’m sure they were exhausted by the time they got home – it has been a big week!

With the Headmaster’s announcement of a return to campus for all students next week, I encourage parents to continue conversations and support the school protocols regarding good hygiene practices and the importance of social distancing as a precautionary safety measure for all members of the Knox community. We will continue these discussions at school through Year Meetings and Mentor Groups. Keep an eye out for further communication about logistics for next week.

This week in Mentor, boys have been continuing discussions on Climate Change, guided by posters produced with the leadership of Mentor Reps in Mr Whiley, Mrs Keegan-Ward, Mr Costaganna/Ms Wade’s Mentor Groups. This week’s discussions focussed on water usage and recycling. These discussions are part of our ongoing Virile Agitur Man initiative, helping the boys to consider how they can use their great strength for the good of others, but also for the good of the environment.

Please don’t hesitate to be in touch should you have any questions or concerns, using your son's Mentor as the first port of call.

Alec Openshaw

After many weeks without the boys on campus it was an absolute pleasure to welcome them back on Tuesday. I very much enjoyed all the hustle and bustle and seeing all their faces. I have to admit though that there were a few students who I did not recognise and was sure they were in Years 11 or 12 as they had all grown so much over the period that they have been studying online! It was great to watch them interacting with their friends as I’m sure there was a lot to catch up on. I am very proud of how our cohort adapted to all the changes in place and how they adhered to the social distancing measures with minimal reminder. 

Uniform and Appearance
Just a reminder that students are required to comply with the dress and appearance regulations of the School. It is each student’s responsibility to be correctly and neatly dressed, to be clean and tidy, clean shaven with hair cut according to School requirements. Students are required to wear their winter uniform.

The Uniform Shop has resumed normal operating times from Monday to Friday, 12.30pm-5pm as of Monday 18 May. Please note that the shop is not open on Saturday mornings during Terms 2 and 3. If your son needs to head to the Uniform Shop they are to come to see me first at lunch time and let me know that they are heading over.

Year 9 Parents Morning Tea
The Year 9 Parents’ Morning Tea that was scheduled for Tuesday 9 June has now been cancelled.

On-Campus Parent Teacher Interview cancelled
Just a reminder that Friday 5 June will now be a standard teaching day for students in Years 7-12 and that the on-campus Parent Teacher Interviews scheduled is cancelled.

Parent Teacher Interviews for Years 8-10 will take place via Zoom and telephone during Weeks 6-9. Further information about how to book appointments with your son’s teachers and participate in the meetings will be provided soon. 

I am very much looking forward to having the boys back on the school campus full-time as of Tuesday 26 May.

Have a lovely weekend and do not forget to set the alarms for Tuesday morning.

Crystel Hodgson, Tel: 9119 0881

I trust that you have viewed your son’s Term 1 report which is available via Parent Lounge and found the mediative questions in the 'Realising Potential' document useful in your conversations with your son to support him to reflect on his learning and consider how he might improve. 

All boys were provided a link to a How to guide (video) about the academic reports to help them read and interpret their reports. We are also collating a Frequently Asked Questions document which arose from the three online parent sessions that we held this week. We are still working on this document and will not be able to get you the full FAQ until early next week; however, in the interim, the following two questions were raised in all three sessions so we wanted to provide you with these answers as soon as possible.

Q: How is the cumulative grade determined?

The cumulative grade is based on the weighted assessment results only. Weighted assessment tasks are listed in the Assessment-related policies and procedures handbook which has been uploaded to the Parent Portal.

Q: What are the mark cut-offs for each letter grade? Are they consistent across all subjects?

The grade cut-offs (A-E) are individually determined by the Heads of Department for their respective subjects, informed by the NESA grade descriptors.

You will have the opportunity to speak with your son’s teacher online later this term, commencing from Thursday 4 June. (Please note that Friday 5 June is now a school day). Further information will be provided to you by the end of next week about how to book an online interview with your son’s teachers.

Please find the upcoming assessment tasks for Weeks 5 and 6 below for your convenience. Please refer to the assessment schedule and specific task notifications for more details.

WEEK 5: 25 to 29 May

Geography (Core) – Task 2
• The presentations will take place across Week 5 and Week 6 in the regularly scheduled geography lessons either online or face-to-face.
• The syllabus outcomes assessed in this weighted task have changed; please refer to the assessment notifications in Week 3 for specific outcomes.

Photography and Digital Media – Task 1
• This task is due on Thursday 28 May and there are currently no changes to the outcomes or weighting of this task; please refer to the assessment notifications in Week 3 for more details.

Visual Arts – Task 1
• This task is due on Thursday 28 May and there are currently no changes to the outcomes or weighting of this task; please refer to the assessment notifications in Week 3 for more details.

WEEK 6: 1 to 5 June

iSTEM – Task 2
• No changes to this assessment task.
• Please refer to the assessment notification for submission details.

Languages (Chinese, German, French and Japanese) – Task 2
• The task is scheduled for Tuesday 2 June and both parts of the task are tentatively being administered through Education Perfect.
• The syllabus outcomes assessed in this weighted task have changed; please refer to the assessment notifications in Week 4 for specific outcomes.

Music – Task 2
• Currently there are no changes to this assessment task.
• Please refer to the assessment notification two weeks prior to the task for specific details.

Jake Plaskett

With the School returning by Wednesday of Week 5 for all year groups, the co-curricular program has made the following adjustments. Please download the PDF document here for all the information for students to continue to be involved in these important and beneficial programs.

For any questions or concerns regarding the co-curricular program offered in Term 2, please feel free to contact me via email.

Chuck Ardron

Tuesday 26 May

Year 9 - Return to Campus full time

Wednesday 27 May - Wednesday 3 June

Reconciliation Week

Monday 8 June

Queen's Birthday - Public Holiday

Friday 26 June

Term 2 concludes

Monday 20 July

Term 3 commences

The Reconciliation Week Assembly is a very special event every year at Knox. The theme for this year is  ‘In this together’. The School will hold a ceremony on  Wednesday 27 May at 10.30am with Uncle John Francis Kinsela OAM as our guest speaker. John is a decorated soldier, ex-Olympian and Aboriginal elder and he is also the uncle of Bill Humes (Year 8 boarder). A few of John’s amazing life experiences may be found here.

You are warmly invited to watch a video of the Knox ANZAC Memorial Service 2020 which took place on Sunday 17 May.

This video features an address by Dr Brendan Nelson AO, readings by members of the Cadet Unit, musical items and a performance of ‘Amazing Grace’ which has been compiled using recordings of pipers from the Knox Grammar School Pipes and Drums playing at their homes.

Optimal parenting webinar
We are pleased to share the slides and video from this week’s parenting seminar.

David Schofield