Headmaster's Column
Term 1 is always one of the busiest terms of the year, with so many activities and opportunities on offer.
Over the last few weeks we have seen our boys take part in Years 4, 5, 7 and 8 Camps at Port Hacking, Lake Macquarie, Arcadia and the NSW South Coast.
There has been a flurry of excursions and incursions including a Chinese New Year celebration for Year 1, a Religion and Ethics visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum and even a Geography trip to a chocolate factory to learn about sustainable and ethical cacao production.
This weekend is the final round of the Senior School summer sports season, with one more week left for our Knox Prep students.
Team Leaders
The boys were relieved to get their Mathematics assessment done and dusted on Wednesday and are now in full assessment swing. As highlighted previously, please encourage your son to take advantage of the academic tutoring that takes place from Monday - Thursday after school in the Academy of Global Competency.
This Monday is International Woman’s Day (IWD)! We are excited to have our Year Meeting dedicated to celebrating and acknowledging the wonderful achievements of women, but this is not the only reason for this day. IWD also raises awareness for women all over the world who still face discrimination on the basis of sex and gender. Gender inequality reinforces many problems that impact women and girls globally, such as domestic violence, lack of pay, access to education, sexual attacks and more. For many years, both men and women have fought hard to bring about change and address these inequalities by taking to the streets, creating petitions to change laws and creating awareness of gender imbalance. As a teacher, it is important to teach students about respectful relationships with women and girls. The IWD theme for 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge which is a commitment to choose to challenge inequality, challenging bias and creating a world where men and woman are treated equally. We’re stronger when we work together!
Student Administration Officer
This week has been another busy one for our cohort and the boys have navigated through it beautifully.
Uniform
All boys are expected to turn up to school neat and tidy, in full school uniform. Sloppiness, lack of self-pride or self-discipline are totally unacceptable. I ask all parents for their full support in ensuring boys arrive to school dressed appropriately.
Student Cards
By now, the majority of students would have received their Student ID cards. If your son does not have his yet, please ask him to come and see me.
Cadet Camp
Further information regarding the ordering of items for the Cadet Camp may be found here.
Director of Co-Curricular Operations
CAS Swimming and Diving Championships 2021
This event will be held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on Thursday 11 March.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions the CAS committee has limited the number of seats available for each CAS School.
The prefect body have spoken to each year group and asked for students wishing to attend to enter their submissions via a Google Form.
Students who have completed a submission to attend and have been selected will be invited through the school system and parents will receive an email requesting acceptance for this opportunity. Please note that if you are the recipient of that email, you will also be asked to confirm your son's medical details. Boys will be provided with a mask.
Sports News
Head of Knox Sports and Aquatic Academy
As we charge towards the end of our summer season, I cant help but feel proud of all of our Year 12 boys playing their last summer game in the Black and Blue. Some boys have been playing summer sport for more than six, seven or eight years for Knox and no doubt will enjoy Saturday but with many mixed emotions. Perhaps a memory of the day they were moved from the d team up to a c or b grade team. Perhaps their first ever win for Knox, first ever goal or even the day they met their new best mate. I hope our Year 12s have a great day this Saturday and wrap the season up with their 'best game ever' - Im sure their Year 11 team mates and spectators will help them enjoy a great day.
Congratulations to all teams across all levels and all age groups on a wonderful summer – one could only wish we had some more sun and our outdoor sports were not so interrupted through Term 1. There are too many teams to list here that will celebrate premierships this weekend – those teams and more details can be found on the Knox app under their respective sport reports.
Knox Wellbeing Centre
The importance of modelling
In Week 3 of the School Newsletters, the Headmaster wrote about the importance of stopping to “pause” before reacting and how challenging this can be in the fast-paced world in which we find ourselves. In our role as school psychologists, we often see the impact when the ability to “pause” was somehow skipped, and young people land themselves in situations which could often have been avoided. There are many things we can do as parents to teach our kids how to stop, think, and, reflect before reacting. As Mr James mentioned, one core component of this is our important role in modelling these behaviours for our children.
Upcoming Assessments
Week 7 A
Monday 8 - 12 March
- Drama - Performance or Practical
- Music - Performance or Practical
Wednesday 10 March
- History - Hand in task
- Agriculture - Hand in task
A copy of the Year 9 Assessment Schedule and Policy 2021 as well as the Illness and Misadventure Appeal form may be found here.
A reminder that the absolute deadline for Year 9 Elective Changes is the end of Week 7, Friday 12 March 3.15pm.
Upcoming Events
Sunday 7 March
Clean up Australia Day
Thursday 18 March to Saturday 20 March
Musical Performance - 'Beauty and the Beast'
Thursday 25 March to Thursday 1 April
Cadets AFX Camp
Thursday 1 April
Term 1 concludes
Friday 2 April
Good Friday
Text for the Week
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Matthew 5: 7 & 8
Community Notices
2021 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection
Each year, all Australian schools are required to report specific school-based data to the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills & Employment (DESE).
The Address Collection data is used to:
• calculate Australian Government recurrent funding to non-government schools, specifically the capacity to contribute score (CTC score)
• inform school education policy, particularly non-government school funding
The Address Collection data (collected under sections 52 (1), 52(3)(c), 52(4) and 58B of the Australian Education Regulation 2013), will source the following data from Knox Grammar, relevant to each campus:
• Student residential address (excluding student names)
• Whether the student is a primary or secondary student (education level)
• Whether the student is boarding or a day student (boarding status)
• Names and residential addresses of students’ parent(s) and/or guardian(s)
The school reporting requirement specifically requires reporting of a physical residential address, not a PO Box or the mailing equivalent.
If your family has recently changed its residential address, and you have not yet provided these details to the School, we seek your cooperation to update your family details via the Knox Parent Lounge, Parent Details Update function – by Friday 5 March.
The DESE has provided a 'Collection Notice for Parents' for your reading and reference. Please click here to view.
Damian Ferguson, Chief Financial Officer
Beauty and the Beast
A Knox Drama and Theatre Production
Disney's Beauty and the Beast
18-20 March 2021
7pm in the Wenkart Theatre
Box Office now open! All tickets $30 (+ booking fee). Click here to book your seats.
Masks mandatory for all audience members. There is a limit of four seats per booking with seating gaps automatically assigned between groups to adhere to distancing requirements.
Please note that the Box Office reserves the right to relocate your tickets, if required, and will advise accordingly.
For ticket enquiries, please email here.
Cadet Leave Protocol
Cadet Leave Form Instructions
To access the Cadet Leaver Form in the Knox app, please go to CONTACTS> SCHOOL CONTACTS> CADETS
Clean Cadet Boots
Six easy steps to clean cadet boots:
You will need cadet boots, black shoe polish, a toothbrush, polish cloth, hard surface, comfortable work space and room temperature water.
1. First take the toothbrush and dab it in the polish. You will want about a pea size amount of polish on the toothbrush head. Then brush the catwalk, spreading the polish around the entire boot. If needed, grab more polish.
2. Take a section of the polish cloth and wrap it tightly around the tip of your index finger. Ensure you have a smooth surface on the pad of your finger, grab the excess cloth in the palm of your hand.
Jensen Arthur giving his cadet boots a thorough clean
Knox Prayer Meetings
Our informal prayer meeting for Term 1 will be held at 10am on Friday 19 March, at the home of Prue Feather. Morning Tea will be included.
There will also be an evening meeting at 8pm on Wednesday 10 March, at the home of Fiona van Horen.
Please RSVP if you plan to attend so that we comply with the gathering limits prescribed by the government’s Public Health Orders in place at the time.
A warm welcome is extended to anyone from our Knox community who would like to attend.
Any enquires to Prue Feather.
Knox Uniform Shop
Trading Hours
Monday to Friday: 12.30pm-5.30pm
Saturday (Terms 1 and 4 only): 9am-12noon
Phone (02) 9487 0191 or visit the Knox website here for more information.
Julie Blackburn, Knox Uniform Shop Manager
McKenzie Library
McKenzie Library
Many students are encouraged to visit the library for research help and to borrow resources. It is great to see the enthusiasm of all students as they develop the skills of researching and submitting work using their own voice and acknowledging sources.
Boys, why not add the CiteMaker extension to your laptop tab and add the information as you go about your studies? This is a great tool to record all resources you have used and, if required, create a Bibliography. This valuable tool is found through KnoxNet or through the library portal then you simply select Create a Bibliography tab.
School Photos
Year 9 school photo orders open!
To download your son's portrait and year photo, please click here and select: school orders. The password is: KNOX (this password is case sensitive, so please enter it as you see it)
You will need to know your son's student ID number which is located on his student ID card. This is privacy protected so only you can see your son's portrait. At this time, not only can you have his hi-res image sent to you via We Transfer, you can also order discounted printed copies if you would like for family.
Your school account will be charged $20 for his student ID card, the high-res electronic year photo and portrait for your record of his time at school.
Week 7 Term 1 2021 Menu
Photo Galleries
Mentor
Ms Yeowell's mentor group enjoying their team building Handball game.
Year 9 German Zoo and Lunch Excursion
Battle of the Bands 2021
Congratulations to 'Reckless Paradise' - Rohan Fourie, Daniel Tucker, Jordan Sims and Kisho Carlino–Mizuno - the first of three bands from Year 9 competing in Battle of the Bands 2021! You were sensational. Well done.
