As Week 8 draws to a close, the boys can feel the holidays just around the corner. With the interruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, this semester has somehow felt as though it has morphed into one long term. Yet, it has been a term of growth where boys, families and teachers have been forced to adapt, to innovate and to stretch themselves.

In the process I think we have all learned a great deal about ourselves and how we respond to stress, and about how we cope without peers or colleagues to energise us daily, and without teachers to peer over our shoulder and keep us on task. I thought this quote from Goethe perfectly sums up the silver lining I hope we will all see when we look back on the challenges we have faced in the first 6 months of this year:

'We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.'

In Year Meeting this week our Chairmen Beau Morrison and Ethan Luong shared two stories about their peers. As the boys in Year 9 continue to record their Good Hours as part of our Virile Agitur Man campaign, where they are using their great strength, under control, for good in the community, Beau told us of how Nick Hocker, another Year 9 student, went to great lengths to print and distribute posters to ensure the owner of a lost drone was reunited with their expensive machinery. Ethan Luong used his message to celebrate the creative talents of his friend Brandon Tan who has used his spare time in lockdown to improve and practise his music production skills. We love to see our boys doing great things for the benefit of themselves and others.

We also awarded certificates to a number of boy who deserved to be recognised for the high degree to which they were reported to have upheld the Knox Learner Protocols in their Term 1 report. With new reports being published next week, we have encouraged boys to talk with their teachers and mentors about setting goals to improve themselves across all Learner Protocols. 

Alec Openshaw

It gives me the greatest pleasure this week to share with you this video where you can discover the Academy of Global Competency. The video features a few students from our Year 9 cohort who will certainly recognise themselves. Well done gents for being a part of such a milestone video for our school. Please note that this video was recorded prior to the social distancing measures currently in place.

Knox Flix

Just a reminder that Knox Flix 2020 registrations close on Friday 26 June. If you wish to participate this year, there are two versions of one theme, and two versions of one competition. Further information on the competition may be accessed here. A hype reel for Knox Flix may be viewed here.

Finally, as we are heading into the last week of term, I encourage you to remind your sons that they need to ensure that they remove all food items from their lockers as I am sure they don't want to come back to school with rotten food in them! Books may be left in the lockers as long as it is locked but if students have work that they need to complete during the holidays, it might be best to take their books home. If your son doesn't have a lock he is welcome to come and purchase one from me and it will be charged to your school account.

Have a lovely weekend and let's all get ready to tackle this last week of term head on. 

Crystel Hodgson, Tel: 9119 0881

Your son’s semester report and the accompanying ‘Realising Potential’ document will be made available on the Knox portal later next week. Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received about the Term 1 reports, we are confident that the time and energy that teaching staff invest into observing, assessing, tracking, and reporting of the Knox Learner Protocols is appreciated. The reimagined reports are allowing teachers to communicate more about your son’s mindset, behaviours, perseverance and social skills and we appreciate how the boys are rising to meet the Knox standards. 

It has only been a few weeks since the release of the Term 1 reports so we encourage you to interpret your son’s learner protocol scores in the Semester report with that in mind. It may be that your son’s protocols scores have remained largely the same, or it may be that the results have improved or decreased – in all cases, please use the yellow, green and blue indicators to engage in a conversation with your son about how he might improve into the future. 

Please note that the blue indicators are quite rare and require students to demonstrate the protocol consistently and exceptionally. Ultimately, a blue indicator means that the teacher believes that there is no room for improvement against that given protocol (for the given reporting period). Because the margin for receiving a blue is so narrow, we must appreciate and respect when a teacher communicates a green indicator for the reporting period because the teacher is indicating what protocol(s) your son needs to demonstrate more of – this helps us encourage a fantastic student to become outstanding.

Should you have any more questions about the Knox Learner Protocols, or the reimagined academic reports, please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Upcoming assessments are as follows:

WEEK 9: 22 to 26 June

Mathematics – Core 2 Supplement Task
• This task will be administered in Term 3 instead of Term 2.
• More information about the Core 2 supplement task will be made available via the assessment notification in Term 3.

Commerce – Task 2
• The date for this task has changed to Monday 22 June and will be administered in regular lessons.
• The task scheduled for Term 3 (AT3) has swapped with Task 2; specific details about this task are available in the assessment booklet on the Portal and will be outlined in the assessment notification in Week 7.

Information and Software Technology – Task 2
• No changes to this assessment task.
• Please refer to the assessment notification for submission details.

Jake Plaskett

With most co-curricular activities now concluded for Term 2 (clubs to continue in Week 9), please be advised that the Term 3 co-curricular program will be published in the Week 9 newsletters.

Chuck Ardron

Wednesday 24 June

ATLAS Humanoid Team Live Q & A - 7.30am WSA Lecture Theatre

Friday 26 June

Knox Flix - Pre-production registration due

Friday 26 June

PEAK Application due

Friday 26 June

Term 2 concludes

Monday 20 July

Term 3 commences

2020 Applications
We would like to invite students who have competed at the state/national level to apply to join the PEAK program for the 2020 intake. We understand that COVID-19 may have impacted some state/national championships, so PEAK eligibility criteria has been extended to include the last 12 months, or the last state/national championship event that was run.

What is PEAK?
PEAK is in its second year of operation and is designed to support high-performing student-athletes who aspire to have a career in elite sport. We aim to develop healthy, resilient and capable students by supporting the holistic well being of each individual, whilst assisting them to achieve their academic and sporting potential.

The PEAK program includes:
• One on one mentoring with Knox high performance coaches, including the development of an Individual Performance Plan (IPP)
• Keynote speakers focusing on the Knox Total Fitness pillars, including:

• Academic Fitness – covering themes such as time management, goal-setting and habits for academic success
• Physical Fitness – covering effective nutritional practices for athletes, sleep for recovery and effective rehab/prehab
• Spiritual Fitness (Personal Development) – covering communication, mental preparation and leadership
• Social/Emotional Fitness – covering resilience, performing under pressure and respect and responsibility

• Small group workshops to further enhance each student-athlete’s skills and learning capabilities

Please visit the Knox website for more information about the PEAK program.

To apply, please complete the application form. Applications close Friday 26 June (last day of Term 2). Successful applicants will be notified before school resumes for Term 3. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us.

Kieran Donohue

Each term, Knox holds a Handwriting Course designed to help improve the speed, accuracy and neatness of students’ handwriting, reducing tension and fatigue when writing for long periods of time. In 2020 the classes will be held by Ms Lisa Norton, an occupational therapist, who specialises in the development of skills necessary for handwriting and the remediation of handwriting difficulties.

We are now filling places for our Term 3, 2020 course.

Our course will run on either a Tuesday or Wednesday or both mornings, starting at 7.30am, once minimum numbers are confirmed.

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. 

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

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

An area near the Borambil Gates has been developed into a traditional bush food garden.

Volunteers note:
• A roster will be developed
• Guidance from the Agriculture Department
• Instructions given for the use of tools and the project
• Social distancing for all Knox students who participate
• Working with schools in Walgett, Hawaii, Liberia and Kenya - all via Zoom and One Planet Education

Please email Mrs Clarke if you are interested. 

Two of the Knox school values are compassion and courage.

School holiday sports training for Senior School
Following on from the Headmaster's announcements last week that CAS Winter Sport will start in Term 3, please note the training schedule for the coming holidays can now be found on the Knox app. We are mindful it is holiday time and a valuable time with family, however if your boy(s) are available we would love to give them the opportunity to best prepare for the winter season.

As always, if there are any questions regarding the schedule, please do not hesitate to email the Knox Sports and Aquatic Academy or directly with your son’s chosen sport.

The Knox Sports and Aquatic Academy will also have more information prior to the holidays regarding exactly how a day at each facility will look for players, staff and spectators on game day. This is being put together following government guidelines and the School policy regarding providing a COVID-19 safe environment for all.

Martin Haywood

Congratulations to the all the recipients below who received an award this week for their Excellent Demonstration of Knox Values and Learners Protocols.

Year 9 Photography students were tasked with creating a digital collage of things that all started with the same letter. Whilst the remote learning environment forced students to work digitally, they applied a range of techniques to ensure their photographic work took on a physical and tactile aesthetic.

Tim Owers