The Knox School newsletter - The Falcon - Feb 19 2016

THE KNOX SCHOOL NEWSLETTER19 FEBRUARY 2016

THE KNOX SCHOOL • 220 BURWOOD HIGHWAY WANTIRNA SOUTH 3152 • T 03 8805 3800 • F 03 9887 1850 • www.knox.vic.edu.au

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ContentsCalendar

From The PrincipalWhole School News

Junior SchoolMiddle SchoolSenior College

http://www.knox.vic.edu.au

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THE KNOX SCHOOL PAGE 2 19 FEBRUARY 2016

CONTENTS

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

CALENDAR

WHOLE SCHOOL NEWS

JUNIOR SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

SENIOR COLLEGE

The 2016 school year is well and truly started! There have been parent information evenings in all sub-schools; parent coffee mornings in the Junior School run by Ms Heather Ablett; an information evening for homestay families and guardians of International Students and teachers are reaching deep into teaching and learning...

It is with a great sense of excitement that I write my first contribution to the Falcon. I do so in the knowledge that I belong to an outstanding school. It has been my great pleasure over the course of the last 6 months or so to visit the school in the lead up to actually moving from interstate...

Welcome to 2016! I trust that all Middle School families had a restful and enjoyable holiday period, and that the year ahead delivers all things that are good to you and your children...

Keep up-to-date with the School’s upcoming events.

Happy Chinese New Year. 2016 is now officially the year of the monkey. Creative, curious, craft, cunning, charismatic, cheerful, clever – that sums up the monkey very well so this year could be set to go a bit crazy...

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all families and students to the Senior College. It is an exciting stage of a student’s academic path, with new opportunities and experiences available to those who wish to immerse themselves in the hubbub that is Senior College...

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MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY19 FebruarySchool Photos (Yrs 7-12–Pavilion/Oval)

Yrs 4,5&6 Swimming Program (3 sessions , 9.10am-11.40am, Just Swimming, Nunawading)

20 FebruaryMorrisby Profile Career Testing – Years 11 & 12 students (9am- 1pm, IC9 & Library Foyer)

21 February

22 FebruaryYear 9 Camp (Merricks / Grantville)

Year 3 & 5 parents Coffee & conversation morning (8.45 - 9.30am, JS Atrium & Staffroom)

23 FebruaryYear 9 Camp (Merricks / Grantville) Years 2 - 6 House Athletics Carnival (Knox Athletic Track – 9am - 2.30pm)

24 FebruaryEISM Senior Sport Year 9 Camp (Merricks / Grantville)

TKS Presentation Ball Information Evening (7pm, Auditorium)

25 FebruaryYear 9 Camp (Merricks / Grantville) Equestrian - Group 2 – Yr 2&3 selected (11.30am- 3.30pm, Balmoral Equestrian Ctr.)

Year 6 parents coffee & conversation morning (8.45 - 9.30am, JS Atrium & Staffroom)

26 FebruaryYear 9 Camp (Merricks / Grantville)

Junior School Picnic (evening, Junior School)

BDSSA Swimming Carnival (9.30am - 12.30pm, Croydon Memorial Pool)

27 February 28 February

29 February Immunisations-Year 7 – Boys & Girls (9.15am, MPA4)

Japan Trip 2016 Information Evening (6.30pm, Auditorium)

1 MarchEISM Division 1 Swimming Carnival (5.30-8.30pm, MSAC)

Yr 9 OE Marine Environment Investigation Day (All Day, Point Nepean / Pope’s eye snorkel)

Morrisby Profile Feedback Session – Years 11 & 12 students (6.45-8pm, IC9& Library Foyer)

2 MarchEISM Senior Sport Yrs 7-12 ParentTeacher Interviews (4 - 9pm)

Equestrian - Group 1 – Yr 8-10 selected (11.30am- 3.30pm, Balmoral Equestrian Ctr.)

Knox Division Swimming Carnival (10am-12pm, qualifying Years 4-6 students)

3 MarchHouse Athletics Carnival - Yrs 7-12 (All Day, Bill Sewart Reserve)

Equestrian - Group 2 – Yr 2&3 selected (11.30am- 3.30pm, Balmoral Equestrian Ctr.)

4 MarchSchool Clean-up Day(TBC)

5 March 6 MarchMusic Camp

7 MarchMusic Camp

Senior College ‘VCE Matters’ Assembly (Period 3, Auditorium)

EMR Swimming Carnival (all day, qualifying Years 4-6 students)

8 MarchMusic Camp

9 MarchEISM Senior Sport Equestrian - Group 1 – Yr 8-10 selected (11.30am- 3.30pm, Balmoral Equestrian Ctr.)

Prinicipals Community Consultation (7-9pm, TKS Auditorium)

10 MarchYrs 7-12 ParentTeacher Interviews (4- 9pm) Equestrian - Group 2 – Yr 2&3 selected (11.30am - 3.30pm, Balmoral Equestrian Ctr.)

11 MarchFree Dress Day (Good Friday Appeal)

CALENDAR


The 2016 school year is well and truly started! There have been parent information evenings in all sub-schools; parent coffee mornings in the Junior School run by Ms Heather Ablett; an information evening for homestay families and guardians of International Students and teachers are reaching deep into teaching and learning. That said, welcome to all new families to the school and welcome back to those who have been a part of the school community for some time.

Positive relationships mutual of trust between parents and staff, especially your child’s classroom teachers are important. Such relationships send a clear message to your child that good communication and aligned values are held at home and School.

Any questions, points of clarification or general enquiries should first be addressed to the person in the School most likely to be able to assist. This is often the classroom teacher and in Middle School or Senior College, your

child’s tutor. Points of referral beyond these capable people are the Vice-Principal, Mr Cameron Bacholer or your child’s Head of sub-school, Ms Heather Ablett, Ms Toni-Ann Bright or Mr Alex Wilson. I, too, am always willing to assist.

In our opening assembly, I emphasised the importance of trust and hard work to students! Both are critical for a successful school year.

I advised students that if they are interested in their own learning, teachers will make efforts above and beyond professional expectations to help them. Your child’s teachers are interested in your child’s success. They know how to help your child find a sense of achievement. Even if the methods they describe do not seem to make sense, ask ‘why’ by all means but also trust them and ‘give it a go’!

Your child’s teacher(s) will have high expectations of your child in their learning. I advised the students that

it is not acceptable to expect your teacher(s) to give them high grades simply for completion and submission of work without regard for quality. It is growth and improvement that matters!

The following are questions I posed to students to ask themselves to develop and enhance their learning. I would encourage you to use the same questions of your daughter(s) and/or son(s) at home and assist them to be able to say a creditable ‘yes’ to each:

Do you work as hard as you can?

Do you set and maintain high standards for yourself?

Do you spend enough time to do quality work?

Do you pretend you can multitask?

Do you ask questions in order to improve?

Another year begins...Mr Allan [email protected]

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Continued on following page ...

mailto:principal%40knox.vic.edu.au?subject=


Do you review and re-check your work to find errors?

Is your work something for which you are proud – something you would proudly show to someone you love dearly, e.g. your grandparents or publish to a global audience?

The Knox School was started in 1982 by an organisation called Taylors. Taylors was an organisation that focussed on assisting all students who enrolled to achieve and gain success, and thus position themselves for further study or the world of work.

Taylors focussed on improvement and growth through high expectations, strong, high-quality teaching, a supportive, caring and friendly environment and gently holding students responsible for their own learning. Taylors developed growth and improvement, through focus and effort.

That is our history; it will guide our future.

Parent Survey

In Term 4 last year the School provided the opportunity for parents, staff and older students (years 5-12) to provide feedback on a range of questions. The surveys were conducted by an independent third party, MMG Education.

MMG Education focuses on delivering best practice solutions in school stakeholder engagement, performance improvement and stakeholder satisfaction.

Today, MMG Education is widely recognised as the leading organisation in Australia specialising in the areas of school stakeholder reviews, school strategic planning and enrolment best practice.

A major aspect of MMG Education’s research has been the establishment of the largest known benchmark database on important school performance areas and the ability to share this with client schools for their continual improvement strategies.

Each of the three reports is over 200 pages in length and is being studied in detail. Feedback to parents from the Parent survey will be the major topic for the forthcoming Community Consultation on Wednesday, March 9. A succinct summary of the feedback will be published after the Community Consultation.

A glimpse of the overall results of the parent survey can be gleaned from the following slide from the report:

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

1

86% 92% 90%74%

94%82% 92%

82% 89% 85%99% 90%

Quality ofteaching

Focus onstudent

wellbeing

Balancededucation

Qualityeducation atreasonable

expense

The School’s values

Academicstandards

Classsizes

The rangeof subjectchoices

The School’s reputation

Facilities andresources

A co-educational

school

The Principal’s leadership

Percent Expectations Met/Exceeded

2015 The Knox School Parents - Expectations Met/Exceeded - First 12 (n=274)

MMG Q3b 12/15

71%83%

94% 97% 99%89% 88% 94% 95%

84% 79%94% 88%

VCEresults

A leadingindependent

school inthe area

Calibre ofstudents andex students

Size of theschool

Location Leadershipopportunities

Extra-curricularActivitiesProgram

The School’s tradition

Social andculturaldiversity

NAPLANResults

SportsProgram

Availability ofreliable and safe

transportation

All

Percent Expectations Met/Exceeded

2015 The Knox School Parents - Expectations Met/Exceeded - Next 12 (n=274)

MMG Q3b 12/15

Expectations Met/Exceeded – All Parents

The charts show parents’ scores for expectations met/exceeded ranked in order of importance for choosing TKS.

Overall, expectations met/exceeded is ‘very high’ (88%) but is 3% below MMG’s parent school average benchmark score of 91% (see grey box).

In the top 5 reasons for choice, all but one area had expectations met/exceeded scores above the 80% target.

MMG91%


It gives me great pleasure to welcome all members of The Knox School Community to the 2016 school year. Joining the School, I have been overwhelmed by the kind and friendly welcome I have received, testimony to the spirit and sense of connection that binds us at Knox.

In my first few weeks I have taken the opportunity to meet with as many members of the staff as I can and to listen to their thoughts on the School. These meetings have been tremendously insightful and already identified some exciting opportunities that we can pursue in Term One. A school though is nothing without students, for students are its lifeblood, and the return to school on the February 1 was a particularly enjoyable day as I took the chance to meet some of our students. I hope, as the year goes on, to meet many of our students as they engage in the breadth of learning and co-curricular activities offered throughout the School.

Term One presents a number of

important opportunities for parents to meet with their child’s teachers and to learn more about the academic and wellbeing programs at each year level. In addition to the information evenings held throughout the School, Parent-Teacher Interviews are conducted in Week 5 and provide a vitally important opportunity for parents, teachers and students to meet and discuss learning. This ‘triangle’, as it is sometimes referred to, is the cornerstone of the partnership between school and home in the fostering of student learning. When schools, parents and students can open dialogues on student learning they are empowered to focus their efforts towards the common goal: improvement.

Could I therefore take this opportunity to encourage all parents to attend Parent-Teacher Interviews this term, and to please have your child accompany you so that open conversations on learning can take place: the best intentions of parents and teachers will go unfulfilled unless taken and embraced by students. Our task is to

work with each other, and ultimately together, towards improved learning.

An innovation this year that our teachers will be accessing regularly is data gathered through the School’s Learning Management System, SEQTA, that empowers them to explore their students’ learning in previous years. This use of data will aid teachers in developing their understanding of each and every child’s learning needs, and allow them to target their teaching accordingly. Parents able to attend the Parent-Teacher Interviews can expect an early demonstration by their child’s teachers.

The year always begins with a flurry and it is the vibrancy and energy of the students that gives life to the pulse of a school. I am excited by the year ahead and look forward to becoming a part of The Knox School community.

My very best wishes for the remainder of Term One.


Building TrianglesMr Cameron [email protected]

FROM THE VICE PRINCIPAL

mailto:cameron.bacholer%40knox.vic.edu.au?subject=


FROM THE VICE PRINCIPAL/ WHOLE SCHOOL NEWS

Clocks and Calendars My grandfather had a pocket watch. It had a removable casing that exposed the inner workings and I can remember when I visited him asking to peer inside at the cogs and mechanism as they gently hummed to turn the hands of the dial. It was fascinating to watch. Once, I went to touch one of the cogs and was chastened by Pop who told me, ‘every part of the watch works in harmony with the others. If something shifts, everything shifts.’

I mention this story from my past as I find it a useful analogy for how school calendars operate. Collectively, every event throughout the School combines to create a working machine. The great challenge when building a calendar is to try and fit all the events carefully together so that, well, it runs like clockwork.

As the year began, it became apparent that the timing of House Arts Week, in the final week of Term One, was going to create a problem. A shortened term due to an early Easter combined with camps at Years 7-9, two public holidays, school photo day, two other all day house carnivals and the multitude of other events begged the question: what about the teaching?

A thorough consultation and consideration of the event’s timing was thus conducted, culminating with the decision that it is in the best interests of the School’s academic program if House Arts Week were to be moved from 22–26 March, to Week 2 of Term Three, 18–22 July. Whilst I know this will disappoint some members of our community who were looking forward to the carnival this term, it is a decision

that the School believes is in the best interests of student learning. In making the considered decision to move the event, we firmly believe that doing so will enable a greater harmony between the various activities and program of the School.

I have been reliably informed that the carnival is one of the highlights of the House Program and thus I look forward to Term Three and becoming a part of the event.

Confirmation of dates:

House Arts Week – Term Two, Week 2

Monday 18 July – Friday 22 July Final Performances Friday 22 July

The Drop-in Centre will continue to be open at lunchtimes in the Assisted and Accelerated Learning Centre (room 409) Students from Years 5-12 are welcome to drop in for extra assistance, help finishing homework or revise for imminent tests and exams.

Assisted & Accelerated LearningMrs Eleanor Lehmann,Head of Assisted and Accelerated Learning

Well done, Doctor Church

Congratulations to Mrs Wendy Church who recently gained her Ph.D.

After a long time juggling study with teaching, Wendy is delighted to add this new qualification to her name.

The School sends her our best wishes.

Community Consultation

Play a part in your School’s future

The Principal, Mr Allan Shaw, warmly invites you to the first Principal’s Consultation for 2016 where he

will share the results of the 2015 Parent Satisfaction Survey.

You are also welcome to raise any other topic of concern you would like discussed in this free and

open forum.

Parents and friends from all year levels are very welcome to attend.

The Knox School AuditoriumWednesday March 9, 7-9pm


Important Information from Public Transport VictoriaAll students aged 17 years and over, or those requiring a half-yearly or yearly Student Pass (regardless of age) are required to obtain a 2016 Victorian Public Transport Student Concession Card as proof of their concession entitlement. It is important to note that school-issued student identification cards are not accepted as entitlement to concession travel on public transport.

The 2016 Victorian Student Pass (VSP) provides travel for students on all

metropolitan trains, trams and buses, all regional bus services and all V/Line train services operating within Victoria. The VSP is issued on a myki.

The VSP card and application form can be obtained from Metropolitan Premium Train Stations PTV Hubs V/Line staffed stations PTV Call Centre - 1800 800 007 online at ptv.vic.gov.au where more information is available.

WHOLE SCHOOL NEWS

The Year of the MonkeyMay all your wishes come true

Happy Chinese New Year. 2016 is now officially the year of the monkey. Creative, curious, craft, cunning, charismatic, cheerful, clever – that sums up the monkey very well so this year could be set to go a bit crazy. The monkey is hyperactive so we can look forward to a fast ride in 2016. Are you a monkey? Monkey years include 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004.

Baseball Hall of FameThe School sends its heartiest congratulations to Micheal Nakamura who has just been inducted into Baseball Australia’s Hall of Fame.

Micheal, father of Rachel and Ethan (and also for a brief time a student of TKS), enjoyed an international baseball career in the US and Japan from the mid-90s to 2012 before returning to Melbourne.

Sibling enrolments for 2017/2018Please contact our Registrar, Tania Castles if you haven’t as yet enrolled younger children for 2017 or 2018. A separate enrolment form must be completed for each child. For families wishing to enrol children in the Pre-Prep program, please send through enrolment forms asap as these classes are wait-listed each year. Enrolment forms can be downloaded from the website http://www.knox.vic.edu.au/ or contact the Registrar on 8805 3800 or [email protected]


After School HeroesFutsal Success

Dylan Thomas of Year 6 travelled to Sydney for the 2016 National Futsal Championships from 10-13 January where he represented Victoria Metro. Dylan played the majority of the games as Goalkeeper and when he played on court he scored 5 goals. The Victoria Metro team reached the finals but was eliminated in the quarter final.

During the tournament, a selection panel noticed Dylan’s high level of play and he has been selected for the ‘Australian 12s Futsal Team’ that will tour Malaysia for 12 days in December.

Dylan is very excited about his achievement and can’t wait to represent Australia.

A real hero

Campbell Greeves of Year 8 will long remember his first patrol as a surf lifesaver.

During the holidays, Campbell was on duty at the Venus Bay Surf Life Saving Club when three swimmers were caught in a rip.

Applying the skills he had just learned, Campbell and his fellow junior lifesaver, Hopper, grabbed a rescue board and ran to successfully save a middle-aged man with all swimmers eventually saved.

Congratulations, Campbell. It’s good to know you are here if we need you. You’re a true after-school hero.

Chess Champs!

The Patnaikuni boys, Jay, Ryan and Dylan have started the year off well with their chess competition. Last weekend all three boys who are keen chess players competed in the Box Hill and Canterbury Chess Club March competition. It wasn’t a competition specifically for young people and Dylan (only 8 and in Year 3) found himself playing against the 91 year old

Victorian champion of 1967.

At the end of the day both Ryan and Jay were runners-up in their respective divisions with Dylan just missing out on a runner-up medal.

Based on their performances of 2015, both Ryan and Dylan have qualified for the Chess Victoria 2016 Age Group Rapid Chess Championships where each player has only a few fast minutes to complete their move. This year’s championship will be held in late March.

We wish them luck.

Scout Medallion

Marcus Millar of Year 9 has been awarded the Australian Scout Medallion. This award is the highest award for young scouts earned by leadership and community service.

Marcus will be presented with his award by the King of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustav as part of the 100 years of scouting celebration.

Congratulations, Marcus.

WHOLE SCHOOL NEWS


WHOLE SCHOOL NEWS

Every year, the Knox School welcomes a number of international students to its growing family. This year is no exception. Our strategy of enrolling Senior College international students in Semester one has seen some new international students commencing their academic journey at The Knox School. Some of them are studying ELICOS (English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students) whereas others are doing mainstream studies. It is an insightful experience to get a glimpse of what these young men and women perceive of The Knox School at the start of their life at Knox. In this article, let us hear what some of the ELICOS students have to say about their experiences at Knox.

Sophie Shifei LIN

Hello, everyone. My name is Sophie and I come from Xiamen, Fujian Province, China. I feel very lucky to be a new international student at The Knox School. This is the first time I have been to an Australian school. I feel so excited. The school is not big by Chinese standards, but it is a very warm and friendly school. Its beauty is just like a pearl situated in the blue ocean. I have only been in Australia for less than a month, I have already felt the

warmth and welcome from everywhere and everyone. At school, everyone smiles with me and they appear to be very enthusiastic. In class, our friendly schoolmates help us integrate into the large Knox family. We have had a very busy but exciting start to the year. On Tuesday 9 Feb., the second day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, we celebrated this traditional festival on campus. As you know, Chinese New Year is just like an Australian Christmas. At 6:00 pm on the day, we entered the school auditorium foyer and were greeted with a feast of delicious food including sushi, sausage rolls, chicken wings, fruits, Chinese snacks and much more. Not only did a large number of international students return to school after a very tiring swimming carnival, but a number of local students and a few local families joined us as well. The Principal, Vice Principal and some of our teachers celebrated the Chinese New Year with us. This made our new international students feel at home. The night was concluded with a Chinese movie in the school auditorium. Though I am thousands of kilometres away from my family in China, I am not homesick because I am welcomed into the larger Knox family with open arms. I look forward to graduating from ELICOS at the end of June to study in mainstream

Year 10 in Semester two so that I can prove myself and earn honour for the school.

Vincent Shiwen ZHANG

Hello, everyone! My name is Vincent, and I come from Beijing, China. I’m 15 years old now. I am studying very hard now at the ELICOS program so that I can graduate and join mainstream Year 10 in Semester two. I have been in Australia for 6 months now and though I have only been at The Knox School for two weeks, I have started to feel a sense of belonging to the school. Everyone is so friendly and helpful on campus. The first difference between The Knox School and my school in China is the amount of homework I have to do, and the amount of free time I can have now. In China, I spent most of my spare time finishing my homework, so I did not really have any time left to develop my interests. I was tired every day in China. The second difference I have noticed between the two schools is the environment. You probably have read about the serious air pollution problems in China.

There are very few days that you can see the blue sky in my city. This might help to explain the situation where a

The Knox School – Perspectives from New International StudentsDr Jingjing Wang,International Student Coordinator



WHOLE SCHOOL NEWS

lot of students in my school in China got easily angered and sometimes fought with each other over very small matters. This is not good, right? On the contrary, at The Knox school, I see a different world here! Everyone is friendly and helpful. Wherever I go, I am greeted with smiling faces and we are surrounded by large area of grass and beautiful flowers. You can smell fresh air and you can always see a blue sky, it is fantastic! The third and the most important difference between the two schools is that I have free time to develop my interest! Our school starts at 8:40 and finishes at 3:40, so I don’t need to get up so early in the morning, this guarantees that I have a good night sleep. After school, I finish my homework, I go out sometimes going shopping, other times, visiting friends. I am so happy that I have free time to explore my own interest. I am going to join the school equestrian team in Term two, and I am sure it is going to

be an amazing experience for me. I am excited about my life at Knox in the years to come.

Claire Yating XU

Hi, everyone! I am Claire and I am 16 years old. I come from Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. Zhengzhou, a very big city in northwest China, has a reputation for its huge population and traffic congestion. I have been in Australia for a short time only and am studying ELICOS at the school. Upon successful examinations, I will be studying Year 10 mainstream in Semester two this year. The first difference I have observed at this school is the warm, friendly and helpful teachers and students that I meet every day. It takes me only a very short time to make a lot of friends with many of the students on campus. When we meet on campus, they greet me by saying “Hi! How are you!’ I did not experience this

in China. The second difference is the school uniform. In China, school uniforms are like sports uniforms and I disliked them very much. I seldom wear them as we are not required to. However, at The Knox School, we must wear school uniform at all times. Because it is so beautiful, I actually like to wear it every day. I think it is very good that everyone wears the school uniform because it makes me feel equal with the rest of the school students. It is less expensive and it creates a sense of uniformity among students. The third difference that gives me the biggest impression is the school environment. It is like a garden that is characterised with walking paths, grasslands and beautiful flowers. In addition to these differences, the facilities are very advanced. Wireless network is accessible throughout the school and we bring our own digital devices and do our work. This is indeed amazing. I am very happy to be studying at the Knox School.

2016 brings the launch of TAD Live. This is an exciting new venture bringing together the various elements of technologies, art and design in one department. Beyond curricular collaboration, a range of events throughout the year will be held to assist merging these disciplines to support and complement one another.

This initiative recognises the increasing role of interdisciplinary practice in daily

life. It also challenges the notion that creativity is limited to the fine arts, and instead champions how imagination and innovation actively invigorates the traditions of design, hospitality and technology.

To kick off the year, our current Year 8 to 12 TAD students are getting together for an informal lunch next week. This is an opportunity to stimulate cross-curricular conversations that

will ultimately foster collaborative possibilities covering both current practices as well as future events.

This merging of disciplines will broaden the exposure to new and challenging ideas as integrated ‘real world learning’. We’re excited by the possibilities of extending photography and design into hospitality or pushing further the use of technology in art and design.

We look forward to sharing these exciting possibilities as they develop and progress across the year.

TAD LIVEBirgit Verhagen,Head of Technologies, Art and Design


WHOLE SCHOOL NEWS

MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTSYear 7 to 12 Musical – Legally Blonde

The students and staff have been working very hard rehearsing the musical Legally Blonde. With rehearsals starting the week before school commenced and taking place three times a week, the dances and performances are really starting to come together for what will be a fantastic show.

Tickets will go on sale on Thursday 3 March via the school website.

Music Camp

We have 100 students from Year 5 to Year 12 attending music camp

from Sunday 6 March to Tuesday 8 March. The new camp site for this year is Rutherford Park which offers outstanding facilities for the ensembles to rehearse in. These ensembles include Senior and Intermediate Concert Bands, Chamber Orchestra and Strings, Senior Choir and Pengana Voices as well as the TKS Big Band. All of the staff and students are looking forward to a very enjoyable and productive three days.

Rock out March @ The Night Market

All three sub-schools will be represented on stage at the annual Rock Out Concert on Wednesday March 23. With many of the great classic rock songs of all time being performed in the wonderful

setting of the Night Market, it is sure to be another enjoyable night for all.

Music Lessons

There are still a few places left for students to enrol in Private Music Lessons this term. Some instruments may have a waiting list. Enrolment forms are available from the Music Office, Junior School Office and Main Reception. Instruments without waiting lists include Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass.

Please call or pop into the Music Office if you have any questions.

MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS

Year 7 to 12 Musical – Legally Blonde

The students and staff have been working very hard rehearsing the musical Legally Blonde. With rehearsals starting the week before school commenced and taking place three times a week, the dances and performances are really starting to come together for what will be a fantastic show.

Tickets will go on sale on Thursday 3 March via the school website.

Music Camp

We have 100 students from Year 5 to Year 12 attending music camp from Sunday 6 March to Tuesday 8 March. The new camp site for this year is Rutherford Park which offers outstanding facilities for the ensembles to rehearse in. These ensembles include Senior and Intermediate Concert Bands, Chamber Orchestra and Strings, Senior Choir and Pengana Voices as well as the TKS Big Band. All of the staff and students are looking forward to a very enjoyable and productive three days.

Rock out March @ The Night Market

All three sub-schools will be represented on stage at the annual Rock Out March. With many of the great classic rock songs of all time being performed in the wonderful setting of the Night Market, it is sure to be another enjoyable night for all.

Music Lessons

There are still a few places left for students to enrol in Private Music Lessons this term. Some instruments may have a waiting list. Enrolment forms are available from the Music Office, Junior School Office and Main Reception. Instruments without waiting lists include Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass.

Please call or pop into the Music Office if you have any questions.

Term One and Two Dates:

TERM ONE Music Camp Week 6 Sun 6 to Tue 8 March

Rock Out @ TKS Night Market Week 8 Wed 23 March (6.00pm. Market from 3.30pm)

TERM TWO School Musical Rehearsal Holidays Wed 6 to Fri 8 April (TBA) School Musical Rehearsal Week 1 Sun 17 April (TBA) School Musical – Tech Run Week 2 Fri 22 April School Musical – Full Rehearsal Week 3 Tue 26 April – (All Day) School Musical Performance Week 3 Thu 28, Fri 29, Sat 30 April (7.30pm) Winter Music Ensemble Concert Week 8 Wed 1 June (7pm) Theatre Studies Unit 3 Performance Week 9 Wed 8 June (7pm)

VSMF – Chamber Strings Week 9 8 – 10 June (TBC) (Hawthorn Arts Centre)

VSMF – Chamber Orchestra Week 9 8 – 10 June (TBC) (Hawthorn Arts Centre)

Year 4/5/6 Music Concert Week 10 Thu 16 June (7pm) VCE Units 1 & 3 Solo Recital Week 11 Mon 20 June (7pm)

Term One and Two Dates:


WHOLE SCHOOL NEWS

2016 House Swimming Mr Mark Jeffs Head of SportThe 2016 House Swimming Carnival was held in the brand new pool at Aquanation in Ringwood on Tuesday 9 February. It was exciting with tremendous House spirit shown by all students from Years 5 to 12.

A range of races and relays were on offer to cater for varying swimming abilities. Our Year 12s certainly added plenty of colour and lots of fun to this competitive day.

After the final relays, Lawrence was victorious and announced as our champions! They certainly displayed a fine team effort across all year levels to take an early lead in the quest for the coveted House Shield.

Congratulations to our 2016 Age Group Champions:

Year 5 Boys: Tyler Damen Girls: Nicoletta Lim

Year 6 Boys: Zac Greeves Girls: Imogen Worthy

Year 7 Boys: Rhys Starr Girls: Emma Griffiths

Year 8 Boys: Nathan Lim Girls: Hannah McKnight

Year 9 Boys: Ethan Bird Girls: Mikhala Hodges

Year 10 Boys: Nick Sleeman Girls: Mikaela Starr

Year 11 Boys: Harshil Derashri Girls: Kellie McArdle & Natalie Cartwright

Year 12 Boys: Adam Wildes Girls: Tiarne Strickland


JUNIOR SCHOOL

From the Head of Junior SchoolMs Heather Ablett

It is with a great sense of excitement that I write my first contribution to the Falcon. I do so in the knowledge that I belong to an outstanding school. It has been my great pleasure over the course of the last 6 months or so to visit the school in the lead up to actually moving from interstate. Even when touring the school for the first time in 2015, I had a clear feeling of what a fine school The Knox School would be in which to work.

As no doubt many of you have experienced, one’s first visit to the school conveys a strong sense of welcome, friendliness and warmth, and so it has been for me. Over the last weeks I have begun to meet the students and members of the school community. I particularly enjoyed some functions at which I was able to speak with a number of parents and I thank you all for attending. I am looking forward to working with all of you over the years to come and getting to know each of you. My challenge at present, however, is to learn the names of the students in my care, and although I am endeavouring to do so quickly, and the

students have been very tolerant and supportive; clearly it will take some time.

There is a great deal that I will have to learn, and so I will be relying heavily on my colleagues, students and parents to help me develop a thorough understanding and knowledge of The Knox School. I suppose that you will also be hoping to learn things about me, and so I thought I would convey to you one of my deeply held beliefs in this first message to you.

I believe that the most important thing in a school is the quality of the relationships that occur within its community- it is the level of school’s humanity that matters more than anything else. Great facilities are very fine, and clearly we have excellent facilities. Other aspects are touted and considered also, including such things as a quality curriculum, broad co-curricular opportunities, Year 12 results and a high quality staff. These things are important, but they do not alone make a fine school. It is the people, and how

they deal with each other, and look after and out for each other, that create an outstanding school. It is the qualities of compassion, tolerance, empathy and mutual trust that ensure great schools. I hope that you find the qualities that make these things evident in my work and trust that I will do all I can to ensure the very best learning opportunities and support for each student.

I look forward to the years ahead as I become familiar with the students, staff and wider community of The Knox School.


JUNIOR SCHOOL

Year 5 & 6 The Knox School Kitchen GardenMs Doris Montese Hospitality TeacherWhat an exciting time is being experienced by our Year 5 and 6 students in The Knox School Kitchen Garden!

As part of our Food Technology subject, students have been busily planting, watering and picking a range of fruits, vegetables and herbs, from our garden.

We have used some of our home-grown produce already in our dishes and look forward to including more of these fresh ingredients in our future recipes as they grow.

Students are delighted to see how we harvest our crops, prepare them for cooking and share them as we set our table to eat together.

Students are developing an appreciation that home-grown produce is the key to a nutritional, healthy, well-balanced diet.

We have also been focusing on hygiene and safety in the kitchen and the students are learning how to use a knife safely using the ‘bear claw’ technique, as well as how to wash and dry dishes correctly. Please feel free to encourage the children to wash dishes at home as ‘practice makes perfect!’


JUNIOR SCHOOL

Year 6 B.A.S.I.S of a healthy classroom Mr Boyd Williams Year 6 teacher

As part of the Year 6 Quality Start Program the students were asked to think about the qualities that formed the B.A.S.I.S of a healthy classroom. Five qualities were agreed upon and the students were required to illustrate the characteristics. The qualities are: B for a sense of Belonging; A for supporting Aspirations; S for Success; I for our own individual Identity and S for Safety, both physical and emotional. Alexandra Bennett encapsulated the idea beautifully and her contribution is shown to the right.

Students in Year 6 wrote a letter to their teacher to introduce themselves in the first week. One of the students wrote a very touching paragraph about their experience at Knox and the support offered by friends, teachers and the wider school community. I thought it worth sharing and it is shown below.

“I have Asperger’s syndrome but I believe that my mum, my brother, all my teachers that have taught me and all my friends have helped me get past that and the friendship that they offered me was far better than taking any pill.”


MIDDLE SCHOOL

From the Head of Middle SchoolMs Toni-Ann Bright

Welcome to 2016! I trust that all Middle School families had a restful and enjoyable holiday period, and that the year ahead delivers all things that are good to you and your children.

Term One has certainly started off with a bang, with the House Swimming Carnival last week. It was wonderful to see the high levels of participation and support shown by the students, who enthusiastically and vociferously encouraged their House members to the finish line.

I recently attended a conference that looked at various research and results of exercising the brain, as opposed to the physical limbs, and the impact this has on the adolescents in particular. This, together with an email that I received from a Middle School student sent after 11pm, prompted me to share some of the findings, specifically those related to sleep.

Getting a good night’s sleep is vital

for good health and well-being. Sleep aids various aspects of brain function: improving memory, mood and immune system. A good night’s sleep has shown to improve problem solving skills and enhance memory performance of both children and adults.

Sleep is just as important as eating healthy and exercising. It can help protect your mental health, physical health and quality of life. In teens, sleep also helps support growth and development.

A lack of sleep also affects emotions and reduces the ability to interact socially, reducing the ability to recognise important social cues such as expressions of anger and happiness. Sleeping well means more to our overall well-being than simply avoiding irritability; it can decrease a person’s level of anxiety, providing greater emotional stability.

Memory consolidation occurs during slow wave sleep, meaning that the different

pieces of what we’ve learned during the day come together coherently so that knowledge can be accessed when needed.

In contrast, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the stage of sleep when the most vivid dreams are dreamt, is important for the ‘unlearning’ of superfluous memories. ¹ For example, when a child learns how to ride a bike and falls off the first ten times, finally successful on the eleventh try, the memory of how to perform the task so as to stay on the bike is the one which is important to retain, not the ones of how to fall off. Unlearning removes the unhelpful ‘how to’ memories of falling off the bike, so that the next day the child will re-enact what was done the eleventh time and not the first ten.

Insufficient sleep can also result in an inability to concentrate and pay sufficient attention to the task at hand. Sleep deprivation tends to manifest itself as hyperactivity in children. A study reported in the journal ‘Pediatrics’



MIDDLE SCHOOL

² Found that children who got less than about eight hours of sleep a night were more likely to be inattentive and impulsive.

In order to aid with good sleep habits, the following are suggested strategies:

- Refrain from eating large, heavy meals before bed

- Make the bedroom a comfortable haven: quiet and cozy with good temperature control (cool not hot)

- Dim the lights in the hours before bedtime in preparation for the next day

- Disconnect from technology an

hour before bed

- Practise a relaxing bed-time ritual such as stretching or listening to music

- Read a book or magazine by soft light, avoiding television as many programs are stimulating rather than relaxing

- Make simple preparations for the next day

- Get regular exercise

I realise that receiving an email post 11pm from a student might just be a one-off as they find their feet and settle in to the new year, so my hope is that

good sleep hygiene becomes a part of the routine of Middle School students as the year progresses. I wish all the students the best of success for 2016.

¹ Rosen, D. ’11 reasons why a good night’s sleep is so important.’ May, 2009 www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleeping-angels/200905/11-reasons-why-good-nights-sleep-is-so-important

² Health Newsletter: 11 Surprising Health Benefits of Sleep, www.health.com

28-30 April Tickets on sale from March 3 www.knox.vic.edu.au/tickets


SENIOR COLLEGE

From the Head of Senior CollegeMr Alex Wilson, Head of Senior College

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all families and students to the Senior College. It is an exciting stage of a student’s academic path, with new opportunities and experiences available to those who wish to immerse themselves in the hubbub that is Senior College.

It is without doubt that students will face challenges with the academic rigour that is required to ensure their full potential is reached, but it will be tempered by various activities that are more fun and social in nature. It is about striking a balance; working hard, yet enjoying some relaxation time. It might prove difficult at first to find the right balance, as each student has an individual approach, but subject teachers, tutor teachers and peers will be on hand to provide the support and guidance necessary.

On Monday February 1 the School Leaders were inducted at the Whole School assembly. Mr Allan Shaw and I

led the induction with the assistance of Mr Nick Wakeling, State Member for Ferntree Gully. The induction included a strong commitment to the leaders’ role and responsibility, and was watched on by proud parents. The parents and students were invited to join Mr Shaw for morning tea in the Foyer following the formal occasion.

The Senior College Welcome Evening was conducted on Thursday February 11. This event provided valuable insight into the VCE requirements to parents, and I am appreciative of the presentations that were made by teachers. Jacky Burton, Andrew Ferguson and Kate Manners provided excellent advice and information regarding VCE matters, SEQTA and our Senior College Pastoral Care program. I presented information relating to a balanced lifestyle, paying particular attention to the importance of sleep and exercise. The evening also allowed time for parents to mingle in a relaxed atmosphere with the VCE

teachers, establishing relationships that are vital to good communication and partnerships.

On Monday February 15, students who achieved an ATAR above 90 in the 2015 VCE examinations were honoured. Twenty students were invited, including Jayme Verhagen who achieved a score of 98, and as such took out top place as the School Dux for 2015. Close on her heels was Blair Stevens with an ATAR of 97.4 (including a perfect score of 50 in Hospitality). Both alumni spoke briefly to the students with the common theme, organisation, preparation and a balance of study and play. We wish all the graduates of 2015 the very best in the future.

The following day on Tuesday February 16, the Year 12 students attended the annual Year 12 Conference. Students enjoyed presentations by Mark Dobson (motivational speaker), Mr Rob Malpeli (team building) and Declan Fey (Comedian). These sessions focused



SENIOR COLLEGE

On December 5 2015 The Knox School once again participated in the National VEX Robotics Championships. The school was represented by four then Year 11 students, Ewan Walker, Jordan Keil, Khan Ramadan and Nathan Reed. Other teams from Victoria, New South Wales and ACT converged to battle for the title of Tournament Champions or the ultimate Tournament Excellence award. The recipient of the Tournament Excellence award would then be invited to represent Australia at the World Championships in Texas, USA in April 2016.

We battled hard as a team throughout the day competing in numerous qualification matches eventually securing a spot in the grand final. Unfortunately the opposition was too strong on the day and we finished the competition in second place.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the boys involved. We had a lot of laughs and the boys certainly came together as a team willing to sacrifice their lunchtimes and school holidays to work on designing and constructing an amazing robot that many of the other teams were envious of. The boys have worked on this project for the past two years with much success however, as these boys are now moving

into Year 12 it is time for a new group of students to step up and meet this year’s VEX game challenge.

Vex Robotics ChampionshipCarol Cartwright Academic Staff

on the importance of organisation, the need to live a balanced lifestyle, tips and advice for achieving the best results and the importance of seeking assistance from teachers. Students were also strongly encouraged to achieve their best. Declan Fey made it very clear to students that they should “Never wonder what if”.

Term One offers students many programs to engage in a more social environment with their peers. The recent Swimming Carnival saw the Year 12 students kick off with the Annual Novelty race. Always well-supported, it is the final opportunity for Year 12s to swim for their House. Numerous aquatic floats took to the water as the students clamoured to take first position. The overall winner on the day was Lawrence House.

House Athletics, Year 12 Formal and the Rock Out Twilight Concert are all part of the calendar for the remainder of Term One. I look forward to seeing as many of our students involved. Please feel free to contact me at any time with queries, concerns or suggestions so that we might continue to improve Senior College and offer sound guidance and support for all our students.


SENIOR COLLEGE

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the pay cheque, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the

home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

At our first assembly this year, our junior school representatives, Thomas Pollock and Kye Embrey, told this story and

it made me think about each senior student as they begin this academic year. I thought particularly of the Year 12 cohort commencing their final year of schooling, and setting themselves up for tertiary study, and life in the work force. I was reminded of a few 2015 graduates who were disappointed with themselves and their final VCE results because they did not give their best to their studies last year; they did not make wise choices, and the ‘houses’ they built were a disappointment to them, and the tertiary courses they accessed not really what they were hoping for.

May I take this opportunity to urge every student to approach their studies this year with focus, diligence, wisdom, and discipline, so that at the end of the year they can proudly know the reward that comes with giving their very best effort.

Jacky’s TurnMs Jacky Burton,Career Development Practitioner


SENIOR COLLEGE

• Dates to Diarise in Term 1• What the Career Centre offers• Tax File Number Applications• The Hong Kong University of

Science & Technology• QS World’s Top University Rankings• QS Stars Rated for Excellence• Kwong Lee Dow Winner• Group of Eight Universities• UMAT2016• ISAT 2016• Tuckwell Scholarship – ANU• 2016 Go4IT Work Experience

Program• Bond Universality: Medical Program

Update• Quality Indicators for Learning and

Teaching (QILT)• Avoid a Work Experience

Wreckage• Science & Information Technology at

Victoria University

• News from William Angliss Institute• William Angliss Institute to join Box

Hill Institute in Lilydale• New Bachelor Degrees from 2016• Study Environment & Sustainability

at ANU• Career in Event Planning• Work Experience Opportunity with

a Surveyor• Bachelor of Global Studies Seminar

at Monash University• News from EducationUSA• Upcoming Events in Melbourne• EducationUSA YouTube Channel• Financing Study in the States• New Digital Design Course at JMC

Academy• Studying in the USA: College Fair

CAREER NEWS For full information, visit:www.knox.vic.edu.au/downloads/careers/190216.pdf

http://www.knox.vic.edu.au/downloads/careers/190216.pdf

Invitation to register for 2016

ST. SIMONS COMMUNITY FOOTBALL CLUB Mission: “To develop the skills & enjoyment of Australian Rules Football through participation for the

youth of Rowville”

ALL PLAYERS WELCOME U 8’S TO U17’S – Boys and Girls

Dedicated Girls Competition – Players wanted Girls U12, U15,

REGISTRATIONS www.stsimonsknights.org.au

Enquiries – Natalie Williams 0417 346 863 Girls Competition enquiries – Natalie Williams – [email protected]

THE KNIGHTS

220 Burwood Highway, Wantirna SouthP: 03 8805 3800 – E: [email protected]

www.facebook.com/knoxschool

www.knox.vic.edu.au

The Knox School newsletter - The Falcon - Feb 19 2016

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Transcript of The Knox School newsletter - The Falcon - Feb 19 2016