The Thistle - December 2021

THE

Thistle KNOX GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE

ISSUE 02 DEC

21

Headmaster

STEAM

Boarding

Our community has shown incredible resilience

‘Problem Solving’ an educational and diverse Expo

Remaining connected through our year

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Contents Established in 1924, Knox Grammar School offers an innovative approach to education within a caring environment. Knox, a leading Australian day and boarding school, aims to develop children into young people of faith, wisdom, integrity, compassion and courage. Knox is a Uniting Church school and operates three campuses: Knox Prep (K-6 boys), Wahroonga Prep (Pre-K to Year 6 girls and boys), and Knox Senior School (Years 7-12 day boys and boarders).

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FROM THE HEADMASTER

AROUND THE GROUNDS

Despite our challenges in the second half of the year, through careful development and targeted engagement, we have emerged stronger than ever

Celebrating achievements and success stories across the School

ON THE FRONT COVER Empowering students to consider new possibilities in the ever-growing field of STEAM.

KNOX SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/knoxgrammar twitter.com/knoxgrammar instagram.com/knoxgrammar vimeo.com/knoxgrammarschool

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This edition of The Thistle was prepared by Lyndal Sayer and Eileen Aroyan, Publications Managers, Knox Grammar School.

Proofreading by David Hayes, photography by Nick Stewart, Paul Wright, Scott Cameron, Blue Murder Studios (Cybele Malinowski), Knox staff, students and parents.

CONTRIBUTIONS The deadline for the June 2022 edition of The Thistle is 1 April 2022. OKGA contributions to okga@knox.nsw.edu.au. General contributions to publications@knox.nsw.edu.au.

DESIGN Stephanie Tesoriero, stephanietesoriero.com

PRINT The Thistle is printed by SKS Printing (www.sksprinting.com.au) on ISO accredited Neo Matt. Neo Matt is manufactured using wood fibre from sustainable forests and made from elemental chlorine free bleached pulp.

GET IN TOUCH Knox Grammar School PO Box 5008 Wahroonga NSW 2076 AUSTRALIA Telephone: (02) 9487 0122 CRICOS Provider Code: 00399E www.knox.nsw.edu.au

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13 KNOX GRAMMAR PREPARATORY SCHOOL Reinventing our year

18 WAHROONGA PREPARATORY SCHOOL The Manse Literacy Centre and Sport News

20 STUDENT LEADERSHIP The Knox program which helps students evolve and thrive

22 WELLBEING The boys’ wellbeing is our key priority

24 SPORT Adapting to our ever changing environment

26 KAPA Remaining connected and identifying the way forward

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STEAM EXPO

BOARDING

Highlights from an enlightening spectrum of STEAM activities and displays

Strengthening bonds between our Boarders far and wide

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SOCIAL JUSTICE

OLD KNOX GRAMMARIANS

Remaining committed to our community

Events and news of the Old Boys

FROM THETHE HEADMASTER FROM HEADMASTER

Forging connections IN A DISTANT TIME

What this period has shown is the incredible resilience of our community.

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MR SCOTT JAMES Headmaster of Knox Grammar School

Despite our challenges in the second half of the year, with an emphasis on communication and engagement, our students have emerged stronger than ever.

What this period has shown is the incredible resilience of our community.

Our patient and supportive parents have played the role of teacher, IT support and conflict resolver. We are so grateful for the diligence of parents in coordinating remote learning for their children while also managing their own work and wellbeing. We are also incredibly proud of our students for their unwavering hard work during an uncertain time.

During the last few months, across the campuses, the School continued with live lessons via Zoom for all classes, with a focus on maintaining a normal routine throughout a challenging time.

Assemblies and chapel continued online throughout the term, with innovation required to develop content to engage our students of all ages.

The Knox Quarantine Quiz, hosted by Mr Peter Voysey from Knox Prep and Mr Chris Leggo from the Senior School, was a welcome distraction, with a series of guest quizmasters joining the fun.

At Knox Prep, the team offered online fitness sessions, a home Kitchen Chemistry Challenge and a series of online Music Instrumental Concerts. Each Wednesday afternoon, the boys took part in a ‘Disconnect and Create’ program, providing an opportunity to switch off from Zoom and earn points for their house with a range of creative activities.

At Wahroonga Prep, we saw a vibrant virtual Book Week parade, scavenger hunts, home cooking challenges and Olympic celebrations. For all students, additional art lessons and open ended STEAM sessions in the week encouraged creative responses to questions.

In the Senior School, the Directors of Student Development created programs to engage the boys and develop their Knox Total Fitness with challenges such as trick shot videos, a book review competition and cooking classes.

Mrs Karen Yager offered a mini da Vinci Decathlon Challenge to test the boys’ brains across various disciplines.

The Knox Boarding Centre offered weekly quizzes, open mic evenings and social events with local girls’ schools.

There were also programs including yoga sessions to assist with wellbeing and mindfulness, a ‘Run to Tokyo’ challenge, boarding bingo and a virtual escape room activity.

Throughout all of this, our psychology team has continued to deliver counselling services for students who need specialist support, especially students returning to school.

Finally, we have been mindful of the wellbeing of our staff throughout this time disconnected from their students and colleagues. Staff have remained connected with regular quizzes, staff meetings and weekly fitness sessions on Friday afternoons, run by our Knox Sports and Aquatic Centre Team.

While we are certainly living in dynamic and uncertain times, I am filled with a great deal of hope and optimism for 2022.

We are looking forward to seeing our parents and wider community back on campus at events such as Knox at Home, Knox Gala Day and sports fixtures.

Our community connections are the real strength of Knox and we have missed this so much throughout 2020 and 2021.

Senior School students were asked to complete a regular ‘Stay Strong’ survey which was designed to track the students’ wellbeing along themes such as enjoyment, frustrations, sleep, exercise and level of connections with friends.

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A NEW

Collaboration REMOTE LEARNING

MR PHIL O’REGAN Deputy Headmaster (Students K-12) of Knox Grammar School

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The learnings from the second half of the year have been unparalleled for students and staff alike. We have seen boys and staff connecting and learning from home, in regions as far as Walgett, Wagga Wagga, Beijing and Noosa.

The learning experiences have continued to challenge and inspire us. Students have collaborated in break out rooms, undertaken interdisciplinary learning projects, participated across schools and completed HSC Trial papers online. Our students have been greeted by extraordinarily passionate teachers online each day ready to inspire and challenge the boys across 15 weeks of remote learning.

STUDENT LEADERS

TARTAN ARMY Our student leaders speak of Knox as a band of brothers who come to together to cheer and encourage one another across the many dimensions of life at Knox. Throughout the first half of the year the boys continued this tradition, gathering together as a Tartan Army for whole school events; CAS Swimming, Basketball Championships, Rugby fixtures at Bankwest Stadium and the second annual Knox V Pymble Ladies College Netball fixture. Their participation in the Tartan Army forged new connections from across year, friendship and cultural groups.

Singing, clapping and chanting along the way, a group of up to 600 voices was a sight to behold. Dom Goddard, our School Captain 2020-21, spoke in his final assembly address of the eureka moment you will have during your time at Knox, the time when you know you are truly bonded to your school and a part of a community that is far greater than yourself. Innately we all seek to belong, to feel connected and regarded for our contribution. The Tartan Army through the course of this year and under the leadership of some extraordinary young men, has continued to offer the connectedness, joy and fulfilment that is so fundamental to the sense of belonging our boys feel.

Quincy Adams is attributed as saying, ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader’.

Our Student Leaders for 2022 have been selected and together with the Leadership Group from Pymble Ladies College have undertaken a training program in distributed leadership principles with Professor Sandra Jones (RMIT). Under the direction of School Captain Flynn MacGregor and his Prefect body, we are seeing a drive to promote a culture of inclusivity, respect, community and joy. Flynn spoke recently to the incoming Year 7 students on finding your passion, ‘Knox will take you on a journey in which you can explore different areas and help you find your passion, there is a place for everyone at Knox’.

Dom Goddard, our School Captain, spoke in his final assembly address of the eureka moment you will have during your time at Knox, the time when you know you are truly bonded to your school and a part of a community that is far greater than yourself…

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Around THE GROUNDS

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL! Excited Knox Prep boys returning to School were warmly welcomed.

THE QUARANTINE QUIZ The Quarantine Quiz ran throughout Term 3 and was certainly a hit with many families enjoying testing their general knowledge, with tempting UberEats vouchers up for grabs.

Thank you to the many families who joined in the fun!

Titration Team Congratulations to our Titration Team of Elliot Bowen, Liam Whiteing and Tom O’Sullivan (all Y12) who achieved equal third place in the NSW Titration Competition.

CAS Debating Championship SPRING HAS SPRUNG IN THE AG PLOT The Agriculture plot welcomed six additions mid-year. Lambs Snowdrop, Snowball, Fluffy, Curly, Flopsy and Wrinkles joined the ongoing Year 9 Sheep breeding program, with plans for them to be taken to a rural sheep show.

The Knox Senior A Debating Team of Sam Druce, Dhruv Hariharan, Timothy Yoo and David Wang won the CAS Debating Championship for 2021. The Senior B Team was ranked equal first in its division.

We also congratulate the following: Dhruv Hariharan (Y12) Captain for the CAS Representative 1sts, Sam Druce (Y12) Captain for the CAS Representative 2nds and Simran Fardin (Y11) CAS Representative 3rds.

ONLINE COOKING CLUB Developing their skills in the kitchen, Year 7 boys, along with girls from Ravenswood School for Girls, took part in an online Cooking Club during Term 3.

Leading Wellbeing: A Student Perspective The ‘Leading Wellbeing: A Student Perspective’ conference welcomed more than 80 students from 20 schools across Sydney. Student-led workshops focussed on mindset, harnessing strengths and preventing stress, with a keynote address by Auschwitz survivor Eddie Jaku, author of ‘The Happiest Man on Earth’ who sadly passed away a few months after the conference.

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AROUND THE GROUNDS

PREP INSTRUMENTAL CONCERTS The Knox Prep Instrumental Concerts ran during Term 3 with 89 performers playing to over 500 families and staff via Zoom. Mrs Rebeccah Morris (Director of Instrumental Music) said, ‘The concerts gave boys something positive to work towards and made their home practise all worthwhile. The concerts were a real tribute to our budding little musicians.’

BOOK WEEK AT WAHROONGA PREP To celebrate ‘Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds’ in Book Week this year, Mrs Bridget Vardy decorated the Manse Literacy Centre for the students to enjoy via Zoom.

We’re back...

Our Deputy Head of Wahroonga Prep School, Mrs Tanya Lorimer, welcomed excited students back on campus.

MIDWINTER CHORAL KAPA has released ‘Knox In Concert – A Festival of Five Concerts’ that was filmed at performances spanning March to June.

Check out the remarkable music from our talented musicians here: https://vimeo.com/ showcase/8730744

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Year 6 Festival of Light and Music Year 6 boys showcased their learning at the Year 6 Festival of Light and Music. This event explored the big ideas that ‘Technology Protects Communities’ and ‘Artistic Expression Connects Diverse Communities’ as part of their Knoxigations studies.

THE SCHOLAR A WEBSITE CREATED BY A GROUP OF STUDENTS IN YEAR 6 FOR THEIR PEERS In Term 3, a student-led initiative was launched by a group of Year 6 boys.

They created a website for their peers which was packed with activities, news, information and key links, called The Scholar. The website, aimed for children, provided a look into different perspectives on world events that could be clearly understood. The Scholar included entertainment, news and lessons that the boys could read and interact with at home or during school breaks. These interactive activities and challenges were designed to help reinforce the boys’ understanding of specific topics and news items.

Stage 5 Boarders Return to School Stage 5 boarders heading off to breakfast on their first day back after lockdown! All very happy and cheerful.

The Scholar team Year 6 – Suveer Manav, Saarang Jain, Ojas Gupta, Ryan Theresia, Ram Shanmugaratnam, Savin Peramuntilleke.

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SUMMER TABLE TENNIS IN THE GREAT HALL FOYER

Knox Prep Mural Acclaimed mural artist, Hugues Sineux, who painted the Centenary Mural at the Senior School, has worked on a beautiful mural at Knox Prep over the last few months.

Celebrating the heritage of Knox Prep and the natural curiosity and joy of our Knox Prep students, the boys have been challenged to find 26 objects from A to Z in the image of Ewan House. There is a jar of Vegemite, a stag, a brush turkey and even a numbat.

YEAR 6 KNOX GRAMMAR PREPARATORY COLOUR SPLASH RUN A favourite on the Knox calendar, each year our boys look forward to attempting the obstacles whilst being covered in as many different colours as possible. This year was no exception and a great day was had by all!

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Knox has built a strong squad and performed extremely well in the past few seasons with a recent win in the Independent Schools’ Table Tennis Competition. Table Tennis is an extremely popular option for boys from Year 8 to Year 12 and we have almost 100 boys participating in the Table Tennis program under the guidance of coach Ms Chen.

KNOX PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Reinventing OUR YEAR

MR MICHAEL QUACH Deputy Head of Knox Preparatory School

At the end of June, looking forward to a fun-packed three week holiday before jumping into a busy second half of the year, there was a palpable buzz in the air that school had returned to ‘normal’.

How wrong we were!

We were fortunate to have many of the systems and platforms in place to switch to online learning quickly, although we were charting new territory in doing it over an extended, 14-week period.

As expected, the students and staff were initially enthusiastic and excited by the change of routine and we needed to keep the momentum going. The Tokyo Olympics couldn’t have come at a better time, however, within a few weeks those feelings were replaced by ‘Zoom fatigue’. We had to mix things up, and quickly!

We introduced the Disconnect and Create initiative on Wednesday afternoons, where the boys were able to undertake a range of activities and earn points for their Houses.

Reaching out to other local independent schools, Mr Voysey coordinated a Year 4 Spelling Bee with Wahroonga Prep, Pymble Ladies College, Tara and Kings. Will Lipscombe and Austen An represented Knox Prep proudly, with Austen winning the friendly competition.

Rejuvenated after the ‘Reenergise and Recentre Day’ halfway through the term, the students and staff worked hard through the second half. Letters received in the post from their teachers helped to keep the boys motivated and engaged.

Monday Movement afternoon sessions helped to keep the boys active. The Prep Fit Kids initiative ran before school three days a week by Mr Hitchiner and Mr van Bussel and was well attended by boys and parents alike.

Book Week saw visits and stories from authors and teachers, while the boys created artworks to tie in with the theme and shortlisted books.

An amazing 97 percent of students completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge.

A number of students took up the Kitchen Chemistry Challenge for Science Week and our first online Music Instrumental Concerts were a hit and enjoyed by all.

Inspired by International Dot Day, we finished the term with the theme ‘Be Curious, Be Creative, Be Yourself’. Each day the boys dressed up according to a different theme with clues slowly released the day before to keep the boys guessing.

After a well-earned school holiday break, we approached Term 4 with excitement as we looked forward to returning and celebrating some of our cherished end of year events.

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YEAR 1 Miss Nadine Smith, Year 1 Team Leader

A New Approach ACROSS KNOX PREP

The boys participated in a variety of hands on activities which challenged them to think about where our food comes from, the different types of farms that exist and how they provide us with food. Throughout their scientific inquiries we learnt about growing microgreen gardens and created ‘Grassy Heads’ which demonstrated how food is grown for farm animals. The boys made their own butter and designed and constructed their own miniature food farm. It was so lovely to see all our boys laughing, investigating and creating on the day. A fantastic day of fun and learning was had by all.

KINDERGARTEN Mrs Emma Donaldson, Kindergarten Team Leader ‘Obstacles, of course, are developmentally necessary: they teach kids strategy, patience, critical thinking, resilience and resourcefulness’ – Naomi Wolf The second half of Kindergarten 2021 looked different and offered students unique opportunities that have challenged the boys’ patience, resilience, creativity and communication skills. This opportunity encouraged students to build their independence and develop skills whilst we asked ourselves, ‘what does the future look like for our boys’?

We have learnt that it is ever changing, unpredictable, exciting and different! During this time, we have endeavoured to equip the boys with the skills they will need to adapt and flourish as socially responsible, engaged and creative global citizens. When you look at remote learning from that perspective, isn’t it a brilliant opportunity! Students took responsibility for their learning, listened to their peers, used their voices to express ideas and reflected on their learning through the use of technology.

When asked about the term some of the boys said: • Online learning has been tricky but I’ve got to spend time with my parents and that has been the best!

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During remote learning, Year 1 participated in some wonderful activities such as, ’Farmer Friday’ as part of ‘Science Week’ which lead into our Knoxigations Inquiry ‘Foods from Farms to Factories’. Our theme, ‘Food – Different by Design’ began with a tour of Mrs Baldry’s farm, ‘Nathali’. Mrs Baldry explained the type of farm her family runs and the food it provides us with.

We met her animals, and began our day with excitement for what was to come.

• I like wearing my Ugg boots to school every day but I miss running around on the oval.

• I get to read to my teddies all the time and they are very good listeners.

• My favourite day was 100 Days of School!

I wish I was at school but we did really fun activities!

• Did you know there is maths when my Mum does cooking? She is very good at maths!

These connections between school and their everyday life reflect and demonstrate that this term has been ‘tricky’ however they have continued to improve and build their resilience and independence!

The boys continued to thrive socially and academically through their learning opportunities during remote learning.

Whilst diligently making sure their microgreens had enough sun and water to grow, we enjoyed watching our seeds sprout and carefully recorded their growth each day in our Science journals. At the end of the term the boys were challenged to use their microgreens in a recipe and participate in a Year 1 MasterChef Challenge. We had some amazing dishes made and certainly have some aspiring chefs in the making.

YEAR 3 Mr Hamish Oates, Year 3 Team Leader The Year 3 remote learning experience has been an all-encompassing journey. To complement the diverse and engaging learning exercises and to ensure our boys were active participants each day, various academic as well as emotional and social strategies were implemented.

The courage, YEAR 2

resilience and

Miss Sarah Beaumont-Jones, Year 2 Team Leader

enthusiasm of the

As the adage goes, ‘there’s no “I” in team’ and throughout term, the Year 2 boys truly gave their all to various events and challenges with one common goal, to be crowned the Winning House. The motivation of earning House Points certainly drove the passion of the boys and joy was found in the most unlikely of places!

The courage, resilience and enthusiasm of the boys to participate in various events and challenges was a joy to see. From Karaoke to ‘I Spy the Bitmoji’, the Year 2 boys earned points for their houses with fervor. The Year 2 Olympics however took the cake for ingenuity and creativity. The boys competed for their respective houses (Ewan, Lang, Fuller, Haslett and Burns) in various events including swimming, weightlifting, artistic gymnastics, equestrian and shot put. After two weeks of tough competition, the inaugural Year 2 Olympics drew to a close with boys designing and waving flags for their House in the Closing Ceremony.

boys to participate in various events and challenges was a joy to see.

While these events only take place every four years, the sportsmanship, excitement and joy will continue to be remembered for years to come. Long after the Olympics came to an end, boys continued to give their all to earn House Points throughout a term of remote learning.

As the weeks drew to a close, boys were astonished to learn that each and every house had earned more than 1,000 points towards the winner of Knox Cock House Cup. In the words of one Year 2 student, “Teamwork really does make the dream work!”

We tailored lessons to meet the boys’ interests and provided a wider selection of online platforms to present their knowledge and understanding of the content. With greater class interest, teachers collaborated with students to reflect on and critique each lesson and as a team we listened to the boys’ suggestions and made the necessary amendments.

A number of social activities were introduced to enhance spirits and the boys thoroughly enjoyed themed ‘Fridays’, green and gold day to support our Olympians, pyjama day, spots and stripes day and crazy hair day. We extended these activities to link to our learning by including scavenger hunts, movie and popcorn afternoons and cooking with Dad. The Rose, Bud and Thorn Reflection exercises provided teachers with valuable insights to how boys were coping with the set work, their cognitive and emotional wellbeing and overall resilience. The feedback enabled teachers to address any concerns as well as navigate the weeks ahead and thus differentiate learning.

The teacher guided breakout rooms on Zoom where boys could interact with their friends, really bolstered their resilience and helped them maintain a positive frame of mind, the time spent sharing anecdotes and jokes was certainly the highlight of each week.

We encouraged the boys to actively engage in meaningful learning experiences as well as complete the term in a positive manner.

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KNOX PREPARATORY SCHOOL

YEAR 4

YEAR 5

Mr Dylan Nexhip, Year 4 Team Leader

Mr Jared Rastall, Year 5 Team Leader

Throughout the pandemic, the word pivot has become a mainstay in many people’s vocabulary and Term 3 saw the word truly come to fruition. For most, having routine and normality flipped upside down would present as a daunting experience, however the Year 4 boys handled it with maturity and optimism. To cater for the boys online, we employed a range of strategies to support academic engagement, as well as creating opportunities for social connectedness.

Please take a moment to read two reflections, written by students in Year 4.

At 8:15am every school morning, our faces and voices were broadcast into 166 boys’ homes right across Sydney. We know, though, that it’s not only our boys who have been involved in their online learning experience. The boys have learnt about how gold changed Australia, gotten their hands messy in papier-mâché, woken up earlier to log in to Prep Fit Kids and embarked on a research mission to better understand a special object in their home. Along the way, their parents, siblings and even (sometimes) a troublesome family pet have had their part. We heard ‘My dog ate my papier-mâché’ and witnessed it live on Zoom! Throughout the term we have genuinely loved spending time with everyone and inviting them into our classrooms.

This year, as we all know, has been challenging for everyone, but it has been a good chance to show our school values.

Imagine my surprise when after all that happened last year, COVID-19 found a way to get us again!

At first, I was dejected to find out I could not see my friends, but I focused on having a positive mindset. It was hard, with all the things going on in this world, but when you have a positive attitude, you can conquer even the toughest problems. I just try to imagine all the things that will happen after this worldwide chaos. While hope is sometimes hard to find, imagination is boundless. Some highlights during online classes include the fun Kahoots on Tuesday nights and of course, our persistent teachers bravely trying hard to teach and assist us in these hard times. Though we couldn’t get as much help as we were all isolated, technology allowed us to use new apps wisely and we could explain things more easily. .– Vincent Chen, 4P

KNOX PREPARATORY SCHOOL

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Throughout online learning, I’ve developed many different skills: 1. Waiting calmly. It started when one of my teachers forgot to admit me into the meeting. I had to wait before finally getting in.

2. Developing independence. A few times I faced problems and I didn’t know what to do. I had to constantly check Google Classroom just in case my teachers said something. I’ve also met challenges like when my teacher had internet issues. Then three words popped into my mind - check Google Classroom.

Even so, there still have been good times like when my group worked amazingly!

We put lots of effort in and everyone was happy.

– Eric Qui, 4N

Despite the limitations on our physical connection, we have often seen and encouraged a wonderful connection between our boys, their families and the learning that has continued remotely. Connection matters. It provides us with happiness, security and support.

Our ‘Thrifty Thursday’ maths lessons have been a mathematical design journey to construct a district of a city. A part of the process was constructing threedimensional objects from nets. It was lovely to invite parents onto Zoom (instead of in the background) as they aided their sons in the intricate folding of more complex and minute objects. We planned bringing all the districts together to create and connect an enormous metropolitan area on return to school.

We’ve also enjoyed our parents’ enthusiastic participation in our roll call activities, deciphering various rebus puzzles, solving riddles, and employing their keen eyes and expertise to solve tasks such as ‘Spot the Difference’ and ‘Guess the Logo’.

To celebrate a successful Term 3, we ended with a virtual class picnic. All the learners at home (pets included) were invited to attend and share something special they had created at home. These recipes have been collated to create a ‘Covid Keepsake’ for each class. A lasting sweet reminder of the beautiful connections we maintained during Sydney’s extended lockdown.

Actively leading assemblies to creating videos for the Wednesday afternoon ‘Disconnect and Create’ sessions, from house meetings to acting as comperes at the Prep Instrumental Zoom concerts, the boys were providing positive and encouraging feedback to their younger peers.

From Flipgrid submissions as part of ‘Disconnect and Create’ and meeting with their Kindy and Year 1 buddies, our Year 6 boys continually demonstrated many of the Knox values and we are immensely proud of them.

I really enjoyed the Celebration of Learning at the end of Term 2. It was really fun to do the Robotics Hub, and I learnt many new things! This was one of my highlights as organising all the robots and making sure they work for the dance show was a really great experience - I can’t wait for another one!

– Saarang Jain, 6H

STUDENT REFLECTIONS

YEAR 6 Mrs Nicola Sharp, Year 6 Team Leader Towards the end of Term 2, Year 6 enjoyed a wonderful trip to Canberra to enhance the learning around the big idea ‘By the people, for the people... or not’. This three-day excursion provided rich learning experiences and a unique opportunity for the boys to connect with one another. This was followed by a fantastic celebration of learning held in the final week of term, a showcasing of the boys’ creativity and achievement across a range of subjects.

The evening culminated in a phenomenal light show on Ireland Field, where the boys’ learning of coding LED light strips with their Micro:bit kits was on display for all to enjoy.

In only a matter of a few short weeks, the entire landscape changed and we faced remote learning. Throughout Term 3, we were witness to the resilience and courage of our boys as they engaged in their learning. Focusing on connection, we found innovative ways to ensure our boys had the opportunities to engage with one another and remain in touch. From chats in breakout rooms to board games and escape rooms, from Geoguessr competitions to games of Zoom ‘hide and seek’, the boys strengthened their bonds and friendships. As a cohort, we met daily to share successes, play ‘Teacher Trivia’ and challenge ourselves with word puzzles.

A highlight of every week was our Friday afternoon activity where the boys popped on their ‘hoodies’ or Oodies to join Mr Suters for a story beside the campfire.

Throughout the term, our Year 6 boys continued to live out our mantra for the year, ‘Step it up’, in terms of their leadership of the Prep School.

I really enjoyed having time with my friends in breakout rooms. It offered a great escape from class, and made school a whole lot more enjoyable for me.

I really enjoyed Canberra as we learnt many new things about parliament history. It was a really fun and educational experience.

– Elijah Lim, 6N

– Joshua Stiles, 6C

One of my highlights of Year 6 was in Canberra at Questacon, but the best part was in the cabins. I brought a pack of cards with me and we played games with everyone in the cabin, as we were huddled up on one bed and we kinda looked like that painting of dogs playing poker. I ended up making a lot more friends and a lot of good memories.

– Daniel Hardwick, 6G

The trip to Canberra was very fun, for example, I enjoyed Questacon. I also learnt a lot about the government system and we went to both the old and new Parliament Houses, including sitting in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The thing I loved about Term 3 was the ability to play Zoom Breakout Room Hide and Seek and to catchup with friends in breakout rooms after not seeing them in person after such a prolonged period of time.

– Suveer Manav, 6C

I really enjoyed playing buddy board games with my friends during brain breaks and time with our friends.

There were many fun games to play such as Connect 4, Uno and Chess.

Overall it was a great way to catch up with my friends.

– Sean Twining, 6C

– Andrew Tang, 6K

The highlight of my trip to Canberra was exploring the past, present, and what’s to come in Australian politics, science, and history, as well as spending time away from school with my friends and peers.

– Riley Hall, 6K

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WAHROONGA PREPARATORY SCHOOL

The Manse Literacy Centre AT WAHROONGA PREP

MRS BRIDGET VARDY Literacy Teacher

It was with great anticipation and excitement that the Wahroonga Prep Literacy Centre was relocated to a new learning space in the historic St John’s Uniting Church ‘Manse’ building (built 1898).

The positive reading culture at Wahroonga Prep School is promoted as students experience the joy of reading quality literature and access to digital technology in flexible learning spaces of the new ‘Manse Literacy Centre’. The beautifully renovated rooms reflect the history of the ‘Manse’ building, and are wonderful learning spaces for our students and staff to enjoy an escape into the wonderful world of books.

The ‘Escape Rooms’ within our Manse Literacy Centre have become favourite spaces for our students to engage in one hour weekly Literacy Centre lessons, lunchtime reading and games with friends, a maker-space zone and the popular ‘Book Café’ co-curricular reading club. Fiction texts in the ‘Imagination Room’ and nonfiction texts in the ‘Information Room’ provide a wide range of quality literature by Australian and international authors and illustrators. A large interactive whiteboard also allows for the effective use of digital storytelling and online information and technology resources for literacy learning and research skills.

The Manse library catalogue is regularly updated with a range of resources purchased to support units of inquiry, new release texts and books which reflect student reading interests.

Top left St John’s Church and ManseCoonanbarra Avenue/Stuart St Wahroonga, 1898.

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Weekly borrowing from the wide range of texts from the Manse Literacy Centre enables independent and shared reading at home.

Students have also shared the joy of reading with parents/carers on the Manse grass at our ‘reading picnics’ and with friends reading books from our ‘Playground Library’ trolley on the

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Manse veranda. Many students achieve the annual NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge and are awarded with an achievement certificate from the NSW Premier, further demonstrating the keen readers we have at Wahroonga Prep!

During 2021 remote learning, the positive reading culture at Wahroonga Prep was evident as books and digital texts continued to be an integral part of teaching and learning online and daily wellbeing time for our students. We enjoyed an online ‘Literary Term’- a wonderful ‘virtual’ celebration of books and Book Week. Teachers, students and families dressed up as their favourite book character on Zoom, and students completed a fun literacy task from a Book Week matrix each day. At the end of Term 3, we also celebrated ‘Australian Reading Hour’, which provided a wonderful virtual event for students and staff to relax and engage with books and writing.

We are grateful for the beautiful Literacy Centre learning spaces and the extensive range of resources available to enhance teaching and learning at Wahroonga Prep. Our students are encouraged by dedicated teachers and staff to be lifelong learners, developing the six global competencies of character, citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking, to become effective future global citizens.

Life in lockdown has seen some great challenges and changes to Sport and Physical Education in 2021. Sport has transformed from a focus on team events to

Striding Ahead

individual achievements, recreation and activity.

MR JAMES KENNEDY PDHPE and Sports Coordinator At Wahroonga Prep we are very fortunate to be involved in and connected to some wonderful sport programs and facilities. Our strengths keep growing with participation numbers increasing in sports such as netball and basketball along with an extensive group of swimmers. Students are passionate about their performance and families show great support to the coaches and managers involved.

The success of our intensive swimming program each term is starting to show with some quality swimmers showcasing their skills this year. At the representative IPSHA Carnival at Sydney Olympic Park, we had nine students achieve 21 personal bests across 40 individual swimming races. Our greatest achievement came with the Senior Boys 4x50m Relay team qualifying for the CIS Carnival.

It was a wonderful result with both Knox and WPS sharing success with multiple entries into the highly competitive and esteemed race.

Not only did we achieve success as a swim team but Wahroonga Prep is producing some competitive divers to complement our swimmers.

Samuel Tan, our School Captain, represented our school and is consistently improving his dives off the springboard; finishing on the podium on multiple occasions. Lara Manuel is becoming a decorated diver and has represented not only her family but the WPS community with great pride. Lara is nine years old and is a passionate athlete who is mature beyond her years. She consistently wins competitions at her age level, which is spectacular in its own right, but her most impressive results fare against competitors almost twice her age. At the CAS Carnival she finished 10th in the Opens and 4th in the Intermediate Springboard.

Our basketball teams are very competitive with most year groups managing to gain finals experience. Our Year 6 boys defeated the rivalled Year 6 Knox team this year and our Year 4 team finished top of the table, only losing two games all season. Wahroonga Prep’s young netball teams, with some students participating for the

very first time, had a wonderful experience in a non-competitive program. Before this season, our teams were unable to score a goal but throughout the season there were numerous consistent goal scorers and happy faces as they completed their games.

Unfortunately, this year we were unable to showcase our track and field athletes due to the ongoing pandemic. However, earlier in 2021, our long-distance runners were able to compete at the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival. With limited opportunities, we were able to qualify 14 students to represent the school, a number which I can see improving over the years to come.

Life in lockdown has seen some great challenges and changes to Sport and Physical Education in 2021. Sport has transformed from a focus on team events to individual achievements, recreation and activity. Physical Education has ranged from routines and workouts, to challenges and personal bests. I look forward to a time where our students can display their athletics abilities in various domains and get a taste for competition and performance once again.

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LIFE AT KNOX

2020-21

Student Leadership MR SAM WHITE Director of Student Development Knox Senior Academy

The Student Leadership Program has continued to evolve and thrive throughout the 2020-21 year, despite the challenges imposed by online learning in Term 3.

This was the first time we have run our flagship Student Leadership offering, the Portfolio Leadership Teams (PLTs), as an opt-in program and we were thrilled to have over 400 students from Years 8-12 sign-up and participate.

The Portfolio Leadership Teams planned and actioned a number of key initiatives that contributed to the betterment of our community. These included the Ride With Richter Day at Knox Prep and WPS, the Global Leadership Summit, many mental health and Social Justice projects, academic study presentations and sessions and an improved House Competition, just to name a few.

Providing an opportunity for our senior boys to work with and mentor the younger ones continues to be the single greatest benefit of this program.

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To that end our Peer Support Program was relaunched as the MacPherson Mates Program in Term 4 of 2020. Our MacPherson Mates are appointed for two years, when they are in Years 10 and 11, to work with Year 7 and Year 8 Mentor groups. Now being a two-year model, the older boys get an opportunity to really establish strong connections with the younger ones.

Further, we have now instituted for these MacPherson Mates to go on the Year 7 and Year 8 Camps in Term 1, to support and encourage their mentees, and this was a resounding success when done for the first time in 2021.

Our Prefects and other Senior Leaders, led by our School Captain, Dom Goddard, and the Prefect Executive Team, were outstanding role models and sources of inspiration throughout this year. They ensured

that there was calm and consistency throughout the online learning period in Term 3, despite having to negotiate their own challenges with Trials.

We will be forever grateful for their input, leadership and servant-oriented mindset and congratulate them on their efforts and resilience.

Moving into the 2021-22 Leadership year, we will be continuing to have Leadership presentations offered every fortnight to our PLT reps with Portfolio meetings then being run in the alternate week. These presentations and meetings will provide all those in the program with the opportunity to learn about, and reflect upon, leadership and to work with one another to grow and to effect positive social change.

Our Prefects and other Senior Leaders, led by our School Captain, Dom Goddard, and the Prefect Executive Team, were outstanding role models and sources of inspiration throughout this year.

It’s often spoken about a Year 12 student being ‘more than an ATAR’ and a Knox boy’s learning going ‘beyond the classroom’ and I believe the Student Leadership Program is the perfect example as to why this is the case. What you learn about yourself and others when working as a team towards a common purpose of service to the community is unique to this program. Developing transferable soft skills such as communication, public speaking and team work have become just as important as any academic achievable and are facilitated as such by a hardworking and dedicated staff in Mr White, Mr Waterhouse, Ms Wiffen and Ms McMurrough.

– Dom Goddard, School Captain

At Knox the multitude of leadership opportunities in the Senior School allows boys to grow and develop. Those who grab these opportunities gain a wealth of knowledge and skills like communication, dependability and decisiveness. The cohort of 2021 put an emphasis on perspective, connectedness and authenticity as a basis for leadership. We wanted boys to acknowledge how lucky we are to attend Knox and to make the most of it. We encouraged authentic actions in leadership whilst trying to heighten Knox’s culture by increasing the connection between the School’s Year Groups. We hope this is something that will continue for years to come.

– Tom Goddard, School Vice Captain

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Wellbeing AT KNOX

DR LAURA-KATE DASSOS Assistant Head of School Psychology

Knox Grammar School has strived to support our students, parents, and community in navigating the myriad of challenges presented to us in 2021.

Maximising student wellbeing has been the key priority, particularly during remote learning. The Knox Psychology Team have continued in the provision of remote counselling services and have worked alongside the talented and committed Directors of Student Development to teach wellbeing and counselling skills to Year 10 and 11 Student Peer Support Leaders ‘MacPherson Mates’ and Junior Academy boys. Equipping student mentors in this way is a helpful response to research indicating that young people experiencing psychological distress are most likely to turn to their peers for support (Mission Australia, 2020).

The creation of the weekly ‘Stay Strong’ survey has served as a means for staff to continue to check-in with students during remote learning.

Importantly, it has also provided a platform for boys to express their wellbeing concerns and request support and connection from Knox wellbeing staff. The Directors of Student Development, alongside the Wellbeing Team, School Chaplains and Academy Teams have also provided weekly Total Fitness ‘boosters’ to each student year group. These boosters have comprised brief activities and challenges designed to enhance and support students’ holistic wellbeing (Total Fitness), including mindful meditation, promoting meaningful connections and establishing healthy boundaries.

A definite highlight of our wellbeing efforts in Term 3 has been the launch of the Parent Support Series, a collaboration between Deputy Headmaster of Students 7-12 Mr Phil O’Regan, the Directors of Student Development and the Knox Wellbeing Team. The aim of this series is to provide evidence-based information to support and guide our parents in caring for their sons, connecting them with our Total Fitness model and key aspects of our student mentor program. The Parent Support Series features in the newsletter each week and, to date, has covered a broad range of topics including:

GRATITUDE A concept linked to increased psychological wellbeing and defined as deliberately choosing to have a deep appreciation or thanks for something.

IS ATAR THE MEANING OF LIFE? A video interview promoting a healthy perspective – featuring the Director of Career Education and Development Ms Linda Gomez, Director of Student Development Mr Sam White and Head of School Psychology Mr David Schofield.

REFRAMING STRESS Helping students to view some stress as helpful (that is evidence of challenge rather than threat) in order to elicit a healthier physiological reaction.

SELF-CARE Highlighting the importance healthy boundaries on wellbeing, particularly in the context of remote learning.

Equipping student mentors is a helpful response to research indicating that young people experiencing psychological distress are most likely to turn to their peers for support – Mission Australia, 2020

MANAGING UNCERTAINTY Guiding parents on how to talk to young people about their worries, focusing specifically on what is still within their control.

Accompanying this weekly series are further resources and practical strategies to implement in the home context. The Wellbeing Team have produced a number of supporting videos as part of this series; the video segment on Gratitude by Assistant Head of School Psychology, Dr Laura-Kate Dassos, was re-published on the Knox Grammar School Facebook group and was well received.

Knox Grammar School continues to maintain the highest standard in our wellbeing practices. If you have any questions or would like to speak with a member of our Knox Psychologist Team, please contact our reception during term time at psychs@knox.nsw.edu.au.

Interested in more...

View our wellbeing videos here https://vimeo.com/ showcase/8775898

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LIFE AT KNOX

Sport Success DURING LOCKDOWN

Continuing to build their health and fitness offline was wonderful to hear about from the boys throughout the second half of the year.

MR MARK HITCHINER Prep Sport Coordinator

PREP SCHOOL SPORT In sport we sometimes talk about how different two halves of a game can be. This year we can observe how different two halves of a year can be. It is so important at these times to reflect on the successes and how we have adapted to the changed and ever-changing environment.

Being able to chat with the boys each afternoon during Sports Skills and Trainings, I continually heard stories of reconnecting with nature on bush walks and having time to do things such as bike riding and connecting with family members.

At the Prep, the boys had to learn to adapt to different spaces and be creative with equipment and resources; ever pivoting to circumstances and situations that arose. Great pride is what resonates as the Prep boys embraced the new forms of learning and training of which they completely excelled in.

In the mornings, the Prep boys took advantage of opportunities to fill their bodies with endorphins and dopamine for energy and concentration during the Prep Fit Kids exercise sessions, setting up well for the day ahead.

These 25-minute circuit classes tested the boys’ endurance and strength as they worked on many different muscle groups of their bodies.

Monday afternoons were a great time for the boys to disconnect from their devices and take part in the ‘Monday Movement’ sessions. These sessions were designed for all home learning circumstances and utilising many different regular day items as equipment. From juggling socks, circuit sessions and crab races with a partner, to water fights, can golf and toilet paper high jump; the boys were able to move their body and stay active.

The afternoon Sports Skills and Trainings continued as close to normal as possible considering

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the circumstances. The Directors of Sport, Head Coaches and coaching staff put together some excellent video resources all available to the boys from each sport. Live sessions were also put on by individual coaches, taking the boys through the finer points of the acquisition of tricky skills. All boys should be very proud of their efforts in completing these beneficial activities during these difficult times Thank you to all parents and boys for their continued support of the Sport Programs at the Prep School.

MR IAN BUTLER

SENIOR SCHOOL SPORT

Senior School Sportsmaster

As ever the buzz words of the last 18 months has been agility, pivot and resilience and this has certainly been called upon of all boys and staff in the Sports Academy. With government rules and health regulations constantly changing at a rapid rate our team of staff have delivered and the students have responded.

We are very grateful that a large portion of the winter season was completed with just the final three games cancelled due to a COVID-19 lockdown.

Season training continued but alas, the CAS had to decide at some stage and the winter season was cut short.

Wrap-ups including awards and presentations were held, then the Sports department rolled out two weeks of fun and games prior to our summer sport pre-season. The fun included new ball skills, some strength and power sessions, mobility training and Track and Field sessions.

Surprisingly (or not) the mobility and stretching was the most popular option as the long days in front of the screen took its toll and the students felt they needed a good stretch.

Our Athletic Development team were running 7.30am exercise sessions and this proved very popular with the younger students, a great way for boys who were used to starting their day with physical activity to get moving and energised before Period 1.

The Athletic Development staff put together the Knox Strength and Conditioning Google site, and encouraged all boys to utilise that wonderful resource in their own time, we highly recommended boys look at what was available and suited their interest and needs. Split into every section imaginable they could design whatever program they required from the site. An outstanding resource for all our Knox community and the feedback from parents, students and staff has been that it was much needed during these last few months.

With the news the CAS Track and Field Championships had been cancelled, our staff continued working with the athletes on Zoom with a wide-ranging program which really has been incredible to see the breadth of what was on offer for our students. It has been brilliant to see the level of commitment from these boys who continued to build their speed and strength whilst learning new skills and techniques.

As summer sport began online, each student was given different options depending on space around them and equipment they had available at home. As I moved from various classes on Zoom each day, I enjoyed seeing

As I moved from various classes on Zoom each day, I enjoyed seeing the creativity, passion and effort our Coaches and Directors put in to ensure the boys had face-to-face contact with their teammates and staff. the creativity, passion and effort our coaches and directors put in to ensure the boys had face-to-face contact with their teammates and staff. No challenge was too big, and when people asked with shocked faces how we ran all our sport online, or what we were doing - I couldn’t have been prouder. We truly have such quality staff who care about the experience of each student during such a trying time.

Thank you to all those who have emailed us feedback.

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LIFE AT KNOX

KAPA

Kept the beat going IN AN ONLINE WORLD

MR JAMES BRICE Head of Knox Academy of Performing Arts

When faced with the challenging reality of the return to online education for Term 3, the Knox Academy of Performing Arts – KAPA was proactive to identify ‘how’ our performance academy would operate, and ‘what’ was the key ingredient necessary for a 100 percent roll out and delivery for our students, staff and community.

The ‘why’ was easy!

REMAINING CONNECTED – THE KEY TO OUR TERM 3 SUCCESS Unlike many other institutions who paused their co-curricular performance programs, KAPA’s immediate goal was to move all of our resources online to ensure that our 600 boys involved across our Senior School ensembles, inclusive of over 480 in private lessons, had access to their music

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to continue with their practice. From the creation of custom rehearsal tracks, scanning hundreds of pages of sheet music and even couriering a tuba to Dubbo, it was clear KAPA’s number one goal was to remain connected and active with our pursuit to offer an engaging, varied and dynamic online program.

• Provide short and long term projects as goals • VIP special guest invitations – we know our Headmaster, Mr Scott James loved his visit!

• Setting recording projects as performances!

• Celebrate – Present the audio mix file in rehearsal

PLAN - INSPIRE ENGAGE - CELEBRATE These four words provided the ‘all-important’ framework for our strategic plan for our Senior School program inclusive of 48 ensembles across 73 rehearsals per week. Good planning from the outset provided exceptional motivation, increased confidence for students and staff, high levels of engagement, tremendous enjoyment with exceptional performance outcomes and celebrations from every ensemble. This has been an extraordinary accomplishment, successfully achieved through KAPA’s perseverance and determination to remain connected!

PLAN FOR THE TERM • Communication is key • The most important outcome is connection • Setting short and long term goals • Remaining connected provides motivation, enjoyment, attendance and student wellbeing

as close to face-to-face as humanly possible, having successfully championed and achieved these foundations last year in 2020.

With the addition of ‘pop quiz’ performances and audio-visual recording projects; our weekly rehearsals have remained diverse and most importantly fun and engaging. Our KAPA staff, boys and parents have been able to see, watch, listen and enjoy the ongoing benefits of their sons’ KAPA Ensemble recording experiences, actively engaging in these celebrations which will continue to be viewed long after we are out of lockdown. Sharing these recordings and weekly KAPA Bulletins have provided scope to preserve our experiences and performances during this time whilst remaining connected with our wider and tremendously supportive Knox community.

Our strategies of success in the online performing arts world have been shaped through this online rehearsal and performances framework:

Our live online rehearsals have included interactive instruction, motivation, feedback, resources and musical direction like one would normally experience in face-to-face rehearsals. This additional interactive resource layer within ‘Zoom Rehearsals’ presented with rehearsal tracks, live interactive instruction and commentary from ensemble directors, have enabled us to provide an ensemble experience

• Set the vibe! Create our ‘Rehearsal Room’ atmosphere • Click tracks audio recordings for interactive rehearsals • Spoken commentary in ‘real time’ throughout rehearsal • Gallery View always for peer engagement and connection • Comments on posture, breathing, technique, focus and engagement • Solo opportunities – Inviting students to perform on their own for their peers

TERM 3 ONLINE STAGE – ISOLATION PROJECT VIDEOS The importance of milestones during this time is invaluable for our KAPA ensemble members, as we not only continue to work on our performance repertoire but work towards quality assurance and ensuring we have been able to preserve, appreciate, enjoy and celebrate our performances during this most unusual time in our lives.

Interested in more...

View the Isolation AV Performances https://vimeo.com/ showcase/8897495

Throughout lockdown, the Knox Academy of Performing Arts - KAPA successfully retained 96% of students and attendance in weekly lessons and rehearsals, largely in part to the immense online program offered.

I am sure I echo my colleague’s sentiments, to say that it has been wonderful when logging into to our Zoom rehearsals, to see the bright and enthusiastic faces of our ensemble members ready for another KAPA rehearsal session.

Remaining connected has been the key to providing motivation, enjoyment, student wellbeing and great medicine for the mind and soul.

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LIFE AT KNOX

Highlights

FROM THE 2021

STEAM Expo

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I would like to applaud you all, on your efforts in preparation for today’s STEAM Expo, and on the success of the day itself.

On all accounts the JUSTIN WANG AND RYAN XIA 2021 STEAM Expo Leaders (Y11)

On 15 June 2021, robots traversed the Great Hall and students were immersed in a spectrum of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) activities which spanned from Virtual and Augmented Reality to the application of Artificial Intelligence to Financial Crime.

The annual, student-led STEAM Expo saw over 20 passionate, locally-based tech-companies showcase their exciting innovations to students from Years 7-11. The newly-formed STEAM Team comprised of seven highly motivated students from Years 10-11 who facilitated the logistics of the day and liaison with companies.

With the transition from 2020’s virtual STEAM Expo to a physical Expo this year, the 2021 STEAM Expo took bold leaps in turbulent times and truly showcased Knox’s ‘innovation wrapped in tradition’. The COVID-19 Pandemic forced the STEAM Team to adapt to the volatility of the situation and tested our resilience as we formed contingencies and extra safety measures that included temperature checks for onsite guests and hand sanitiser stations that ensured the safety of the boys. Additionally, this year’s Expo was structured into two components; an arena with over 20 STEAM company/university booths and a separate area for keynote speakers.

The theme of the STEAM Expo was Problem Solving; what are the problems that face our ever-changing world, and how can STEAM be applied in a variety of scenarios to solve contemporary issues?

It was rewarding to see all the boys in the Great Hall engaging with the booths that showcased emerging drone technologies, the engineering behind bridges and ethical entrepreneurship.

Students were also exposed to relatively new industries including robotics; visual effects and animation design; ComputerGenerated Imagery and renewable energy. These industries will inevitably play an integral role in students’ future career pathways, and we are grateful for the attentiveness and maturity each student displayed.

We extend our sincere thanks to all the companies and universities who volunteered their time to inspire the next generation of STEAM designers, including AARNet, Australian Defence Force, BVN Architecture, Central Innovation, FIN Design, General Electric, Macquarie University, Microsoft, PwC, Redback Racing, Smart Stone and UTS.

feedback I received was overwhelmingly positive and without a hiccup, which is a testament to your coordination, communication and professionalism.

– Ms Mim Cockrell Co-Curricular Administration Assistant Massive thanks also goes to Mr Chuck Ardron, Mrs Karen Yager, Ms Mim Cockrell, Mr Michael Beilharz and Mr Mark Kelly for their assistance and unwavering support for this student-led initiative.

Finally, to our superb 2021 STEAM Team, Oscar Chen, Lachlan Chiang, Luyi Jiang, Simon Shen and Edmond Wu. We thank you for all the weekly meetings and extra hours you put into this initiative which culminated into a highly successful event!

It is our hope that students felt inspired by the innovative technologies and passionate organisations on the day and are thereby empowered to pursue a career in the ever-growing field of STEAM. With a new STEAM leadership team and members joining us from the incoming Year 10 cohort next year. We cannot wait to see what is in store for the 2022 STEAM Expo!

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AA HOME HOME ATAT SCHOOL SCHOOL

REMAINING

Connected STAGE 5 Mr James Maloney, Head of Stage 5 Boarding

STAGE 4 Mr James Norman, Head of Stage 4 Boarding Term 3 2021 will always be remembered in the Knox history books as a term that the boys, staff and parents of Gilmore House showed incredible resilience and community spirit. There is no doubt that there have been challenging times, but the boys have been outstanding in their engagement of school activities and education.

Throughout the term we have focussed as a community on remaining connected. We were humbled by the weekly photos, videos and resources that boys and parents sent in. Every Monday night, we connected as a community through our House meetings. The support of the day staff in these meetings played a crucial part in the boys feeling listened to, supported by and guided by the Stage 4 team throughout the term. During these meetings the boys shared some amazing resources with each other. Tommy Hill’s video of the Arrowfield Stud that he lives at went viral and as did Zac Slaminka’s video of Stage 4 boarding, which acted as a review and reflection of the 10 weeks of learning and socialising.

On Thursday nights we engaged with the boys through our ‘Open Mic’ nights which were incredibly well attended. Themes like, County, Vintage and Neon engaged the boys in a funny and jovial manner. During these ‘Open Mic’ nights we invited some girls’

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schools to enjoy some social connection.

Schools in attendance included Pymble Ladies College, Loreto, Kambala and Abbotsleigh.

Through the various day school challenges and boarding challenges, the boys engaged in a plethora of activities and worked hard to keep themselves active in a physical and social sense. For our regional and rural boys it was wonderful to witness the many photos and videos that were shared of them assisting their families with cropping, cattle herding and general farm work. The videos made and shared with day school students and staff really gave the wider Knox community an idea of these boarders’ lives and lifestyle.

Our team have enjoyed witnessing the boys further develop their skills, character and passion in all areas in Term 4 2021.

A term like no other. Just when we thought that 2020 would go down in the history books, along came Term 3 2021. We have been faced with enormous challenges across the last period and I am certain that after some rejuvenation and hopefully a release beyond the borders of our local community, the boys will be ready for what lies ahead.

The boys have been sensational, their participation in lessons, enthusiasm for boarding activities and commitment to the greater good, has continued throughout our time from home.

It has always remained of utmost importance to remain connected. The boys have found their own ways of staying in touch with their friends and the Boarding House has also taken measures to stay connected.

Each Monday night, we continued to run our weekly Stage Meetings where important notices were passed on, we celebrated boys’ successes and remained connected with each other. These weekly Stage Meetings were also time to try new ideas. Each week we had a different theme (such as ‘patriotism’, or ‘funny hat’ etc). These themes gave the boys a chance to let their hair down and express themselves in a supportive environment.

We regularly used breakout rooms for catch ups and check-ins along with acknowledging birthdays and the like.

One special way we were able to stay connected was through activities supporting and celebrating the Tokyo Olympics. It was over 7000km from Sydney to Tokyo and we, as a cohort, sent in our activity each day in an attempt to virtually ‘Run to Tokyo’. Although we didn’t quite make it, the boys need to be commended for their efforts in remaining active and staying connected.

Another highlight for the boys was the Virtual Escape Room activity that each Year Group completed on their own. They had to work together, navigate through different hints and clues, come up with the correct answer and progress until they solved the puzzle and could ‘escape’. Congratulations to all the boys for their engagement and support of this activity to remain connected with each other.

A special mention needs to go to our two BLT (Boarder Leadership Team) Representatives, Jasper Derwent (Y10) and Wallace Shen (Y9) who led the Stage Meeting on the Monday evening.

I look forward to working with these boys and watching them grow as their resilience during this last term has been outstanding.

STAGE 6 Mr Adam Shaw, Head of Stage 6 Boarding It was an unorthodox term for the Stage 6 Boarders, and while no one could have predicted the fact that the boys would be learning remotely for such an extended period, it was always known that this group would be well and truly up to the challenge. For Year 12, it was a term full of milestones, with none bigger than the HSC Trials.

This group were pioneers in a sense, sitting the exams in their full capacity in an entirely online format. For some of our boys, it meant reaching out to their local community, with Jack Copeland and Syd Kensit sitting the papers at St Michael’s School in Dunedoo, and Jack Kirk working with the Country Universities Centre in Parkes. It was wonderful to find support in these institutions, and their feedback of the boys was glowing.

The period was navigated with few issues, and the boys participated in a reflective activity in the aftermath. When asked about what they will take away from the process, and use in the lead-up to the HSC, the following are examples of their thoughts: • ‘Deleting apps and unnecessary distractions off my phone really helped me to concentrate and is something I will utilise moving into the HSC’.

• ‘I have found some syllabus points that I found myself, not being familiar with, that I would like to work on in the lead-up to HSC, specifically Maths and Chemistry’.

• ‘I want to make a six-week planner going up to the HSC. I also want to improve short answer questions in English as currently that is my main weakness’.

• ‘Relax and don’t worry about things you can’t control’.

For Year 11, it was equally as important, as they finished their preliminary course and will

move into Year 12 at the start of Term 4. Like their brethren in the Class of 2021, they waltzed through the exam period with ease and were equally reflective during the feedback process.

Both year groups have put together a package of advice for the incoming Year Group, and this will be a legacy moving forward.

It was also a special term for this Year Group, as we recognised the incoming Leadership Group.

It was wonderful to see so many boys put their hand up, and I know it was a tough process for the panel involved. Congratulations to Josh Riggien, Peter Scholes, Jack Faulkner, Lewis Cook, James Thomson and Lawson Henaghan who were given black ties to wear in 2022.

The brilliant thing about the Knox Opt-in Leadership model is that the opportunity is there for any of the boys to contribute to portfolios moving forward, and to be recognised with leadership at the conclusion. I am hopeful that we will see a few more boys actively involved in the Boarding portfolio.

A highlight for me have been the weekly house meetings, with a focus on socialising rather than information. Breakout rooms for chats, quizzes and team challenges testing their movie knowledge have been great fun. There is no doubt that the online environment was somewhat fatiguing, and the boys and staff have well and truly earned a holiday.

I am looking forward to a great year ahead and a chance to be together again in a more traditional sense sooner rather than later.

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Social Justice MRS HELEN CLARKE Head of Diversity, Justice and Stewardship

What a year it has been! Despite the challenges the Knox Social Justice program has remained committed to the community.

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2021 KURINGAI SPECIAL OLYMPICS FUN RUN The 2021 Kuringai Special Olympics Fun Run went ahead in May this year. Over 350 Knox boys participated in this community event. Many reports from the public commented on the boys’ compassion and patience with their Special Olympian buddies. Knox is a sponsor of this event and since 2012 this has been a highlight in the Social Justice calendar.

THE 40 HOUR FAMINE The 40 Hour Famine is an annual event at Knox and this year the boys decided to forgo technology for the entire 40 hours.

The result was a great video clip they made to illustrate how hard that was! Reflections from one of the boys who participated: “Although I fundamentally understood the purpose of the 40 Hour Famine, which is to simulate the life of those in developing countries, actively participating in this challenge proved to be a highly enriching experience.

Ultimately, this challenge was an engaging means to educate myself on the life of an individual suffering from food insecurity and I encourage all boys to participate in the 2022 40 Hour Famine!” – Conor Milliken (Y10)

Shoes for the Philippines Shoes for the Philippines drive was again very successful. The shoes were delivered to Dumagat children who live in the rainforest mountains outside Manila and are often last to receive help. Dedicated volunteers crossed rivers to get the shoes to isolated communities.

MODEL UNITED NATIONS ASSEMBLY (MUNA) Knox had three teams participate in this annual event representing Japan, Mexico and Afghanistan. Our teams were sponsored by The Rotary Club of Wahroonga and the Mexico Team: Conor Milliken, Judah Limantono and Angus Wines (all Y10) were placed third in the overall competition.

JERSEY DAY Jersey Day is an important event at Knox as a reminder that organ donation is a way to save lives. The Gremmo’s family know that despite Nathan’s tragic accident, six people received lifesaving transplants. Boys and staff wore jerseys on the day to support this important reminder for all in the Knox community

WORLD’S GREATEST SHAVE A major annual event is the World’s Greatest Shave and this year the SJ Team achieved the amazing goal of $48,000. The excitement in the Knox Cultural Centre auditorium on the day was electric as the boys and staff participating had their hair shaved by our local barbers. Congratulations to the many boys who participated and those who have for several years. The top four fund raisers were Charlie Sherlock (Y11), Mr Chris Leggo, Luke Berlee (Y10) and Charlie Herdman (Y12).

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Old Knox Grammarians’ Association Founded in 1929, The Old Knox Grammarians’ Association was created for the perpetuation of memories, maintenance of friendship, enrichment of Old Boys and support of the School.

The Association is a group of over 10,000 members, all of whom share the common experience of having attended Knox.

This section of The Thistle was prepared by the Old Knox Grammarians’ Association.

President’s Report COMMUNITY In my report in the Thistle of December 2020, I stated that ‘We are all looking forward to a return to some sort of normalcy in 2021!’

– how wrong I was.

ROB JOHNSON (OKG78) IMAGE ABOVE Woodcourt – the new home of the OKGA, 34 Heydon Avenue, Wahroonga

STAYING IN TOUCH OKGA Office Telephone: +61 2 9487 0419 Email: okga@knox.nsw.edu.au www.okga.org.au PO Box 5008 Wahroonga, NSW 2076 AUSTRALIA

SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/OKGAssociation twitter.com/OKGA_online instagram.com/oldknoxgrammarians linkedin.com/school/knox-grammar-school

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President OKGA

We started the year planning 2021 events and rescheduling the events from 2020, at one stage having 25 reunions planned for the second half of the year - all bar one had to be cancelled or postponed. We had also planned to hold our Thistle Sports Lunch in March (postponed from 2020) which then had to be postponed to October.

We had to again postpone that event, and it is now scheduled, somewhat ironically, for 1 April 2022.

If you have had the opportunity to hear our Headmaster and Patron, Scott James speak over this last year, you would have heard him talk of his inspiration taken from the words of the founding Headmaster, Neil MacNeil when addressing the challenges faced by Knox as it weathered the Great Depression and the time leading up to World War II. MacNeil spoke of optimism, a theme which endures even today and which Scott believes provides a solid foundation for a distinctively Knox approach to challenges.

MacNeil said, ‘I have always maintained an outlook of reasonable optimism because to do otherwise is to underestimate the courage of youth’. I believe this statement can be extended to encompass the courage of a Knox man.

I have heard from many Old Boys over 2021 and most often they have spoken with the same sense of optimism and courage, emphasising we will

– particularly as we all experienced isolation and disconnection.

Our Old Boys for Old Boys Program has been even more important this year and has increasingly been called upon by members, with the largest number of members availing themselves of the assistance since the Program’s commencement.

Julie Davis has been outstanding in making herself available whenever required to assist Old Boys and their families and this has resulted in some very positive outcomes.

all come out the other side of this pandemic having learnt lessons, grown closer, treasured friendships and family and appreciated all the things we enjoyed, and perhaps took for granted, prior to the advent of COVID-19, including a decent haircut!

That is not to say there have not been many significant challenges over the past year, individually and collectively, including the loss of Knox men and family members where we couldn’t come together to grieve and celebrate those lives which meant so much to us.

The OKGA sadly lost two Old Boys in the last six months who have been exceptionally involved with the OKGA for many years - Edric Chaffer (OKG50) and Jack Shute (OKG60). Edric has been contributing to both the Senior Knoxonians and the OKGA, sitting on committees and meticulously maintaining records and assisting with the recording of the History of the OKGA and the School.

Jack had been involved with the OKGA and the Knox Rugby Club almost since the day he left school. I first met Jack in 1980 at the Barra Brui Rugby Club where we were co-coaches of the mighty Under 8 team starring Jack’s son Nathan (OKG90) and my brother Pete (OKG91). Jack contributed much time and energy to the things he loved, family, rugby, Knox and the OKGA and was presented with an Honorary cap at the 60th anniversary of the Rugby Club in 2019 in recognition of his Life Membership.

Both these Old Knoxonians will be remembered for their significant contribution to the OKGA.

CONNECTIVITY While we could not hold our regular functions and events and our Committee meetings were held virtually, we aimed to encourage the maintenance of a positive mindset and sense of humour to ensure the community continued to feel connected and to provide support for the wellbeing of our members and their families

We have also maintained our connection with the current students and parents by continuing our work and collaboration with the School on careers and networking. Our Careers Zoom presentations continued showcasing Old Boys’ training, tertiary education, and careers experience in particular industries as identified by the students.

Students and parents joined a one-hour Zoom presentation and gained an enormous amount from the generosity of Old Boys in sharing their experiences and insights and making themselves available to answer questions or offer any help the students require. Over the last four months we have covered Engineering, Science and Construction Project Management.

Our History Discussion Group has also been in session again this year with record numbers joining the group. While none of us have been able to physically travel, we have been able to virtually travel to Prague and Russia and travel back in time to hear about the Sydney Tram system, among other diverse topics. Thanks to John (Gibbo) Gibson for his continued enthusiasm for this group as he shares his immense knowledge and generates terrific discussion.

CONTINUITY One of the challenges faced by some of the Old Boys was the loss of business and their livelihood due to lockdown. We offered to promote any small businesses in our fortnightly eNews to encourage the patronage of the Old Boy community and to promote the use of the services of an Old Boy when you need products or services. We always encourage this, and I ask every member to update their record on our website to include their business details on our Business Networking Hub, and/or to note their skill sets and willingness to assist with careers and networking events. In doing so, our community becomes stronger and more connected and membership of the OKGA more valuable for everyone.

a different year to the one they anticipated.

Like all of us they might have thought the worst of COVID-19 was behind them, but in reality they have probably suffered the most disruption with home learning, remote trial exams, cancellation of co-curricular activities and formals and shifting dates for the HSC and return to school. Yet they have rallied and met the challenges of the year with resilience, courage and compassion under the leadership of the Headmaster and staff. They have lived the values of Knox over this past 12 months and will be very welcome members of our Association.

While the traditional final assembly for the Year 12s could not be held, they still received their ties on their last day of school prior to their HSC exams, and walked out the gates as Old Boys of the School.

THE OKGA HAS A NEW HOME I was delighted earlier this year when the Headmaster advised me the OKGA office was to have a new home at 34 Heydon Avenue. Scott James took me on a tour to inspect the new premises and I am sure that our OKGA Office will be a terrific base for Old Boys to visit. The house, known as ‘Woodcourt’ but alternatively known as the White House for obvious reasons (see photo), has been transformed into offices for the Communications, Community Relations, OKGA and Alumni Relations Departments and is the site of the Founders’ Board Room – an impressive meeting room acknowledging those men with the foresight to establish Knox Grammar. The OKGA is grateful to the School for providing this space and for acknowledging the close relationship which exists between the OKGA and the School.

I wish you all a happy, safe and COVID-free Christmas and hope once again for a return to some normality in 2022.

Notice of Annual General Meeting Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Old Knox Grammarians’ Association will be held on: TUESDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2021 at 7.30pm at Knox Grammar School (venue TBC) Visit the website for updates:

We will also be working on the membership database to ensure all members can be included in the activities and communications leading up to the Centenary of the School in 2024.

As with every new year, we will welcome the Class of 2021 to our ranks as they start their next chapter. These boys have undoubtedly had THE THISTLE 21 – ISSUE 02 DEC

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Senior Knoxonians EDRIC KEITH CHAFFER (OKG50) 1933-2021 OKGA Thistle Medallist and Honorary Life Member, Edric Chaffer, who sadly passed away on 6 September after a brief illness, was part of the very fabric of the OKGA and Senior Knoxonians. His connection to Knox began as a boarding student in 1946. He moved to the new Gillespie Boarding House the following year, was appointed Captain of Gillespie in 1950, and would later take a leading role in finding and inviting alumni to a 50th anniversary celebration of Gillespie in 1997. He returned to Knox in 1951 to repeat the Leaving Certificate.

As tracking down former classmates was Edric’s hobby, one which evolved over the years to finding Old Boys in the years both above and below him, Edric was the perfect candidate to assist Antony (Tony) Osman (OKG57) with research for the OKGA’s 70-year history (1929-1999). In recognition of his dedication, diligence and outstanding support in the production of the history, Edric was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by then OKGA President, Phil Tuck (OKG77) in 2005. He later assisted Tony with The History of Lodge Knox, and current projects, ‘Forty Years On’ – being the history of the Senior Knoxonians Association, the School Centenary History Guidance Panel (2024) and the Centenary History of the OKGA (2029) until the end of his days.

In addition to applying his strong research capabilities, Edric, with a phenomenal memory of people and events, provided regular and invaluable assistance to the OKGA Office and School Archives.

He became a member of the Knox Over 70 Club (now known as Senior Knoxonians) in 2004, serving on the Committee to his final year, including as President for two years.

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He also served on the OKGA Committee as the Senior Knoxonian representative from 2009 - 2012, then as an Ordinary Member from 2013 - 2018 at the invitation of then President, Rob Tulloch (OKG75). In Committee meetings, Edric always in OKGA tie and blue long sleeve jumper, would share wise insights with gentle diplomacy.

Edric spent his working life within the Chaffer Group of Companies (leather manufacture and tanning), where he was involved in all aspects of the business, from the technical side, to finance and global exports. By night, he studied geology and leather technology at Sydney Technical College.

He was involved in several professional associations and is regarded as one of the longest serving stalwarts of the Royal Society of NSW (Society). He was Honorary Secretary and later President in 1975, and in 1976 he was awarded the Society Medal for his services to Science and the Society.

Having attended a Society lecture while at School, Edric persuaded Knox to let him study Geology alone for the 1950 Leaving Certificate, achieving an Honours pass. This was to serve him well as the student in charge of geological investigations on the Knox Expedition to Uluru (then known as Ayres Rock) in 1950, which Edric told an ABC reporter in 2010, ‘was a place in today’s terms of something the equivalent of going to the South Pole’.

Edric played the game of life well, fairly and conservatively. He will be fondly remembered as a valued colleague, mentor, friend and for always being a true gentleman. We who remain behind will not see the likes of Edric again during our lifetimes.

Ian Frame (OKG64), Jim Neave (OKG50) and Tony Osman represented the OKGA and Senior Knoxonians at the service for Edric held at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium on 20 September.

Edric leaves behind two nephews Timothy and Christopher Pittaway and a cousin, Karen Chaffer. His only sister predeceased him a few years ago.

Edited version of the Eulogy delivered by the OKGA and Senior Knoxonians’ Hon. Historian, Antony Osman.

IAN FRAME (OKG64) President, Senior Knoxonians 2021 has not been what we expected nor wanted, but hopefully most of us are adapting.

Your Committee had planned a Ladies’ Lunch to be held at the School in September as well as involvement in Gala Day to coincide with the Rugby game versus Barker on Knox 1. Sadly, these events were cancelled as we all became housebound.

A proposal to strengthen our membership was unanimously supported by our Committee members. However, as this requires a change to our constitution at a SK General Meeting involving all members, action on the proposal has been postponed.

If we or the OKGA can provide any assistance to you, please call me or our Director of Alumni Relations, Sarah Gregory, on 02 9473 9729.

Tokyo 2020 OLYMPICS After a long wait, a number of Old Boys and their connections took part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

MAX PURCELL (OKG16) ‘Playing in the Olympics was a dream come true. Originally there only for doubles, and then getting the late call up for singles made the experience so much more exciting. A match-up on Centre Court taking on world number 15.

Something I’ll never forget. The biggest win of my career so far, and doing it for my country in the Olympics. It motivated me more than ever to make sure I’m there for the next one’, Max said.

TRISTAN HOLLARD (OKG14)

ANGUS MCENTRYE (OKG09)

Tristan secured a ticket to Tokyo when he won the 200m backstroke at the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials, achieving a goal he had worked towards for five years.

Reflecting on his first Olympic experience – where he finished 10th in his discipline – Tristan was a bit disappointed with his result but thrilled about his time in Tokyo overall.

Angus found out quite late he was not able to go to Tokyo with javelin thrower, Mackenzie Little, as planned, but he was determined not to let the disappointment phase him.

‘The experience is something I’ll have forever’, Tristan said.

After making it through his heat, Tristan went into the semi-final feeling positive. He touched in at 1:56.92, a time just 0.2 seconds off what was needed to qualify for the final, and said he received an unbelievable amount of support.

Image Credit: Delly Carr

‘We just had to get on with the show’, Angus said.

When the promising young athlete, Mackenzie Little returned to Sydney from California almost two years ago she started working with Angus, who is a chiropractor and sports coach. While initially nervous to coach Mackenzie, Angus says her entry into his squad of track and field athletes has been a ‘blessing’.

‘She has filled a couple of missing pieces in my environment, and to have someone training at her level has made my brother Cameron better’ (Cameron McEntyre (OKG16) is also a top javelin thrower).

Mackenzie, who qualified for Tokyo ranked 30th in the world, qualified second in her pool and then she threw what was top eight in the world. The whole thing was super exciting’, Angus said.

(including daily COVID-tests and tight security), set up multiple cameras and studied competitor lists – all before the morning action commenced.

CAMERON SPENCER (OKG96) Attending the Tokyo Olympics as a Chief Photographer for Getty Images, Cameron, who has been an official photographer at six previous Olympic Games, felt having no crowd was a “surreal experience with a very different atmosphere”.

For most of the 16-day competition, Cameron functioned on about four hours’ sleep a night, as he travelled in a strict bubble to venues, worked to Olympic protocols

After moving from the triathlon, to rowing and the new freestyle events including the BMX, the main focus for Cameron (who shot an iconic image of Usain Bolt smiling taken at Rio 2016) was the Track & Field events. It wasn’t until Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah won gold in the women’s 100m, however, that Cameron felt he could relax and enjoy himself.

Reflecting on Max’s Olympic debut and his extraordinary few months of competitions, Max’s father, Craig Purcell (OKG79) said that as mentally and physically tough as it can be, Max is ‘loving every second’ of his tennis life.

‘He’s really starting to find his way and realise he’s good enough to compete at the top level.

It’s a reward for all the sacrifices and hard work he puts in 24/7’.

Image Credit: Clive Brunskill – Getty Images

WILL STUART (OKG05) Will, who loved every minute of his Olympic experience on the Rugby Sevens’ Athletic Performance (Strength & Conditioning) team, said his head was ‘on a swivel the whole time, observing different athletes’.

‘I saw so many amazing, dedicated athletes.

Seeing how they prepare and recover and chatting with them about their sacrifices put things into perspective’.

‘I work in a professional sporting environment where a massive part of my job is to prepare athletes as best as possible for the rigours of their sport. To see what others have done to get to the Olympics was awesome’.

Tom Carter (OKG00) was also in Tokyo as Head of Athletic Performance with the Australian Women’s Rugby 7s team.

“I took a picture of her running straight at me celebrating victory – it looks like she is screaming down the barrel of my lens.”

Image Credit: Cameron Spencer – Getty Images THE THISTLE 21 – ISSUE 02 DEC

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Challenges

IN THE PANDEMIC DAVID GALE (OKG03) As an intensive care fellow at St Vincent’s Hospital, David has cared for some of Sydney’s sickest COVID-19 patients, with his role as a senior doctor changing drastically throughout the pandemic.

As Sydney experienced its second wave from late June/July 2021, David’s role became highly complex, and his workload increased dramatically. During this time, St Vincent’s 20bed ICU expanded to 40 beds, with half of the ICU dedicated to looking after COVID patients.

BY LACHLAN BELL (OKG05) I’ve never needed to adapt as quickly or shift gears as rapidly as in the last 18 months. From the increased infection control standards to rigorous PPE protocols, even to how we assess a scene and a patient, we have been slowed down when we’re busier than ever. Added to that is the constant worry that if my gear isn’t on correctly, or if the PPE is breached due to the intense nature of the job, it could mean putting myself or my loved ones, including my 11-month-old son, at risk.

Having been through the initial wave in 2020, David said he found there was less anxiety within the department, however it was more taxing in terms of workload and unfortunately the number of patients who have died.

David believes some Intensive Care colleagues have been impacted more significantly, particularly those working in western Sydney where they have ‘borne the brunt of this pandemic in NSW’ however ultimately with increased vaccination rates the situation is significantly improving.

ALEX MATTHEWS (OKG02) As an emergency doctor at Nepean Hospital, Alex has not worked a single day for more than a year where a significant proportion of his patients have not been COVID-19 positive.

When the hospital was seeing up to 70 new patients a day coming in, Alex says working as part of a team helped him to get through the worst of the Western Sydney outbreak.

‘Although it’s tough wearing a mask for 12 hours, and worrying about passing it on to your family, you know you’re doing a job to help people who are frightened, and lacking education or the benefits of good healthcare’.

I have been called in to work COVID surge shifts, and even on rostered shifts, it’s not uncommon for me and my colleagues to work 14-16 hours.

Though NSW Ambulance has taken steps to protect paramedics, we can’t have the same COVID-safe strategies as other workplaces the two square metre rule can’t be applied at a motor vehicle accident, or cardiac arrest. We are still treating those who have mental health issues, or compromised cognition, or who deny that there is a risk from the virus, all of which creates extra challenges as we try to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe.

NEIL FRASER (OKG11) Interested in reading more?

These items are edited extracts of articles which first appeared in the OKGA eNews.

Please visit the link okga.org.au/OKGnews for the full stories.

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When the COVID situation in Sydney was accelerating, Neil Fraser, a Hospital Epidemiologist, was asked to join the Hunter New England Local Health District’s epidemiology team. Taking on an additional 2-3 days’ work per week on top of his role in Infection Prevention, Neil and his colleagues would investigate COVID outbreaks, identify links between cases, analyse data and prepare reports.

‘The response has been massive’, Neil said, reflecting on the three-fold increase in the local COVID epidemiology team.

Commenting in late September, Neil felt NSW’s public health teams had handled the pandemic very well.

‘Not perfect, but very well. There will be a lot of lessons learnt once things calm down and people can mull over what has actually happened’, Neil said.

Old Boys

ON ZOOM

ISAAC SELVARAJAH (OKG18) Working as a receptionist in a Medical Practice, Isaac has been a ‘first port of call’ for many people with COVID-19 queries.

‘My responsibilities have included triaging patients with COVID-like symptoms, educating people on testing, changing health protocols and the transition to ‘Telehealth’, and answering non-stop phone calls about vaccinations’.

When vaccines became available, Isaac had to coordinate bookings in phases, to ensure those most at-risk were able to get vaccinated as quickly as possible. He also created a waiting list to manage bookings and would call up to 70 people a day to make appointments when a new vaccination phase began.

‘This was one of the more rewarding tasks, as the majority of people were ecstatic to secure a booking early in the process’.

JAMES JIN (OKG16) Nursing student, James Jin (OKG16) was a member of the COVID-19 Response Team for eight months, conducting COVID-19 tests at several NSW Health clinics around Northern Sydney.

He moved between a number of clinics during his time on the Response Team, including the ‘pop-up’ testing clinic established on the Northern Beaches when the cluster broke out there in December 2020.

‘The hours were long, but all tests had to be done for the safety of the community. Thanks to our managers, and the work culture, we were able to work through it with minimal burnout’, James said.

CLASS OF 1961 VIRTUAL REUNION

CAREERS’ PRESENTATIONS

Unable to hold their Diamond (60 year) Reunion on Friday 24 September as planned, the Class of 1961 went ahead with a BYO Lunch over Zoom – making the event the first, and only official (for 2021) virtual Knox reunion.

Chai Sophonpanich zoomed in from Bangkok and Vaughan Pratt from California, as well as several lockdown champions in Victoria – a total of 36 in attendance.

Eight Old Boys and one past parent of Knox shared their career experiences with senior students and current parents in careers presentations organised by the OKGA in conjunction with the School’s Director of Career Development, Linda Gomez. Recordings of the presentations are available to view on the School’s Career Portal and OKGA website https://okga.org.au/careerpresentations

A highlight was a ‘visit’ from current Knox Headmaster, Scott James, who gave an update on the School in response to Peter Kelso’s Toast to the School.

Construction Project Management Dino Raftopulos (OKG06), Justin Woodcock (past Knox parent) and Charlie Kellaway (OKG17)

Michael LeCouteur proposed a moving Toast to Absent Friends, in the form of an original poem.

Science Jack Muir (OKG09), Jamie Batten (OKG12) and Cory Aitchison (OKG19)

After the formalities, the boarders and day boys took the opportunity to chat in separate online rooms before reconvening to continue the wider group chat.

Engineering Tim Small (OKG06), Sandy Tulloch (OKG07) and Simon Bold (OKG15)

With commitment to meet as soon as possible in 2022, the event concluded with Bruce Elder’s Toast to the Future.

Thank you to all on the organising committee: Ken Powell, Bruce Elder, Alan Foulkes, Rex Ward and Tom Wenkart.

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OKGA

Clubs KNOX RUGBY CLUB BEN KOOYMAN (OKG95) Knox Rugby Club President Well, what a year... But firstly, I hope all our fans, members and their loved ones are safe and well! Season 2021 will certainly be remembered (or preferably forgotten by some) as another year that shook our expectations of ‘normal’ and unfortunately didn’t let us play out the season. After some big changes in the off season, with many new faces and supporters coming on board, we were starting to see some promising results highlighted by three wins from five grades away at Petersham, which unfortunately turned out to be the last round we safely played. Ross Reynolds, Oscar Alcock (OKG14), Lachy Williams (OKG10), the committee and I have almost completed a season review with the many stakeholders, which is revealing pleasing results in a number of areas: player numbers, coaching calibre, injury management and sponsor support, to name just a few. Over the coming weeks, the remaining committee will complete the season review, in consultation with more stakeholders, and announce some important dates to look forward to, including the End of Season get together, AGM and the Launch of our 2022 Plans. In the meantime, we wish all associated with our Club the very best!

KNOX UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB DANIEL RAHME (OKG14) Knox United Football Club President The Club’s 26th season for Old Boys began in late January with the largest turn out for trials in our history. More than 50 players looked to get a spot on the final list. The squad was boosted by the appointment of new coaches, Steven Roche for First Grade and Roy Wethereld for the Ressies. The new combination got off to a great start in preseason with five wins from six games before a friendly against the School’s 1st XI. It was great to get a game in, but fair to say they move a little quicker in the rain and were slightly better drilled. Next up was the Old Boys’ Cup against Barker Old Boys. Despite the Ressies

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only managing a 2-all draw, a 2-0 for Firsts meant we retained the trophy for another year – making it three in a row.

It was more good news with the addition of two new social teams – Div 8 and Div 10.

Impressively, Div 10 was entirely made up of graduates from 2020, making it the second year in a row we have fielded a team made up entirely of recent leavers. With the O35s and Div 9 returning, we had a record-breaking 167 registrations, smashing the previous record of 127 set back in 2010.

Ressies were able to put in consistent results throughout the first 10 rounds to remain in the running for a top four spot for the first time in the Club’s history. I reckon we would have got it had we played all 18 rounds. First Grade had to have been the most unlucky side in the entire NSFA, but improved displays against North Sydney and Lindfield in rounds 9 and 10 were encouraging for the relegation fight we would have had. Hopefully, 2022 proves to be a better reflection on the improvements the Firsts have taken since Steve took over. The Over 35s continued their undefeated streak, looking right at home after their third consecutive promotion.

They went 21 games undefeated before eventually going down 2-0 against Mount Colah.

The 21-game run over 651 days included 19 victories, 59 out of a possible 63 points, 79 goals for, 20 against (averaging a 4-1 win every round).

In the other All Age sides, Div 8 looked strong in their opening rounds as they laid the foundation for a climb up the divisions in the coming seasons. We believe finishing the season on top of the table counts as a Premiership (despite what the Association says), so well done on adding another title to the Club’s record! Div 9 and 10 got to work in the more social comps, with an even spread of results.

Ultimately, the good strides taken this year will have to be picked up next year after our second

season interrupted because of COVID. Once again, we fired up the coaching videos and hoped we would get back out at some point, but it was not to be. Lockdown did provide the history sub-committee with the chance to pull together the top 10 most appearances and goals in the Club. Mark Jennings leads the way in the goals (218) and Lachlan Wills has 625 appearances (his brother Cameron also has an impressive 491).

COVID also proved the end of ‘Coota, meaning our quest for three in a row will have to wait another year. It is disappointing that we couldn’t go again, as we have not been back to Mallacoota since the devastating fires ripped through the town. Hopefully next year we will be able to take some much-needed equipment to the Football Club who have suffered greatly the past few years.

OLD KNOXONIANS’ CRICKET CLUB LACHLAN FENWICK (OKG12) OKCC Captain Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the OKCC have had to cancel our first three fixtures of the season. The good news is our season will get underway on 30 October with a match against Yaralla CC at Goddard Oval. Even with our delayed start to the season, we still have a decent-sized fixture list with 15 matches scheduled for the season.

If you would like to play for the Old Boys’ cricket team or subscribe to the mailing list for results and updates on social events, please email knobscricket@gmail.com. We will post on our social media and email list with any updates to our season, including finals, golf days, and legends fixtures.

Obituaries ROBERT (JACK) G SHUTE (OKG60) 1943 – 2021 NATHAN SHUTE (OKG90) Jack was dedicated to the Knox community throughout his life, his blood was truly black and blue with an immense passion for all things Knox, to his final days.

Graduating with the Class of 1960, Jack made many life-long friends and had absolute admiration for Dr Ross T McKenzie, the Headmaster. It was fitting that classmate, Jim Mein (OKG60) was the chaplain for his farewell at Northern Suburbs Crematorium too.

Some of his notable achievements were Dux of Geology and he held a CAS Shot Put Record for some 25 years.

Jack was a staunch Knox Rugby Club Coach, taking the Burke Cup team to a Premiership in 1966. He was a resident master with Barrie Blackwell (OKG55) and also used this time to coach the Knox Athletics Shot Put team to many CAS victories during a golden era in Knox Athletics under the leadership of Bill Lawson.

He served on the OKGA General Committee for many years, organised several reunions, and sent both his sons, Nathan (OKG90) and Chris (OKG93), to Knox. As a proud parent and Old Boy, he was certainly a large presence and personality on the sideline.

Jack’s greatest achievement perhaps was his beautiful marriage to Christine for over 50 years.

His spirit and presence will be forever at Gillespie, Knox 1, the CAS Athletics Championships and any Old Boys’ Rugby fixture.

ERIC ASHER THEW (OKG41) 1924 – 2020 JEREMY THEW (OKG78) WITH LYN THEW Eric Thew who died aged 96, loved Knox Grammar, from when he started, aged seven (in Ewan House) to when he went on to become School Captain - both at the Prep and Senior School.

He had a wonderful time at school, representing Knox as a member of the 1st XV Rugby, the 1st XII Cricket and at CAS level, he was a champion hurdler breaking several state records.

Having been in cadets for five years, and a Senior CUO for two of these and while still a student at Knox, aged just 18 years and one month, he enlisted in the Australian Military Forces. He was posted to a militia unit, the 35th Australian Infantry Battalion, ‘Newcastle’s Own Regiment’. The 35th Battalion was soon mobilised for full-time service as Japan entered WWII (early 1942), initially taking up defensive positions in the St Ives area.

In June 1942, he detached to 1st Australian Division Junior Leaders Course. The 35th Battalion moved to Greta, north of Cessnock, and joined the rest of 8th Infantry Brigade, comprising 30 Infantry Battalions.

In July, he embarked on the “SS Manoora”, disembarking at Fremantle in WA, where for the next two years, the Battalion was dispersed in defensive positions on the coast, from Geraldton to Bunbury.

In January 1944, after the 35th Battalion had moved to Gordonvale in North Queensland, and joined the 5th Division, they were finally shipped to Finschhafen, at the tip of the Huon Peninsula, New Guinea to see the action. Their role was to support the 9th Division’s Huon Peninsula campaign by clearing the Rai Coast of Japanese from Sio to Saidor, among many other missions completed over the next year.

Eric achieved the rank of Captain and after the war, he spent many months in hospital in Australia recovering from malaria, dengue fever and hookworm among other things.

After his recovery, Eric completed a Law degree and entered Legal practice as a solicitor in Bridge Street, Sydney. It was a career he would remain in until his retirement as a Solicitor and Notary Public in 2002. During his early professional career, he served as a Councillor and Vice President of Hornsby Shire Council and later, as Captain of Pennant Hills Golf Club.

He was married to his beloved wife Judith ‘Jude’ for 57 years before her death in 2005, and had three sons: Eric (OKG67), Tony (OKG68) and Jeremy (OKG78).

Knox Grammar, situated opposite his family home, has played a large part in the education of his wider family. Residing in Grosvenor Road, Wahroonga, in later life, Eric took much pleasure in attending the annual ANZAC Day Service at Knox, as well as other commemoration services and discussion groups with Senior School students which he was invited to as a special guest.

He was most proud of the day he attended the premiere of the documentary series For School & Country, the magnificent tribute to Knox Old Boy veterans. Presented in The Great Hall, Eric attended with his grandson, Lachlan (OKG12), and enjoyed seeing the other “stars of show”, fellow veterans he had not seen for many years.

Visit the website for more: The For School and Country DVD set is available to purchase from the OKGA webiste: https://okga.org.au/#oldboyveterans

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Obituaries

FORBES WILLIAM PRATT (OKG48) 1931 – 2021 WILLIAM PRATT Forbes attended Knox from 1941 to 1949 with heavy involvement in extracurricular activities, including Cadets, Cricket and Rugby. He served on the OKGA Committee 1952-1965 and was Joint Convener of the Trust Fund Sub-committee with James Mein (OKG60) in 1963.

His enthusiasm for sport continued after school, following in his father’s footsteps and playing rugby for Sydney University 1950-1955. He went on to coach 2nd and 3rd Grade, serve on the Club Committee and was Club President from 1970-1975. Whilst he also played cricket with Sydney University, he was invited to play with I Zingari Cricket Club, eventually becoming a life member.

Forbes spent about 55 years practising many aspects of the law and frequently assisted people with pro bono work. With a strong attachment to rural life, he successfully established a fine wool venture in the NSW Central Tablelands with his wife Helen in his retirement years.

Forbes’ commitment to family was typically expressed by supporting their education and sporting endeavours and he was proud to be the first of three generations attending Knox. He is survived by his wife of 59 years Helen, children, Elizabeth, Forbes and William and grandchildren, Forbes and Phoebe Boydell and Ella, Thomas and Lila Pratt.

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REGINALD ‘REG’ MOWAT (OKG56) 1939 – 2021 JOHN MOLYNEUX Reg arrived at Knox in 1952, and was a wonderful member of ‘the Class of 56’, a group whose school days were fun-filled years, with studies low on the list of priorities as the School was going through some difficult years.

However, Reg had a wonderful appetite for information, making him a formidable debater and a creative genius. He was also an inaugural member of the Knox Golf Team, which allowed us to compete on many Sydney golf courses, occasionally visiting the 19th hole.

On leaving school, Reg eventually focused on advertising, joining Foote, Cone and Belding, and later going to a senior position in Adelaide with them.

Reg married Helen McRae and had two children, Reg and Caet, and returned to Sydney becoming the Marketing Manager for Saxonvale Wines.

He then went to Hungerford Hill, which he turned from a factory into an experience. He combined cellar door tastings with horse riding for kids, restaurants and function centres - the standard of the wine industry today.

Reg married Penny Norton Knight, and they had a son, Henry, and later moved to Mudgee, where he further developed his great passion and knowledge for wines.

He was one of the first recipients of the purple ribbon in Australia (awarded to people who could blind taste multiple wines and pick the varietal, vineyard and which side of the hill they were planted on), an achievement he was incredibly proud of.

In the 80s, he won the NSW Champagne Tasting Championships and went on to the Australian championships. He placed second nationally, and we like to think that he deliberately came second as he preferred to get the prize of multiple cases of vintage French Champagne rather than the trip to France to compete against the Europeans.

Reg also won several contests on ‘Sale of the Century’, and with Penny they brought the first decent coffee to Mudgee when they opened Elton’s café. He was highly acclaimed and sought after by local wineries, and each year would join Ocean Cruisers to conduct wine appreciation talks.

Reg was much loved for his great sense of humour and empathy, and had a wonderful send off with over 250 friends at Rosby Wines, Mudgee.

Announcements BIRTHS

DEATHS

Archer Bokor, son of Caitlin and Peter Bokor (OKG09) – 25/10/2021

The OKGA extends its sincere condolences on behalf of the Old Boy community to the families and friends of the following:

Hugh Antony Jaunay Capel, son of Tula and Will Capel (OKG06) – 17/09/2021 Harriet Carla Crawford, daughter of Jordan and Rob Crawford (OKG06) – 08/08/2021 Oliver Thomas Ditchfield, son of Ash and Tom Ditchfield (OKG07) – 05/11/2021 Alfred Julian Gregory, son of Georgie and David Gregory (OKG06) – 10/09/2021 William Chase Abreu Harvey, son of Rafaela Abreu and Joel Harvey (OKG98) – 22/08/2021 Otis Morgan Hunter, son of Laura and Addison Hunter (OKG06) – 19/08/2021

IAIN EDWARD WILSON (OKG86) 1967 – 2021 MATT YELL (OKG86) Iain was a long-standing member of the Knox community, whose interest in the School and his fellow students extended well beyond 1986.

Iain had a passion and boundless natural ability that led to him achieving outstanding results in athletics and soccer. A popular young man with both fellow students and teachers, Iain’s time at Knox provided many fond memories and the foundations for numerous lifelong friendships.

Iain’s post Knox life was full of adventure, travel and success. His vibrant corporate career saw him living in several countries before he settled in McLaren Vale to enjoy an early semi-retirement.

Iain was a loyal friend, a devoted husband and a loving brother, son, uncle and God parent. All who knew him will remember his generosity, zest for life, interest in sport and his infectious grin and laugh.

Sadly, despite a long and brave battle with cancer, Iain was taken from us way too soon.

He leaves behind his wife Leigh, sister Fiona, brothers David (OKG83) and Antony (OKG85), and parents, John and Trish.

Esther Manya Jedrzejczyk, daughter of Svetlana and Rico Jedrzejczyk (OKG00) – 26/07/2021 Elio James Loxton, son of Stephanie and Angus Loxton (OKG08) – 24/06/2021 Harry John Parker Roxburgh, son of Sally and Campbell Roxburgh (OKG06) – 23/08/2021 Luca James Nicholas Stewart, son of Hayley Brien and Jon Stewart (OKG03) – 16/07/2021

Graeme Stephen Bates (OKG68) 23/07/1950 – 08/07/2021 Harvie James (Jamie) Bridgman (OKG65) 16/01/1949 – 03/06/2021 John McGregor Bryden (OKG57) 28/12/1940 – 18/08/2021 Robert John Cabot (OKG74) 19/10/1956 – 09/09/2021 Edric Keith Chaffer (OKG50) 24/06/1933 – 06/09/2021 Peter Kenneth Coleman (OKG70) 07/10/1952 – 22/07/2021 Peter Jack Conde (OKG54) 08/10/1936 – 02/08/2021 Roger Crane Denne (OKG52) 12/12/1934 – 09/07/2021 Robert Jamieson (Jamie) Morson (OKG60) 24/12/1942 – 07/06/2021 Reginald (Reg) James Leo Mowat (OKG56) 16/02/1939 – 27/05/2021

Archie Peter Herbert Stuart, son of Georgia and Will Stuart (OKG05) – 01/09/2021

Phillip Marshall Nowell (OKG52) 03/04/1934 – 18/09/2021

Hudson Ross Saada Trembath, son Talya Saada and Martin Trembath (OKG03) – 21/09/2021

Forbes William Pratt (OKG48) 28/05/1931 – 12/08/2021

Valley Jane Trude, daughter of Andrea and Simon Trude (OKG96) – 08/09/2021

Philip Rhys-Jones (OKG53) 31/03/1936 – 03/10/2021

Carmen Luna Vincent, daughter of Georgina Algar Camacho and John Vincent (OKG08) – 25/07/2021

Robert (Jack) Grant Shute (OKG60) 20/11/1943 – 15/06/2021

MARRIAGES Nicholas Brown (OKG12) and Lauren Groenendijk – 05/11/2021

John David Watson (OKG59) 10/12/1941 – 17/06/2021 Iain Edward Wilson (OKG86) 25/10/1968 – 01/06/2021

Timothy Fuller (OKG05) and Tessa Crane – 19/09/2021 David Truskett (OKG11) and Ashleigh Walker – 20/11/2021

Calendar Visit the OKGA Website for updates on reunion dates: okga.org.au/kgsreunions THE THE THISTLE 21 –20 ISSUE 02 DEC THISTLE – ISSUE 02 DEC43 43

DISCOVER EXTRAORDINARY

Contact Us Knox Grammar School PO Box 5008, Wahroonga NSW 2076 AUSTRALIA Telephone (02) 9487 0122 ABN: 54 645 113 104 CRICOS Provider COde: 00399E www.knox.nsw.edu.au 44

THE THISTLE 21 – ISSUE 02 DEC