2026 School Captains Announced at Senior School Leadership Induction Assembly
The Knox School is delighted to announce the appointment of the 2026 School Captains and Vice Captains. Jackson Chandra and Danu Liyanage have been named School Captains, with Ron Weerasekara and Amelia Carnell appointed as Vice Captains. These students have been recognised for their leadership, character and commitment to the values of TKS, and will lead the student body with pride throughout 2026.
On Tuesday, 7 October, The TKS community gathered for the Senior School Leadership Induction Assembly, a proud celebration of student voice, leadership and community.
The assembly opened with an Acknowledgement of Country, delivered by 2025 Vice Captains Elizabeth Collins and Kayla Sautner, followed by the National Anthem and a warm welcome from Principal Nikki Kirkup. In her address, Ms Kirkup encouraged the incoming leaders to take the opportunity before them and “add to the story of The Knox School,” reminding them that leadership is about being part of something far greater than themselves.
Head of Senior School, Ms Janelle Mathias, spoke about the importance of student leadership at TKS, acknowledging the many ways students demonstrate care, perseverance and responsibility, whether or not they hold a formal title. She then introduced the 2026 Student Leadership Team, each of whom pledged their leadership oath and received their badges of office from Ms Kirkup.
The 2026 School Captains, Jackson Chandra and Danu Liyanage, together with Vice Captains Ron Weerasekara and Amelia Carnell, accepted their new roles with pride, promising to lead with loyalty, concern for others and a genuine commitment to community.
The Prefects were also inducted, each taking on special responsibility in key areas across the school:
Role | Name |
Music and Performing Arts | Oak Tysoe and Holly Callinan |
Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion | Emilio Hobbs and Hannah Abdel-Hafez |
Sport | Max Worthy and Aleisha Cormick |
Houses and Community | Kye Slade and Maedy McLean |
Student Wellbeing | Olivia Nugent and Hasi Jayawickrema |
Academics | Harrison Loukes and Meher Sidhu |
Environment and Sustainability | Lucy Ren and Danica Morais |
Media and Marketing | Liyara De Silva and Sonali Budhiraja |
The ceremony continued with the presentation of 2026 House Captains by House Co-ordinator Mr Alex Wilson and Head of Community, Culture and Operations, Ms Toni-Ann Bright. Congratulations to the following students:
House | Captains |
Chisholm | Natalie Dauncey and Ryan Yu |
Flinders | Joshua Hick and Mali Yao |
Lawrence | Arien Manuel and Leah Na |
Paterson | Aurelia Cabrera and Caio McDonald |
A musical highlight followed, with Year 12 students Lia Henrichs and Anita Weber performing Test Drive by John Powell, introduced by 2025 Music Prefect Andres de Souza. Their performance captivated the audience and added a moment of reflection to the celebration.
The assembly also featured a heartfelt address from 2025 School Captains Jacquie Ring and Eric Lu, who shared words of encouragement and gratitude before handing over to the new leadership team. In response, 2026 School Captains Jackson and Danu thanked Jacquie and Eric for their outstanding service and contributions to school life.
The event concluded with the singing of the School Song, accompanied by Mali Yao, before students and staff joined in congratulating the new leaders. Parents of the inductees were then invited to the Auditorium Foyer for a morning tea with their children, where they celebrated this proud milestone together.
The 2026 Student Leadership Team will formally commence their roles at the beginning of Term 4, continuing the proud tradition of leadership, service and connection that defines The Knox School.
We congratulate all our 2026 leaders and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make across our school community.
