A Collective Expression of The Knox School values
This semester, our Year 8 students transformed The Knox School values into a bold and thoughtful large-scale art installation that now lines the staircase of the Lower Senior College building. What began as a research project grew into a powerful visual story about what it means to live our shared values of Respect, Resilience, Responsibility, Achievement, Care and Empathy.
To begin, each student was assigned a character word connected to one of our values, drawn from a wide range of traits such as accepting, diligent, brave, collaborative, empathetic, inclusive, visionary and more. They researched its meaning, explored how it connects to their value and described how students demonstrate this behaviour at TKS. This work grounded their thinking in real actions and real relationships, ensuring that the final installation reflects the lived experiences of our students rather than abstract ideas.
With this understanding in place, students moved into the design phase, creating vibrant oil pastel artworks that interpret their chosen character word through colour, movement and form. The result is a striking display where each piece stands alone with clarity and purpose, while also contributing to a larger collective conversation about the kind of community we strive to be.
A QR code beside the display links to a scrolling digital page where families can explore each value in more detail, and read students’ personal reflections on their assigned word. These voices sit at the heart of the installation. They reveal how young people at TKS understand respect, show care, take responsibility, rise with resilience, achieve and practise empathy every day.
This commitment to student voice reflects our untraditional approach to learning. Instead of simply teaching values, we invite students to interpret, express and communicate them in ways that are creative, personal and meaningful. The installation recognises our students not only as learners but as contributors, thinkers and leaders who shape our culture.
This wonderful display will stay on show well into next year, so next time you are on campus, wander the staircase to experience the full display up close. Then, cross over to the Founder’s building to view the companion Performing Arts Installation, which brings the same values to life through movement and sound. Together, these works show how deeply our students understand the values of The Knox School and how confidently they express them in their own voices.
Thank you to the Year 8 cohort and their Mentor Teachers for bringing this collaborative project to life.
