Photo: Open Day - lucky dip

Dear Parents

Thank you to our wonderful Parents and Friends Association and all of our families who supported the College on Open Day. It was extremely pleasing to have so many community members come along and enjoy the Kennedy experience. Open Day provides a great opportunity for the College to show what a superb community we have at Kennedy and it was pleasing to see everyone sharing their experiences with such a large number of visitors. In particular, thank you to our Parents and Friends executive who worked so hard to coordinate the range of activities available on the day.

Kennedy App

It is with pleasure that we launch the Kennedy App today. Details of how to download the App are included in this newsletter. The App is designed to provide another medium for families to access information and further improve communication. The College will be using the App to send updates and notifications to families and we hope all families take the opportunity to download it.

Father’s Day Breakfast

A reminder to all dads that we have our inaugural Father’s Day breakfast tomorrow morning at 7.30am. All dads are welcome to join us and be inspired by Wayne Bradshaw. Wayne is currently CEO of The Fathering Project, whose aim is to inspire and equip fathers and father figures with skills to engage with their children. Prior to this role, Wayne was the CEO of The West Australian Football Commission.

Mark Ashby
Principal

Download our app and keep up to date with all College activities, events and news, newsletters, College documents and push notification alerts direct from the College. You can also contact the College directly through the app, with the absentee and contact forms. Once you have downloaded your Kennedy App, please register your details.

Download the new College Mobile App today view more

Fear vs Love

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the Day of Judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

(1 John 4:16-18 NIV)

Many of our decisions can be traced back to two very core emotions: fear and love. These emotions are very different from each other and shape a person’s decisions and actions so incredibly differently. Many people live from a place of fear and that does so much damage and harm to us.

There is a video called "The God Shaped Brain" that talks about the role of fear in our lives, and how important it is to make decisions based on love and not fear. The video talks of a model of how we live that is based on fear, and fear-based living starts from lies. The model looks like this:

Lies = Fear = Selfishness = Sin

When we believe lies about ourselves, about others and about God we begin to live from a place of fear, and that in turn affects how selfishly we live which then affects the sins that we commit. The only way to change this cycle is to break the power of fear and to make decisions based on love.

There are a number of ways to break the power of fear in our lives, and one of the most powerful is to rely on the love of Christ. 1 John 4 talks about how perfect love casts out fear. That has always just been something that has sounded nice to me, but once you realise that you are living from a place of fear one of the most effective ways to change this is to completely submit to God and to His love and to CHOOSE to make decisions out of love. To ask the question, am I doing this because I am afraid, or am I doing this because I am choosing love?

Make the decision in your own life today to live from a place of love (more specifically the love of Christ), not fear. It has the potential to change EVERYTHING in our lives.

God bless,
Adam

During the very successful Open Day held on Saturday, I spent some time wandering around the displays and viewing the offerings of the College.  I have to say, I was mightily impressed with the calibre and quality demonstrated by the various learning areas and knowing the talent of the teaching staff, I wouldn’t hesitate to send my children to Kennedy Baptist College.  However, in doing so I was reminded of a quote by Steve Furtick where he says:

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”  

The College looked so fantastic but when we are ‘in the trenches’ dealing with students’ struggles or encouraging others to extend themselves beyond their comfort zones we don’t always see how great it actually is.  The same can be in our own lives, as many Year 7 students are now finding out.  The front that others display to us is always their best – how they present themselves and their achievements can seem so much better than anything we can do ourselves, particularly when we look at our own faults and problems and can’t see beyond them.  However, it is important for every Year 7 student to understand that everything they are and all that they stand for is so vitally important and their contributions to the College and to Year 7 are unique.  Our real lives are never going to be perfect and when we look at others and get jealous of how successful they appear we are not doing ourselves any favours.  We need to look beyond our failures and our insecurity and understand how perfect we really are, in the eyes of others, our family and in the eyes of God.

The Year 8s have been looking very neat and are taking greater pride in their appearance. Thank you to all the parents who have ensured their children have neat hair and correct uniforms every day.The Year 8s have matured and their self-discipline and organisational skills have greatly improved. We have been blessed with a wonderful group of students, although one always needs techniques and methods for managing inappropriate behaviour. Many parents have asked me for ideas so I have included some tips from a book I am reading, which have worked for me. A good book for ideas is Verbal Judo by George Thompson. A comment he makes is, “If someone wants to ruin your credibility and get the advantage over you, all he has to do is make you angry enough to misuse words.” I am sure your teenage child has tried to do this to you. Thompson suggests that you:

1. Ask (make an ethical appeal)
2. Set context (make a reasonable appeal)
3. Present options (personal appeal)
4. Confirm (practical appeal)
5. Act (determine an appropriate action)

In any confrontation give your child a way out that they can take without loss of face or dignity. Think carefully about any punishment you threaten. Are you willing to carry it out, and is it practical? Never threaten, then not carry it through, as they will no longer take you seriously. Be consistent even when it does not suit you.
Raising teenagers is the toughest thing you can do but the most significant act of our lives.

God bless you
Rijk Batley

It’s been another busy term as we have enjoyed the Athletics Carnival and also Open Day which were both great events for the College community. We also had our Year 9 social activity for the term where 61 students came to Bounce (a warehouse filled with trampolines). It was an amazing time to spend together with the Year 9s and it was great to watch our students interact with each other and to see them building strong relationships amongst the year group. All staff that came along said they enjoyed spending time with the students and I think the students enjoyed playing dodgeball against the staff.

Looking ahead, this week we have the first of two sessions from Nations church in dealing with different gender issues. We have the boys together discussing how they treat girls/women and with the girls we are looking at self-worth, that they are one of a kind. I am really looking forward to these sessions and discussing some issues that are of real importance and worth spending some time delving into. We have two more community service events this term with Forrest House students coming along to enjoy our BBQ lunch with the residents from St Bartholomew’s House.

It is an exciting time in Year 10 at the moment as we move towards Work Experience in Week 10. Students should now all have a placement and have completed their Work Safe certificates. If you have any issues or questions please contact Mrs Emma Riddle or myself as soon as possible.

On Wednesday 19 August our Chaplain, Adam Przytula talked to the Year 10s about addiction in all its forms and in particular screen addiction.  The session focused on educating about the dangers of spending too much time doing anything, be it checking Facebook every 30 minutes of the day, gaming until 4.00am, or looking at inappropriate material on the internet (including pornography). The goal was to equip the students to make wise decisions in relation to all screen related addictions and in life in general. We used the phrase ‘if I can’t go without it for a week ….’ I encourage you as parents and guardian’s to use this opportunity to talk with your child about this highly topical but seemingly taboo subject.  This could include how to keep them safe by setting up filters and boundaries for use on your network at home.  I would like to reiterate that the College recommends that students do not have unsupervised access to internet enabled devices in their rooms, especially overnight. If you believe your student may have an addiction (or unhealthy obsession) of any sort and would like information please do not hesitate to contact myself, Golda Newland or Adam Przytula.

The big ticket item on the Year 10 social calendar is the Year 10 Formal in Term 4. This year’s Formal will be held on Thursday 29 October at East Fremantle Yacht Club. It will be a Semi Formal Cocktail style event with substantial finger food. Please save the date.

Our social event for the year, the Year 11 River Cruise, was held on Friday 7 August.  Form teachers, staff and students departed from Barrack Street Jetty making their way down the Swan River and back. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed as the students danced to tunes from the DJ and enjoyed refreshments as well as pizza. It was wonderful to see all the students looking dashing in their outfits and mixing with all of their peers. We even saw some of the teachers make their way on to the dance floor. I would like to thank all the students and staff for their energy and enthusiasm.

I would also like to mention the hard work of our Year 11 Integrated Science classes who under the guidance of Mrs Tisdall and Mrs Willamson, created an interactive time line of the history of flight. Students chose an aircraft from a period of time, researched its significance in the development of aviation and created scaled models.  The students were very creative and the models are proudly on display in Research and Study Centre for all of the College to see. Thank you to Ms Lourensz and the Research and Study Centre staff for all your hard work with the display.

In addition to this, I would like to remind our students to take pride in their uniform and continue to wear their winter uniform correctly with their blazers.  Punctuality to class is also very important for upper school students as it maximises their opportunity to learn and seek assistance from their subject teachers. May I take this opportunity to ask you to please encourage your child to arrive on time and with all their correct learning materials.

Our Year 12 Spring Fling River Cruise will be held this Friday 4 September. This is the Year 12s last social occasion and I am hoping for a big turnout. It is always a fun evening and the students get very creative with their dress-up costumes. The event starts at 6.45pm, boarding the vessel at Barrack St Jetty and concludes at 10pm sharp. We ask that parents pick up their children promptly at the end of the event.

On Friday 28 August, the Head Boy and Girl and the Deputy Head Boy and Girl along with some staff members attended the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast at the Crown Convention Centre. Her Excellency, The Honourable Kerry Sanderson AO posed for a photo with the group and the Keynote Speaker for the morning was Henry Olonga. Henry was born in Zambia, spent some time in Kenya and then moved to Zimbabwe, where he made his international cricket debut in 1995. He was the first black player to represent his country. He gave a very inspiring and challenging message which really touched a chord with everyone present at the breakfast. It was a privilege to be present and hear all the prayers that were offered on behalf of our State and the many needy situations that we face.

There are only four weeks of term left for the Year 12s before they start their holidays and then Mock exams in the second week. The students will return to the College in Term 4 on Thursday 15 October, when the Mock Exams have finished. Their last day at the College will be Friday 23 October. A letter will be sent home early next week with all the relevant details. Thank you for your continued support of the students as they face what for many of them is a stressful time. We trust that the Spring Fling on Friday night will be a chance to relax and enjoy themselves before the final stretch. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns or questions.

A big thank you to all those who donated items and helped us in the lead up to and also on Open Day this year. It was a successful day despite the weather and it was great to see so many new faces. Photos

The P&F Team

COLLEGE:
All students completing a Stage 2 or 3 Course of Study must complete all school examinations.

Practical examinations:
Dance, Drama, French, Physical Education Studies, English as an Additional Language Dialect, will occur prior to the end of Term 3 during the school day.
Written Examinations:
Friday 25 September then Monday 5 October – Wednesday 14 October.

WACE:
All students enrolled in a Stage 3 Course of Study and those Mathematics 2CD students enrolled in the WACE examination must complete all scheduled examinations.  Students will be issued personalised timetables in September.  General timetables are available online http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au

Practical examinations:
26 September – 4 October & 17 October – 25 October
Written examinations: (for Kennedy students)
2 November – 18 November

On Wednesday 5 August, two teams of three students were taken to Scitech to compete in the Aurecon Bridge building competition. The six students were Ryan Eshraghi, Robert Wilsnach, Matthew Patman, Joshua Stephens, Cleveland Hoare and Lachlan Belke. 
The Aurecon Bridge building competition is open to Year 8 and 9 students and schools from all over Australia and New Zealand take part.  The Western Australian competition involved over 20 schools and was a real opportunity for budding engineers to test their skills in bridge design and construction in front of real life, practising engineers. 
The students were required to design and build a bridge in teams using balsa wood, string, cardboard tube and araldite.  The bridge had to span 700mm and was to be tested to destruction.  The six students were chosen from an in-class competition that was held for Year 9 students in the weeks leading up to the competition. 
The two bridges submitted for the competition were designed, drawn and printed using CAD software.  The printouts were used as templates to guide the cutting and gluing process.   Like last year, the designs were good, however, the quality of construction needed to improve.  Although the bridges didn’t hold enough weight to win, the boys really enjoyed the day.  Being able to look around Scitech and interacting with other students with an interest in engineering made it a day to remember.  As the boys said, “We learned a lot and know where we need to improve next year.”
The competition will run again next year during Engineering Week, but as a new initiative, three students from Year 8 will be invited to join the Year 9 teams.  The Year 9 students will mentor the Year 8 students in design and construction techniques and prepare them to be design leaders in the following year.

Mr Brad Gunter
Design & Technology Teacher

Photo Above: Winners of  the Paper Plane Competition - 3 different categories

Last week the College celebrated House week. One of the aims of House week is to build morale and nurture team spirit within the Colleges' four House groups as well as healthy competition across the House groups.

There were many fun and exciting activities for our students to participate in which included a spelling bee, mini soccer, a Bear Grylls challenge, a paper plane competition and a free dress day where proceeds went towards the College Sponsor children. Thank you to our House Coordinators and Captains who contributed to making the week such a success. More photos

Year 11 Geography Excursion students enjoying their day

On Monday 25 August, 31 students and three staff travelled to White Rocks Dairy Farm to observe and investigate the operations of a working dairy farm. While they were there, they saw the milking process up close and were lucky enough to watch a calf being born. It truly is a miracle to observe life being born.

The students also had the opportunity to hear from a dairy farmer. We visited Harvey Cheese factory on the day to learn about how milk as a raw product is transformed into cheese, a very yummy product. We walked the length of Harvey Dam which is the major water source for the dairy farms in the district.

Mr Mark Burgess
Geography Teacher

In order to complete the field work component of the Environmental Science program, the Year 11 Biology class went on an overnight excursion to Rottnest Island. The students studied the ecology of the salt lakes, sand dunes, intertidal zones as well as the fauna and flora of the island.  A study was also made of the nocturnal behaviour of the quokka. The students worked cooperatively to complete quadrats; transects; biotic sampling; and species identification. The students’ behaviour was of the highest standard throughout the excursion and a fun time was had by all learning more about our beautiful island.

Anna-Marie Smith and Jon Groom
Biology Teachers

CONGRATULATIONS to Jermayne Spatcher and Daniel Grida who have been selected in the State School Boys Basketball Team and Alecia Knowles in the State School Girls Basketball team. This is a massive achievement as only 10 students are selected from each gender in the entire state. Well done!

Students from Year 8 and 9 from Kennedy Baptist College will soon be undertaking an educational tour of the National Capital. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the National Capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $240 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.  

Keep your eyes and ears open for updates on how this year’s trip went. 

Recently students were given a College magnetic calendar to take home.

If you have not received your calendar, please feel free to drop into Administration and collect one.

Term 3 Tutoring Timetable - available to all students at no extra cost

Click here to view Term 3 Tutoring sessions.

Beedawong Term 3 Menu - fresh and delicious 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Parents / Guardians of Year 12 students please note that fees need to be cleared in full before your child’s graduation on Friday 20 November, 2015.

PAYMENT DEADLINES:

•  If you are paying Fees by term, Term 4 Fees will be due on 24 October, 2015.
• If you are paying monthly by Payway then your last instalment will be due on  20 November, 2015.
•  If your payments are not by either of the above, then the full balance must be paid by 13 November, 2015.

The list below shows the upcoming events for the next 2 weeks. Please visit our website for more dates and events

Friday 4 September
Father's Day Breakfast
3AB Geography Excursion
Year 8 - 10 Indonesian Excursion
Year 12 Spring Fling

Saturday 5 September
Acrogym Cheerleading Competition

Tuesday 8 September
Assembly
Year 9 Photography Excursion

Wednesday 9 September
Year 11 General Geography Excursion
Year 10 Pastoral Care
Year 9 Photography Excursion
Year 9 Community Service
Year 12 Drama Mock Exams
Electric Music Night 6.30pm - 8.00pm

Thursday 10 September
French Tour Preparation Classes

Monday 14 September
ACC Athletics Carnival D Divison

Wednesday 16 September
Mock French Oral Examinations
Year 10 Photography Excursion

We accept notices from parents, and advertisements from local companies and businesses for a small fee and reserve the right to accept the application for advertisement to be placed in the Newsletter or Notice board. Please email news@kennedy.wa.edu.au for more information