Dear Parents and Families

It has been wonderful that Kennedy has started so smoothly, thank you to all families for such a great start. It has also been very pleasing to see our students embrace the challenges and opportunities of Kennedy immediately as the academic year has commenced and some great outcomes have already been achieved. We look forward to an exciting and productive year.

Parents and Friends Association
The P&F held their Annual General Meeting last week and appointed the following parents to the important office bearer positions:

• President: Sarah Clifford
• Secretary: Helen Becker
• Treasurer: Gail Pillai

Congratulations on these appointments. We thank you for volunteering to be involved in the leadership of the Association.

Inter-house Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to all members of our community involved in this outstanding event. HBF stadium provided a wonderful venue for all students to represent their House in very comfortable conditions despite being in the middle of a heat wave. It proved to be both a very enjoyable and exciting day as all Houses fought closely to win the carnival. Congratulations to all members of Eyre on a great win and also to Mrs Scanlan and the Physical Education team on a wonderful event. It was also fantastic to see so many parents joins us for the day, we greatly appreciate your involvement.

College Sunday
College Sunday is our celebration Easter service which reinforces the Christian ethos of the College. As in previous years, two services will be held on Sunday 20 March. Students in King and Stirling will attend at 1.00pm whilst Students in Eyre and Forrest will attend at 3.30pm. The service will include student dance and music performances and a special appearance by How Ridiculous, a group of young men making a difference by pushing boundaries in sport and creating world records in the process.

I would like to extend an invitation to all families to attend and hope you can join us for the afternoon. This is a compulsory event for all students and more details will be provided in future weeks.

Mark Ashby
Principal

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
  Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
   Your values become your destiny.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

I want to take this opportunity to, firstly introduce myself. My name is Pauline Burgess, and I am the fulltime Chaplain at Kennedy Baptist College. I was born in New Zealand. I am married to an Australian and I have been an ordained minister for 25 years. Prior to taking up the role as Chaplain here at Kennedy Baptist College I worked as a Chaplain in the secular education system for 7 years.

Secondly, I want to look at this concept of values and how we express them. By this I mean, we can say that we value time with our children, or value their education, or their relationship with God, yet make decisions which do not reflect this stated value. So the question really should be, “How do my actions line up with what I say I value?”

Over the next few weeks I will be looking at the stated values of Kennedy Baptist College and how they are actioned within the College, but our foundation is that we are a Christian school with a faith based approach to all that we do. To reflect this, and after speaking with a number of students, we will be running an after school Bible Study, where the big questions will be asked, discussed and (hopefully) answered.
Of course, if you have any queries, please give me a call or flick me an email: pburgess@kennedy.wa.edu.au

I am excited about 2016 and the opportunity to serve this community through my role as Deputy Principal: Curriculum. My experience as Mathematics teacher, Director of Studies, Head of Mathematics, Head of Year and School Council Coordinator in both government and private schools has provided me with the knowledge and skills required to fulfill this role. I am looking forward to collaborating with the Heads of Learning Areas in order to continually improve the quality of teaching and learning at Kennedy Baptist College. Every staff member is committed to providing an enriching education, grounded in our Christian faith in order to improve opportunities for each student.

Parental involvement is a key ingredient to student success. All parents should now be able to gain access to SEQTA (previously CONEQT). SEQTA enables parents to see daily notices, course programs, assessment dates and results as well as pastoral care notifications. This portal also provides parents, teachers and students with a means to message each other, look for Direqt Messages. Teachers are busily adding Syllabus and Assessment outlines to the system. Parents will be able to see daily lesson outlines, assessment results and weekly homework (students still require a diary for additional homework). Please check your Username and Password to ensure they are still valid.

Course changes are underway for Year 11 and 12 students. All course changes must be completed by Thursday 24 March. Year 11 students may review their courses after Semester 1 examinations. Year 12 students are locked into courses and cannot make further changes.

Each year we welcome new students into the Kennedy community and this is an important part of our culture and values.
This process involves a range of events and comprehensive programs to ensure a smooth transition to the College.

There are many elements each designed to assist the incoming students including:
Prestart Day for New Students, Meet the Teacher Evening, 11/7s Mentoring Program, Commencement Ceremony among others.

Prestart Day this year was held on the last Friday of the school holidays when all new Year 7-12 students were invited to the College.

The Year 7 activities on the day included meeting their form teachers and seeing their form rooms, spending time with their 11/7s mentors and enjoying a sausage sizzle and some fun activities run by Nations church, who every year provide us with great music and a fantastic water slide. The 11/7s program continues throughout Term 1 with the Year 11s mentoring the Year 7s in Care Groups on Wednesday mornings.
The new Year 8-12 students met the Student Councillors in their year group as well as the College House Captains, visited the Research and Study Centre, undertook an Information & Technology Inservice session and chatted with our College Chaplain and Counselling Team.
The Year 7 Commencement Ceremony was held on the first day of school in the College Auditorium as Year 7 students received their Commencement Certificate and Welcome Bible to signify the start of their Kennedy journey.  The Year 7 Meet the Teacher Evening will be held tonight and is an opportunity for incoming Year 7 parents to meet our Principal, Deputy Principals, College Counsellor, College Chaplain, Head of Year 7, subject teachers and Form Teachers in a relaxed and friendly environment.
All these elements are designed to ensure a smooth, supportive start for our students to the school year.

Welcome to Kennedy Baptist College and welcome to what could be some of the best years of your life. You will meet new people, experience new things and learn some of the most exciting and engaging things you will ever learn.  You may notice, however, that I have included the word could.  I have done so as ultimately, like the saying goes’ you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’.  High school is realistically what you make of it.  If you decide that you are going to be involved, grab the opportunities and put yourself out there – make friends, participate and be a part of what is on offer, then you will have a fantastic time.  The reverse is also very true.  Ultimately, life is what you make it and this applies to school also, if you put effort into your time here then you will be duly rewarded.

A similar message needs to be absorbed with regards to the amount of work that high school requires.  One of the main determining factors in accounting for grades and levels of excellence isn’t always natural ability or skill, it is very often proportional to the amount of hard work that students puts in.   The harder you work, the more effort you put into your assignments, the longer you study for a test or even the amount of time you focus in the classroom, all of these will impact your results and ultimately – your achievement.  To succeed in high school, and in life, you will need to become a hard-worker who is determined to achieve your goals.

Now is the time, at the beginning of your time in high school, to start new habits. If you often put things off, now is the time to begin doing what you can as soon as possible. If you prefer to do anything but study, now is the time to create a study plan and work out when you will study and for which subjects. If you are more interested in playing PlayStation or kicking the footy than studying, now is the time to be more disciplined and to reward yourself with those things after you have completed your hard work. If you don’t do these things now, when will you do them? 

High school is a wonderful time with so much to offer and so many people look back at their time in school with a sense of enjoyment.  You have to ask yourself if you also want your time at high school to be a rewarding and enjoyable.  If so, getting involved, working hard and making good habits will help you to get on-track quickly and set you in the right direction.  I wish the 2016 cohort of Year 7s all the best and I look forward to seeing each and every one of you flourish and reach your potential.

Welcome to a new school year which I hope has had a positive beginning. The heat has recently been a factor but otherwise things have progressed very well.

I recently read the following excerpt from: “Memo From Your Child.”

• “Please don’t spoil me. I know quite well that I shouldn’t have all I ask for, I’m only testing you but please give me the discipline that I need.
• Don’t be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.”

These are great guidelines to apply in our lives and will improve our parenting. Over 7 billion people can be your child’s friend, but only two can be their parents.

Please encourage your child to use the Research and Study Centre after school if you are collecting them and find it difficult to access the College at 3.15pm. It is open until 4.15pm every day and provides a wonderful space in which they can get started on their homework.

Staff often find students’ belongings left around the College. They are taken to Student services where they can be collected. Please ensure that items are named so they can be easily identified when your child comes to find them.

Thank you for entrusting your child to us. I believe this will be a very constructive and productive year where together we can enable your child to achieve their potential.

It has been another busy start to the year and the students are settling in. Over the holidays the bushfires down south destroyed our campsite at Forest Edge which was the setting for our Year 9 camp. After many unsuccessful calls to nearly every campsite in WA it looked like we would have to move our camp into Term 2. Then on Monday 1 February I received a call from Nanga Bush camp saying they have a cancellation and so we are now back on in Week 10, Term 1. I am currently organising the camp and more information will come home during Week 4. Through all this process I felt a peace from God about the situation and after many prayers I realised that God was maybe teaching me about how to deal with situations when they are out of your control. Philippians 4:6-7 says ‘Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.’ This verse helped remind me not to stress about the things out of my control but rather give it to God. I am looking forward to the year with it’s fun and challenges.

KIND WORDS ARE SHORT AND EASY TO SPEAK, BUT THEIR ECHOES ARE TRULY ENDLESS.
Mother Teresa

Firstly, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Valme Batley and I am Acting Head of Year 10 for Term 1. The year has started exceptionally well with the year group showing themselves and each other respect, great attitudes and in generally neat uniforms. I am absolutely thrilled with the culture the 10’s have adopted and encourage them to stay enthusiastic and embrace the opportunities that are offered to them this year.

Two social events have been planned for the Year 10’s this term. On Thursday, 24 February (Week 4) a beach social and on Thursday 31 March (Week 9) a movie night in the Research and Study Centre. I strongly urge parents/caregivers to encourage their children to attend the events. This enables all students to socialize and get to know their peers in a different context.

On Wednesday 16 March the whole year group will be attending the Bstreetsmart program run by the RAC. All students will be transported by bus to the Perth Arena where they will be educated about road safety and the consequences of different road behaviours. From past reports the presentation is excellent and informative.

At a recent staff meeting a colleague shared some useful tips for parents that we may be aware of subconsciously but at times need to be reminded:

• Please be patient with me, I may be a late bloomer.
• When you have had a bad day, please don’t bring it out on me.
• Don’t be too upset when sometimes I say “I hate you’.  It isn’t you I hate but your power over me.
• Don’t forget that I can’t thrive without a lot of love and understanding … but I don’t need to tell you, do I?

P.S. I love you, and I don’t expect you to be perfect either!

Happy New Year! I would like to welcome back all returning students and parents and extend a warm welcome to all new students to Year 11.

Our objective for Term 1 is to focus on the development of resilience in our upper school students as well as to establish sound study techniques. These skills will be fostered through the extended Form activities every Wednesday, our Year 11 camp and the overall support given through our pastoral care program. 

The transition from Year 10 to Year 11 can often bring new challenges and concerns not often experienced in the earlier years. As an upper school student, we encourage them to learn that success does not come without self-regulation and, accordingly, they are invited to be active participants in their academic journey.  When reflecting on these, three important words come to mind; pride, passion and participation. Firstly students are invited to take pride both in their uniform and college grounds, therefore students are encouraged to be proactive in presenting themselves in an appropriate manner and monitoring the beautiful grounds of the College. Year 11 students are also a diverse and wonderful group of students who each have their own interests. As their head of year, I would like them to embrace their passions and maximise every opportunity given both within and beyond the classroom. Lastly, past experience has shown that students who actively participate in all College events (for example, the annual Year 11 Camp) build new friendships, further develop their independence and are re energised for the year ahead.

The upcoming information evening from the Research and Study Centre will be a wonderful opportunity to discuss ways in which both parents and guardians can support their student and work with the College to ensure that each student is on the right path for graduation and striving for excellence in their chosen courses.

I am looking forward to an exciting year, where students will flourish in their personal and academic achievements. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

There is much excitement and anticipation amongst the Year 12 students as they plan for the Year 12 Ball which will be held tomorrow night at the Hyatt Hotel. The event starts with pre dinner mocktails at 7pm and then the doors to the Grand Ballroom will open at 7.30pm. The event will conclude at 11.30pm.

Admittance to the Ball will be dependent on the students attending the College until the end of Period 4 (12.15pm) when they will be free to leave to prepare for their special event. We look forward to an evening of fun as the students socialise in a formal setting.

In extended form in Week 3 the students will attend a Study Skills session that will be run by the Research and Study Centre. An email has been sent to all Year 11 and Year 12 parents and guardians about an Information Evening that will be held in the Auditorium on Tuesday 23 February. I would like to encourage as many of you as possible to attend this evening so that you will be better prepared and more knowledgeable about ways to help your children through this final and very important year of schooling.

Year 12 students only have three terms to complete their courses before the final exams. With your help we want to ensure that whatever course your child is enrolled in, that they are working to their full potential to ensure future success.

If there is any way that I can help in that process, please do not hesitate to contact me here at the College.

AGM & P&F minutes
Thank you to those parents who attended the P&F AGM and meeting held on Tuesday last week. Minutes from both of these are now available on the website.

P&F email list
If you wish to be on the P&F email list and become involved in the social part of the wider Kennedy community, please email pandfkennedybaptistcollege@gmail.com with a request

2016 Year 7 Parents Sundowner
The P&F have organised an evening especially for the 2016 Year 7 Parents

Thursday 10 March, Verandah Room at the Windsor Hotel, South Perth from 7.00pm – 9.00pm
$18 p/p – includes canapés. Drinks to be purchased separately
RSVP 01.03.2016

Purchase your tickets online at
http://www.trybooking.com/KMQO

Contact pandfkennedybaptistcollege@gmail.com for any queries

Our first Assembly for 2016 was a great occasion within our College community. 
We were all encouraged to seek help from God, no matter how small or great we are, we still need God in our life. 
The team which went on the recent Basketball trip to the Philippines over the school holidays shared their experiences with the whole College. 
Awards were also given to those students who achieved particularly well in 2015.  

The Academic House Awards are received by:

• Year 8
  Jeyda Aktepe (Eyre)
  Tayla Miles (Forrest)
  Zevanya Sumodisastro (King)
  Zoe Grice (Stirling)
  Holly Tait (Stirling)
• Year 9
  Joshua Cicolari (Eyre)
  Jacqueline Gray (Forrest)
  Lexington Mitchell (Forrest)
  Emma Patman (Forrest)
  Eleesha Popkiss (Forrest)
• Year 10
  Lochlann Downey (Eyre)
  Callum Peterson (Forrest)
  Elise Stallard (King)
  Kate Thorne (King)
  Kathryn Hill (Stirling)
• Year 11
  Gabriel Anson (Eyre)
  Ashleigh Black (Eyre)
  Jia Yi Boey (King)
  Ross Stewart (King)
  Anna Zwitser (King)
• Year 12
  Isabella Dowling (Eyre)
  Lauren Dowling (Eyre)
  Joshua Reid (Forrest)
  Jordan Waters (King)
  Zoe Healey (Stirling)

Congratulations to all of our Award recipients. Photo gallery here

The 2016 Kennedy Baptist College Swimming Carnival held at HBF Stadium, allowed for a variety of talents to be on display across all year groups. From freestyle to butterfly, students impressed in the main pool with great results across all events. Outside in the warmer weather, students made the most of an opportunity to take part in a variety of novelty aquatic events, which provided a strong contribution to the highlight reel. After all events were completed, the Overall Aggregate Champion Shield was narrowly taken by a well-deserved Eyre. A big congratulations to all students on the day who contributed to a successful carnival atmosphere with great enthusiasm and fantastic behaviour.

Click here for other results & photos for the day.

Thank you to all the families who have made arrangements with respect to the settlement of their fees for 2016.
Please note:

• The Payment Option Form was due by Friday 5 February 2016. For those who have not nominated a payment option this year, please do so urgently.​
  The payment option does not continue or transfer from the previous year so you must nominate your preferred payment option each year.​
  *If we do not receive a nomination by Friday 19 February your account will default to Option 1 (annual payment).
  
  If you selected to pay your fees by either Option 1, 2 or 3 the fees were due on Friday 12 February, 2016.
  Option 4 (monthly) payments will be processed on 20 February, 2016.
  Please ensure you have sufficient funds in your account to cover the payment.

Secondary Assistance Scheme
The State Government, through the Department of Education Services, provides financial support to eligible parents through the Secondary Assistance Scheme (SAS). The aim of the scheme is to assist low income families with secondary school costs.
Eligible parents/guardians with students enrolled in Years 7 to 12 studying full-time secondary course at a WA private school will be able to apply for the SAS in 2016. The SAS consists of two allowances:

• $235 Education Program Allowance (payment made to the school); and
• $115 Clothing Allowance (payment made to the parent/guardian).

For all enquiries regarding the application process/forms please visit our reception.

Basketball & Cricket Specialist & Outdoor Education programs
Please note that if your child is enrolled in the above mention programs, you will receive an adjusted invoice including these changes in Week 5 of Term 1.

Please visit our website for more dates and events.

Any request for news or events to be included in the school's newsletter, please email news@kennedy.wa.edu.au. Content is subject to approval.