Dear Parents,

It is astounding to realise that this is our last newsletter for 2016. As we reflect on the College events of the year it is amazing how much the community of Kennedy has achieved. Recently, two wonderful events over the last week have reinforced these achievements and the embracing of opportunities by our students. Our Year 12 Graduation and the Lower School Awards Night provided occasions to acknowledge the accomplishments of students this year and it was wonderful to share these experiences with our wider community. Congratulations to all students involved in these events.

At Graduation it was announced that several students have already been awarded early offers to Notré Dame University. Congratulations to the following graduates on their achievement:

• Ancke Nienaber - Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Science
• Jasmine Hanham - Bachelor of Biomedical Science
• Joshua Reid - Bachelor of Biomedical Science
• Asha Morrow - Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Arts
• Jordan Waters - Bachelor of Nursing
• Alana Guarino - Bachelor of Physiotherapy

2016 Staffing

As we continue to plan for 2017 I would like to acknowledge that several staff will be leaving Kennedy at the end of this year. Firstly, we have four staff members who will be retiring.

• Mrs Marilyn Myhill from English
• Mrs Gail Campbell from Technology and Enterprise
• Mrs Claudia Hart from the Research and Study Centre
• Mrs Gill Wood from our Accounts Administration

We will miss their experience, wisdom and passion for the roles that they have completed so well over the years.

The following staff will also be leaving us at the end of the year:

• Dr Susan Aulfrey - Relieving Science
• Mrs Jennifer Burton - English
• Mr Simon Haydock - Relieving Physical Education
• Mr Kyle Hunt - Physical Education
• Ms Sarah Pomphrey - English
• Mr Daniel Rogers - Physical Education
• Ms Lisa Ricci - Relieving Physical Education
• Miss Liz Shanhun - Student Services
• Mrs Adriana Cipriano-Taylor - Laboratory Assistant

We wish them the very best with their new pursuits.

Once again I would like to thank everyone in our community for their ongoing support this year. As we look forward to an exciting 2017 I would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic safe and relaxing holiday.

Mr Mark Ashby
Principal

The story of Jesus has two interesting bookends and it is found in the status of those who were the first to testify of his birth and then finishes with those who were the first to testify of his resurrection.

In line with the social norms of the day, shepherds were unworthy of testifying in court because they were considered uneducated and untrustworthy, yet as the newly born Jesus lay in a dirty trough, cared for by a teenage mother and an overwhelmed and probably slightly internally conflicted father, it was shepherds whom God chose to minister to the child and family, then spread what was probably the most important news in history up to that point.

Yet across this miraculous birth, the shadow of the Cross falls, because this baby was born for one purpose only, to bring reconciliation between God and humanity, through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is at the end of Matthew's Gospel, that we find God again choosing those who were also considered unworthy because of their status in society, to testify to the even greater good news, that Jesus was risen. These were two females, both named Mary. 

Two bookends, 33 years apart, which tell of those who were considered unqualified by those around them yet are chosen by God to testify to the most amazing news this world will ever know. It is a reminder that our call into community with God is always through the grace of God alone. It has nothing to do with our standing in society or our level of education, but lies totally in who God is and what he has done. We are also reminded that God doesn’t always choose those who are equipped, but, thankfully, he always equips those he calls.

This final report for 2016 brings mixed feelings. There is the shock and small horror of a whole year seemingly flashing by in an instant; but then everyone says that at the end of a year. There is also the excitement of holidays and in particular Christmas as we all spend time with family and friends, hopefully relaxing and sharing life together. Christmas is the joy of security of our eternal future in Jesus Christ and I wish everyone a safe, enjoyable and thankful time with their loved ones.

Year reports will once again be available through SEQTA with more information about Year 7-10 grading visible in the Documents section of SEQTA Engage. Booklists for 2017 are now accessible on the College website. Information concerning streaming in Years 8-10 for 2017 will be visible through timetables for 2017. These timetables will be available before the end of the year ensuring that all parents can access the information required to complete booklist orders.

Well done to all students who have made the most of the opportunities presented to them in and out of the classroom. I continue to be impressed by the willingness of students to learn and particularly for the ownership they have on their learning. Thank you to all staff, I am grateful that you all continue to invest your lives in the work of Kennedy Baptist College. The dedication of each individual is noticed by many and appreciated by all.

I pray that Christ will be very real for each member of the Kennedy Baptist College community this holiday period. God Bless.

Recently the newly elected Kennedy Baptist College Student Leaders were involved in a Student Leadership Camp at Rockingham.

The camp commenced with an interactive session on leadership led by the College Principal Mr Mark Ashby. Student led activities including quizzes, games and foxholes on the beach. The students undertook various training sessions on the camp including public speaking, dealing with conflict, organising events, mentoring and welcoming new students.

They also spent a great deal of time with their respective Heads of Year and House Coordinators discussing and planning themes and events for 2017.  These included the Arts Cup, Year 12 Ball, year group socials, lunch activities, Carnivals, National Ride to School Day, Kennedy Cup Competitions, Assemblies, and Extended Form periods.

The leaders also enjoyed an hour long tour on a glass bottom boat around the Shoalwater Marine Park seeing nesting sea birds, Australian Sea Lions at Seal Island and especially enjoying being followed around the park by a pod of dolphins.

This was the first leadership camp to include all the House Captains and they contributed greatly to the camp both through their positive attitudes and the fun and engaging activities they led. Overall the camp was an excellent time to develop our new leaders and continue to pursue a targeted and strategic approach to student leadership at Kennedy.

And so we come to the final newsletter report for the year and the last report from me as the Head of Year 7. It has been a privilege and delight to work with these students over the course of 2016, to watch them develop and grow into adolescents who are well on their way to becoming positive, functioning members of society. One of the Seniors who is a member of the community service group commented on the positive development of the Year 7 students during this year as they have been interacting with them and it mirrors what we have seen, this progress and development of maturity over the year – it is very pleasing to see.

Now that we are near the end of the year it is a great time to reflect on our progress over the year and review our academic attainment. It is also a great time to ask some pertinent questions of our performance and development. Have I achieved the goals I set out to achieve? If the answer is yes – well done!  You can be justifiably proud of your efforts and may bask in the rewards that such effort brings. If, however, you have not achieved your goals you must now begin to question why this is the case. Was there something that you could have done differently to achieve those goals? Are your study habits well developed? Are there distractions preventing you from working to your capacity? If there is, perhaps you need to reevaluate your priorities and create new goals.

Whatever the outcome of your year it has been my pleasure to have you under my care and in my cohort. I wish all of the Year 7 students all the best for 2017 and for their future studies. God bless you all.

The holidays are almost upon us and the students are counting it down.

The exams were a busy time for students, parents and teachers alike and we are all glad they are over. Sitting an exam writing is a valuable skill for your child to acquire and they are blessed to gain that experience in Year 8 at Kennedy. Reports will soon be available to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your child.

The social at Leighton was a good turnout. Thank you to Nations Youth for their assistance. The Year 7-9 Awards Night was a very important formal event on our calendar where we had the opportunity to acknowledge the efforts and achievements of the Year 8 students.

I have been very blessed to work with this group of students and wish all families the best for the new year and a safe holiday. Let us remember that Christmas is a season of gratitude, restoration and peace. God bless you and I look forward to seeing you all next year.

As the end of the year is upon us it is an exciting time and we are all looking forward to the warm weather and a break over the Christmas holidays. Over 50 sstudents attended our final social at Bounce, where they expended lots of energy and had a wonderful time. It is amazing to watch the students showing off their skills and to be so active for an intense hour. Thank you to the students who came along.

A big congratulations to all our Year 9 students who received awards at the Awards Night on Wednesday 23 November. It is such an honour for the students who received an award and I congratulate them on the time and effort they put into each of their subjects. I would also like to encourage all our Year 9s to finish out the year by keeping up their best.

I am proud of the way our Year 9 students are finishing off the year and I would like to wish them all the a safe and happy holiday break.

It has been a great year for the Year 10s in 2016. We have grown and shared much. Over these last couple of weeks we have had many great things happen to finish off the year.

We have just completed our 11/7 Mentor training. The 74 students had two full days of Peer Support training and will be an integral part of the Year 7s transition into high school next year. On Friday they put their training into practise at the Year 7 Orientation Day. I’m sure the day will be a great success largely in part to our excellent group of Year 10 Mentors.

On 27 October we had the Year 10 Formal. Everyone dressed to impress and had a great time. I would like to congratulate the Year 10s on their behaviour, sense of fun and acting like a bunch of ''All Stars'.

On Monday 28 November we are running a Transition Day to prepare our Year 10s for Year 11 and 12. This is a full day incursion designed for the Year 10s to enhance the life skills needed to deal with the stress and extra workload of Upper School. We are very excited to see what version two of this new initiative brings.

As this is my last newsletter entry for the year I would like to wish the Year 10s of 2016 a happy and safe holiday. I look forward to hearing of your successes next year and beyond. Good luck and God Bless.

As 2016 has drawn to a close for our cohort it has been wonderful to reflect on a great year and I feel so proud to have watched our students successfully transition into upper School and prepare for their futures. As a year group, we have focused on our passions, responsibilities and skills. As you all receive your examination results and final report for the year, use these skills and the results as an indicator of where you would like to guide your compass for Year 12 and not as a full stop for your aspirations.

May you all use the year break to rest, revive and prepare for your final year of schooling. I look forward to seeing you in 2017 as our leaders of the College.

The Year 12 Graduation on Friday evening went very well. It was a wonderful night of celebration for our students and their parents. Our keynote speaker Mr Ian Thacker, with his extensive experience in the sporting world, challenged the students to keep persevering against difficulties and obstacles in life until they experience success. Many students were recognised for their achievements. These included the following:

Joshua Lowes received an Accounting Award (The Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia). Oliver Parry received an Economics Award (The Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia). Dylan Williams received the Law Society Award for Politics and Law. Jayden Fairbairn received the Vocational and Educational Training Award. Samantha Dunbar and Rachel Howard both received a cheque from the College for the hire of their art work for a year. Samantha is to be congratulated on her work being chosen to be part of the Perspectives Art Exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in 2017. Alec Dorrington and Michael Domfeh received a Certificate of Excellence for Science and Mathematics from Engineers Australia. Sean Gray received a Certificate of Excellence for Engineering from Engineers Australia. Brooke Moro and Abbey Scanlon were awarded the Curtin University Principal’s recommendation Award. Ancke Nienaber was awarded the UWA Excellence Award.

It has been a very full and rewarding year and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year.

On Friday 11 November, the Year 10 Councillors went to a Remembrance Day service at Wireless Hill in honour of our country's fallen soldiers. The ceremony involved our College as well as other community groups who chose to lay a wreath at the base of the memorial on behalf of their organisation. We listened to a speaker and had a minute of silence after a pair of buglers played the Last Post. After the service, we mingled with the attendees, including some veterans, and enjoyed meeting new people. It was an incredible thoughtful service which offered everyone a chance to stop and reflect. The Year 10 Councillors feel blessed to have been a part of such a service.

Kayleigh Hawke
Year 10 Student

On Wednesday 23 November we acknowledged the academic and personal achievements of our Years 7 – 9 students. Mr Mark Ashby spoke of the exceptional education offered by Kennedy Baptist College and the ongoing advancements that the College is undertaking. The most recent project, the Sports Centre, is nearing completion and will be ready for use at the beginning of next year.

President of the Parents & Friends Mrs Sarah Clifford spoke about the positive contributions during the year from the College community before presenting the Parents & Friends Awards. Many members of the Kennedy Board attended the evening and Board Chair Mr Philip Bryant reminded students that they are all unique people and urged them to identify and develop their God given talents so that they can make a positive contribution to life. Mr Bryant then presented the Dux awards. These awards are presented to students who have achieved the highest position across a number of subjects. Congratulations to Year 7 student Joshua Thomas Ninan, Year 8 student William Lawler and Year 9 student Emma Patman. View a full list of Award winners here and click here for photos.

Ms Sandra Doick
Public Relations

Champions Read has just finished - this year we ran it over four weeks (previously it was six), and in that four weeks the College has read for a total of 12944 hours - a tremendous effort! Each week we had a photo booth for a House, with props in the House colours and we took lots of photos of our students reading with the props. In the last week of Champions Read the whole College read during extended form - there was a lovely peaceful feeling around the College during this time. The winning House will be announced in our final Assembly, but every student wins in this competition, because reading is such a worthwhile pursuit!

Mrs Virginia Yurisich
Teacher-librarian

At the beginning of Term 4 it was announced that the second Public Speaking Competition would be held and this would also be the final House points competition for the year.

During extended form on Wednesday 23 November, seven students, Bryce McCarthy, Joseph Petrus - Kasim, Heather Moyle, Prarthana Harish, Nicholas Payne, Meagan Popkiss, and Joshua Cicolari, representing the four different Houses, took to the stage and presented their speeches on a range of topics. They all did exceptionally well, but there could only be three winners.

The second runner up, who won a $25 Garden City gift card and 25 House points for Forrest was Meagan Popkiss; the first runner up was Nicholas Payne, who won a $50 Garden City gift card and 50 points for King and the winner was Heather Moyle who not only won 200 points for Forrest, but also a $200 Garden City gift card.

The Judging panel consisted of, Mr Mark Ashby, Mr Rijk Batley and Ms Sarah Harris and were ably helped by two timekeepers, Ella Brimage and Tyler Jones. 

Mrs Pauline Burgess
Chaplain

Year 12 Perspectives is your yearly taste of art by some of the best, brightest and most talented graduating high school artists in the State. An annual barometer of what our youth are thinking and feeling. It is also a rich celebration of the role the arts play in the development of individual identities.

Congratulations to Samantha Dunbar. Her installation artwork Decorative Addiction has been selected for the upcoming Year 12 Perspective Exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Decorative Addiction was inspired by the mindfulness movement and the pain that many people undergo to feel comfortable in their own skin. Samantha commented, "I am addicted to doodling as it calms me. This has led me to consider decoration on the skin – the permanent artwork of tattoos. Would I be brave enough to transfer my doodles from paper to skin? Many cultures regard body marking as sacred and magical. Our contemporary western society generally has a negative response to tattooing. How do people feel about their permanent artwork as they age? Will they regret it?"

The wooden figures have been abstracted to symbolise humanity, not specific individuals. Mindfulness activities of colour and pattern influence the intricate geometric and organic patterns on the figures. The bleeding of the colour gives life to them. The imperfections of humanity are beautiful. The communication through body language of the figures shows the transition from being proud and expressive of her body, to the deterioration of self-image due to the pain of negative comments and stigmas.

Ms Carolyn MacDonald
Art Teacher

2016 saw two Health and Physical Education teachers reach Associated and Catholic College (ACC) milestones in their teaching careers. Mr Scott Britza received the ACC, 10 Year Outstanding Service Award and Mr Richard Main the extraordinary ACC, 20 Year Outstanding Service Award.

We thank both Mr Britza and Mr Main for their efforts and contributions into the Kennedy Baptist College Health and Physical Education program throughout their careers.

Ms Jessica Kennedy
Health & Physical Education Teacher/Sports Coordinator

On Tuesday 22 November the Year 9 Childcare class hosted a mother and baby afternoon to look at stages of development and the physical, cognitive and language development of the 0 - 2 year age group.

We had six mums and nine children come to share and join us for afternoon tea. We had a great time learning, singing and serving.

Mrs Ann Greenhalgh
Home Economics Teacher

ARE YOU WITHDRAWING YOUR CHILD?

One Term’s notice (10 school weeks) is required in writing to the Principal (via the Registrar: registrar@kennedy.wa.edu.au) no later than Week 1 of the preceding Term. Failure to give the required 10 weeks’ notice will attract a withdrawal fee of 25% of the total annual tuition fee.

CURRENT CONTACT DETAILS

If you have recently changed your contact details (contact email, billing email, address, phone numbers), please click here to update your details.

SIGNING UP FOR INSTRUMENTAL PROGRAM NEXT YEAR?

Click here to find out more. Deadline for registering is 20 January 2017.

Please join us as we celebrate and honour the volunteers of the Kennedy community and thank you for your contribution this year.

When: 2.00pm Friday 2 December
Where: Staff Lounge

Please RSVP by Friday 25 November to Janet Hair on 9314 7722 or by email at jhair@kennedy.wa.edu.au

Congratulations to the recipients of the P&F Excellence Award for 2016:

Year 7 Parents and Friends Excellence Award - Kelli Chung
Year 8 Parents and Friends Excellence Award - Georgia Lawrence
Year 9 Parents and Friends Excellence Award - Syrah Hawtree
Year 10 Parents and Friends Excellence Award - Matthew Patman
Year 11 Parents and Friends Excellence Award - Catherine Reilly
Year 12 Parents and Friends Excellence Award - Jazmin Jones

Kennedy P&F Facebook Page

Are you looking for uniform items or text books? The Kennedy P&F Facebook page is a good forum for buying and selling second hand.  There are many items for sale and more are being posted daily.

Diary Dates for 2017

• P&F AGM and meeting for Term 1:  Wednesday 8 February 2017, 7.00pm in the Staff Lounge.
• Car Boot Sale: Saturday 25 March in the car park.  More details to come.

Contact us via:

• Email on pandfkennedybaptistcollege@gmail.com
• Via facebook at KennedyP&F

The end of the year has come around so quickly and the P&F wish all students, staff and families a very joyous Christmas, Happy New Year and safe holidays.

See you in 2017!