Photo above: Year 7-9 Awards Assembly. 

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Families,

I trust the term is going well for all families. One of the major goals of Kennedy is to provide as many opportunities as possible to engage with our community. Over the next few weeks, there are several exciting events where families can engage with the College community.

1. The Dance Showcase, tomorrow night, will highlight the wonderful talent of our Dance students. We encourage as many College members as possible to join us to share in what is always a great night.
    
2. Kennedy Insights is a series of talks designed to inform parents about current issues impacting on the wellness of students. Our next talk takes place on Wednesday 11 August, 6.30pm dealing with the issues associated with body image.
    
3. Our Community Open Day on Saturday 21 August is a great chance to visit the College, view displays and performances of current achievement and enjoy the College’s hospitality. We look forward to seeing you between 11.00am and 3.00pm.
    
4. Our Father’s Day Breakfast on Thursday 2 September will be a great time for dads and grandfathers to joins us at the College and share with others. Our guest speaker this year is Peter Lyndon-James. Peter is the founder of Shalom House, a residential rehabilitation centre located in the Swan Valley. Peter is a passionate advocate for social change and will be speaking about the value of Dads being present in their children’s lives.

We hope you will embrace these opportunities to help us further grow as a united community.

Mr Mark Ashby
Principal

Chaplain Devotion

Week 3 has been our BE BRIO week at the College. I don’t know if the message has made it home to every household, but to “Be BRIO” is to be the bringer of life and vitality to any situation. We have been handing out cards that have the message, “To Be BRIO is to bring: Life, gusto, colour, fire, excitement, energy, warmth, verve, kick, glam, liveliness, pizzazz...” I think you get the message. On the other side of the card is “To Be BRIO is to dissolve: idleness, apathy, dullness, tiredness, heaviness, sorrow, loathing...” Again I think you get the picture.

This week I want to quickly make the connection between our Be BRIO week and my newsletter theme this year, 'The Kingdom of God'. For those that have been following along at home, these newsletter articles have been contrasting the life we long for with the life we experience. We all know that life is good, our experience is that it's often not! Our plan behind Be BRIO week is to focus our college on the cure to the brokenness we see in life. We are all-powerful to lift those around us. God’s design is we are all vital for the lives of others. God’s image is revealed in community and relationships. BE BRIO is a school-wide encouragement for us all to launch out into the enjoyment of God’s Kingdom. If we feel that together we are called to bring the BRIO, it can be so much easier to persevere. Bringing the BRIO into any situation can be hard. It can seem that dullness, sorrow, apathy, and all the anti-BRIO stuff are always going to win. BRIO is the antidote, and The Kingdom of God is the source of true BRIO.

We would like to invite households to Be BRIO with us this week. We have asked students to bring non-perishable food items to add to our COOBY CARES box in the Research and Study Centre On Friday or Monday, please let your student grab an item or two from your home to help us Be BRIO to our community. COOBY CARES is a local group that provides help to families in need in our area.

Deputy Principal: Curriculum

The second half of 2021 is shaping up to be a whirlwind with events now filling the College calendar. The start of the term included Awards Assemblies recognising the academic achievements of students across all year groups. Well done to all students who continue to apply themselves in class and with revision and practise after school. At the start of each year, the College also seeks to identify and acknowledge students who continue to apply themselves throughout the year and have improved their results from Semester One to Semester Two. I would encourage all students to remain focused and maintain their positive application in and out of College.

Parent-Teacher Interviews

Thank you to all parents who attended the parent-teacher interviews. Parent feedback indicated that the discussions were fruitful and provided parents with information about how they can assist their child in their studies. I would encourage parents to continue to check SEQTA to be aware of their child’s progress and to read teacher feedback when released.
 

Year 12 Students

Year 12 students are in their final weeks of formal classes with the end of term concluding formal lessons. ATAR students have College written examinations in the second week of the holidays and the first two days of Term 4. It is a great time for parents of Year 12 ATAR students to discuss revision timetables and ways that they can support their child during this intensive time of study and revision. Some simple tips include setting some time aside on a Saturday morning for a 'coffee' or lunch with your child. Establishing a study zone and time that the family respects, especially younger siblings, also supports students who are studying.

Course Selections for 2022

Thank you to all families for completing course selections for 2022. Students and families will be informed of course placements at the end of the year. If possible, information will be released during Term 4, but I am sure everyone can appreciate the complexities in constructing a timetable for all students. 

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability

The nationally consistent approach to data collection (NCCD) provides all Australian schools, education authorities and the community with a clear picture of the number of students with disability in schools and the adjustments they are provided to enable them to participate in education on the same basis as other students.

The Australian Education Regulation 2013 (the Regulation) requires the operators of government and non-government schools (approved authorities) to provide information to the Australian Government Department of Education and Training (the department) for the purposes of the NCCD. The information will not identify individual students; no information that could reasonably enable the Department to identify individual students will be provided by approved authorities to the Department.

Further information regarding the NCCD can be found in SEQTA under Documents – Policies - NCCD Fact sheet for Parents & Guardians.

Deputy Principal: Pastoral Care 

Kennedy recognises the vital role of student leadership in developing the life of the College and because of this, it is one of the four pillars of pastoral care. The Student Leadership Program provides opportunities, mentoring, and training for students to actively participate in the decision-making processes as well as developing lifelong leadership skills.

During this term and early next term, the student leadership groups for 2022 will be selected.

• House Captains - The House Captains work with the College’s four House Coordinators to build, maintain and support the promotion and development of the Kennedy House System. It involves the organisation of a number of house activities including Arts Cup, Swimming Carnival, Athletics Carnival, Public Speaking Competition and house point draws.
• Student Councillors – The student councillors work with the Heads of Year to offer responsible service to their College community. The student councillors are involved in a wide range of activities including Open Day, Anzac Ceremony, College Assemblies, and Social Activities.
• 11/7 Mentors - The 11/7 program is designed to facilitate a positive transition for our incoming Year 7 students and ensure they feel safe and welcomed as valued members of our College community. Current Year 10 students will be addressed by Miss Beale during a year group meeting in Week 5 and be given the opportunity to apply to be a mentor by completing an application form. The mentors play a vital part in the smooth transition into secondary school as they oversee care groups of Year 7s. The many benefits of being a mentor include the opportunity to develop skills such as managing groups, cooperating with staff and peers, planning, communicating, and the ability to work as a team.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the student leaders who have strived to build into our thriving Kennedy community during 2021. We encourage students to take the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and serve the College community by considering applying for the above roles.

Kennedy News

College Notices

Parent Information Session - School Leavers Safe

Parents of school leavers have been provided assistance to navigate this year's school leavers celebrations with free information sessions about efforts in the South West to keep revellers safe. Hosted by the Western Australia Police Force and the Department of Education, the sessions will help parents to talk with their children about staying safe around alcohol and other drugs and while travelling as a driver or passenger.

This year's Leavers event will run from 22-25 November 2021 and due to travel restrictions associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic, this year's attendance is anticipated to have the highest attendance to date. The second Leavers Parent Information Session is coming up next Thursday 12 August in Fremantle. Please click here for more information. 

Please see the link here for the first Leavers Parent Information Session held at Hillarys on Sunday 25 July which was recorded and is available to view on YouTube. Lastly, please visit the Leavers WA website where you can find details of ID requirements for wristband purchase. 

You are invited to our Community Open Day on Saturday 21 August 2021 from 11.00am to 3.00pm.

Bring your whole family to Kennedy for a great day of fun. From live performances, explosive Science demonstrations to delicious gourmet treats - there's something for everyone to enjoy! Journey through the College campus and look at all the students' amazing work!

The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 19 August 2021.