Photo above: Bronwen Healy, a State Finalist for Australian of the Year speaking on the topic of making good choices and the impact on our lives during last Wedesdays extended form.

College Sunday

Kennedy Baptist College is a Christian faith based College committed to providing the best possible educational services. As Easter quickly approaches it is appropriate to reflect on the basis of this faith foundation. College Sunday provides the opportunity for this reflection as a College. This event is an opportunity for our community to come together and contemplate the Gospel message of Easter. College Sunday is a compulsory event for all students but more importantly it is an opportunity for our families to engage as a community. Afternoon tea will be provided after each service and this should be a great time for families and staff to interact in a social setting. We look forward to meeting with you on this special afternoon for Kennedy.

Student Holiday Leave

Often some families opt to take vacations during term time. This occurs for many reasons, however it is very apparent that this practice has a negative impact on student learning and achievement. I would like to advise all families that this practice is a breach of the West Australian Education Act. We encourage families to examine the impact of these decisions and where possible, decline from this practice. Students who are absent during the term for holidays may be unable to sit assessments at later dates and will need to take responsibility for the tuition they have missed during this time.

Mark Ashby
Principal
 

Integrity is one of those values, that for many, becomes the deal breaker if it is absent from a relationship. C.S. Lewis defined integrity as doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

At this point - I put up my hand to say that I have failed so many times, to be a person of integrity. Without integrity, lies and manipulation can very quickly become a way of life, often beginning in a small way but soon becoming a serious threat to our life and relationships. I am so thankful, that where my parents are concerned, my lack of integrity, over a number of years, did not destroy our relationship. Yet I know of relationships which have been changed or damaged due to a break down in trust and honesty.

So, if integrity is so important how do we become people who can be trusted in any situation, no matter the cost? According to Jesus, in Mathew 5:33-37 the formula for integrity is very simple. “And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it … Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.” (MSG).

Such a simple formula: Don’t lie, and don’t manipulate. If we were honest we would agree that we fail the integrity test most days. I know that I still do. And maybe that is why integrity is so highly valued, because it is something that we all battle with, and we know the cost that comes with being a person known for their integrity.

Students have settled into the routine of another school year. Year 7 students are making their way around the campus with ease and Year 8 to 10 students have had an opportunity to change electives. Year 11 and 12 students can make final adjustments to courses until Thursday 24 March. It is important to understand that only Year 11 students can make further changes to their courses after the Semester One examinations. Year 12 and lower school students cannot make changes to their courses.

Interim reports are available for all students. All reports are available through SEQTA Engage (CONEQT). I urge all parents to check their username and password in order to access reports. Queries concerning SEQTA Engage can be emailed to Mrs Debbie Stewart. http://dstewart@kennedy.wa.edu.au

Parent -Teacher Interviews start with the Career Expo and Year 10 and 12 interviews on Wednesday 23 March. This evening is a great opportunity for students and parents to find out more about study and career options after secondary schooling. The Expo and interviews begin at 2.00pm. Interviews for Year 8 and 11 takes place on Wednesday 30 March and Year 7 and 9 interviews are Thursday 28 April.

Kennedy Baptist College closes at 1.00pm on Parent-Teacher Interview days.

There are many exciting activities and Pastoral Care events at Kennedy this term.

Last week the House Captains oversaw a Year 7 House Week involving a range of activities including a Table Tennis Competition, Amazing Race, and Reverse Bike Riding. This culminated in the College’s involvement in the National Ride to School Day on Friday. This week the Student Councillors have organised some fun events for their Student Council Week including Lip-synching competitions, live music and Minute To Win It Games. The Council also hosted a Free Dress Day with the funds generated going to support the College child sponsorship program through Baptist World Aid and Compassion Australia. The four students we support are located in various countries around the world including Haiti, Rwanda, and Bangladesh.

Also coming up in the next few weeks is the College Camp Program in Year 7, 9 and 11. Camps are an important and significant part of Kennedy culture and our Pastoral Care Program. Our Year 7 Camp is a Foundation Camp designed to bring the year group together as they embark upon their Kennedy journey. Our Year 9 Adventure Camp is being held at Dwellingup this year, and is run as two separate camps for male and female students. Our Year 11 Challenge Camp is being held at Manjedal Camp site in Karrakup and will include hiking and abseiling among other fun activities.

These different camps come together to provide an overall extensive College camp program that enables our students to benefit greatly. When reflecting on their secondary schooling experience many Year 12 students state the camps as their highlight and we look forward to continued success in this area as part of our overall Pastoral Care Program.

As we move into the first term, the realities of high school may be dawning on some of the Year 7 students. The glow and excitement that surrounded some students as they initially came to the College has been replaced by the realities of high school life; increased workloads, busy schedules and high expectations from their teachers, parents and fellow students. It is around this time that we see the first signs of stress and student fatigue encroaching onto what has so-far been a very successful transition period. I would encourage all Year 7 students to follow a few simple tips which will help them to remain focused. 

Firstly, if you haven’t already done so, set goals for yourself on Seqta-Learn or Seqta-Engage. Make these goals short, medium and long term and create strategies to ensure you are able to achieve these goals.  Make physical activity a part of your daily routine; ensure you do something every day that will get you moving and active. Ensure you get plenty of sleep. It is recommended that teenagers get nine and a half hours sleep per night.  Have some fun and don’t forget to smile; College life should be fun and an enjoyable time in your life but – as with everything – you will need to work at ensuring you have fun. 

Homework is often a major concern for Year 7 students. We believe homework to be a time to reinforce learning done in the class room or to introduce ideas and work on assignments, and not for it to be a cause of stress in the life of our students. We expect students to complete one hour of homework per weekday night although we do acknowledge that on occasion, some work may need to be completed on the weekend. This hour needs to be split between Maths, English, Science and Humanities subjects and allocated as needed. If you find your child is doing a lot more than the hour or is getting aggrieved by the process of homework, please contact me and we can discuss the issues that appear to be causing the stresses.

The Year 7 camp is quickly approaching. It runs from 4-6 April and should be a fantastic time for the students to interact with each other in a different environment. We find the camp has a very positive impact on the friendships that occur within the Year 7 cohort and the camp is designed to reflect this with students being put together who may not have already met each other. The tasks that students complete on camp include working with heights and on water and these activities challenge students to work collaboratively and problem-solve to achieve goals. The camp is also a great deal of fun and I would expect the students to return with many stories of their heroics and adventure tales.

We had a fantastic social with a hundred students attending at Leighton beach on Thursday 3 March. Some of the fun was captured in the accompanying photographs. This is a fantastic turnout and a great reflection on the spirit of the year group. My thanks to Nations youth workers and to the staff who assisted me on the day. We look forward to continuing to provide more social activities like this later in the year.

Year 8s will soon have the opportunity to write exams for their core subjects (Mathematics, English, Science and Humanities). The exam period will be in weeks 6 and 7 of Term 2 with each subject being assessed on different days. Each exam is usually 90 minutes long and will cover the work they have done since the beginning of the year. Students are continuing to learn how to prepare for these exams by establishing effective study techniques both at school and at home. Please help them to plan their time wisely so they can complete their assessments as they fall due.

With the change from summer to winter uniform for Term 2 it is a good time to check their uniforms now for correct fit and purchase any replacement items that are needed from the uniform shop.  All clothing must be clearly marked with your student’s name so that in the unfortunate situation of them leaving items unattended they can be promptly returned.

It’s been a really busy term and as the Year 9 students start to settle down into their subjects it is a time to focus and consolidate their learning. With a couple of short weeks ahead and Year 9 camp in Week 10 it already feels like the term is flying by at a rapid pace.

Year 9 camp is progressing well and I am currently finishing off groups and dorm allocation for which the students are eagerly awaiting. The adventure camp at Nanga Bush Campsite is going to be a time of challenging themselves and stepping out of their comfort zones. The activities are designed to encourage team work whilst being a lot of fun. Just a reminder that the drop off and pick up for camp is at Lakeside Recreation centre, Cnr Farrington and Bibra Lake Drive, Bibra Lake.

• Boys Drop off Monday 4 April 2016 at 9.00am (Departing 9:45am) Pick up Wednesday 6 April at 2:30pm.
• Girls drop off Wednesday 6 April 2016 at 9.00am (Departing 9:45am) Pick up Friday 8 April 2016 at 2:30pm.

I am looking forward to a wonderful exciting camping experience.

Radiant sunsets. Shimmering rainbows. Towering mountains. Crashing waves.

Throughout the universe God calls our attention toward the beauty of what He has made, of who He is. Life’s beautiful surprises beckon us to celebrate. To wonder. To reflect on a purpose greater than ourselves. With this in mind I always remind myself that my Year 10 group is one of those miracles all with their unique personalities, gifts and abilities.

Students and teachers spent the afternoon at South Beach after class on Thursday 25 February. After cake, fruit, drinks and lollies we all headed down to the sea for a swim. The students keenly swam out to the pontoon and great hilarity was heard coming from the challenges of jumping off the pontoon. Mr Jonathan Groom was the brave teacher who survived swimming with the students.

The afternoon was completed with a sausage sizzle. The students eagerly tried ‘boerewors’ which is a South African, pure beef sausage and was enjoyed by those who tried it. We dropped a happy and weary group back at school at 6:30pm. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students for an excellent afternoon. Their manners were outstanding and they created a wonderful atmosphere. To Mr Groom, Mrs Harris, Mr Forsdike, Miss Casella and Mr Batley who helped with the afternoon, a HUGE thank you. I would encourage parents to urge their children to attend social events if possible, as it is always good to mix with one’s peers in a different setting other than school.

Our year group will be doing a community service towards the end of this term. We will be making chocolate balls for the homeless, working with Manna Kitchens. It is important that all students participate. We will be making the balls at school during extended form. A letter requesting ingredients has been sent home. Please encourage your child to buy and bring the ingredients. It would be great if they could use their own money ($3.00 at the most).

Once again I am thrilled with the attitudes, uniforms and atmosphere that the Year 10’s display.

I wish all families a very blessed Easter break.

The first five weeks of the year have been a time of transition and challenge for our Year 11’s as they move from the academic standards of lower school to the rigour of the WACE courses. In order to assist both students and families during this time we had an informative and well attended parent study skills evening held by the Research and Study centre.

The students were then invited to put these skills into practice during our extended Form period during Week 5. During this session students were able to take notes on the top ten most relevant and scientifically supported strategies on how to maximize their learning.  Congratulations to Isobel Cutter who won a prize for her well written notes during the seminar. We will hold another study skills seminar in Term Two before Semester One examinations. 

Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds”. 

This verse is a wonderful reflection on how our Year 11 students should see their interim reports. It is a time not to be worried but instead to put into action their talents and gifts. Students can achieve this by establishing a study program that creates a balance between assessment completion and adequate revision of the concepts taught in class. Students are highly encouraged to utilise all the resources available for their courses such as the textbook, study guides and College tutoring with their subject teachers. Both general and ATAR students are encouraged to maintain this high standard.

It has been most pleasing to see the energy and enthusiasm of the students as we plan for their first major event of the year, the Year 11 camp. Students have chosen their groups, organized food menus and discussed what equipment they will need. All these skills will teach them independence and resilience.

As Head of Year 11, I always enjoy seeing the personal growth of students when they return from camp and the new friendships that have been made.

The Kennedy Baptist College Ball for 2016 is over and now students can focus on their studies. The event was held in the Grand Ballroom at the Hyatt Hotel on Friday 19 February. The students looked amazing in their ball dresses and formal suits and were a credit to Kennedy.

After a great buffet and dancing, prizes were awarded to the following students:

• Most Stylish Outfit (Male)           Jonathan Nathan
• Most Stylish Outfit (Female)       Lukkika Worathipromma
• Best Male Hair                            Selleck Darch
• Best Female Hair                        Alana Fernandez-Travis
• Best Couple                                Jayden Fairbairn and Olivia McCarthy
• Beau of the Ball 2016                  Kevin Kaharudin
• Belle of the Ball 2016                   Georgia Martin

Term 1 has flown by with many events and excursions and the students will need to make a real effort to keep on top of their work. Each Year 12 student has been allocated a Teacher/Mentor and will meet with them roughly twice a term. We would encourage students to seek help when they need it. Subject teachers are always available for tutoring and advice on curriculum matters can be sought from our Curriculum Deputy, Miss Jennifer Lamet and our Director of Studies Mr Drew Errey. Any anxiety/stress issues can be discussed with our excellent counsellors at the College. Our College psychologist, Mrs Jess Plenty, deals specifically with Year 11 and 12 students.

We look forward to seeing all the Year 12s and their parents/guardians at College Sunday on 20 March.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a blessed Easter.

The Year 7 parents evening was well attended with over forty parents. We were served delicious canapés all night and everyone agreed it was great value for money and a good location.

A few comments that were posted on our Facebook page by parents included;

“It was a great night!! Thanks so much for organising!!! Just sorry we couldn't stay longer.”

“Thank you P&F for organizing the night! It was terrific meeting some of the Year 7 parents.”

“Perfect way to get to know other parents. Thank you to everyone who helped organise it.”

If you are not yet part of the wider Kennedy community and want to have a choice whether to dip in and out of the social events, buying and selling of books and uniforms or browse the posts about lost and found items that may be posted when other parents find themselves with extra shorts or shoes etc. Yes, it all goes on; please sign up to our Facebook page.

If you would like to be included on the P&F contact list, please email pandfkennedybaptistcollege@gmail.com. You will then be able to receive information about upcoming events and other relevant items.

Students and parents, along with staff from Kennedy Baptist College geared up to ride to school as part of National Ride2school day on Friday 4 March.

Even though the emphasis of the day was a promotion of a healthy physical lifestyle, the day also added to the sense of belonging and community. Students dressed up their bikes, science teachers wore their lab coats and there was even a tandem bike ridden by Physical Education Teachers, Mr Scott Britza and Mr David Orr. When they arrived at the College, the 100 plus participants enjoyed a healthy breakfast together before heading off to class.

Phoebe (Year 7) who rode in with her mum said: “It was challenging and fun getting some exercise along the way. I especially loved bonding with the rest of the riders.”

James (Year 8): “It was good for us to get out there and have a go, plus breakfast was included!.”

Ellen (Year 9): “I would encourage everyone to join us next year to get more active and dressing up definitely makes it all fun.”

Mr Mark Ashby the Principal who rode in with the students said: “This was a great opportunity for the College to be involved together. It was wonderful to see so many families participate together.

Ride2School Day is an initiative run by Bicycling Western Australia, in conjunction with similar eastern states organisations. By riding and walking to school, students contributed to their minimum physical activity level of 60 minutes per day. Research shows that students who ride and walk as part of their journey to school are more focused and ready to learn when compared with those who are driven.

On Friday 4 March, the students and staff who will be attending the China Tour at the end of this term spent the afternoon eating donuts and knocking pins at Super Bowl Melville. The purpose of the social event was for the staff and Year 10 and 11 students attending the tour to get to know each other before we leave. The skill range was reflected in the scores and we now have a common experience to draw upon when we travel together to the new and unexplored land of China.

Miss Nicole Foxton
China Trip Co-ordinator

Kennedy Baptist College would like to invite interested parents of current Year 9 and 10 students to an information evening on the April 2017 International Study Tour to the United States of America. The session will be held in the Staff Lounge on Thursday 31 March from 5.45pm - 6.45pm.

During this time the tour coordinator, Rick Cricelli will outline destinations to be visited, activities, dates, costs and any further questions that you may have as well as hand out ‘Expression of Interest’ forms. An email has been sent to all parents/guardians of 2017 Year 10 and 11 students inviting you to attend this information session but if you would like to discuss this trip further (or are unable to attend the information session) please contact Rick Cricelli at the College. rcricelli@kennedy.wa.edu.au

Thank you for your interest in this exciting opportunity.

It was another beautiful morning at Cottesloe Beach for the opening of the annual ‘Sculpture By The Sea’ exhibition. Once again, Kennedy Baptist College was there to experience the excitement and to capture photographs of the best sculptures.

The excursion was an opportunity for the Year 10 Photography students to demonstrate their creativity and skill using DSLR cameras, with each student submitting their four best photos for assessment.

Photography teacher, Mr Wilkins, loves taking Photography students to the exhibition. “The students with a creative visual eye really shine in this environment. There is so much going on and so many visually interesting objects to shoot.”

The best of the students photographs will be placed on the display panels outside the Media classrooms.

• Winter Uniform Collection

Second term is the change over to winter uniform. Winter uniform is compulsory from day 1 of Term 2. If you have already ordered your students winter uniform it will be available for pickup from Monday 4 April.

Please contact Kerry James, if you haven't placed an order or completed a fitting, please do so before the end of Term 1 or during the 2nd week of the school holidays.

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