The photo above: Kennedy's NAIDOC Celebration

Message from the Principal

Student Tours and Mission Trips

It was wonderful to have students and staff volunteer for the Cambodia Mission Trip over the school break. It was fantastic to hear of our students embracing and contributing to improving the lives of children living in poverty. I am sure that this opportunity has been a life-changing experience for many. Kennedy is committed to this outreach project and our partnership with Transform Cambodia. You can find out more how you can be part of this partnership on our website.

Student tours contribute significantly to our College's mission, and we are pleased to see continuous support from families for our extra-curricular tours and mission trips. Kennedy’s tours are designed to provide students with the opportunity to enrich their life experiences, should they wish to participate. I encourage all families to stay alert for these opportunities and think about them carefully.

Awards Assembly

Next week, we look forward to celebrating the achievements of our Year 10 to 12 students at our Awards Assembly. The presentation of Certificates of Excellence and Achievement highlights the outstanding standards our students have attained. Congratulations to the recipients of these significant awards. We also look forward to honouring Year 7 to 9 students at their Awards Assemblies next Wednesday 30 July.

Mr Mark Ashby
Principal

ALOHA!

I hope everyone has had a great few weeks of holidays. I am so excited to see our community reunite in Term 3 and to hear and share stories with you all. At the risk of generating jealousy in those of you who stayed home over the holidays, I spent some time in Hawaii! I had to bring it up. Today, I would like to introduce you to a common Hawaiian word, 'ALOHA', that captures much of what the character of our College stands for. Following our last newsletter article, which explored faith in Aboriginal people, the Hawaiians share similar God-centred themes in their culture. 'ALOHA' is used in Hawaii for so many situations, but the meaning and spirit of the word resonate with the character of Jesus and the work of God in our lives.

'ALOHA' is often used as a greeting, saying “hello” or “goodbye”. But the meaning and the use of the word are so much greater. When you greet someone with ‘ALOHA’, you are saying, “I greet you as one that I love and have a deep regard for”. It signifies that you are at peace with them, and you acknowledge their existence. 'ALOHA' is to have empathy and compassion for others. In Hawaiian culture, it is more than just a word; it's a philosophy and way of life that promotes unity, harmony, and respect for all. The word itself can be broken down into ‘ALO’ (presence, open faced) and ‘HA’ (breath), suggesting the sharing of breath and life between people.

When I discovered this, it captured my attention. It reminded me of our reflections last term about God’s Holy Spirit at work in our lives. We need God’s power to live in the true 'ALOHA' designed by God for all of humanity.

Kennedy News

Celebrating Student Achievements

We are proud of all the efforts of our students and would like to congratulate the following members of our community on their perseverance, sportsmanship, and outstanding achievements during Term 2.

• Ruby Trezise recently received the She Hoops Leadership and Confidence Scholarship, being chosen as 1 of 32 students and having the opportunity to attend a camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra. 
• Sebastian Buckley represented WA in the Australian Intermediate League Championship in Baseball, held in Lismore, NSW. His team made it to the Preliminary Final.
• Jorge and Conan Martin-Teramoto competed in the Australian National Karate Championship held in Adelaide, Conan leaving with two bronze medals in the U14 Children Kumite (sparring) +55kg and Team Kumite divisions, and Jorge with the gold medal in Cadet (14/15 years old) Kumite +70kg, making him the Australian Champion in his division.
• Connor Roberts has been chosen to represent WA at the School Sport Australia 18 Years and Under Golf Championships, held in Queensland.
• Halle and Meela Goldsworthy have both been selected to compete in the State Cheer Competition in Victoria later in the year.

If your child has achieved a significant milestone that you would love to see the school acknowledge, please email their Head of Year with more information about their achievements. Make sure to follow our social media pages for some recent student highlights!

SERCUL Native Planting Initiative

Some of our Year 11 Science in Practice students ended the term by planting a variety of native plant species on a small patch of ground at the College. During Semester One, these students studied the links between excess fertilizer use and how it can impact local waterways. This planting activity was a wonderful opportunity to reinforce their learning.

Before planting, the students received a brief on the role native plants play in maintaining healthy ecosystems. They learned about how native plants are adapted to live in nutrient poor soils, meaning they don’t need to be heavily fertilized. Furthermore, how native plants can help to filter nutrients – particularly nitrates and phosphates – out of the soil and thus prevent it from entering Perth’s lakes and rivers where these nutrients can lead to harmful algal blooms. 

We'd like to extend a huge thank you to SERCUL (South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare) for generously providing these plants to the College as part of the Phosphorus Awareness Project grant it receives from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), which aims to educate the community about the environmental impacts of too many nutrients entering our waterways.

Mr Jonathan Groom
Science Teacher

The RASC Lego Challenge was held in Term 2 on Thursday lunchtimes in the Research and Study Centre. A total of 42 students, half of which were new Year 7s, signed up to showcase their Lego skills in 20-minute challenges. The competition consisted of three heats, with the top four pairs from each heat advancing to the semi-finals. From the semi-finals, the top three pairs progressed to the final round.

The final was held in Week 9, with Charles and George (Year 7), Vesna and Pierre (Year 8), Ethan and Alex (Year 8), Josh and Aarav (Year 10), Angus and Oliver (Year 11) and brother duo - Damon (Year 10) and Hayden (Year 8) all competing for the trophy.

After an exciting last round, full of colour and dreamtime stories from NAIDOC the judges decided to recognise the runners up brother duo, Damon and Hayden and crown Josh and Aarav as the winners of the competition!

Thank-you to our judges – Mrs Fleming (Humanities), Mrs Smit (Arts) and Mr Sim (Maths), and to Mrs Christine Crump for presenting the trophy to our winners.

The Lego challenge provides an excellent opportunity for the students to push their creative boundaries and collaborate in an enjoyable, if not frantic, 20-minutes of construction and creativity. 

Mrs Alison Hanham
Teacher Librarian 

Back to School Information

The Administration office is now open; however, please note that the office will be closed on Monday 21 July, due to a Staff Professional Learning Day. Term 3 commences on Tuesday 22 July 2025.

Uniform Requirements

We wish to remind all students of the uniform requirements as per the Uniform Policy on the website. Some guidelines are listed below, and further information can be found in the Uniform Policy.

• Students are required to wear Winter uniform during Terms 2 and 3. This includes wearing their blazer to and from school, and during Form.
• Closed in shoes must be worn on campus without exception including ‘free-dress’ days and after or before sports training at the College.
• Please ensure students remove all extra piercings. Students may wear clear plastic studs to keep piercings open.

The Uniform Shop will be reopened to its usual hours from 11:00am on Monday, 21 July.

We hope that you have had a restful and safe semester break. 

College Notices

Important Dates

Please make sure to check Parent Lounge regularly for notifications and important updates on College events. Here is a short list of significant, whole-school events happening in the first part of this Term.

• Tuesday 22 July - Open Day committee members meeting will commence at 5.00pm. This meeting will be held in the Boardroom, followed by the General P&F meeting at 6.00pm. 
• Thursday 24 July and Friday 25 July - College Photo Days
• Saturday 26 July - Pedal Prix Race #3
• Friday 8 August - Dance Showcase
• Saturday 9 August - P&F Jam Making Session
• Friday 15 August - Interhouse Athletics Carnival
• Thursday 21 August - Last day for Silent Auction Donations, with a P&F wrapping event in the evening
• Saturday 23 August - Community Open Day events.

The Flexischools App is now available to order lunches from Kennedy Beedawong Cafeteria!

Thank you to all the parents / guardians who have dowloaded the app, this new system aims to streamline the process for parents making online lunch orders and to provide greater visibility of student cafeteria purchases. 

Tickets are now available to purchase to our Dance Showcase! Happening very soon in Week 3, this event will start at 7.00pm and will be held at the Kennedy Auditorium.

2025 Community Open Day

You are invited to our Community Open Day on Saturday 23 August 2025 from 11.00am to 3.00pm!

This is one of the biggest events on the Kennedy calendar with live performances, explosive Science demonstrations, and delicious gourmet treats on offer as families and community members explore our fantastic College. Make sure to spread the word about this opportunity to journey through the College campus and discover all our students' amazing work.

Open Day Student Performers

Music students in the following ensembles are reminded that their ensemble will be performing at Open Day on Saturday 23 August: Kennedy Orchestra (required at the College from 9.30am), Vocal Ensemble, Woodwind Ensemble, Year 11 and Year 12 Bands, Fusion Band, General Music Class bands, Contemporary Band, Stage Band and Year 10 Bands.

Dance and Drama students will be advised directly by their teachers if they are required to perform at Open Day.

Silent Auction Donations

Silent Auction donations can be brought into Student Services during Term 3, up until Thursday 15 August. All items are to be new or unused. As a thank you, students will receive a House point for delivering items. Make sure to check the different theme for your student's year group:

The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 31 July 2025