Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Families, 

Our Kennedy community is vibrant and diverse, with over 1,200 students, 200 staff members, and 2,000 immediate family members, each of us on our own unique journey. 

Our Year 12s find themselves at a crossroads between childhood and adulthood. They are navigating new freedoms like getting their driver’s licences, voting, and having the opportunity to access new spaces, all while still balancing the need to follow the rhythms of a school day alongside younger peers. It’s an exciting and transformative time for our young adult students.  

With all this going on, we have just launched our final chapters of their Christian Education journey. With our Year 12s in mind, we allow them to ask questions. These are questions that we all might be pondering on, but are not always sure where to go to ask. The Christian Education Forum is running over two weeks. This is a space for students to ask If, or How, faith in God, the Bible, or Jesus relates to our lives. Submitted questions will be presented to a panel, with both staff and guest speakers. We can never fully answer some deeper questions, but airing thoughts can start a journey to resolving some internal conflict within us all. I would like to share a few of the 74 thoughtful questions our current students have asked, so you can also enjoy the confidence we have in the quality of people our college is producing. 

• Why would a loving God choose to create things that cause such pain? 
• Why are some Christians bad? 
• Is there only one way to reach God, and if so, why? 
• What does the bible say about dinosaurs? 
• Is taking someone else's life always wrong? e.g, mercy killings, self-defence.
• How does praying help? 

Many in our community may have questions and not know where to ask them. If that’s you or someone in your family, please reach out to me through SEQTA, email, or in person, as I would love to help find answers or support you on your unique journey. 

The academic program is in full swing and Term 1 has been a busy time for the Curriculum team. Apart from course and elective changes for Year 8-12 students, testing was completed for OLNA in Years 11 and 12, and NAPLAN was completed in Years 7 and 9.

Every student is now enrolled in their courses/subjects for the year and will be busy learning the content presented. The only group of students who can adjust their courses mid-year are those in Year 11. Students and parents are encouraged to catch up with Mr Jiow in Term 2 if they would like to discuss their child's progress.

Term 2 is also expected to be full of challenges and opportunities along with examinations for Years 9 to 12, Externally Set Tasks for Year 12 General students, and OLNA for Year 10 students who missed their first attempt. Also planned are meetings for Year 10 students and parents to hear information about Year 11 and 12 courses. Later in Term 2, Year 7 to 11 students will be looking to select courses for 2026.

Parent-Teacher Interviews

The College has Parent-Teacher Interviews planned for the start of Term 2. Interviews will occur on Monday 28 April from 2.00pm - 6.30pm and Tuesday 29 April 9.00am - 11.00am; 1.30pm - 6.00pm. Teachers have a scheduled 30-minute break between afternoon/evening interviews. Interviews are five minutes long and aim to provide parents with an update on their child’s progress. If there are any significant issues or concerns, then an additional interview of a longer length may be organised at an alternate date with the teacher. Information on how to book interviews will be sent to all families before the conclusion of Term 1.

As this is my last newsletter report for the term, I hope students finish Term 1 well and I wish all families a safe and blessed Easter holiday break.

Protective Behaviour is a mandatory component of the curriculum for schools in Western Australia. At Kennedy, we teach it through various areas, including Health Classes, our Extended Form Pastoral Care Program, Guest Speaker incursions, and our foundational Thrive Program, which operates in Year 7 and Year 8 for all students.  

One of the external organisations we work with in this critical area is the WA Child Protection Society. This group aims to teach young people various skills and strategies to stay safe and provide a framework that can be quickly adapted to home and community environments. Our Year 8 students attended a Protective Behaviours incursion run by Andrea Musulin. The presentation was an informative time on consent. We also had Jade Lewis, an award-winning author, a regular high school speaker, a parent educator, and a charity founder. She gave a presentation titled 'Respectful Relationships' to students from Years 7 to 12. Jade followed up by speaking to our parents/guardians by presenting at Kennedy Insights, which was well received by an encouraging number of parents.  

Student Leadership - Hwa Chong International School Visit

We recently had the pleasure of hosting 16 student leaders from Hwa Chong International School in Singapore, who participated in a leadership workshop alongside our Year 8 to 11 student councillors. This workshop provided our student leaders with the opportunity to practice working and communicating with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, thereby developing self-confidence when collaborating in new teams. Our students also improved their skills in strategic planning and event creation. This concluded with fish and chips in Fremantle, where our Kennedy Student Executive Leadership joined us. We watched the sunset together and savoured the friendships formed during the day. We look forward to continuing our partnership with our friends at Hwa Chong International School and are excited about the future of this mutually beneficial endeavour.  

We also look forward to welcoming Year 7 Student Councillors and House Captains to our leadership team. They will receive badges during the first assembly of Term 2. We thank those students who have applied for these roles and for their boldness in stepping forward.  

Kennedy News
 

Unlocking Learning Potential: Memory, Study Skills, and SMARTS

On March 14, Kennedy Baptist College celebrated International Pi Day with our annual memory competition. Around 40 students tested their recall abilities, with Ethan setting a new College record by memorizing an astounding 504 decimal places of pi! Aleisha followed with 257 digits, and Hayden secured third place with 142 digits. A special commendation goes to Mr. Sim, our Math Teacher, who demonstrated the power of the memory palace technique by flawlessly recalling 1502 digits.

Memory is not just about natural ability—it’s a skill that can be developed. This term, all Year 7 students have been engaging with the SMARTS program in the Research and Study Centre (RASC). This initiative reinforces a crucial message: academic success is driven more by effective study strategies than by intelligence or time spent studying. Through SMARTS, students have been exploring study strategies such as:

• Study planners to organize their learning effectively
• Memory techniques, including flashcards and mnemonics
• Cornell note taking to actively record and summarise class information
• Persistence and resilience as key drivers of learning success

Parents will have the opportunity to learn more about these strategies during Term 2 parent/teacher interviews, where the Teacher Librarians will present on SMARTS across four different times. These sessions will provide insights into how families can support students in developing study habits that enhance learning outcomes.

As we approach Term 2 exams, we encourage students to utilize valuable study resources, including RASC Upper School Study Tips, Khan Academy, Quizlet, Wolfram Alpha, CK-12, ClickView, and Reachout. These tools, combined with effective study strategies, will empower students to take control of their learning.

Ms Natasha Georgiou
Head of Research and Study

College Notices

Easter Services 

The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 27 March 2025