Photo above: Year 7 girls with their Year 11 Mentors on thier first day.

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Families,

Thank you to all families for your contribution to the great start Kennedy has experienced this year. It has been very pleasing to see our students embrace the challenges and opportunities from the very beginning of term and some great outcomes have already been achieved. We look forward to an exciting and productive year as we continue to nurture students on their learning journey.

It was great to welcome our Year 7 students and their families last Wednesday. Kennedy is a community that has been built on the partnership between College staff and families. There is no doubt that maximising this partnership is a benefit to all our community members. Educational research indicates that higher parent engagement is linked to higher outcomes achieved by students. I encourage all families to connect with as many College community members as possible throughout the year. Our Parents and Friends Association is a great space to start that connection and also get some valuable information and guidance. We also look forward to the Year 7 Family Afternoon Tea on Monday 13 February from 5.00pm-6.00pm in the College Auditorium.
 

New Board Chair

Last year our Foundation Board Chair, Reverend Philip Bryant, stepped down after 10 years of committed service to the College. At our staff farewell, we thanked Philip for this wonderful service to the College. The Vice-Chair of the Board, Nina Tassell, is the new Executive Board Chair.

Nina joined the Board in 2009 to offer her human resources expertise to the governance of the College. In the capacity of Human Resources Manager and as a member of the senior management team, Nina oversaw the human resources function for DOF Subsea’s Asia Pacific region for five years until commencing maternity leave in 2011. She is married to Adam and now a full-time carer of their four young children. Together they attend Nations Church in Myaree. We welcome Nina to this new governance role at Kennedy.
 

Chat GPT

You will no doubt be aware of the new Artificial Intelligence application known as Chat GPT. This is a chat software that uses massive databases to generate original, human-sounding responses to prompts from users. While it doesn't always produce correct answers, the tool has gained some notoriety as some people have used it to write essays and other assignments almost instantly.

After ongoing discussions and research, the decision has been made to block the use of this application onsite at Kennedy. The decision to block access to the AI service from the College servers is an interim measure and was primarily because of ChatGPT's terms of use, which specify that users must be at least 18 years of age. Whilst we encourage students to embrace current technology in their study strategies, we also need to ensure that students are accurately presenting their understanding and knowledge for assessment and diagnostic purposes. The use of this application will be reviewed on a regular basis. 

Chaplain Chats

And we’re back... 2023 has arrived and we are 11.5% of our way through the year already and it’s certainly up to cruising speed! I have loved getting to meet up with our newest members of our College. 

My Chaplain Chats are in every newsletter and it's my one place to communicate a little thought to the whole College. My hope with Chaplain Chats is to lift our view to see things in the light of hope and promise and not just broken and entropy.

There are many great ways to help us cope in this world where things seem to always break down. Health, relationships, trust, and peace, among many other things, all seem to not last long or break. Coping with that is hard and I often hear from students and adults that struggle with this challenge. In a previous Chat I have mentioned one of the greatest coping mechanisms known to man. Praying!! From just an earthly point of view, praying is a valid way to gather up the things that feel heavy and hand them over to another, hopefully with more strength to carry them. With God in the picture, there is a place where we can have our interaction with brokenness lifted to a place where restoration can happen. I have found God to be a redeemer. Redeemer means restorer, give Him something that’s broken and He will restore it to new, to its purpose, that’s who He is.

Year 7 Report

What a wonderful start it has been for our Year 7 students. Our Pre-Start Day gave students an opportunity to settle into their Form classes and start building valuable friendships with their peers. It was also amazing to see so many parents attend our Commencement Ceremony which marked the official start for students. Please click here for all photos. 

With such a busy week with events and adjusting to Secondary School, the Year 7s have settled in so well. I am hopeful that as the weeks go by, the students will start to find a routine that will help them feel more confident about life at Kennedy. We know that there may be challenging times ahead for them as they continue this transition, and the Pastoral Care team will be there to support them as best we can. 

As students learn more about Kennedy, we will encourage them to be open-minded and positive in all that they do. The Kennedy Journey is one that will transform students to be the best versions of themselves and we cannot wait to see what the rest of this year and beyond will bring.  I am really excited to get to know every student and see them flourish at Kennedy! 

Year 8 Report

Year 8 students returned and they are no longer the youngest in the College. They are now familiar with College expectations and eager to build on their friendships.

Form teachers welcomed students into classes and leaped into preparing them for a successful year by organising lockers, diaries, and timetables. As academic expectations may rise for students this year, students are encouraged to keep a clear study space at home and use a calendar to ensure they can manage homework, assessments, and extra-curricular activities with a planned approach.

The goal for Year 8s this year is to ‘Be Curious’ - keep an active mind, ask questions, listen, learn, and explore all dimensions of life to promote growth and development. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves academically, try new sports, attend social events, meet new people, and give God and faith a chance. I hope this goal will allow students to recognise their talents, achieve beyond expectation and grow their faith.

‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will hold you with my righteous hand,’ Isaiah 41:10

I am looking forward to a positive year of growth for all Year 8s. There is much opportunity for these students to contribute to a positive school culture. Bring on 2023!

Year 9 Report

It’s been a much more peaceful start to the year as compared to this time last year. I always love a fresh start to the year and I loved seeing the smiling faces back ready to go on the first day.

On the first morning of school, I was reminded of this Bible verse from Joshua 1:9.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I prayed this verse over the students, that they would be strong and courageous in all they do and know they don’t have to be afraid, they are not alone and God has promised to be with them wherever they go.

On the first day, I spoke to the Year 9 cohort about our Pastoral Care goal and focus for this year, which is looking at Identity and asking them the question, who am I becoming? We discussed the challenges of last year and talked about the opportunity for new beginnings in relation to behaviour, attitude, and the choices that we make. We looked at this year as being more social and having a focus on being more community oriented - looking out for one another. Our aim is to have specific year group socials (one each term) and be intentional with our Community Service opportunities. We will be partnering with St Bartholomew’s House residents where students can share stories over a BBQ lunch.

I am looking forward to a positive and productive year as we continue our journey through Secondary School. Remember, there is no question too big or small, and if you need to contact me you can via direct message on SEQTA, by calling the College, or via email sbritza@kennedy.wa.edu.au.

Year 10 Report

It was great to see the Year 10 students return to the College, ready for an exciting year ahead. I hope everyone enjoyed their well-deserved break. At the start of this term, we also welcomed nine new students to our cohort, and I would like to extend a special welcome to their families as well.

Year 10 is an important year for students to consider ‘the bigger picture’. Our focus for 2023 is ‘Where am I going?’ Students are encouraged to explore possible study pathways for Senior School and to consider career goals and other personal goals. Students are also encouraged to embrace each other’s differences and to create an inclusive environment where all students feel comfortable and cared for.

At the beginning of Term 2, from 24-28 April, students will be participating in Work Experience. This will provide students with an opportunity to observe workplaces and work practices and to gain valuable life skills. By now, all students should have their Work Experience placements finalised.

Whilst the start of this term has been largely positive, it is necessary to remind some students to please adhere to our Uniform Policy. I have spoken to the group about setting high standards and taking pride in their uniform and whilst most students are doing so, some students need to make adjustments to ensure that they are meeting expectations regarding their uniform. 

Year 11 Report

A warm ‘Welcome back’ to our Year 11 studnets. It has been such a positive start, and the Year 11s are transitioning to Senior School so well. Part of beginning a new year is setting goals and for Year 11 these relate to helping them become more responsible members of the communities they exist within, starting with the Kennedy community.

Recently, I came across ideas on ‘Fuelling a warm community” in order to create a greater connection for young people with faith, through helping them feel genuinely seen, valued and that their contributions matter to growing a community. This links so perfectly with the overarching Year 11 goal and starts with building relationships based on mutual respect. So that’s where we are beginning.

It is visible in the way the Year 11/7s are approaching the 11/7 Mentor Program; I am inspired by the kind compassion they are showing our newest cohort. It is visible in the welcome and acceptance being extended to the new Year 11s who have joined us. It is visible in the connections between students and their Form teachers and it is visible in the welcome they have extended to me as their 2023 HOY.

Already, Year 11 students are doing a tremendous job in helping fuel a warm community and I am grateful to be a part of that. As we move from those ‘first-time fears’ towards settling into the academic year, I have faith those initial connections will continue to flourish.

Year 12 Report

When addressing the Year 12 cohort last week I began with, “Welcome to your last ever, first day of school, Class of 2023!”, it is both exciting and perhaps scary to think that in only 8 months the Year 12’s will be leaving the College and preparing for life beyond their Secondary Education. 

I shared with the Year 12s from ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Viktor E Frankl, “Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.  You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you”. My challenge and goal for them is to choose a positive and can-do attitude. Thereby gaining the most out of their year ahead.

I want to take this time to reiterate that Year 12s will be journeying this final year alongside not just friends, but also parents, guardians, and staff members. Over the coming weeks, students will be put into small groups and have a designated mentor teacher, who will be checking in with them during the year.  This is in addition to their daily interactions with their Form teachers, the Pastoral Care team of Jessica Plenty (Psychologist) and Peter Chase (Chaplin) and myself.  If I can guarantee one thing, it will go fast and it may be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. 

Next Friday, I’m sure will be a College highlight for many Year 12s as they dress up and enjoy one another’s company at the annual Year 12 Ball, held at Fraser’s Restaurant.  I know not only the students, but the Executive team and many staff members are looking forward to the night.

So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV).

Kennedy News

College Notices

Year 7 Parent Afternoon Tea

Monday 13 February 2023, 5.00pm- 6.30pm.
(College Auditorium and The Terrace)

Parents are invited to an informal afternoon where they will be given an opportunity to meet and speak with teachers and connect with families of other students. Students are welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing you on Monday evening. 

Fees - Secondary Assistance Scheme

The State Government, through the Department of Education, provides financial support to eligible parents through the Secondary Assistance Scheme (SAS). The aim of the scheme is to assist low-income families with secondary school costs.

Eligible parents/guardians with students enrolled in Years 7 to 12, studying a full-time secondary course at a WA private school, will be able to apply for the SAS in 2023. The SAS consists of two allowances:

• $235 Education Program Allowance (payment made to the College, for the student); and
• $115 Clothing Allowance (payment made to the parent/guardian).

For all enquiries regarding the application process/forms visit our Reception or click here to download the form. Applications close on Thursday 6 April 2023.

Kennedy 'Beauty and the Beast' Production 2023

 Kennedy Baptist College is delighted to put together this much-loved Disney tale in an entertaining and touching presentation, complete with orchestra and a talented cast drawn from Year 7 to 12 students. Join us on Thursday 2 March 2023 - Saturday 4 March 2023. 

• Cast 1: Jenna Rodgers (Belle) / Ben Thomas (Beast) / Riley Verreyne (Gaston) – Thursday night (Opening night) and Saturday matinee. 
• Cast 2: Gabby Anthony (Belle) / Lawson Sullivan (Beast) / George Sayer (Gaston) – Friday night and Saturday night (Closing night).

The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 23 February 2022.