Photo above: Touring wonders of the world on the 2025 Cambodia Mission Trip!

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians and Families,

I trust the term is going well for all families. One of Kennedy’s key goals is to create meaningful engagement with our community.  In the coming weeks, we are excited to host several events that highlight the vibrant life of our College and allow families to connect.

Here are some upcoming events:

• Dance Showcase (Places to go, People to meet) – Friday 8 August. This provides a wonderful opportunity for dance students to perform publicly in our community and promises to be a great evening.
• Interhouse Athletics Carnival - Friday 15 August. We will hold our Interhouse Athletics Carnival at WA Athletics Centre. This is a compulsory event for all students to support and compete for their House. Similarly, we encourage all families to attend and support on the day.
• Community Open Day – Saturday 23 August. Our Community Open Day 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.
• Father’s Day Breakfast – Thursday 4 September. Dads are invited to join us for a Father’s Day breakfast celebration. This year, we are pleased to welcome guest speaker Dan Rodgers from Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, who will share insights on balancing the demands of modern life with the responsibilities of fatherhood.

It was a pleasure to celebrate the achievements of Year 7-9 students at our awards assembly yesterday and the Year 10-12 students last week. The presentation of certificates of excellence and achievement promotes and highlights the exceptional standards that our students are achieving. Congratulations to the recipients of these significant awards.

Finally, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Tristan Ward as Head of Year 7 for 2026. Tristan brings a strong commitment to student wellbeing and leadership, and we are confident that he will support our incoming cohort with care and dedication.

We appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to sharing more opportunities with you during the Term 3 journey.

Mr Mark Ashby
Principal

Chaplain Chats

We all know that Spiderman is the hero, but somehow the other characters in his story don’t see him this way! If only they knew what we knew, that he’s only trying to help everyone, maybe they would see things differently. The issue in this story, is perspective.  

Have you ever had one of those moments where you have a new perspective on a problem or a situation that changes everything you previously thought? Gaining a fresh perspective, some new information, or seeing something through new eyes - often lead to a change of opinion. I am bringing this up as it is an important aspect of a chaplain’s role. Chaplains sit with people that are experiencing a stressful situation and try to offer new ways to see things. The desired outcome is that the same situation is provided with a different perspective, resulting in less stress. We often need help to ‘see’ things differently. Once we ‘see’ something we find it hard to see it another way. For example, if an ink blot looks like a dog, it’s almost impossible to see anything other than a dog! 

This can also happen with our journey into faith and meaning. I have had many interactions with people that see the world in a particular way with no inclination to see it differently. If we try to change the way a person sees, the result often leads to broken relationships and disunity. The point I’d love you to take away from this short article is to spend less time trying to change the view of another person and to spend more time pondering your own perspectives. Asking yourselves, and asking others, if we truly ‘see' what we are looking at. 

Curriculum Report

To begin Term 3, we recognised the academic achievements of students across all year groups with two Award Assemblies. Well done to all students who continue to apply themselves not only in class, but with revision and practice. At the start of each year, the College seeks to identify and acknowledge students who 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 school. 

NAPLAN results

NAPLAN results for Year 7 and 9 have be released through SEQTA under ‘Reports’. In NAPLAN reports students are placed in one of four categories: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs Additional Support. The first page of the report also describes what a student typically demonstrates within each category. Year 9 students who have not demonstrated the Literacy & Numeracy requirements for the WACE will be provided their first opportunity to sit OLNA at the start of Term 4. More information about NAPLAN and OLNA is being distributed to families. 

Year 12 ATAR revision

Year 12 students are in their final weeks of scheduled classes with the end of Term 3 concluding formal lessons. ATAR students have College written examinations in the second week of the school holidays and the first three days of Term 4. Now 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. 

Thank you to all Year 7 to 11 families for completing course selections for 2026. Students and families will be informed of their 2026 courses 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. 

Pastoral Care Report

At Kennedy, we encourage students to strive for personal excellence and want to acknowledge those who succeed in a wide range of academic successes in our two Award Assemblies at the beginning of Term 3. Congratulations to all award recipients! 

Year 11 / 7 Mentor Program

In their Extended Form in Week 3, our Year 10 students will be invited to apply for the role of 11/7 Mentor. This program equips Year 11 mentors to develop skills in communication, teamwork, and leadership by supporting our incoming Year 7 students as they begin their Kennedy journey. It is a rewarding opportunity that contributes to both personal growth and the development of our college community. 

Kennedy Day

Leadership is a pillar of the Pastoral Care program here at Kennedy Baptist College. One of the key student-led events this term is Kennedy Day, happening in Week 6 on Wednesday 21 August. The day will begin with a student-organised assembly, followed by an extended break, where students get to enjoy Boost Juice, Bubble Tea and Ice Cream from supplied food vans. The regular Beedawong café menu will be available for in-store purchases only (no online orders).  

2026 Student Executive Leadership Team

We are also starting the process of selecting our 2026 Student Executive Leadership Team this term. Candidates will go through a comprehensive selection process that includes written applications, interviews, peer voting, and staff feedback. These student leaders will play a vital role in mentoring others, organising events, and embodying the college's values across campus. 

As Term 3 progresses, we encourage all students to take advantage of the opportunities and services available at Kennedy. For those who may need extra support—whether academic or emotional—our Pastoral Care Team is here to help. 

Kennedy News

Term 3 Award Assemblies

Congratulations to all of the students who received awards at our previous Awards Assemblies. Certificates of Excellence were presented to the students who achieved the highest mark in a subject, Certificates of Achievement for outstanding academic results and Academic House Awards for the top 5 students who achieved the highest academic results within their year group.

Both assemblies were fantastic mornings filled with celebration and pride as our students were recognised for their outstanding efforts from Semester One. Thank you to all the parents and family members for joining this celebration. 

Click below to view more photos from the assemblies. 

2025 Cambodia Tour

Every year, a group of Kennedy students and staff travel to Phnom Penh to work alongside Transform Cambodia to volunteer and teach in their schools.

At 2am on Friday 27 June they left a freezing cold Perth and flew to Cambodia for two unforgettable weeks in a country where so many have so little. The tour group participated in fulfilling and educational days teaching in the Transform centre, while also enjoying the sites and highlights that Cambodia has to offer. 

From shopping trips, wonders of the world and spiders, the biggest highlight of all was the relationships formed with the people in Cambodia, and with each other.

Click below to hear more about this amazing tour to see more photos!

Fiona Stanley Music Performance

On Thursday 26 June, our amazing Year 11 and 12 music students had the wonderful opportunity to showcase their talents at Fiona Stanley Hospital, in collaboration with the hospital’s Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy team. Our students truly wowed the audience with a variety of solo and small group performances.

A hospital staff member shared, "What a great program—the arts really do heal. Congratulations to these talented young musicians. Thanks so much, it brightened my workday. It’s also fantastic for patients and visitors."

Another nurse commented, "It was so lovely to hear before my shift started. I’d love to have the Kennedy students come back again—they were fabulous."

A big thank you to Mrs Stephanie Manns, Mrs Karen Billingham, and Ms Danielle Berkelaar for their support of this wonderful initiative. We are looking forward to doing it again!

Mrs Janelle Anthony
Head of Performing Arts

Pedal Prix Race #3

Despite our low numbers, the students performed amazingly. The weather was great with no rain, and the whole team left the racetrack very happy with the outcome of their efforts.

A massive thank you goes out to Mr Adam Handley and Mr Fred Rozells for leading the team this weekend. We can’t wait for our final race of the Western Australian season, in Busselton on Sunday 24 August.    

Mr Brad Gunter
Pedal Prix Coordinator

College Notices

2026 Term Dates

To help families prepare for next year, Kennedy have confirmed the Term dates for 2026.

• Term 1 Monday 2 February to Thursday 2 April
• Term 2 Wednesday 22 April to Friday 26 June
• Term 3 Tuesday 21 July to Thursday 24 September
• Term 4 Monday 12 October to Tuesday 8 December

Please note that these dates differ from public schools.

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 or here.

New BPay Reference Number

Government Collection and Census Notice

Please check your emails for information on the Government State & Federal School Census, taking place on Friday 1 August 2025. Click here for more information. 

Tickets are still available to purchase for our annual Dance Showcase! Happening next week on Friday 8 August, 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.

Ingredients needed for Jam and Chutney Making!

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:

Save the date for our Father's Day Breakfast held on Thursday 4 September 2025 from 7:15am to 9:30am. More details and ticket information coming soon. 

The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 14 August 2025.