Photo above: Mother's Day Breakfast.  

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Families,

As examinations approach for Years 7-12 students, I would like to highlight the importance of this testing process and the preparation required for these assessments. Students need to have a study program in place. I am going to assume that for most students this has already commenced. However, if it not, students need to commence their process and preparation as soon as possible. Effective study needs to be active - it is not simply reading class notes. If students are not sure how to make their study time more effective, please seek out the support of our staff and resources in the Research and Study Centre. I encourage everyone to view these examinations as opportunities to demonstrate their skills and achievement and make the most of their Kennedy journey. 
 

Biennial College Survey

Thank you to everyone who completed our biennial survey. Your feedback regarding the College is always greatly appreciated. This data is now being reviewed and will be presented to a range of departments for discussion in our efforts to maintain a culture of ongoing reflection and improvement. Summary reviews of the feedback will be presented in the next newsletter.
 

Community Open Day Volunteers and Contribution 

Our Parents and Friends Association has formed an Open Day Parent Committee to commence planning for this year’s Community Open Day which will be held on Saturday 19 August from 11.00am – 3.00pm. 

The structure of Open Day will be similar to last year and aims to provide a snapshot of the many facets of life at Kennedy. Often families infer that Open Day is only an occasion to promote the College for prospective families; however, our focus is also for current families to experience and view the achievements of their child/ren. This year will be particularly special as it offers a great opportunity for families to experience our newly refurbished Auditorium and Lower Foyer, opening next term. I am particularly excited about the range of presentations and performances from Visual Art, Drama, Dance, and Music that will be showcased, along with the many other exciting things in all the other Learning Areas.

Our Parents and Friends are asking for volunteers to contribute to planning for the day. There are many ways to be involved, and I encourage our parent community to get involved and support the P&F’s vision this year. We hope you consider assisting and that everyone can join us for Open Day. 

Mr Mark Ashby
Principal

Chaplain Chats

Hope is like Vitamin C. This is my attention-grabbing opening line for this week’s article. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is a very familiar substance. My recent research has shown me why it has so much importance and why it’s like HOPE. Humans don’t make their own Vitamin C. Interestingly, some apes and guinea pigs don’t make it either! Humans can store about 30 days supply. To maintain this supply, we need about an orange worth of Vitamin C per day, 60mg. Without Vitamin C our bodies have poor immunity and cannot maintain our connective tissue, so we can’t defend ourselves and we literally start to fall apart, this condition is called Scurvy.

So why is Vitamin C like Hope? To set the scene for this thought, HOPE has featured in the Year 12 Christian Education session I am running this term. We ask the question, “If God is real why is there pain and suffering?”. In this session, we look at how all people, of differing world views, manage the challenge of suffering. Everyone experiences some level of pain and suffering. We all know HOPE becomes the central feature of finding a way through. If there is no hope, then there is no point to enduring the overwhelming challenges that come in life. The challenge is that humans find it hard to generate our own hope if it doesn’t come from outside of us. If there is no purpose to life, nothing above or beyond or lives, hope runs out quickly. Everyone, whether a person of faith or not, can find hope running out, I know I have at times.

Just like Vitamin C, we need a regular supply of HOPE to hold it all together. To finish please consider these two things. One, continue to eat your oranges, particularly in this season, and two, enjoy putting your trust in the God of Hope. If you need help with your Hope please let someone know.

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you put your trust in Him."

Year 7 Report

It was great to see our Year 7 students in their full winter uniform as they returned for the start of Term 2.

We began the term with our highly successful Year 7 Day Camp with our partners Scripture Union. Students arrived at Lakeside Recreation Centre full of anticipation and excitement on a wonderful sunny day. The day is designed to focus on consolidating relationships and creating new friendships all while challenging students in a range of activities. From raft games to rock climbing, it was great to see so many students extending their abilities and pushing boundaries.

As we navigate the term, it is great to continually build on the positive nature that this cohort has created. I want to encourage all students to continue to be positive and respectful in all that they do. There is no doubt that this term will see some new challenges that we hope students will embrace and learn from. A great Bible verse that I hope we can all ponder for this term and beyond is Matthew 19:26. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  

Year 8 Report

Students are back in full swing for Term 2 and are looking smart in their winter uniforms.

This term, students will be given the option to attend a year group social at Bounce in Week 8 to further develop friendships outside of the College grounds and in a more informal environment. This social event is very popular amongst students and is full of energy, fun, and engagement. More details will be released in the coming weeks.

Teachers have been working on goal setting with Year 8 students to establish educational outcomes as they progress through high school. Parent-Teacher Interviews were a great opportunity for parents to understand their child’s progress and develop strategies to support learning with the guidance of teachers. If parents were unable to meet the teachers and are seeking some strategies at home for study and revision, please reach out to staff via direct message or check out this link regarding Study Skills for Years 7-8.  

Year 8s will be completing several assessments over the coming weeks as semester reports are released in Term 2. I encourage families to establish study plans at home that are conducive to learning, such as a quiet space without access to distractions, such as phones or gaming. Your children need you to help guide them with these positive study techniques to better equip them for senior school.

I would love to leave you with the following encouragement from Psalm 128:2 (CEB). “You will definitely enjoy what you’ve worked hard for — you’ll be happy; and things will go well for you.” 

Year 9 Report

Term 2 is well underway and the Year 9 students have begun preparing for their first-ever Kennedy exams. We will do some study revision later this term during Extended Form in preparation for these exams. Students will also have adequate time to revise in their individual classes as well.

If you notice your child starting to become worried or stressed about the exam period, I would encourage you to reach out to me or the College Counsillor so we can offer support during school hours. While writing this, I was reminded about one of my favourite Bible verses that I will be reading to the cohort at our next Extended Form. Philippians 4:6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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 in Christ Jesus."

In Term 2 we will commence rotations for Extended Form where we will explore some topics such as friendship and conflict resolution, personality, identity, and who we are becoming. We will also look into some Protective Behaviour issues that are affecting our year group at the moment. I recognise that these are challenging and thought-provoking topics, so we made sure that they are interspersed with other fun activities.

This term another highlight will be our Community Service events. We will continue with three more Form classes visiting the St Bartholomew’s House and enjoying a BBQ with the residents.

Something to look forward to is our first social event where students will enjoy a few games of Ten Pin Bowling to celebrate finishing exams. This will be organised shortly after the exams finish. Our year group socials prove to be a great opportunity for students to come together and strengthen friendships and have some fun. I’m hoping for a very positive term and looking forward to our activities.

Year 10 Report

It was great to hear the Year 10s enjoyed their Work Experience during the first week of term. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to get a taste of the workplace and to improve their communication and team-building skills. The feedback from workplace supervisors was very positive.

During Extended Form this term, there will be a focus on protective behaviours. In Week 4, Azelene Williams, from Perennial Health Institute, will be presenting on the topics of Consent and Coercion. By teaching teenagers about consent, students are provided with the tools necessary to express their limits. It is also critical that students are aware of coercion and how to identify warning signs. I would encourage parents to have open conversations with their children about these topics.

Today, students from Year 9 and 10 will combine to participate in a school social event – laser tag, run by Laser Corps, Bibra Lake. This event provides students with an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company in a fun and safe environment. It will also be great to see students from two different year groups interacting with one another.

I’d like to encourage students to get involved in the opportunities provided at Kennedy Baptist College, including social events, sport, music, drama, camps, as well as trips and tours. We have a fantastic school community. I’d like to see our cohort be more positive and supportive of one another and embrace opportunities to spend time together. Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”

Year 11 Report

We finished Term 1 with our Year 11 Camp and Term 2 is well underway! The Year 11s will, in just a few weeks, be facing their exams and our Parent-Teacher Interviews provided a great opportunity for feedback on how students are progressing, and some pointers of what to work on in preparation for these exams. I recognise that for many of our students this is a time of heightened stress, The Research and Study Centre workshops conducted this week were designed to help students develop their study skills, or to generate a little more balance in life to reduce that stress.

It can be natural for students to feel overwhelmed at this point and to think that they are alone in feeling that way. I encourage them to speak up and ask for guidance, talk to subject teachers about content they find difficult, ask for specific help, or ask for help in general. The old saying goes that a problem shared is a problem halved and this generally is the case. There is so much support around our students that they can tap into. Sometimes they just need a small amount of courage to do so.

Beyond teachers, I would encourage your child to check in with your friends and classmates. They may be feeling the same way and a simple “Hi, how’s it going?” will make a world of difference. 

I wish our Year 11s well in the coming weeks and hope they can plot a route through by drawing on the warmth of the community around them. 

Year 12 Report

Welcome to Term 2! I would like to remind parents that an email was sent out regarding updates on the Leaver’s Jackets and I look forward to seeing students in these jackets soon.

I mentioned in the previous newsletter (end Term 1), to encourage parents to have intentional conversations with their child about how they are tracking at College. Utilising SEQTA and coming to the Parent-Teacher Interviews will provide parents with valuable feedback and insight as to how their child can continue to achieve their individual goals. Our Parent-Teacher Interviews occurred last week and it was lovely to see so many parents on campus.

It has been said to the Year 12s that their last year is supposed to be a “hard year” in terms of academic expectations. Naturally, each year progressively gets more complex and advanced than the previous year. I would encourage students that their Year 12 education should be their priority over socialising and even paid employment. I am genuinely concerned with the rising number of passing comments made by students, living off minimal hours of sleep, the hours of screen time (social media), and the number of (paid) work hours per week – which for some, increases procrastination of assessments, high-stress levels, and poor attention during class time. I recommend having conversations with your child about what they can do to maintain good balance and ensure they receive the best result for themselves during the remaining time they have at Kennedy.   

During Extended Forms for Term 2 and 3, the Year 12 Form teachers and I are aiming to prepare the Class of 2023 with some life skills for ‘life after Kennedy’. Students have had input into topics, and together with the Form teachers we have suggested skills we believe to be useful to have in preparation for the ‘big world’.  Some of the suggestions include budgeting and taxes, interviews and resumes, TISC/ University offers and applying for scholarships, considerations for the rental market, and basic car maintenance... 

As always, please be in contact with any concerns, queries or questions to myself, Form teachers or even your child’s mentor teacher should situations arise or additional support be required for your child. 

Kennedy News
 

College Notices

The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 25 May 2023.