No images? Click here
News from Kennedy | Spring Edition 2025
Message from the Principal
Welcome to our Semester Newsletter
As we approach the end of another rewarding year at Kennedy Baptist College, we bring together a selection of achievements from our community of students, staff and Alumni.
We have taken time to reflect on this sense of community with the recent completion of two important surveys, the Student Flourishing in Australian Christian Schools study and the Kennedy Baptist College biannual survey. The former helps to contextualise our success in Pastoral Care with Kennedy students rating higher than average in every key domain of flourishing, from ‘Happiness and life satisfaction’ to ‘Meaning and purpose’. Our biannual survey also affirms what makes Kennedy special and the feedback will help to strengthen our shared vision for the College as we approach 2026.
This new year will bring with it a refreshed campus, with works on the new Study Centre progressing well. This modern facility will provide flexible spaces for study, collaboration and independent learning and is key part of our current Masterplan for the College.
While it is exciting to look forward at what the future holds, I am proud of the success of all students at the College throughout this year. Thank you to our students, staff and families for your continued partnership in this journey. Together, we are helping every student at Kennedy discover a love for lifelong learning, faith and excellence.
I invite you to explore what makes Kennedy Baptist College a community of choice for so many.
Mark Ashby
Principal
Culture and Community
Our culture is one that students, families and staff can be proud of. This is borne out in the recent surveys completed by students and parent/carers where social relationships were rated an above average score, parents/carers gave the College's student transition program 4.10 stars and our Values and Culture featured in the top five areas of satisfaction for both students and families in our biannal survey.
These kinds of results don’t happen overnight and are built and sustained through the passion of our staff and the strength of our Pastoral Care program. In the everyday, this means support from our Chaplaincy team as well as a dedicated College psychologist and counsellors. It also means a strong journey of formation, all the way from the Year 7’s focus on ‘Belonging’ through to our Year 12’s story of ‘Growth’.
We work to create events throughout the year that reinforce our sense of community, including the staff vs student battles to celebrate RUOK? Day, the student-led activities of Be Brio Week or Kennedy Day, organised each year by our student councillors. These collaborative efforts help students, families and staff to be involved and invested in a culture that is underpinned by Christian faith and flourishing.
Join the culture at Kennedy and be part of a Christ-centre community today.
Campus News
2025 NAPLAN Results
We are delighted with the performance of our students, whose results once again stand well above both state and national averages.
Equally encouraging is the demonstrated growth from Year 7 to Year 9. The data shows Kennedy students achieving gains that exceed national expectations, with particularly strong improvements in grammar and writing. These results are a testament to the dedication of our students and staff, and we are very proud of their efforts.
From 81 million to 195 million words in three years
We are proud of our reading culture. Find out how we track our student reading.
Kennedy Talent in State Exhibition
Year 10 student Nikki won her category of ‘Mixed Media & Textiles’ during the St. George’s Cathedral Art Exhibition with appropriations of Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Wheat Field with Cypresses’ (1889). Encouraging our students to enter prizes such as this helps to nurture their passions and explore where their talents might take them in the future. Well done, Nikki!
Places to Dance
Our Dance Showcases are not to be missed, which is why friends, family and Alumni all flocked to Kennedy for this year’s edition: ‘Places to Go, People to Meet’. Our modern Auditorium combined with a great range of costumes to accompany us through a range of dance styles choreographed by both teachers and students.
Pedal Prix Goes National
Our Pedal Prix team’s performance throughout 2025 warranted an invitation to the ‘Bathurst of Pedal Prix Racing’ in September, with students joining Hale School at the 24-hour Australian International Pedal Prix.
This extracurricular activity pushes students to perform athletically while honing their knowledge of engineering. After four years in the sport, we’re excited to see where our students go next.
Overall Champions in 'D' Division
We’re thrilled to be crowned Overall Champion in the recent ACC Athletics ‘D’ Division Carnival. Moving up a division in the competitive ACC Athletics scene is a rare feat and was something that our students achieved through weeks of preparation and strong performances on the day.
Teams and Player Success
Kennedy Baptist College’s excellent Specialist Sports Programs provide students with the opportunity to train with professional coaches and perform in competitive environments.
Recent results from our Specialist teams include the SASJ Boys basketball team winning the grand final for the district while the Junior Girls basketball team were runners up in their ACC grand final. Meanwhile, our Cricket players have been hard at work at Elite Cricket Training and Athlete X Gym in preparation for another great Summer.
Thanks to our strong engagement in interschool competitions, our students have been able to represent Kennedy in a range of different sports beyond our Specialist Programs. Notable results include the SASJ Girls netball team winning their final and the Year 7 Girls running second in their ACC AFL final.
Individual students were recognised in ACC All Stars teams with Flynn Lewis (Year 10) for Cricket also winning player of the match, Anddie Duan (Year 12), Liam Steele (Year 7), Christian Watson (Year 10) and Kaiyo Tan (Year 10) featuring in Swimming, while Year 12 students Jemma Passmore (Netball), Nate Scott (AFL) and Lily Hess (AFL) made it into their sport’s respective teams.
Our Partnership with Transform Cambodia
Cambodia Tour
Every year, a group of Kennedy students and staff travel to Phnom Penh to work alongside Transform Cambodia.
Through our ongoing partnership with Transform Cambodia, our students have the opportunity to work directly with the children from the slums of Phnom Penh and assist in the vital work of developing English language skills, with our particular focus being on pronunciation.
Graduation Visit
On a special visit to Cambodia, Mr Ashby and Mr Dunn joined in celebrating the graduation of high school students supported through Kennedy’s partnership initiatives with Transform Cambodia. It was a joyful occasion marking years of perseverance and growth which is a testament to what can happen when education, faith and opportunity come together.
We have many children in the Transform Family available for sponsorship – full of potential and ready for a different future. For just $90/month, you can support a child and help rewrite their story.
Community Events
Upcoming Kennedy Insights
Our Kennedy Insights are forums open to all adults of our community.
Join us for an evening of learning and discussion as we explore artificial intelligence and it's relevance in youth today.
Alumni News
As well as Kennedy Alumni, we are excited to welcome the Alumni of our two forerunner schools, Winthrop Baptist College and Somerville Baptist College, into our Alumni family. Join us now as we expand our Alumni network and rediscover our shared history.
Use the link below to update your email and contact number for updates and reunions.
Are you interested in reconnecting with your fellow alumni? If so, please email us to help coordinate a reunion event.
Your Story, Our Shared History
Whether you were part of Winthrop Baptist College, Somerville Baptist College, or Kennedy Baptist College, your story is woven into the fabric of who we are today.
We're continuing to share the success of our Alumni after graduation and would love to hear your story of lifelong learning. Connect with us to be feature in one of our Alumni Spotlights.
Chelsea Hanham
There are many different ways for students to learn while at Kennedy and, for Alumni member Chelsea, the lesson that shaped her career didn’t happen in class but while participating in one of our Pastoral Care programs.
Now a valued teacher at the College, Chelsea is helping to teach and guide our students while receiving the personal and professional support that Kennedy offers its staff.
Joe Frost
2017 graduate Joe Frost knows what it is to pursue a path of lifelong learning. A beneficiary of our ATAR Arts course's emphasis on creating and learning alongside networking, Joe is at the early stages of a career in the arts. So far, his success has included prizes and exhibitions, commissions and selling, and the development of courses for at-risk students.
While his career is flourishing, he admits that it wasn't a straightforward journey.
Jordan Pescud
University of Cambridge bound, Jordan is sure that her academic success at Kennedy isn't the only thing she'll take with her to the United Kingdom.
Indeed, Jordan credits Kennedy's emphasis on Pastoral Care and the balancing of study with social activities as reasons why she isn't afraid to move across the globe to pursue her dreams.
Upcoming Reunion
Attention Winthrop Class of 2000: We are excited to announce that a reunion event will take place on Saturday 8 November. If you plan to attend, RSVP below. We hope to see you there!
Future Enrolment Information
Upcoming College Tour
If you have missed the previous College Tour, please come along to our next College Tour.
Update your enrolment
Make sure that your details are up to date to help us in our communications.
Orientation Day, Year 7 2026
We look forward to welcoming our incoming Year 7 families on Friday 28 November 2025. Please check your email for more information regarding that day. We hope to see you there.
Parent information session for Year 7, 2028
Registered families with children currently in Year 5 will receive an invitation in January for their Parent Information Evening on Tuesday February 17 2026.
Please check that your details are up to date with Kennedy Baptist College and keep an eye out for the email.
Transitioning to Kennedy next year?
We understand that moving from primary to secondary school is a big change. We are committed to ensuring your child experiences a smooth and welcoming transition at Kennedy. The information on this page will help you navigate this journey.
Settling In with the Support of Our 11/7 Mentors
Starting high school can be both exciting and daunting, but for our Year 7 students, the transition was made much smoother thanks to the incredible support of the 11/7 Mentors.
Year 7 student Toby Smith shared his gratitude on behalf of his cohort:
“Transitioning to high school can be difficult and strange, and the Year 11s made it a whole lot easier,” Toby said. “On Orientation Day, we were greeted by a group of friendly blue-shirted mentors who knew exactly what to do and offered us so much support. That same encouragement continued into Pre-start Day, where they helped us feel calm and confident.”
The mentors guided students around the College, helped them adjust to new routines, and made sure no one felt lost—literally or figuratively. “They kept us company at recess and lunch, encouraged us to make friends, and were always patient,” Toby shared.
Beyond guidance, the Year 7s and mentors created lasting memories. “We enjoyed many laughs, funny conversations, games, and even got soaked a few times,” Toby recalled. “We really appreciated that they stuck with us for a couple of extra weeks—it showed how much they cared.”
Keep Up To Date
Discover more about what is happening at Kennedy by subscribing to our fortnightly newsletter or following along on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Acknowledgement of Country
Kennedy Baptist College acknowledges the people who are the traditional custodians of the land and pays respect to the Elders, past and present, and extends that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
