Photo above: The 2025 Sydney and Canberra Tour Group at Parliament House.

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians and Families, 

Welcome to Term 4 at Kennedy Baptist College. I trust everyone has had a restful break and students are eager to be involved once more in our College community. This term will continue to provide a wide range of opportunities for students across all Learning Areas and culminate with examinations for students in Years 9 to 12.

Uniform Standards

A letter previously sent to all families addressed our expected uniform standards now that we have returned to the summer uniform. I want to reinforce this communication by emphasising the importance of our dress standard in the culture of Kennedy. We have very clear expectations for standards of presentation, which are explicitly communicated to all members of our community. This also applies to our expectations for hairstyles. I want to emphasise that extreme hairstyles do not have a place in the Kennedy standards. Any hairstyle deemed extreme or not in line with our guidelines will be expected to be corrected as soon as possible.

We are excited for the significant term ahead and looking forward to ending 2025 with the same shared commitment to fostering a culture of collaboration, communication and mutual respect.

Mr Mark Ashby
Principal

Chaplain Chats

Over the holidays, I found myself learning from some unexpected teachers. From seasoned mentors to searching young minds, each encounter revealed a life lesson.

One of those teachers was former 6PR radio host and pastor, Graham Mabury, who shared his reflections on grief and loss through a biblical lens. Hearing him speak was overwhelming in the best way – full of wisdom, truth, and deep compassion. His words reminded me that we don’t run from pain. We meet people in it. We journey alongside them … sometimes silently. 

However one of the most confronting moments came from a 10-year-old camper. Angry, hurt, and full of big questions. In one conversation, they looked at me and asked, “Why can’t I retaliate when someone hurts me?” There was no malice in their voice, just pain and a longing for justice in a world that had let them down.

I looked into their eyes and silently cried out to God, “Where are You working in their life?” It was a raw, holy moment—a reminder that sometimes all we can do is trust God and believe that healing is possible, even when we can’t see it yet.

As we begin a new term, may we be people who look deeper, listen longer, and choose to respond with grace instead of retaliation. Even in the chaos, God is working. 

Kennedy News

Celebrating Student Achievement

We are proud of all the efforts of our students and would like to congratulate the following members of our community on their perseverance, sportsmanship, and outstanding achievements: 

• Lukas Miovski successfully completed a challenging one week promotional course at RAAF Base.

• Nikki Susanto won the Mixed Media and Textile category Award at the St George's Cathedral Art Exhibition.

• Isla Stockden was selected to represent Western Australia at the 2025 Little League Nationals in Brisbane, playing for Western Rays girls team.

• Billie McCracken was selected to represent Australia in the 2025 Open Skiff World Championships held in Japan. She placed 16th overall and 3rd in the female Under-17s category.

• Ahlia Jones played for Australia in the Under-15s category at the Softball World Cup, held in Italy.

• Morrie Goodsell won 4 state medals in the WA State Surf Life Saving Pool Rescue Championships.

• Ty Cleland was runner up in the SSWA Year 9/10 Boys Golf Championship.

• Heejoo Cho was runner up in the SSWA Year 11/12 Girls Golf Championship.

• Oliver Newman won the 'Phillip Pendal Award' for the second year in a row, through the City of South Perth Historical Society.

• Rafael Widjaja has been commended for the 2025 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards for his poem: 'Water on a Taro Leaf'.

• Nate Scott and Lily Hess were both selected into the ACC AFL All Stars Boys and Girls Teams. 

• Lylah Wallace, Ava Harrison and Stella Tolliday have all been selected into the 2025 14 and Under Fever in Time (FIT) Netball Program. The girls have been identified as emerging talent on the Netball WA Pathway and will compete in the State Cup this month.

If your child has achieved a significant milestone that you would love to see the school acknowledge, please email their Head of Year with more information about their achievements. 

Sydney Canberra Tour

During the recent school holidays, 32 Year 9 students and five staff members embarked on a wonderful educational tour of our national capital Canberra and the city of Sydney.

Read more about our fantastic trip by clicking on the link below.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $510 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs in 2025. The rebate is paid directly to the college upon completion of the excursion.

Year 12 Grad Week!

Our Year 12 students wrapped up their final term of school by celebrating with a fun-filled Grad Week, dressing up in a different theme every day.

The week kicked off with 'Senior Citizen Day', followed by 'Dress as a Teacher Day', then 'Recreate a Baby Photo Day' on Wednesday and finally finished with 'In 10 Years’ Time Day'. It was a joyful way for our Year 12s to mark their last official week of school before turning their focus toward final exams and assessments. 

Check out the Highlights from last Term in the video below!

Back to School Information

Important Dates

Please make sure to check Parent Lounge regularly for notifications and important updates on College events. Here is a short list of significant, whole-school events happening this Term.

• Wednesday 22 October - Year 12 Awards Assembly and Last Day
• Wednesday 29 October - Champions Read Dress Up Day and Parade
• Wednesday 5 November - Year 11 Awards Assembly
• Friday 21 November - Year 12 Graduation Ceremony
• Monday 24 November - Last day for Year 11 Students
• Tuesday 9 December - Year 7 to 10 Awards Assembly and Term 4 Concludes
• Friday 12 December - Kennedy Office closes for school holidays

Uniform Requirements

We wish to remind all students of the uniform requirements as per the Uniform Policy on the website. Some guidelines are listed below, and further information can be found in the Uniform Policy.

• Students are required to wear Summer uniform during Term 4.
• Closed in shoes must be worn on campus without exception including ‘free-dress’ days and after or before sports training at the College.
• Please ensure students remove all extra piercings. Students may wear clear plastic studs to keep piercings open.

The Uniform Shop Term 4 opening hours are Monday to Thursday 8.00am - 3.45pm, closed from 12.30-1.00pm.

College Notices

Updating Your Details Through Parent Lounge

It is important that families keep their contact details up to date within Parent Lounge as this information allows the College to send out important communications through SEQTA, from both administration and teaching staff. When a student is under the care of both of their parents or guardians, each parent/guardian should have their details up to date.

Please check that the information for both parents/guardians, including email address and home address, is up to date within Parent Lounge by following this helpful guide.

Upcoming Events

Instrumental Music Recitals

We warmly invite you to join us for three evenings of music as our talented students share their learning and progress in their Instrumental Music Recitals. Happening from Monday 27 October to Wednesday 29 October at the Kennedy Auditorium and Music Rooms. See more information below.

The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 30 October 2025.