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Photo above: Term 2 Assembly and ANZAC Service.
Message from the Principal
Dear Parents and Families,
Welcome to Term 2 at Kennedy Baptist College. I trust everyone had a wonderful relaxing holiday.
Kennedy prides itself on the outstanding extra-curricular programs on offer and it was wonderful to experience these opportunities firsthand during the last few weeks of Term 1. Our Year 8 and 11 camps provided great opportunities for students to be challenged through a range of activities and also provided the chance to form new friendships along the way. I hope these experiences were appreciated by all students involved.
Kennedy has a staff culture of reflection and improvement to provide the best possible educational services for
our families. During the term break, I had the pleasure of escorting our Executive Leadership team to a world education leadership conference held in Singapore. Titled, Edulead: The Future of Education. It was a wonderful opportunity for our leadership team to be exposed to current international research and trends in schools. Our goal is to now examine ways to introduce these findings into the College pedagogy and Pastoral Care programs.
Semester Examinations
This term promises to be an exciting but also challenging one for everyone as the end of Semester One approaches quickly and assessments have a major impact on final grades.
As examinations approach it is important to review the reason for such assessments at Kennedy. All assessments provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate their achievements so that teachers can review academic progress. The use of assessments as a diagnostic tool is vitally important to staff and strategies are then implemented in response to student performance. This may be in the form of support through additional instruction, tutoring, or intensive remediation. It may also include extension or enrichment if this need has been identified. Examinations provide a great opportunity to review the semester’s achievements and provide this analytic data.
A reminder to our Year 11 and 12 students about the importance of examinations:
- Year 11 examinations greatly impact on semester grades required for WACE graduation.
- Year 12 examinations greatly impact semester marks/grades that contribute to a student’s ATAR and WACE graduation prospects.
I trust everyone has a fulfilling and rewarding term 2 at Kennedy.
Chaplain Chats
We have so many annual reminders in our yearly calendar. They are spread across our year and serve to remind us to pause for a moment and refresh our memories of things that are important.
Most recently Kennedy remembered Easter and ANZAC day. The flow of life can sweep along at such a speed we forget things that are important to remember. It is good to remember the birthday of those close to us, to spend a day celebrating a person we know. There are anniversaries of marriages and losses of loved ones that again keep the memory fresh in the present day.
It is often said that “the one thing we learn from history is that we NEVER learn from history”! The truth of this statement was fresh in my mind as we recognised Easter and ANZAC day this year. All of us have a habit of not remembering our mistakes when we are frustrated at another person's actions. We often say that someone “always” does things that upset us, or they “never” do the thing we would like, all the time forgetting the many times they do. Observing Easter and ANZAC this year made me think about how remembering is a form of learning. Remembering a mistake helps us to not do it again, remembering a success can serve to repeat it.
Easter and ANZAC day made me remember that self-sacrifice is a powerful human action that does leave a mark on others. Sometimes we personally feel that our self-sacrifice can be abused or forgotten by others, but Easter and ANZAC day reminds us that it is always potent. I made the comment at our College Assembly that self-sacrifice is LOVE in action and love is the most powerful force in human lives. I want to remind us to remember and learn from those times when love made a difference in our lives. Lest We Forget.
College Notices
Mother's Day Breakfast
Our annual Mother's Day event will be on Thursday 11 May 2023 at 7.30am. This will be a fun-filled morning so come and join other Kennedy mums over a cuppa and a scrumptious breakfast. We are now at full capacity and ask that you register to go onto the waiting list. If you have registered and can no longer attend, please inform the College as soon as possible so we can give your spot to another available mum. Please note that this is a parent event only.
Term 2 P&F General Meeting
The Parents & Friends Association is having their Term 2 General Meeting on Tuesday 2 May in the College Boardroom at 5.00pm.
Open Day P&F Planning
Community Open Day planning is also around the corner and we would love to invite you to be part of our planning committee! Please join their General Meeting for more information or email the committee.
P&F Sausage Sizzle Volunteer
Come and support the P&F's first Fundraiser at Bunnings O'Connor on Saturday 6 May 2023.
The P&F is looking for volunteers who are willing to lend them a hand on the day. See link below for more information and timeslots. We hope to see you there!
Parent-Teacher Interviews
Our Parent-Teacher Interviews will take place on Wednesday 3 May and Thursday 4 May. These interviews will be an excellent opportunity for parents to meet with our teaching staff and discuss their child's progress and concerns. *Please note students finish at 1:05pm on Wednesday 4 May and do not attend College on Thursday 5 May.
Student Achievements
Kennedy celebrates students and their talents and achievements. We would love to know if your child has achieved a significant milestone in any area.
Please complete this form below or email your Head of Year with more information about your child.
Instrumental Music Update
There are now 156 individual and group music lessons that occur on a weekly basis with our highly qualified and experienced Music tutors. This shows continued growth and interest in our Music program at Kennedy.
There are around 90 students also actively involved in our Ensemble program, attending before-school, lunchtime and after-school rehearsals.
Absentees
Parents and guardians are asked to notify the College before 9.00am on the morning of absence via the absentee form on the Kennedy App under Parent Lounge or by phoning the College absentee line (08 6188 0698). For any other student matters or information, please feel free to email Student Services or stop by to talk to one of our staff.
Uniform Shop – Term Opening Hours
The Uniform Shop will be open this term on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 8.00am to 3.45pm.
* Closed on Thursdays and Fridays.
*Closed for lunch 12.30 to 1.00pm.
For more information,
email our Uniform Shop Manager.
Beedawong Cafeteria Menu
There are delicious items available in the Cafeteria such as fruit salad, sushi and freshly baked muffins and chocolate croissants each day! There are also some great online lunch options such as Butter Chicken & rice, baguettes & wraps to order via our online ordering system at www.quickcliq.com.au.
See the link for menu.
Volunteering Opportunities
We value the support of our volunteers who contribute to the College community!
Volunteer opportunities for 2023 will be made available in Term 2.
These opportunities include, assisting at the Interhouse sport carnival, P&F Association and book covering in the RASC.
Student Withdrawal
It is a condition of enrolment that at least 10 school weeks’ notice (not including scheduled school holidays) of a student’s withdrawal is given in writing to the Registrar at registrar@kennedy.wa.edu.au. In the event that such notice is not given, a 10 week withdrawal fee will apply per student.
We are always looking to improve our College and take care of our community. Will you please tell us how we are doing and review us on Google? Submit your review here.
The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 11 May 2023.
