Photo above: It was colder in New Zealand than Perth over the holidays, as some of our students discovered!

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians and Families,

Welcome to Term 3. We trust that everyone had a wonderful holiday and are ready to embrace the ongoing opportunities at Kennedy. This Term promises to be an exciting time with many significant events.

I would like to reinforce the mission and values of Kennedy that maximise the learning experiences at the College. Kennedy Baptist College endeavours to provide educational excellence in a Christian context and equip our students for lifelong learning. All staff at Kennedy are committed to this mission through our Christian ethos and the values of Faith, Integrity, Boldness, Growth, and Service.

College Tours and Mission Trips

It was wonderful to have students and staff volunteer for the Cambodia Mission Trip over the school break. It was fantastic to hear of how our students have contributed to improving the lives of children living in poverty. I am sure that this opportunity has been a life-changing experience for our students and for the children they have helped. Kennedy is committed to this outreach project and our partnership with Transform Cambodia continues to make a positive impact on many lives.

Similarly, it was great to hear of the wonderful experiences from our New Zealand Ski Tour during the holidays. Congratulations to our students on a wonderful trip and the way that they supported each other during this tour. Thank you also to our staff who gave up their holidays to facilitate both of these remarkable opportunities.

School tours make an important contribution to our College's mission, and we are pleased that our ongoing program of extra-curricular Tours and Mission Trips is well supported by families. Kennedy’s trips are designed to provide students a way to positively enhance their life experiences and I encourage all families to consider these opportunities carefully for their students, especially during the beginning of this Term as sign ups open for future tours.

Awards Assembly

It was a pleasure to celebrate Year 10 to 12 achievements at our Awards Assembly yesterday. The presentation of Certificates of Excellence and Achievement promotes and highlights the exceptional standards that our students have attained. Congratulations to the recipients of these significant awards. We look forward to honouring Year 7 to 9 students at their Awards Assemblies next Wednesday 24 July.

These Assemblies serve as a great way to start the Term 3 journey together as we continue in our mission of education.

Mr Mark Ashby
Principal

Chaplain Chats

Welcome to Term 3! This is where the wonder happens.

In sport, the third quarter is known as the championship quarter. Similarly, in Term 3, students and staff have had their half-time break and have run out with a more focused game plan. This is true for everyone except for students in Year 12. These Year 12s are, to continue the analogy, on the last leg of a mountain bike race. For over eleven years they have been riding uphill and it’s been a challenge. Now, for one more term, it’s all about the finish line at the bottom of the hill. There’s no time to tap the brakes. Now is the time to hang on tight, set the face to the path and dodge every distraction flying at you as you push to the winner’s tape!

The staff of Kennedy started our ‘championship quarter’ with a full day conference, joining with staff from other schools. This was our ‘half-time, locker-room chat’, except the message we received around the theme of ‘formation’ is not just relevant to our gameplan but is also useful for your own.

One powerful feature that influences the formation of everyone’s personal identity and values is knowing they are part of a larger story. With 1200 school staff sitting together, we spent 45 mins looking at the sweeping narrative of the Bible story. It wasn’t a history lesson but an explanation on how we, too, are part of this narrative. All of our daily efforts, struggles and stress are transformed by this knowledge – by the gameplan that God’s put together from the very beginning.

As we head into the second half of the year, remember that you too can join in this same adventure. I look forward to doing life with you all.

Kennedy News

Celebrating Student Achievements

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 during Term 2.

• Callum Alberti was named WA Junior of the Year by Bowls WA after taking out both the State Singles and Pairs Lawn Bowls Championships.
• Ethan Totten went above and beyond in his Science class by creating and displaying a working centrifuge, which has become an important tool in malaria diagnosis.
• Heinrich Stander competed in the National Athletics Championships in sprint hurdles and high jump, with his personal best of 1.64m earning him a bronze medal. Heinrich was also selected to take his talents to the Australian National Little Athletics Championships in Adelaide and won silver in the Boys U13 Medley Relay.
• Jack Guy was an important part of his baseball team, the Central Firebirds, as they won the State Championships for their category and qualified to represent Western Australia at the National Intermediate Leagues Baseball Championships.
• James Prue will be travelling to the Gold Coast for the School Sport Australia Games in July after earning selection in School Sport WA's U12 Boys Basketball Team.
• Lauren Blair had a fantastic tournament in Hobart, playing in the U16 National Hockey Championships. She received Player of the Match three times, scoring crucial goals in the last minutes of matches to keep her team at the top of their pool.
• Morgan Kingwell represented Western Australia at the National Youth Sport Climbing Championships.
• Nicole Wong was awarded First Place for her singing in the Classical Vocal Solo (U15) section of the Fremantle Eisteddfod. She later performed at Government House, where she was awarded with her trophy and prize money.
• Noah Totten's robotics team qualified to attend the VEX World Robotics Competition in Dallas, Texas.

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. Make sure to follow our social media pages for some recent student highlights!

Kennedy Hosts CSA State Conference

As a member of Christian Schools Australia, it was our privilege to host a number of Perth schools as one of two locations chosen for the State Conference. With over 1200 people attending our campus on Monday 15 July, Kennedy put on a great display of our College's Auditorium complex with our Executive Leadership Team making sure that the day ran smoothly.

After spending this time together in worship and Professional Development, we know that our staff are ready to embrace our mission of providing excellent education in a Christian context.

College Notices

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 in the first part of this Term.

• 5.00pm Tuesday 23 July - our first P&F meeting for the Term, including a gathering of the Open Day Committee. For more details about this meeting, please contact the P&F.
• 7.00pm Friday 2 August - Dance Showcase
• Saturday 3 August - P&F Jam Making Session
• Friday 9 August - Interhouse Athletics Carnival
• Thursday 15 August - last day for Silent Auction Donations, with a P&F wrapping event in the evening.
• Saturday 17 August - 30 Years Celebration and Community Open Day events.

Uniform Update - Blouse Updates

Thank you again for sharing our patience in waiting for our Uniform blouse order to arrive. Small batches of our order are beginning to arrive and the Uniform Manager has been in contact with families who have made enquiries over SEQTA Direqt Message and email. These blouses will remain unavailable through Quickclick until further notice.

2024 Community Open Day

You are invited to our Community Open Day on Saturday 17 August 2024 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.

Open Day Student Performers

Music students in the following ensembles are reminded that their ensemble will be performing at Open Day on Saturday 17 August: Kennedy Orchestra (required at the College from 9.30am), Vocal Ensemble, Woodwind Ensemble, Year 11 and Year 12 Bands, Fusion Band, General Music Class bands, Contemporary Band, Stage Band and Year 10 Bands.

Dance and Drama students will be advised directly by their teachers if they are required to perform at Open Day.

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:

The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 1 August 2024.