Photo above: Drama students in class. 

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Families, 

Kennedy continues to build on the wonderful start to the academic year with some very successful events despite the challenges posed by COVID restrictions. While some events are now held online, I encourage everyone to continue supporting these events and the hard work that is being invested in them to provide an excellent educational service for our families. 

We were pleased that we had the opportunity to be together in person for the Year 12 Ball and it was a pleasure to join our students, partners, and staff at Frasers Restaurant, Kings Park on Friday night. The Ball was a wonderful event and it was obvious that our students had a fantastic night and enjoyed each other’s company in an amazing setting. Our students' approach was outstanding, which greatly contributed to the night being a success. Congratulations to all Year 12 students who are to be commended for their exceptional attitude to the night. Congratulations to Mr David Orr and the Year 12 Counsellors for their great efforts in organising a wonderful evening. 

Easter Services Reminder

Our Easter Services are an important part of our culture and ethos at Kennedy. They are also a great opportunity for us to connect with local churches and reinforce our Christian values. This year our Easter Service will be an online event with all students viewing a pre-recorded service on Wednesday morning, 6 April. This year, we are partnering with Life Chapel, a local church that meets in the College Auditorium every Sunday, and the Church Pastor, John Mezbourian, will be our guest speaker. This service will then be made available to families to view at home. I hope everyone embraces the opportunity to support this major College occasion and let us together be reminded about the meaning of Easter. 

Parents & Friends Association 

Join us for our AGM Meeting on Tuesday 1 March 2022 at 6.30pm via Zoom online where we will be appointing the Executive members.  Everyone is welcome.

Positions available on the committee:

• President
• Vice President
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Co-ordinators & General Committee Members

Please register your intention to be nominated for one of the roles or to attend. 

We look forward to receiving your nominations and catching up at the AGM.

Mr Mark Ashby
Principal

Chaplain Devotion

I’m not sure about you but sometimes it feels like time is speeding up. We are about to enter March! The end of next week is halfway through Term 1! It's good to always be moving forward but the speed and stress can leave us with our heads spinning as we feel overwhelmed.

In the last newsletter, I mentioned the counterweights in life that help us cope. Coping is finding the balance point between too much and not enough challenge in life. I mentioned that PRAYER is one of the greatest coping mechanisms we have. Handing over the stress and releasing some of the burden is a large part of prayer. 

As a Kennedy Community we have a vision to be known for our care and compassion, we can always do better, but our Kennedy heart is the same as God’s heart, to carry the burdens together, so we all may do well. We see God’s character best when Jesus reads out this portion of scripture in Luke 4:18.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the captives and restore sight to the blind, and to set free the burdened.

At Kennedy, one way to carry each other’s burdens is to pray for others. To grow this heart in our Kennedy Community we have 'KPOW '(Kennedy Prays On Wednesday), our Wednesday focus on prayer. We would love to pray for anyone that is facing burdens in life that are too big to carry alone. 

Deputy Principal Curriculum Report

I would like to welcome all families to Kennedy. As the year begins every member of the community has developed Curriculum goals for themselves and I know the staff is committed to giving their best to provide opportunities for all students to develop their skills and talents. Some frequently asked curriculum-related questions and answers:

• How do I know what my child is learning?
  SEQTA is a valuable tool used by all teachers at Kennedy. Course, assessment, and lesson outlines are available for parents to view. Teachers have also included lesson notes on the system which is a valuable tool for students to review content or catch up if they were absent. A number of teachers utilise OneNote for sharing notes and examples. Your child should be able to show you how they access OneNote. Unfortunately, parents cannot be given access to OneNote material.
   
• How do I find out about my child’s progress?
  Assessment results are visible on SEQTA. Once assignments and tests are marked and compared across classes to ensure consistent application of marking guides, assessments results are released on SEQTA. Some teachers are providing additional comments or rubrics which can direct a student to areas that may require attention. Any questions a parent may have concerning progress within a subject should be addressed with the child’s teacher. If required, further clarification can be sought from the Head of the Learning Area, the Director of Studies or the Deputy Principal: Curriculum. The Head of Year can assist with ascertaining a holistic picture of your child’s progress both academically and socially. 

As you can see SEQTA is a crucial tool for every member of the College community. Please take some time to examine the features available to parents.

Curriculum Dates 

• Year 11 and 12  Course adjustments must be completed by 18 March 2022. After this date Year 12 students cannot enrol in new courses. Year 11 students may make course adjustments after Semester One (June 2022).
• Year 8, 9 and 10 students are being provided with opportunities to make adjustments to their electives. Course adjustments must be completed by 4 March 2022. No further changes can take place.
• Year 10 to 12 Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessments (selected students) 28 February - 4 March.

Deputy Principal Pastoral Care Report

This year we are again navigating the ever-changing COVID-19 situation. Thankfully we were fortunate enough to have a whole College Assembly before being restricted with tighter guidelines.

An important part of each new year at Kennedy is welcoming our new students. To achieve this, we run a range of events and comprehensive programs to ensure a smooth transition into the College community. There are many elements designed to assist the incoming students including; Year 7 Orientation Day, Prestart Day, New Student Afternoon Tea, Commencement Ceremony, Mentoring Time in care groups, and the New Student Lunch.

Pre-start Day this year was held on Friday 28 January and involved both Year 7 students and those coming in Years 8 to 12. Our mentors and Year 7s got to know each other, toured the College, met Mr Ashby and their Head of Year, Mrs Williams, as well as their Form teachers. They enjoyed a sausage sizzle and some fun activities run by Nations Church. The 11/7 Program continues throughout Term 1 with the Year 11s mentoring our 7s in care groups during Extended Form on Wednesday mornings.

Our new Year 8-12 students met their Student Councillors as well as their Head of Year. They visited the Research and Study Centre and talked with our College Chaplain and Pastoral Care Team before enjoying an afternoon tea. 

My favorite part was our Year 7 Commencement Ceremony on the first day of College. Year 7 students received their own Kennedy Bible to take home. This is a very special gift from the College as they start their Kennedy journey. We believe that the Bible contains wisdom on how to live a fulfilling life and we hope that families will make time to read it and draw from its wisdom and stories. 

Lastly, I would like to remind our students to talk to their Form teachers, Head of Year, Year group Counsellors, or Chaplain if they need extra support or find life challenging. Our Pastoral Care team is always here to assist and care for our students and families.

Kennedy News
 

College Notices

Kennedy COVID-19 Information

As the College is required to report positive student and staff cases through tIndependent School Association (AISWA), parents must contact the College using the Kennedy Covid Hotline if their child tests positive. A member of the College Executive will follow up as soon as practicable.

Fees - Secondary Assistance Scheme

The State Government, through the Department of Education, provides financial support to eligible parents through the Secondary Assistance Scheme (SAS). The aim of the scheme is to assist low-income families with secondary school costs.
 
Eligible parents/guardians with students enrolled in Years 7 to 12, studying a full-time secondary course at a WA private school, will be able to apply for the SAS in 2022.

The SAS consists of two allowances:

• $235 Education Program Allowance (payment made to the College, for the student); and
• $115 Clothing Allowance (payment made to the parent/guardian).

 For all enquiries regarding the application process/forms please visit our Parent Reception. Applications close on Friday 8 April 2022.

The next newsletter will be published on:
Thursday 10 March 2022.