Welcome to Kerry Street!
Kerry Street Community School is a small Independent school in which families and staff enjoy the privilege of close relationships with one another. The nimble nature of our school means we have the flexibility to design programs that are authentic and personalised and we empower our students to make a difference.
“I can honestly say that Kerry Street’s educators strongly believe in our school’s values and philosophy and that these principles are embedded in all aspects of our teaching and learning. I love our school community; it is very special to work in a school where I know every student, their parents and often their extended family members, too. Our community is truly the heart of our small school and informs everything we do.”
Melissa Kennedy, Principal
At Kerry Street:
- We act with trust, honesty, integrity and courage.
- We encourage excellence and foster the growth of wonder and wisdom.
- We are a community that contributes to the daily life and future of our school.
- We act with care and love, mindful of our place in the wider world.
We invite you to peruse our website and contact us for more information or to book a tour.
We hope to see you soon!
About Melissa
Melissa Kennedy is the Principal at Kerry Street Community School. Melissa has been at Kerry Street since 2014 and is well known by students, staff, families and the wider community. She holds a Bachelor of Education in Kindergarten to Year 7 from Edith Cowan University and has a background in community school education, having spent five years in a remote Indigenous community in North East Arnhem Land. Melissa attended an Independent community school herself as a child and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in addition to an inherent understanding of community school education and Inquiry pedagogy.
Prior to becoming Principal, Melissa was Kerry Street’s Acting Principal, Deputy of Teaching and Learning and Kindergarten/Pre-Primary teacher. In those roles, she contributed significantly to a range of school leadership and planning initiatives including the establishment of the whole school Quality Improvement Plan, the school’s current Strategic Plan and the development of Kerry Street’s relief teaching staff induction program.
Melissa has been an ex-officio, non-voting member of our school Board since 2017, during which time she has been involved in policy review and development, risk management oversight, and the creation and advancement of school-wide planning and documentation.
In late 2019, Melissa contributed a chapter on Inquiry pedagogy to the book, Further Journeys of Inquiry, in which she shared her philosophy and practice, along with three Kerry Street case studies. She was also a nominated for a 2019 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Award (Primary) and a Cambridge University Press Dedicated Teacher Award.