Mr Keith Kavanagh is a well-known character in our School community. Many would have seen him emceeing events or helping out at sporting activities. This year however, students would know him as a Year 6 teacher as he stepped up to fill that important role. Regardless of the hat Mr Kavanagh plays, his passion for his students shines through in his enthusiasm and cheerful manner.

I joined the school in 2016 as a part-time Sports Assistant and a full-time university student studying Teaching. I have been a Specialist Sports Coach in Rugby Union, Hockey, Basketball and Surf Life Saving. I started out my career as an actor and television host but to progress further in that career meant moving away from my family and the place that I love so much, Bunbury, so I changed my direction and explored the corporate world specialising in Marketing and Promotion.

In this world (Marketing and Promotion), I never felt that I was contributing the best of myself to the people around me and that there was something big missing in my life. That was the ability to make a positive impact on people’s lives. I had a year away from my career to figure out what I wanted to achieve from my working life. My priorities were happiness, fulfilment, achievement, and purpose. What career could satisfy all these attributes? I concluded that it was Teaching. With the support from my wife, my children, and my parents, I was able to go back to university to study Teaching.

As a boy growing up, I always wanted to come to Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School (BCGS). It was and still is the pinnacle of education in the South West and that was where I wanted to be. I am from a strict Irish Catholic family and my parents had me lined up for another school. That dream of coming to BCGS never faded away and luckily, I had the opportunity to join this magnificent institution as an adult and I hope, I will be here for a very long time to come.

Each and every day has a new and unique highlight to remember, and to choose one would be remiss of me. What I am most proud of at our School is something that stands out for me, and that is inclusivity. We have a place for everyone at this school and this is the only institution that I have ever been to where it is cool to try your hardest in all areas of learning. You are respected by your peers for trying your hardest and not just being the best. However, life is not about being the best. It is about giving the best of yourself to each and everything that you do.

I am so lucky to be teaching this remarkable Year Group (Year 6). I have a magnificent class and a remarkable colleague, Mrs Kate Holdman to share them with. The team dynamic that is in the class allows the students to get the best each and every day.