Greetings to all.

This morning the announcement of our new Principal was made to staff, and then sent to families, by the Chair of our College Board, Mr Bryan Matuschka. It is with delight that I confirm the appointment of Mr James Phillips as the Principal of HTLC, commencing in January 2023. James is currently the Principal of Tarrington Lutheran School and is a dedicated and enthusiastic Lutheran educational leader. James has a passion for future-focused education and quality Christian care and is looking forward to leading a College where young people can identify their God-given, unique gifts and abilities, develop a sense of spiritual identity, and engage in quality learning. Over the coming weeks James will visit our college to aid in his transition into the role. I look forward to working with him to continue the HTLC educational journey. I encourage you all to make him feel welcome. Please find the announcement from the Holy Trinity Lutheran College Board here.

A reminder that the Spring Fair will be taking place this coming Sunday 16 October. Commencing at 11am we will have amusement rides, showbags, class led activities, food vans and market stalls. The event will finish at 3pm. I give thanks to the PTFA and college staff for their involvement in making this event possible. To help with planning I have included the site map and price list for your interest.

This week the Victorian Government announced further changes to the COVID-19 requirements. The mandatory orders around isolation for people with COVID-19 have ended and instead we move to health advice and recommendations for people with COVID-19, or COVID-19-like symptoms. Further details relating to isolation and mask requirements have been sent on Wednesday to families via email. I ask that you read this communication. As a college, we will continue to adhere to the Department of Health’s recommendations to ensure that our school remains a healthy environment for our staff and students.

With current rain and persistent weather conditions over the coming days I ask that families monitor their local surroundings and act accordingly if they foresee flooding in their region. Any interruption to school operations will be communicated to families as a priority when it is needed with both an email and app notification. For the most relevant and up-to-date information, it is recommended that you use the Vic Emergency App. The latest weather warnings can be seen here.

This coming Tuesday we will farewell our Senior students as they will have completed their classes and begin to prepare for exams. The final day for our Year 12 students will include a whole college worship service in the MPC commencing at 9am, prior to a day of activities to mark this special occasion. All members of our community are invited to attend and join with us in celebrating and congratulating them as they complete their final year of secondary schooling.

Wishing you a blessed week.

Mr Daniel Weller, College Principal

by Sonia Hulme

The Lord said to Moses, ‘These are the regulations for the diseased person… when he is brought to the priest. The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him’ (Leviticus 14:1–3a).

Today’s reading contains a list of instructions for those struggling with infectious skin diseases, the great fear being a diagnosis of leprosy, resulting in complete social exclusion. After doing all that was required of them, people struggling in this way could only get a ‘clean bill of health’ by being examined by a priest. God used his spiritual leaders to minister to those struggling with physical illnesses that had massive social ramifications. They were instruments in his hands for ministry. Jesus (identified in the Book of Hebrews as the great High Priest) continued this ministry by dealing compassionately with people living with these isolating illnesses. He went beyond the spirit of his day by reaching out his hand and touching the leper in Luke 5, unheard of in a time when it was believed leprosy may spread by touch.

As we identify with him, we too are named ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood’ (1 Peter 2:9). What might our priestly duties entail? Just as the Old Testament priests left their inner comforts and journeyed outside their comfortable, sickness-free camp, part of our calling is the invitation to minister to the people around us.

Where does our motivation come from? It comes from knowing that before we knew God, we too were ‘outside the camp’, separated from him in the sickness of sin. The same hand of mercy that touched us wants to use us to touch others and bring them healing in his name.

Do any ‘lepers’ spring to your mind today? Can you name one person you know who is despised by your social or church group? Someone who might feel unclean when they look at their past life and where they have been or feel shame when they are looked on by others? Or someone who might fear the reaction of others if they entered a church or gathering of Christians? Perhaps you are being called to go out of the camp, your comfortable church bubble, roll up your sleeves and get amongst it, working alongside the great High Priest who was not afraid to reach out and touch you.

Thank you so much, Jesus, for being willing to enter our world and pronounce us clean through your death and resurrection. May the healing and mercy you poured out on us be poured out to others through us. Amen.

Sunnyside Lutheran Retirement Village Visits

Our Foundation L students visited the Sunnyside Lutheran Retirement Village on Wednesday morning. Residents were excited to see the children! They even joined in singing Your Love Keeps Following Me and gave students huge smiling waves as they said goodbye. It is wonderful to be able to connect with residents of SLRV once again.

Year 6 Murra Warra Excursion

On Wednesday (before the rain came) our Year 6 students traveled to the Murra Warra Wind Farm to learn about renewable energy and experience the working facility. From observing a wind turbine up close, to standing right beside one of the rotation blades, the students were informed about all elements of sustainable wind energy which is located right in our own backyard!  This excursion comes at a relevant time in the current Year 6 Unit of Inquiry, where students are investigating the environmental impact on sustainable and non-sustainable energy systems.

Aerobics

Tomorrow three Junior School Aerobics teams will be traveling to Melbourne to compete in the School Aerobics Spring Challenge. We wish them the best of luck! Thank you to Mrs Wik, Mrs McDonald, Miss McDonald, Miss Burke and families for their time and commitment to make this opportunity available to our students.

Spring Fair

All families are encouraged to come along to the HTLC Spring Fair on Sunday from 11am until 3 pm. 

Welcome Foundation 2023 students!

On Tuesday morning our Foundation 2023 students were involved in their first remote Story Time session, which has been prepared by our Foundation teachers. This is the first of 5 sessions to help transition our new students into school. The 2023 Foundation students will come to school for their first on-site session on Tuesday 25 October.

Class Lists 

Class lists will be distributed to students in a sealed envelope on Monday 5 December. Please remember that teachers are very careful and deliberate in their allocation of students to classes and many factors are taken into account when preparing class lists. Class lists for Foundation 2023 will be distributed at our final transition session on Tuesday 6 December, once students have moved to classrooms.

ICAS

Last term students were invited to register to complete the online ICAS assessments. ICAS is an independent, skills-based assessment program that recognises and rewards student achievement in areas of English, Maths and Science. At Assembly on Monday morning we acknowledged those students who achieved results in the categories of Merit, Credit and Distinctions from Years 3 to 6. 

English

• Year 3: Angus Heard (Credit)
• Year 5: Maya Shepherd (Credit)
• Year 6: Bonnie Grieger (Merit), Lilly Peucker (Merit), Jana van Heerden (Merit), Soren Foster (Credit), Charlotte Matuschka (Credit), Hamish Heard (Distinction)

Science

• Year 5: Savannah Korf (Credit)
• Year 6: Hamish Heard (Credit), Scarlett Nuttall (Credit), Charlotte Matuschka (Distinction)

Mathematics

• Year 3: Angus Heard (Credit)
• Year 5: Savannah Korf (Credit)
• Year 6: Ellua Boyd (Merit), Soren Foster (Merit), Bonnie Grieger (Merit), Jana van Heerden (Merit), Lexie Hallam (Credit), Charlotte Matuschka (Credit), Lilly Peucker (Credit), Frazer Shurdington (Credit), Michael Wright (Credit)

Opening Service

This morning 3B led our Junior School worship, with a message based on 2 Tim 1:7. Next week 6M will be leading our Chapel. Students are encouraged to bring a small offering each Friday morning, which will be donated to the Christian Emergency Food Centre. We hope you can join us for worship.

Congratulations to this week's award winners!

FJ: Lincoln Mumford, Dean Mutimer FL: Audrey Koh, Jake Steadman, Frankie Ellifson 1C: Jessica Smith, Brianna Bartlett 1I: Oliver Walters, Edith Brennan 2B: Mila Juncho 2H: Jack Steadman, Javier Baker 2S: Lacey Adams, Madrè Van Heerden 3B: Aksel Frahn, Liam Rose 3D: Noah Myerscough, Phoebe Burns 4B: Jed Ferguson, Sapphire Schirmer 4M: Aizla Shrestha 4R: Ajiyah McDonald, Jack Arnel 5D Imani Baker, Malaya Willmore 5H: Savannah Korf, Jemma Hoffmann, Poppy White 6M: Soren Foster, Josh Kalms 6N: Arabella Schirmer, Victoria Brown 6V: All of 6V Digital Technology: Soren Foster Performing Arts (F-2): All of 2H PE: Hudson Ryan Holy Trinity Tiger Award (5-6): Chase Altmann Holy Trinity Cub Award (3-4): Anè van Zyl Holy Trinity Cub Award (F-2): Anna Delahunty

Blessings,

Mrs Fiona Friberg, Head of Junior School

Year 9 Rite Journey Camp

This week our Year 9 students participated in their Rite Journey Camp. The camp aims to develop in the students the following traits, skills and values; resiliency, teamwork, independence, selflessness, perseverance, self-esteem, courage, relationships, problem solving skills, leadership skills and Healthy Living.

The week commenced with the students spending 24-hours alone as part of their solo experience. The students were required to build a shelter out of a tarp, tent pegs and rope, start a fire and then complete a series of activities including learning to juggle, reciting famous quotes and speeches and drawing a scene from nature. The weather was perfect for this activity and all students embraced the opportunity to spend some time outdoors in a beautiful environment.

The perfect weather experienced on the solo didn’t last unfortunately, as consistent and heavy rain started to fall on Day 1 of the 3-day hike. The students were able to successfully complete the Wonderland Loop but with no sign of the rain easing and campsites becoming inundated with water, we had no choice but to return to HTLC to regroup and dry-off.
Unfortunately, conditions did not improve on Thursday and the students were unable to  complete any further hiking. Whilst it was disappointing to not complete more of the 3-day hike, the students still gained a lot from the experience, particularly the importance of having the right equipment and packing it correctly. The students are to be congratulated on the way they approached the week and it was evident that many camp objectives were achieved from the experiences they did have.

“A mountain represents both a high point and a low point. When climbing a mountain, there will be spots where you are going up, and then you need to change direction and go down in order to continue to the peak. Life is like this. There will be ups and there will be downs.
The important thing to remember is that through it all, we remember where we’re headed on our life journey."

Active Girls Brunch

On Wednesday, the Year 8 girls participated in an Active Girls Brunch hosted by the Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly alongside VicHealth.
“VicHealth’s This Girl Can campaign aims to keep women of all ages engaged in sport and physical activity. The campaign focuses on the positive benefits for mental and physical health, but also social benefits, while pushing away from the idea of weight loss and Fitspo trends.”

The students participated in a variety of physical activity workshops including Personal Trainer sessions, mindfulness, weightlifting, tennis, self-defence, volleyball and golf. These sessions were run by local identities. They then had the opportunity to hear from guest speaker Sarah Wall who spoke about the need to lift women up around you and the importance of being physically active. The day concluded with a shared brunch.

Term 4 Key Dates

Mr Jason Przibilla, Head of Middle School

Year 12 final days

Next Tuesday will be the final day of school for our Year 12 students. They will join with staff to commence their day with a shared breakfast before leading their final Chapel with the whole school. The students will then depart from the College grounds to spend a day together prior to commencing their study period for external examinations. The English exam opens the examination schedule on Wednesday 26 October and the final exam for our students will be on Friday 11 November.

Our current group of Year 12 students have provided positive leadership for both the Senior School and the College. We thank them for their contributions and wish them well for their exams.

Student leadership for 2023

Leadership positions in any organisation are important. At Holy Trinity Lutheran College, leadership is based on the servant leadership model. This means that the leaders do not seek the positions of power for prestige; they seek to make the community stronger by serving the needs of the community.
While each of our Senior students is expected to show leadership, undertaking a formal role can provide additional opportunities to take on an active role in the school community and to work closely with members of our College community to achieve the best outcomes for all involved.
Applications for College leadership positions are now open. Students who believe they have the necessary leadership qualities and are confident they can satisfy the selection criteria are encouraged to apply. Relevant information has been shared with Year 11 students.

Important VCE Dates

• Tuesday 18 October - Year 12 Last Day (Breakfast, Chapel and Big Day Out)
• Wednesday 26 October (9am–12:15pm) - VCE written exams (English)
• Friday 18 November - Year 12 Valedictory Service and Dinner
• Monday 12 December - VCE Results, ATARs and VTAC Scaled study scores will be released on the 2022 VCE Results and ATAR Service from 7:00am.

Important Senior School Dates

• Tuesday 1 November - Melbourne Cup Day (Student Free Day)
• Monday 14 November to Friday 18 November - Exam revision week
• Monday 21 November to Friday 25 November - Year 7–11 Exam week
• Monday 28 November - Report Writing Day (Student Free Day)
• Tuesday 29 November to Thursday 8 December - Head Start Program, Years 10 & 11
• Friday 9 December - Last day of school (Year 10 & 11)

Mrs Sally Kuchel, Head of Senior School

Please find the upcoming sporting dates below for your calendar:

• Year 5/6 Little Desert Cricket Blast - postponed to now be from 9:30am-2:30pm on Wednesday 26 October at Coughlin Park.
• Greater Western Volleyball - Monday 17 October in Warrnambool
• Hoop Time Basketball (Year 4 Girls) - Tuesday 18 October in Hamilton
• State Track & Field Athletics - Wednesday 2 November in Albert Park
• Greater Western Cricket Blast - Tuesday 15 November in Ballarat
• State Volleyball (Girls) - Friday 18 November
• Hoop Time Basketball (Girls) - Monday 21 November in Dandenong

Greater Western Athletics Carnival

In very wet conditions, 26 students headed to Ballarat on Friday 7 October to compete in track and field events at the Greater Western Athletics event. We had some amazing results on the day and have 4 students progressing through to State level on Wednesday 2 November. Parents of eligible students have been notified to arrange transportation to and from Albert Park for this event. We cannot wait to see results from this level and send our best wishes to all competitors on the day. Fingers are crossed for great personal and team performances, as well as the chance to secure some personal bests perhaps. We will all be sending encouraging vibes for a superb day!

Greater Western Volleyball

Our Year 6 Girls Volleyball team will head to the Greater Western Volleyball Competition in Hamilton on Monday 17 October. A bus will make the trip for the competition. All girls have been preparing themselves through various training sessions lead by Miss Annika McDonald – a volleyball player herself. Thank you to those parents that are assisting on the day. We wish our team the very best of luck for a successful and fun event! Winners from this event have an opportunity to progress to the State Volleyball competition which will be held next month on Friday 18 November. Have a brilliant day!

Hoop Time Basketball

Our Year 4 Girls Hoop Time basketball team will make their way to Hamilton this Tuesday, 18 October, as a ‘wildcard entry’ to compete in the next level Hoop Time event. Jordyn Burke will provide incredible insight and knowledge as the girls' Coach for the tournament. The girls have had four training sessions in the lead up to the event to assist with preparations. We wish them the very best of luck for an exciting trip. 

Yours in Sport!

Mrs Hayley Thomas, Junior School Sports Coordinator

On Tuesday, HTLC were represented at Black Ranges Tennis in Stawell, with a Mixed Year 8 team. Led by Harry Daniell, HTLC dominated their first pool match against Marian College, not dropping a single set across 6 matches. 

Progressing onto the second pool match, HTLC were matched up against Horsham College A; the two best teams on the day. Starting off strong by winning the doubles tie, our team played exceptionally well. Coming down to the final singles game, our team narrowly missed out on the win. 

A special congratulations to Emma Streeter; a Year 7 Girl representing HTLC in the Year 8 Boys/Mixed competition. Emma managed to win 3 out of 4 matches, which is a massive effort.

Due to some extreme wet weather, Black Ranges Year 7/8 Cricket has been postponed until next Thursday, 20 October.

Term 4 Dates

October

• 18 - Greater Western Volleyball
• 20 - Black Ranges Year 7/8 Cricket

Mr Jesse Kuchel, Head of Sport and Coaching

Next week our Year 12 students have their final day at school before they go on leave to prepare for exams. The following article by Madeleine Ferrari, Clinical Psychology Lecturer, Australian Catholic University, explains how self-compassion can help to manage exam stress for students.

Self-compassion is the superpower Year 12 students need for exams … and life beyond school.

This can be one of the most stressful times in a students’ life. It can also be very stressful for parents trying to support their children.

But there is a superpower in the arsenal of every Year 12 student that can be harnessed to manage this stress. This superpower fuels resilience, not only for exams, but for any difficult situation they may be faced with across their lifespan. It’s called self-compassion.

I am a clinical psychologist who specialises in self-compassion. This is how you can use it, both for yourself and for your kids.

What is is self-compassion?

The most enduring relationship we have is the the one we have with ourselves.
This relationship shapes how we think, feel and behave to such an extent that often we are not even aware of it. We may think being hard or critical on ourselves pushes us to achieve results. But research shows this can lead to self-doubt, avoidance of hard tasks, higher risk of psychological illness and poor resilience.
In contrast, self-compassion encourages us to feel comfortable in our own skin. It allows us to generate our own feelings of warmth, reassurance, soothing and liking who we are.

What does it look like?

Difficult moments, like an unexpected exam question, are a ripe breeding ground for self-criticism. You may be familiar with thoughts like, “I’m not good enough, I can’t do this, I should have worked harder, I’m going to fail, I am a failure.” These self-critical thoughts are almost addictive – when they pop up it is easy to fixate on them and spiral into panic or avoidance.
In contrast, picture a friend sitting the same exam and getting the same unexpected question. This is a good friend who you really care about. If you could say something to them in that moment, it’s probably easy to think of supportive words. Such as, I know this is hard, but you can do this. Your best is good enough. This one exam will not define your life, even if you get this wrong. I still think you’re a wonderful person.
Self-compassionate responses are more likely to make us feel confident, safer and therefore resilient. If we’re feeling this way, it will likely be easier to at least attempt the question rather than give up. It it is easy to draw on compassionate wisdom for our friends. But why don’t we say these things to ourselves?

Our tricky brains

We don’t because we have a “tricky brain”.
We like to think of ourselves as sensible and rational, but the brain is actually a faulty piece of machinery. The brain is hardwired, through evolution, to focus on threat.
Noticing threat, and triggering the flight or fight response, is what kept our ancestors alive when they were faced with an aggressive cave man or attack from a sabre tooth tiger.
Today, threats tend to be less extreme: like not getting the score we want in a test or not having the career pathway we might like. But our mind and body still react in the same way as if we are facing a sabre tooth tiger, flooding our body with adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol.

The (many) advantages of self-compassion

Treating ourselves with the same kindness and support as we would a good friend comes with a plethora of mental health benefits.
It is associated with greater psychological well-being and a lower risk of developing symptoms of poor mental health.
It leads to better stress-management and boosts motivation to study for exams, often contributing to better grades. Self-compassion gives us the bravery to try things we may fail at, because we can take bigger chances if we know we won’t beat ourselves up if we fall short. And sometimes, as with more study, these chances and extra effort pay off.
Self-compassion can also weaken the link between perfectionism and depression. Perfectionism involves high standards and high levels of self-criticism and which can lead to depressive symptoms, especially when we fall short of our goals. But self-compassion may enable perfectionists to have high standards and be motivated to do well, without experiencing the mental health cost.
For example, in the lead up to an exam, having high standards and wanting to achieve can motivate us to study. But during and after the exam, this perfectionism can turn into self-criticsm which places us at risk of feeling low and unmotivated.
If we are compassionate with ourselves, we can normalise how tough exams are, and show unconditional positive regard for ourselves no matter the outcome. These compassionate ways of thinking can help protect us from depression symptoms.

How can we learn and teach self-compassion?

Some of us tend to be more self-compassionate than others. But if you’re not naturally a very self-compassionate person, there is good news. Research suggests you can learn to do it.
Here are some ways to approach it, both for yourselves and your kids:

• Check yourself: before talking with your child about self-compassion, consider how you treat yourself when under stress. Do you notice when your self-critic is triggered? It is hard to be genuine when encouraging someone else to be self-compassionate if you are not.
• Model self-compassion: when you make an error, try replacing “I’m so stupid I let this happen” with “I’m upset about this and that’s okay – anyone would feel this way in this situation”. Talk to yourself in a soft, calm tone. Whether you say it aloud or even just think it, your behaviour in that moment will change, and your kids will see this
• Talk about it: start a conversation with your child about their relationship with themselves. You could start with: “what do you tend to say to yourself or feel about yourself during exams?” or “what effect does this have on you?”
• Help them spot self-criticism: encourage your child to notice when self-criticism pops up. Give the self-criticsm a name such as “Voldemort” or the “angry voice”. Say, “When you notice Voldemort is hanging around, gently ask yourself, what would you say to a good friend or a ten-year-old version of yourself in this situation?” This simple question is a powerful way to tap into the compassionate wisdom we all carry
• Give yourself a hug: to help calm yourself, give yourself a hug. Either wrap your arms around yourself or hold your hand on your heart or chest and notice the warmth. Research tells us we get a flood of oxytocin - the body’s “love drug” – and relax when we are hugged by someone we trust. Our brain and body has an almost identical reaction when we hug ourselves. Use as a this short-cut to trigger some feelings of self-compassion.

And don’t forget this

Self-compassion is not something you master once, and then move on from. It is a lifelong journey of practising and learning. Sometimes, especially when we are busy or stressed, it will drop off and we may need reminding of it’s superpower.

To read the article please follow this link: https://theconversation.com/se...

Families are advised that Year 7 immunisations are scheduled for Thursday 20 October in the Library from 11am-11:30am.

Bookclub brochures (Issue #7) have been distributed.  All orders should be placed by Wednesday 19 October.  Cheques should be made payable to ‘Scholastic Australia’. Credit card payments may also be made using the online system, the LOOP (if you are having trouble finding our school when registering, please use the postcode 3402). By indicating ‘gift’ on your online order, the books will be kept at school for you to pick up if you do not want your child to see your purchase. 
For more information, please contact Jaci Gabbé, Library Assistant.