Greetings.

This week we have been celebrating National Science Week, with the highlight being our science showcase on Wednesday evening. It was so pleasing to see students of all ages engaged in a wide range of experiments, and in particular those that encouraged a deeper fascination in the world we live in. I give thanks to the teachers, students and families who have joyfully participated in these scientific opportunities during the week. Well done!

I would like to congratulate our Energetix team once again for their past experiences and wish the team the best of luck as they prepare for the National Schools Aerobics competition on the Gold Coast this weekend. They have done extraordinary things during the year, and I look forward to hearing of their efforts from the event. I wish them every blessing as they compete in tomorrow’s competition.

Today we will see Mrs Meggy Boan take leave from the college until the end of the school year to travel to China to spend time with her unwell parents. I pray that Mrs Boan has a safe flight and enjoys her time spent with family. Along with the MEG language program that is currently in place at the college, Mrs Tanya Mock will also be working with students for the time of Mrs Boan’s absence. I give thanks for Mrs Mock’s availability to work with our students until the end of the year.

It is with excitement that I announce that PTFA have organised its next community event for parents and friends this term - Music Bingo.  Music Bingo will be held on the evening of Friday 2 September in our MPC from 7pm. This will be a student-free event with our older members of the community encouraged to gather a group, BYO nibbles and drinks, and come prepared for a night of music-fuelled fun. Tickets for this event are now available: https://www.trybooking.com/CCA... 
The cost for each ticket will be $15. I look forward to seeing you all there! 

Wishing you a happy week.

Mr Daniel Weller, College Principal

by Annie Duarte

The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

The Bible is a unique book in that each time you open it, something new will happen. You may learn something you didn’t know before, despite having read the same passage many times. You may be convicted of something that needs to change in your life. You may feel the loving embrace of the Father as he reassures you with his promises. You may come across a verse or idea that gives you wisdom and direction for a situation in your life. The more you read the Bible, the more you will want to read the Bible. It is not like any other book.

Sometimes the word of God will practically jump off the page at you. This happened to me with Romans 12:2:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It was one of the first verses I read when I started to follow Jesus, and it left me convinced that there were many parts of my life that I needed to give back to the world and leave behind. Prior to this, I was so conformed to the pattern of the world that the rhythms of grace were foreign to me.

Everything about me changed – very quickly! What I prioritised, what I wore, how I spent my time, how I spoke, my relationship with material things, my relationships with others … they all had to be renewed in accordance with God’s will. I couldn’t do this with my own determination. God was gracious to renew my mind. The old was gone, and the new had come – I was a new creation.

People from my old life even asked me what had happened. They wondered why I wasn’t interested in the same things I used to be. All I could say to them was that Jesus had changed my mind and heart for good. There was no going back. This is just one small story of the power of God’s word. Memorise his word. Utilise it. Speak it out loud in your daily life. It holds weight. It changes things. Praise God.

God, let your word come alive in me. Let my heart be receptive to whatever you have for me. Amen.

Student Conferences

Student conferences will take place next Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you haven’t booked a conference time please contact your child’s teacher directly, as the booking portal has now closed. All children and families are strongly encouraged to meet with teachers to provide valuable feedback and celebrate the learning of students.

Book Fair - Thank you

We would like to say a BIG THANKYOU to everyone who attended and purchased items at our Book Fair last week.  It was fantastic to be able to hold it once again after a two year break and especially to see so many grandparents present at the school. The money raised from the Book Fair will allow the school to purchase new resources for the students to use in both the library and classrooms. In addition, we would like to acknowledge the little band of helpers who enabled us to run a successful Book Fair. These people were responsible for setting up and taking down the Book Fair and for keeping the registers ticking over smoothly on what were at times incredibly busy days. Thank you, your time is much appreciated.

Chinese Program

Mrs Boan will be taking leave for the remaining weeks of the school year. In her absence, Mrs Tanya Mock will be supporting students to connect with their teacher in China for their Mandarin lesson each week and providing learning experiences to develop students’ understanding of Chinese culture. We pray Mrs Boan has a joy filled and safe period of leave with her family.

Visit from Martin Chatterton

On Wednesday we were fortunate to have a visit from Martin Chatterton who is a children's author and illustrator. The children thoroughly enjoyed his visit, listening with interest to his stories about how he came to be a writer, and enjoying a laugh at his drawings of students and teachers. Martin has kindly donated a copy of his book 'Winter of the White Bear' to our library. 

Year 3 Camp

Our Year 3 students are looking forward to their first school camp to Tandara, Halls Gap, from Wednesday to Friday next week. This camp aims to help students develop confidence and independence. We pray our students, staff and helpers enjoy their camping experience.

Student Teacher

This week Miss Keely Pope has returned to HTLC for her final placement as part of her studies to become a teacher. Miss Pope will be working with the Year 3B class and will be attending the Year 3 camp next week.

Father’s Day / Footy Day

On Friday 2 September HTLC will be celebrating Father’s Day and having our Football Day. Students are invited to come dressed in their favourite football colours. Students will be involved in football activities, led by our Year 6 students. Students in Foundation to Year 2 football activities will be from 11:20am until 12:30pm, and students in Year 3 to 5 from 1:30pm until 3:00pm. VCAL students will be preparing a Meat Pie Lunch, which will be pre-ordered, and served at 12:30pm. 

Energetix 

Good luck to our Energetix team (Sapphire Schirmer, Alyssa Stewart, Lauren Rudolph, Aizla Shrestha, Maya Przibilla, Charlotte Matuschka and Bonnie Grieger) as they compete in the School Aerobics National Championships tomorrow on the Gold Coast. Our sincere thanks to Head Coach Mrs Amanda Wik, Mrs Tarn McDonald, Miss Annika McDonald and Miss Claire Burke for giving their time, encouraging the team members and sharing their passion. God’s blessing for your safe travels Energetix team!

Foundation to Year 3 Concert

Students in Foundation to Year 3 are currently preparing a Concert titled “All Aboard”. This will be a free concert at 11:30am on Thursday 15 September. Family and friends are welcome to attend, please add this date to your diaries. The performance will be recorded for those who cannot attend the live performance.

Chapel

This morning Year 4R led Chapel with a focus on resilience, based on Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”. Next week Year 6V will be leading our Junior School Chapel. We encourage students to bring a small offering.  We hope you can join us for worship.

Congratulations to this week's award winners!

FJ: Tasman Chapple, Alexis Lenehan FL: Cleo Hose, Kayleigh Butler 1C: Hudson Nagorcka, Chloe Carra 1I: Ethan Dridan 2B: Delilah Schirmer 2H: Felix Foster, Lennox Hose 2S: Deegan Hellmuth 3B: Grace Sansom, Casen Parish 3D: Jack Young 4B: Charlotte Kelly, Matisse Hose 4M: Penny Eagle 4R: Charlotte Hair, Lara Hanson 5D: Hudson Ryan, Lincoln Fischer 5H: Payton-Rose Priestley, Ava Smith 6M: Fraser Penny, Ellua Boyd, Amelia van Buuren 6N: Ryan Steadman, Georgia Foster 6V: Hannah Heard, Isaac Hogan Chinese: 3D Technology: Nixon Broadbear, Vincent Brennan Performing Arts (F-2): 2B Performing Arts (3-6): Kirrily Dandy, Maeja Ruwoldt PE: Aksel Frahn Holy Trinity Tiger Award (5-6): Ellua Boyd Holy Trinity Cub Award (3-4): Alex Norris Holy Trinity Cub Award (F-2): Emmy Myerscough

Blessings,

Mrs Fiona Friberg, Head of Junior School

Science Showcase Night

This week is National Science Week and Holy Trinity Lutheran College celebrated the week by holding an Interactive Science Showcase in the Middle School on Wednesday night. The night provided a wonderful opportunity for students in Years 7, 8 and 9 to showcase their learning through a multitude of interactive learning experiences and experiments. The students worked in groups to prepare models, experiments, information posters, displays and presentations. The Middle School was a buzz of excitement and energy as parents and students moved from one group to the next, encountering all aspects of the science curriculum. The students were well prepared and expertly explained the science involved with their displays, demonstrating they were ready for the range of questions that came their way. A huge thank you to the Science Faculty who expertly prepared their students and worked together to plan and implement the night. The hard work was definitely worth it as hundreds of members of the college community enjoyed the Showcase.

Social Innovators Day

Last week, a group of Year 9 students had the opportunity to take part in the Social Innovators Journey, run by Crazy Ideas College. As part of this two-day workshop, students explored areas they were passionate about, whether it be health and wellbeing, reimagining learning or sustainability. They worked in teams to brainstorm possible solutions to the problems faced. Then, were given tools and resources to create big idea solutions and worked towards a manageable product that could be implemented in the community. Each team pitched their product design to a panel made up of Community Partners who gave feedback towards their ideas. Each student is to be commended for their participation in this workshop and for the enthusiasm shown towards their interest areas. We look forward to continuing to work with these groups to hear more about their ideas - Mrs Georgia Thomas, Year 9 Coordinator.

Australian HPV Super Series - Round 4 - Tailem Bend 8-hour

Alongside students from the Primary and Senior school, students from the Middle School travelled to Tailem Bend last weekend (August 5) to compete in Round 4 of the Australian HPV Super Series. Both the boys team (Tempest) and the girls team (Avalanche) entered the penultimate round of the series in high spirits after solid performances in the first two races earlier in the year. Thankfully, the rain held off, which allowed for a great day of racing on the 3.41 km West Circuit at The Bend Motorsport Park. Both groups supported each other well throughout the day, managing their own pit stops and supporting their riders to produce their best effort. 
Tempest competed hard all day, and managed to finish in 69th position overall, out of 178 teams. This result was good enough to earn them 9th place out of the 44 teams in their category, finishing with a total of 84 laps (286.44 km). 
After missing out on first place by less than a lap in Mount Gambier (Round 1), and a dominant performance at The Bend in Round 2, the Avalanche girls were unfortunately reeled in with only about 10 minutes to go by an incredibly fast finishing team from Walford Anglican School for Girls. It was a stellar effort from the HTLC team, who competed with just 6 riders across the 8-hour event, and were narrowly beaten by a team of almost twice as many students. Three students in the Avalanche team rode further than 50 km on the day, which is an impressive effort! The girls finished 2nd in their category, 13th out of the 44 trikes in the Middle School category and 76th overall, with a total of 81 laps (276.21 km). Finishing second in their category here allowed the Avalanche team to hold on to first place in the series ahead of the series finale in Murray Bridge in about 6 weeks' time - Matthew McLoughlin, HPV Team.

ICAS

2022 ICAS Competitions will be held at the following times:

• ICAS Science: Week 7 Term 3
• ICAS Maths: Week 8 Term 3

Students will complete their tests online at school.

Mr Jason Przibilla, Head of Middle School

Youth Allowance presentation – planning for the future

On Wednesday 24 August, Gavin Simmons of Simmons Advisory Service will be conducting an information session for our parents of students in Years 10 -12. Gavin specialises in Youth Allowance and guiding parents to understand the financial support that may be available through Centrelink to support their child through their tertiary years. Please contact Main Administration to register your interest in attending.

VTAC applications – Year 12 students

Students are reminded to continue finalising their VTAC applications. Payment for timely applications closes on 29 September.

SEAS (Special Entry Access Scheme)

If you would like to discuss a personal SEAS application, please contact the Year 12 Coordinator or Head of Senior School. SEAS and scholarship applications close on 7 October and no documentation will be received after this date. For more information about SEAS documentation, visit www.vtac.edu.au

VET enrolment for 2021

Enrolments are now open for students who are interested in undertaking or continuing a VET course in 2023. Students are required to enrol through the LLEN (Local Learning Employment Network) website. https://vet.llen.com.au

Science Showcase

Congratulations to our Science team and to the many students who offered their assistance on Wednesday evening for the Science Showcase. It was pleasing to see the numbers of students and families engaging in exciting Science activities and celebrating National Science Week.

Year 10 Roadsmart

Year 10 students found the government-funded Roadsmart program conducted this week engaging and relevant. A wide variety of interactive and collaborative activities helped students to learn more about road trauma and the importance of a staged approach to learning to drive. Roadsmart is a free education program that helps to prepare beginner drivers for a lifetime of safe driving. For further information and resources please visit https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.a...

Science and Engineering Challenge

The Science and Engineering Challenge (SEC) is a nationwide STEM* outreach program presented by the University of Newcastle in partnership with communities, Rotary clubs, universities and sponsors. Through the SEC, students experience aspects of science and engineering which they would not usually see in their school environment. All Year 10 students will be involved in the program from 9:00am-2:30pm on Tuesday 30 August.

VTAC Dates

• 1 August – VTAC applications open
• 29 September – timely applications close
• 7 October – SEAS applications, supporting documentation and scholarships applications close
• 12 December – Victorian ATAR released

VCE Important dates

• GAT (General Achievement Test) - Wednesday 7 September
• VCE Trial Exams (HTLC campus)– Monday 26 September to Friday 3 October
• Year 12 Last day – Tuesday 18 October
• VCE written exams (English) – Wednesday 26 October from 9:00am to 12:15pm
• Year 12 Valedictory Service and Dinner – Friday 18 November
• Final day of 2022 classes for Year 10 and 11 students – Friday 9 December

Mrs Sally Kuchel, Head of Senior School

Please find the upcoming sporting dates below for your calendar;

• Year 5/6 Golf - Fridays, weekly until 9 September
• HCPSSA Badminton at Horsham 298 Primary School - Wednesday 31 August
• Father's Day AFL Football Day - Friday 2 September
• Little Desert Athletics Carnival at Dudley Cornell - Friday 9 September
• Greater Western Athletics in Ballarat - Friday 7 October
• Hoop Time Basketball (Year 4 Girls) in Hamilton - Tuesday 18 October
• Greater Western Volleyball in Warrnambool -  Tuesday 31 October

Father's Day AFL Football Day

A call out for all fathers and father-figures to place lunchtime (12:30pm to 1:30pm) on your calendar for Father's Day AFL Football Day on Friday 2 September. This day will see the whole Junior School involved in football-related activities throughout the day, with an opportunity to pre-order a pie for lunch to enjoy with their special ones! Students, teachers and families are encouraged to dress in their favourite AFL football colours to celebrate the day in true form!

• Foundation to Year 2 – Football activities on Junior School oval from 11:20am until 12:30pm
• Year 3 to Year 5 - Football activities on Junior School oval from 1:30pm until 3:00pm

Keep an eye out for communications relative to lunchtime pie pre-orders for those wanting to place an order for the day.

Little Desert Volleyball

This week on Wednesday 17 August some Year 5 and 6 students competed in the Little Desert Volleyball competition held at the Horsham 298 Primary School. Thank you to those Senior students that assisted with umpiring on the day and to the coaching staff for the two Girls and two Boys teams entered. The teams showed great sportsmanship and thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hours of matchplay. We congratulate all teams on their results;

• Girls Team A won all 3 matches and won the competition on the day.
• Girls Team B lost 3 matches
• Boys Team A won 1 match and lost 3 matches.
• Boys Team B won 3 matches and lost 1 match.

HCPSSA Badminton

Badminton will take place at Horsham 298 Primary School on Wednesday 31 August for a 2-hour period from 11am to 1pm. We have entered two Girls and two Boys teams in the event respectively. There will be a selection process due to the number of expressions of interest for the Boys teams and the Girls teams. Letters with all details have been sent home with those students who are eager to be involved. Please return permission approvals when you have an opportunity to. Thank you to those who have returned them, this is amazing!

Yours in Sport!

Mrs Hayley Thomas, Junior School Sports Coordinator

A quiet few weeks of interschool sport are coming up for HTLC, with our next Black Ranges event not until Monday the 29th of August.

Students now turn their attention to representing their local sporting clubs heading into finals. Good luck to all HTLC students who will be playing in their sporting finals in the upcoming weeks, we hope that you can represent your club and HTLC with pride!

Term 3 Dates

August
29 - Black Ranges Year 7 Boys & Girls Basketball

September
6 - Black Ranges Year 8 Boys & Girls Basketball
14 - Black Ranges Year 7/8 Boys & Girls Volleyball

Mr Jesse Kuchel, Head of Sport and Coaching

Unfortunately, the mental health of young people has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression has risen dramatically amongst young people and remains higher than pre‑pandemic levels. It is not an exaggeration to say that the child and adolescent mental health system is currently in crisis with general practices inundated, emergency departments flooded with demand, and medical services becoming disconnected, dispersed and diluted.

As a result, many young people are at risk of not achieving the primary demands of developmental tasks such as independence, identity formation, and attaining and maintaining peer relationships. However, by maintaining their wellbeing through regular exercise, adequate sleep and healthy nutrition, young people can be in a better position to tackle them.

As many families settle back into their pre-COVID routines, there seems to be a pervasive sense of optimism about what lies ahead. If there is a panacea to the adversity caused by the pandemic, then it is the building of resilience. In this current environment, young people need support, understanding, empathy and encouragement from caring adults. Teaching them the skills to build resilience will enable young people to thrive and develop healthy coping strategies. There are 7 integral and interrelated components that make up being resilient. These are explained in more depth in this Special Report and includes suggested strategies on how parents and carers can best facilitate them.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school Wellbeing team for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report: https://htlc.vic.schooltv.me/w...

One of our favourite tools for talking to kids about how they’re feeling in their friendships is The Friend-o-Meter. Although it’s normal to have a friendship dip into the Red-Zone now and again (No friendship – or relationship – is perfect!), what happens when a friendship is up and down A LOT?

While many kids will admit they’ve experienced this type of friendship, a friendship that goes from the Green-Zone to the Red-Zone regularly can feel very challenging. Words that children use to describe these high-conflict friendships include: unpredictable, hard, and exhausting.

These friendships can feel especially confusing for parents, as their child oscillates between “Best Friends” and “They’re not invited to my birthday party!” 

So, what can we do to support a child in this type of everyday-is-different friendship?

First, identify if they are suffering. Are they upset about it? Is it deeply affecting them? Are they really struggling ? If the answer is no, and the child seems to be handling it quite well, then this might be a case of them simply ‘ironing out the wrinkles’. Whether it’s a new friendship or the dynamic of the friendship has changed, it sometimes takes time to get to know each other and learn how to get along.

‘Fiery Friendships’ are especially common for children with strong personalities who form friendships with kids similar to them. While they might click at first, they’ll naturally begin to butt heads. For these kids, the highs are high and the lows are low!

But, as parents and educators, we can rest easy if (1) the good times outweigh the bad times AND (2) they’re putting out their Friendship Fires® by working their way around the Friend-o-Cycle. If these two factors are present, then it sounds like they are figuring it out and it might just be a lifelong friendship in the making.

However, if a child is coming home in tears every day and really seem torn up about it, here are a few strategies to try (Note: Log-in to your free family membership for further advice):

• “How can you spend less time in this friendship?”: Sometimes these volatile friendships are simply a product of spending too much time together. Help your child come up with a plan to decrease their daily dose of this friendship. 
• “It’s time to get strategic in this friendship!”: Help your child get clear on what works and what doesn’t work in their friendship. When are they getting along? When are Friendship Fires igniting? Then, help them come up with a plan. 
• “Are they Friendship Fires or is it Mean-on-Purpose?”: It’s important that your child understands the difference between normal conflict (Friendship Fires®) versus intentionally rude, cruel, malicious behavior. 
• “Did you Talk-it-Out until the Fire-is-Out?”: Has your child truly talked to their friend to tell them how they’re feeling? Are they being honest with their friend or do they keep sweeping the issues under the rug? For parents, this might be an opportunity to plan a playdate or sleepover to create that one-on-one time with their friend. Role-play with them, so they can practise what they’ll say. School is a busy place and sometimes it’s hard for kids to find time to Talk-it-Out with a friend.
• “What colour friendships do you deserve?”: Ask them, “Let’s think about a friendship that goes from green to red, green to red, green to red on The Friend-o-Meter. What colour does that friendship average out at?” Help your child identify that friendship would average out in the Yellow-Zone. Remind them they deserve Green-Zone friendships in their lives! 

While it’s normal for a friendship to have the occasional Friendship Fire®, a healthy friendship has been proven by Dr John Gottman’s research to have at least 5 positive (green) interactions for every 1 negative (red) interaction. These tricky friendships are a great opportunity for children to master their conflict-resolution skills and learn to foster healthy, feel-good friendships.

One thing we say to kids all the time is: “You teach people how to treat you!” When kids deal with their Friendship Fires® in a kind and respectful way, it deepens friendships creating closer & stronger connections.

Written by: Dana Kerford, Founder & Friendship Expert

HTLC are a URStrong school, with many of our Junior School classes familiar with the URStrong program.

We encourage you to wear your favourite AFL colours to our Father's Day Footy Day!