Today, you would have hopefully received communication from me in regards to the amalgamation of the three Wimmera Lutheran Schools - Holy Trinity, Dimboola and Nhill. For those who are yet to receive this information, I include this as part of my newsletter article:

The board of Holy Trinity Lutheran College wishes to advise parents that Holy Trinity is partnering with St Peter’s Dimboola and Nhill Lutheran School to be able to provide more opportunities for students and to better manage resources and administration.

The schools will officially amalgamate in January 2025 but each school will maintain its own identity and site.

The boards of the three schools will be disbanded and a new board formed in their place to govern across all the schools.

Each school will have an Advisory Committee that will represent the needs of the school to the new Board.

The current economic climate and increasing governance requirements has been tough for schools and this partnership will allow us to run our schools more efficiently and deliver better outcomes for our students.

This amalgamation is about utilising the strength of all three schools to support each other.

We see this as an exciting new chapter for Horsham as better management of our resources gives us more time to focus on student outcomes and learning.

There will be a new overarching executive principal to lead across all three schools however each school will continue to have an on-site leader as well.

Holy Trinity Lutheran College already has a strong relationship with both schools and we’re excited about what we can share with them.

Included with this email was a Frequently Asked Questions document which outlined responses to some key questions regarding the amalgamation. Please be in contact with the college if you require further information regarding this news and I will endeavour to be in contact as soon as I can.

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

Next week is the final week of Term 1 with school finishing on the Thursday. School will finish at 2.20pm with the Closing Service taking place at 1.45pm. Students are reminded that this will be a casual dress day.

Mr Jason Przibilla, Acting College Principal

by Pastor Peter Bean

Who do you say I am? (Luke 9:20a)

The disciples were an interesting lot! They take Jesus at his word and heal people everywhere (verse 6); they return and tell Jesus everything they have done (verse 10), presumably excitedly; then, after Jesus welcomes all the people who found him, they tell Jesus to send the people away (verse 12). And finally, even though they had been performing miracles, when Jesus encourages them to share the sparse amount of food they have, they say we don’t have enough!

Faith to move mountains! Hardly any faith at all!

Are you like that? Am I? Very often, if not always. Sometimes, I think I can change the world with God’s help. Other times, what is happening in the world drives me to despair. I suspect you may have mountain-top – and then valley experiences – as well.

What if Jesus asks you: Who do you say I am? What would your answer be? Would you answer correctly, as Peter did (but not really understanding what your answer means)?

In reality, that’s life. We can confess Jesus in our own words or using the creeds of the church. We can even mean the words sincerely. But then life happens, and we contradict our words with our actions. Or our words lose meaning as we struggle with life’s complexities.

The good thing is Jesus’ words are consistent and true. They are full of love and compassion and grace and forgiveness. They are backed up by the way he lived, treated all people with love, died and then rose again.

Jesus is the one who lived, died and rose again so that even if my actions don’t back up my words of confession, he allows me to start again. He is indeed the Christ. Because of that, you – and I – have life.

Jesus, you are the Christ. Help me to live that out in all I say and do. Amen.

Crazy Hair Day

Thanks to all mums and dads for their commitment to ‘the hair-do’! We had some great hair creations on Monday after the morning assembly. Your efforts from home are much appreciated, as the students raised some money while also having some great fun! Thank you to the SRC for their organisation of this day.

NAPLAN

The Commonwealth testing program, known as NAPLAN, has finished for the students. We thank parents for supporting the testing program, which is aimed at understanding the strengths and weaknesses of our school programs, and the wider effectiveness of Australia’s education system. To support our good government in this task as good citizens, the college encourages all students and all families to support the testing program with their best efforts. Thanks to Mrs Engert and Mrs North and the Years 3,5,7 and 9 staff teams for their administration of the testing.

Years 4-6 camp - coming home today

What a great Creswick camp the Year 4 students have been on this week. This ends a great camp run for Term 1! It has been a great way for each year level to get to know each other well. I thank our community for supporting our great camps program. It provides so many unique learning opportunities for our students and each classroom team.

Tennis - community and representative

Congratulations to many students who are representing their community clubs in the tennis grand finals this week. I’ll see you there! Also, congratulations and good luck to Halle S, Nixon B and Sienne N who will compete in the Black Ranges tennis schools tournament on Monday, 25 March.

Wednesday, 27 March - Years 3-6 Sports Day

Today, the Years F-2 students are competing in their athletics sports day. This coming Wednesday, the Years 3-6 will compete in their sports day and we will then know the overall winner of these days. Thank you so much to our new F-12 sport coordinator, Mr Matthew McLoughlin, for your organisation of these days, and the way in which the staff and parent volunteers in our community support you!

Thursday, 28 March - closing service

Our last day of school is midway through the Christian festival known as Holy Week. Christians follow the story of the last days before Jesus is put to death, to fulfil the writings of the Old Testament. Just as important, Christians end with a great celebration, on Easter Sunday, where Jesus is not defeated by death, but overcomes it by coming to life once again!

Please join us for Chapel at 1.45pm if you can! We would love to see you there!

Holidays - God’s blessings

God’s blessings and safe travels as you experience a change in routine this school holiday period. I pray that staff also have a great break over the flexi-period, as they complete Term 1 and set up for the new school term.

Mr Adam Borgas, Head of Junior School

Celebrating Teaching and Learning

Over the past few weeks, Junior School teachers have been continuing on their own journey as lifelong learners. We have extended our skills outside the classroom in areas such as camp management and leadership, swimming and athletic carnival facilitation as well as leading standardised NAPLAN testing. All these skills are essential components to running a successful Junior School and we thank our teachers for stepping outside their comfort zones and developing these attributes.

Each fortnight, the Teaching and Learning section of the newsletter will recognise those students who have received awards and celebrate the learning that takes place at HTLC.

Awards

FJ: Archie P and Riley M, FL: Joanna O and Sophie H, 1H: Lucy T and Readyn B, 1P: Nkanyezi N and Yamiyah P, 2H: Juno L, 2S: Anna D, 3B: Lexi M and Mason R, 3D: Finn O, Stella B and Cole T, 4F: Naol T, Aiden N and Maya S, 4M: Kingston L, Meg A and Matilda D, 4R: Ollie M, Thevleni S and Max P, 5D: Maddie H, Xavier M, Noah M and Emma S, and all of 5D, 5R: Phoebe B, Abel N, Indi F, Hallie S, and all of 5R, 6H: all of 6H, 6N: Ane vZ and Zara P, 6V: all of 6V. Specialist awards: Technology: Hugo P, Performing Arts (F-2): all of 1H, Chinese: all of 3B.

Our Trinity Tiger (5-6) Award recipient was Judd O, Trinity Cub (3-4) Daniel A and Trinity Cub (F-2) Nara F.

Student work

This week, our Year 6s reflected on their awesome camp experience. Please see a student reflection that showcases the amazing adventures they had!

Mrs Jacqui North, Junior School Teaching and Learning Coordinator

Year 8 news

Melbourne camp/excursion

The Year 8 students enjoyed their cultural excursion to Melbourne last week, spending Thursday and Friday participating in a range of cultural experiences, including watching the Broadway production Wicked, participating in The Big Issue workshop and an African drumming and cance experience. Prior to the theatre, students ventured out to La Porchetta in North Melbourne to enjoy a pizza or pasta meal together. The conduct of the students was of a high level as they embraced the opportunities provided for them. I would like to extend my gratitude to the staff who supervised the students across the two days. Camps and excursions always offer a great opportunity for students to engage in a variety of different learning experiences, outside of the normal classroom environment.

Amanda Przibilla, Year 9 Coordinator

Year 10 news

Science and Engineering Challenge

On Wednesday, 20 March, 10 Year 10 students ventured out to Longerenong to participate in a Science and Engineering Challenge. For this challenge, students were split into teams to compete against Kaniva College and Goroke P-12 in a variety of STEM tasks. Throughout the day - despite being outnumbered - the students gave the challenges everything they had. HTLC came away from the day in second place.

A special mention to Lachlan L and Cameron M for taking out the civil engineering bridge challenge. The boys tackled this task for the whole day and created a bridge that did not crumble under the pressure. Their structure saw them win that challenge.

Jed Prouse, Year 10 Coordinator

Important Senior School dates

• Year 11 College Ball: Friday, 26 April
• General Achievement Test (VCE Unit 3 and 4 students): Tuesday, 18 June
• VCE written examinations: Tuesday, 29 October to Wednesday, 20 November
• VTAC applications open: Monday, 29 July
• Last day of Year 12 and graduation: Tuesday, 22 October
• Year 12 valedictory dinner and worship service: Friday, 15 November (TBC)

Mrs Sally Kuchel, Head of Senior School

AHPVSS 2024

What a fantastic way to open the 2024 season in Mount Gambier! Despite the blistering heat, the students demonstrated exceptional teamwork, support and encouragement to leave the Limestone Coast with a firm foundation for our 2024 campaign.

You can check out the full results from the event results page of the Australian HPV Super Series website.

Over the course of the event, HTR travelled 1176 kilometres, the equivalent of driving from HTLC to Nowra in NSW via Lakes Entrance!

Final placings are as follows:

• Thunder: 1st in category S1 (5 trikes), 54th overall (78 trikes)
• Firestorm: 4th in category S2 (9), 55th overall
• Avalanche: 1st in category S2 all-female (1), 7th in category S2 (9), 2nd in all-female overall (3), 64th overall
• Vortex: 2nd in category S3 Mixed (2), 11th in category S3 (14), 4th in mixed overall (4), 65th overall
• Tsunami: 20th in category C7 (30), 37th overall

Thank you to all the parents who volunteered their time to make this event happen, including driving students to the event, assisting with transport of the trikes, helping out with set up and pack up, and completing marshalling shifts - HTRs program would not be able to run without you.

Congratulations to all the students for their achievements! The next race for the season will be in Tailem Bend, on Saturday, 18 May.

WestVic Academy of Sport Testing Day

Yesterday the WestVic Academy of Sport students underwent their initial testing for the year ahead. Students were put through their paces by Chris Radford from RADCentre in Ballarat, completing timed sprints, vertical jump tests and a yo-yo test. After the fitness testing, staff from the Academy conducted interviews with the athletes to set goals for their training and competitions throughout the year. Congratulations to the 10 students selected for the program; we look forward to hearing more about your successes in your chosen sports as the year progresses.

Greater Western Region swimming

The primary and secondary Greater Western Region swimming finals were held today at the Horsham Aquatic Centre. HTLC were fortunate enough to have 35 students competing across all sub schools. Students who win events at the region finals will progress to the state finals at MSAC on 19 April. Good luck to all those involved.

F-2 Athletics Carnival

There has been a buzz of excitement in the Junior School this week as students from Foundation to Year 2 prepare for their athletics carnival. Thank you to the Year 6 students and the staff across the Junior School for helping to make this event happen. More information and results will be published in next week’s newsletter.

Coming events

March

25 - Black Ranges intermediate and senior volleyball

25 - Greater Western Region primary tennis

26 - Secondary Athletics Carnival

27 - Year 3-6 Athletics Carnival

April

19 - State primary and secondary swimming finals

19 - Black Ranges intermediate and senior girls AFL

22 - HTLC primary and secondary cross-country

23 - Greater Western Region intermediate and senior volleyball

Mr Matthew McLoughlin, F-12 Sport Coordinator

Growtherapy is an independent child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing project created to ‘Make World Better!’

https://growtherapyworld.org/

Being a behaviour detective when working with children and young people is crucial. It means looking beyond the surface of their actions to understand what they're really trying to communicate. Every behaviour, whether good or challenging, is like a clue that can help us understand their needs, feelings, and past experiences. By being detectives, we can figure out why a child is behaving a certain way and find better ways to support them. It's about listening to their behaviour and responding with empathy and understanding, which can make a big difference in helping them thrive.

1. Basic needs: Children may exhibit certain behaviours (like wriggling or lack of concentration) to communicate basic needs such as using the restroom or being hungry, which can be addressed in real-time.

2. Developmental stage: Behaviours can also reflect the child's stage of development, such as a teenager needing more sleep or an eleven-year-old's brain not fully developed for advanced planning, and may resolve as the child grows.

3. Nervous system state: Excitement or stress can affect concentration and learning. Understanding the state of the nervous system can help in calming or stimulating it to help students focus.

4. Survival response: Children may exhibit fight, flight, or freeze responses to perceived danger, which are natural survival instincts. However, these responses can become problematic if they are the default reaction to minor stressors due to living in a constant state of high alert.

5. Coping strategies: Children who have experienced trauma may use coping strategies that were once necessary for survival but are now hindering relationships and learning. Understanding these strategies can help provide alternatives.

6. Brain changes: Long-term exposure to trauma can impact brain architecture, affecting areas responsible for emotional control, memory, and learning. However, these changes are reversible with a safe, stable, nurturing relationship.

7. Trauma-induced thinking: Trauma shapes how children see the world and can lead to narratives about safety and trust. Understanding trauma-induced thinking can help in challenging negative beliefs and perceptions.

8. Child's solution: Behaviours that may seem problematic are often solutions for the child in some way. By understanding the value these behaviours bring to the child, educators can offer safer alternatives more effectively.

Download a PDF of the flow chart and read more at: https://www.echotraining.org/w...

Do you want to help your child break free from anxiety and worry? Fear-Less Triple P Online can help.

Developed by the trusted experts at the Triple P - Positive Parenting Program, this online program is jam-packed with proven strategies to help you understand anxiety and support your child to become more emotionally resilient. It’s one of several Triple P online parenting programs available now, at no cost!

Learn more at www.triplep-parenting.net.au

The Easter Journey is a special event being run by our Year 12 students as a part of their Christian Studies program.

It will be on Wednesday, 27 March after school to coincide with Holy Week. There will be a walking tour with stations to reflect on different parts of the Easter story, which will be open from 3.45pm to 5pm, then a passion play featuring the Year 12 students, communion, and a short message by Pastor Hans. This is followed by supper. The event should conclude by 6pm.

Everyone in the school community is invited to attend. Parents will need to attend with their children due to the nature of the event.

A reminder that students wanting to travel on country buses for football/netball training need to complete an ad hoc application form and email it to buses@horsham-college.vic.edu.au.

These students will be accommodated if possible. Please be aware this will be a term-by-term proposition and if a regular traveller needs the seat they will have priority.

Under no circumstances should students travel without a legitimate application and approval.

Horsham College Bus Coordinator

Holy Trinity's Parents, Teachers and Friends Association is calling for donations for its Easter competition!

If families can donate an Easter item to contribute to some prizes, it would be truly appreciated.

Donations are not limited to chocolate - the PTFA would love to see the true meaning of Easter represented. Donations can be left at the front office.

Details of ticket sales will be provided soon. The competition will be drawn on 27 March. 

Elevate Education will host its next parent webinar on memory on 27 March. Elevate works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you’ll learn how you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they’re learning at school.

Sign up for the session below to learn how you can help your child recall their syllabus content in an exam setting.

How You Can Help Improve Your Child's Memory

Wednesday, 27 March 6.30pm-7.30pm

Click here to register for free

Here’s what Elevate will be covering on the night:

✅ Understanding how your child’s memory works

✅ Optimising your child’s environment for memorisation

✅ 3 practical memory techniques to use with your child this term

We hope to see you there!

Click here to register for free

The Victorian Government's Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund provides schools with payments for eligible students to attend camps, excursions and sporting events. To be eligible for this funding, families must hold a valid means-tested concession card. CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink on the first day of either Term 1 or Term 2.

The college will offer assistance to those who qualify.

CSEF applications for 2024 are now open. Get more information and apply here.

Welcome to Horsham Library’s Harmony Festival!

In celebration of Harmony Week, the Horsham Library is hosting a festival of different activities and events that will satisfy every member of the family on Saturday, 23 March.

The below program outlines each of the events across the day, so be sure to explore what’s on show!

The entire event is FREE of charge!

The Horsham Library regular operations such as book borrowing and V/Line ticket purchasing will still be available during the festival.

Bookings are required for catering purposes.

Please find the booking form below.

Program:

• 9.30am – Horsham Library opens
• 9.30am to close – A craft table for children will be set up with the Harmony Week provided crafts activities.
• 9.30am to close – International movies available per request.
• 10am – Anubha Jalla Das presents a storytime in both English and Hindi languages. This will be followed by a special craft activity and a secret surprise!
• 10.45am – Local author Hedi Holtkamp will speak about her experiences being torn between her home in Germany and the home she has found in Australia, as told in her novel At The End of The Rainbow.
• 11.30am – Artist Alan Murphy and writer Chrissie Murphy will share a sneak peek into the creation of their debut book, a project they are working on through ACT Natimuk’s Creative Lab grant 2023.
• Noon – A feast of foods from across the world! This includes platters from local vendors, Sasak Laksa House, Horsham Masala Indian Restaurant and Ginger Chilli.
• Noon – During the feast, Wimmera Libraries Coordinator Sarah Wiesner will make an exciting announcement for the expansion of our LOTE (Languages Other Than English) collection.
• 1pm – Library closes

Please note that photos of the festival will be taken by Wimmera Libraries staff throughout the day. Care will be taken to exclude faces but it cannot be guaranteed. If you wish for a photo with your face to be blurred, please speak with the staff member taking photos.