Amalgamation update

A letter to parents and carers with important information regarding the Wimmera Lutheran College amalgamation was distributed to parents and carers today, via The Hub. Detailed in this communication was information on the following important areas, including:

Executive Leadership Appointments: Congratulations to Mrs Kate Carter for being appointed Deputy Principal/Head of Secondary School and Mrs Jacqui North for being appointed Assistant Head of Primary School(s) - Curriculum and Pedagogy. Both staff will commence their positions in 2025.

Uniform: There will be no compulsory changes to uniforms at any campus until 2027, allowing families a timely transition to a new uniform.

Campus Advisory Committees: The individual input and interests of the three communities are critical and will be preserved through a standing Advisory Committee on each campus. The role of these groups is to provide feedback and advice to the WLC Board as it relates to their specific communities. Expressions of interest for these positions are now open, please contact Mr Przibilla if you are interested.

New logo and colours: An independent company will be sourced to design and develop the new brand and logo. Work in this space will commence next term.

School fees: Will be set at the discretion of each individual school’s current board.

Special days

Two weeks ago the school celebrated Grandparents Day with a special whole college chapel, classroom visits, combined morning tea and Book Fair visits. A special thank you to all of the grandparents and special friends who supported this day, it was fantastic to see so many grandparents present and playing a special role in their grandchildren’s lives.

Next week we will celebrate Father's Day with the traditional Footy Colours Day. Students will have the opportunity to wear their favourite footy colours, order a pie for lunch, visit the PTFA Father's Day stall to collect last-minute gifts, participate in footy activities and celebrate spending time together.

A huge congratulations to the Middle School Science students and teachers for the outstanding Science Showcase they put on for the community last week. The activities and knowledge that was on display was amazing and the many visitors enjoyed the opportunity to take part in hands-on learning activities. Well done to all involved.

Staffing update

• Mrs Sally Kuchel is currently on long service leave. Mrs Kate Carter will fulfil the role of Acting Head of Senior School in her absence
• Mr Conor Lawson has accepted a position working for the State Government. He will officially finish at HTLC next term. Miss Meg Cashin has taken on the role of Year 11 Coordinator
• Miss Rebecca Roy has resigned from her teacher aide position. This position is currently being advertised
• Ms Cass Dalgleish will go on maternity leave on Friday, 6 September. Her position is currently being advertised
• Mrs Jacquie Nuttall is on long service leave for the remainder of this term.

Psalm 32:8:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Mr Jason Przibilla, Acting College Principal

by Pastor Steve Liersch

And he [Gallio] drove them from the tribunal. And they [Jewish leaders] all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this (Acts 18:16,17).

As I write this, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place. A big furore has erupted over a tableau consisting of drag queen artistes, including a child, which sparked outrage on social media and garnered backlash from political and religious leaders from many parts of the world.

How would you respond? It is easy to see how the unbelieving world around us can shrug their shoulders and move on and say, ‘What’s all the fuss about?’ And if today’s reading from Acts 18 is any indication, nothing has changed in around 2000 years. Gallio turned a blind eye to matters that he referred to as ‘a matter of questions about words and names and your own law’ and followed that up with, ‘See to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things’ (verse 15).

What I learned from that is he couldn’t have cared less about matters of theology because it wasn’t his area of expertise, interest or jurisdiction. He then handballed it back to the Jews, who tried another angle – to beat up Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue – but still no reaction from Gallio (verse 17).

As God’s family and ambassadors here on Earth, Christians are constantly being watched as to how we respond to challenges to our faith, how the world portrays Jesus, and how the interpretation of Scripture by ungodly influences is responded to. We will do well to speak up and ensure our voice of discontent is heard so that we are credible and consistent with identifying offence and speaking up for our Lord and Saviour.

However, I couldn’t help but think of two things: Jesus strangely said things like, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Matthew 5:44). But then Jesus raised the bar to an unbelievably high level by staying silent as he was spat on, beaten, subjected to ridicule, tortured and finally hung on a cross. He then did what only the divine human could do and said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’ (Luke 23:34).

Think of a time that you spoke up for Jesus. What happened, and how did you feel?

Lord Jesus, we know the enemy and the world delights in you being ridiculed and mocked. Help us speak up for you and, at the same time, pray for those who are your enemies. Amen.

Building learners - student-led conferences thank you

Thank you for your participation as co-educators, as you listened to your child (or children) tell you about their learning! Success in school learning is greatly attributed to support from parents and carers. Listening to and recognising your child as a learner, and hearing about how they are getting on in their workplace (the school) is a really important part of their educational journey!

Building community - Footy Day

To celebrate Father’s Day/Special Adults Day at Holy Trinity, we have a tradition of inviting dads, carers and special friends to be a part of Footy Day! This week's first communication was about ordering food (pies) and the second communication was about the structure of the day (our apologies that communication was a little back-to-front). It will be my first Footy Day, and I look forward to enjoying it with our community on Friday, 30 August!

Building community - Mother’s Day/Special Adults Day

"Dads get food and a half a day for Father’s Day" is something I have heard as Mother's Day/Special Adults Day went by this year! Not that it’s a competition, but it can’t hurt to pool some ideas from our community for Mother’s Day/Special Adults Day next year. If you have any great ideas, let PTFA members know, or drop those ideas with your classroom teacher, or in fact any member of staff!

Building community - playgroup each Thursday morning

Everyone is invited from 9am to 10am to the Holy Trinity College playgroup. This one-hour session is in the transportable alongside the Foundation rooms - all welcome. Maria (Miss D) and Jessie (Mrs Ferguson) would love to see you there!

Building community - respect for property

This week we are focusing on two areas in the Junior School

• Respecting property - particularly ICT
• Respecting trees in the play yard and following playground rules

If you have any questions, please ask the teaching staff, or look on the Junior School Hub for more information!

Evacuation and Invacuation training

To specifically mention (as some students may find it unsettling if they don’t know), the college will be practising invacuation (or lock-down) and evacuation training on site from 9-13 September (Week 9). Staff will receive full training, as we realise we have experienced some leadership and general staff changeover.

2025 calendar

Mr Przibilla has locked in the calendar dates for 2025! This is the first step in a successful organisation for next year, so we set about to lock in dates to make 2025 the best it can be! We have already scheduled for all staff to revise first aid training in the staff training week and are preparing for other staff learning during these days.

Leadership timetable changes

I am very grateful that Mrs Emma Ison has returned part-time to pick up a day a week (Wednesday), when she will be teaching Foundation and Year 2 Technology. My new timetable means I now have solid administration/leadership time from Monday to Wednesday. I am very grateful and have already found great benefits for the leadership of the Junior School.

Diary dates

Week 7 - Friday, 30 August - 9am FL chapel

Week 7 - Friday, 30 August - Footy Day

Week 9 - 9-13 September - Evacuation and Invacuation training

Week 9 - Thursday, 12 September - F-2 Performing Arts Showcase

Week 9 - Saturday, 14 September - RoboCup Vic State

Week 10 - 20-22 September - human powered vehicle competition in Murray Bridge

Newsletter and assembly are both even weeks this term!

Mr Adam Borgas, Head of Junior School

Celebrating Teaching and Learning

Two weeks ago, I spent the entire week with fellow Lutheran educators on a Contemporary Learning Tour in Melbourne. This involved visiting a variety of schools, both government and non-government, to see what contemporary learning looks like according to their schools’ vision. What is interesting is that while many schools shared a lens of innovative and modern education, how this was delivered was uniquely different given the context, demographics and student needs of each school. It was wonderful to see the variety of learning opportunities for students of the 21st century and to see the effect this has on their local communities and identity in the world.

Awards - Week 6

FJ: Nina J and Lyla L, FL: Indy C, Aditi P and Ethan C, 1H: Lewis H, Charlotte S and Naila A, 1P: Kasen B and James B, 2H: Frankie E and Roshil U, 2S: Nate B, 3B: Zetta B, Laura B and Laila B, 3D: Charlie Y, Ellie K and Ryan R, 4F: Addisyn K and Felix F, 4M: Ava N and Emily R, 4R: Max P and Olivia B, 5D: Isobel D and Harper M, 5A: Tex E and Indi W, 6H: Max B and Jesse A, 6N: Bella K and Jasper D, 6V: Kobe H and Eleanor B. Specialist awards: Chinese: Ariel M, Lexi M, Ella S, Lily A, Isla S and Olivia B, PE: All of FL and 3B, Technology: Cooper S.

Our Trinity Tiger (5-6) Award recipient was Peter S, Trinity Cub (3-4) Jonny N and Trinity Cub (F-2) Fred R.

Student work

Each year, the Parliament of Victoria asks students across the state, from Grade 5 to Year 12, to share what they would say to parliament if they were an MP. This is a chance to talk about any issues that are important to them and their community.

As part of the Year 6 Genesis English project, students were able to draw upon persuasive strategies and current events to record their own 90-second Member’s Statement video and submit these for entry in the 2024 Parliament Prize competition.

All students who submitted their entries were passionate about the community and spoke of ways for improvement. We are very honoured to have Victoria Wright receive a high commendation for her entry on animal testing. Victoria was able to articulate the current concerns in this area as well as provide strategies to prevent this in the future. Well done Victoria on being a student voice and creating impact for our society!

Mrs Jacqui North, Junior School Teaching and Learning Coordinator

Term 3 is well underway, and our students have been engaged in both their academic pursuits and a variety of extracurricular activities. From classroom projects to outdoor adventures, they’ve been working hard and taking advantage of the many opportunities available to them.

Science Week

Last week, our Middle School hosted Science Week, creating a positive atmosphere that brought the community together. It was great to see our students share their learning with such enthusiasm. The event featured a variety of experiments and interactive activities, enjoyed by attendees of all ages.

We thank Mrs Samantha Engert and the Science Department for their careful planning and organisation. Science Week has become a much-anticipated event, and we look forward to the next one.

VCE Outdoor Education camp

In Week 5, our VCE Outdoor Education students enjoyed a five-day hike through Wilsons Promontory National Park. They participated in various activities, including surfing and hiking, while enjoying stunning views along the way. During the trek, students collected water and soil samples and studied an aquatic system at Refuge Cove. Thanks to Mr Prouse and his team for making this experience so valuable for our students.

Trial exams for Unit 3 and 4 VCE subjects

The trial examinations for the Unit 3 and 4 VCE subjects will take place in the second week of the term holidays, running from 30 September to 4 October. A schedule has been provided to students and is also available on the Year Level Hub pages. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Kate Carter.

Reminders: mobile phones

A reminder that students are not permitted to use their mobile phones during the school day and they should keep them in their locker. If your child feels unwell or needs to reach you for any reason, they should inform their teacher or the administration team, who will assist with this. Thank you for your cooperation.

Important Secondary School dates

Year 12

Tuesday, 22 October – Last day Year 12

Tuesday, 29 October-Wednesday, 20 November – VCE written examinations

Friday, 22 November – Year 12 Graduation Service and Graduation Dinner

Mrs Kate Carter, Acting Head of Senior School

Little Desert volleyball

On Wednesday last week, four teams of students from HTLC headed to Horsham Primary School to compete in the Little Desert Years 5-6 volleyball finals. The students were very excited to have a chance to represent HTLC, and everyone performed well on the day in a sport that is relatively new for many of them. Playing in a challenging pool, the boys A team experienced its only loss at the hands of Horsham Primary School, the eventual winners, who defeated the boys B team in the grand final.

On the girls side of the draw, the B team secured a third-place finish, while the A team defeated Horsham Primary School in the grand final to earn a place in the Greater Western Region finals on Wednesday, 16 October.

Congratulations to all the students involved in teams on the day, and thank you to the Year 8 volunteers who assisted with refereeing and coaching on the day.

Greater Western Region AFL 9s

After two cancellations of the Little Desert AFL 9s competition due to other schools withdrawing, HTLC has progressed to the regional finals, to be held in Ballarat on Wednesday, 11 September. There will be a boys team and a girls team of selected Year 6 students participating in this event. Thank you for your patience as we look to provide this opportunity to our students.

Black Ranges Year 7 and Year 8 volleyball

Wednesday saw more school volleyball as almost 40 students from Year 7 and Year 8 travelled to the Horsham Basketball Stadium to compete in the Black Ranges volleyball finals. There was a great atmosphere on the main court with several students sitting in the grandstand and intently watching each match, and all five HTLC teams had some success over the day.

The Year 7 boys team won one of their two matches and finished tied for wins with the other two teams in their competition. Unfortunately, due to winning fewer sets than the other teams, they were unable to progress to the regional finals. The Year 7 girls teams started the day with a highly competitive match against each other, and then both defeated Horsham College’s B team before losing to their A team. This meant our girls teams finished second and third in their pool and unfortunately missed qualification for regionals.

The Year 8 girls team played well throughout the day and managed to win its pool and the finals without dropping a set. The group is excited to continue training ahead of the Greater Western regional finals on 10 September. The Year 8 boys had a tricky day, losing their first game one set to two against Horsham College A. After securing a win in their second game to qualify for the semi-finals, the boys found themselves trailing by a set and on the verge of elimination, before managing to rally against St Brigid’s and win two sets in a row to qualify for the grand final. In front of an incredibly enthusiastic crowd, and with strong support from the other HTLC students, the boys were facing off against Horsham College in a rematch. After dropping the first set, the boys were again on the brink of losing, but were able to come back and win the second set. Buoyed on by the crowd, the boys were able to take the final set and qualify for the Greater Western regional finals. Congratulations to all students involved for their efforts on the day.

Holy Trinity Netball Championship

In Term 3 of each year, the Year 9 students at Holy Trinity Lutheran College participate in the Holy Trinity Netball Championship, a Fast5 netball competition that is completely run by the students. Teams build their own identities and are then responsible for scoring, umpiring and keeping statistics for all the games throughout a season, and then play finals, in the hope of getting their team name etched on the shield.

It has been fantastic to see all students engaging in this unit and working hard to support each other throughout the term so far.

Holy Trinity Volleyball League

Similar to the Year 9 students, the Year 7 students take part in the Holy Trinity Volleyball League, which is a miniature volleyball competition. It has been fantastic to see the Year 7 students get into the spirit of the competition, creating their custom team uniforms and working hard to improve their skills each week.

Super Sport Cup 2024

Inter-house competition is back in the Secondary School this term, with Lowan, Mallee and Wimmera fighting it out for the Super Sport Cup. This multi-sport event involves teams of students from Years 7-8, Years 9-10 and Years 11-12 competing to win matches and earn points for their house.

After two weeks of competition in netball, Mallee sits on top of the leaderboard as the only team to have played in both weeks. Wimmera is in second after a strong performance today, and Lowan is currently in third. Friday next week is a bye round as there is a whole school chapel, with the final round of the regular season taking place in Week 8, before the grand finals between the top two houses in each division in Week 9.

Victorian Interschools Skiing Championships

Congratulations to Charlotte D, who has been in Mt Buller this week representing HTLC at the Victorian Interschools Skiing Championships. Charlotte was the sole representative from HTLC and competed in the division three girls competition this year. She competed in two events - the ski cross and the moguls, and managed to finish in 27th position in the moguls. Congratulations Charlotte for your efforts, and thank you for representing HTLC with pride!

Coming events

September

2 - State boys netball

4 - Black Ranges Year 8 basketball

7 - Victorian Schools Mountain Bike Series round four

8 - Victorian Schools Mountain Bike Series round five

10 - Greater Western Region Year 7 and Year 8 volleyball

11 - Greater Western Region Years 5-6 AFL 9s

12 - Little Desert primary athletics

20 - AHPVSS round six: Murray Bridge 24-hour

Mr Matthew McLoughlin, F-12 Sport Coordinator

The Resilient Kids Conference is in Melbourne on Saturday, 7 September. The Resilient Kids Conference is a one-day event for parents and professionals who live and work with kids and teens. It’s a place where Australia’s leading parenting educators join forces to support you with practical tools and strategies, so we can better show up for this generation of kids.

Since 2016, our live events have attracted hundreds of parents and educators in a single event, so the vibe is marvellous. Our last recent conference in July in Perth was a full house with 750 delegates. It is beyond beautiful to see parents, educators, and many other professionals stream through the doors in anticipation of a soul fulfilling experience. By the end of the day their faces are beaming, and so is our teams.

If you haven’t been to a Resilient Kids Conference you simply must! It’s much more than a conference. It’s a community of people, redefining resilience together. In person, online and group licence tickets are available for most events.

We are bringing you three new presentations - all ready to support you as a parent or professional. Each presentation will include an extra Q and A segment. Let's dig in and answer some of those nitty gritty questions that you have. It's going to be a very full, action-packed day offering you loads of takeaways for your home, profession or community.

Date and time: Saturday, 7 Sept

Time: 9.30am to 3.30pm (doors open at 8.45am for a 9.30am start)

Location: Main Auditorium, New Hope Church Building, 3-7 Springfield Road, Blackburn North

Cost: $99

GET TICKETS HERE

Meet our speakers and topics

Michelle Mitchell | Generation Overwhelmed: leading our kids and teens forward

While previous generations may have called growing up challenging, never before has it been defined as a “crisis”. Yet here we are, faced with significant levels of poor mental health, technology dependence, school refusal and disrespect that are challenging both parents and professionals. In this presentation, Michelle will equip trusted adults with the ‘how’ to be a steady leadership presence, moral touch point and safe haven in kid’s hearts and lives. This generation desperately need big-hearted adults – our challenge is to rise to meet them and shine a light on the way forward. Michelle will conclude her session with a Q and A time.

Dr Jodi Richardson | Parenting in an Age of Anxiety: answers to your questions

Families all over Australia are asking the same heartfelt questions about their kids and teens: Is this anxiety? Is this becoming a problem? How can I help? What if they need help but refuse? What else can I do? In this warm and insightful presentation Dr Jodi Richardson addresses all of these concerns, along with questions you may not have even thought to ask. You’ll come away feeling reassured and grounded with new perspective on anxiety, the signs to look for in your child or teen, practical ways to help upstream of anxiety, everyday parenting ideas that strengthen their resilience and more.

Dr Billy Garvey | The science of child development and mental health in the real world

Decades of research has taught us so much about child development and mental health. The challenge lies in using it in the real world. In this talk Billy will share what he has learnt from over two decades of working with families about what works to protect our kids from adversity and find their way back when they are really struggling. Questions will be encouraged with protected time at the end to discuss how we can get better at this together.

We would love you to join us. This is a great conference for professionals and parents.

I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came along and purchased items at our Book Fair. It was wonderful 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, I 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.

 - Jaci Gabbé

The HTLC Cornerstone Cafe now offers vouchers and loyalty cards!

Buy four hot drinks and get the fifth for free! Or consider buying a voucher for a coffee and a muffin for a friend.

Both can be collected from the cafe, open school mornings until 9am in the Senior School.

Got a bit of time next month? Time to give blood and change lives? One in three people in Horsham will need blood, and they need people like you to give it. The Mobile Blood Donor Centre is rolling into town from 9 September to 25 September. Pre-book your spot at www.lifeblood.com.au, on the Donate Blood app or on 13 14 95.

Horsham Mobile Blood Donor Centre dates

Monday, 9 September: 2.45pm-6pm

Tuesday, 10 September: 12.30pm-7.30pm

Wednesday, 11 September: 12.30pm-7.30pm

Thursday, 12 September: 9.30am-4.30pm

Friday, 13 September: 7.45am-11.30am

Monday, 16 September: 2.45pm-6pm

Tuesday, 17 September: 12.30pm-7.30pm

Wednesday, 18 September: 12.30pm-7.30pm

Thursday, 19 September: 9.30am-4.30pm

Friday, 20 September: 7.45pm-11.30am

Monday, 23 September: 2.45pm-6pm

Tuesday, 24 September: 12.30pm-7.30pm

Wednesday, 25 September: 12.30pm-6.30pm

Where: Baker Street, Horsham - adjacent to Horsham City Oval

Horsham has always been proud of its hospital and how it looks after everyone when they are not well.

Now Wimmera Base Hospital is having a very special birthday. It is 150 years old in August.

As part of the celebrations, Grampians Health is inviting kindergarten and primary school children across Horsham to colour in Healthcare Harrie any way they want. Ask your teachers how you can enter.

We also want as many people to write about their experience with Wimmera Base Hospital in a special Memory Book that will be available in the Opportunity Shop in Darlot Street, from 9-15 September.

It will also be available at a table in the entrance to Horsham Plaza on 4 October. People are also welcome to email any stories or pictures to Horsham150@gh.org.au.

West Wimmera Health Service is currently taking applications for the 2025 EN traineeship program.

All applications must be submitted online. The closing date is 30 August.

The service will also offer gap years again in multiple areas - more information to follow.