During this term it has been wonderful to see the transition program for our upcoming Foundation students take place as they prepare for school next year. From all reports it appears that the at-home session had been very well received by the children and we now welcome them to school with class activities over the coming weeks. I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks to the families, our Foundation teachers and aides, and our Head of Junior School, Mrs Friberg, for their support of these future young men and women of our college. I pray that the coming weeks continue to provide joy as they prepare to commence their formalised schooling in 2023.

A reminder that the PTFA trivia night, Battle of the Brains, is taking place this coming Friday 11 November. This adult-only event is sure to be a wonderful event with tickets now available. Grab your friends and join us for a night of brain-strain and laughter.
https://www.trybooking.com/CDV...

Today we saw the 2023 College Captain speeches from those Year 11 students who are wishing to be elected to these positions of responsibility. I congratulate these individuals for stepping out of their comfort zone and commend them for confidently speaking to their peers. At HTLC we know that you don’t need a badge on your chest to be a leader at our school, as we all should lead by example, but despite the result I wish these individuals the best of luck in the election process.

Have a wonderful week.

Mr Daniel Weller, College Principal

by Pastor Stephen Abraham

Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right’ (Acts 10:34,35).

When I was a young man at university, one of my very secular music history professors asked the class, ‘What is the single greatest historical event in the past 2000 years?’

The answer: the Reformation! So, I trust you had a happy Reformation Day yesterday! Today we read about another Reformation-like event, the first that the fledgling followers of Jesus faced.

In a few short chapters in Acts, there is a paradigm shift. A massive movement in thinking for this fledgling Jewish off-shoot that brought into question so much of their identity, heritage and worldview: that non-Jews can be saved!

So the setup: a non-Jewish ‘God-fearer’ (a Roman centurion of all people!) has a vision and is commanded to meet up with Peter. At the same time, Peter has a vision about God commanding him three times to break the Old Testament laws on eating unclean animals. This is shocking; from birth, Peter had been taught from Scripture never to eat what is profane or unclean, but the voice from heaven clearly said, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane’ (Acts 10:15).

As Peter ponders this strange vision, an entourage sent by Cornelius arrives, asks for Peter, and tells him about Cornelius’ vision. Peter goes with them to Caesarea, where Cornelius has gathered his family and friends to hear what Peter has to say. As Peter listens to Cornelius tell his story, the significance of his own vision becomes crystal clear. Peter believes God has shown him that he should not consider anyone unclean; uncircumcised Gentiles can become followers of Jesus!

What Peter says is profound. It is one of the earliest creedal statements summarising the core beliefs of the Christian faith. And those first words from verse 34: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality …’.

I know historically that this took time and lots of effort for the early church to finally fully resolve and accept. But I often ponder what would have happened to Christianity if Acts 10 did not occur. Without it, Christianity may have stayed as a small Jewish sect, and most of us Gentiles wouldn’t know Jesus and be his followers. No church, a much smaller New Testament (if at all!), no missions, no Reformation, no Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand!

So, thank you, Peter and Cornelius, for listening and heeding the Spirit’s prompting and Luke for recording it for us!

Almighty God, thank you for this first challenge that the church overcame. May it fill us with hope in the challenges we face. Hold us together and lead us forward, Holy Spirit, so we can fulfil our mission to make disciples, baptise and teach. Amen.

Welcome Foundation 2023 students!

Our Foundation students for 2023 will enjoy their second visit to our College next Tuesday morning. Miss Janetzki will be leading the session, reading The Three Little Pigs and completing a craft activity with the students. Please welcome our new members to the college community if you see them.

Diagnostic Testing

Next week all students from Foundation to Year 6 will be completing their school-based literacy and numeracy diagnostic assessments. These assessments allow us to monitor students’ academic progress, identify individual strengths and weaknesses, plan to meet student needs and inform special programs within the school. We encourage parents to avoid making appointments for students during school hours next week and to ensure students get the rest they require.

Remembrance Day

The Junior School will be recognising Remembrance Day in their classrooms on Friday morning. Poppies and other items can be purchased from the Junior and Middle School Office to support the ANZAC Appeal.

Swimming Program

Next week will be the final week for the HTLC swimming program, with Foundation and Year 1 students going to the YMCA daily for their swimming lessons. We all know the importance of Australian children learning to be safe in and around water, and we’re pleased to be able to help prepare our students for fun and safe water play. 

Chapel

This morning 3D led our Junior School worship, with a message based on Galatians 6:9, ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up’. Next week 3D will visit Sunnyside Lutheran Retirement Village on Wednesday, and 2H will be leading our Chapel on Friday morning. 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.

Blessings,

Mrs Fiona Friberg, Head of Junior School

Parent Information Sessions – Current Year 8 Families (2023 Year 9 Families)

A final reminder about two Information Sessions which will be held next week. On Tuesday evening, a 2023 Year 9 Information Session will be held for all current Year 8 families. The session will be held in the MPC at 7pm. On Wednesday 9 November there will be an Information Session held for 2023 Year 7 families from 7pm in the MPC. All families are encouraged to attend to find out more about the Year 7 and Year 9 programs and important organisational details for next year.

2023 Central Australia Learning Tour

A number of families have expressed an interest in attending the 2023 Central Australia Tour which means this exciting tour will take place next year. I will be in communication with these families in the near future to provide details of what they need to do next to secure their place. The tour promises to provide some fantastic experiences for our students as they explore a new environment and learn about different cultures.

Semester 2 Examinations

In Week 8 of this term, Middle School students will be sitting their end of semester examinations for Mathematics, English, Science, Humanities and Health. These exams will take place from Monday 21 to Friday 25 November. An exam timetable will be forwarded to parents once it is finalised.
Exams are given in Years 7 and 8 to reinforce learning from the semester and provide examination experience for students which will help them to prepare for the Senior School. The examinations will range from 50 minutes for Year 7 and 8 students to 90 minutes for Year 9 students.
In Week 7, students will use class time to revise, sit practice exams and be given material to study at home. 

End of Year Preparations

Over the coming weeks Year Level Coordinators will be communicating with students and parents around important end of year activities and processes. Year 7 and 8 families will receive information about upcoming camps and parents are asked to return medical consent forms by the due dates to assist with planning. Families will also receive information about 2023 Booklist and Stationery Orders. Families are encouraged to follow closely the recommendations for these orders to ensure students are well prepared for next year.

Term 4 Key Dates

Mr Jason Przibilla, Head of Middle School

VCE exams

This week, students have continued with VCE external examinations as we conclude our second week. It has been pleasing to see the commitment to study shown by many of our students who are spending time in the Senior Centre. Well done also to our Year 11 students who are completing accelerated studies in addition to their Year 11 studies. Their final exam is Food Studies on Thursday 10 November. After completing their exam, Year 11 students are to resume usual classes.

Senior School exams

Senior School exam revision week is from Monday 14 November - Friday 18 November. Regular school attendance is vital during this time as work from throughout the semester will be reviewed and students will have the opportunity to seek additional support prior to undertaking their exams. Exam Week runs from Monday 21 November to Friday 25 November.
All Year 10 and 11 students will be sitting exams during this time. Teachers will provide guidance on the content to be covered, during Exam Revision Week. The usual class timetable will continue to operate around the exams.

Head Start Program

Head Start for Senior School students commences on Tuesday 29 November and runs through until Thursday 8 December. During Head Start, students will be provided with an outline of the content, assessment and expectations of the studies they have selected to undertake in 2023. All students are required to be in attendance throughout these two weeks as programs will be running for all students.

Early Completion

Students seeking to leave school prior to the conclusion of programs should apply in writing to the Principal for an exemption. The Education Act requires young people under the age of 17 to be in full-time employment or education or a combination of employment and training.

Important VCE Dates

Senior School Important Dates

Mrs Sally Kuchel, Head of Senior School

Please find upcoming sporting dates below for your calendar:

• Cricket Blast Year 5-6 - Wednesday 9 November, in Coughlin Park
• Greater Western Cricket Blast - Tuesday 15 November in Ballarat

State Track & Field Championships

We had 4 students compete on Wednesday of last week at the State Track and Field Championships. It was a wonderful achievement and we are so proud of our athletes' performances. A huge congratulations to Ellua Boyd, Georgia Foster, Lani King and Victoria Brown!

Greater Western Volleyball

Our Year 6 Girls Volleyball team did not get an opportunity to compete in Hamilton due to the Horsham flood situation, which was disappointing for all involved. A huge thank you to Miss Annika McDonald who has given her time and volleyball tips throughout multiple training sessions with our girls in the lead up to the competition.

Hoop Time Basketball

Our Year 4 Girls Hoop Time basketball team did not get an opportunity to compete in Hamilton due to the Horsham flood situation, which was disappointing for all involved. A huge thank you to Jordyn Burke who has given his time in committing to training sessions to ensure our girls were well prepared for the competition. We very much look forward to competing next year!

Yours in Sport!

Mrs Hayley Thomas, Junior School Sports Coordinator

Friendship Fact #4 reminds children that: Friendships change…and that’s okay! But, the reality is, it doesn’t always feel okay at first. Sometimes, it feels painful and hard and we see kids resisting the change.

This Friendship Fact is, undoubtedly, the hardest one for tweens to wrap their heads around. As kids approach adolescence, it is very common for their friendships to shift. This is a dynamic stage in their development, as they begin to figure out who they are and what they believe in. Naturally, changing interests and opinions results in changing friendships.

It’s important for children to accept that friendships are always changing because we are always changing. Not all friendships were meant to last forever and we want them to get comfortable with the natural ebb and flow of friendship. Like the Marie Kondo Method, if it doesn’t spark joy, it’s time to let it go.

Change can feel really hard and sometimes children struggle to accept the very normal, common process of growing apart from a friend. In more serious circumstances, where they’ve been friends for a very long time, a friendship break-up can feel as painful as death – the equivalent of losing a loved one. Depending on the depth of the friendship, some children may go through, what David Kessler & Elisabeth Kübler-Ross have identified as, The 6 Stages of Grief. For a child, a friendship break-up might look something like this:  

• Denial: They hold on to the way the friendship used to be and try to act like it hasn’t changed, perhaps still referring to this person as their best friend (despite it not feeling that way).
• Anger: They feel frustrated with their friend and annoyed by the little things, sparking lots of little (and big) Friendship Fires®.
• Depression: This is the stage where they really take it personally and tears emerge, sometimes crying a lot after school when they get home. Older children might appear sullen or withdrawn.
• Bargaining: In this stage, they might be opening up a little more, sharing their story with others and seeking comfort.
• Acceptance: They begin to form new friendships and come to terms with ‘letting go’ of the friendship.
• Meaning: This is when they can look back on the situation and feel a sense of gratitude for what they learned from this friendship.

Whether you feel your child is working their way through the stages of grief and loss, or is simply just adjusting to the “new normal” of a changing friendship, there are lots of ways you can support them.

Here is a list of strategies to help your child move forward after a friendship break-up depending on how they’re coping:

*Is your child struggling with self-respect? Continue to remind them they deserve healthy, Green-Zone friends.

• For a child who is clinging on to a friend who is trying to push them away, you might ask them: “Why on Earth would you want to be friends with someone who doesn’t want to be friends with you?” This statement creates a lightbulb moment, helping them begin to see the importance of self-respect. Try this activity: Boundary Building

• Keep linking their experience to The Friend-o-Meter. Ask your child, “Where is your friendship on the Friend-o-Meter today? Wow! Red again? That’s a lot of days in the Red-Zone! What colour friendships do you deserve?” Try this activity called: Must-Haves, Deal-Breakers, & Ice-Cream or watch Session 7 of our Language of Friendship video series called: Dealing with an Unhealthy Relationship

• Continue to shift their attention to positive, feel-good friendships. Ask them, “I know you’re missing the way your friendship used to be with Zach. Can you think of any Green-Zone friends you have now? What about Nathan? He is so kind and caring – he seems like a Green-Zone friend!”

• Do you feel, ultimately, their struggle is connected to their lacking sense of self-worth? We have a whole section devoted to activities focused on Building Self-Worth. Give the Unwrapping Your Gifts activity a try – it will tug at your heartstrings!

*Is your child focusing on the negative? Try to shift their mindset to gratitude. 

• Help them acknowledge what that friendship gave them and what they’ve learned. Try saying, “I know it’s really hard when a friendship ends. What did this friendship teach you? Have you learned anything?” Help them tap into the impact this friendship had on them, noting that even unhealthy friendships ultimately have lessons that improve the way we ‘do relationships’ in the future.

• Share the sentiment: “We have different friends for different reasons in different seasons.” Discuss what this means, helping them come to terms with this very normal experience.

*Is your child finding it hard to accept? Normalize their experience.

• Share your stories. It’s comforting for children to know that it’s normal to grow apart from a friend. You might even share a story of a friend you grew apart from, but who came back into your life later on. This might give your child feelings of hope and optimism, recognizing that friendships aren’t always gone forever…just for right now.

• If it feels like they’re in denial, you might try saying: “That person you used to be friends with is not the same person. They’ve changed, just like you’re not the same person you were 2 years ago!”

• If your child is a visual learner, metaphors are helpful. Say, “Go with the flow! Pull in the oars and let the current of friendship take you, rather than trying to paddle against the current.”

*Is your child feeling empty or alone? Help them fill up again.

• One-on-one time is a great way fast track the friend-making process. Whether it’s a playdate or a sleepover, create an opportunity for your child to feel close to new friends. Get your child to watch this video, where they will learn 4 easy ways to make new friends: Make Friends, Like a Ninja!

• Give them fun, little challenges to get them excited about making new friends. For example, you might say: “Try to say hi to someone new today!” Celebrate with them if they achieved the goal.

• Remind them of the importance of quality over quantity! Say, “It’s better to have one Green-Zone friend than a bunch of Orange-Zone friends!” Read this article: Quality over Quantity in Friendships

• Help them tap into their strengths, focusing on the most important friendship of all – their friendship with themself. Make a list with them of all the activities that light them up and feel good. Like a distraction technique, this helps to shift their attention away from the break-up towards their strengths & passions. Doing things they love will help release positive emotions and even get them into a state of flow, which is powerful for their wellbeing. If they love skateboarding, put them in a skate camp or build a half-pipe! It’s a perfect time for them to try out a new hobby or hone in on their faves!

*Is your child making it a bigger deal than it is? Help them gain perspective.

• If they are catastrophizing, you can ask them: “Will this matter in 5 days? 5 months? 5 years?” Help them see that, although it feels really big right now, in time it will feel like a thing of the past.

• Sometimes a big, dramatic break-up is unnecessary and all that is required is a new understanding of what the friendship looks like now. Maybe it’s gone from We-Do-Everything-Together to We-Play-Together-Sometimes. (Try this activity: Spending Less Time) It’s an opportunity to redefine the friendship. Just because “best friends” doesn’t feel good anymore, doesn’t mean they can’t still be friends. It’s really about accepting and redefining the ‘new’ friendship. Get your child to learn about the WWW strategy (What works? What doesn’t work?) by watching this video: Feel-Good Friendships

As the saying goes, “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Be there to support them, but ultimately remind them that friendships – even the ones we’ve lost – all leave a little imprint on our hearts. We can use these experiences as powerful “Teachable Moments” in our kids’ lives to help them feel a little more ‘okay’ with Friendship Fact #4.

One final note to consider: Are you, as the parent, making it a bigger deal than it really is? Are you projecting your own heartbreak or personal experiences of losing a friend onto your child? Is your child really struggling or are you the one finding it hard to accept this new reality? Maybe you were friends with that child’s parents? Or, perhaps you worry that nobody likes your child? Be sure to consider how you’re responding to this situation and maybe it’s worth rephrasing: Your child’s friendships will change…and that’s okay.

Written by Dana Kerford, Founder & Friendship Expert.

HTLC is a URStrong, with these lessons being taught to students across the Junior School. Please check out the website & sign up for free to familiarise yourself with the language your child may use around friendships https://urstrong.com/parents/

Students from Years 4-6 are invited to learn the basics of robotics in a 4-week lunchtime program each Thursday. This will enable students to get their first experience using some of the robots HTLC uses in school-based competitions, and allow them to have an insight into the 2023 Robo Cup program. Interested students may attend this Thursday in the Technology room (SGLA5).