Greetings to all in our HTLC community.

I would like to wish our Year 11 students all the best as they prepare for their College Ball this evening. It is pleasing to see that we can provide this opportunity for our students and allow for such wonderful memories to be had. I give thanks to the parents and staff who have spent hours organising, preparing, and setting up for the event. Your passion and support is greatly appreciated, on behalf of our community I say thank you.

Over the past several weeks it has been wonderful to have had the opportunity to meet with existing and new families as we commence enrolment interviews for prospective students in 2023. During my time with families it has provided a moment to once again talk about the 'why' of Lutheran education and how this supports the 'how' and 'what' we do as a school. At Holy Trinity Lutheran College we are committed to providing quality Christian care and future focused education for all individuals - nurturing each child to develop the necessary skills to thrive in this changing and challenging world we live in. Through these conversations it has been affirming to see how blessed we are to have such a wonderful college. I remind current families that if they are looking to enrol their child at the college for next year, and haven't already done so, that they are to get in touch with the Main Reception as soon as you can for further information. Additionally, if you are in contact with any family or friends who are looking to enrol their child at school next year and are yet to decide, I encourage you to speak with them about the wonderful people, places and programs we have at our college. Your support in spreading the good news of our school is greatly appreciated.

Commencing next week, testing for the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will take place for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The online NAPLAN tests are scheduled to commence on Tuesday 10 May and conclude by Friday 20 May. As we prepare for NAPLAN, parents are again reminded that this testing is only one form of assessment, conducted at one point in time, and that at Holy Trinity Lutheran College the assessment of a child is an ongoing process whereby teachers employ a range of methods in assessing each child’s progress. If families have any queries or concerns regarding these tests, you are encouraged to contact either your child’s classroom teacher or the relevant Head of Sub-school.

Families may have noticed that academic and general excellence scholarships for the secondary school commencing in 2023 are now open. An application form and candidate information can be found on our website. The closing date for these applications is Friday 3 June. Click here to find out more.

A reminder that our Open Day will be held on Sunday 22 May from 11am to 1pm. All three sub schools will be open during this time and I warmly invite current and new families to attend.  Prior to this day our Year 7 Information Evening for students commencing in 2023 will take place on Wednesday 18 May, commencing at 7pm. Further information will be provided to our current families and the wider community over the coming week. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss the transition into secondary school with these families soon.

Wishing you a blessed week.

Mr Daniel Weller, College Principal

by Neil Bergmann

The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 12:14).

In the books of 1 and 2 Timothy, Paul is writing to Timothy to encourage him in his ministry. We are all called to encourage each other as we participate in God’s mission to love and redeem the world. At the same time, we look to promote a spirit of humility in our faith communities. We don’t celebrate the things that we have done. Instead, we celebrate what God is doing through his church, and we continually give thanks for God’s love and grace.

This is not the way the world works. We continually give awards for sports, academic achievement, military service, best book, best portrait, best movie, best restaurant, even awards for just participating. The world values winners; the world values the best and brightest. We compete to have better stuff than our neighbours and friends. In the world’s eyes, our success depends on our own efforts. Some even believe that worldly success is a reward for how strong our Christian faith is.

Jesus teaches a different way. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Paul explains in today’s reading how this applies to his ministry. Saul was the worst possible candidate for God’s missionary. He hated Christians, and he hated Jesus, but God had different plans. When Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was blinded by overflowing love and grace. Everything changed, even his name. Now, Paul channels his gifts of determination and courage to spread that love and grace.

Jesus ushered in the topsy-turvy kingdom of heaven, where everybody is valued and loved – not just the brightest and the best. We don’t need to pass an exam or run faster than everybody else to get the prize. Jesus has already won the prize of eternal life and shares it freely with us all.

Merciful God, we give you thanks that you can use sinful, broken people like us in your mission to the world. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Mother’s Day

Today we enjoyed a special picnic lunch with the wonderful mums and carers of our students! Thank you to everyone who rugged up and came along to join the fun. We give thanks for our college mums and those who care for the students of our school, and pray you have a wonderful Mother’s Day.

Congratulations to our Energetix Team!

On Sunday 1 May, our HTLC school aerobics team “The Energetix” consisting of: Maya Przibilla, Bonnie Grieger, Charlotte Matuschka, Lauren Rudolph, Alyssa Stewart, Aizla Shrestha, Sapphire Schirmer, accompanied by coaches Amanda Wik and Mrs Tarn McDonald went to Gisborne for the Regional Preliminary School Aerobics competition. The girls brought energy to the stage and performed extremely well. They have spent the last 6 weeks training super hard during lunchtimes, after schools and weekends to prepare for this event. Their hard work and determination paid off with the girls receiving a score that has now allowed them to qualify for the State Titles competition to be held in Geelong later this term. Thanks also go to coaches Claire Burke and Annika McDonald for their assistance in the lead up to the event. 

Student Leadership Day

On Tuesday 22 of the Junior School Leaders participated in a Western Hub Lutheran Primary School Leaders Day held at Nhill Lutheran School. It was hosted by Emma Graetz from Australian Lutheran College, South Australia. Our Leaders took part in a variety of sessions with other students in our region, explored their relationship with God and reflected on being role models within the community. They have had a wonderful day of learning and collaboration and are excited to share their experiences back at school.

NAPLAN

Students in Year 3 and 5 will complete the NAPLAN assessments over the next two weeks on the following days:
Tuesday 10 May: Year 3 and Year 5 Writing
Wednesday 11 May: Year 3 and Year 5 Reading
Monday 16 May: Year 3 and Year 5 Conventions of Language
Tuesday 17 May: Year 3 and Year 5 Numeracy 

Catch-up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days up to and including Friday 20 May 2022. Changes to this schedule may be made if required.

Students are permitted to bring a warm outer layer (blanket, dressing gown, oodie, slippers etc) to ensure they are comfortable. Online examples of the NAPLAN tests can be found at:
https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site. 
PDF versions of the tests can be found at: https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/the-tests

Chapel

This week our Foundation J class has prepared a recorded Chapel service for our Junior School, with a focus on giving thanks to mums. The Bible reading was Philippians 2:4. Next week we will return to worshiping in the MPC, with Year 6 leading our service. Parents and friends are welcome to attend. We encourage students to bring a small offering to Chapel each Friday.

Blessings,

Mrs Fiona Friberg, Head of Junior School

Year 7 Information Evening

The Year 7 Information Evening will be held on Wednesday 18 May at 7:00pm in the Multipurpose Centre of Holy Trinity Lutheran College. This night is for all current Year 5 and 6 families of Holy Trinity Lutheran College and also families of the community who are considering their secondary options for 2023. This night will give information on the following:

• Middle School philosophy of teaching and learning
• Genesis Accelerated Learning Program (Numeracy and Literacy)
• Curriculum and differentiated learning
• Scholarships
• West Vic Sports Academy and Athlete Development Program
• Sporting opportunities
• Pastoral Care programs and needs of the adolescent learner
• Extra-curricular opportunities
• Camps and excursions

HTLC Open Day

The HTLC Open Day will be held on Sunday 22 May from 11:00am to 1:00pm. This is an excellent opportunity for families to walk through the facilities, talk with staff and students about the college and participate in a range of hands-on learning activities. In previous years, one of the biggest advantages of this day has been having student volunteers to assist with the multitude of hands-on activities offered on the day. Information notes will be emailed and sent home to families earlier this week. If students are able to assist they are encouraged to return the permission slips by the end of next week.

Year 8 Melbourne Excursion

A cultural excursion to Melbourne has been planned for all Year 8 students on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 May. Students will participate in a Salvation Army street walk, watch a live theatrical performance at the Regent Theatre and participate in a cultural experience.

Information notes have been sent home to all Year 8 families with medical consent forms due back by Monday 9 May.

NAPLAN 2022

The NAPLAN schedule for 2022 has been set with tests being administered online on the following days:
Tuesday 10 May: Year 7 Reading
Wednesday 11 May: Year 7 and Year 9 Writing
Thursday 12 May: Year 9 Reading
Monday 16 May: Year 9 Conventions of Language
Tuesday 17 May: Year 7 Conventions of Language
Wednesday 18 May: Year 7 and 9 Numeracy

Mr Jason Przibilla, Head of Middle School

College Ball – Year 11

Attendances at training over the past few months have certainly paid off for our Year 11 students. Throughout their final training sessions, their skill level and fluency of movement has been evident on the dance floor and most impressive. The commitment and positive attitude shown by the students has been a credit to them.

Evenings such as these are not possible without the tireless commitment of many parents. We sincerely thank our team of parents who have spent many hours under the guidance of Leoni Heard and Tanya Mock, to ensure the MPC is ready for the evening.

We wish our young men and women of Year 11 the very best for their special evening tonight as they celebrate and share with their families and friends.

Work Experience - Year 10

Work Experience for Year 10 students is rapidly approaching. Students are reminded that Work Experience Arrangement Forms provided by the school must be completed before the placement can be confirmed. Positions for experience can be competitive as the other schools also run this program so it is advisable to identify and secure a placement as soon as possible. Please contact Mr Lloyd or myself if you have any questions.

Mrs Sally Kuchel, Head of Senior School

Please find upcoming sporting dates below for your calendar;
Little Desert Cross Country, Kaniva - Monday 9 May
Little Desert Athletics Carnival, Dudley Cornell - Friday 9 September

HCPSSA Cross Country

A huge congratulations to all 31 students involved in the recent HCPSSA Cross Country at City Oval last week. The conditions were prime weather-wise, with some very promising results from the day. We now have 14 eligible students in the Little Desert Cross Country in Kaniva, Monday 9 May, to participate, gain experience and ultimately make HTLC proud.

Students placing in the top 6 progress to Little Dessert Cross Country in Kaniva. Results from all age groups from the HCPSSA Cross Country are as follows;

HCPSSA (Interschool) Athletics Carnival

We had a huge 65 student eligible to compete at the HPCSSA Athletics day Thursday of this week.

Although it was a fresh start to the day at Dudley Cornell Park, we had many excited and nervous faces eager to perform in their relative track and field events. It was so amazing to see the support from staff, friends and family cheering for HTLC. We had some brilliant results achieved from many of our students. A huge congratulations to all athletes involved, as well as the supporting staff and Year 9 students who were vital in the success of the day!

The top two students (relative to time and distance) from the final events held on the day will be eligible to compete at the Little Desert Athletics Carnival scheduled for 9 September.

Greater Western Regional Tennis

Congratulations to Frazer Shurdington and Hannah Heard who made the trip to Ballarat on Friday of this week to compete in the Greater Western Regional Tennis competition. We hope you both had a wonderful day of hitting and enjoyed the experience. I will advise results in the coming days once determined. A huge credit to you both!

Yours in Sport!

Mrs Hayley Thomas, Junior Sport Coordinator

Week 2 was full of sport at HTLC, with multiple teams across football, netball and volleyball representing the school. Teams competed across both Black Ranges and Greater Western Divisions, with the aim of progressing through to the State Championships.

The Year 9/10 Girls Football team competed at Dudley Cornell last Friday. The girls played outstanding football all day, narrowly missing out on progressing through to Greater Western. Best players were Amaya Woodward, Lexie Heard, Prue Heard and Sophie Pietsch.

The football continued, with the Year 7/8 girls competing on Monday at Horsham City Oval. With an abundance of numbers, the girls fought hard all day; proceeding to a final and just falling short to St. Brigid’s. The future is definitely bright for Girls Football at HTLC!

Also competing on Monday was the Senior Boys netball team, led by supercoach Jess Kelly. With a solid month of training under their belts, the boys came out firing and obliterated the rivals with a 3-0 sweep on the day. The boys will now progress through to the Greater Western Championships later this term. 

Both Intermediate and Senior boys volleyball teams competed for the chance to proceed to the State Championships on Tuesday. Led by Mr. Mcloughin, the well-drilled teams came up against some tough opponents. Both grades managed to win 2 games, missing out on States by a mere 1 game. Congratulations to all the boys involved!

COMING EVENTS

Term 2

MAY
6 - Black Ranges Athletics Carnival
9 - Black Ranges Cross Country
19 - Black Ranges SNR Girls Netball

Mr Jesse Kuchel, Head of Sport and Coaching

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.

In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

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

Read this month's edition here.

A while ago I gave a talk to a major corporation in Australia's finance and insurance industry. It was supposed to be about mums, but for the most part I spoke to dads (and other relevant partners) and suggested that if they really wanted to make sure that mum had a good day on Mother's Day - and a good life - there were a few things they could do for mum's wellbeing. I'm sharing them here for husbands and partners to read and memorise.

1. Help mum develop a sense of time affluence.

We feel at peace when we don’t feel stressed and rushed. Build a sense of time affluence(or abundance, if you prefer) by:

• Walking, rather than driving (and not for exercise! Just to help slow the pace of life.)
• Having a YOYO night (You’re On Your Own) where the kids sort themselves out with leftovers or cheese toasties.
• Creating a system where mum doesn’t have to feel obliged to do everything for everyone, every time.

2. Be open to mum's influence.

Seriously.

Stop being a bossy boots and let mum have a clearer, louder voice. Seek her counsel and invite her opinions.

3. Ask how you can help.

This is big.

But do you know what’s bigger? Just muck in and help without asking.

It shouldn’t be up to mum to have to tell everyone how to help and when to help and hassle them for not helping already. Get stuff done without needing to be asked.

This means remembering to do stuff like empty the garbage or run the bins to the street, cleaning the kitchen, putting a load of washing on... you know! All that stuff that the cleaning fairy usually does.

4. Drop your agenda and help her with hers.

And elevate her by treating her so well that your daughters will know how a man ought to treat them when they’re bigger (or even now), and so that your sons have no doubt how they ought to treat their partner when they are old enough.

The greatest compliment any dad could ever hear is

You always treated mum like she was the most wonderful woman in the world.

Bring that first-date mentality to every interaction.

Make mum's day — every day.

Mother's Day is just around the corner and I hope every mum has the opportunity to feel appreciated and loved on that day. But to have a happy family, mums need support far beyond just one day of celebration.

A reminder that this year's School Photo Day is being held Tuesday 16 August. Students are required to wear full winter uniform, not sports uniform. If students have sport on the day, they are advised to bring their sports uniform to change into. Please contact admin@htlc.vic.edu.au with any queries regarding school photos.

Bookclub brochures (Issue #3) have been distributed.  All orders should be placed by Tuesday, 10th May.  Cheques should be made payable to ‘Scholastic Australia’. Credit card payments may also be made using the online system, the LOOP (if you are having trouble finding our school when registering, please use the postcode 3402). By indicating ‘gift’ on your online order, the books will be kept at school for you to pick up if you do not want your child to see your purchase. For more information, please contact Jaci Gabbé, Library Assistant. 

We warmly invite families to attend our Open Day, this Sunday from 11am to 1pm.

Explore our state-of-the-art facilities, discover our learning pathways, and meet our teachers, students and leaders, to hear about the opportunities that await your child firsthand.

Register your attendance at https://www.htlc.vic.edu.au/op...

Mini Makers Storytime for 0 - 5yo, held Tuesday fortnightly from 10-10:45am.       

Kids Art Club for 7 - 12yo, held 6 Tuesdays from 10 May to June 14, 4pm-5:30pm 

Book or find out more here.