Greetings to families and friends as we commence the start of the new school term. I would also like to acknowledge those families who are new to our school community. I pray your time over the coming weeks is filled with joy.

The countdown is on! With the year quickly passing us by it has been noted this week that our Year 12 students have only 7 more days of school until they go on leave to prepare for exams or to complete learning tasks set for them. Their last day will be Tuesday 18 October. For the rest us, and depending on year level, there will be anywhere between 45 or 48 school days left. I am sure this time will fly by. And let’s not forget that Christmas is only 79 sleeps away! Despite these exciting events just around the corner I understand that at times it can be difficult to wait for such things to happen. Every day we are faced with situations where we need to be patient particularly in situations that are out of our control. During these times it is pleasing to know that God wants us to take control of these moments – in leaning on the fruit of the Holy Spirit. For one of the fruits of the Spirit is called 'patience' and it is a gift we must learn to use with practice.

"But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind, and good. It is being faithful and gentle and having control of oneself" (Galatians 5: 22-23).

As we prepare for those landmark moments during this term, I encourage you all to show patience toward one another, focus on the moment, and finish the year well. In doing so I am sure our community, and your life, will be better for it.

From this week, the change over from winter uniform to summer uniform has occurred, however, if cold weather persists students may continue to wear their winter uniform until Tuesday 1 November. In doing so I also remind families that a combination of both uniforms is not permitted. Please find the Uniform Policy attached for your reference.

I give thanks to the teachers of the Secondary School for their involvement in this week’s parent-teacher interviews. As a school we see the importance in both summative and formative feedback and how essential it is for student growth. I also acknowledge the important partnership the school has with home and how vital it is in improving student outcomes. Parents and caregivers across our whole college are encouraged to be in communication with teachers during the term so we can work together for the best outcomes for our students.

Congratulations to our Holy Trinity Racing members who competed at Murray Bridge during the school holidays, there were fantastic results across the board including a Championship title for our Middle School Avalanche team. I would also like to congratulate Mr Matt McLoughlin, who was awarded the Andrew McLachlan Award for the demonstration of outstanding commitment, dedication, teamwork and consistent display of the values, vision and mission of the UniSA Australian HPV Super Series and Australian International Pedal Prix Inc. Read more about the event at our Facebook page.

The HTLC Spring Fair is planned for Sunday 16 October. Proudly supported by the PTFA, this event is shaping to be a wonderful community event. You are all encouraged to keep an eye out for further details over the coming week and look forward to seeing you there.

I wish you all a blessed term ahead.

Mr Daniel Weller, College Principal

by Pastor Mark Lieschke

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you (John 13:15).

If I knew I was going to die in a week, I imagine I wouldn’t just waste the time away. I’d think that I’d take care of some really important things. I’d probably prioritise my time and use it in the most effective way I could.

On the night before Jesus died, he knew his time was coming to an end. Death was only a few hours away for him. So, he did what was most important to him. He spent time with his friends.

St John takes four chapters to record what Jesus said to his disciples. He taught, encouraged, comforted, made promises, warned, gave them hope, and prayed for them.

And he began all this by serving them – getting on his knees and washing their feet.

What a great example for our lives and service as God’s people. What better model could we have than that of Jesus, serving; the Lord and King of the universe, getting down on his knees and washing people’s feet.

We can all learn a lesson from that. We can all be challenged to live and serve in that way, putting others before ourselves in importance, giving of ourselves in self-sacrifice, and putting ourselves out for the sake of others.

But if all that Jesus left us was an example to follow, then we’d have a model to imitate but not a Saviour to pick us up when we fail him.

We need more than a model person to follow. We need more than a set of rules to follow. We need more than a person who gives us instructions and shows us how we should live.

We need Jesus to come and wash our feet. And he does. He comes to serve us, touch our lives, wash us clean, renew and refresh us, forgive us, heal us, and equip and inspire us for service in his kingdom.

He comes to us so that we can be absolutely confident about his love for us, his promises to us and his presence with us.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you have come to minister to us. We stand in awe of your humble, gracious acts of service. Fill us with your Spirit so that we can reflect your love in our lives. Renew us each day, and give us joy in living for you. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Welcome to Term 4

Welcome to Term 4! It is lovely to welcome students back to school after the holidays and hear of their adventures. Please remember that students must now have their hats at school for outside play, but may choose to wear either summer or winter uniform until 1 November. After this date, it is expected all students will be in full summer uniform. 

Assembly

Our first assembly for Term 4 will be next Monday morning at 9:00am in the MPC. Parents and friends are welcome to attend.

Sunnyside Lutheran Retirement Village Visits

We are very pleased to recommence our visits to the Sunnyside Lutheran Retirement Village. The residents of SLRV are very much looking forward to seeing the children again. Classes have been rostered for visit on Wednesday mornings in the week following leading Chapel. Rapid Antigen Tests will be sent home with students in the class scheduled to visit on the Monday afternoon and students are asked to complete the test at home on a Wednesday morning prior to coming to school. Families will have the opportunity to choose for their child to remain at school if this is preferred. 

Welcome Foundation 2023 students!

Next Tuesday our Foundation 2023 students will be involved in their first remote Story Time session, which has been prepared by our Foundation teachers. This is the first of 5 sessions to help transition our new students into school. The 2023 Foundation students will come to school for their first on-site session on Tuesday 25 October.

Opening Service

This week we started Term 4 with a whole college opening service led by Mr Weller. Next week Year 3B will be leading our worship. Chapel offerings throughout the term will be donated to the Christian Emergency Food Centre to help provide for local families in need during the coming festive season. We encourage all students to bring a small offering each week on Friday mornings.

Blessings,

Mrs Fiona Friberg, Head of Junior School

Welcome to Term 4

A warm welcome back to all Middle School families. I pray that the holiday period provided an opportunity for rest, relaxation and family time. Term 4 will be an 11-week term with a lot to look forward to.

Term 4 Key Dates:

• 10-14 October: Year 9 Rite Journey Camp
• Tuesday 25 October: Exam Week
• Monday 28 November: Report Writing Day (Student Free Day)
• Week 9 (29/11-2/12): Headstart Week
• Thursday 1/12 – Friday 2/12: Year 8 Hike
• Week 10 (6-9 December): Year 7 Camp
• Tuesday 13 December: Last day for Middle School students
• Tuesday 13 December: MS Closing Service.

Other key points to consider

• Students are able to wear winter or summer uniform for the first few weeks of Term 4, before transitioning to summer uniform for the remainder of the term
• All students will be expected to wear a hat during recess and lunch times in line with HTLC’s Sun-Safe Policy.

Pedal Prix

25 students from the Middle and Senior School travelled to Murray Bridge for the final round of the Australian HPV Super Series. This is the first time since 2019 that the 24-hour event has been held, and HTR was back looking to defend their Middle School Girls National Championship.
Some rain during the practice session made our Friday night qualifying period interesting, and the Senior School girls missed out on a place in the Top 12 Shootout by 0.2 seconds.
Thankfully, the weather had cleared up by race day, and the 12 noon start was in full sunlight as 136 trikes took off around the track.
With teams consisting of between 5 and 7 riders, the students performed admirably, completing their turns in the trike without complaint, even in the cold and the dark. Over the course of the event, 20 of the 25 students completed more than 100 km, with Jaden Flett (203.49 km) and Ethan Rudolph (213.75 km) breaking our previous single-rider distance record over the course of the event. Ethan completed more than 6 hours of riding during the event.

All students represented the college excellently and should be proud of their accomplishments over the weekend.

Event Results

• MS Girls (Avalanche): 2nd (5 trikes) / 16th (39)
• MS Boys (Tempest): 7th (39)
• SS Girls (Blizzard): 4th (6) / 32 (51)
• SS Boys (Firestorm): 7th (51)
• Fastest lap in category: Leroy Ashburn (2:00.744)

Championship Results

• MS Girls (Avalanche): 1st (11 trikes) / 7th (78) National Champions
• MS Boys (Tempest): 4th (78)
• SS Girls (Blizzard): 4th (6) / 23 (73)
• SS Boys (Firestorm): 10th (73)

- Matthew McLoughlin, Pedal Prix Coordinator

Pedal Prix

The students did a fantastic job at Murray Bridge and throughout the Super Series but the opportunity would not be available without the dedication and commitment of the HTLC staff, led by Mr McLoughlin and Miss Heinzel. Both teachers have displayed incredible commitment throughout the season and should be proud of the team’s achievements. It was fitting that after years of dedication, Mr McLoughlin was awarded the Andrew McLachlan Award at Murray Bridge which is an award presented for “the demonstration of outstanding commitment, dedication, teamwork and consistent display of the values, vision and mission of the UniSA Australian HPV Super Series and Australian International Pedal Prix Incorporated". Congratulations Mr McLoughlin!

Mr Jason Przibilla, Head of Middle School

Interviews

This week, parents have had the opportunity to meet with staff following interim reports issued at the mid-point of Semester 2 coursework. This is a valuable time in the year for reflection on priorities and commitment to study for our Senior students, particularly those completing accelerated studies. As always, we strongly encourage and it is pleasing to see students engaging in this process with their parents.

Summer uniform

Students are permitted to wear their uniform from the beginning of Term 4 with the first two weeks a transitionary period to allow for seasonal change and the renewal of uniform items. Sports uniform should be worn on designated days with white, College socks. The College uniform shop is open at the following times during the term:

• Tuesday 9:00am – 4:00pm
• Friday 9:00am – 2:00pm

Hats are required to be worn by all students when outdoors during Term 4.

VET course completion

VCE students who are also undertaking a VET course are required to commence attendance at school classes from the completion of their VET assessments for the year. These times may vary depending on the course.

VCAL attendance

VCAL students have staggered completion dates for the school year, according to their cohort and their demonstration of required units of competency. Year 12 students attend their final day of school on Tuesday 18 October (if all work has been submitted). 
Year 10 and Year 11 students continue classes on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays until Friday 9 December.
No classes will run for these students on Wednesdays when VET finishes. Structured Work Placements may continue on Thursdays at the discretion of the employer and as arranged with parents. The school should be notified of these arrangements.

VTAC CourseSearch

CourseSearch is a comprehensive online search tool for Year 12 students to access when reviewing their preferences.
VTAC CourseSearch:

• provides extensive information about universities, TAFEs, and independent tertiary colleges
• lists all essential requirements and admission criteria including prerequisites
• contains advanced search options include filtering by institution, area of interest, and qualification level.

CourseSearch is available at vtac.edu.au and in the free VTAC app.

Important dates

VCE

• 7 October - SEAS applications, supporting documentation and scholarships applications close
• Tuesday 18 October - Year 12 Last day (Breakfast, Chapel and Big Day Out)
• Wednesday 26 October, 9:00am to 12:15pm - VCE written exams (English)
• Friday 18 November - Year 12 Valedictory Service and Dinner
• 12 December - VCE Results, ATARs and VTAC Scaled study scores will be released on the 2022 VCE Results and ATAR Service from 7:00am.

Senior School

• Tuesday 1 November - Melbourne Cup Day (student free day)
• Monday 14 November to Friday 18 November -Exam revision week
• Monday 21 November to Friday 22 November - Year 7 to 11 Exam week
• Monday 28 November - Report Writing Day (student free day)
• Tuesday 29 November to Thursday 8 December - Head Start Program, Years 10 & 11
• Friday 9 December - Last day of school for Year 10 & 11.

Mrs Sally Kuchel, Head of Senior School

Term 4 has kicked off with a flurry of sport with both Greater Western Athletics and Black Ranges Tennis. 

HTLC had 8 students travel to Ballarat on Thursday for Greater Western Athletics in some wet and windy conditions. The students performed exceptionally well, with 3 students managing to win events meaning they will progress to the State Championships in 2 weeks; along with 3 students narrowly missing to take out 2nd place. Congratulations to Seb Le Roux, Phoebe Whittaker, Rhianna Williams, Aiden North, Leti Temesgen and Jiedan Young.

HTLC would also like to give a massive congratulations to both Jacob Matuschka and Tom Urquhart for competing at the 2022 Country Swimming Championships in Darwin over the past week. Both students qualified for the championships in multiple events and have produced some stunning results.

Tom managed to collect a huge 7 medals, including 3 Gold Medals. Jacob managed to collect 2 Bronze medals, with both swimmers performing some exceptional personal best times across the week. The HTLC community would once again like to give these boys a massive congratulations, performing at elite levels against some of the country's best swimmers!

Term 4

October
7 - Black Ranges Year 7/8 Tennis
13 - Black Ranges Year 7/8 Cricket

Mr Jesse Kuchel, Head of Sport and Coaching

Why kids won’t listen

If you have a child who is a chronic non-listener, my first piece of advice is to rule out medical issues. A quick visit to the GP will give you the answers you need. Appointments for the doctor can be hard to book though, and there is definitely a level of expense many of us would rather do without. If that’s you, then a cheaper test is to stand by the door and quietly ask who wants ice-cream (or who wants some money to go buy treats at the shop). If your child jumps up with an enthusiastic yes, your hearing test is probably complete.

Assuming there are no physiological hearing issues, there are a host of other reasons that our children won’t “listen”. But the reality is that they can hear. They are listening. We’re not speaking correctly when we complain that our children won’t listen. Perhaps a better question might be why don’t our children do as they’re asked?

There are countless reasons that our children don’t follow our instructions. These can include:

• Not wanting to be told what to do (which is probably a bit like us right?)
• A hyper-focus on what they’re doing right now
• A preference to do something/anything other than what we’re asking them to do
• Being Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, or Stressed (HALTS)
• How many things they’ve already been asked to do
• It’s too early in the day
• It’s too late in the day
• The way we’re asking them/telling them to do that thing
• Not actually having the skill or ability to do as they’ve been asked
• And so many more reasons…

In many cases, it’s not just one thing, but a combination of things. Being attuned to our children’s capability and mental state can help us to understand when we should be asking, what we should be asking, and how we should be asking.

Parents have an obligation to help children follow rules. It’s how civil society operates. And while we’re keeping it real, let’s be honest and recognise that beyond those considerations, it’s just more convenient. 

So what do we do when our kids “won’t listen” and it actually does matter? 

They actually do listen.

If you pause and do a small audit of how well your children listen, you might be pleasantly surprised. Unless you are responding to a child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, you’ll probably discover that your child does listen. Regularly. Consistently. And well.

So pause and consider when they do and when they don’t. You may find that things are going better than you thought. But… we all want to do things a little better. So let’s consider 7 simple ways to build and encourage listening - and compliance. (And please note, I’ll be emphasising respectful approaches where compliance isn’t all about authority, control, command, and coercion).

The basic answers

You’ll typically find that a handful of standard answers permeate the Internet and parenting advice books when it comes to this topic. Let’s acknowledge them first, because they can be helpful.

#1 Keep it simple 

Short sentences are easier to process than long lectures. Keep your statements and requests simple, clear, and direct. 

#2 Get on your child’s level

Making eye contact, smiling, and ensuring your child has heard you always improves the likelihood that your child will act. 

#3 Repeat it Back

Ask your child to tell you what you told them. If you ask them to pick up the wet towels from the bathroom floor and they’re not responsive, ask them, “What did I say just then?” and wait for them to tell you. When they can repeat it back, you know they’ve listened, and they know you expect action.

#4 Speak more quietly

When our children are not listening, we have a tendency to elevate the volume. But remember, your child is not deaf. Speaking louder (yelling) won’t draw them to you and it’s unlikely to encourage them to want to listen to you. Try speaking softly. They’ll open their ears, lean in, and listen carefully.

#5 Gentle Touch

A soft touch on the arm, a squeeze or a hug, or an arm across the shoulder… these gentle touches can be enough to act as a circuit-breaker so your child can pay attention to what you’re asking and help move things along.

#6 Drop the don’t

Say what you want. If you tell your child what not to do (such as “don’t hit the stick against the wall) it requires more effort on the part of your child to redirect their energies. Now they have to stop doing the thing that’s bothering you and think of something to do instead. 

#7 Find a way to say “yes”

When you have to say “no”, spin it into a “yes”. If you’re asked “Can we stay at the park longer?” you can say, “You bet. We’ll have a longer stay at the park on the weekend when we come back with your friends.” If they plead, “Can we please have ice-cream”, respond with “You sure love ice-cream. We’ll have ice-cream on Friday night with our movie like always.” Your yes is usually going to be a “not now”, but if you phrase it right, it goes down a treat.

These 7 strategies will help you move things forward if you’re stuck. But… they’re all essentially built around what is convenient for us. Their foundation is that stuff has to be done and the kids need to get with the program. 

A couple of bonus ideas. In all of these strategies, two other principles will often help. I share them briefly below:

Where you can, offer a clear rationale for your requests. If your child understands the why of what you’re asking, s/he is much more likely to comply because the request makes sense. And

Make it fun. While everything doesn’t have to be fun, and life isn’t always a circus, tasks, jobs, chores, and whatever else you might like to call them are always easier when they’re enjoyable. 

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The Horsham YMCA's enrolments for Term 4 swimming lessons are now open. With this membership, children swim for free out of school term so they can swim for free over the school holidays! Find out more by calling YMCA reception on 5382 2576.