As we draw near to the end of the school year, teachers start to tick off the list of ‘lasts’, as do students and parents. As a parent, I can’t wait until I tick off the ‘last school lunch’ and ‘last uniform wash’ for the 2023 year. Our teachers are no doubt looking forward to their last report comment to be read or written. As Acting Principal, I am conscious not to think too much about the ‘finish line’ or list of ‘lasts’ as there is still a lot to do and achieve before the school year comes to an end. The past eight and a half weeks have been filled with a list of firsts as I have navigated moving into a new leadership role within the school. As busy as it has been, it has also been a blessing as I have engaged with so many areas of the College that in my previous role, I just wasn’t exposed to in any great depth.

The role of the principal in a school is a diverse, challenging, but rewarding role. The past eight to nine weeks have allowed me to engage with the College on a deeper level and I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to lean in to the leadership responsibilities I have taken on. Having completed my Leadership Development Program Studies earlier this year, this was a great opportunity to put into practice the many learnings that took place throughout this two-year course.

My time as Acting Principal has reinforced my belief that Holy Trinity Lutheran College is an amazing school, full of amazing people. The reason I have enjoyed the many aspects of my position is simply due to the fact that I have had the opportunity to work with passionate, skilled, invested and motivated people. That list of people includes fellow leaders, staff, support staff, parents and of course, the students.

There is much to be thankful for at HTLC and I wish to use my final newsletter article as an opportunity to express my gratitude to the many people who have worked over the course of this year to ensure that our school continues to deliver the quality, Christian education that it is known for in the community.

I wish everyone a merry and blessed Christmas as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May this season be a time of peace and harmony as you reflect on the important things in life.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6)

Mr Jason Przibilla, Acting Principal

by Faye Schmidt

Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (Galatians 3:8,9).

It’s not easy to have faith in God. It is far easier to rely on what we think, what we do and what we want. There are times when we may even think God doesn’t know what he is doing, and we have to take control.

Is God the ruler in your life? Are you living a life of faith in him? Or are our prayers directive, even demanding? Do we bargain with God? Letting go and leaving everything in God’s hands counters our human nature.

If we have faith in God, we must also trust him. It’s not enough to say, ‘I believe’, and then not trust that God’s will is paramount.

There are times when fellow believers will say, ‘I know the will of God. I have studied the Scriptures. I have read them in the original Hebrew and Greek. I know’. What a claim! Is it really possible to reduce God to our own intellect and understanding?

Our reading today points us to relying on our faith, God’s gift to us through the Holy Spirit. In his explanation of the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed, Martin Luther stated, ‘I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him’. By my own ‘reason’?

There is a story about a tightrope walker attempting to walk across a wire over Niagara Falls. A crowd had gathered to witness this event.

He approached the crowd and asked, ‘Do you believe I can walk across this wire to the other side?’

‘Yes’, they cried and cheered.

‘Do you believe I can walk across the wire carrying a chair?’

Again, they cried yes.

‘And if I carried someone sitting in the chair, could I do that?’

With wild cheering, they cried yes, yes. ‘Well then,’ he said, ‘who will volunteer to sit in the chair?’ There was silence.

With belief comes trust – and how fortunate we are to have a God who sends his Spirit to aid us.

Dear Lord, may I be counted among the blessed with Abraham and trust in you and your will for me and the nations of the world. Amen.

Chapel

This morning 6V led our Junior School worship with a Christmas message from John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Next week during our closing services, students in 3F will be presenting a Christmas drama. We hope you can join us for worship.

Transition Day

On Tuesday, 5 December, our Junior School enjoyed their Transition Day. Our Year 6 students moving into Middle School spent the day experiencing the programs offered as they progress into secondary school. 2024 Foundation students joined us from 9.15am until 12.45pm and, where possible, other year levels spent the morning with their teachers and classmates for 2024. Our Year 5 students were excited to meet their buddies. As you are aware, class lists have now been sent to families. Letters have now also been sent to parents regarding Year 6 Genesis classes for 2024. We look forward to the opportunity this program delivers for our students.

Foundation celebration night

On Thursday, 7 December, the Foundation students of 2023 celebrated their first year of primary school with a celebration night in the MPC. It has been a pleasure to watch them grow in confidence and independence and we congratulate students on their achievements. Thank you to our Foundation teachers, teacher aides and support staff for their involvement in this celebration.

SRC Shopping Day

Members of the SRC accompanied Mrs Polack and me on our annual Christmas shopping trip today. Funds raised by the SRC were used to purchase gifts for the Kmart Wishing Tree. Thank you to everyone who has supported the SRC’s fundraising events this year.

Year 6 celebration service and pool party

On Monday 11 December, recognition will be given to our Year 6 students as they officially complete their primary school education. A celebration service will take place in the MPC at 9.30am and parents of those students have been invited to attend. Following the service, students will be transported to the Horsham Aquatic Centre for a pool party and barbecue. We thank our Year 6 teachers and support staff for their organisation of these events.

Year 1 games night

Next week on Tuesday, 12 December, the Year 1 students will remain at school after the school day concludes to enjoy an afternoon of games and share dinner together. We pray they have a wonderful time of fun and celebration.

Reports

Student reports will be sent home on Wednesday, 13 December.

End-of-year service

The last school day for 2023 will be Wednesday, 13 December. Students in Years 3-6 will attend the closing service at 11.30am in the MPC, and a shorter service will be attended by Foundation to Year 2 at 1.45pm. The Years 3-6 service will include announcements of students receiving Academic, Service, Endeavour and Year 6 awards. Parents and visitors are welcome to attend.

Awards

FJ: Harriet R, Indy W, Naila A and Riley H; FL: Nienke VS and Charlotte S; 1H: Emmy M, Anna D and Ethan P; 1P: James B and Cleo H; 2I: Cade S, Tenuka D, Isla G and Ellie K; 2S: Zetta B and Heidi R; 3B: whole class; 3D: Lacey A, Ryder E, Naol T and Mia H; 3F: Ava N and Sienna M; 4B: Mackenzie F and Jack Y; 4R: Lachlan D and Grace S; 5D: Zack P, Charlie B, Penny E, Bella K, Cypress K, Aizla S, Luella B, Ajiyah McD and Jed F; 5H: Milton E, Claire R, Ane vZ, Matisse H, Baxter M and Bryce McD; 5M: Lara T, Mahli H, Jack A, Kelsey S, Everleigh C and Nixon B; 6N: Jemma H, Pippa K, Jy D, Poppy W and Charli P; 6V: Rafael dR and Zac O’C; Technology: Angus C, Performing Arts (F-2): Grace B, PE: 1P whole class, Library: Senara R; Chinese: 6V whole class and 6N whole class.

Our Trinity Tiger (5-6) Award recipient was Trinity G, Trinity Cub (3-4) Matilda D and Trinity Cub (F-2) Patrick (Paddy) S.

Chess Club award winners

It has been such an honour to fulfil the role of Acting Head of Junior School in Term 4. My vision was to ensure that the high standards of teaching and learning within the Junior School were met and that each member of the HTLC community felt valued and supported. I’m humbled by the encouragement and gratitude shown by staff, students and parents, and through this, I know that our Junior School will continue to thrive in 2024.

God’s richest blessings to you all during this holiday season. As we celebrate the birth of Christ our Saviour, enjoy spending time with loved ones and cherish the memories that will lead us into the new year.

Mrs Jacqui North, Acting Head of Junior School

What a week it has been in Middle School! It definitely hasn’t slowed down with many different events and celebrations across Years 7-9. Each of these has provided an opportunity to spend time together as teachers, students and our school community.

Year 7 2024 Transition Day

On Tuesday we welcomed our Year 7s for 2024 into our Middle School to spend a day meeting teachers, learning spaces and becoming more familiar with what Middle School will be like. Students completed a team amazing race challenge, experimented in the science lab, tested their cooking skills in Food Technology and more. Transition Day hopes to calm those nerves as the transition to Middle School can be a challenging time for students as they adjust to new expectations, new teachers and rooms, and new routines. It was a great opportunity to get to know a little more about our Year 7s and we look forward to welcoming them in 2024.

Year 9 Rite Journey Homecoming

On Tuesday evening, our Year 9s celebrated the conclusion of their Rite Journey with a Homecoming ceremony. An opportunity to reflect on their time together this year and a chance to recognise their growth as individuals as part of this program. It was wonderful to hear the students' reflections on who they are and where they are headed, and recognising the mentors, parents /carers and role models who have led them through this journey into adulthood. We wish these students the very best as they embark on the next stage of their learning journey as they move into Senior School.

Year 7 camp

It is always good to have new, positive experiences. School camps offer this in spades! It is important for everyone to do new things and challenge themselves in new ways. New environment, new foods, new opportunities with teachers and friends, new activities and working with people outside your normal friendship group.

The year 7 camp is always jam-packed with days full of outdoor activities that challenge students in different ways. This week our Year 7s have been blessed with sunny weather for their camp as they canoed, caved, mountain biked, fished, abseiled, surfed and sand-boarded. I am sure that they will come back exhausted tonight.

We thank our amazing teachers who spent this time away with our students and for giving their time to make this possible.

Year 8 hike

Yesterday our Year 8s packed their hiking packs and headed off to the Grampians for their hike. They challenged themselves as they carried their supplies and cooked their own meals before camping out in tents. Today they complete a range of team-building activities such as building rafts, kayaking and much more. It is a great chance to spend time together, challenging themselves to move outside of their comfort zone and further develop their teamwork skills. Thank you to the staff for their time, encouragement and efforts on the hike.

Coming events

Friday, 8 December: Whole school Family Christmas Night

Monday, 11 December: Casual dress day for Middle School students (no cost)

Tuesday, 12 December: Middle School closing service and award presentation (11.30am)

Tuesday, 12 December: Last day for Middle School students (reports and class lists go home)

Mrs Samantha Engert, Acting Head of Middle School

School Sport Victoria: Team Vic information

The School Sport Victoria Team Vic representative program provides a development platform for Victoria’s emerging student athletes to participate in the annual School Sport Australia Championships. SSV coordinates the selection process for Team Vic teams in partnership with relevant state sporting organisations.

SSV Sport Trial nominations close Friday, 1 March, 2024.

Parents can find further information about selection for 2024 sports via the website at https://www.ssv.vic.edu.au/team-vic

Sporting carnivals 2024

Years 4-6 swimming carnival at YMCA: Thursday, 15 February

Years 3-6 athletics carnival at HTLC: Thursday, 21 March

Foundation-Year 2 athletics carnival at HTLC: Friday, 22 March

Foundation-Year 6 cross-country at HTLC: Monday, 22 April

Swimming events

Today a list of events that children have chosen to participate in will be going home. Please modify accordingly and send back to school with your child/ren's name on the top so I can adapt. These are draft copies and many changes can be made up to and on the day of swimming sports. Thanks for your assistance in these and I can assure you I will have made many errors and appreciate your support in rectifying these.

Thank you

Finally a huge thank you for your support as a school community over the year. I have thoroughly enjoyed heading back into a sports role and enjoyed watching all children grow and develop in the area of sport. What a wonderful year we have had in terms of achievements big and small.
This role cannot happen without continued support from you as families, the many staff here at school that help out and also our Junior PE teacher Tarn McDonald who dedicates a large portion of her time to aide and assist me within this role.

May you all have a safe and merry festive season, blessings.

Mrs Jessie Ferguson, Primary Sport Coordinator

2024 secondary sports dates

With 2023 drawing to a close, we are now able to announce our sporting dates for the 2024 school year. Throughout the year, the houses will be competing to unseat Lowan as the overall house champion, but each house will also have a title to defend at the HTLC carnivals held throughout Term 1 and Term 2.

• HTLC secondary swimming carnival: Friday, 16 February at the Horsham Aquatic Centre (Champions: Wimmera)
• HTLC secondary athletics carnival: Tuesday, 26 March at Dudley Cornell Park (Champions: Lowan)
• HTLC secondary cross-country: Monday, 22 April at Holy Trinity Lutheran College (Champions: Mallee)

Volleyball Victoria Junior Open

Last week, Oscar J, Noah W, Haidyn Y, Janay vB and Cher-Leah W travelled to Melbourne with Volleyball Horsham to compete in the Volleyball Victoria Junior Open. The students played a number of games over the course of the week. The girls team were fortunate enough to make it to the grand final, where they unfortunately lost to a very strong team from Eltham High School.

Congratulations to the students for their efforts representing Volleyball Horsham and HTLC.

Representative uniforms

We are completing a stocktake of our representative uniforms at this time, and are noticing a large number of items are missing. Please take the opportunity over the weekend to check drawers, bags and other clothes storage areas in order to find any items of representative uniform that may have been misplaced. These uniform items help our students look professional when they compete against other schools in the region and state, and it is very important we receive them back. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Coming events

February

16 - Secondary Swimming Carnival

HTR Trials: 2024 Season

March

16 - AHPVSS Round one: Mount Gambier 8-hour

26 - Secondary Athletics Carnival

April

22 - Secondary Cross Country

Mr Matthew McLoughlin, Secondary Sport Coordinator

Many people see Christmas as a wonderful time of celebration and an opportunity to spend time with family and friends. However, there are some that view it as a time of stress and hardship. This may be due to a combination of things: financial pressures, relationship issues and, quite often, loneliness, making it a very challenging time.

Often the true meaning of Christmas can be lost due to commercial exploitation, but there are a number of things you can do to create a magical Christmas, without the financial burden. Creating or maintaining traditions can contribute to a sense of comfort and belonging.

Unfortunately for some, there is also an ugly side to Christmas. Support organisations often report an increase in the number of calls from people seeking help due to their inability to cope during this time. If you, or a loved one, is finding that it is all too much, then it is important to reach out to a trusted friend, family member or medical professional.

In this Special Report, parents and care givers will be presented with a number of ideas on how to achieve a stress-free Christmas and where to seek help should you need it.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

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

Here is the link to your special report:
https://htlc.vic.schooltv.me/w...

A big thank you to the businesses and people who have donated to our raffle:

• Chapple Landscaping
• Horsham Lanes and Games
• Traction Ag
• Horsham Hydraulics
• Wimmera Diesel
• Horsham City Meats
• Nutrien Ag Murtoa/ Rupanyup
• Fit 4 You Haven- Pam Deckert
• Drift 83
• Home Baked by Kate- Kate Carter
• Grampians Olive Co
• Horsham Arts Council
• Lil's Cookies- Alicia Schneider
• Mitre 10
• Emily Friedrichsen
• Young expressions- Jess Kuhne
• Made by Vanessa- Vanessa Lantzakis
• Stacey Wright Hair Design
• Michelle & Brock Cameron 

The raffle proceeds help to put on events like this at as low a cost as possible. If you are willing to make a donation for the raffle, please email ptfa@htlc.vic.edu.au.

Following our Family Christmas Night, we will have an outdoor movie screening on the Optus truck of Santa Paws 2. This is thanks to Cheree and Mick Dempster at Optus Horsham.

Throughout its history, the LLL School Banking program has served a dual purpose: fostering students' understanding of the value of money and providing schools with 'earmarked' funds to enhance their facilities through LLL Loans. Today, we share news about the decommissioning of the LLL School Banking program, including the School Banking portal and the promotional resources provided to schools. This decision was not taken lightly, as we recognise the program's value to many schools, and it has been influenced by several factors:

• There is a societal shift toward guardians increasingly adopting digital transactions for their students.
• The decline in student-led participation.
• LLL’s limited ability to support students’ financial literacy education due to the restrictions imposed by the Royal Commission on school banking in 2019.
• Lutheran schools no longer require earmarked funds to partner with LLL for loans.
• A significant increase in infrastructure costs is required to retain the program.
• We believe that redirecting potential savings toward meaningful missional purposes aligns with our shared values.

While bidding farewell to the LLL School Banking program, we want to reassure you that alternative avenues for depositing with LLL are readily available. For those preferring cash deposits, students can visit the LLL office in person in Adelaide or utilise the Australia Post Bank@Post facility at select stores nationwide. Additionally, various methods for transacting and viewing account balances, such as in-person at the LLL office, sending Passbooks directly to LLL for updating, LLL Internet Banking, and the LLL App, are at your disposal—all with no fees or charges.

Rest assured, these changes will be communicated directly to individuals and guardians who have transacted since 1 January 2023.

The LLL School Banking portal will continue its operations until the end of 2023, with decommissioning scheduled to commence in early January 2024. Any transactions made until the decommissioning date will be processed as usual.

Recognising the importance of educating our young people on financial literacy, we are committed to exploring alternative methods of engaging with guardians for the future.

Horsham Rural City Council is seeking nominations for the Young Citizen of the Year award.

This is a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements and contributions of our young people.

We know there are many inspiring and deserving young citizens in the Horsham area, so please help us find them and nominate them for this prestigious award.

We have extended the nomination period for the Young Citizen of the Year award until 9am Monday, 18 December. You can nominate online here.

One in three people in Horsham will need blood during their lives, and they need people like you to give it. 

The Horsham Mobile Blood Donor Centre is in town from 27 November to 15 December. Don’t forget to pre-book your spot at www.lifeblood.com.au, on the Lifeblood app or on 13 14 95.

During its time in Horsham, the centre will be open on:

• Monday from 2.45pm to 6pm
• Tuesday from 12.30pm to 7.30pm
• Wednesday from 1pm to 7.30pm
• Thursday from 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Friday from 7.45am to 11.30am

at Baker Street, Horsham (adjacent to Horsham City Oval).

Edenhope-Apsley Football Netball Club is on the search for any budding under-17 footballers or netballers who might be looking for a game at Edenhope-Apsley in 2024. The club would provide weekly bus transport from Horsham to bring them over.

If families would like to make contact, please reach out via email eafncfootballsecretary@gmail.com or phone Morgan on 0402 742 390.