Newsletter (13 June, 2025)

Wimmera Lutheran College Update

The Executive Leadership Team of Wimmera Lutheran College is made up of the following team members:

Executive Principal: Mr Jason Przibilla
Deputy Principal/Head of Secondary: Mrs Kate Carter
Principal Nhill Campus: Mr Damon Prenzler
Head of Dimboola Campus: Ms Millie Dent
Assistant Head of Primary School(s) - Curriculum and Pedagogy: Mrs Jacqui North

This group has been meeting every 2 weeks, usually at the Horsham Campus in a face to face setting. This is a great opportunity to come together to discuss relevant matters and issues relating to Wimmera Lutheran College. Over the course of this year so far, some of the topics that the group has been discussing includes:

The development of the Teaching and Learning Philosophy
Cross Campus Professional Learning Plan conversations
Professional Development Collaboration and Sharing
Budget updates
Staffing
Risk and Compliance
Policy Review
2026 Term Dates
Combined WLC Events
Strategic Plan Development

To help the group remain focussed on its goals and purpose, the team developed the following team norms to which we aspire to uphold in our leadership of WLC.

Finalised Team Norms:

Be honest and support team decisions. 
Respect everyone and value their input. 
Be prepared and focus on team goals. 
Communicate clearly and work well together. 
Celebrate wins and learn as a team. 
Follow up and follow through

These meetings have been critical in unifying the group through regular discussion and sharing of cross-campus experiences. I have been impressed with the way each individual has approached their role in this group and it is exciting to be leading a group of passionate and supportive leaders of campuses and sub-schools.

Combined PD Day

To continue to strengthen the bonds between the 3 campuses, a combined Professional Development day will be held on Monday 21 July (a school closure and student-free day for all schools). Nhill will be the hosts of this day with the program to consist of a Teaching and Learning Philosophy session, a Professional Development session, combined worship and fellowship over a shared morning tea and lunch. This day is a follow-up to the WLC Launch which was held at the beginning of the year and should provide a great start to the second semester for all WLC Staff.

Come Work With Us

Wimmera Lutheran College is currently advertising for the following positions:

Director of Business Operations
Head of Primary School

We are currently in the process of interviewing for the Director of Business Operations position with some exciting candidates making the shortlist. We are in the early stages of seeking applications for the Head of Primary School position (see details below).

Wimmera Lutheran College – Horsham Campus is seeking a passionate and experienced educational leader to join our team as Head of Primary School.

If you're ready to make a lasting impact in a Christ-centred school community, we want to hear from you.

View the Position Description & Apply: www.htlc.vic.edu.au/about/employment

Applications close: Wednesday 9 July, 4:00pm

Colossians 3:23-24:

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Mr Jason Przibilla
Executive Principal

How God responds to our flaws and failures.

In a Senior School chapel recently I showed students some of my favorite pieces of art and I asked if anyone knew the name of the artist who had painted them.

Many of the students recognised the paintings as works by Vincent Van Gogh.

I next asked whether anyone could tell me one fact about Van Gogh. The answer I got was the answer I had anticipated I would get: “He cut off his ear”.

For all of the accomplishments of Vincent Van Gogh’s life, this man who is now renowned as one of the most famous and beloved artists in the history of the world, whose artworks are worth tens of millions of dollars, for many of us his life continues to be defined by the fact he cut off his ear. That event in Van Gogh’s life, where he inflicted such a terrible wound on himself, was obviously one of the lowest and most painful times of his life. Possibly also the most shameful.

My next question to the students was this: How would we like to be only known for or remembered for the lowest event in our life? Our biggest flaw, our worst mistake, the worst we’d ever done or the most painful affliction we’d had?

When we think about it, there are many characters in the bible that we remember and characterize by their worst mistake, their greatest regret or biggest affliction. We refer to Matthew the tax collector, Simon the leper, the woman with the issue of blood, blind Bartimaeus, the woman caught in adultery, doubting Thomas, the list goes on. But the bible also shows us how we should respond to people who expose their woundedness, flaws, regrets and problems. We see this in how Jesus responded to them. Instead of shunning Matthew the tax collector, Jesus chose to eat with him. Jesus chose to stay in the home of Simon the leper. He blessed, healed and treated the woman with the issue of blood with dignity. He encouraged Thomas to touch his wounds to allay his doubts instead of judging him for them. We see Jesus fulfill the promise God made in the Psalms: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3) and Isaiah “He will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3). And that is how Jesus responds to us too. He doesn’t remember us by our faults and failures, he continues to look at us with love and acceptance. He promises to restore, heal and repair.

Van Gogh painted a portrait of himself exposing his woundedness. He didn’t filter his wounds out. Perhaps this is a good example to us to not gloss over our flaws, but to let others know what we struggle with and allow them to help us in the midst of them. Also, in his grace we can respond to each other as Jesus would, with kindness, mercy, love and dignity. "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrary spirit." Psalm 34:18:

Attribution. This article is drawn from a lecture by Ps Russ Ramsey titled: Van Gogh has a broken heart.

Mrs Kate Polack
College Chaplain

Student Free Day/Long Weekend

We hope that all students and families had a refreshing long weekend break. With this term being 11 weeks in duration, it is important that everyone can have a short reset, ready to complete the remainder of the term feeling recharged and revitalised. Today 6V led us in worship, with an important reminder from 2 Thessalonians 3:16. “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

Foundation Fun Day

Planning is underway for the annual Foundation Fun Day on 29 July 2025. This event is suitable for any child who currently attends kindergarten who may be either enrolled, or looking to enrol at WLC Horsham for Foundation in 2026. Commencing at 9.30am, children will partake in activities such as face painting, performing arts and even finding their way through an obstacle course! We look forward to welcoming new members of the community to this special day. Please contact Administration for further information.

Year 2 Horsham History Excursion

This week our Year 2 students participated in a hop on, hop off bus tour of Horsham’s historical sites. What a wonderful day of learning about our local history. Thank you to Miss Silvers, Mrs Penny, Mrs Harvey and Mrs Koschmann for organising this experience.

SRC Free Dress Fundraiser

On Thursday, our SRC representatives held a Free Dress Day fundraiser. This was a whole college event to raise awareness and funds for mental health charities and the “Push Up Challenge.” Well done to the Junior School SRC members for holding a variety of physical activities for students to participate in, promoting physical and mental wellbeing.

Important Dates

13 June - AHPVSS Round 3 (Adelaide), Junior Teams
16 June - RoboCup Regional Interschool Competition (WLC Horsham MPC)
4 July - Last Day Term 2, 2.20pm finish
21 July - Student Free Day (Staff Professional Development)
22 July - Term 3 commences

Awards

FL: Noah H, Lucy S & Steve M
FR: Jimmy C, Eloise R & Sofia P
1H: Polly A, Ethan C & Monti W
1P: Florence C, Hadley W & Twyla S
2H: Devine U & Kashvi A
2S: Fred R & Lewis H
3D: Roshil U
3J: Alfred J & Lincoln M
4M: Ethan D, Cade S & Jaxon D
4R: Ella S, Ariel M, Brianna B & Sari D
5D: Mila J, Max L & Naol T
5J: Max P & Luella R
5K: Steele O & Matilda C
6H: Angus H & Layla K
6V: Ava L & Dusty P

Specialist awards
Chinese: Isobel D
Digital Tech: Baden C
Performing Arts F-2: Priya S
PE: Jonny N

Our Trinity Tiger (5-6) Award recipient was Jonty P, Trinity Cub (3-4) Gaw Kay P and Trinity Cub (F-2) Grace R.

Mrs Jacqui North
Acting Head of Junior School

Come and Try Day

On Wednesday, we welcomed our current Year 6 students along with others from the wider community for our annual Come and Try Day. Students had the opportunity to take part in a variety of engaging activities including fishing, rock climbing, outdoor education, food science, drone flying, and more. It was a fantastic day, and a joy to see the students exploring and enjoying our innovative Middle School spaces.

Push-Up Challenge

Students from the College are currently taking part in the Push-Up Challenge, a national initiative that raises awareness and funds for mental health and wellbeing. Participants aim to complete 3,249 push-ups across the month of June — representing the number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2022. At lunchtime on Thursday, the SRC organised a Push On event, giving students the chance to complete their push-ups in fun and creative ways. It was a fantastic atmosphere, with students getting involved, raising funds, and showing their support for an important cause — all while having a great time.

General Achievement Test (GAT)

The General Achievement Test will be held next Tuesday, 17 June, for all Unit 3 and 4 VCE students. The test will take place in the Senior Stadium.

We wish all of our senior students the very best as they prepare for this important assessment.

Academic Transcripts

Academic Transcripts will be available via The Hub by the end of term, and will be published online by Friday 4 July.

To access your child’s report:

Visit thehub.htlc.vic.edu.au and log in using your registered email and password.
Once logged in, you’ll see your children listed on the homepage.
Click on Academic Reports. Once uploaded, a PDF of your child’s report will be available for download.

If you experience any issues accessing The Hub, please contact: ictsupport@wlc.vic.edu.au.

Important Dates

GAT: Tuesday 17 June (Week 9)
2026 Scholarship Applications Due: Monday 30 June (Week 11)
Parent Teacher Interviews: 22 and 24 of July (Week 1)
College Musical – The Addams Family: 7–9 August
Year 12 Graduation Service and Dinner: Thursday 21 November (Term 4)

Mrs Kate Carter
Head of Secondary School

Black Ranges Intermediate Boys AFL and Girls Netball

On Friday of Week 6, students from WLC travelled to Stawell with Miss Cashin, Miss Ellis and Mr Pickering for the Black Ranges Year 9 and 10 AFL and Netball Finals.

The boys had a very tough time in the ‘A’ division for AFL, being undersized and a couple of players short, but despite their challenges they worked hard and played aggressive footy all day. The team should be commended for their attitude and willingness to compete for the ball across the matches that they played. Thanks to Mr Pickering for taking the time to coach the team.

It was a great day for our girls netball team, fighting hard across all of their matches and winning through to the grand final. Unfortunately, despite putting on a strong showing, the team just came up short against Horsham College 1 in the last game of the day. Congratulations to the girls for their efforts, and to their coach Miss Cashin for leading the team throughout the day. Thanks to Miss Ellis for umpiring.

Black Ranges Year 8 Girls Netball

Last week, our Year 8 Girls Netball team competed against the other schools in our Division as they looked to qualify for the Region Finals. The pool stage was incredibly competitive, but the girls were able to hold their nerve, snatching a 2-goal win against Marian College and holding on for a nail-biting 1-goal win against Horsham College 2. In their final game in the pool, the girls beat Ararat 1 by 12 goals, which was their most dominant performance of the day.

Three wins in three games saw the girls top their group and progress to the semi finals, where they met the other team from Ararat. The WLC defence proved too strong, with the girls running out winners by a 10 - 1 margin, booking their place in the grand final. Facing off against Horsham College 1, the girls worked hard and competed for every possession, but ended up missing out on the win in a hard-fought contest.

Congratulations to the team for making the grand final, and thanks to Miss Cashin for coaching and to Miss Ellis for umpiring on the day.

Black Ranges Intermediate Boys Soccer

Last week, our Year 9 and 10 boys competed in a one-off match against Ararat College for the Division Championship for Soccer.

With a team that consisted mostly of Year 9 students, it was always going to be a challenging day for WLC. However, the boys carried themselves well and can hold their heads high after displaying strong sportsmanship and teamwork across both halves. Thanks to Mr Prouse for coaching the students at this event.

AHPVSS Round 3 - Adelaide 5-hour

Congratulations to the 16 Junior School students who represented WLC at the Australian HPV Super Series ‘Festival of Pedal Prix’ event at Victoria Park in Adelaide today. In a specialist race for Junior School teams, it was fantastic to see the excitement all around the circuit as the students represented their schools and communities.

A more detailed write-up will be included in the next newsletter. However, you can check on the results for the event at the following link: https://ahpvss.com/admin/aipp.php

COMING EVENTS

JUNE
26 - Black Ranges Year 7 & Year 8 Soccer
30 - Black Ranges Senior Basketball

JULY
22 - Black Ranges Intermediate Basketball
24 - State Cross Country

AUGUST
2 - AHPVSS Round 4: Tailem Bend 8-hour
20 - Black Ranges Year 7 & Year 8 Volleyball

SEPTEMBER
2 - Black Ranges Year 7 Basketball
3 - Black Ranges Year 8 Basketball
9 - Greater Western Region Year 7 & Year 8 Volleyball
11 - Black Ranges Athletics
20 - AHPVSS Round 6: Murray Bridge 24-hour

Mr Matthew McLoughlin
Head of Sport (7-12)

Written by Dr Justin Coulson

During COVID lockdowns, despite how hard it was, many of us quietly promised ourselves, “We’re never going back to the rat race”?

For many of us, we appreciated the slower pace, the extra family time, and the relief from overscheduled calendars. And yet… here we are. Back to full days, packed evenings, and exhausted kids. Somewhere along the way, we broke that promise.

Welcome to the age of the Hurried Child.

What Is Hurried Child Syndrome?

Psychologist Dr David Elkind coined the term “Hurried Child Syndrome” to describe what happens when we push our children to grow up too fast. It looks like:

Children treated like mini-adults
Academics pushed too early
Overscheduled after-school calendars
Exposure to adult issues and responsibilities

It’s not just that kids are busy. It’s that their childhoods are being compressed—squeezed by performance expectations, screens, and a culture that measures worth by achievement.

The Fallout of a Hurried Childhood

Children living this hurried life experience real consequences:

Increased anxiety, depression, and stress
Sleep issues and poor eating habits
A drop in resilience
A painful sense of failure and unworthiness when they don’t meet adult-level expectations

One of the most damaging outcomes? Perfectionism. When kids feel they must always get things right to be good enough, they stop taking healthy risks. They stop enjoying learning. They stop feeling safe just being kids.

Why Do We Let This Happen?

Our intentions are good. We want our kids to succeed – to fulfill their potential. We fear they’ll fall behind. And we live in a competitive parenting culture that whispers, “If you’re not doing everything, you’re doing it wrong."

But what if this constant striving is doing more harm than good

Childhood isn’t a race. And it’s not our job to hustle our kids into the future. It’s our job to give them a safe, steady present.

Three Ways to Unhurry Your Child’s Life

If we want to change this culture of hurry, we have to get intentional. Here are three powerful ways to start:

1. Prioritise Play

Unstructured, child-led play is the most natural and essential activity for children. It builds:

Cognitive development (problem solving, creativity)
Social skills (negotiation, collaboration)
Emotional intelligence (empathy, coping strategies)

And yes, it takes time. But carving out opportunities for your child to play—especially with other kids, especially outdoors—may be the single best thing you can do for their development and wellbeing.

2. Let Children Set the Pace

It’s tempting to map out our children’s futures for them. But when we pressure them to chase our goals, we rob them of ownership over their own goals. Instead:

Get curious about what lights them up
Help them explore their own interests and strengths
Let them take the long road if that’s what they need

One of Australia’s most decorated Olympians, Emma McKeon, credits her success not to parental pressure but to the freedom her parents gave her to pursue swimming on her own terms. Roger Federer says the same thing, confessing he didn’t even like tennis until his late teens.

3. Create a Balanced Schedule

If your child eats more meals in the car than at the table, it may be time to reassess. A full calendar isn’t always a meaningful one. Instead of cramming in every extracurricular, ask:

Is my child thriving or just surviving?
Are we getting enough sleep, downtime, and connection?
Is there space for boredom, creativity, and rest?

Sometimes less really is more.

Final Thought

The hurried child is not a modern problem we have to accept. It’s a cultural drift we can resist. And it starts with us—the grown-ups. We can choose slow over rushed. We can let our children be children. We can let them breathe. Unhurrying childhood might be the most loving, protective thing we ever do.

Wimmera Lutheran College is a Happy Families School. Every member of our school community can access the full suite of Bloom Membership resources from Happy Families!

If you would like to access our school's membership, please follow this link:
https://happyfamilies.com.au/schools-enrol?ldgr_gr_code=HOLYTRINITYLUTHERANCOLLEGE

Password: happyhtlc

The Guardian reported last week that an 11-year-old Australian girl was assaulted after adding a stranger on Snapchat to increase her Snap Score. She was in a race with her best friend to hit 100,000 Snap points. It felt fun. Normal. Just part of how kids use the app. They added as many people as they could through Snapchat’s Quick Add feature because that’s how the score goes up. More friends. More streaks. More snaps.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025

One of the people she added used that opening to cause serious harm.

Not because she was reckless. Because the platform made that kind of connection feel routine. Rewarded, even.

It’s tempting, as adults, to react with shock, then retreat to blame. Where were her parents?
Why was she on Snapchat when she was only 11yrs old?

But those questions miss the point. She wasn’t doing something dangerous in secret. She was doing what the app made rewarding. Connecting. Interacting. Scoring points. She was playing the game, just as it was designed, and she lost in a way no child ever should.

This is not about failure. It is about the environment.

Snapchat is not built for children. Its disappearing messages, gamified streaks, and public Snap Scores are not benign. They are behavioural nudges, crafted to deepen engagement. They reward repetition. They cultivate habits. And for young users, still developing judgment, still learning boundaries, that makes it fertile ground for manipulation.

No parent should be left to fight this alone. No child should be made to feel it was their fault for “making a bad choice” inside a digital environment that adults don’t even fully understand.

Bans matter not because they solve everything, but because they buy time, protect boundaries, and send a signal that child safety is not negotiable.

If a child is drawn to a feature that turns connection into currency, that doesn’t mean they are disobedient. It means they are human. Curious. Wired for belonging. And like all of us, they follow the reward.

What they need is not judgment. What they need is adults who know the system, can speak its language, and are equipped to walk beside them, not just warn from the shore.

It’s not too late to learn. But it is too urgent to wait. Let’s not waste this story trying to find someone to blame. Let’s make sure the next child doesn’t have to live it.

So what can parents do?

Stay close, not controlling.
Your child doesn’t need a spy. They need a translator. Someone who can help them make sense of the systems shaping their world, without fear, without shame. If your first instinct is to punish, pause. Ask instead: What did this app promise them? What reward were they chasing, and what does that tell you about their needs?

Talk about features, not just rules.
Many parents tell their kids “don’t talk to strangers online” but what does that mean when a platform like Snapchat literally encourages users to add people they don’t know? Children need to understand that not all strangers arrive looking scary. Some arrive through Quick Add. Some arrive looking like points.

Don’t hand over access to something you haven’t explored yourself.
You don’t need to become an expert, but you do need to become familiar. Know what Snap Scores are. Know what streaks are. Know how group chats, hidden messages and screenshot alerts work. If a feature is rewarding your child for keeping secrets, staying silent, or connecting without context that’s not a flaw. That’s the design.

Build digital habits early.
Safety is not something we bolt on after harm. It’s something we weave into the way kids learn to be online. Talk about manipulation the same way you talk about stranger danger in public spaces. Name the tricks. Call out the tactics. Teach them to trust their instincts and to come to you, no matter what.

Seek community, not perfection.
No one is doing this flawlessly. Not you. Not the school. Not the policy makers. The best thing you can do is stay informed, stay connected, and stay in conversation with your child, with other parents, with professionals who can help.

Because the goal here is not fear. It’s fluency.

Our children will still want to connect. To explore. That’s not wrong. It’s human. What they need is support, not suspicion. What they need is adults who understand the environment well enough to walk with them through it and recognise when something isn’t right.

You don’t have to do it alone. But you do have to start now.

Let’s make sure the next child isn’t left to figure this out on their own.

For more information please go to the Safe on Social website - https://www.safeonsocial.com/

In This Newsletter

Principal's Message

Executive Principal's Message (13 June, 2025)

Wimmera Lutheran College Update

Combined PD Day

Come Work With Us

Faith News

Beauty for Ashes

How God responds to our flaws and failures.

Sub Schools News

Junior School News (13 June, 2025)

Student Free Day/Long Weekend

Foundation Fun Day

Year 2 Horsham History Excursion

SRC Free Dress Fundraiser

Important Dates

Awards

Junior School Curriculum and Pedagogy News (13 June, 2025)

Empathy to Impact Workshop

Secondary School News (13 June, 2025)

Come and Try Day

Push-Up Challenge

General Achievement Test (GAT)

Academic Transcripts

Important Dates

Sports News

Junior School Sports News (13 June, 2025)

Greater Western Region Netball

School Sport Victoria Netball Trials

Year 5 & 6 Hooptime Basketball Trials

Year 5 & 6 Volleyball Trials

Year 3 & 4 Hooptime Basketball

Term 2 Sports Events

Secondary School Sports News (13 June, 2025)

Black Ranges Intermediate Boys AFL and Girls Netball

Black Ranges Year 8 Girls Netball

Black Ranges Intermediate Boys Soccer

AHPVSS Round 3 - Adelaide 5-hour

COMING EVENTS

Wellbeing News

Unhurrying Childhood: Why Slowing Down is the Best Thing For Our Kids

What Is Hurried Child Syndrome?

The Fallout of a Hurried Childhood

Why Do We Let This Happen?

Three Ways to Unhurry Your Child’s Life

Final Thought

Teaching Our Kids Self-Control: The Superpower that gets results

This Isn’t About One Child. It’s About All of Us.

So what can parents do?

Campus News

JS Colouring Competition

Uniform Shop Opening Hours

Foundation Fun Day

WLC - Horsham Campus Scholarships - Apply Now

Community News

Live Parent Q&A Session: Ask Elevate Anything

Have You Got Talent?

Yani Bangal Scholarship Program

Casey Kosch First Aid 10th Birthday

Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg visit to Horsham

Principal's Message

Faith News

Sub Schools News

Sports News

Wellbeing News

Campus News

Community News

Principal's Message

Faith News

Sub Schools News

Sports News

Wellbeing News

Campus News

Community News