As we reach the end of another busy and rewarding semester at Wimmera Lutheran College, I would like to take this opportunity to thank every member of our College community for the part they have played in making the first half of the year such a success.

Our students are to be congratulated for the enthusiasm and commitment they have shown throughout the semester. Whether in the classroom, on the sporting field, in extra-curricular activities, on camps and excursions, or in service to others, our students have embraced the many opportunities available to them. We are proud of their achievements and the positive way they represent our College each day.

I also extend my sincere thanks to our dedicated staff. Behind every lesson, excursion, event and report card are countless hours of planning, preparation and care. Our staff continually invest in the learning and wellbeing of every student, and I am deeply grateful for the professionalism, passion and servant-hearted approach they bring to their work each day. I hope this holiday break provides them with a well-earned opportunity to rest and recharge.

I would also like to acknowledge our Heads of School and Campus Leaders for the outstanding leadership they have provided throughout the semester. Leading a school community requires wisdom, compassion and a commitment to serving others, and I am thankful for the way they have faithfully led their respective schools and campuses. Their willingness to work collaboratively and their valuable contributions to our Executive Leadership Team continue to strengthen Wimmera Lutheran College as one united College. I am grateful for their professionalism, insight and unwavering commitment to our students, staff and families.

As we conclude the semester, I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to our Director of Business Operations, Mr Craig Young, who finishes his time at Wimmera Lutheran College at the end of the first week of next term. Craig has made a significant contribution during his time with the College, providing sound leadership across our business operations and supporting many important initiatives behind the scenes. We thank him for his faithful service and wish him and his family God's richest blessings as they begin the next chapter of their journey.

At the same time, we look forward with confidence as we welcome Ms Jana Pavlovska into the role of Interim Director of Business Operations. We pray that God will bless Jana with wisdom, discernment and strength as she joins our College community and takes on this important leadership responsibility. We look forward to the experience, expertise and fresh perspective she will bring to the role.

To our families, thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. Education is most effective when schools and families work together, and we greatly value the trust you place in us as we share in the privilege of educating your children.

As reports are released at the conclusion of the semester, I encourage every family to take the time to read them carefully. A school report is much more than a collection of grades, it provides valuable feedback about your child's progress, achievements, strengths and areas for continued growth. I encourage parents to discuss the report with their child, celebrate their successes and reflect together on opportunities for improvement during Semester 2. If there is anything within the report that you are unsure about or would like clarified, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher or the relevant Head of School.

As we head into the holiday break, I pray that every member of our College community enjoys a safe, restful and relaxing time with family and friends. Whether you are travelling or enjoying a quieter break at home, may this be an opportunity to recharge and prepare for the exciting opportunities that await us in Semester 2.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28

On behalf of the Board and staff of Wimmera Lutheran College, thank you for a wonderful semester. May God continue to watch over and bless our College community during the holiday break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back next term.

Mr Jason Przibilla, Executive Principal

School holidays are here! Mercifully. Many of us, WLC staff, students and parents are looking forward to a pause from the busyness term-life. Some will be busy in other ways with fun and exciting holidays away. Others will enjoy having a quiet holiday at home. Whichever type of holiday you and your family are planning, I pray it there will be times of refreshing and rest.

The Bible gives us a clear picture that God recognises our need for times of physical rest and times of psychological relaxation and refreshing. They're not necessarily the same thing.

Rest refers to physical pauses that allow our physical self to recharge. Our rhythms of nightly sleep, weekends (a Sabbath), and holidays are all seen in the bible where God explains that times of physical rest are necessary. (See Exodus 20:8-10 & Psalm 3:5). Psychological relaxation comes when we are disengaged from busyness and tasks that are draining and taxing on our minds and emotions but instead refresh our minds and emotions. Where people find this can be different for a range of reasons but usually things that you consider meaningful, fulfilling, enjoyable, and that you're in your "flow" provide this.

But the Bible makes clear that in addition to these we require refreshing and restoration of our spirits. This comes only from our heavenly Father God through his Spirit and being in his presence. There are many scriptures that describe this.

Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28:31

“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God: my hope comes from him.” Psalm 62:5

Psalm 23 provides a picture of where and how we can meet with God to have our spirits renewed. It describes God leading us to quiet, lush space in the outdoors: "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. (Psalm 23:1-3).

May you take some time for physical rest, psychological relaxation, and, above all, a time of having your spirit renewed in the presence of our loving God.

Mrs Kate Polack, College Chaplain

House Awards

Announcing our House Awards (also known as the Tiger and Cub Awards) is one of the most rewarding parts of my role. Not only does the Primary School get to celebrate team spirit, but we also have the opportunity to recognise students who consistently go above and beyond.

It is always wonderful to see so many parents and carers attend assemblies to support their children as they receive these special awards. However, it is important to understand how recipients are selected.

Every two weeks, teachers from alternating year levels nominate a student who has stood out in a particularly meaningful way. At WLC, we strive to develop learners who are Compassionate, Purposeful, Adventurous, and Relational. If these words sound familiar, it is because they form the foundation of the Free to Flourish learning story within our Growing Deep Framework, which guides learning across all Lutheran schools.

In Free to Flourish, children are encouraged to be compassionate. This may be demonstrated through kindness, empathy, helping someone in need, or performing a selfless act that positively impacts others.

Students are also encouraged to be purposeful in their actions. They may show leadership by stepping up when needed, demonstrate dedication to their learning, or display integrity by doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

Being adventurous in learning is another important quality we seek to nurture. Are students showing curiosity and a willingness to tackle challenges without immediately knowing the solution? Are they prepared to take risks, innovate, and persevere through uncertainty? These qualities require courage, resilience, and bravery.

Finally, we want our students to be relational. Do they listen to others? Are they inclusive in the playground? Can they collaborate effectively, show respect, and support those around them? Strong relationships are at the heart of a thriving community.

While our House Awards can become a little competitive (especially with Mallee's winning streak this term!), they ultimately celebrate something much deeper and more meaningful. They recognise the qualities that will help our students flourish both now and into the future.

Thank you to all of our Primary students for a wonderful term of learning, growing, and becoming the very best versions of yourselves.

Enjoy a well-deserved break, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 3!

Conservation Conference

Our Year 5 students have been very busy in their Units of Inquiry lessons, learning about how to manage and protect the world around them. Throughout the term, they have explored sustainability and conservation in relation to endangered species, investigated the impacts of bushfires and cultural burning, and examined the effects of human activity on the natural environment.

On Tuesday, parents and students were invited to attend a Conservation Conference, where the Year 5 students had the opportunity to share their learning about an endangered Australian animal. This event was the culmination of a great deal of hard work and research throughout the term.

The students demonstrated an impressive depth of knowledge and presented practical actions that individuals and communities can take to help reverse the damage done to these unique Australian species. Their confidence, passion, and commitment to conservation were evident throughout the conference.

Congratulations, Year 5, on a job well done!

Kinder Visits

Our wonderful Foundation teachers, Mrs Lienert and Mrs Driller, have been very busy over the past few weeks visiting local kindergartens to meet the little learners who will make up our Foundation 2027 cohort next year.

So far, they have had the pleasure of visiting around half of our incoming students and have enjoyed seeing the children in their familiar learning environments. These visits provide valuable opportunities for our teachers to begin building relationships with students and gain an understanding of how they engage in both learning and social settings.

We look forward to continuing these visits throughout the year and welcoming our future Foundation students to the WLC community.

General Housekeeping

Please remember that school finishes at 2:20pm on Friday after our closing Chapel service.

Our Lost Property box in Administration is currently overflowing with jumpers and PE jackets, many of which are unnamed. If your child has misplaced a jumper or jacket, please take a moment to check the Lost Property box - you may be pleasantly surprised to find it there!

Important Dates

• 26 June - Term 2 concludes (at 2:20pm)
• 14 July - first day of Term 3 (Tuesday)
• 27 and 28 July - hands-On maths incursion (Primary)
• 28th July - Foundation Fun Day
• 4 and 6 August - Parent-Teacher Interviews (Academic)

Awards

FL:Tilly M, Cooper J & Jano L FD: Isabell P & Zhavaja D 1B:Eloise R, Archie K & Evelyn L 1S:Lucy R, Olivia W, Liam M & Brianna H 2H:Samir B, Indy C & Eliza R 2W: Chris G.R. & Monti W 3D: Alister F, Lucas S & Yarmiyah P 3P: Charlotte S & Nkanyezi N 4M: Arlen F & Zara S 4R: Ari M & Lincoln M 5J: Brianna B & Herbie H 6H:Addisyn K & Naol T 6M: Mila J, Nevaeh J & Javier B 6R: Boh A & Umi M

Specialist awards:

• German: Archie H
• Chinese: Riley E. F.
• PE: Jude P

Trinity Tiger/Cub Awards

Congratulations to our very special Tiger & Cub Awards!

• Jess S - Mallee
• Eve J - Mallee
• Riley M- Mallee (absent)

Mrs Christina Jacobsen, Head of Primary

Curriculum & Pedagogy

Beyond the Classroom: The Powerful Impact of Extra-Curricular Learning

At Wimmera Lutheran College, learning extends far beyond the walls of the classroom. While academic learning provides essential knowledge and skills, it is often through extra-curricular experiences that students discover new passions, develop important life skills and build the confidence to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Extra-curricular activities provide opportunities for students to engage in authentic learning experiences that complement and enrich their classroom education. Whether participating in camps, excursions, sporting events, leadership programs, service initiatives, performing arts or vocational experiences, students are challenged to apply their learning in meaningful and practical ways.

Students who participate in extra-curricular activities experience a range of benefits. These include improved academic performance, stronger social connections, increased resilience, enhanced wellbeing and the development of valuable skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and leadership. Students learn to persevere through challenges, manage their time effectively and contribute positively to their communities.

Importantly, extra-curricular opportunities help students discover who they are. They provide a space for young people to explore their interests, uncover hidden talents and build a sense of belonging. These experiences foster confidence and encourage students to step outside their comfort zones, often leading to personal growth that extends well beyond their school years.

WLC recognises that education is about nurturing the whole child: academically, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. The diverse opportunities available to our students reflect our commitment to developing young people who are prepared not only for future study and careers, but also for lives of service, purpose and contribution.

We are grateful for the dedication of our staff, coaches, volunteers and families who support these valuable learning experiences. Whether this be through HPV, RoboCup, Chess Club, sporting events, performing arts or music, together, we create opportunities for students to grow, flourish and discover that some of life's most important lessons happen beyond the classroom.

When students are encouraged to participate, explore and contribute, they develop the confidence and character to make a positive difference in the world around them.

Richest blessings,

Mrs Jacqui North, Assistant Head of Primary School(s): Curriculum & Pedagogy

Music Tour to Nhill and Dimboola

A group of our Year 8 to 12 students travelled to the Nhill Campus on Friday 19 June to perform for the Dimboola and Nhill students. This is the second year that the tour has taken place, and it is quickly becoming a much-loved event on the school calendar. It provides a wonderful opportunity for our secondary students to share their talents, develop their leadership skills, and connect with students from our other campuses. Thank you to our Director of Arts, Mrs Michelle Hahn, for her organisation of this fantastic event.

VCE Music Evening

Our VCE students performed at their Music Recital Evening on Friday 19 June. It was a wonderful evening, with a range of performances including original compositions, piano solos, bass solos, and vocal performances. It is always a pleasure to celebrate our students' learning and the progress they have made. The recital also formed part of their assessment for their VCE Music studies.

Year 10 Work Experience

For the last week of term, our Year 10 students have taken part in the Work Experience program. Students have spent the week in a variety of workplaces, developing valuable skills and gaining a taste of what it is like to work in their chosen industry. We look forward to hearing about their experiences and everything they have learned when they return next term.

GAT

All students completing a Unit 3 and 4 VCE subject sat the General Achievement Test on Tuesday 16 June. This is a statewide assessment and an important milestone in students' progress towards completing their Victorian Certificate of Education.

Academic Transcripts

Academic Transcripts are available via The Hub for Semester One.

To access your child’s report:

1. Visit thehub.wlc.vic.edu.au and log in using your registered email and password.
2. Once logged in, you’ll see your children listed on the homepage.
3. 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

I would like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday break. I hope it is a time of rest, refreshment, and quality time with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday 14 July for the start of Term 3, beginning with our Opening Service in the MPC at 9.00 am.

Important coming dates

• Term 2 concludes - Friday 26 June
• Parent-Teacher Interviews - Tuesday 1 September

Mrs Kate Carter, Deputy Principal - Head of Secondary

Geelong Cats Next Generation Academy Training Experiences

The Geelong Cats are inviting students to attend upcoming Next Generation Academy (NGA) Training Experiences for players born in 2011, 2012, or 2013 during the school holidays.

The Geelong Cats NGA provides young footballers from Indigenous and multicultural backgrounds with additional development opportunities and a connection to the Geelong Cats Academy pathway.

Students from all sporting backgrounds are strongly encouraged to attend. Participants are not required to be registered with a local football club, and athletes from sports such as basketball, netball, soccer, rugby and cricket are welcome. The program is particularly interested in multi-sport athletes and students with strong untapped athletic potential.

These free sessions are designed to develop athletic performance, football skills, and game understanding in a safe and supportive environment. Participants will also have the opportunity to be considered for selection in Geelong Cats Emerging Talent Squad (U14) or Development Squad (U15) matches against the Western Bulldogs in the September school holidays.

Training Experience Dates & Times

• Horsham: Monday 29 June, 1:30pm-4:30pm @ Oval TBC
• Warrnambool: Tuesday 30 June, 9:30am-12:30pm @ Reid Oval, Warrnambool
• Geelong (Girls Only): Monday 6 July, 9:30am-12:30pm @ Oval TBC
• Geelong (Boys Only): Tuesday 7 July, 9:30am-12:30pm @ Oval TBC

Registration: https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/d072e8

To qualify for the Geelong Cats NGA, a player must:

• Reside in the Geelong Cats zone in Victoria or the Northern Territory; and
• Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander; or
• Have at least one parent born in Africa, Asia, Central America, South America or Oceania (excluding New Zealand)

For more information about our Academy program please visit our website Geelong Cats Academy or watch the video on our Academy Overview.

Upcoming events

July

• 14 - Black Ranges Senior Basketball
• 16 - Black Ranges Intermediate Basketball
• 16 - State Cross Country
• 24 - Greater Western Region Senior & Intermediate Basketball

Miss Jayde Ellis, Head of Sport (7-12)

We’re excited to announce that Elevate Education will host its next parent webinar on stress and wellbeing on 1 July

Elevate works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you’ll learn how you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they’re learning at school.

Sign up for the session below to learn how you can help your child to manage their stress levels in the run-up to exams.

Live Parent Webinar: How to Help Your Child Alleviate Stress

Wednesday 1 July 6:30pm-7:30pm

Here’s what Elevate will be covering on the night:

✅ How you can identify early signs of stress in your child

✅ Practical techniques to help your child manage their stress levels

✅ How you can maintain a dialogue with your child about their mental wellbeing

Register for free here!

We hope to see you there!

NAIDOC Week is a time for all Australians to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples while recognising the importance of connection, respect and reconciliation.

This year's theme, 50 Years of Deadly, marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week as a national week-long celebration, recognising five decades of strength, resilience, culture and community leadership. While NAIDOC's origins date back much further to the Aboriginal rights movement, this milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on progress while continuing to learn from the world's oldest living cultures.

Families play an important role in helping children and young people build understanding, appreciation and respect for First Nations peoples and perspectives. This Special Report offers practical ideas and resources to help families celebrate NAIDOC Week together and continue meaningful conversations at home.

By Dr Justin Coulson

My new book, Boys: Building Strong Young Men From the Inside Out, is about healthy masculinity. One of the questions I get most often is: what does that actually look like in practice?

Here’s where I start.

Every boy grows up and is confronted by what I call the gender police – typically other boys his own age who have clear, and often unhealthy, ideas about what it means to be a man. Sometimes it might also be people in his home: his dad (or mum), brothers, grandparents, and others. They put him in a gender straitjacket and explain how “that’s not what a boy does”, or “you’re acting like a little girl.”

As he ages, people start saying things like “be a man”. “Man up”. “Grow a pair”. And more. The “Boy Code” demands that your son be a man – and the sooner, the better. In this view, being a man means being strong, unemotional, and focused on conquest. Dominance and strength are king. Status is the currency of the realm. And masculinity is anything but feminism.

Sometimes, these attributes are helpful. Often, they’re taken in unhealthy directions and boys internalise the wrong messages – particularly when their peers start to push heavily at your son, telling him that he’s “the man”.

My counter to that is simple. Teach your son to focus less on being the man, and more on being a man.

“The man” is consumed by how others see him. “A man” is concerned with how he sees others. “The man” is focused on what he can get. “A man” is oriented to what he can give. “The man” throws his weight around. He wants to dominate, subjugate, and build status. “A man” is secure enough in himself to be oriented to how he can help. He wants to support, lift, and build others.

In Boys, I suggest three things we can teach our sons to help that shift happen.

The surplus value mindset. A healthy man helps the people around him feel safer and stronger. He shows up as a bonus. He adds value rather than extracts it – in friendships, in families, in workplaces. He’s the guy who stacks chairs after an event. He crosses to the other side of the street so a woman walking alone in the dark doesn’t feel uncomfortable or fearful because she doesn’t need to walk past him. This kind of masculinity is the sort that emphasises giving rather than taking. It’s considerate, respectful, and strong.

The path of resistance. Everything in our culture pushes boys toward cheap dopamine. Screens provide the easy scroll. Life hacks (or AI) provide the shortcut. And boys will often do anything for a quick hit of status. As I interviewed them, I consistently heard the refrain that “you’ve got to look good in front of your mates”. And looking good usually means doing something that will get you status. The quicker and easier it is, the better. But the research is clear: boys who choose the harder path – who train when they don’t feel like it, who sit with frustration rather than escaping it, who do the reps – develop the character that actually lasts. The path of least resistance makes men weak. The path of more resistance is where the power lies. The hills make you strong. Teach him to choose the hills.

Moral wisdom and courage. Knowing what’s right is one thing. Doing it when it costs you something is another. Boys need practise at both. A good man is one who speaks up. A good man is a friend who tells the truth when it’s easier to say nothing. The young man who walks away from something wrong even when everyone else stays is showing a level of moral strength, wisdom, and courage that marks him as a man. This is the hardest one to teach, but it’s also the most important. It starts with conversation: where have you seen someone do the right hard thing? What did it look like? How did it feel?

None of this happens in a single talk. It happens across a thousand small moments in the car, over dinner, and wherever else you can throw questions at your son in trusting conversation. Girls, too, need to hear these conversations about masculinity. It teaches them exactly what they should be looking for in the boys and men in their lives: boys who help those around them feel safer and stronger, choose the hard thing over the easy thing, and have the courage to choose what’s right, even when no one else is.

Ask your son or daughter where they’ve seen the boys and men around them living up to these standards. Ask your son where he’s done these things. Talk about what it looks and feels like when someone does the opposite.

Those conversations, accumulated over years, build the image of manhood worth becoming (for boys) or worth aligning yourself with (for girls)..

Not the man. A man. A good man. A real man.

By Dr Justin Coulson

The mind is a great storyteller. The difficulty with the stories we tell ourselves, however, is that we believe them – whether they’re true or not.

We notice this easily in our kids. They’re struggling with something and exclaim, “I can’t. It’s too hard.” I’ve yet to meet a loving parent who hears their child say “I can’t make friends” or “this maths is too hard” and they respond with, “Yep. You’re right. You’re not very bright and you’re not very likeable. Fact is, you’re a bit of a Nigel-no-friends.” Cruel. And wrong.

We look at them, square our shoulders, and smile. We offer encouragement: “You’ve got this. I believe in you. You’ve done it before.”

Maybe we even jump in and help a little.

What we’re doing in that moment is offering them a new script. In essence, we’re saying “the story you’re telling yourself is unhelpful – and untrue.” So we rewrite it for them.

Bad news time. We have a blind spot. And it’s not about what the kids are saying. We’re all over that.

The blind spot is that we do this for our kids, but rarely for ourselves.

When we’re in the thick of a hard parenting moment, we start telling ourselves stories just like the kids. They come thick and fast.

“She’s driving me crazy. He never listens. I’m doing everything wrong.”

We’d never let our children marinate in that kind of self-talk – but we accept it in ourselves without question.

Limiting self-talk and negative self-talk hamper our effectiveness as parents. They interrupt our relationships. And they deplete us.

Why do we do it? Simple answer: it’s a habit.

Changing it up is as simple as catching ourselves in the middle of an unhelpful story and shifting our focus. Consider a simple swap. Instead of “she’s a good kid, but she’s driving me crazy”, keep the honesty but switch the focus: “She’s driving me crazy right now, but she’s such a good kid.”

It’s almost the same words (although I’ve added ‘right now’ to show that this is not a permanent feature of the child’s personality). But now it’s a different story. The first version ends on the problem. The second ends on the person… and she’s a good person.

Or this one: “My child can’t do school camp.” Objectively, that’s probably not true. But when we make it the story, we (and they) start to believe it and this changes attitudes and behaviours – for the worse. What is true is that your child is probably struggling but with some care and consideration (and perhaps some gentle accommodations), your child can go to school camp. When we say he “can’t”, we tell a limiting, negative story that forecloses possibility. The story “struggling, but finding a way” opens the door to possibility.

My University of Michigan friend, research psychologist Professor Ethan Kross, has spent his career studying the voice inside our heads; what he calls our inner “chatter”. His research shows that the way we talk to ourselves doesn’t just reflect how we feel; it actively shapes what we do, how we cope, and what we believe is possible.

His studies confirm: negative self-talk narrows our thinking and keeps us stuck.

But with the right tools, we can change the channel.

One of Kross’s most practical findings is that if we create distance between the challenge we’re going through and our “self”, we do better, and the way to do that is… tell ourselves a different story.

When we’re caught inside a difficult moment, we lose perspective. We’re so close to it we can only see it one way, and so everything we say to ourselves feels fully factual. “This kid is out of control!” “I have too much to do!” “I can’t handle this any longer.”

Yet even a small shift in how we frame that story can interrupt the negative spiral. It’s called “cognitive reappraisal”. And it’s so simple. We deliberately step back and ask whether the story we’re telling is the only one available.

For parents, this is powerful. The stories we carry about our children (he’s a handful, she’s anxious, this ADHD is out of control) become the lens through which we see every interaction. And children, who are exquisitely tuned to the emotional world of their parents, absorb those stories too.

What does this look like in practice?

When you notice a limiting story about your child, about yourself, about your relationship, try pausing and asking one question: Is this the whole story, or just the loudest part of it right now?

You don’t have to manufacture false optimism. You just have to create enough distance to see that the story is a story – not a verdict.

From there, you rewrite. Not dramatically. Not with a motivational poster. Just a small shift in emphasis.

She’s driving me crazy but she’s such a good kid becomes a temporary, solvable problem. Conversely, a kid who’s driving me crazy starts to feel like a permanent condition.

The mind is a great storyteller. But you’re the author.

Happiness is defined as the balance of positive and negative emotions, combined with overall life satisfaction.

Happiness and gratitude have been studied in positive psychology for many years and researchers have found that gratitude is always strongly associated with greater happiness.

Although everyone has their own definition of happiness, many of us want to feel more positive emotions than negative ones.

However, negative emotions are still important. They have a lot to teach us and alert us when things need to change.

Practising gratitude helps people feel more of the positive emotions, enable us to relish good experiences, improve our overall health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships.

Learn more: https://wlc.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/happiness-gratitude

Friday last week saw our Primary teams compete in the Adelaide 5 hour race. Thankfully the rain held off for most of the race, and both teams were really competitive! Hurricane came 4th in the All Female sub-category (only one lap off a podium finish!), and 26th out of 45 trikes in the overall Primary category. Thunder fought hard for 9th place in the overall Primary Category. It was a great day, the kids had lots of fun - the Adelaide race is a special one with only the Primary trikes on the track. Thanks to those parents that attended to cheer the kids on and to assist with set up/pack up.

The Pedal Prix Racing Championship series is now officially halfway through! Our Primary teams will finish their season off at The Bend next race, while our Secondary and Community teams have two races left. A check of the Championship standings as they stand after the first two rounds (Adelaide results have not been included as yet) show HTR are having a successful season to date!

• Hurricane are in 2nd place in the All Female sub-category
• Thunder are in 3rd place in the overall Primary category
• Avalanche are leading the MS All Female category, with 8 teams entered this season
• Firestorm are in 3rd place in the overall MS category
• Tsunami are in 2nd place in the Mixed Open category

Supporting a young person with anxiety can feel overwhelming at times - you don’t have to navigate it alone.

You are invited to attend a free, supportive program designed for parents and carers. In this session, you will explore what anxiety can look like for young people and share simple, practical strategies you can use at home to help your child feel calmer, more confident, and better supported.

Session details:

Program: Building Family Strength for Anxiety

Presented by: Dr Nyree Hutchins, Clinical Psychologist

Location: Wimmera Wellbeing Centre, 28 Urquhart Street, Horsham

Time: 4:30pm to 6:00pm (all sessions)

Session Dates (by age group)

• Prep-Year 3: Wednesday 5 August
• Year 4-Year 7: Friday 7 August
• Year 8 and above: Wednesday 12 August

All sessions are free of charge, however, bookings are essential.