Warm greetings to families and friends.

Academic and general excellence scholarship applications close this coming Friday 3 June. Current and prospective families can find information on how to apply via our website.

As we pass the midway point of the term, I wish to highlight that the Semester 1 report writing day (10 June) and the Queen’s Birthday holiday (13 June) will produce an extra-long weekend for our families in several weeks’ time. I ask that members of our community make a note of these days in their calendar. 

Another reminder that the PTFA is organising several activities for our college community that will take place during the year. One of these is the Spring Fair, planned for mid-October. It is anticipated that the fair will include amusements and rides, market stalls, food and drink options, along with class led stalls. An organising committee is needed to be established to help with planning and the PTFA is seeking the support of families to help. If you are parents, grandparents or relatives who would like to help, please click here to fill out the expression of interest form so they can be in touch with you. The first meeting for the organising committee is scheduled for Monday 30 May commencing at 3.30pm at the college.

Additionally, a Movie Night is also being planned for the evening of Friday 17 June. 

Applications for a Primary Teacher (3 days) in Performing Arts and Literacy for classes from Foundation to Year 2 are closing soon. If you, or know someone who may know, is interested, the position description and application process is available on our college website.

Wishing you a blessed week.

Mr Daniel Weller, College Principal

by Carolyn Ehrlich

Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master’ (John 15:20a).

In our secular world, we are encouraged to believe that when we are on the right path, the world conspires to help us. When we do what is consistent with our life’s journey, we will be satisfied and successful. We are the masters of our own destiny. But, in today’s reading, we are given a very different perspective about what it means to be on God’s path, doing the work that God has planned in advance for us to do.

As servants of God, as brothers and sisters of Jesus, we do not belong to the world. We have been chosen out of this world. And the world will hate us because of that. The world will persecute us because of Jesus’ name and hate us for no reason (verse 25).

So, my question today is to ask whether we are on God’s path or the path of this world? If we are not being persecuted, we might not be on God’s path. Scarily, we might be oblivious and ignorant to the one we are on, especially if we feel comfortable.

In some work that Will Mancini and Warren Bird have written, I am reminded that God has a long-term vision and that we need to rise above our very short-term perspectives and think about what is going on in long time frames. We need to rise above our short-term desires for comfort in this world and become uncomfortable with the longer-term trends that are visible when we look. We need to be the hands and feet of God in this world.

So, what do we need to do? In verse 27 of today’s reading, we are reminded that we must testify. Testify, bear witness to Jesus’ name, do the work that God has planned for us to do and be prepared to be hated by the world for the work we do. I don’t find this easy to think about. Do you?

Father God, through Jesus, you speak to me. Thank you for giving me your word, and thank you that your word is truth. Thank you for giving me your Son and Holy Spirit to teach and guide me. Help me to be your hands and feet. Help me to bear testament to your name and truth. Show me what you need me to do, and help me recognise that the world will hate me because of what I do in obedience to you. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray. Amen.

Year 6 Maths Olympics

On Wednesday our Year 6 students competed in the Annual Maths Olympics at Horsham College. They persisted through a range of mental, kinesthetic and physical mathematical challenges against other Year 6 schools in the region. With the highest score, our "A" team took out first place in Round 1, well done to Charlotte Matuschka, Hannah Heard, Bonnie Grieger and Lilly Peucker. The HTLC teams collectively won the title of Maths Olympics champions for 2022, with the highest accumulated points between all teams for the day. Well done to all Year 6s. It was a fantastic day, with an excellent display of leadership and teamwork. 

ASSEMBLY

Our next two assemblies, on Monday 30 May and Tuesday 14 June, will be held remotely due to commitments in the MPC. Parents are welcome to join the Google Meet through the HTLC Public Calendar.

DIAGNOSTIC TESTING

Next week all students from Foundation to Year 6 will be completing their school based literacy and numeracy diagnostic assessments. These assessments allow us to monitor students’ academic progress, identify individual strengths and weaknesses, plan to meet student needs and inform special programs within the school. We encourage parents to avoid making appointments for students during school hours next week and to ensure students get the rest they require.

OPEN DAY

Last Sunday HTLC held our annual Open Day. It was a wonderful opportunity to share a snapshot of our college with the community and showcase the facilities and programs we offer. We were very pleased to see a number of visitors enjoying the sausages perfectly cooked by Mr Wallace and some even stayed for the entire 2 hours roaming around the school and talking to staff and students. Thank you to our dedicated staff and students who made themselves available on the day.

ROBOCUP

On Monday HTLC will host a robotics workshop, as part of the RoboCup program. Co-founder of the RoboCup, Brian Thomas, will be at our college to help teach students about robotics and facilitate the activities on the day. Students from Year 5 to 8 in the RoboCup teams will participate in workshops and competitions throughout the day. Good luck!

CHAPEL

This morning Year 4B led our worship, with a message focussing on treating others the way you’d like to be treated. The Bible verse was Luke 6:31. It has been wonderful to have family and friends of the college joining us for worship once again, and I invite you to join us for worship Friday mornings at 9:00 am in the MPC. Please remember to send a small offering with your child to be donated to charity.

Blessings,

Mrs Fiona Friberg, Head of Junior School

Middle School Open Day

Last Sunday the College doors were opened up for members of the community to come and experience what learning at Holy Trinity Lutheran College is all about. Members of the community gathered to tour the facilities and meet and greet the staff and students of the College. A highlight of the day was having a contingent of Middle and Senior School students present to help with tours and lead practical activities such as robotics, coffee making, woodwork and art displays, 3D printing demonstrations, live music, science experiments, sporting activities and more. The students did an amazing job of representing the college as unofficial ambassadors. These students were acknowledged with an appreciation certificate at Monday’s assembly.

YEAR 6 INTERVIEWS

Interviews for current Year 6 students have commenced this week and will continue for the next 2 weeks. These interviews provide an opportunity for me to meet with the students and parents to find out about who they are as learners and what their interests and hobbies are, helping to establish a relationship before the students move into the Middle School in 2023.

The transition from Junior School to Middle School is a major milestone in a student’s life, and Holy Trinity has a strategic approach to ensuring its students are well prepared to make this adjustment. To begin with, Year 6 students are exposed to Middle School subjects as part of their specialist subject rotations. Participating in Woodwork, Food Technology and Science over the duration of the year, helping them to become familiar with new subjects, facilities and teaching staff. Selected students also get to participate in Genesis English and Maths classes, providing a fantastic stepping stone for these students to prepare for this innovative and engaging Middle Years program.

The interviews which are currently being held enable individual learning profiles to be developed which are then distributed to all teaching staff at the beginning of next year, enabling students to feel that their teacher knows and understands them from day 1 of their Year 7 experience, crucial elements in building a respectful and productive adolescent-teacher relationship. Parents have until Saturday 11 June to book an interview using the online booking system.

YEAR 8 EXCURSION

The Year 8 Melbourne excursion successfully took place this week with the students participating in a Salvation Army Street Tour, exploring the issues of Homelessness in Melbourne. After a group dinner at La Porchetta restaurant, the students then enjoyed a night at the Theatre, watching the exceptional production of Cinderella, where the students marvelled at the talent on display. A morning cultural performance consisting of African Drumming and Dancing concluded the experience before returning home after a lunch stop at St Kilda Beach. Thank you to Year 8 Coordinator Mrs Przibilla for organising and coordinating the excursion and to Mr Bandel, Mrs Schneider and Miss Connelly who were the supervising teachers. Staff and students enjoyed the experience.

EXAMINATIONS

End of semester examinations will be held in week 7 of this term, beginning on Monday 6 June. An exam timetable will be forwarded to parents and students at the beginning of next 

Mr Jason Przibilla, Head of Middle School 

Senior Centre – after school study

Each night after school, the Study Centre is open for Senior School students to study independently or with peers until 4:30pm. On most evenings staff are running organised sessions with VCE students and are available to students seeking support.

Exam Revision Week

Next week students will commence preparation for exams which will be held in Week 7. This is a valuable time for students to explore revision methods that they find most helpful and to ensure that the time they spend studying is used effectively. Research shows that the average Australian spends 5.5 hours a day on their mobile phone. During study periods it is important to set guidelines and boundaries that both maximise learning and consider mental health.

Year 12 Course of Study

Year 12 students are now concluding their Unit 3 studies and will begin Unit 4 content over the last few weeks of term. Students are reminded of the value in reviewing content and ensuring they seek help from staff as required.

College Ball photos

Photos and video footage taken of the Year 11 College Ball are currently being prepared for each family. These will be distributed as soon as they arrive. Each family of students who participated will receive a USB containing images from the evening.

VCE subject selection

We are approaching the time of year when students are required to make their selection regarding pathways from Year 10 into Year 11 and the commencement of a full VCE course of study or applied pathway. Further information about the process will be forwarded to families in the coming weeks.

Mrs Sally Kuchel, Head of Senior School

Please find upcoming sporting dates below for your calendar;

• Year 5/6 Girls AFL at - Friday 27 May & Friday 3 June
• Greater Western Cross Country in Warrnambool - Monday 30 May
• Year 5/6 Lightning Premiership Carnival in Horsham - Wednesday 1 June
• Junior Hoop Time Basketball in Horsham - Thursday 2 June
• Senior Hoop Time Basketball in Horsham - Thursday 9 June
• Greater Western AFL (Boys & Girls), Netball & Soccer in Ballarat - Friday 17 June

Greater Western Cross Country

Best of luck to our 8 Junior School students who will travel to Warrnambool to compete in the Greater Western Cross Country this Monday 30 May. We wish our little runners and all secondary students competing on the day a great performance. We will very much be looking forward to seeing our school results. To all those involved on the day - thank you & enjoy!

Year 5/6 Lightning Premiership Carnival 

Next week, Year 5/6 students that have expressed interest in winter sports will be competing in Horsham for the Little Desert Lightning Premiership Carnival. The carnival is held at 3 different local locations as per below, being played from 10am until approximately 2pm (including a final);
Netball – Central Park, Racecourse Reserve 
Soccer – Dudley Cornell Park, North Park
AFL (Boys) – Coughlin Park, St Michael's home ground
Teams that are overall winners on the day have an opportunity to compete at the Greater Western Region on Friday 17 June. Good luck to all students involved in this day & thank you to those volunteers that have offered their time in many roles on the day - play well and enjoy!

Year 5/6 Girls AFL

Our first of two Girls AFL carnivals was held at on the Junior School oval today. We saw teams come from Horsham 298, St Michaels/St Johns and Haven/West Primary schools to compete. We will play Friday of next week also to firm up the overall winner, with a grand final game in the afternoon from 2:15pm. Our girls are showing such talent and I wish them all the best in the remaining games - good luck HTLC Cubs!

Hoop Time Basketball 

We are currently looking for coaches, team managers and parent involvement on the day. If you have availability either day of the below days and this is of interest to you, please make contact with me via phone on 5382 2529 or via email to hayley.thomas@htlc,vic.edu.au;
Senior Competition (Year 5/6): Thursday 9 June 
Junior Competition (Year 3/4): Thursday 2 June  
Both Hoop Time competitions will be held from 9:30am to 2:30pm at the Horsham Basketball Stadium. 

PMP Foundation & Year 1

We continue with our weekly PMP sessions for both Foundation and Year 1 classes. Such a variety of skill development happens in these sessions. Balance, coordination, fine motor skills, and number & colour recognition. It really is fun seeing the students' little faces light up on entry to the MPC to tackle the new activities each week. Thank you for the continued support of parent volunteers who continue to assist in making these sessions consistently fun and possible!

Friday Sport - Year 3/4  & Year 5/6

Our Sports Programs are in place for Friday Sport for both Years 3/4 and 5/6 student groups. Term 2 has a winter sports focus, whereby Year 5/6 students choose a sport they are wanting to ideally focus on for the whole term. Students are then grouped within their elected sport to gain, develop and build on their current skills within that sport.  The focussed winter sport options for Year 5/6 students are AFL (Boys), Soccer, Netball, Volleyball and Table Tennis.

Some winter sports will be prominent within our Term 3 Sports Program also whereby a HCPSSA (Interschool) Carnival will occur for 4 weeks from late July purely for our Year 5/6 students.

We currently see Year 3/4 student groups rotate through their sports program each week, experiencing sports including cricket, tennis, softball, lacrosse and minor games. Friday always has a real buzz to it, being outdoors and seeing students improve on a weekly basis! Thank you to those who are involved in effectively delivering these sessions each week.

Yours in Sport!

Mrs Hayley Thomas, Primary Sports Coordinator

It has been a busy few weeks with interschool sports at HTLC! Over the past few weeks, students have competed at both Black Ranges Athletics and Cross Country. The students produced fantastic results, with 16 students progressing to Greater Western Athletics, along with 19 students progressing to Greater Western Cross Country. This is a fantastic achievement, with special mention to Jude Borlase who won Age Champion at Athletics and Tate McKerron, who broke a long-standing Long Jump record for Black Ranges!

Pictured above are 4 students who managed to place top 3 at Black Ranges Cross Country. Congratulations to Sophie Pietsch, Racquel Deckert, Jordan Friberg and Adelyn Penny on this amazing achievement!

HTLC has also been represented at girls netball in the previous week, with boys football upcoming in the next 2 weeks. The Intermediate Girls sided 2 teams to compete at Black Ranges on Tuesday at Central Park in Horsham. With a total of 14 teams across 2 pools, the girls played outstanding team netball across an action packed draw, with one team narrowly missing out on the Grand Final. Congratulations to all girls that participated, it was a fantastic day for all!

COMING EVENTS

Term 2
MAY
27 - Year 8 B Boys Football
27 - INT Boys B Football
30 - Greater Western Cross Country

JUNE
2 - Black Ranges SNR Boys Soccer
7 - Year 7/8 Boys A Football
7 - Year 7/8 Girls A Netball

Mr Jesse Kuchel, Head of Sport and Coaching

"How do I connect with my daughter? She flat-out ignores me these days.”

“My son and I used to be best mates. Our connection was strong. Now I’ve got no idea how to engage with him.”

“You keep saying I need to connect, connect, connect. But I’m so tired and it’s so hard. Anyway, the kids don’t even want to connect.”

For years, Dr Justin Coulson has reminded parents that “just like dollars are the currency of our economy, connection is the currency of our relationships.” But what does a good connection look like? And why is connection so important for both parents and children? Plus, what are parents supposed to do if their child doesn’t want to connect… or doesn’t know how to connect?

https://www.happyfamilies.com....

This 60-minute webinar is all about helping you rediscover the keys to connection within your family. You’ll find out:

• Why connection matters for resilience, motivation, and wellbeing
• How to connect with children who’s resistant
• Why connection matters most when times are toughest, and
• The power of connection to heal even the most challenging relationships 

Happy Families was founded by Dr Justin Coulson.  Justin earned his PhD in Psychology from the University of Wollongong. He and his wife Kylie have been married since the late 1990’s and are the parents of 6 daughters.

Happy Families has just launched a new website. Because they're on a brand new platform, you'll need to re-register for your free Happy Families Premium School Membership through our school's unique URL.

https://www.getactive.vic.gov....

Bookclub brochures (Issue #4) have been distributed.  All orders should be placed by Wednesday, 8th June.  Cheques should be made payable to ‘Scholastic Australia’. Credit card payments may also be made using the online system, the LOOP (if you are having trouble finding our school when registering, please use the postcode 3402). By indicating ‘gift’ on your online order, the books will be kept at school for you to pick up if you do not want your child to see your purchase. For more information, please contact Jaci Gabbé Library Assistant.

Please click here to express your interest.

Interest will again be added to all LLL deposit accounts. Please send any LLL passbooks to Main Office or Junior School reception ASAP.