Finance

REMINDER: Due date for payments 

Looking Ahead: Keep a lookout on your COMPASS Payment Center for these events.

Dear Families,

What a fantastic start we’ve had to Term 2!

You may have noticed that we’ve warmly welcomed back our much-loved Mrs Dooley to the front office. She’s already hit the ground running and is making a wonderful impact across the school. Be sure to stop by and say hello when you're next in!

There’s a lot of planning happening behind the scenes, so to help you stay informed, here are a few helpful tips for keeping up with school communications:

To help with your planning:

• Please continue checking Compass and reading our newsletters regularly. These are our primary channels for sharing event details, consent forms, and payment deadlines.
• Set calendar reminders or enable Compass notifications to avoid missing key cut-off dates.
• Reach out early if you need support with payments or have questions—our office staff are happy to help.

By staying up to date, you’re helping us deliver well-organised, inclusive events that enhance every student’s learning experience. Your cooperation ensures smooth planning and gives all students the chance to participate fully.

Cut-Off Dates for Compass Events

Camps, sports, incursions, and excursions play an important role in your child’s education by supporting real-world learning, confidence, and social development.

To ensure these events are well-organised and run smoothly for all students, we ask that families please note the following:

• Cut-off dates are final. These dates, usually set two weeks before each event, are essential for securing bookings and arranging supervision and transport.
• Late payments or consent forms cannot be accepted. Once the deadline has passed, we are unable to make changes or additions, as bookings must be confirmed with external providers.
• Staff are unable to follow up on late submissions. Our administrative and teaching teams need to prioritise the planning and delivery of programs for all students.

We understand that unforeseen circumstances can occur, but to avoid disappointment, we strongly encourage families to complete all necessary steps before the deadline.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us deliver safe, enjoyable, and inclusive events for every student.

Front Office Enquiries – School Saving Bonus (SSB) Usage

Last term, the front office received a number of enquiries regarding the use of the School Saving Bonus (SSB). As previously mentioned in our newsletter, the COMPASS portal currently does not support direct allocation of SSB funds by parents.

We have been in contact with COMPASS, and while they are working on a solution, they have not yet provided a release date. However, they have assured us that enabling this functionality is a high priority due to the strong demand from both schools and families.

In the meantime, please note the following process for using SSB funds:

1. SSB funds must first be requested and allocated through the Department Portal.
2. Once allocated, please allow 2–3 business days for the transaction to be processed.
3. After processing, you can contact the front office via email, phone, or in person to advise how you would like the funds to be applied (e.g., for camps, excursions, or fees).
4. Our admin team will then manually apply the funds to your selected activity or service.

Following these steps ensures efficient processing and allows our team to better support all families in a timely manner.

SSB Portal Cut off Date:

On Tuesday 5/5 I emailed all families advising the SSB Portal Cut off date.

The SSB can be used for uniforms and activities until Monday 30 June 2025. Any funds remaining after 30 June 2025, including online voucher amounts that have not been redeemed, will become a credit to use on school activities. However, the credit will not be available on your family account at our school until late July. To use any remaining SSB funds to cover the cost of school activities in July, please refer to the SSB online system and allocate the funds to school activities before 30 June 2025. To learn more about the SSB online system, download the step-by-step System guide for parents and carers (attached) or watch this School Saving Bonus video School Saving Bonus on Vimeo. System guide translations are also available in 14 languages. Receiving the School Saving Bonus | vic.gov.au 

The Department of Education’s SSB contact centre will remain available until 30 June 2025. The contact center can be reached by: 

• Completing the School Saving Bonus enquiry form online enquiry form. 
• Calling 1800 338 663, between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays.

For immediate support email school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au

If you have any questions regarding payments or financial support, please don’t hesitate to contact our school office. 

Warm regards,

Jess Moran

Administration

For more information about COMPASS PAY, please visit the link below.

If you need additional assistance, feel free to reach out to our office staff.

https://www.compass.education/guide/

How do I pay for an excursion on Compass?

Make snappy, online payments in minutes with our online platform. Simply:

1. Login to your Compass portal (mobile app or web), and view your home page. When an excursion requires consent/payment, a notification will appear here.

2. Click on this link to be redirected to your Action Centre, where all upcoming events/excursions requiring parental/guardian action will automatically display.

3. Click anywhere on the desired event’s line to open the consent/payment section.

4. Fill in the fields provided. To pay specifically, select saved credit card details from the dropdown menu available, or add a new credit via the ‘New Credit Card’ option.

5. Once completed, select Proceed, to submit your payment for processing. 

Friendly Note: Currently, only VISA or MasterCard payments are accepted by Compass. Alternative payment options may be available at your school’s general office.

Where do I see the payments I've made through Compass?

View in-Compass payments, in three simple steps:

1. Login to Compass.

2. Select the Cog Icon in the top right hand corner of your page.

3. Select the My Payments option, and review your payment history.

CSEF applies to financially means tested HealthCare Card applications.  If you have your own healthcare card (in your name), as listed below then you would qualify.

Below is a list of means tested cards that are accepted:

• ABSTUDY – Schooling Applicant (ABA)
• ABSTUDY – Secondary/Tertiary (ABY)
• Age Pension (AGE)
• Austudy Payment (AUS)
• Bereavement Allowance (BVA)
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• Health Care Card (HCC)
• Job Seeker (JSP)
• Newstart Allowance (NSA)
• Non-Agency Payment (NAP)
• Parenting Payment (PP)
• Partner Allowance (PTA)
• Sickness Allowance (SKA)
• Special Benefit (SPL)
• Widow Allowance (WDA)
• Widow B Pension (WID)
• Wife Pension Age (WFA)
• Wife Pension Disability (WFD)
• Veterans Card (Gold)
• Youth Allowance (YAL)

Cards that are not financially means tested are not accepted. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Foster (FO) – Foster Parents must provide a copy of the temporary care order letter from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Child Disability (CD)
• Family allowance (FA)
• Ex-Carer Allowance (Child) Health Care Card
• Carers Card (CAR)

Department Policy below. 

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/guidance/eligibility

APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT THE END OF JUNE.

For the first time State Schools' Relief is now offering a SUMMER version of our Prep CSEF Uniform Package so that the newest students in 2025 can start their school year all decked out! Applications for the Prep 2025 Summer CSEF Uniform Package are open now and can be placed via our online application portal. 

Information sheets for families, plus the order form, can be found on our website and downloaded as required.  

Please note the following:

-  All vouchers have an expiry and must be redeemed before the expiration date

-  All applications for this package will close at the end of Term 1, 2025.

In order for a student to be eligible to receive the Prep 2025 Summer Uniform Package the student must be a Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF) recipient. 

To find out more, please visit the Department of Education website. 

Should you have any questions about this package, please contact our Customer Service team on 8769 8400 between the hours of 8.30am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday or email us anytime at contact@ssr.net.au

Make the Most of Your School Saving Bonus with State Schools' Relief!State Schools' Relief offers high-quality, unbranded school uniforms and school shoes, perfect for using your School Saving Bonus (SSB).To help parents and carers navigate the process, we've created a digital information pack with all the details you need.Click or download below for more information:

SSB PORTAL USER GUIDE

HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR BONUS

EXHANGES POLICY

The best news is that when you shop with State Schools’ Relief, you’re helping more than just your own family. Every dollar spent supports critical welfare programs for students in need across Victoria. So, you can feel extra good about those new school shoes!

School Saving Bonus

Parent and carer School Saving Bonus code distribution 

The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus – a one-off $400 support for government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.

From Tuesday 26 November 2024, you will receive an email from the Department of Education with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code.

The School Saving Bonus will help families cover the cost of uniforms, textbooks, excursions, activities and more.

If you have multiple children enrolled in Victorian government schools for 2025, you will receive one School Saving Bonus code email per child. These emails might arrive on different days. Please make sure to check your spam/junk email folder.

Parents and carers can use the School Saving Bonus code in store at school-nominated suppliers. Parents and carers can also choose to access the School Saving Bonus online system, where they can allocate part or all the $400 bonus to use at school nominated-online suppliers or for school activities.  To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, visit School Saving Bonus | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au). A step-by-step user guide will be available on the webpage on 26 November.  

If you have not received your School Saving Bonus code via email by Friday 29 November, please contact the Department of Education by emailing school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au