More SSB Info and action items 

Information, news, and updates.

NPS 'ALWAYS ON' FEEDBACK PORTAL - Leave your feedback via this link

$400 School Saving Bonus - Action Required

Most families should have now received an email/s from the Department of Education detailing their unique $400 School Saving Bonus Code/s

 

ALL FAMILIES are required to access the portal to nominate how they would like to utilise their $400 bonus for each child.

Click HERE to be directed to the School Saving Bonus PARENT PORTAL

 

If you would like to use the bonus to assist with meeting the cost of extracurricular camps, excursions and activities at school for 2025 and beyond - you will still need to access the portal to nominate this option - 'school activities'. 

E.g. Utilising this bonus to assist with meeting the costs of the SLA and MLA Camps in Term 2, 2025. 

Families may also opt to spend some or all of their bonus on the purchase of new uniform items through Beleza School Uniforms or State Schools' Relief. Vouchers created for this purpose will remain active until 30th June, 2025. After such time, any unused voucher balances will transfer to family accounts at school, as a credit. 

(NB: We anticipate the release of our 'refreshed' and new NPS uniform items through Beleza School Uniforms to be during Term 2, 2025. Families will have the ability to purchase some/all of these new uniform options with their child's SSB, or a portion of, if they wish to do so).

 

Unfortunately, the SSB cannot be put toward the purchase of student resources/stationary packs (as detailed below) or contributions to Parent Payments for 2025. Please note: This was not a school level decision, but is a directive of the SSB initiative.  

 

If you have questions or require any additional support with the SSB, please contact the office. The Department have also created a dedicated email to assist schools and families with this initiative. school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au 

Below is a helpful instructional video to assist with navigating the SSB Portal. 

 

Click HERE to be directed to the School Saving Bonus PARENT PORTAL

Click HERE - to be taken to the School Saving Bonus Webpage 

Volunteers & Parent Helpers Morning Tea

On behalf of the staff and students at Newtown PS, we would like to invite our Parent Helpers and Volunteers to a special morning tea, provided by our school staff.

The morning tea will be held on: 

Tues 10th Dec 2024 @ 11am, in the MPR

If you have volunteered your time in any capacity this year (attending excursions, helped in the garden/grounds or attended working bees, assisted with fundraising, are a member of School Council etc), we would love for you to come along to morning tea on Tuesday 10th Dec, to allow us to express our gratitude to you for supporting the staff and students at our great school in 2024! 

2025 Parent Payments and Student Resources Pack Orders 

School Council have now approved the Parent Payment Arrangements and Student Resources Packs for 2025 and full information was sent home with students and posted on Compass. 

For your convenience, contributions towards the 2025 Parent Payment and Building Fund can be made when ordering your child's 2025 book pack via the COS portal. 

 

COS Online Portal Access

Go to: parent.cos.net.au/

Username: newtownps@cos.net.au 

Password: BTSparents-2025

 

If you have any questions about placing an order for your child's 2025 book pack or the parent payment arrangements, please don't hesitate to contact the school office. 

COS have also created a helpful tutorial video, which can be viewed HERE.

To view the complete 2025 Parent Payment Arrangements, please follow the link to the policies section on the school's website HERE

A new year of learning

The Department of Education have developed a webpage titled 'A new year of learning'. A link to the webpage is HERE

It contains information and resources for parents and carers to help their children unlock their potential for a new year of learning in 2025. There is some great information here that is certainly worth viewing. 

 

 

 

Newtown PS  Front Garden REFRESH Project

Our School Council need your help!

Our School Council have been working with Bunnings Waurn Ponds, with the advice of a landscape gardener, with a plan to refresh the garden spaces at the front of the school.

We would love some helpers this Monday December 9 any time during the day or Tuesday December 10 after school drop-off to 11am.  Call Georgia if you can help on 0422 824 750.

We will be removing plants from the raised garden beds at the front of the school.

The skip will be arriving on Monday, and we are looking for families to allocate us some time and people-power to assist on either or both of these days.

…Many hands really make light work! 

 

Please bring along any tools (and protective equipment) that you have available that will assist in accomplishing this work.  Looking forward to seeing as many pairs of hands as possible to assist us in creating some refreshed and inviting front garden spaces for all to enjoy!

 

Georgia Lea

School Council President 

City of Greater Geelong Christmas decorations

We are very excited to announce that our entry to the City of Greater Geelong’s Christmas decorations has been put up and on display for everyone to have a look at. Each student at Newtown PS participated in decorating the wooden tree using recycled lids and CD’s as baubles, which can be seen at Johnstone Park in Geelong. This morning, a photographer from The Times newspaper and another from the City of Greater Geelong met with Ms Taverna and a couple of senior students to chat about our tree and take some photos, so keep your eyes peeled over the next week for the pics! Otherwise, head down to Johnstone Park and have a look at the wonderful efforts from all students and their trees.

 

Next School Council Meeting: Feb 2025

If you wish to have a topic discussed at an upcoming School Council meeting, please reach out to one of our current members or leave a message via the school's feedback portal above. 

Newtown PS is Social!

Are you connected with our social media accounts?

Did you know that we are on Instagram and Facebook? We love sharing our achievements and happenings with our school community, and one of the ways in which we do that is via our social media. We have recently re-activated our Facebook page and continue to post on Instagram. Follow us via the links below.